The first appointment with a puppy or a kitten is rarely dramatic. It is a quiet stocktaking: your vet gets to know a healthy young animal, you get to ask the questions that have piled up at home, and the animal learns that nothing bad happens at a practice. That last part is worth as much as the examination itself, because every later visit builds on it.
Book in the first days after the animal moves in, before anything is wrong. Say at booking where the animal came from and which papers you already have; that decides what still needs doing. In Luxembourg the timing has a legal side too: a dog must be microchipped by a vet and registered with the commune within four months of birth, so an early appointment is simply practical.
Papers, a stool sample, the carrier
Most of it is probably still in the folder from the breeder or the shelter:
- every document you were given: date of birth, chip number, records of vaccinations, deworming and any treatment
- the EU pet passport, if one already exists
- for a dog, the civil-liability insurance papers; the cover is compulsory in Luxembourg and must come from an insurer licensed here
- a stool sample, if the practice asked for one when you booked
- a carrier for a kitten, a well-fitting harness or collar and a short lead for a puppy
- a note: what the animal eats and how much, what you have noticed at home, what you want to ask
Mention which language you are most comfortable in as well. Most practices in the country work in several anyway.
What happens in the consulting room
Weighing comes first; that first weight stays the reference point for every later visit. Then the examination runs from nose to tail: eyes, ears, teeth and bite, heart and lungs, abdomen, skin and coat, joints and gait, the navel, and in a male puppy whether both testicles have descended. The chip is read or placed, and the practice issues the EU pet passport, where the chip number and the rabies vaccination are recorded. Rabies vaccination is compulsory from twelve weeks and can be planned together with everything else.
The rest is conversation, and none of it is wasted time. Settle the vaccination and deworming plan for the coming months and when to come back. Ask how much food makes sense right now and when that changes, what weight the animal should be heading for, what to expect from this breed or type. House-training or the litter tray, socialisation and the later question of neutering belong in this conversation too. And ask how the practice can be reached outside consulting hours. That answer is best collected before you need it.
Chip, registration, insurance
For a dog, Luxembourg wants two things within four months of birth: the chip, placed by a vet, and registration at the commune, where you present proof of the civil-liability insurance. How the trip to the counter works in practice differs from commune to commune, so check with yours.
For cats, the law of 27 June 2018 requires identification and registration, and cats with outdoor access must be neutered or sterilised. Only farm cats are exempt. An indoor cat is covered too, at least as far as the chip goes.
A separate case: the dogs covered by the law of 9 May 2008, namely the Staffordshire bull terrier, the Mastiff, the American Staffordshire terrier and the Tosa, along with morphologically comparable dogs without a recognised pedigree. For them the Hondsführerschäin comes on top. If you are not sure whether your dog is affected, ask early, at the practice and at your commune.
As for the passport, keep it somewhere you can find it straight away. In the Greater Region an afternoon across the border happens quickly, and the passport travels with the animal.
Getting there calmly, and home again
For a kitten the appointment starts at the carrier. Leave it open in the room days ahead, with a familiar blanket inside, and feed the kitten there; a carrier that only appears before a car ride turns into a warning sign. Secure it in the car and make one or two short drives first that end pleasantly. In the waiting room a cat stays in the carrier, off the floor, with a towel over it if you like.
With a puppy, practise at home in very short sessions: touch the paws, look at the ears, glance at the teeth, then something good. Ask whether there is a quieter slot, arrive a little early and let the animal come out of the carrier on its own. Speak in your normal, quiet voice; long, high-pitched soothing mostly tells the animal that something really is wrong.
There are moments when you do not wait, though. With suspected poisoning, laboured breathing, a hard, swollen belly with retching that brings nothing up, suspected heatstroke, trouble during a birth, any eye injury, or a male cat straining in the litter tray without passing urine, contact a practice or the out-of-hours service immediately, not the next free slot. The small-animal out-of-hours service runs from 08:00 to 08:00 the following morning; the on-call lists are published by the Collège Vétérinaire. The general emergency number is 112.
Frequently asked questions
When should a puppy or kitten first see a vet?
Many owners book in the first days after the animal moves in, before anything is wrong. The practice can tell you what timing suits the animal's age and background. In Luxembourg a dog must in any case be microchipped and registered with the commune within four months of birth.
What do I need to register a dog with my commune?
The dog must be microchipped by a vet, and at registration you present proof of civil-liability insurance from an insurer licensed in Luxembourg. The vet issues the EU pet passport, which records the chip number and the rabies vaccination. Check the exact steps with your commune.
Does an indoor-only cat need a microchip?
Yes. Under the law of 27 June 2018, cats must be identified and registered. The neutering requirement applies to cats with outdoor access; farm cats are exempt.
Who can I reach at night or at the weekend?
The on-call practices run a 24-hour service that starts at 08:00 and ends at 08:00 the next morning. To reach the vet on duty you can call 112 or Post Infotel on 26 77 12 34, and the on-call list is published by the Collège Vétérinaire and on amvl.lu under GARDES. Our own emergency page lists the ones on duty right now with their numbers. Call before you set off: the vet on duty may not be at the practice and has to get there too.