Most healthy pets benefit from regular preventive veterinary care, but there is no single schedule that is right for every animal. AAHA recommends at least an annual veterinary examination for pets generally, while senior animals and pets with chronic health conditions often need more frequent visits. The right schedule depends on species, age, breed, health, lifestyle and environment.

Organise your pet’s medical records by creating one profile for each animal and grouping information into clear categories such as veterinary visits, vaccinations, medications, test results, procedures and identification. Keep important original documents, maintain a simple chronological health timeline and update the record whenever your pet receives significant care.

Prepare for a veterinary appointment by gathering your pet’s relevant medical history, current medications, vaccination information and a short list of questions or symptoms you want to discuss. Plan safe transport in advance and tell the clinic beforehand if your pet is particularly fearful, reactive or difficult to handle. For cats and other carrier-trained pets, making the carrier familiar well before the appointment can help reduce stress. Always follow the veterinary practice’s specific instructions about food, medication or preparation for procedures.

Every pet guardian should keep a simple emergency profile containing their pet’s identification, primary and emergency veterinary contacts, current medications, important medical conditions, allergies or adverse reactions, microchip details and relevant insurance information. You should also know where your pet would receive out-of-hours care and how you would transport them there. If your pet develops difficulty breathing, becomes unresponsive, has significant trauma, seizures, severe bleeding or another potentially life-threatening problem, contact an emergency veterinary professional immediately.

Pet health records create a history of your pet's care. Keeping veterinary visits, vaccinations, medications, test results, allergies, identification details and other important information organised can make it easier to share accurate information with veterinary professionals and manage your pet's care throughout their life.

A pet vaccination record should clearly show which vaccines your pet has received, when they were given, who administered them and when the next veterinary review or vaccination may be due. Keeping certificates and vaccination history organised helps your veterinary team understand previous protection, supports continuity of care and can provide evidence of vaccination when required for travel, boarding or other services.

Puppy vaccination usually begins at around 6–8 weeks of age. For the major core viral vaccines against canine distemper, adenovirus and parvovirus, the 2024 WSAVA guidelines recommend repeat doses every 2–4 weeks until the puppy is at least 16 weeks old. Additional vaccines—including rabies, leptospirosis, Bordetella, canine influenza or Lyme disease—depend on local law, geography, lifestyle and individual risk. Your veterinarian should create the vaccination schedule for your puppy rather than relying on a universal timetable.

A cat's health priorities change throughout life. Kittens need particular attention to growth, vaccination, infectious-disease risk, nutrition and healthy behavioural development. Young and mature adult cats still need regular preventive veterinary care, with ongoing monitoring of weight, body condition, dental health, elimination, behaviour and lifestyle risks. Senior cats—defined in AAHA/AAFP guidance as cats over 10 years—benefit from closer monitoring because changes in appetite, drinking, urination, weight, mobility, grooming, vision or behaviour may be early signs of disease.

A cat may stop eating because of dental pain, nausea, gastrointestinal disease, kidney or liver disease, pancreatitis, infection, pain, stress, medication effects, difficulty accessing food or many other causes. Appetite loss in cats should be taken seriously because prolonged inadequate food intake can contribute to hepatic lipidosis, a potentially life-threatening liver condition, particularly in overweight cats. Contact your veterinarian promptly if your cat stops eating, and seek urgent care sooner if appetite loss occurs with difficulty breathing, collapse, repeated vomiting, severe weakness, suspected poisoning, inability to urinate or other serious symptoms.

A good dog health checklist changes as your dog grows. Puppies need particular attention to growth, vaccination, social development and preventive care; healthy adult dogs still need regular veterinary checks, weight and dental monitoring, vaccination review and parasite prevention; and senior dogs often benefit from more frequent assessment, including closer monitoring of mobility, behaviour, weight, muscle condition and chronic disease. There is no single age at which every dog becomes “senior”—breed, size, health and expected lifespan all matter.

A dog may stop eating because of something relatively minor, such as a change in food, stress or disrupted routine, but appetite loss can also be associated with dental pain, nausea, gastrointestinal disease, infection, pain, medication effects or other medical conditions. A dog that wants to eat but cannot comfortably pick up, chew or swallow food also needs veterinary attention. Contact a veterinarian promptly if your dog stops eating, particularly if the change is sudden, persists, or occurs alongside vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy, pain, abdominal swelling, difficulty breathing or other signs of illness.

