Quick start

You need Docker on a Linux, macOS or Windows machine on your home network.

For home networks

PetHealth is built for your home or local network. It hasn’t been through a security audit or penetration testing, so don’t expose it directly to the internet. To use it away from home, connect through a VPN such as WireGuard or Tailscale.

1. Start the container

mkdir pethealth && cd pethealth

docker run -d --name pethealth --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 3000:3001 \
  -e JWT_SECRET="$(openssl rand -hex 32)" \
  -e TZ=America/New_York \
  -v "$(pwd)/data:/app/data" \
  martitoci/pethealth:latest

• JWT_SECRET is the only required setting; the command above generates a random one.
• Set TZ to your time zone, so “today” and reminders match your clock.
• Everything is stored in ./data. Keep that folder and you keep all your data.

Note

The published image is built for linux/amd64. On ARM machines (for example a Raspberry Pi or an Apple Silicon Mac), build it from source.

2. Sign in

Open http://localhost:3000 (or http://<server-ip>:3000) and sign in with:

• Username: admin
• Password: admin123

PetHealth will ask you to choose a new password before you can do anything else.

3. Explore

The first start creates four demo pets with checkups, lab results, vaccines, treatments and weight history, so every screen has something to show. When you’re ready, delete them and add your own pets.

Next steps

• Use Docker Compose for a setup that’s easy to update.
• Turn on email reminders and subscribe to the calendar.
• Set up a VPN if you want to use it away from home. Don’t open it to the internet.