Annual Pet Health Checklist: What to Review Every Year With Your Vet

An annual vet visit goes faster and covers more ground when you walk in with a clear list rather than relying on the vet to remember to ask everything, or you to remember to mention it. Here's what's actually worth reviewing every year, and what tends to get skipped.

Before the appointment: what to track over the year

The most useful annual visits are built on a full year of small observations, not just what's happened in the last few weeks. If you've noticed anything during the year — a new lump, a change in appetite, increased thirst, stiffness after exercise — write it down as it happens rather than trying to recall it months later.

The core annual review checklist

• Weight — compared to last year's, not just this visit's number, since gradual change is often the meaningful signal
• Vaccination status — what's due this year, what's not needed yet
• Dental health — tartar buildup, bad breath, any reluctance to chew
• Parasite prevention — whether the current flea/tick/heartworm plan still fits their lifestyle
• Diet and body condition — whether current food and portions still make sense at their age and activity level
• Behavioral changes — anxiety, aggression, changes in sleep or energy
• Breed-specific risk factors — conditions your vet should be screening for given breed and age

Questions worth asking, even if nothing seems wrong

1. Is their weight in a healthy range for their breed and age?
2. Are there any bloodwork values trending in a direction worth watching?
3. Should we be screening for anything specific to their breed at this age?
4. Does the current medication or supplement list still make sense?

After the visit

Update your pet's main record with anything new: medication changes, the current weight, any follow-up tests ordered, and the date for next year. The annual checklist only works as a checklist if last year's numbers are easy to find when you're building this year's.