# Add a Pet

Create a patient record in Veterian — species and breed, protocol number, microchip and card details, and what happens when you enter a death date.

Every pet belongs to a client, and the pet record is where visits, vaccines, prescriptions and weight history are kept. Add the client first. See [Add a client](/patients/add-a-client).

## Where to Find This Section

1. Open the client's profile.
2. Click **New Pet**.

An **Add a Pet** prompt also appears right after you save a new client, which is the easiest moment to add one.

## How to Add a Pet

1. Open the client's profile → **New Pet**.
2. Fill in the form.
3. Click **Save**.

## Form Fields

Only three fields are required: **Customer**, **Name** and **Species**. You can fill in the remaining fields later, as the clinic learns them.

### Required Fields

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| **Customer** | The owner. The pet record belongs to them |
| **Name** | The pet's name |
| **Species** | Cat, dog, and whatever else your clinic sees |

### Optional Fields

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| **Breed** | Narrowed to the species you picked |
| **Date of Birth** | Drives age wherever the pet is shown |
| **Gender** | Left as *Unspecified* if you skip it |
| **Color** | Free text |
| **Blood Group** | A, B, AB, O and the canine DEA groups |
| **Neutered** / **Neuteration Date** | Yes, No or *Unspecified*, with the date if you have it |
| **Aggressive** | Flags the patient as one to handle carefully |
| **Card Number** | Your clinic's own card or file number |
| **Notes** | Staff-only; see below |
| **Tags** | For grouping and filtering |

## Species and Breed

Species and breed are not free text; you pick from the lists your clinic maintains. These lists are managed in **Clinic Admin** → **Definitions**, so if a breed is missing you can add it there.

Picking the species first narrows the breed list to that species.

## Protocol Number

The **Protocol Number** is the clinic's own reference for the patient. Veterian can assign it automatically; whether it does is a clinic setting rather than a per-pet choice.

> **Note**
> When automatic assignment is on you can still overwrite the number by hand. When it is off, you fill the field in yourself. In both cases the form tells you which setting the clinic is using and gives you a link to change it.

## Microchip

Three fields cover the chip: **Microchip Number**, **Microchip Implant Date** and **Microchip Implant Location**. Fill in whichever you have; none of them is required, and the number on its own is still useful.

## Notes

The **Notes** field is marked **Private** and is visible only to staff, never to the client.

## Death Date

> **Caution**
> Entering a **Death Date** does more than record the date. The pet is marked as deceased and all related records are stopped automatically, including reminders, upcoming vaccines and scheduled follow-ups. Leave the field empty unless that is what you intend.