Pet Hospitals
Because of this I find that it would be in place to conduct a review of Banfield Pet Hospital. So many animals are treated in one of their hospitals every single year and as a pet owner you want to feel secure that not only the quality of treatment is high but also that you’re not being ripped off when you see the hospital bill.
Now as you might have guessed it is not easy to do an objective pet hospital review as you can only base it on testimonials from clients that have already used the service they provide. Since there are more than 500 hospitals all over the country you will also find that quality and service can very greatly as with any other large corporation.
Reviews Of Pet Hospitals And Pet Care
A client can have been unfortunate to run into a stressed doctor or nurse while others might have encountered hospital staff in their best possible moods. Should the Banfield pet hospital reviews be based on such subjective and incidental situations? I don’t think that would be fair to neither the hospital nor to you as a pet owner.
So how do you then do a review? I’ve searched all over the Internet for testimonials on how people find the services of the Banfield hospital and even though I found a lot of pet owners that had spoken their mind I weren’t able to come to a clear conclusion. Some of them were really happy with the treatment that their pets had gotten while others were not. So the only thing that I can say with certainty is that these Banfield Pet Hospital Reviews are really had to be objective about.
Banfield has numerous complaints – check consumeraffairs and ripoff websites. Also, there are class action suits against Banfield that are surfacing.
Banfield is known for over-charging, upselling, and lack of ethics (they force you to pay health insurance on your pet even after it has died).
Pet insurance is – in my opinion – somewhat of a scam to ensure pet owners get their annual shots for their pets. Which, if you do a little checking on vaccinations, you’ll find the yearly vaccinations are not needed.
The only vaccine mandated by law in the USA is rabies. This vaccine is good for 5-7 years, but is required by many states to be given every year. While puppy boosters and their first-year shots are necessary, most of the other shots for an adult dog are not necessary to be given every year.
Over vaccination causes itching (most vets tell pet owners these are “allergies”), heart problems, and a host of other problems. It would be like a human getting their polio vaccine every year!
Stay away from Banfield. Take your dog to a private vet – you’ll be safer.
What else to add, if you can avoid “THIS GREAT OF THE GREATEST VETERINARY CARE” with an unbelievable management they provide EVERYBODY WOULD BE BETTER… the pets, the clients. BELIEVE!!!!!!!
I wish I had read some of these statements before I took my dog to Banfield in Manchester, MO. He went in for a distemper shot which he was due. He had been diagnosed with Collie Nose several years ago at a vet in Minnesota. He was basically a very healthy 10 year old collie. When I took him to Banfield, the vet suggested putting him on steroids for the irritation on his nose and I explained to her that my previous vet had me try predisone and that he had an adverse reaction and I had to discontinue its use immediately. The vet insisted that giving him an injection of steroid would help him and that there were no side effects to the injectibles. After much discussion, I agreed and he was given the shot. He became aggitated as he had been with the prednisone and his tongue turned blue and he died within three weeks of the shot.
how are puppy booster necessary and adult vaccinations for the rest of their life not? I have seen adult dogs as old as 10 yrs old get parvo virus because they weren’t vaccinated in years. That dog almost died too but she got the necessary treatment. You are misinformed and uneducated about the importance of vaccinations.
i so agree with everyone. banfield only cares about money.
I brought my dog to Banfield and got an $880 estimate for a foxtail extraction and sedation along with antibiotics. I called 10 other places which all gave me an estimate of at least $500 cheaper. Banfield OVERCHARGES! I HAVE EVIDENCE BY 10 OTHER VETS WITH THE SAME ESTIMATE!!!!!!! yeah it is about the quality of service the doc’s give: however the service from the doctor was horrible and they put my dog in a lot of further unecessary pain. You can find a lot of good vets especially ones that will not charge you four times the amount of EVERY OTHER VET!!!!!
I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND BANFIELD TO ANYONE, ANYTIME, FOR ANY REASON.
My cat has been going to Banfield for three years now and she is on the Wellness Plan. I went there because it is not far from home (I’m in a wheelchair) and because I am on a fixed income, I liked the Wellness Plan. However, I have been uncomfortable with the place from the start. Fortunately, Emily has not been sick, she is very healthy and I’ve had absolutely no problems. I’m lucky. Last year, she had her teeth cleaned and two weeks later she had to have another shot, so I brought her back and the Vet said she needed her teeth cleaned (already done just two weeks ago). Why didn’t the Vet see that her teeth were just cleaned. Also, they always check off “good” on the pets condition and never “excellent.” I asked about that and they just brushed me off. Last year she weighed 12 lbs and the vet said it was her ideal weight, I asked why they put “good” and not “excellent” and I was brushed off again. This year she weighs 11 lbs. The vet checked off “good” and when I asked about it, he said she was overweight!!!!!!! They are very strange people and I am leary of what they say and do. They are always hurried and make mistakes because of it. I am naturally concerned when businesses operate in this way.
I just wanted to add that I think consumers feel cheated when their concerns are ignored. I have requested that I have a private consult with the vet to discuss these concerns. They said they would call me back to give me an appt. date. So far, I have not heard from them! I’m not against big business or people making money. What I am against is service being severely compromised because of it. Someone is paying for that short cut. It is the consumer who is paying for it. It is our money supporting them, not otherwise. Big business does not mean compromised service, a lot of big busineses provide excellent service. The excuse is lame.
In all my business dealings I go by the philosophy that if they don’t respect you, they don’t respect your money.
They didn’t diagnose our cat when she began vomiting and losing weight. Sometime later, another vet diagnosed cancer, but it was too late, she had to be put down.
They also gave her 5 vaccinations at once and she was sick for a week. She was never healthy again after that. Then she got sicker and sicker and had to be put down.
It’s pretty clear that most of those commenting here have no real clue as to features and intent of the wellness plans Banfield offers. They are NOT pet insurance, people. They are packages of basic recommended services offered at a discounted price which is lower than it would cost to buy these services separately, and they allow pet owners to spread the cost out in equal monthly payments rather than in a lump sum.
The ignorance about veterinary medicine in general, and people making a lot of coincidental and unsubstantiated conclusions about how pets got sick is also prevalent here. It’s hilarious to have people walk into the clinic with a bunch of things they printed off from the Internet, claiming to know what’s wrong with their animal and assuming everything that’s on the Internet must be true. Most are fools who won’t listen to real diagnostic plan, because they’ve made up their minds about the disease or condition and its treatment. They expect that they ought to get hundreds of dollars worth of medical services for twenty bucks. Guess what? All those tests your human physician runs to determine your illness are just as necessary for your vet to run if you want the best chance of getting the right answer. You just don’t see the full cost because your health care is subsidized by your insurance.
Most veterinarians do an amazing job of diagnosing and treating illnesses even though they’re greatly hampered by know-it-all, cheapskate, non-compliant owners who don’t properly adhere to care schedules or medication plans. Also, realize that your pet ages at a rate 5-12 times faster than human beings, depending on the species and where they are in their growth cycle; if you’re supposed to get a physical every year or two, then your pet needs one at least every six months… do the math. Owning a pet is a luxury and privilege, not a right, and if you can’t afford adequate health care for the pet, you shouldn’t have one.
Some of what you say is probably true. But many of these folks have valid complaints. Your comment about how “hilarous” people are when they’re in distress seems to indicate that you lack empathy.
Sharon, you really don’t know what you’re talking about, and are basically committing slander against an entire company with your reckless and unsubstantiated remarks.
I don’t think that Sharon stating her opinion on this website constitutes slander.
The purpose of this board is for us to state our experiences and our opinions about those experiences.
It’s not your job to be an apologist for the entire Banfield organization.
Cari, as you might have noticed, several of your comments were deleted. Please keep the conversation in a proper tone or don’t comment at all!
/Admin
Today Banfield pet hospital showed there true colors. I have to be out of the country for 6 weeks with my job. I went in to the one in Winter Garden Florida to get antibiotic eye drops for my dog in case she gets an eye infection while I’m away. They refused to give me a refill for her eye drops unless they could see her! Usual office visit for her eyes runs about $150.00 and $70 for her drops.
After spending several thousand dollars already with them and 2 years of treatment for the same eye condition they are only interested in generating revenue…not caring for your pet. The thing with this “corporation” is that they pull you in with a facade of caring about your pet…they smile and are sweet and nice to you as they are running your credit card through the reader…but ask for something like a med refill and they switch from being a friendly neighborhood vet to a greedy corporation in the blink of an eye! DO NOT FALL FOR THEIR TRICKERY!!!! Find a vet who is in the business because they love animals and not a BMW or Mercedes Benz !!!!!!!
I can totally identify with this. They are very two-faced. I had a complaint about my local Banfield which resulted in the office manager giving me a refund. She apologized profusely, seemed very sincere, and kept saying, “I didn’t realize how upset you were,” etc. Subsequent to that, I was “fired” by Banfield despite the fact that I had been a good ($$) customer for two years.
T Carney, just for clarification, did your dog have a current prescription for the eyedrops? It’s illegal for them to dispense meds to your dog without a current prescription, and to write a current prescription they legally need to have an ongoing patient-doctor relationship with your pet. Not trying to say you are wrong in your complaint, just trying to gain more info to clarify. I have had many clients in the vet practices I’ve worked at get upset because we wouldn’t give them a refill, when we were not legally allowed to do so because they didn’t have any available refills or we hadn’t seen their dog in a year.
T Carney, thank you for providing this feedback. It is our mission to provide our clients and their pets with high quality medicine and exceptional client experiences on every visit. We apologize that your visit to one of our hospitals was unsatisfactory. We would like the opportunity to speak with you directly so we can gather more information. Please call our Client Advocate Team at 877-500-2288.
I completely agree with the above comment. I mistakenly took my litter of puppies in to get their tails docked. They have a “Quality Assurance” policy which they tote, but it’s as useless as the people behind them. The vet that did them didn’t pull the skin back towards the buttocks prior to cutting the tails, therefore, they didn’t have enough skin. He used suchers to close them, but because the skin was pulled so tight they didn’t hold. This resulted in infection and exposed bone. When I took them into an ER vet they provided me with antibiotic and recommended that get the tails closed in 3-5 days after draining the infection.
I subsequently took them puppies to a private vet (who I regret I didn’t go to in the first place) for follow-up. There I was told that there was not sufficient skin to cover the tails and as a result they will all have unecessary scarring.
When I contacted Banfield to inform them, I didn’t ask for them to pay for the ER or follow-up vet. Nor did I ask them to cover the additional surgery that will be required to remove the scar tissue when the puppies are older. I didn’t even ask them make up the money that I would have to discount the puppies due to this flaw that they caused. I simply asked for them to reimburse their fee that was charged.
Once I informed them of this issue the initial response was pleasant and sounded very helpful. However, the following day I received a call from the Dr. Reese at Banfield stating that she had reviewed “the facts of the case and collected records and spoke with the other vets” and were not going to cover the cost. They tried to excuse the suchers coming out from the mother licking them and said there was no infection.
Come to find out after returning her call that she hadn’t obtained any records at all because the other vets wouldn’t release them to her. Well duh, it would have been unethica for them to release my records with out my consent. Yet Banfield claimed they had based their decision on receiving records. And how is it they can decide there was no infection when clearly all over the reports they would have seen infection being documented.
