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Ideally, the first veterinary visit might be made even before the new pet is acquired (see 3.10 Advising Clients on Selecting an Appropriate Pet). If a specific breed has been selected, the veterinary team should be able to counsel the owners on possible breed‐related conditions to be aware of (see 11.4 Heritable Health Conditions – By Breed), and what documentation would be worthwhile from the provider of the animal (e.g., hip joint certification of parents, DNA testing of parents, etc.). Armed with this information, the situation is established where the veterinary team is the healthcare advocate, and this helps cement an appropriate doctor–client bond.

The veterinary practice will also want to evaluate the previous healthcare that the animal received. For example, many young animals are “dewormed,” have had some initial vaccinations, and perhaps other treatments. As the healthcare advocate, the veterinary team will want to safeguard the owner from any zoonotic conditions, protect any animals at home from infectious diseases (quarantine may be needed), and determine the appropriateness of any treatments to date.

Apart from thorough physical examination, the first visit is a great time to discuss overall healthcare strategies for the months and years ahead. Sometimes this is easier to discuss if the subject matter is broken down into routine healthcare, breed‐related concerns, behavioral counseling, neutering, dental care, nutrition, life stage issues, and unexpected care (emergencies, specialist consultations, etc.). Providing a written healthcare plan streamlines the process and means that the client can listen to instructions and appreciate the “big picture” without trying to take exhaustive notes. Although this might seem overwhelming to the client at first, it does set the stage for the anticipated care of the pet that will span a lifetime. This also helps owners budget accordingly and consider other ways to manage the costs of pet healthcare such as buying pet health insurance (see 10.16 Pet Health Insurance).

Many pet owners have unrealistic expectations of pet care because they have never been exposed to optimal care and never had anyone detail pet‐specific care guidelines for them (see 9.3 Guidelines). Most are appreciative of these clear‐cut guidelines and the ability to plan in advance for realistic costs as well as which risk management strategies might be most appropriate.