Take a new puppy or kitten to the vet within the first week of bringing it home, ideally in the first few days, even if it looks perfectly healthy. Most puppies and kittens have their first vet visit at around 6 to 8 weeks of age, when the first core vaccines are due. That first appointment is a full head-to-tail check, a parasite check and the start of a vaccine plan, and it is the best chance you will get to ask every question you have.
The short answer
- When: within the first week at home, and before any deadline in a breeder's or shelter's health guarantee. If your pet is already 6 to 8 weeks old, this visit usually starts the vaccine series.
- Go sooner: a puppy or kitten that stops eating, is unusually sleepy, vomits, has diarrhoea or struggles to breathe should be seen the same day, not at a planned visit.
- What happens: a physical exam, weight, a stool check for worms, deworming, the first core vaccines and, for kittens, often a test for feline leukaemia (FeLV) and FIV.
- What to bring: every record you were given, a fresh stool sample, the name of the food, and a written list of questions.
- How to travel: cats and small puppies in a secure carrier; puppies that are not fully vaccinated carried or kept off the clinic floor.
- After the visit: you leave with a date for the next booster. Most puppies and kittens return every 3 to 4 weeks until about 16 weeks of age or later.
When should a puppy or kitten have its first vet visit?
There are two clocks running. The first is age: vaccine schedules for both puppies and kittens usually begin at around 6 to 8 weeks. The second is the day your pet arrives. Even if a breeder or shelter has already given a first vaccine, a vet should examine your new pet within the first week so problems are found early and you have a record of its health on the day you took it on.
Many breeders and shelters offer a short health guarantee that only applies if a vet checks the animal within a set number of days. Read the paperwork on day one and book the appointment inside that window.
| Age | Typical visit | What usually happens |
|---|---|---|
| 6 to 8 weeks | First exam | Full check, weight, stool test, deworming, first core vaccine |
| 9 to 12 weeks | Second visit | Exam, core vaccine booster, deworming, parasite prevention plan |
| 12 to 16 weeks | Third visit | Core vaccine booster; rabies vaccine where required, depending on the product and local law |
| 16 weeks or later | Final puppy or kitten dose | Last core vaccine dose of the series; your vet may add one more in some cases |
| 6 to 12 months | Follow-up | Booster, weight and growth check, spay or neuter discussion |
Your vet may change this plan for your pet's health, history and local disease risks. The exact intervals for boosters are in our vaccination guides, and the age-by-age schedule for later life is in how often a dog or cat should go to the vet.
What happens at the first vet visit?
The physical exam
The vet or nurse will weigh your pet and usually take its temperature. Then the vet works from nose to tail:
- Eyes, ears and nose: discharge, redness, and ear mites, which are common in kittens.
- Mouth: baby teeth, the bite, the gums and the palate.
- Heart and lungs: listening for murmurs and abnormal breathing sounds. Some murmurs in young animals fade with age; your vet will tell you whether to recheck.
- Belly: feeling the organs and checking the navel for a hernia.
- Skin and coat: fleas, flea dirt, ringworm patches and lice.
- Body condition and growth: whether your pet is the right size for its age. Our kitten weight chart and puppy weight calculator show what normal growth looks like.
- Genitals: in male puppies and kittens, whether both testicles have come down into the scrotum.
Parasite checks and deworming
Intestinal worms are very common in young puppies and kittens, often passed on by the mother. The vet may test a stool sample and will usually give or prescribe a dewormer, then plan repeat doses. For cats, see how often to deworm a cat. The vet will also talk about flea and tick prevention, and heartworm prevention where it occurs. Use only products your vet recommends for your pet's age and weight: some dog flea products are dangerous for cats.
Vaccines and tests
If your pet is old enough, it will receive its first core vaccine, or the next one in a series a breeder already started. Kittens are often tested for FeLV and FIV, especially if they came from a shelter, were found outside or will live with other cats. A positive FIV result in a young kitten can come from the mother's antibodies, so vets often repeat the test later.