Rather than calling me to say they needed more time to review and my help in obtaining records, they call with an absolute denial.
When I called out Dr. Reese on this she tried to dismiss it as having misspoke. You can’t say she misspoke because her decision was based on this.
Stay away from Banfield if you want good Vet Care.
I had an issue with our previous Chihuahua also, Ryan – very similar. Botched procedure, and refusal of accountability.
I would venture to guess that if the vets that practiced at Banfield were any good, they’d have their own private practice – without having to work for some franchise that takes a cut of income received.
Private practices don’t put up with problem vets. I had a bad experience a few years ago with my Thoroughbred. He was 26 years old, but very healthy. He colicked – this young vet comes out, runs the tube down the wrong nostril, and his lungs filled up with blood – he had to be put down on the spot. Word got around, and within 2 weeks, she was canned from that veterinary group. Maybe she is at Banfield now?!
It would be good for those who experience problems with Banfield to report them to the BBB, and possibly the AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association). Posting on blogs is great for venting, but unless the proper complaints are filed, there is little that can be accomplished.
And, of course, the ultimate way to rid ourselves of Banfield? Quit going to Banfield – and PetSmart as well until they acknowledge and fix the problems.
I had emailed PetSmart a few days back to let them know of the issues – their response was that Banfield was a part of their store and someone from Banfield would “respond shortly.” I have yet to hear back.
Will post their response when I hear back – or rather, if! ;D
I would like to share with you regarding our experience with Banfield in Daly City, CA. We brought our dog, Scottie (10 yrs old) for a check up with his thyroid 12/26/08 (he is a healthy dog!)-since he just ate his breakfast they suggested to leave him there since he needs to be NPO for 6 hrs. 4 hrs later Dr. Suau called us to inform us that Scottie had a seizure and died. We were very shock since he came in as healthy as can be and then suddenly died. Dr. Suau infomed us that he died of liver cancer and that he was jaundice. We talked to Dr. Buttar (his regular vet) and asked him regarding his blood test before Scottie died. He then said that everything was fine and that he did not show of any liver cancer at all. We had him autopsy which revealed that he died of heart attack. That Dr. Suau lied to us!!!We don’t know what happened or what they did to him while he was with them. We don’t know what led him to have a heart attack. We filed a complaint to Dr. Suau for giving false info. Up to now, she never gave us an explaination nor apology.
Maybe, somebody out there can help us with this! Thanks!
Just to let you know… I work in the veterinary field, and dogs cannot die of a heart attack……..
I don’t know what Vet you work for but my Boxer died right in front of me from a Heart Attack!
How in the world can you say that a dog can not die of a heart attack? Unbelievable!! My mother’s dog died of a heart attack – and that’s what her vet told her!
Gee, you must work at Banfield. Yes Dogs can die from heartattacks. Duh thats why boxers are most known for heart problems. What vet do you work for I need to stay away from it.
It is in fact very very rare for a dog to have a heart attack. It does happen but the chances of it are so low that most vets never see a single case. Heart attacks are caused by a clogged vessel in the heart. When blood cannot get through the vessel the heart fails. What usually clogs the heart is high cholesterol. High cholesterol is very rare in dogs and when they do have high cholesterol and triglycerides they usually have thyroid problems or they have other factors that contribute to this. Even when they do have high amounts of cholesterol in the blood they do not develop the plaque that humans would and that leads to clogged arteries. So actually the blood work that this person should have gotten would have said the dog had high cholesterol if the animal did die of a heart attack. Most dogs can die from heart failure but this is not the same as a heart attack.
High colesterol is not very rare at all. People feed their dog all kinds of fatty people food and we see high colesterol alot.
Still does not explain the normal blood work that the client received. High enough cholesterol to actually cause a heart attack in a dog would have to be a chronic problem and therefore the client would have known about it through the blood work pre-banfield visit.
Just sounds like the client may have been misinformed and confused of her pets condition. She says that she does not know why her dog had a heart attack-aka the vet should have informed her why. Or maybe either vets should have shown the client the blood work and explained the abnormalities.
Common problem in all vet clinics. Not enough education between the vet and the client. Maybe this is due to the tight schedule that banfield puts on appointments?
The best thing we all can do is file complaints with PetSmart and any agencies regulating veterinary offices.
Not sure if the Better Business Bureau can do anything, but it’s worth a shot.
It is very upsetting to me to think that given the serious issues Banfield has, that they are still in business. The consumer affairs website had a tone of complaints as well – these people are bad news.
Word of mouth can certainly help as well. The more people we let know about these horrific issues, the better.
I’m so sorry people are losing their pets because of the inadequate care.
Anyplace that refuses to allow you to be with your animal during treatment has something to hide.
BANFIELD SUCKS! They lied to us saying my boxer had a malignant tumor when it was really just a banine sist. They wanted to charge me $1,350 to take it out, so I called a reputable vet and got it done for $700.
COMPLETE SCAM!
you mean a benign cyst??
After a visit today to the local Beavercreek, Ohio Banfield, I became convinced that they are more concerned with upselling versus overall care for my puppy. I stated this to them clearly today and went to another local vet that I should have went to in the first place. After reserach, I discovered that Banfield gave my puppy vaccines that she didn’t need. Shame on me for not being a better dog owner and not researching before I took her to the “house of horrors”. It is all about $$$ and poor treatment for my puppy. I should have seen how they operate.
I took my cat to Banfield in Conyers Georgia.. They kept her an entire day doing tests totaling $600 only to tell me that she ‘probably’ had cancer. Only a biopsy would confirm it (more costs). I took my cat home and several months later she was indeed worse. What makes me angry at these people is that when I called to discuss euthanasia they wouldn’t even return my call. Not enough money in that I suppose.
I will never take another animal to one of these places. I’ll find a small local vet that I can build a relationship with.
I am pet nurse at Banfeild in TN. I came to Banfeild in hopes that I can learn more about animal medical care. I was thinking that a national corperation SHOULD have good ethics in animal care and the quality of care. But after being there for months, I’m still not completly trained in all areas. Between the head vet and the office manager, I and a few others, feel that we are being set up for failure.
I will say one thing tho, even tho I agree that Banfeild is all about sell sell sell, the wellness plans are NOT insurance but preventative care contracts, which for puppies or kittens is great, if you want to spay/nuter along with annual vaccines, MOST vaccines are needed by baby critters, so do more research on the diseases, they do vaccinate more zoonitic diseases than a private practice.
But I have also witnessed ( in my opinion) in-humane treatmeant and cover-ups. I absolutely refuse to sell sell sell, I am a vet-tech,NOT A SALESMAN.
The vets and nurses DO get stressed but tha’s not an excuse for the trade of quality animal care, if they cannot handle the stress, then they need to find different jobs.
The staff does make bonus off the plans they sale.
I would rather hold a parvo puppy that just a few hours ago was dying, and is now wagging its tail, than get a $2.00 bonus off a plan.
I am honest with all clients, old and new and I do get reemed for it, but to me ANIMAL CARE and honesty and more important than contract.
Be sure to read the fine print on the OWPs, they restart every year without notice, even tho it is written in the contract, and you cannot cancel one a pet dies, they will charge you for services used, and report you to the credit department.
I do take my animals there BUT I work on my own animals.
I agree with you all and I want to apologize for all you have gone thru with the loss or near loss of your loved ones.
Also do ersearch or call the AVMA, AAHA, BBB for conducts reported before you choose a vet.
There are some things that I do not agree with with Banfield. But, after reading alot of these reviews I am very proud to say we rarely have any issues with Clients. (There are a couple, but I am proud of our staff because we handles things very professionally and try to educate our Clients the best we can. One time it was with a Client that used to go to a different Banfield and she wanted her schnauzer to be groomed. We let her know that grooming was next door, but she stated that she had it done at the other banfield and wanted to do it here. She wanted a schnauzer cut, we let her know several times that we are not groomers and do not know how to. Client signed a treatment plan with everything on there, was upset with the cost, but looking in the history the other Banfield did not put everything on her treatment plan that was supposed to be on there. When she picks her pet up she freaks because it’s not a schnuzer cut. We apologized, and told her that we tried to tell her, we weren’t sure how to and we are not professional groomers and recommened grooming next door. ) Anyways, the only pets that we have had die are pets that come in that are very ill, and in one case a pet was hit by a car and we tried everything we could. I can’t say anything about the other Banfields, and I am horrified by alot of these reviews and sorry to hear them. I do not agree with all Banfields prices and such, but as for the one I work at I am proud of our doctors! And we try our best to be as professional and helpful as possible! Even if I’m having a bad day, I put on a happy face because I’m there to do my job, help pets. So if you are even in Tulsa, ok come to our Banfield!
I have taken my dogs (3 labs) to Banfield in Melbourne, FL for 8 years. We have all three of them on wellness plans. I feel that their treatment has always been fair, and we have never had a traumatic experience with them. What brought me to this website, is that I had a consult the other day regarding a euthanization of my 16 year-old lab. 16 YEARS OLD people… and the only vet she has ever been to has been Banfield. Our 11 year old lab, has a skin condition that a private vet couldn’t figure out, and could not get cleared up… Thanks to Dr. Rubio, he saved Casey’s life. A 75 pound lab, that had lost 15 pounds because of this condition was now back to his own normal self.
I have only good things to say about Dr. Rubio and Dr. Butler. They have always been friendly, up-front and honest, and fair in their diagnoses, and costs of treatment.
Wellness plans are NOT pet Insurance people!!! Wellness plans are plans that provide the examinations, vaccinations, and regular treatments of other medications to Keep your dog/cat healthy… Hence, the word WELLNESS…
Thanks to Banfield, all of my dogs have lived a very long and healthy life.
Thank you for trusting Banfield Hospitals with the care of your family pet and for telling us about your positive experience at Banfield Hospitals. Feedback from clients like you helps us maintain and even exceed our goal to help pets live long and healthy lives.
I COMPLETELY TRUST AND EVEN RELY ON MY BANFIELD. My dogs are treated like they are their dogs… ALWAYS. In reading a lot of these comments, it appears that many of these issues that folks are blaming on Banfield, seem to be related to the owner’s care, and the following of instructions…and not necessarily the care by the veterinarian.
To Beth:
You’re fortunate to have been so lucky. If Banfield did everything wrong, they would not be in business.
From my reading of the comments, the major complaints seem to be mis-diagnosis and poor customer service.
I’m concerned that you are trying to turn people’s valid complaints around by blaming the pet owners by claiming they didn’t follow instructions properly. That might be true in some cases, but certainly not most.
My issue has to do with lying by Banfield employees–that isn’t something that *I* did.
March 7, 200
I just had a run in today with a vet at Petsmart’s Banfield clinic. Our Great Dane, Maximus, had a growth on his tail, so we took him in and the vet, Dr. Dendy, removed it. He didn’t cover the stitches, and the technician/receptionist sold us an Elizabethan collar that was even too big for Max. He couldn’t manuever around the house without hitting the walls, and he couldn’t use his doggie door. Consequently, we took off the collar, and Max chewed on his stitches.
