Puppy and Kitten First Visits

A new puppy or kitten comes with a lot of questions. Every appointment here is thirty minutes, not fifteen, so the first visit has time to examine your pet properly and to go through whatever has come up since they came home.

What happens at the first visit

The first visit is a full exam from nose to tail, and the start of the vaccine series. Which vaccines come first depends on your pet’s age and on what they have already had, so bring any records from the breeder, shelter or rescue. There is more on which vaccines and why on the vaccinations page.

Intestinal parasites are common in young animals. For a puppy or kitten under ten weeks old we recommend deworming, and over ten weeks we recommend a fecal test to check for parasites first. If you can, bring a fresh stool sample to the first visit.

For kittens, we recommend testing for feline leukemia and FIV.

The rest of the series

Vaccines are given as a series a few weeks apart, because the immunity a young pet gets from its mother also blunts the early doses. Most puppies and kittens finish between sixteen and eighteen weeks old, depending on when the series started.

Spay, neuter and a microchip

The right age to spay or neuter depends on the pet, and you will get a recommendation for your own puppy or kitten at these visits. We recommend placing a microchip during the spay or neuter, while your pet is already asleep. More on the procedure is on the surgery page.

What the first visit costs

The first visit is an $85 exam, and vaccines are priced individually. New clients booking online pay an $85 deposit to hold the first appointment, and it comes off the cost of that exam.

All published prices