New Puppy & Kitten Wellness: Your First-Year Veterinary Roadmap

Your first appointment is usually the longest wellness visit of the year. Your vet will review any breeder, rescue, or shelter records, perform a nose-to-tail exam, check weight and body condition, listen to the heart and lungs, examine the eyes and ears, look for hernias or retained baby teeth, and discuss stool quality, appetite, sleep, and behavior. Bringing prior records and a fresh stool sample can make this visit more useful.

This visit also sets the schedule for the months ahead. Puppies often begin or continue a vaccine series starting around 6 to 8 weeks of age and repeat boosters every 3 to 4 weeks until at or after 16 weeks. Kittens also typically start vaccines around 6 to 8 weeks and continue every 3 to 4 weeks until 16 to 20 weeks. Rabies timing depends on state law and product labeling, but it is commonly given between 12 and 16 weeks.

In many US practices, a first puppy or kitten exam often costs about $40 to $85 before vaccines, testing, and preventives are added. A more complete first visit with vaccines, fecal testing, and deworming may total roughly $150 to $350, depending on what has already been done and what your pet needs.

6 to 8 weeks: first wellness exam if not already done, fecal parasite testing, deworming as needed, and first core vaccines. Core puppy vaccines generally include distemper, adenovirus/hepatitis, parvovirus, and parainfluenza in combination products. Many vets now also discuss leptospirosis as part of core or near-core prevention depending on local risk.

10 to 12 weeks: booster vaccines, repeat fecal testing if indicated, and a prevention check-in. This is also a good time to review safe socialization, crate training, mouthing, sleep, and house-training.

14 to 16 weeks: final puppy boosters in the initial series for many pets, rabies vaccine if due, and discussion of lifestyle vaccines such as Bordetella, Lyme, canine influenza, or leptospirosis based on region and exposure. Your vet may also review microchipping and timing for spay or neuter.

6 to 12 months: adolescent wellness visit, booster planning for the 1-year mark after the final puppy series, ongoing parasite prevention, dental development review, and behavior support. Large-breed dogs may have different spay-neuter timing discussions than small-breed dogs, so this is individualized.

6 to 8 weeks: first kitten wellness exam, fecal testing, deworming plan, and first FVRCP vaccine, which protects against feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia. Kittens are especially vulnerable while maternal antibodies are fading.

9 to 12 weeks: booster FVRCP, repeat parasite screening as needed, and discussion of litter box habits, scratching, play behavior, and nutrition. Many clinics also discuss FeLV vaccination during kittenhood because feline leukemia vaccination is considered core for cats under 1 year of age.

12 to 16 weeks: additional FVRCP boosters, FeLV series if recommended, and rabies vaccine according to local law and product timing. Indoor-only status does not always remove rabies requirements, so your vet will guide you based on your state and your kitten’s risk profile.

5 to 6 months and beyond: spay-neuter planning, microchipping, dental eruption checks, parasite prevention review, and a booster reminder for about 1 year after the final kitten vaccine series. This is also the time to talk about enrichment, weight control, and how to reduce stress during handling and travel.

Vaccines are only one piece of first-year wellness. Puppies and kittens commonly carry intestinal parasites, even when they look healthy, so fecal testing and deworming are routine parts of early care. Your vet may recommend repeat stool checks because young pets can be reinfected and some parasites are shed intermittently.

For puppies, flea, tick, and heartworm prevention should be discussed early. There is no heartworm vaccine for dogs, so prevention relies on regular medication. For kittens, flea prevention is especially important because even a small flea burden can cause major irritation, tapeworm exposure, and in very young kittens, anemia.

Lifestyle matters. A puppy going to daycare, training class, dog parks, or hiking trails may need a different prevention plan than a mostly home-based puppy. A kitten living with outdoor cats or with any chance of escape may need different vaccine and parasite recommendations than a strictly indoor single-cat household.

Early wellness visits are the best time to ask about feeding amounts, growth rate, treats, supplements, and body condition. Puppies and kittens should stay lean while growing. Overfeeding can contribute to rapid growth, digestive upset, and long-term weight problems.

Behavior support is preventive medicine. Puppies benefit from safe, positive socialization and reward-based training during early development. Kittens benefit from gentle handling, carrier practice, nail-trim training, play sessions, and home setups that include hiding spots, climbing areas, and scratching surfaces. These steps can reduce fear and make future vet visits easier.

If your new pet has vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, poor appetite, low energy, or trouble gaining weight, do not wait for the next scheduled booster. Young pets can become dehydrated or decline quickly. Contact your vet promptly for guidance.

First-year veterinary costs vary widely, but planning ahead helps. In 2025-2026 US clinics, many pet parents can expect routine wellness exams to run about $40 to $90 each, fecal testing about $25 to $60, deworming about $10 to $30 per treatment, microchipping about $25 to $75, and vaccine boosters commonly about $25 to $60 each. Monthly parasite prevention adds an ongoing cost that depends on species, size, and product choice.

A practical first-year total for routine preventive care often falls around $400 to $800 for a lower-risk kitten and $500 to $1,200 for many puppies, with higher totals if your pet needs extra vaccines, repeated testing, sedation, treatment for illness, or surgery. Spay-neuter costs vary substantially by region and clinic type, so ask your vet for a local cost range early.

If budget is a concern, tell your vet up front. Spectrum of Care planning can help prioritize what needs to happen now, what can be scheduled later, and which preventive steps give the most value for your pet’s specific risks.