Kitten vaccination usually begins from around 6–8 weeks of age. For feline panleukopenia, herpesvirus and calicivirus, veterinary guidelines recommend a series of doses through at least 16 weeks of age because maternally derived antibodies can interfere with early vaccination. FeLV vaccination is considered core for kittens and young cats in the AAHA/AAFP framework, while rabies vaccination depends partly on local law and regional risk. Your veterinarian should create the vaccination plan for the individual kitten based on age, health, previous vaccination, lifestyle and location.

A healthy rabbit should normally have a good appetite, eat plenty of hay, produce regular normal droppings, maintain a stable healthy weight and move, groom and behave normally for that individual. Their eyes and nose should be clear, their coat and skin healthy, their hindquarters clean and dry, and they should show no difficulty eating or moving. Because rabbits often hide illness, changes in appetite, droppings, behaviour, posture, weight or grooming can be important early warning signs. A rabbit that stops eating or produces significantly fewer or no droppings needs prompt veterinary attention.

Rabbit vaccination recommendations depend on the country, local disease risk, available vaccines, the rabbit's age and previous vaccination history. In the UK, rabbits are routinely protected against myxomatosis, rabbit viral haemorrhagic disease type 1 (RVHD1) and rabbit viral haemorrhagic disease type 2 (RVHD2). Current UK rabbit-welfare guidance also recommends additional protection against newly recognised highly virulent RVHD2 strains using an additional vaccine alongside the established combined vaccine. Indoor rabbits still need veterinary vaccination advice because these diseases can spread indirectly through insects, contaminated objects, clothing, shoes and contact with infected rabbits or environments.

Cats can develop diarrhoea for many reasons, including a sudden diet change, stress, food intolerance, parasites, infections, toxins, inflammatory gastrointestinal disease, pancreatic disease, hyperthyroidism, kidney or liver disease and cancer. Mild, short-lived diarrhoea in an otherwise well adult cat may sometimes resolve without becoming serious, but contact a veterinarian if it persists, becomes frequent or severe, contains blood, appears black or tarry, or occurs with vomiting, appetite loss, weakness, abdominal pain, dehydration or weight loss. Kittens, senior cats and cats with existing medical conditions may become unwell more quickly. Severe or persistent diarrhoea, collapse, marked weakness, significant dehydration, breathing difficulty, suspected poisoning or rapid deterioration requires urgent veterinary attention.

Cats can vomit for many reasons, ranging from hairballs or a temporary digestive upset to parasites, foreign-body obstruction, toxins, inflammatory gastrointestinal disease, pancreatitis, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, diabetes or cancer. Vomiting is an active process usually involving nausea, retching and abdominal contractions, while regurgitation is generally more passive. An isolated episode in an otherwise well cat may sometimes be monitored, but repeated or persistent vomiting, blood, appetite loss, weakness, diarrhea, dehydration, pain, weight loss, inability to keep water down or suspected toxin or foreign-object ingestion requires veterinary advice. Severe or protracted vomiting, collapse, breathing difficulty, marked weakness, a painful or distended abdomen, or inability to urinate requires urgent veterinary attention.

Guinea pigs often hide signs of illness, so changes from their normal eating, weight, droppings, activity, breathing, movement or behaviour deserve attention. Common warning signs include eating less or stopping eating, weight loss, smaller or fewer droppings, diarrhoea, lethargy, hunched posture, difficulty breathing, sneezing or discharge, drooling, difficulty chewing, limping, swollen joints, hair or skin changes, urinary changes and head tilt. Because guinea pigs can deteriorate quickly, contact a veterinarian experienced with guinea pigs promptly when a meaningful change occurs. Seek urgent veterinary care for difficulty breathing, collapse or severe weakness, complete loss of appetite, severe diarrhoea, marked abdominal swelling or pain, inability to urinate or pass stool, seizures, major trauma or rapid deterioration.

Hamsters can hide illness and may deteriorate quickly, so even subtle changes from their normal behaviour deserve attention. Common warning signs include eating or drinking less, unexplained weight loss, unusual inactivity during their normal waking hours, hunched posture, diarrhoea or a wet/soiled rear, changes in urine or droppings, difficulty breathing, eye or nose discharge, abnormal walking, hair or skin changes, dental problems, cheek swelling, wounds or new lumps. Seek prompt veterinary advice if your hamster looks or behaves differently from normal. Difficulty breathing, severe diarrhoea with weakness or dehydration, collapse, major bleeding or trauma, a severe abdominal swelling, rectal prolapse, seizures or rapid deterioration require urgent veterinary care.

