Step by step
What happens at your first appointment
The same six steps whatever brought you in, from the door to the follow-up.
Arrive and check in
Come in through the main door on 61st Street, or the cat wing door to the left of it if you are bringing a cat. Tell the desk who you are and they will let the clinical team know you have arrived. If your animal is anxious in a waiting room, say so — we will put you straight into a room, or keep you in the car and text you.
The examination
A full nose-to-tail examination with time to talk. We weigh every animal every visit, because weight is the single most useful number in the file, and we will ask about eating, drinking, toileting and behaviour before we ask about the reason you came.
What we found, in plain English
You get told what we found and what we think it means, including when the honest answer is that we do not yet know. If we need tests to find out, we will tell you what each one would change about the plan before you agree to any of them.
The estimate
Anything beyond the consultation gets a written estimate before it happens. You are entitled to take it away, think about it, or ask what happens if you do nothing — that last one is a real question and it gets a real answer.
Going home
You leave with written instructions, not just spoken ones, and with a named person to call if something changes. Any medication is explained and demonstrated before you go, and we will happily give the first dose here.
The follow-up
Anything we treated gets a follow-up, and for most things that follow-up is free. If your animal is not better on the day we said it would be, we want to know that rather than have you wait for the next appointment.
Getting on the diary
How to book your first appointment
Call the practice
Seven days a week. The fastest route for anything urgent, and the only route if you think it might be.
Use the contact form
For routine appointments, records requests and questions that are not urgent. We answer the same working day.
Walk in for a technician appointment
Nail trims, weight checks and anal glands do not need an appointment if we are quiet. Call ahead and we will tell you honestly whether we are.
Bring your records
If you are moving to us from another practice, bring or forward whatever you have. If you cannot get them, tell us and we will request them for you.
Before you arrive
What to bring
- Your animal, secured — a carrier for a cat or small mammal, a lead for a dog.
- Any records from a previous practice, or tell us and we will request them.
- The packaging, or a photograph, of any food or medication your animal is on.
- A short phone video if what you have noticed is intermittent.
Coming from another practice
How records transfer works
From another practice
Tell us where your animal was registered and we will request the complete history on your behalf, usually within a few working days. You do not need to contact your old practice yourself unless you would rather.
If you already have copies
Bring them, email them, or hand them to the desk in any format — paper, a PDF, a photo of a vaccination card. We will read whatever you have.
If there is no record at all
Tell us honestly rather than guess. We would rather start a vaccination course again than assume a protection that was never actually given.
Leaving us, later
Ask and we will send your complete records anywhere you like, free, the same working day, without a conversation about why you are leaving.
The complete price list, including diagnostics, dentistry and surgery, is on our pricing page.
Arriving
The cat wing door, and parking
If you are bringing a cat, use the door to the left of the main entrance rather than the main one. It opens straight into a cat-only waiting room with no dogs in it, and cat-only consulting rooms beyond that.
Three minutes' walk from the 61st Street–Woodside station — the 7 train, the Long Island Rail Road, and the Q32, Q60, Q66 and Q70 buses all stop within a block. There is metered parking on 61st Street and a small free lot for clients behind the building, entered from the service road. The front entrance is step-free, and there is a bench and a water bowl in the shade by the door.
Questions
New patients — the questions we are asked most
What should I bring to my first appointment?
Your animal, secured — a carrier for a cat or small mammal, a lead for a dog — and any records you have from a previous practice. If you cannot get hold of them, tell us and we will request them for you. Bring the packaging or a photograph of any food or medication your animal is on, and a short phone video is often more useful than a description if the issue is intermittent.
How do you get my records from my old vet?
Tell us where your animal was registered and we will request the complete history on your behalf, usually within a few working days. You do not need to contact your old practice yourself unless you would rather, and there is no fee either way.
What does a first appointment cost?
A wellness examination for an adult dog or cat is $75. A puppy or kitten's first visit, which includes the first vaccination and thirty minutes to ask everything, is $60. If your animal is unwell rather than simply registering, a same-day sick visit is $95. See /pricing.html for everything else.
Where do I park?
Metered parking on 61st Street, or a small free lot behind the building entered from the service road. The front entrance is step-free, and there is a bench and a water bowl in the shade by the door if you need a moment before you come in.
Which door do I use if I am bringing a cat?
The cat wing door, to the left of the main entrance. It opens into a separate cat-only waiting room with no dogs in it. If your cat is happier staying in the car until we are ready, tell the desk and we will text you rather than have you sit inside.
Can I register without bringing my animal in first?
Yes. Call or use the contact form to register your details and your animal's, and we will book your first actual appointment for whenever suits you rather than requiring a separate visit just to sign up.
Do you accept new patients that are already unwell?
Yes, and we would rather you called about that than waited until your animal was well enough for a routine registration visit. Say so when you call and we will book you into a same-day sick visit rather than a standard wellness slot.
How long does a first appointment take?
Twenty minutes for a first appointment, thirty for a puppy, kitten or senior visit, and longer for cats, because rushing a cat wastes the appointment. You will not be moved along because the diary is full that day.
Registering is free
Book your animal's first appointment
Call, use the contact form, or simply walk in for a technician appointment if all you need today is a nail trim. Bring whatever records you have and we will do the rest.