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Getting ready for a vet visit

You see your pet every day. Your vet sees them on the day of the visit. What you noticed at home, brought into the exam room, gives your vet more to work with.

In the days before: what to watch and write down

Write these down for the visit. If something worries you, or your pet seems to be getting worse, call your clinic now, or an emergency or 24-hour animal hospital if your clinic is closed.

  • When it started. The date, and anything that changed around then: a new food, a trip, a stay at a boarder, a new pet or person in the house.
  • Eating and drinking. Are they eating and drinking the way they normally do? If your cat stops eating, call your vet promptly, or an emergency or 24-hour animal hospital if your clinic is closed. Don't let a cat go more than a day without food. If they keep eating much less than usual, call your vet too, sooner if they also seem unwell.
  • Pee and poop. Any change from their usual, including how the poop looks. A dog or cat straining to pee with little or no urine needs to be seen by a vet right away. Call ahead and go to your clinic now, or an emergency or 24-hour animal hospital if your clinic is closed.
  • Vomiting. When it happened, and what it looked like.
  • Energy and mood. Anything different from their normal: resting more, keeping to themselves, not wanting to be touched, slow to get up, skipping the couch or the steps, a change in how they greet you.
  • Weight, if you can weigh them at home.
  • A short video. A cough, a limp or an odd sound may not happen in the exam room. A few seconds on your phone lets your vet see it.

What to bring

  • Your notes, and any photos or videos.
  • Every medicine and supplement your pet gets, including flea, tick and heartworm products. Bring the bottles if you can, or a list with each one's name, how much and how often.
  • Which food they eat, and the usual amount each day.
  • Records from any other clinic or animal hospital that has seen them. If this is a new clinic, ask the old one to send records ahead.
  • For a cat, a carrier. For a dog, a leash.

Questions to ask your vet

  • What do you think is going on?
  • What should I watch for at home, and what would mean I should call you?
  • If you're suggesting a test, what will it tell us, and what happens next depending on the result?
  • If we're going home with a medicine, how and when do I give it, and what do I do if my pet won't take it?
  • When should we come back, or check in by phone?
  • Can I have today's instructions in writing?

Write the answers down while you're in the room.

After the visit

Write down what you're meant to do at home and when you go back, and keep any written instructions with your notes.

Keeping it all in one place

You can keep these notes in 911 PAWS. The care log for your dog or cat is free, with no card.

Tap a button when something happens: Food, Water, Pee, Poop, Walk, Medicine, Vomit, Weight, Observation, and more. Add a note if you want. What you notice goes into one file for your pet. So the day you sit down with your vet, you can say exactly what's been going on.

You can add the appointment to your care log ahead of time, and it shows under "Coming up."

Printable checklist

Write these down for the visit. If something worries you, or your pet seems to be getting worse, call your clinic now, or an emergency or 24-hour animal hospital if your clinic is closed.

Poison. ASPCA Animal Poison Control, (888) 426-4435, open 24/7 (a fee may apply), or your vet. Call right away, even if your pet seems fine. If they ate or touched something and are having a seizure, struggling to breathe, bleeding or won't wake up, take them to an open vet or emergency animal hospital right away, and call on the way if you can.

In the days before

  • When it started, and what changed then
  • Eating and drinking
  • Cat stops eating: call your vet promptly, no more than a day without food
  • Cat keeps eating much less: call your vet, sooner if unwell
  • Pee and poop
  • Dog or cat straining to pee with little or no urine: see a vet right away
  • Vomiting
  • Energy and mood
  • Weight
  • A short video

What to bring

  • Notes, photos, videos
  • Medicines and supplements (bottles, or a list)
  • Food name and daily amount
  • Records from other clinics
  • Carrier or leash

Questions to ask

  • What do you think is going on?
  • What should I watch for? When do I call?
  • What will this test tell us?
  • How and when do I give this medicine?
  • When do we come back?
  • Instructions in writing?

After the visit

  • What to do at home
  • When we go back

If it can't wait

If your pet seems to be getting worse before the appointment, call your clinic now, or an emergency or 24-hour animal hospital if your clinic is closed.

If you think your pet ate or got into something poisonous, call your vet or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 right away, even if your pet seems fine. The hotline is open 24 hours a day, every day, and a consultation fee may apply. If they ate or touched something and are having a seizure, struggling to breathe, bleeding or won't wake up, take them to an open vet or emergency animal hospital right away, and call on the way if you can.

Sources

We drew on general guidance from:

These organizations did not review this page and are not connected with 911 PAWS.