My husband took Max in, and Dr. Dendy gave Max a shot to numb his tail and stapled the wound. My husband told him about the size of the collar, but Dr. Dendy again said that we had to keep the collar on Max. Again, Dr. Dendy didn’t cover the staples. We had to take the collar off when we were both at work or Max wouldn’t have been able to walk around the house or go outside.
Today I took Max back in because he had chewed off the staples. When Dr. Dendy talked into the room, he stood by the door with crossed arms and started yelling at me that he couldn’t do anything more for me because we hadn’t followed his instructions. When I tried to explain about the collar, he said that he didn’t care, that we had to make other arrangements. His manner toward me was very unprofessional and nasty. He didn’t even greet me. There was no, “Hi, how is Max doing?” Nothing. He just yelled and said he could do nothing more for us. He didn’t even look at Max’s wound.
I walked out of the office, went home to tell my husband, and we immediately called San Joaquin Veterinary Hospital, the place we used to take Max before we got Banfield. The staff there we very nice and put a special bandage on Max’s tail and sold us a smaller collar, which was probably what we needed in the first place. The staff there agreed with my husband that Dr. Dendy was not very professional and that we should report him. I’m writing a letter of complaint to Petsmart and to Banfield.
I brought my dog into Banfield The Pet Hospital (west Grand Ave in Chicago) this past Thursday because he had developed a cough. I was given some medications and took him home. After I got him home I noticed that he was limping and took him back to Banfield that evening after I had returned from work. It was found that he had a dislocated shoulder and the initial x-ray that had been taken earlier in the day clearly showed this. Of course they denied that anything like this would ever happen at their facility. They took him in the following morning and got his shoulder back in place. The poor little guy now has a sling on him that we were told has to stay in place for two weeks. We were also told by the manager that there was no charge for this procedure and that they were doing this as a “courtesy”. They pulled my dog’s shoulder out of place, fix the problem they created and call it a “courtesy? They say they’re not responsible, but if they did this as a “courtesy” they’re admitting their fault; they’re just not coming out and saying it. The treatment that my wife and I received was terrible. It was nothing but a runaround and every excuse in the book. This is a terrible place to bring a pet. They wouldn’t allow us to take his x-rays and we were treated very rudely. I want people to be aware of how they treat pets and their owners here.
To all who state that banfield sucks its not banfield the company ITS THE DRS you work for I am also a Banfield member and my DRs are GREAT My chief of staff is a good old country girl who is in it for the treatment of the pets not the money
I don’t suggest to take your dog/cat to Banfield Pet Hospital at Petsmart. At first I thought it was such a good deal but then problem after problem occurred. I thought you paid this one time fee of like $300.00 but that’s not the case, everytime I go into Banfield I pay.
Okay let’s get to the actual story. I took my puppy into Banfield to get fixed. The first couple of weeks after surgery she was fine, until I noticed a huge hole where the incision was made. I immediately called Banfield and told them about the situation. They told me to bring her right in. We took her into Banfield and they said that it was an abscess. I asked what we should do about it. They said it will cost nothing they were just going to cauterize it. In my eyes it was a huge hole and I definitely thought that it needed a suture. I also thought she would need an antibiotic but they said she would be fine. I figured they knew what they were talking about though since they work with animals on an everyday basis. Well two days later I was bringing my puppy back into Banfield because the cauterizing didn’t seem to work. By this time I was very upset. I called Banfield again and let them know what was going on again they said to bring her right in. I took her into Banfield for the second time. This time they said she was going to need a suture. I thought with them making all of these mistakes on my puppy I would not have to pay, well I guessed wrong. They ended up charging us almost $30.00 for one suture. I made a huge stink about it because I didn’t think I should have to pay. I wasn’t the one making all of these mistakes they were. They told me either I was going to need to pay or they weren’t going to work on my dog. I ended up paying the $30.00 because I wasn’t going to walk out with my puppy having a huge hole in her stomach. Like a week later my husband took her in to get the suture taken out. He had notified them that she was putting off this off awful smell. They said it was part of the healing process, which sometimes after surgery there is a smell but this was horrible. Weeks later again my puppy was still having problems. I looked at her stomach everyday and nothing seemed to be healing. Weeks later her incision should’ve pretty much been healed. I waited a little while longer. Then I noticed two bumps where the incision was. I then called into Banfield again. They said to bring her right in as they did two other times. Again I took her right in. I had told them she’s been throwing up…licking at her behind..and still having problems with her stomach. (I think the reasons why she was doing all of these things is because of the infection on her stomach). They didn’t really say much they just said they need to take her into the back room. So 20 minutes later they come in to tell me Paisley (my puppy) still had two sutures stuck in her stomach…plus her anal glands needed drained. They took out the two sutures and also did something with a anal glands. Meanwhile no one came and talked to me about anything that was going on until what they had did was finished. They then charged me for both procedures. Well enough said. We are definitely switching after our yearly plan is up with Banfield. We just had way too many complications. Thanks so much for reading what I had to say I hope it helps anyone who is trying to make a decision on where to take their pet.
Banfield– Willow Grove, PA
I am doing this as a service to other animals lovers. Stay away from them at all costs. I have a 4 year old cat who is on a prescription diet (suggested by her vet- a legitimate one, not Banfield affiliated) for allergies. She also has heart issues. It was suggested to me that I go to get her prescription diet here…. Was told that the cat had to be seen prior to getting a prescription card- had no problem with that…it was reasonable. The vet suggested I get her teeth cleaned (scaled)- again, not a problem. My cat does have issues with her teeth, so this was not new. Here is where the trouble began—- I dropped her off at 7:45am the morning of the ‘cleaning’. I was told that I would get an update in a few hours. No one called. I had to call them at 2:00pm to find out what was happening. The nurse said the surgery was ‘overbooked’ but my cat would be taken back (..never would have left her if I was told the truth). Got a call at 4:00pm saying that my cat is ‘out of control’, ‘very upset’—-hmm, you think so, no food or water since the night before…I would be upset too). I get down there- no apology, no explanation– I had to demand what happened! No one would answer me. From the explanation I got, people were afraid of her….very sad, considering she is only 10 pounds. If you are ‘scared’ or can’t deal with a cat like her….then why are you even working with animals? To top it off– they gave her pre-anesthesia, while she was angry!- I called the Vet emergency service that I use — to run this by them. Shocking- those jerks could have killed her. Incompetence….giving medicine to an agitated cat with heart problems. Even better, I was told to leave her overnight- they ‘claim’ my cat will calm down once she is used to the environment. I find it HARD to believe….so another day with no water/food…and they expect her to calm down? Whatever vet programs admitted these fools need to be fined- they are capable of killing someone’s beloved pet. The icing on the cake was that Julie (a doctor?) suggested that if I don’t like it, take her some place else…. So I said, a professional— you bet…should have done it in the first place. I just found out that they lied about calling her cardiologist- can’t put it into words what I am feeling- liar doesn’t begin to cover it.
Although these boards are good for venting feelings, this is as far as it goes. Pet owners who do not read the board will never know about the serious issues at Banfield.
For all who have had problems with Banfield, contact the AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association – http://www.aahanet.org) and file a formal complaint – in writing.
As well, the American Veterinary Association (www.avma.org) is another good place to file complaints.
Banfield is a franchise and, as most franchises operate with providing low-cost everything (care included), their concern over your pet is superficial only.
As a last resort, take advantage of the media – many news channels have problemsolver segments. Many also show great concern for advertising for human shelters to get pets adopted – this may be of interest to them.
As I mentioned previously, if these vets could get a job in private practice, they would do so. Private practices are quite picky about who they let into their club.
Private vets are more expensive, but are worth it in the long run. Human shelters sometimes have veterinary services they offer at reduced costs.
Anyplace that does not allow you to be with your animal while be treated is bad news. This should be a big red flag. If you are not allowed to be with your pet during routine treatment (shots, etc.), leave and go elsewhere.
Good luck – again, my feelings go out to those who have pets that have suffered at the hands of these clowns. Instead of Banfield, it should be “banned” field!
So obviously you have never worked in the veterinary field nor have any idea about it…. The Vets that are hired at Banfield are regular normal veterinarians that come out of the same colleges these “private practice” vets that you speak so highly about come from. I’ve encountered some pretty rude and SCARY veterinarians at private practices as well as corporations… Also, if you have a fractious pet, keep in mind that just because they are 10 pounds doesn’t mean they can keep their temperment under control, they do have sharp teeth, claws, and maneuver pretty well. I would like to see one of you control a cat like that, you would probably refuse. Private practice vets tend to own their own practices so they can decide what kind of medications and treatment plans they want to practice there. They also tend to hire vets that are just like them hoping they won’t ruin their reputations. As for Banfield, their low-cost PREVENTIVE CARE (if you read the actual agreement form you sign, it will let you know what it covers and what it doesn’t and also lets you know it is not insurance)plans are worth it for puppies/kittens. As well, they have no control over their prices because they are a corporation. Some private practices are just as expensive. But remember, you get what you pay for. If you are going somewhere and having a torn ACL done on your lab retriever for $500, there is seriously something wrong there. It takes multiple hours for that procedure to be done and there might not be very many monitoring systems nor bloodwork done.
As for the not being able to be with your pet while it is treated. That goes back to the convenience of drop off appointments for the practice and the owner’s schedule. Also, I have dealt with pets that try to attack while the owner is in the room because they are protective of the owner.
I worked for petsmart when it first opened. It was petsmart vet svs. We had vaccine clinics on certain days,people were lined up around the bldg
for this svs. It was ridiculous,get them in and get them out,not personable with the animal at all just herd them in like cattle.On our sx
days the vet could not use the drugs or the protocal that they had learned in school. It was petsmarts vet svs drug dosages that were used.
When you work for a corporation its run their way.. But we did not push vaccs on patients that they did not need. As a technician it was our job to ask questions about the animals enviroment and to lead the owner in the right direction. We also had aprotocal on where to give vaccs . Never
around the neck area.. Some vaccs can cause spindle cell tumors. As i
realized these problems when i worked for an emergencey vet hospital and a well known surgeon in this area. We took allot spindle cell tumors out
of cats in the neck area where vaccs were given. Latches onto the spine.
But what i did notice if you hire wanna be techs off the streets. Thats the type treatment your going to get. Not knowledable,and not much help.
There were some good vets that worked there, that knew their stuff. And
after they realized how things were they left and opened their own practices. It is a retail enviroment that sells food,along with other items. It is the owner that needs to step up to the plate and do their
homework.Dont blame banfield- blame yourself. They are their to make money… I now work as an operating room surgical tech in a human hospital. and also if you are going to complain please learn how to spell
suture.
Cathy,
Thank you for the information. However before you point fingers on how people spell “suture”, you should check your own spelling and grammatical errors. You mispelled simple words like “alot”! This is a blog not a spelling contest. Who cares!
Technical error sorry
And “protocol”, and “knowledgeable”, and the use of texting to write.
The Banfield on Chntry drive, in Columbus, Ohio went above and beyond for my golden retriever, KittyCat. He was diagnosed with mast cell cancer, of the worst kind. The tumor was removed at Christmas and he rallied back strong. Which was a miracle, considering he was 12 years old. Mid March, he began to get sick again and I took him back to Banfield. The staff was very sympathetic and Dr. Pascal stayed with me and Kitty til it was over for Kitty. She had talked to me as to what to expect as he was being put to sleep and let me be with him as he went out. The staff there is very kind and very knowledgable. I would not hesitate to bring any of my other animals to this Banfield. I don’t think it’s so much the corporation as it’s the individuals at each office. As in any large company, you’re going to have the good and the not so good. I’m lucky-I have one of the GREAT Banfield offices.
