Your New Pet's First Week: What to Record with FurNote

How To

Track it with FurNote, step by step

1. STEP 01

   Day 1: create the profile and take the first weight

   Open the Pets tab in FurNote and add your new pet: name, breed, date of birth, sex, spay or neuter status, and a photo. On the same day, add a first entry in the weight log. That number is your baseline.

2. STEP 02

   Day 1-7: log diet and water every day

   In the diet log, record each meal: meal type (breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack), brand, product name, amount in grams, and water intake in millilitres. The first week is not about whether the amount is 'correct'; it is about capturing what normal looks like for this pet.

3. STEP 03

   Day 2-7: observe elimination

   Add one entry a day in the elimination log. FurNote has fields for type (stool, urine, or vomit), stool condition, urine condition, and notes. Stress from a new environment or a change of food commonly causes soft stool or constipation, so this is worth watching early.

4. STEP 04

   Day 7: second weigh-in and compare

   Add a second entry in the weight log and compare it with day 1. A swing of about 5% from a new diet and the stress of settling in is normal; a drop of more than 10%, or a steady decline, is worth a vet visit. The in-app weight trend chart makes the change easy to see.

5. STEP 05

   Before the week ends: book a first vet checkup

   Even a pet that looks healthy should see a vet within a week or two for a physical exam, a fecal parasite check, and a vaccination assessment based on age and history. Before the visit, export your first-week records as a PDF so your vet can see the baseline at a glance.

FAQ

Frequently asked

What if I don't know my pet's birthday?

An estimate is fine. A vet can gauge a rough age from tooth wear and body size in dogs, or teeth, coat, and eye clarity in cats. Enter a reasonable estimate; you can edit it later if you learn the real date. FurNote uses the birthday to calculate age, and an estimate does not affect the bigger picture.

My rescue pet is very thin. Should I fatten them up quickly?

Don't rush it. Feeding a long-underfed animal too much too fast can be dangerous, so follow the amounts and frequency your vet recommends, usually small, frequent meals. Log each feeding and the weight changes in FurNote so your vet can watch the trend and adjust.

The previous owner says my pet was vaccinated. What do I do?

Bring any previous vaccination records or cards to your vet, who will decide whether to check antibody levels or give boosters. In the meantime, you can back-fill what you know in FurNote's vaccination log: vaccine name, date given, next due date, and clinic name.

Which symptoms should I record in the first week?

Watch for red flags such as not eating for over 24 hours (12 hours for kittens), vomiting or diarrhea lasting more than a day, lethargy, hiding away, a hot-eared feverish feel, or abnormal eye and nose discharge. If you see any of these, see a vet the same day and record it in the symptoms log with a photo.

Is a free plan enough for a new pet's first week?

Yes. The free plan covers one pet and all eight record types. You only need Pro for a second pet or to attach photos to symptom records.