The conversation
A good first visit is half examination and half conversation. Expect to talk about food and portions, house training or litter habits, socialisation, microchipping, spay or neuter timing, pet insurance and what counts as an emergency.
Read nextIs My Cat Overweight? Body Condition Score Chart and Safe Weight LossWhat should I bring to the first vet appointment?
| Bring | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Records from the breeder, shelter or previous owner | Shows which vaccines and dewormers were already given and when |
| A fresh stool sample in a clean bag or container | Lets the clinic check for worms and other parasites |
| The name of the food and how much your pet eats | Helps the vet judge growth and portions |
| A list of questions | First visits are busy; a list makes sure nothing is forgotten |
| Photos or short videos of anything unusual | Coughing, limping or odd behaviour rarely happens on cue in the clinic |
| Treats, a toy or a familiar blanket | Makes the visit calmer and builds a positive association |
The stool sample should be as fresh as possible, ideally collected on the day of the appointment.
How to make the first visit calm
The first visit shapes how your pet feels about the vet for years, so it is worth a little preparation.
- Get the carrier out early. Leave it open at home with a soft blanket and treats inside, so it is a resting place rather than a trap. A carrier that opens from the top makes the exam easier for cats.
- Practise handling. Gently touch paws, ears and mouth for a few seconds each day, followed by a treat.
- Travel safely. Secure the carrier in the car. Cover it with a light towel if your cat seems stressed.
- Protect an unvaccinated puppy. Carry it or keep it in your lap or a carrier in the waiting room, and avoid areas where unknown dogs walk until your vet says the vaccine series is complete.
- Reward and go home. A treat after the visit and a quiet afternoon help.
Ask the clinic whether they offer cat-only waiting times or a quiet room. Many clinics are happy to help nervous pets.
Questions to ask your vet at the first visit
- When is the next vaccine due, and which non-core vaccines does my pet need for our lifestyle?
- How often should I deworm, and which flea, tick and heartworm prevention do you recommend?
- What should my pet weigh at its next visit, and how much should it eat? Our guide to how much to feed a dog or cat explains the calorie maths.
- When should we discuss spaying or neutering?
- Should my pet be microchipped, and is it registered in my name?
- Which symptoms mean I should call you straight away, and what is the out-of-hours number?
When should a new puppy or kitten see a vet straight away?
Young animals have small energy reserves and can become dehydrated or develop low blood sugar quickly. Do not wait for the planned appointment if your puppy or kitten:
- Stops eating, or has not eaten for most of a day
- Is weak, unusually sleepy or hard to wake
- Vomits more than once, or has diarrhoea, especially with blood
- Breathes with effort, coughs repeatedly or has blue or pale gums
- Has a swollen or painful belly
- Has a seizure, collapses or cannot stand
- May have swallowed something toxic or a small object
A puppy with vomiting and diarrhoea before its vaccine series is complete needs a vet the same day, because parvovirus is a serious risk at this age. For cats, our list of signs your cat is sick covers the quieter warning signs.
What about an adopted adult dog or cat?
The same rule applies: book a first visit within the first week or two, sooner if anything worries you. Bring every document you were given. If the vaccine history is unknown, your vet may restart a short vaccine series and run some baseline tests. The first visit also gives you a recorded starting weight, which makes later changes much easier to spot.
How to keep track after the first visit
You will leave the clinic with a lot of information: vaccines given, the batch stickers, a weight, a deworming plan and the date of the next appointment. That is easy to lose in a busy first month.
Log the first vet visit in PetVitals. Save the vaccines, weight and next due dates from the appointment, and get a reminder before each booster and deworming dose.
PetVitals keeps a dated health record for each pet, charts its growth, and lets you export a PDF to share with the clinic or a new vet. It does not diagnose or replace your veterinarian.
The bottom line
Book the first vet visit within a week of bringing your puppy or kitten home, and around 6 to 8 weeks of age if it has not had its first vaccines yet. Bring records, a fresh stool sample and your questions, travel safely, and leave with the next booster date in your calendar. If your new pet stops eating, vomits repeatedly, has diarrhoea or seems weak, call the vet the same day instead of waiting.