Banfield sucks they tried telling me my 8 year old whippet had a significant heart problem after going to check on her teeth. the doctor there was unprofessional and emotional. He gave me an estimate of over 1500 dollars!!!!I took her to another vet today and found out its going to be about 650 for EVERYTHING.. what a huge difference
Do NOT sign up for a Banfield Wellness Plan. They are a complete waist and do not end up saving you any money as they charge you extra for several procedures and things not covered in the plan with each procedure. It is a HOAX.
So today I brought my 4 month old Aussie Shepherd to get his follow ups. He was initially seen and neutered by the daughter of the adopter, they run a shelter specifically for St. Bernard’s. They had 26 at the time and were excellent. Their around McKinney TX.
So he had excellent care until Banfield. The tech took him in the back to give him his parvo or distemper?? shot. Anyway he came back out, talked to the doc for about 2min and she said we were good to go. Fozzie, my Aussie, was laying on the ground, figured he was tired so I called him to follow. Got to the counter to pay and looked again and saw him on the ground, urinated and pooped. I got down to talk to him and he weepishly responded. I called this to the tech’s attention and he wanted to finish with a client ($$). the client had to stop the tech and tell him. He finally picked him up and brought him back to the vet. They gave him some emergency shots and wanted to watch him for a couple hours. This sounded possible to me. So me not being a vet took their word as expertise.
They then asked me if the previous vet told me about giving any pre-treatment. I said no, the pup is ok now and home. though the bill reflected all of this including a $15 charge for the one hour stay. $65 on top of the vaccine for the emergency shots. from what should have been 20 turned into 120 or so. I am pretty convinced they gave him a wrong dose and nearly killed him.
I am finding a private vet for both my dogs and my two cats. They are sketchy at best.
There are no set doses for vaccines, they all come in pre-set vials. You can not over dose a pet on vaccine derived antibodies.
It is rare for a pet to have a vaccine allergy to a DAPP vaccine but still possible. Most banfields push clients to get a Diphenhydromine injection (injectable benadryl) when getting vaccines or they ask if the pet has ever had a vaccine allergy to the vaccination previously. Whether or not that even occured falls back on them–but this is something that could happen at ANY vet clinic.
Also, know that even with pre treatment for vaccine reactions will only decrease the likelihood of a vaccine reaction, one may still occur. It depends on the pet and sometime the manufacturer of the vaccine (i.e. if they just switched to a different manufacturer, with that reaction they’d report it…and maybe switch back to the previous manufacturer).
I apologize for you having said experience, but this is common at many vet clinics–vaccine reactions are one of the most common medical conditions. Your pet is lucky to not have went into anaphylactic shock or something worse. I assume now that you probably just pre-treat with him–if his reaction was severe and he was diagnosed with vaccine allergy then he’d need a IV catheter and 4-6 hour monitoring, pre and post treatment.
It seems that everyone’s experiences on here are a matter of miscommunication or poor staff–like you not being fully informed as you should have been. It’s all area dependent.
Oh, the cause was that he supposedly had an allergic reaction….which I know does happen, but the previous vet WOULD have told me so.
I worked as a Vet receptionist for almost 3 years. There may not have been a previous reaction so your previous vet may not have known to tell you. An animal can become allergic to things at any time.
Over-vaccination often results in skin irritations. I have mentioned before, but many vaccines are good for 5-7 years. Vets tend to push them every year. As a result, many dogs get skin irritations. When their owners take them to their vet, they’re told they have “allergies,” and are given even more medication.
The UK did a study on vaccination profitability. Average income for a small vet was around $75-$100K per year. Remove the annual vaccinations, it drops to $26-$30K. It’s like us getting a polio shot every year.
A titer test can be performed to verify the dog’s immunity – this may be an option. The vet still gets his $, and the dog will most probably not have to have the shot.
The AAHA 2006 revised guidelines cite many vaccines that are not recommended – including Corona vaccine, which is still pushed by many vets.
Buyer beware, basically.
It certainly sounds like Banfield gave the wrong dosage or drug. This is no doubt why they take the animals out of the pet owner’s site – if they screw up, they can lie about it! How sad to have to say so.
Like it was said in the previous statement, vaccines come to ANY vet clinic in pre-measured vials. It is impossible to overdose a pet with any one vaccine. Like us, pets have allergic reactions to things. You know how some people all of a sudden become allergic to penecillin? peanuts? shellfish? strawberries? It is the same concept. And, when you go to the doctor for an allergic reaction, what do you get? A steroid? and antihistamine? The exact same things are given to the pet. Also, racing greyhounds have to be vaccinated every few months in order to keep any disease out of the kennels of 25-70 dogs. It doesn’t hurt….. You (Sharon) obviously know nothing of the veterinary practice…. and I can tell, you are a very high maintenance client. I bet you have everyone kissing your butt as soon as you walk in the door so they don’t have to have a bad experience with you. I bet YOU are the ones stressing out the people that have to deal with your pet.
I agree with nicole. Were you a tech in the vet world. How can you give the wrong dosage of a vaccine. They are always 1ml. Lepto in a vaccine
can cause a reaction. If you know this is what causes the reaction, have
the animal pre-treated with benadryl. And let the vet know so this can be
charted, for further prevention. Never heard of over vaccinating your pet
can cause skin irritation. Do not know how you do things in the U.K.Vaccines are given once yearly with the option of a 3 yr rabies.
I was lucky that I only took my pooch to Banfeild once before I thought something was fishy about them. I talked to a friend that recommend a new vet so I called them and read off everything Banfield did to my pup and my new vet discreidted everything Banfield did. First off they sold me a shot my pup didn’t need. Second, they told me on the phone my entire visit for everything I wanted done would only cost $70, after everything was said and done they charged me $150, almost double. Third, they charged me $30 for the stool examination (which the lady on the phone said that’s how much it would cost) but forgot to mention the $15 collection fee (even though I brought it to them in a plastic baggie) and the $10 waste removal fee. Also, my pup had a small (but noticable) bump on her tummy. I waited to see if the tech would notice it on her own while examining my baby, she didn’t, then the vet came in and didn’t notice, finally I showed the vet this bump, she explained it was harmless, then yelled at the tech for not noticing it “like she had”. Please, they wouldn’t have spotted it even after looking at her tummy several times without my pointing it out. Also in their contract, if you don’t check this tiny little box, they will charge $1 per vaccince without your consent if u didnt read the whole contract ($1 isn’t much, but its the principle). Finally after giving my puppy only two shots I noticed on the bill they charged me for three. I call my new vet and she explained to me that their parvo shot costs $30, while Banfieild charged me $15 for “the first half of the shot” and $30 for “the second half of the shot”. Horrible rip off, they also strongly recommed that I leave my 7 week old baby with them for 5 hours for a full exam, Thank God I felt uncomfortable with that and declined after reading all of these horror stories!
This is the worst pet hospital, especially with the wellness plans. I totally agree with Sharon. They just want the money. That is all they care about. My dog has allergy and they wanna do all kinda test that will cost me about $400 so i took him to the local vets and they told me to give him benadryl and it solved the problem. All they want is just to make money. And the wellsplan that they have do not cover anything except the vaccines
it doesn’t solve the problem, it band-aids it. I bet you still fight with your pet and it’s itching and chewing. If you only had allergy testing on it you could find out what is making it so itchy. It may be something as simple as changing it’s food in order to keep it’s allergies away…..
Last summer (2008) out of curiosity I applied for a position as hospital manager at a Banfield Pet Hospital in the North San Diego area.
I have over 15 years of experience as a Veterinary Hospital Administrator. I majored in Animal Science and have only worked at AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association certified) hospitals. I discovered that Banfield Company does not pay prevailing wages for experienced staff. I was informed that a hospital manager would only be offered $10/hr. and also be able to make commission on (I suppose) selling services and retail products. I made $45,000 10 years ago as a hospital administrator.
I feel it is extremely unethical for non-veterinarian staff to be paid on a commission basis. Medical care should only be offered if it is necessary, not be offered so that an employee can boost their income. Big conflict of interest here!
You will not find any top notch veterinarian or veterinary staff working at a Banfield hospital due to the EXTREMELY LOW PAY. If you are experienced and good at what you do, you should be paid a good wage. Banfield has a reputation in the veterinary community as the bottom of the barrel. Low paid staff, low quality care.
Experience and quality go hand in hand. Please don’t try to save a few bucks by going to a Banfield hospital, you will be sorry.
Banfield Pet Hospital Location No. 109 at Pasadena, California, do not honor appointments. We have waited 1.5 hours for an appointment we made, for each visit. It seems there is no point in making an appointment as they treat all customers on a walk-in basis.
We made a complaint re the above and their response was to cancel our insurance. Their insurance, Wellness Plan, does not prorate, so if the service is bad, you have to stay with the vet for the remainder of the year.
My sister rants and raves about how much a Banfield puppy wellness plan has saved her and her German Shepard “Chevy.” After reading these reviews, however, I’ll be sticking with the vet that has come highly recommended.
Thanks,
I have a kitten named Screech that I’ve been bringing to Banfield Pet Hospital in Richfield.
On June 4th, she was due for a vaccination and had started to limp slightly on her back right leg. So I brought it up with the vet on the 4th. She felt Screech’s leg and said it was a soft tissue sprain, and that I could do an x-ray if I really wanted to, but she said that she thought it didn’t need one. She gave my kitten her vaccine and home we went.
The next day I get home from work about 6:20pm to see the entire left side of my kitten’s face swollen up. I pack her up and get to the vet ASAP, getting there about 6:30. They said it wasn’t the shot that did it, it was something else. They shaved that entire side of her face looking for some clue of what happened. The best they could figure was that it was some sort of blunt trauma (ie she fell and landed on her face), but they couldn’t do anything for her because they were closing. They basically tossed us out the door and made us go to an emergency vet. We do that, and the vet there confirms it looks like blunt trauma, and gives us antibiotics and pain meds for her.
The head gets better, the limping continues. I bring her back to the vet, and get a different vet this time. Since he hadn’t seen her before, he did a whole body check up and felt her right leg and said that it was a fracture, but it was healing. I kind of got mad at that, but I was the one that didnt’ get an x-ray so it was my fault. I asked him if we should do an x-ray, but he said it feels like it’s almost healed up anyways, and it’s healed perfectly so even if we did do an x-ray, there wouldn’t be anything for us to do.
On June 15th, she spent the night at a friend’s who was thinking of adopting her from us. He said that her head felt hot (He was feeling the skin around the part of her face they shaved). The next day I managed to get an appointment to make sure she was all right. The vet techs took her in the back room for some reason. The vet that day was horrible, to say the least. My friend came with me. The vet hit my friend with the door on her way in because she just burst into the room. She stood in front of us and said, “I’m going to tell you right now if there’s something wrong with her head, there’s nothing we can do for it. You’re going to need to go to the University of Minnesota and they can look at her with their equipment and get a diagnosis. The exam and xrays cost about $1,000, and if she needs treatment I have no idea how much that will cost.”
