Your puppy's first vet visit in Singapore: what to bring and what to ask
The first appointment is mostly admin and cuddles, and it sets up the next year of your puppy's care. It is also where you find out whether the paperwork you were handed says what you were told it says.
Book it for the first few days after your puppy comes home, before anything has a chance to go wrong. Bring a written list, because the room is loud, the puppy is wriggling, and the questions you meant to ask evaporate the moment the vet says hello.
Go to a vet now if you see
- Not eating, or turning down two meals in a row
- Vomiting or diarrhoea more than once
- Lethargy: a puppy who will not get up for you, or sleeps through what normally wakes him
- Pale gums
- Breathing that looks like hard work
- A belly that looks bloated or feels tight
What to bring
Most of this is paper, and most of it is easier to gather the night before than on the morning:
- Any paperwork from the breeder, shelter or shop, including the sales agreement
- The vaccination and deworming record, even if it is only a photo on your phone
- A stool sample if the clinic asked for one when you booked: fresh that morning, sealed in a bag
- Your written list of questions
- Treats your puppy already likes, so the table becomes a good place rather than a strange one
- A carrier for a small puppy, or a leash and a well-fitted collar or harness. Nothing loose in a waiting room full of sick animals
What to ask
Four groups, which is also roughly the order a consult runs in:
- Health basics: is the weight and body condition right for this age, what does the vaccination and deworming schedule look like from here, and are there breed risks worth screening for
- Prevention: tick and flea cover, which matters through Singapore's March to October tick season, and heartworm prevention, including when to start it and what form it takes
- Daily care: how much food and how often at this age, how much exercise suits a growing puppy, and when to start on teeth and nails
- Logistics: what happens after hours, which emergency clinic the practice points you to, and the symptoms that mean come straight back rather than wait for the next appointment
In the room, and the paperwork after
The consult is a nose-to-tail examination: weight, temperature, eyes, ears, teeth, heart and lungs through a stethoscope, the belly felt by hand, and a look for fleas, ticks and signs of worms. Your vet talks through what they find as they go, which is the moment to ask what a finding actually means for you at home. If a vaccination is due and your puppy is well enough for it, that usually comes at the end.
Microchipping and licensing come up at this visit too. Dogs in Singapore are licensed through AVS, and microchipping sits inside that picture, so ask your vet what applies to your puppy and how much of it the clinic handles for you. Take the requirements from them or from AVS directly rather than from a forum, because they change.
Write the answers down in the room. You will not remember the feeding amount by dinner. If you keep your puppy in Ori, the Vet Visit Prep card on his profile holds the questions before the appointment and the answers after it, so the next visit starts from what was said at this one.
How soon after bringing a puppy home should the first visit be?
Most owners book inside the first week, partly for the check and partly because some breeder and shelter contracts ask for it. If the puppy arrives with diarrhoea, a cough, or no appetite, that is not a book-it-for-next-week situation. Call the clinic the same day.
Do I need to bring a stool sample?
Ask when you book, because clinics differ on this. If they want one, freshness is the whole point: collected that morning, sealed, kept cool, not something scooped from yesterday.
Does my puppy need to be microchipped and licensed?
Dog licensing in Singapore runs through AVS and microchipping is part of that conversation, but the details depend on your dog and they get updated. Ask your vet at this visit what applies and what the clinic can do for you, and confirm against AVS rather than a secondhand answer.
The 3am questions, answered calmly
Ori is a companion app that knows your pet — records, reminders, and an emergency chat for the panic moments. Free on iPhone and Android, with 3 emergency checks included.
No card needed. Made in Singapore.
Keep reading
This guide is general information for pet parents, not veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Every pet is different — for any medical concern, consult a licensed veterinarian. If your pet seems to be in danger, contact a 24-hour veterinary clinic straight away.