The first weeks with a new puppy or kitten don’t just influence their early health - they shape every vet visit that follows. At Takurua Vets, we use the New Pet Visit to establish a clear, practical foundation so you can make confident decisions long after the initial excitement has passed.
A New Pet Visit is not simply about injections. It is a comprehensive health assessment where we look at growth, development, nutrition, parasite prevention, behaviour, and your pet’s home environment to identify small concerns before they become larger problems.
Early guidance makes everything easier. We take time to explain what changes are normal in the first weeks at home, what warning signs to watch for, and when it’s appropriate to monitor versus when it’s time to contact us.
To support you beyond the consult room, we’ve created a growing library of short, practical videos for new pet owners. These are designed to answer the questions that come up at home and to help you recognise when something needs attention.
Useful when you are planning the first visit, vaccine timing and early parasite protection for a puppy.
Useful when you are planning early kitten checks, vaccine timing, parasite protection and settling support.
Learn what we usually check and discuss when a puppy, kitten or newly adopted pet first comes in.
Use this when you are getting records, diet details, parasite history and questions ready before the appointment.
If you have a puppy, kitten or newly adopted pet, we can help you plan the first visit, vaccine timing, parasite prevention and the next few practical steps.
It is also a good time to mention anything that feels uncertain: unclear records, settling worries, appetite, toileting, socialisation, other pets at home, travel history, breeder or shelter information, and what you have already been advised. Those details help us make the visit more useful from the start.
The first visit does not need to answer every question forever. Its job is to create a safe starting point, identify what matters soon, and give you a plan that can adapt as your pet grows, settles and shows us who they are.
Use this for the broader plan around vaccines, parasite protection, microchipping, dental care and life-stage checks.
Learn how puppy and kitten vaccination timing is planned around age, exposure risk and previous records.
Useful when you are starting to think about timing, recovery and individual desexing decisions.
Microchipping helps permanent identification and is often discussed early in a pet's life.
Practical home guidance for socialisation, housetraining, crate training and choosing a trainer.