I told her that I didn’t have $1,000 just for an exam, so could we do the x-rays here first to see if there’s even anything wrong?
She responds, “So if there’s anything wrong, will you be thinking of euthanaisa then?” I told her no, if there’s something wrong I’ll spend the money, but I don’t even know if something’s wrong yet.
I get them to do the x-rays there. They tell me I need to leave Screech with them, and they’ll call me whenever they’re finished. It was about 12:30 when I left. They finally call me at about 4:00. They tell me that they did the x-ray on the leg, but didn’t do the one on her head because they knew I was going to the UofM. I repeat that no, I said that I didn’t have the money and would you please do it. So they had to put her back under for a second x-ray.
Then I finally get a call about 6pm from the vet. They have the x-rays ready. The vet tells me that she can’t tell where the bones are fusing in a kitten this young. But, there’s a traveling radiologist that just happens to be in the area, that for $80 can come interpret it for us. At that point I’m angry and fed up. We take the x-rays to a different vet, who for $60 I got an office visit, pain meds, and someone to tell me her leg and head are going to heal on their own and she’ll be okay.
Well, the last few days she started limping again, this time on her other back leg. I take her in this morning and they do an x-ray. She has a broken hip. Which the vet says that it was an old injury, happening the same time as her other leg broke. The femoral head is broken, and now she needs surgery that’s going to cost $1,000. The vet today told me she has no idea why my first vet only did part of the leg on the x-ray. There was no way they should have missed this, it’s not like it was hard to see. She doesn’t understand how they missed this at all.
I’ve been to this vet numerous times, and each visit is worse. My kitten has been walking on a broken femoral head (the bone that connects the leg to the hip) for a month, and now needs surgery because they actually need to remove part of the bone, or amputate the leg.
Now people are thinking that I’m abusing my kitten. Do you think that they could have dropped my kitten the day they gave her her vaccine?
I am a sesoned small and large animal pet owner for the last 40 years. I’ve known many vets and practices in that time. I firmly disagree with the blanket statement that ALL Banfield Pet Hospitals are BAD. I have had a more than positive experience at the Banfield located in Mechanicsburg, Pa. Not only is the staff qualified. professional and extremely careful–they have chosen to work at Banfield because of Dr. Heidi Baitis, Chief of Staff and the exceptional acess to medical equipment and technology. The hours, availablity and the acess to personnel have been been far superior to the private practices I have used previously–who are not above upselling and over priced services.
Sure, some Banfield’s may not be good but there are many private practices who have had dissatisfied clients as well. You just don’t read about them en masse like you do a company of this size.
I worked for Banfield a number of years. The amount of “good” reviews on this horrible place would fill a thimble. The bad? Nothing is big enough. This is a horrible company and I would beg anyone who loves their pets to stay clear. I finally had enough of hearing sad horror stories and having to tell customers we won’t do anything about it, I finally had enough and left.
I wish I knew for sure if my suspicions regarding Banfield are warranted…but I had what felt like a deceptive and corrupt experience there. I brought my VERY healthy 14 year old cat Raoul to their facility in the summer of ’08 and got on a wellness plan because I wanted to get Raoul’s teeth cleaned again and didn’t want it to kill me financially. They suggested doing complete blood work which I thought sounded great. I remember I was sitting with my friends on a summer night and they called the day after the tests and left a message that Raoul’s blood work was “fantastic”….but he has a slightly elevated pancreatic hormone level, nothing to be too concerned about or really even worry about, BUT they’d like to check his blood work in 3 months to see if that hormone elevated. Sure enough 3 months later we come and they alarm me that my cat has dropped a lot of weight that I somehow hadn’t noticed in those 3 months. They’re so alarmed that something is wrong with him and then the up selling starts. They come in with this list of charges!! I think I agreed to get his thyroid checked that day and had to leave because I was so upset. I came in about a week later and got everything done again, this time going WAY over the price of the Wellness plan I had purchased, and sure enough…only 3 months later after the “fantastic” results, Raoul is in KIDNEY FAILURE!!!!! I then asked them what happened with that elevated hormone which they didn’t’ even BRING UP this time around, and they said “oh that actually disappeared”…so what exactly happened when he was being checked that first time that led to the full blown kidney failure only 3 months later??? Does anyone else think this sounds fishy. My cat 8 months later had to be put to sleep after dealing with the renal failure food and pain medication, etc… Ironically before I brought him there, everyone was saying my cat looked as healthy as a 5 year old and he would live into his 20′s….somehow he didn’t even live 1 year after going to this “house of horrors.”
Everytime a pet is to be under anastesia, BLOODWORK is a must, if there is something wrong in the blood a dental or surgery CAN NOT be performed. Was is pancreas elevatiosn or hormonal ?
Cats are very prone to renal failure unfortunatly and no matter what Vet you go to, you will pay out the hoo-hoo. The WELLNESS PLANS are “PREVENTATIVE” care plans, not insurance and gives you discounted services NOT PAY IN FULL.
Kidney failure in cats can happen rapidly and also could depend on the diet that you are feeding your cat. Next time you get an outragous ESTIMATE, which is all it is, have the Dr or Nurse explain why your needs all that have down, You as a client do have the right to refure any medications or services.
Thank you!! They did say renal failure can happen rapidly. Prior to renal failure, I was feedling him really healthy foods from Mudd Bay (Always organic, mixing wet with some dry for his teeth)..but I was guilty of switching it up. One of the other two cats is on MD from the vet because he’s a poster child for diabetes.
So I think I got so sick of buying two seperate foods there for a while and started feeding them all MD wet and dry and later found our Raoul might have plummeted into the renal failure due to a very heavy protein base in that diet. MD is supposedly really healthy but it’s nickname is “catkins” because it’s all protein and meat and no grain. So maybe it was that period that accelerated the failure. I was just wondering if anyone thought they might do something to cat at that age (injecting them when they take them in the back where you can’t see what’s going on) and giving an old cat kidney failure for the profit value. I guess I’m being WAY suspicious, it just seemed bazaar that all of his problems started with that vet, almost immediately. Too bad it’s not like humans where they do an autopsy to see if the death was natural vs. foul play. Needless to say, the upselling has scared me away and i’m back to a private vet. I’m still in deep mourning for my beloved Raoul who has been with me for 1 month shy of 15 years. Long time.
I started taking my pet to the local Banfield a few years back and enrolled him in a wellness SCAM. All was well until he had a bad reaction to a vaccine. He lost hair in the area where is happened and they told me not to worry that his liver enzymes had become elevated. So I didn’t.. but on my next visit they said he was getting worse but it had nothing to do with the vaccine and maybe a teeth cleaning could bring the levels down. So after the tooth cleaning they did blood work and told me they would call me with the results. After waiting for them to call me back for almost 2 months. I call them asking what the story is and the nurse says no news is good news. I insist on speaking to the doctor and the doctor says I need to take my pet in for an Ultra Sound. WTF? My pet is sick and no one calls me or notifies me at all. I’m done with these clowns. I called to cancel the wellness plan and they tell me I have to pay the rest of the year off. Folks do yourself and your pet a favor and stay away from these places because at the end of the day they don’t care about you or your pet. It’s a SCAM!!!!!
If you all would actually read the whole WP contract you would know the stipulations, stop blaming everyone else for your ignorance. Also to the man that said BLOOD WORK was done after the fact of the dental, then you need to call the AVMA, NO PROCEDURE UNDER ANASTESIA can be performed without blood work done 1st. Wellness Plans are PREVENTATIVE PLANS, people read, it’snot hard to do. And NOONE can state that a pet is healthy just by appearance.
I have used Banfield The Pet Hospital in both Long Beach, CA and Signal Hill, CA locations. I have used them for the past 10-12 years. I have had nothing but good experiences at both locations. My first dog had several surgeries in Signal Hill: a growth removed from his tongue, a cyst removed from his back and a dental cleaning every year he was alive. All staff was professional and knowledgeable. I think Banfield’s prices are very fair, especially since I hear of outrageous vet bills in comparison to Banfield’s. I love the wellness plan, because it gives me piece of mind knowing that I can take my dog in at anytime for a check up for free. My favorite doctor at the Long Beach, CA location is Dr. Hardy, although he is only there part time. April and Janice, the R.N.s there are awesome also.
I have used Banfield The Pet Hospital in both Long Beach, CA and Signal Hill, CA locations. I have used them for the past 10-12 years. I have had nothing but good experiences at both locations. My first dog had several surgeries in Signal Hill: a growth removed from his tongue, a cyst removed from his back and a dental cleaning every year he was alive. All staff was professional and knowledgeable. I think Banfield’s prices are very fair, especially since I hear of outrageous vet bills in comparison to Banfield’s. I love the wellness plan, because it gives me peace of mind knowing that I can take my dog in at anytime for a check up for free. My favorite doctor at the Long Beach, CA location is Dr. Hardy, although he is only there part time. April and Janice, the R.N.s there are awesome also.
I’ve been to several Banfield clinics in two other states and take my cat there to have her nails clipped. I have never ever received such unprofessional, rude and offensive service from the vet himself ever in the 14 years I have had my cat. My cat has several serious medical issues and see’s a specialist for her treatment, therefore if she is in need of a nail trim and not a visit to her vet I’ve used Banfield in the past with no problems and excellent customer service. I just moved to Tracy California and the Vet was very defensive when he continually asked me questions regarding who provides my cat medical care and why? He seemed to be forcing the point that he could see/treat my cat and he was determined in a very defensive corrosive tone to outline how qualified he is and that in his exact words “We are a full service hospital and not just here for nail clipping.” Of course his statement was after his vet tech ran my credit card for the services. Shocked and thoroughly feeling this is not a place where you should trust the staff to care and have patience for your pet. I ran back to the examining room where they were starting to clip her nails and asked them to stop and asked for a refund. This only infuriated the Veterinarian even more as he continued in a condescending nasty tone to say more to me. This occurred with a PetSmart employee a few feet away. When I turned to her she was shaking her head and I asked her pleadingly to speak with a manager, as we walked to the front of the store I asked if she had heard our conversation and even the PetSmart associated stated “He was being really rude to you, and unfortunately this isn’t the first time.” So please just be aware that this Vet is not a true caring professional and I worry that if it hasn’t happened yet, someone and their pet might be adversely affected by their rude and unprofessional service. If I was treated this way for a simple service of a nail trim I hate to imagine the potential if someone was to trust this vet for any other, more involved service or procedure.
We took our American bulldog to a Banfield vet because it was close and convenient. He has extremely sensitive skin and was treated for hereditary mange when he was a puppy. We thought it would be simple to have the vet there prescribe him something to clear up the skin infection he had started showing. The vet proceeded to sell us VITAMINS and a spray that he said would clear it up. A week or two later and our baby still has a skin infection. We’re taking him back to his previous vet, no matter how far we will be driving, and asking for our money back for the lack of care our baby received at Banfield. (Yes, we know, FAT CHANCE!) I’m complaining to PetSmart, too. I guess that’s all we can do. Oh, and never take our baby to another Banfield vet ever again.