Dogs can develop diarrhoea for many reasons, including eating something unusual, a sudden diet change, stress, parasites, infections, food intolerance, inflammatory gastrointestinal disease, toxins, pancreatic disease, hormonal disorders or other systemic illness. Mild diarrhoea in an otherwise bright, healthy adult dog may sometimes resolve within a short period, but contact a veterinarian if it persists, becomes frequent or severe, contains blood, appears black or tarry, or is accompanied by vomiting, appetite loss, lethargy, abdominal pain, weight loss or signs of dehydration. Puppies, senior dogs and dogs with underlying medical conditions may become unwell more quickly. Seek urgent veterinary care if your dog is collapsing, severely weak, markedly dehydrated, has severe bloody diarrhoea, a painful or distended abdomen, breathing difficulty, or you suspect poisoning or another emergency.

Dogs can vomit for many reasons, ranging from eating something unusual or a temporary stomach upset to infections, parasites, pancreatitis, intestinal obstruction, toxins or diseases affecting organs such as the liver or kidneys. Vomiting is an active process usually involving nausea, retching and abdominal contractions, whereas regurgitation is more passive. One isolated episode in an otherwise healthy dog may sometimes be monitored, but contact a veterinarian promptly if vomiting is repeated, persists, contains blood, is accompanied by pain, lethargy, dehydration, diarrhea or weight loss, or if your dog cannot keep water down. Seek urgent veterinary care if your dog has a swollen or painful abdomen, repeated unproductive retching, collapse, breathing difficulty, significant weakness, or you suspect a toxin or foreign object has been swallowed.

Pet birds often hide signs of illness, so changes from your bird's normal behaviour can be important. Warning signs include eating less, unexplained weight loss, sleeping more, reduced vocalisation or interaction, persistent fluffed feathers, sitting low on a perch or on the cage floor, weakness, balance problems, changes in droppings, vomiting, eye or nasal discharge, and changes in feathers or grooming. Breathing difficulty, open-mouth breathing at rest, pronounced tail bobbing with each breath, collapse, severe weakness, inability to perch, seizures, uncontrolled bleeding or rapid deterioration require urgent veterinary attention. Because different bird species have different normal behaviours, diets and health risks, concerns should ideally be assessed by a veterinarian experienced with the species.

Signs that a cat may be unwell include eating less, drinking or urinating more or less than usual, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, weight loss, hiding, lethargy, unusual behaviour, reduced grooming, mobility changes, coughing, rapid or difficult breathing, eye or nose discharge, skin or coat changes and changes in litter-tray habits. Cats can sometimes show illness subtly, so a meaningful change from your cat's normal routine may be important even when no dramatic symptom is present. Contact a veterinarian if a change persists, recurs or occurs with other concerning signs. Seek urgent veterinary care for difficulty or open-mouth breathing, collapse or unresponsiveness, seizures, severe weakness, inability to urinate, major trauma or bleeding, abnormal gum colour, suspected poisoning or rapid deterioration.

Dogs can show illness in many ways, including reduced appetite, changes in drinking or urination, vomiting, diarrhoea, coughing, breathing changes, lethargy, unusual behaviour, limping, pain, weight change, skin or coat problems, eye or ear discharge and changes in stool or urine. No single sign identifies the cause, and some illnesses begin with subtle changes from your dog's normal routine. Contact a veterinarian if a change persists, recurs or is accompanied by other concerning signs. Seek urgent veterinary care for difficulty breathing, collapse or unresponsiveness, seizures, severe weakness or paralysis, major bleeding or trauma, pale or blue gums, a swollen painful abdomen, inability to urinate, suspected poisoning or rapid deterioration.

Rabbits do not always look dramatically ill when something is wrong.

Preventive pet care means protecting your pet’s health before problems become serious. It combines regular veterinary care with appropriate vaccination, parasite management, nutrition, weight and dental care, everyday observation and species-specific husbandry. The right plan depends on your pet’s species, age, health, lifestyle and where they live or travel, so preventive care should always be individual rather than based on a universal checklist.