What to bring to the vet, and what to ask while you're there

Let me guess. You've got a vet appointment coming up, and you've been rehearsing what to say the whole drive over. Then the exam room door closes, your cat starts planning an escape through the sink, and half of it goes right out of your head. That happens to a lot of people.

So let's sort it out before you get there: what to bring to the vet, what to ask once you're in the room, and how to get your pet's records where they need to go. Take a breath. Let's walk through it the way I would if you were sitting across from me.

What to bring to the vet, and why each thing helps

The short version is four things: the medicines, your notes from home, videos of anything odd, and records from any other clinic. Each one answers a question I'd otherwise have to guess at.

The medicines: the bottles, or a full list

Bring every medicine your pet gets, and I mean every one. The prescriptions, yes. Also the flea and tick product, the heartworm preventive, the joint chew from the pet store, the fish oil and the calming treats. If it goes in or on your pet, it counts.

The actual bottles are nice. The label shows the strength, the directions and who prescribed it, so I'm working from what your pet actually gets, not a list from memory. Know how much, how often and for how long, and if you can, just bring the bottles.

A complete, current list does the job too. Honestly, keeping that list is a big part of why I built WagNote (full disclosure: it's my app). I kept seeing owners struggle to keep track of every medicine, so I put it all in one place. If you use it, you've already got the list.

Two more reasons it matters:

• Medicines can bump into each other. The trilostane label, for example, warns vets to be careful using it with some heart medicines. Phenobarbital, a seizure medicine, has a long list of medicines it can interact with. I can only check for that if I know everything your pet takes, supplements included.
• Timing can change a test result. For some rechecks, the time of the last dose matters. The trilostane label tells vets to run its monitoring blood test a set number of hours after the dose. So write down when you gave the morning dose. When you book, ask whether to give it before the visit, and whether your pet should eat breakfast first.

Jot down any doses you missed lately, too. If you tap doses as given in WagNote, that list is already there. Nobody's grading you. A missed dose can explain a strange result.

Your notes from home beat your memory

When I ask how your dog's been drinking, "fine" doesn't tell me much. A number does. In the days before the visit, write down what matters for your pet's condition, with a date next to each, or log it in WagNote and the dates are kept for you:

• Water. Fill a big jug in the morning, fill the bowl only from that jug for 24 hours, and see how much is gone. (Here's the whole jug method.)
• Appetite. Eating it all, picking at it, or skipping meals? Note the day it changed.
• Weight. If you can weigh at home, use the same scale each time.
• Vomiting, coughing or accidents. How many, and when.
• Breathing at rest, for heart pets. Count the breaths in one minute while your pet is asleep. Your vet will tell you which number to watch for.
• Energy. Is he still meeting you at the door, or sleeping right through the doorbell?

These same few things come up again and again, whether it's kidney disease, diabetes, heart failure, pancreatitis or Cushing's. Slow changes are hard to see when you live with them every day, and a few dated numbers show the trend far better than "I think she's drinking less."

If it happens at home, film it

This one costs nothing. Some pets walk into the exam room on pure adrenaline and look perfectly fine. The limp disappears. The weird thing waits until you're back in the car.

A short phone video lets me see what you saw. It also settles things a description can't. A cough, a reverse sneeze and the start of vomiting can sound a lot alike when you describe them, and a video helps tell them apart. Same goes for behavior that never shows up in the exam room. A recording may be the only way I get to see it.

To make the video useful:

• Start filming as soon as you can, and keep going until it's over.
• Get your whole pet in the frame, not only the leg or the face.
• For a limp, film a plain walk at a normal pace.
• Note the date and time, and what happened right before it started.

One rule: if your pet is struggling to breathe or collapses, skip the camera and go.

How to transfer vet records to a new vet

If you're seeing a new vet, a specialist or an emergency clinic, your pet's history needs to get there too. If your pet's records are at another hospital, you can have them sent to your new vet. Call the old clinic, tell them where the records need to go, and give your OK. Do it a few days ahead, not the morning of the visit.

If you have your own copies of past lab results or X-ray reports, bring those too.

How to share records so they're ready when you need them

Here's the thing: the records that matter most at 2 a.m. are the ones you can reach. If your pet needs an emergency clinic at night, your regular clinic may be closed. So keep one page that pulls it all together:

• Your pet's name, age and current weight
• Diagnosed conditions
• Every medicine, with how often it's given
• Any drug reactions or allergies
• Recent lab results (ask for a copy before you leave every visit)
• Your regular vet's name and phone number

Should you send it ahead of time? It depends. If you're new to this vet, then yes, a hundred percent. It's hard for a vet to sort through a medical record, get to you on time, and still understand what's going on with your pet, especially with complicated conditions. Getting the records there ahead of time helps. Some vets won't look at them before you get there, and that's okay. Every vet's a little different.

Videos are the exception. Keep them on your phone and show them in the room. Don't email a video unless your vet asks for one.

Keeping that page current is the hard part, so add to it after every visit, while it's fresh.

Questions to ask your vet before you leave

Write your questions down before the visit, with the most important one at the top. Exam rooms are distracting. And ask until you understand. That's what I'm there for.

These fit almost any visit, so they're a good place to start:

• What do you think is going on, and what else is on the list? You'll know why each test is being run.
• What will this test tell us? So the results make sense when they come back.
• What side effects should I watch for, and which ones mean I should call? Know this before the first dose, not after.
• When is the next recheck, and what will we check then? Put it on the calendar, or set a reminder in WagNote, before you leave the parking lot.
• What should I watch or measure at home until then? Write it on the same page as your questions.
• What signs mean I shouldn't wait? So you're not guessing at 9 p.m. on a Saturday.
• Who do I call after hours? Save that number in your phone today.
• Can I have a copy of today's results? That's the start of your one-page record.

If an answer goes over your head, say so. Ask for a handout, or for a good website to read later. A good vet would rather explain it twice than have you guess at home.

The night before

• Put every bottle in one bag.
• Put the videos in one album on your phone, and charge it.
• Write your questions, top one first.
• Check whether your pet should eat breakfast or get the morning medicine.
• Cats: get the carrier out early with a soft towel inside. Most cats can spot a carrier from three rooms away, so let it sit out until it's furniture.

If you do one thing this week: put every bottle your pet takes into one bag by the door. Your vet will love you for it, even if your cat doesn't.