I just took my chihuahua dog to Banfield Pet Hospital to get his anal sacs clean…He came out worst than ever!!! They hold him so tight on his face that his eyes were swollen and bleeding. They ended up treating him for his eyes. I guess they’re so afraid of what they did that they didn’t charge me a cent for the medications and injections that they gave to my dog. I wish I could put the pictures so you can see how awful he looks…What can I do now? Now my dog is in pain and probably his vision will get worst. ;(
As a veterinarian who spent almost a year working for Banfield I will say you will serve yoursef and your pet much better if you go elsewhere.
Why you don’t work for Banfield anymore?
I resigned as I did not feel the company was fair to their employees Also, the quality of veterinary care presented to their client’s pets did not meet my standards. Do not go to Banfield!
I will not say anything more on this site other than the private veterinary hospitals (where I have much experience) usually will offer much more quality medicine and surgery(from more experienced doctors) vs Banfield at more affordable prices.
DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THE WELLNESS PLAN!!!! You are stuck in it for a year and there is no way out of it! The payment method that I originally signed up with was altered 3 months into the plan. I did not receive notification of any issues until I started receiving collection notices stating that I now owe the remaining balance for the entire year, plus $35 more in additional fees. Better yet, the Wellness Plan was cancelled, though I technically have 4 months remaining, and they will not reactivate it. Not that I want it reactivated at this point, but they said they would gladly allow me to re-signup and begin paying again. Again, DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS!
I took my dog (Boxer) in to Banfield to get his teeth cleaned and when I picked him up his eyes were all bloody and bulging out and he could barely stand up. His back legs kept buckling out from under him. They tried to say it was conjunctivitis but we knew there was no way. The night after that he had a seizure and we rushed him to the emergency vet. They ran a bunch of tests to narrow out blood issues or brain tumors, etc… and came to the conclusion that he was either strangled or had a major head injury which caused lack of oxygen to the brain. When we first talked to the office manager he agreed that something must have happened while he was there, but then refused to have an MRI done to see what we could do to help our dog. He is now on pheno-barbital for the rest of his life as the seizures did not go away and he is very slow and not the same. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE YOUR PET TO BANFIELD!!
Tera:
I get chills with your story since my dog went thru the same thing after getting his anal sacs cleaned. His eyes were all bloody and bulging out also. I took him to another vet (a private one) and they came to the conclusion that he was either strangled or hanged. I contact Banfield main offices to file a complaint on 09/21/09. They told me they would get back to me in 72 hours…I’m still waiting. Are you located in Florida? My awful experience took place in Brandon, FL.
Yesterday, my 9 month old beagle fell down a flight of stairs. He was limping on it, and not being sure if he bruised it or broke it, I took him to Banfield. The nurses were nice and very considerate. I did not have to wait long for service, so that is a plus. However, after the X-rays were taken. The vet told me that he might have torn a ligament and he defiantly broke his leg. But she was not sure how to fix. She was not sure if she could splint it or if he would need surgery. So she had to have the x-rays sent to a surgeon. She also said that she did not want to prescribe him any pain meds until she knew what to do. My poor puppy is in so much pain that it is killing me. I paid 700 dollars, to be told something that I could have figured out on my own. All he is doing is sitting in a corner whining. I figured I might as well make him comfortable till I know something, so I am letting him be.
I have 3 boxers (ages 5 3/4, 5 1/2 and almost 4) which have gone to the same Banfield for all of their lives. All three of them are on the wellness plans and I take them there for all of their treatments and preventive care. I have not explored other vets due to the fact that my dogs have been healthy all their lives – My two males do get minor allergies and the Banfield tries to sell me ear cleaner and ointment every time I go there although their allergies are seasonal. One of my males recently developed an ear hematoma. They first drained it and placed a wrap with pressure on it for two days but it filled back up (common, from what research I’ve done.) I got an estimate from them to do the “quilt” surgery for his ear and it is around $600 (again, not uncommon for this surgery from what I’ve researched.) They included a dental cleaning in with it (part of my yearly plan) which actually makes the whole treatment cheaper then if I didn’t get the dental done (even though I just had his teeth cleaned 2 months ago.) I questioned them about this (only getting them cleaned 2 months ago) and the pet nurse (or whatever she was) mentioned about if they don’t eat solid food (which mine ONLY eat dry food and get NOTHING else, no human food, etc.) along with some other possible causes. It still seemed odd that they would do the dental cleaning again in such a short amount of time – Maybe it was solely to reduce the overall cost. Is it bad to get your pet’s teeth cleaned more than once in 2 months?
The staff at this Banfield seems genuinely concerned and I have left my dogs there for full days, many times and have never had any issues with sickness, injuries or otherwise. Do I think my pet is getting the best care they can? I honestly can’t answer that as I’ve never taken them to another vet and can’t compare costs/services. Do I think this Banfield is al about the “sell” mentioned by other comments above? Possibly….the whole “ear infection” and ear cleaner and drops thing bugs me but I politely decline the purchases and go on my way. I think it all comes down to how you and your pet are treated and whether you feel you are receiving proper care based on your pet’s health and conditions. I think it goes without saying that you will always hear from more of the disgruntled customers then you will from those that have had an awesome experience – I guess if everything is going fine, why would you be out here starting to question? This is exactly what I am doing just because of the research I was doing on the ear quilting surgery. Again, I am happy with them so far.
However, those that claim they used to work at one and no longer do because of whatever reason…those stories do tend to make you think.
I am a veterinarian who briefly worked at Banfield clinics. I would like to put a veterinarian’s perspective on some issues.
First off, regarding the comment that good veterinarians would have their own practice is completely false. I would like to start my own practice and am in the process of looking to purchase, but, in the mean time, I need to work. Many other vets are in the same boat — they need somewhere to practice before opening their own place. Other very good vets do not want the hassles of business ownership, and, so work in someone else’s (in this case, a corporation’s) practice. Further, a lot of vets just want to work part-time and Banfield allows them to do this.
Regarding the bad experiences: many of these same experiences could happen in a private practice.
So…why did I quit? I HATED working there! The hours are insanely long — we had to work well past 7 pm and on both Saturdays and Sundays, and the conditions of working in a giant big box store are unpleasant to say the least.
The worst part about working there is the cookie cutter medicine and the inability to individualize care. I know how to do some advanced surgeries, such as orthopedic and endodontic procedures; however, I could never do them at Banfield because they set the prices so high that no clients could afford them.
As a vet at Banfield, all I really did was routine surgeries like spays and neuters and vaccinations.
Yes, Banfield definitely over-vaccinates. The clients seemed to want all the vaccines, even ones I thought were unnecessary. The problem is that all vaccines are covered in the wellness plans and people thought they were getting ripped off if they didn’t get everything offered. Well, in many cases, such as the Lyme vaccine which is not needed in many areas, the risk of a reaction far outweighs the benefits of the vaccine. As it is, little dogs are getting loaded up for vaccines because the owners are duped into getting them all with the wellness plan.
I quit after less than a week. As I said, it is a very unpleasant place to work. And, it did not provide any intellectual stimulation to just vaccinate pets all day.
I highly recommend supporting small businesses. Find a local vet to support. It may cost more, but you will do more for the profession and the health of your animal if you avoid large corporate practices like Banfield.
You wrote the best review about Banfield, The Pet Hospital. I think they have very poor management practices ( no wonder when they hire managers in the upper management positions who have no clues about veterinary medicine and veterinary care).This kind of people are pushing every employee to see ONLY NUMBERS, THAT IS ALL WHAT THEY CARE ABOUT!!!!All the commments from the clients about unsafistactory veterinary services reflecting this ONLY MONEY ORIENTED BUSINESS PRACTICES of course under pretention of providing the best veterinary medical care. STAY WAY FROM THEM!!!!!
Thank you for the information. I agree support local vets they may cost more, but in my experience they cost less and have better service than when I was with Banfield. Banfield just wants to put an IV in their clients and drain their bank accounts.
Banfield gets one star because Dr. Murray and the nurse staff are really sweet and great. Unfortunately, that’s the only star they get because they employee other vets who bring the average down. Especially Dr. Perpetuo. She’s the worse doctor ever. I don’t know why she’s a vet, she doesn’t really like animals.
We’ve been going to Banfield for over a year now. I’ve always known how overpriced it was, but Dr. Murray was a great doctor and we went for her. Not Banfield. Above being expensive, it was extremely inefficient. And on the occasions Dr. Murray wasn’t there, I wasn’t a big fan of the doctors we received.
So let me start with, last August (2008) we had a litter of 9 labrador puppies. We own mom and day and decided to hang on to two of the puppies. We took all nine puppies (plus mom and dad) for treatment at Banfield. When 6 weeks were up and they were adopted, we recommended Banfield to everyone-but only Dr. Murray. I’m saddened to think of the pups who didn’t receive treatment from her. We had three of our four dogs on Wellness Plans, took our dogs in for shots all the time. The staff there loved them. We never complained and never caused problems.
Last week our big dog (Cooper, the father) did something very stupid that ended up in a trip to the doggie ER in Berkeley. They wanted us to go in for a follow up test to check his blood in a few days. The doggie ER let us know that it would be about a $60-$100 test. They encouraged me to visit my regular vet since they were almost positive the visit would be cheaper than them. I scheduled an appointment with Banfield and unfortunately couldn’t get Dr. Murray. When I sat in the examination room, I saw on the screen, Dr. Perpetuo. I immediately grabbed my Blackberry and read Patricia D.’s review. I hoped for the best, expected the worse. My hopes were shattered very quick.
The nurse had said she was going to give us a quote before anything happened. Perpetuo came in, felt Cooper’s body for all of 4 minutes and informed me I was in for a $280 test! My boyfriend came back and was asking her why the test would cost so much when they ER clinic had said it was only $60. She was very curt and rude with her answer and told us to go over to the ER clinic then. Then she tried charging us the full $45 for the office visit. When my boyfriend stated, “But we didn’t do anything yet” she yelled, “I GAVE HIM A PHYSICAL, MY TIME IS WORTH MONEY!!!” and my boyfriend calmly said, “You spent four minutes with him. You were supposed to give us the quote beforehand.” And she yelled, “YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE.” Really? We have spent over $4,000 at Banfield in the past year and have gotten along with everyone in the office until her. I let her know we’ve never been trouble, we’ve had three dogs on plans and have always gotten along with everyone. Then she told us to just “GET OUT” so we did.
Banfield just lost the business of four dogs. Again I say, in this economic climate I would think they would be more customer service oriented. Dr. Murray and the nurse staff was able to keep us going for a year, but I am done. I’m not risking the chance of ever getting Perpetuo again.
We’ve been clients of Banfield since 1996. We’ve always had 2 or 3 large dogs, shepherds (5 over the years) and an afghan hound. We also have 3 cats on the wellness plan. We were clients of Banfield in Winston-Salem, NC for 4 years, and have now been with them in St. Pete, FL for 10 years. Dr. Rodriguez and his staff have always been terrific to our “zoo”. Sorry to all who have had troubles and difficulties.
He is terrible! He doesn’t care about your dogs, he wants your money. For your dog’s health and your wallets health go to a local small vets. He refused to see my dog because he would be leaving in 2 hours, it was an emergency my dog was seizing 5 times in one day. If he loved your pets so much he would have stayed. The place we went didn’t take 2 hours to tell us it was best to just put her down, he just didn’t wanna deal with it. Recently they estimated a surgery for us at $1500 we went to a smaller vet and it was $400. I go to the same place as you in st.pete. We were with them for a good 20 years before we realized how ridiculous they were.
