Pet records

Preparing for a veterinary appointment

5 min readPublished by Cori DogEditorial methodUpdated 2026-09-07

Write down what you want to discuss before the visit. Having what happened, when and in what order on paper helps you spend the appointment discussing your dog rather than trying to remember the details.

On this page

What to bring

Put the notes, labels and images together before you leave. The checklist below works with a notebook or phone. For help with the images, see taking comparable photographs.

The dated history on a single page, oldest entry first, so the sequence is visible at a glance.
Every product and food currently in use — the containers themselves if they travel, and a photograph of each label if they do not.
Medicines and other products your dog is being given: copy the names and instructions exactly from their labels and note when they were last given.
The photographs, plus a short video of anything that comes and goes, on a device somebody can scroll through themselves.
Written information from any previous veterinary practice.
Your questions, written out before the appointment rather than assembled in the room.
Anything the practice asked you to bring when you booked.

What to ask when booking

Ask the practice about the points below and write down its instructions. Any directions about food, water or medicines before the visit must come from the practice, because they depend on what is planned.

How long the appointment is booked for, and whether a longer slot is available if you have more than one thing to raise.
Whether to bring anything with you: a sample, a container, a previous practice's paperwork, the packaging of anything being given.
Whether there is anything to do or not do beforehand, and exactly what they mean by it.
What the visit is likely to cost, how payment works, and whether any insurance paperwork has to be started first.
When to arrive, where to park, and whether to wait outside with a dog who finds a waiting room hard.
Who should come — the person who was there for the thing you are describing, if that is not you.

Start with your main concerns

Start with the reason you booked, then mention the other concerns on your list. Put them in the order that matters to you, and use your notes for details when asked. This helps make the full list available while there is still time to discuss it.

Questions to ask during the visit

Use the questions that help you understand the plan. If you are worried about a particular condition, say so and explain what led you to ask. The veterinarian can discuss it in the context of the examination.

What did you find today, and what would any proposed test tell us?
What happens next, and when?
What should I watch for, and what would mean contacting you sooner?
What will it cost, and what is the next step if the plan does not help?

Ask for instructions you can take home

Write down what was found, what is being done, what to watch for and when to return. Ask for written instructions, or ask permission to record the conversation. If you are unsure of a detail, check it with the practice before acting on it.

After the visit

Keep the written instructions, paperwork and receipt with the dated history. Note what was decided and any changes exactly as the practice explained them. Keeping a dated record of what you can see helps you bring that history to the next visit.

When to contact the practice sooner

Persistent itch, hair loss, odour, open lesions, ear involvement or a sudden change are each a reason to contact your veterinarian and arrange an appointment. Do not delay the call to finish your notes or try another bath.

For difficulty breathing, collapse or unresponsiveness, uncontrolled bleeding, seizures, or suspected poisoning, contact emergency veterinary care now.

Include the other things you have noticed

Write down the second or third concern too, even if you are unsure whether it is relevant. You can discuss priorities together during the visit. Research on veterinary consultations found that appointments often covered more than the original reason for booking; the sources below describe those studies and their limits.

Keep everything together between visits

Choose one notebook, folder or phone note for dates, products, photographs and questions. Then preparing for the next visit means gathering what you already have, with space to add anything new.

Helpful background reading

For help describing what you noticed, read our guide to observing a dog’s skin and coat. If you are bringing a grooming product, the label-reading guide explains what a label can and cannot settle about a product. Notes support the history; examination, tests and treatment decisions belong to your veterinarian.

Sources and limitations

Sources for this guide

Each note explains what its source supports. Dog studies describe only the dogs and measurements studied, not product benefits. Sources on human cosmetics explain terminology and formulation; they are not pet-product law, canine approval or proof about a finished shampoo.

Source 1
Corah et al. — appointment scheduling and cost in first opinion small animal practice
A 2019 survey of 307 respondents working in first-opinion small animal practice in the United Kingdom. It records the length of time consultations are booked for — most often fifteen minutes, next most often ten — and nothing about how long any consultation actually ran or about practices outside that sample.
Source 2
Dysart, Coe & Adams — analysis of solicitation of client concerns in companion animal practice
A cross-sectional study coding the opening of 334 appointments with twenty veterinarians in Eastern Ontario: how often the client was asked for their concerns, how often the reply was interrupted and after how long, and how often a new concern appeared at the close. It measured conversation only, and is not evidence about diagnosis, treatment or outcome for any animal.
Source 3
Robinson et al. — investigating common clinical presentations in first opinion small animal consultations using direct observation
Observation of 1,901 small-animal consultations at eight practices, covering 3,206 health problems. It supports the point that a visit may cover more than its original reason; it does not predict what will arise at your visit.
Source 4
Kessels — patients' memory for medical information
A review reporting that 40 to 80 per cent of the medical information practitioners give is forgotten immediately and that almost half of what is remembered is incorrect. This is human medicine, about people recalling their own consultations; it studied no veterinary appointment and no animal.
Source 5
WSAVA — Principles of Wellness: Dermatology
General veterinary guidance on individual skin and coat care and assessment of abnormalities or increased or severe itch. It identifies no cause, recommends no treatment for an individual animal and sets no universal bathing interval.