Your First Visit

A Primary for Your First Visit with a Veterinarian

The first visit to your veterinarian can sometimes be a scary experience for your animal, and yourself!

Will he or she behave well? Will he or she embarrass me? Don’t worry, we’ve seen it all! If you do have any specific concerns about your animal visiting the clinic, please do call us (604-932-5391) ahead of time and we will happy to assist.

When visiting your veterinarian, for the safety of all animals, it is important to have your dog on a leash. For cats, it is best to have them in a carrier or crate.

What To Expect During Your First Visit

Upon entering the reception area, our friendly staff will direct you to our weight scale and record their weight for the doctor. We record this on every visit so that the doctor can make diet and exercise recommendations, as well as establishing a baseline for potential future illnesses.

After weighing in your animal, you will be escorted to one of our exam rooms. Upon familiarizing themselves with your animal and the reason for your visit, Dr. Kirby, Dr. Sola or Dr. MacKenzie will introduce themselves to you and your animal and exam him or her from nose to tail. Upon completing a thorough examination of your animal they will then address any specific concerns you may have. Our doctors care very much about the animals they see, so any question or concern you may have about the health of your animal is important to them.

Discussing Findings

Upon completing their exam, Dr. Kirby, Dr. Sola or Dr. MacKenzie will discuss and review their findings with you. Should a concern arise during the exam that requires further examination or diagnostic testing, they will discuss the best options for your animal and help you choose the best level of care.

At the end of the exam, your dog will receive a yummy treat so that hopefully in the future they are more excited than scared to return!(For some reason cats don’t seem to get as excited about the treat part…)