I’m VERY UPSET & ANGRY. BANFIELD in OLATHE, KS is THE WORST. Banfield upsold me on extra vaccinations for my 14yr old Miniature Schnauzer, ‘Misty’. The Lepto vaccine caused a severe reaction and she could barely breath that night. I finally figured out that children’s benadryl would solve the SEVERE ALLERGIC REACTION. Thanks to Google – and NO THANKS to BANFIELD.
I believe it is a game to them. To see how much they can:
1) Screw you over,
ONLY prescribe expensive brands versus generics.
2) Lie to you,
3) Endanger your beloved pet’s health,
4) Sell & Upsell you unnecessary items,
5) Charge as much as possible,
6) Be rude to you,
7) Make life as difficult for you as possible,
I’m sure I’m forgetting a few things. I’m not sure I’ve ever been this outraged at a business in my life!
I would rather throw money down a rathole than to ever spend another red cent with these LIARS & THEIVES.
Steer clear of Banfield. WAAAAAY FAR AWAY.
I completely understand your frustration. I work at Banfield, have been there for 2 years and I have personally seen many differsnt “styles” of vets. Banfield has a “goal” in mind and it is mainly to CYA. (well, theirs to be exact) If they did not offer you that lepto vaccine, and your dog contracted the leptospirosis disease….you would still be upset, right? I’m not saying, that vet made the correct choice for your pet, but in the Banfield clinic I personally work at, we EDUCATE our clients thouroughly before they decide on what they would like to commit to for their pet. For instance, if i was your pet nurse, i might tell you about the lepto vaccine, and then ask you a question such as “how often do you travel with your pet?” based on your answers is where we step in and say “yes this is for your pet”, or “no, this vaccine is not necessary”. so ultimatley YOU made the decision to get your pet vaccinated for lepto. There are Dr’s out there (in Banfield and in private practice) that will still try to get you to give any vaccine available, most of these vaccines can be purchased at a feed store, without ANY client education, and people still administer them to their pets not knowing what they do or what the risks/reactions are. Banfield has gone to core/non-core vaccines. (core being dapp, bordetella, and rabies, non core meaning everything else) Offering other vaccines in special circumstanes. Again, sorry for your bad experience, but not ALL Banfield’s or their doctors suck.
Follow up: I spoke with the District Manager at length this morning. What it comes down to is trust – and mine was compromised in these last few interactions.
I do understand why they recommended and upsold the treatments/vaccinations. From their standpoint – they feel they must make every effort to provide Gold Standard care. If this ends up costing more than a person likes, well, too bad for your wallet.
If a vet is going to provide Gold Standard treatment for my dog, and I’m paying for all of the upgrades/upsells – then I darn well want a thorough explanation of why, and more importantly, what they dangers to my elderly pet are. I felt pressured to spend more money on vaccinations that were not required. They have been consistently rude as well. I can tell the vets and vet-techs at this Banfield location are happy working there.
Hindsight is 20/20.
That is just the way they operate.
I will be finding a new vet – that I can develop a relationship with. Banfield may be right for you, but I’ve had all I can stand.
THATS IT.
Banfield is offically evil.
They promote MicroChipping Your Pet with Radio Frequency ID Chips (RFIDs).
You’d think a Pet Hospital would know that these things have been proven to cause cancer.
Ergo: Banfield promotes cancer for your pet.
It’s like the Death Star from Star Wars, but with 500 different locations.
Most if not all veterinary offices promote Microchipping it is a good way to keep track of an animal with minimal damage
Joe, It appears you are still just really angry because of your experience, which I understand, but please try to not plant seeds of irrational fears in everyone’s heads about RFID chips. These chips save hundreds of dogs’ lives a year – probably a day – and causing fear in others for no reason is just not right.
In fact, there is no scientific research evidence that shows that the radio frequency factor of the microchip “causes” cancer. The degree to which an RFID chip can cause cancer in a dog is the same degree to which ANY foreign body placed in a living organism can cause cancer.
The radio frequency part of those chips isn’t even activated unless it is scanned, so how could that particular aspect of the chip worry you? Personally, I’d be more concerned with my cellphone use or running my microwave near my dog than the microchip radio waves.
As far as the vaccinations are concerned, I agree with Lex. Any doctor worth his/her salt would offer you the available vaccines. We are just now coming into an age in veterinary medicine where doctors are learning that not all vaccinations are necessary for all dogs every year or every six months. Years ago, every vet pretty much insisted you get your dog and cat every vaccine available every time it could be given. If you didn’t, you were treated like you were an animal hater and a completely irresponsible pet owner. (I know, I was one who was treated that way for many years!) Even the states were on that same bandwagon. That is changing, fortunately, as our understanding of vaccinations change.
It has just been very recently that some states approved 3-year rabies vaccines for dogs. Prior to that, it was required annually even though the one-year rabies vaccine last 3+ years. (It’s the same medicine in the same vial in the same amount for a one year as it is for the three year). To be honest, the rabies vaccine probably lasts many many years. I’m sure the states, not the vets, just wanted to make darn sure we got a handle on rabies because it is a death sentence if we get it.
Anyway, with regard to the Lepto vaccine, Lex is correct. If your dog’s life warranted the Lepto vaccination, the doctor would have been remiss in allowing you to believe you should skip it. The same is true for Corona and Bordetella and even Lyme.
It is inexcusable that your vet or your tech did not inform you about Benadryl as they should do this with all pets who are getting vaccines.
All people in 2011, in my opinion, should know that ANY vaccine can cause a reaction even if they have never had a reaction before, but the Benadryl thing should have been stressed to you.
I will never go back to Banfield!! My experience is at the Banfield in Fredericksburg, VA. They only care about your money, not your pet. They always want to run many tests to rack up your bill and then they still don’t know what’s wrong with your pet. I have several cats and I wanted to make sure they are healthy and well taken care of and so I would just let Banfield tell me what needed to be done and I went along. Well, now I’ve tried a different vet and have learned just how screwed over I was by Banfield. I practically spent my entire last summer at Banfield and after spending literally $1000′s of dollars there, I still owe them a couple of hundred and they’re sending me to collections! After the many overcharges I think they are well overpaid! They wanted to charge me almost another $300 to run tests on my cats and because I already owed them several hundred, they wouldn’t treat them so I went to another vet who told me the cats just have allergies – gave them each a steroid shot and they were healed and it only cost me about $70 vs the $300ish Banfied was going to charge me just to run tests – that didn’t even include the treatment!!! Unfortunately, I have all of my cats on the wellness plan and as soon as that is paid off – I’m done with Banfield. I am very disgusted and dissatisfied with them!!
I have worked at many Vet clinics and a Banfield in the past. With my experience I can look at it from the owners view and the clinics. I have heard the whole “you only care about money and not my pet” comment so many times. What clients fail to realize is that the vet is providing a service and using tools and medications to treat your pet of cource they are going to charge for it. What business is out there that is still under operation and gives away things for free. You cant walk into Walmart and depend free food or else your family will starve can you? If you went to vet school for 8 years and paid for that would you do things for free? I dont think so. If you choose to have a pet then you take financial responsiblity for that animal. Just because you can not afford it doesnt mean that the clinic is responsible for it. As far as running tests and things like that of cource they are going to suggest that. The whole reason for them is to diagnosis and figure out whats wrong. And often times you wont get a good answer from running things like bloodwork and x-rays, how is that their fault. If you go the emergency room guess what they are going to do, run test after test to figure out whats causing the issue. It may take several test to be ran until you get your answer. It really pisses me off that people can come in and complain about being charged for what is being done. I know money does not grow on trees and the vet bill can easily climb but you have no right to get made at them when they have a business and run and a family to take care of too. Now on the other hand i know every clinic is different and Im not commenting on the doctor you saw or his/her decisions. Im simply giving you another way of looking at the financial and treatment side of it.
My insurance with Banfield was canceled and they told me to not come back because I won’t do the things they said my dog needed which were not life threatening!!!So don’t get to pissed off they are the best con artist out there!!
What is your malfunction? My pet has had itching issues and Banfield at one point gave the right things but he had a series of shots and then all of a sudden he is losing hair, biting and breaking skin. I hate to see him miserable but if I’m telling the doctor what the problem is why would they give me medication for something else other than the initial issue? We have now spent thousands of dollars on my pet and nonone has fixed the problem. I hate that people like you that think its okay to take advange of the consumer. If you know anything about business if you are loyal to your customers it won’t matter the cost they will return. Pets are like children, and owners or parents will be inclined to pay for anything to make sure they are healthy. I go to the doctor and pay only 15.00 to see my physician and pay 10.00 or 15.00 for medication. Why does it cost so much for pets?
People like you are hurtful and need to be silenced. You obviously don’t have pets the way that you are speaking insensitively.
To Vicky:
In all fairness, what you pay at the doctor is a co-pay because you have insurance. So it’s not really the same thing. However, as far as Banfield being hurtful and insensitive, I agree 100%. They have a tacky way of doing business.
I know they don’t care what I think, but I’m going to keep speaking out against them.
For someone who empathizes with vets AND pet owners: that comment didn’t indicate such. Most ppl are not complaining that they HAVE to pay vet bills, but @ the OVERCHARGING by vets similar to a car mechanic, dentist, etc. So therefore calling us irresponsible pet owners is invalid. I do not have a problem with paying for my beloved pets, but I do have a problem when the prices being charged are not NEARLY what they are worth and when so many services are ‘up-sold’ to me like a retailer would when my pet doesn’t even need them. The proof of overpricing is when one ‘shops around’ & finds the average price of the same service being less than half the price that an unscrupulous vet is charging you. The true slap in the face is when after all the thousands of $$ of up-selling, they STILL don’t know the diagnosis of your pet’s condition. I have a pretty good feeling that THAT’S what these ppl are fed-up about…just for clarification.
Banfield should be banned
I think you are all crazy who are against Banfield, it’s not Banfield personally, I work at a Banfield, and I love my clients and my patients there great. any vet you go to requires everything we do…in fine print on your wellness plan agreements tells you about your consequences for signing up on plan if your plan dies or if you decide to cancel, it’s your fault if you don’t read your contract like your asked to before you sign. Do you sign a contract for a house or credit card before reading the fine print? some of you just has’nt gone to the right Banfield were not all bad, you have to think all Banfields are franchised so they have a set price, some are charter so they can work with some people. Private vets are privately owned Banfield isn’t. Remember you’re not a vet…when you have gone to school for 8 -10 years then you can diagnose your own pet then you don’t have to go to the vet….must be nice….
I am a client of Banfield for more than a year. I have my dog on a wellness plan, and it gives me all of required care with substantial savings. All of the staff never tried to sell me on anything, I think they are just doing a great job on showing concern about well being of my pet. They were always very nice to me and they all know my dog, so I am very comfortable to leave her there for a few hours. Of course we are all human and we have better and worse days, but overall i had nothing but pleasant experience with the veterinarians as well as technicians. I also have a cat, who was considered aggressive by other vets, and I was asked to give her tranquilizer before the visit. I decided to switch her to Banfield, so I have all my pets under one doctor’s care. i couldn’t be happier. My cat was good with the vet, so no more drugs for her. the visit was very pleasant. I will stay with Banfield as long as I own pets, means forever. I am very happy with my Banfield, which is located in Parma, Ohio.
