In the excitement of a new four legged arrival, it is easy to forget what comes next! Don’t worry, we are here to help!

Once your four legged friend has had a day or two to get settled give us a call to arrange an appointment! This is where the excitement begins for us, as we obviously love to welcome new pets to our practices!

What to expect at your pet’s first vet visit

The first visit is different than future visits because your vet will take time to get to know your pet’s medical history and do a more thorough examination to make sure everything is okay! Your vet, or a member of our team may have a chat about few services we offer which you may want to consider. We understand it can be quite a lot to take in, but that is why we will send you an email before or after your visit so you can take things in a little easier. We never recommend any products or services that we don’t use ourselves for our own pets, so the information you receive really is “from the horses mouth” (terrible pun).

What specific checks and conversations should I expect, and why do you do them?

Review of medical records. Medical records can help alert your vet to any pre-existing conditions that your pet has, and any care that they have received before. Remember to bring their records to the visit if you have them!

Thorough physical exam. Your vet will check your cat or dog’s eyes, ears, heart, lungs, and a whole bunch more. This helps to make sure your pet is healthy and establishes what’s normal for your pet. Because every pet is unique, this baseline will help with future vet visits, often saving you time and money.

Lifestyle discussion. Your vet will likely talk to you about your new pet, how best to take care of them, and how to integrate them into your home. This is your opportunity to ask any questions you have about your new dog or cat. Write them down before your appointment to make sure you don’t forget anything!

Parasite prevention. Preventing fleas, ticks, heartworms, and internal parasites will help to keep your pet healthy. Your vet will recommend a parasite prevention protocol, which may include oral medication, injections, or topical applications. We strive to save our clients as much money as possible and that is why your vet or a member of our team will discuss our Well Pet Club! (You could save up to £120 so we tell every client about our plan!).

Vaccines. Depending on what vaccinations your pet received before getting adopted, your vet may recommend additional vaccines to protect them from disease. This will be discussed at the time of your appointment.

Spay or neuter discussion. If your pet is not neutered, or if they are too young, your vet may discuss when to schedule the procedure. We are one of the few practices in the North East to offer Keyhole surgery and Laparoscopic spays so your vet may discuss this with you. If you intend to breed from your dog then the vet may discuss some future options for you.

First puppy vet visit

A puppy’s first vet visit may also include discussion about socialisation, training and information about our popular puppy club.

Vaccine schedule. Depending on your puppy’s age and how many vaccines they’ve already received, your vet will provide a schedule of remaining puppy vaccines they’ll need to keep them healthy.

Socialisation discussion. Socialisation is so important for your puppy to grow into a confident dog. Your vet may talk with you about puppy socialisation classes or give you ideas of things to expose your puppy to (like people, vacuums, floor surfaces, etc.) during their crucial imprint period.

First kitten vet visit

The first kitten vet visit is a great time to start desensitising them to their carrier and helping them have a positive experience at the vet practice. This visit may also include kitten-specific items in addition to the general list above:

Vaccines. Depending on your kitten’s age and how many vaccines they’ve already received, your vet will provide a schedule of remaining vaccines they’ll need to keep them healthy.

Socialisation discussion. Your vet may offer suggestions on how to socialise your kitten to new people, animals, and environments.

Additional information about my first visit

Let’s make a list – everyone likes lists, right? You can expect the following;

• FREE puppy, kitten and bunny health check – that’s right, we offer a free 20 minute consultation with our vets on your first appointment! Please note, any treatment is payable and the free health check is only for veterinary time and not product. 
• 4 Weeks instant pet health insurance – Please note, we confirm our health check has taken place and then you will receive an email with information that you MUST complete on the day of your appointment. Financial details are not taken as this is a completely free insurance cover. 
• Well Pet Club information
• A vaccination card
• A welcome pack and email
• Lots of attention given to your pet! (Our staff love to share photo’s to make others smile on our social media platform, so they may ask if they are okay to take a photo of your pet to share on social media. Only your pets first name will be used, but if you would prefer us not to then just let us know if you are asked) 
• An appointment for the next vaccination
• Information regarding our puppy club (if you have a puppy of course) – currently we are not running our puppy clubs due to Covid-19, but as soon as we start them back up clients will be offered places. Oh, and it’s completely free!!!
• Smiley faces – we adore pets, it is our passion. Don’t be alarmed if our staff parade your pet around the practice telling everyone to look how incredibly cute they are!