Wellness Exams in North Hills, Raleigh, NC, From Your Local Vet

Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - North Hills is a vet in North Hills, Raleigh, that gives wellness exams to dogs and cats at every age. Most healthy adult pets need one checkup a year. Puppies, kittens and older pets usually need more.

A wellness exam is a visit for a pet who seems fine. The vet looks for small changes before they turn into big ones, and you leave knowing what is due now and what can wait.

Call (984) 983-4900 or book online. Walk-ins are welcome, and the clinic is open weekends.

What happens during a wellness exam at Petfolk North Hills?

At Petfolk North Hills, a wellness exam is a full physical check followed by a talk about what the vet found. Here is the usual order:

1. Your pet is weighed, and the vet scores body condition (how lean or heavy your pet is for its frame).

2. The vet looks at eyes, ears, nose, mouth and teeth.

3. Heart and lungs are checked with a stethoscope.

4. The vet feels the belly, lymph nodes, skin and coat for lumps, pain or swelling.

5. Joints and gait are checked as your pet moves around the room.

6. Vaccines and flea, tick and heartworm prevention are reviewed against your pet's lifestyle.

Fear Free handling is standard at every Petfolk clinic. The team lets a nervous pet sniff around first, uses treats, and does the exam on the floor or on your lap when that is calmer.

They always go super slow with my very anxious dog and never try to force her into anything.

Kenzie R., Google review

How often should my dog or cat have a checkup?

Healthy adult dogs and cats usually need a wellness exam once a year at Petfolk North Hills. Puppies and kittens visit every few weeks while they finish their vaccine series. Pets around 7 and older often do better with a checkup every six months, because weight, teeth and organ changes can move faster with age.

Read about senior pet care in North Hills for what changes in the later years.

What to bring

The clinic asks new patients to bring:

• Past medical records and vaccine history from any earlier vet

• A list of current medicines and the food your pet eats

• Your questions, written down

• A favorite treat

Arriving a few minutes early helps with new-patient paperwork. If your pet sees a groomer, a boarding kennel or a Raleigh city dog park such as Millbrook Exchange or Baileywick, tell the vet. The City of Raleigh's dog park rules say every dog must be healthy and fully vaccinated, so the vet can plan shots around where your dog actually goes.

Why prevention matters in Raleigh

North Carolina ranked eighth for heartworm cases in the American Heartworm Society's 2025 incidence survey. Lone Star ticks, which can carry ehrlichiosis (a bacterial infection of people and animals), are found across the state, according to the NC Division of Public Health. That is why the vet at Petfolk North Hills checks at every wellness exam that heartworm, flea and tick prevention are current and dosed for your pet's weight.

How much is a wellness exam in North Hills?

A wellness exam at Petfolk North Hills starts at $99. It is included with a PetfolkCare membership, which starts at $199 a year. Vaccines, lab tests and prevention are priced on their own. You'll get an estimate before any test or treatment. The final bill can differ if the plan changes during the visit.

The clinic takes Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover and Apple Pay, plus CareCredit financing. If you have pet insurance, you pay at the visit and the team gives you a detailed invoice to send in.

When a checkup finds a problem

Sometimes the vet finds something during a routine visit, like an ear infection, a sore tooth or a new lump. Petfolk North Hills has an in-house lab for many tests, digital x-rays and basic ultrasound, so the next step can often happen the same day. See sick pet visits in North Hills for how those visits work.

If your pet has trouble breathing, collapses or has a seizure, do not wait for a checkup. Go to a 24-hour emergency hospital such as BluePearl Pet Hospital on Paragon Park Road in Raleigh.

Find the clinic

Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - North Hills is at 631 E Six Forks Rd, Suite 101, Raleigh, NC 27609, in the same plaza as PGA TOUR Superstore and First Watch, with free parking. Call (984) 983-4900, book online or walk in.

Book a visit at Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - North Hills, or see all veterinary services in North Hills.