A puppy or kitten's first year: care and check-up plan

When you take in a puppy or kitten, the first year follows a certain order rather than happening at random. Knowing roughly what comes when protects the young animal and makes your vet visits easier. This page gives a general frame; the exact schedule is set by the vet who sees your animal.

The first step is always the exam

Once the young one is home, the first step is not rushing to a vaccine or a procedure but a vet check. The vet sees the animal's general condition, assesses any internal and external parasites, and builds the plan from there. For settling in and the first days, see new puppy, first week; for the basics of feeding, see food choice and feeding.

The general order of the first year

• The exam first. Everything starts with the assessment of the vet who sees the animal; the vet plans the next steps too.
• Then the vaccine series. Protective vaccines are given as a series, not all at once. Which vaccines and at what intervals is for the vet to decide; for details see the vaccination schedule. We give no doses or timing here.
• Microchip and registration. For owned cats and dogs, microchip identification and registration are a legal requirement; see microchip and registration for the chip and the registration/transfer.
• Neutering when the time comes. The right timing varies by species, breed and development, and the decision is the vet's; for the when and why see neutering.

Alongside these steps, routine checks, parasite protection and age-appropriate feeding continue through the first year. You can find clinics in your area from the directory home page and read how the directory is made on the about page. The order above is a general frame; exactly when each step is done is something only the vet who examines your animal can tell you.

This page is general information, not medical advice. The timing of vaccination, microchip, neutering and other procedures is the decision of the vet who sees the animal.