I am interested in corresponding with former Banfield “Chief of Staffs” who have been “de-partnered” “re-assigned” or “released” for reasons beyond their control (due in part to new field leadership direction) in 2009. We are especially interested in talking with “Partners” who have been replace by new vet school graduates nationwide. Thank you, Tom.
Banfield is a big scam, I would advise anyone with a pet to go to a local private vet. At banfield you deal with a coreporate style of treating pets. Even to get information about your plan you are given a 1888 number to be on hold and then have them state you are in a contract so decide what is best for your pet on your own. My dog has been seen twice for no more then 25 minutes and the total comes out to $595.58 how I am not sure I have to contact a store manager to get that information. To contact the 1888 number to cancel the services. If your pet is not doing well and you really care for them go to a private practice where the best interest is in your pets well fare not a large companies profit!
i go to the banfield hospial in campbell CA and i have nothing but good to say about them and i save big bucks by haveing my chihuahua boxer mixs teeth cleaned and free office vists it’s great he was paralyzed in his rear legs and they tried to get him into a local vet but it was sunday moringing and that vet was not ans his pager so off to uc davis and by 9:00 that night he was out of surgery the dr who saw him told us that it was very important to treat it right away if we ever wanted to see him walk again and then just two months ago he was diagnosed with a mast cell tumor they referred us to a local onocologist and we had that taken care of you have to be aware of what is wrong with your pet it’s like having kaiser you have to keep going back till they tell you that you need to see a specialist only you can be your pets advocate and you can’t be cheap about it that is why they sell pet insurance is to take care of those expensive things that may come up in your pets life
On Saturday, November 29, I brought my cat in to Banfield for teeth cleaning. On Monday evening, I got home to find my cat lying down on the kitchen floor with his head flat on the floor and a very weak meow. I called Banfield and was told to bring in him. The Vet examined him and ran some blood work and took x-rays. She then asked me if he’s been around other cats, because she thinks he caught an infection of some kind. His blood-sugar level is elevated and his white cell count is low. I told her that the only place he goes out of the house is there to Banfield for his checkups and he was just there two days ago. She said, no that it couldn’t be there, it had to be somewhere else. She then prescribed some antibiotics and charged my $426. (They said it would have been more if I didn’t have the wellness plan, but the tests and prescription is not covered in the plan.) I gave him the Rx during the week and had to being him back today, Saturday, December 05, for a follow-up. They ran the blood tests again and gave me more pills for him and charged me an additional $50. Again, she asked if he is around other pets, asking if any of my friends brings there pets over for him to play with. I never heard of a pet play date. But no, he doesn’t see any other pets at home and doesn’t go out of the house. I still feel that he was exposed there to what ever it is that got him so sick and cost me so much to treat it. I’m going to cancel my wellness plan with Banfield and find a private vet for him. I might even file a complaint with the BBB (www.bbb.org) and the AAHA (www.aahanet.org) as recommended by Sharon on Feb 16, 2009.
“It would be good for those who experience problems with Banfield to report them to the BBB, and possibly the AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association).”
Or better yet, I’ll file a complaint with consumer affairs (http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/banfield.html).
Thanks for the link. I filed a complaint with these folks as well.
Banfield is a joke, and the more people who know, the better.
I have never been treated so abominably by a company in my entire life.
On Sat. Oct. 31st. 2009 we took our adult son’s dog, to the Salisbury, MD (105 East Northpoint Blvd.-21801) Banfield Pet Hospital for services under the dog’s Basic Plus Care plan my son had taken out in Aug. of 2007 with the Banfield Pet Hospital n Gainesville, VA (13241 Gateway Center Dr. -20155.)
Our son had a recent move in the Gainesville, VA area where he could not take his dog. We (my husband and I) needed to board the dog and he needed a vaccine. Looking at the dog’s last visit in Gainesville on 4/20/09, I realized he had been scheduled for a visit in Oct. at Banfield for some of those vaccinations. I got on the Banfield website to find the” nearest Banfied site” near us and realized that the Salisbury Banfield would be the easiest for us to take him for his check-up and the needed vaccines. It is about an hour away. There is not a Banfield in our town. My son called the Salisbury Banfield around 3 weeks ago to first make an appointment on Nov. 20th and a week ago I called to change it to Oct. 31st. I told the person at the Salisbury Banfield that we are looking after our son’s dog that has a Banfield policy our son had taken at the Banfield nearest him in Gainesville, VA and that we would be bringing the dog in because he had this policy. The Salisbury Banfied person never said this would be a problem. With all those “convenient Banfield locations near you” we had no idea there would be a problem either. Our son was aware we were taking the dog in. He had told us about his policy. When he called to make the first appointment they did not say the policy could not be used at that Banfield.(To board the dog in a kennel near us, we still have to have a local vet check the dog out.)
My husband and I arrived at the Salisbury Banfield at 11AM on Oct. 31st. for the appointment. A very nice young man, who was on shift form 7 to 7 we heard him say, greeted us. We told him who we were and that we were there with our son’s dog who has the Banfield policy through our son in Gainesville, VA. I had the folder with me with all the information from the dog’s Gainesville Banfield visits. We were asked to sit until the technician came out. I explained to the technician that this was our son’s dog and that we were bringing him because of our son’s Gainesville Banfield policy. She even took the receipt from the April 09 Gainesville’s visit to see, I inferred, what he needed for the day’s checkup. After seeing the doctor and signing something that said we’d be notified if the cost would be over $100 and that they would call us when he was scheduled to be picked up that afternoon we left to do some shopping.
Around 2:30 we were called that the dog was ready. We arrive a little before 4 to pick him up. When we approached the desk to pay, the same nice young man, said, “I’m going to have to let our supervisor, M., check you out as it takes a supervisor’s OK.” This was the first we’d heard there was a “problem.” M. working busily on the computer behind the nice young man’s check-out area, gives us the bill which shows their retail fee of $527.12 and the Banfield fee of $127.36 which is now over $100 and includes a charge for the “Wellness plan: First Month Payment.” I ask her about this because that is not supposed to be included on the bill–no one let us know anything about it before we left the dog and it was over $100 for which we had not been notified. Then M. proceeds to say we have to do this because “corporate” with whom she apparently had been talking said they, Salisbury Banfield, would have to have my son’s signature-in person for us to pay the bill. My son was somewhere in the Gainesville, VA area at that moment over 4 hrs. traveling time from where we were in Salisbury at 4PM on a Sat. afternoon. Either M.or the nice young man behind the Salisbury Banfield desk “calls corporate” who says that my son may fax his signature which quickly becomes, our son has to call corporate right then to tell them he is canceling his policy and we would be taking it up under the Banfield Salisbury office. This could be faxed. After paying the $127.36 and signing a paper to have $25.95 taken out of my bank account each month, (and now after I get home to read everything realize there’s this membership fee on the statement that was not supposed to be because my son had already paid that.), we leave assuming our son whom we got in touch with while we were there and talked to the nice young man behind the next was calling corporate to cancel his policy and faxing his signature there to let us take the policy over in the Salisbury Banfield location. When I got to the car, I did not like the way the vaccines were recorded, making it necessary for me to take the receipts from the April visit as well as the Salisbury Banfield one to show the kennel and the local vet that the dog’s vaccinations were up to date. As I walked back in, the nice young man behind the desk said, “I’m so sorry there’s a problem we thought you had left –we went to the parking lot to find you (?) Your son just called and there’s a problem, corporate says he can’t fax his signature and that it will cost him $250 to cancel.”
We immediately called our son while we were there in the office. He was heading to the Gainesville Banfield and would call us. While we waited in the office, checking on the dog, I talked to the nice young man behind he desk, he said corporate was now denying they ever said our son could fax this signature. After waiting another half hr. and son called and said he’d have to wait until Monday when he could talk to someone in corporate who had some sense. (I’ll say here that my son has been pleased with the service he has had at the Gainesville Banfield. Therefore we had no idea that we were sitting ducks for this Salisbury outfit.)
We left feeling a ruse had been carried out here and we are the victims. I know it’s at face value a case of buyer beware but the people in the Salisbury Banfield–never at any point let us know that there would be a problem using the dog’s policy at the Salisbury Banfield until we went to pay. I feel they had an obligation to tell us that upfront. They saw “sucker” written all over us when we just kept telling them we were there because of our son’s Gainesville Banfield policy. They also knew we didn’t know what the policy said or we would never have signed the contract because we would have known he couldn’t cancel without a huge penalty. They took advantage of our not being dog owners and wanting to help our son. We would never have driven an hour from our home to incur a new policy expense when our son already had a policy. (We would have used the local vet, whom we have to have for emergencies anyway. (There is no Banfield at the Petsmart here in Easton, MD where we live.) We were never called to say that the charges would be over $100 and did not realize that we’ve actually signed to pay for the startup of a whole new policy.
To settle this fairly, we are not contesting the $127 we paid Sat. although in fairness it should not have been more than $100. We want the contract we signed thinking it was to take over our son’s policy-not incurring a new membership fee too-, which he and we thought he could cancel and the signature faxed to the Salisbury Banfield- should be null and void. -(One of the things the nice young man behind the desk said as we were leaving was that maybe our son could come in person to the Salisbury Banfield office this week sign, and reverse the whole thing–whatever the whole thing is!! Which we know now would never have been allowed under the Banfield “contract”) I don’t think they ever called “corporate.” They were planning this from the day we first made the appointment-my son who has had his policy for two years either didn’t know or had forgotten about the cancellation penalty. In fairness, the policy my son has in Gainesville should be the one we operate under – this Salisbury office nightmare done with–cancel this thing we signed. We will make the very inconvenient trip to that Banfield in Gainesville, VA despite all those “convenient BanfieldVet Hospitals near you (us)” We want to believe that he really was a nice young man behind the desk but are really feeling like we were lied to. The finesse they exhibited carrying this thing out can’t help but make me wonder that Banfield has training manuals with a chapter on “ways to play the public for fools and make a better commission.” We must have fit the profile. We fell for the act of the “nice young man behind the counter.”
Despite two emails to Internet.Inquiries@banfield.net the one given on the Banfield website and a registered letter to: Banfield, The Pet Hospital,PO Box 13998,Portland, OR 97213 detailing my complaint, I have heard nothing from Banfield. My son who called them was told that Banfield contacted the vet there and he said they “followed procedures” –well they were hardly ethical ones. I emailed my complaint to PetSmart and they did have the courtesy to acknowledge they received it. I’ve also filed a complaint with the Consumer Protection Division of Maryland, Salisbury office. I hope the can help. This is consumer abuse at it’s worst. However, from reading the other complaints, it doesn’t look like Banfield cares what we think—they’ve adopted the attitude of today’s businesses that think they “are too big to fail.”
We have had several horrible experiences with Banfield. Our own consolation, judging from other complaints, is that we’re not alone. We, too, have been pressured into unnecessary plans, procedures and products. They would not vaccinate one of our cats without an expensive test first. Earlier that year, they gave him several vaccines at one time and a combo flea/worm treatment. This was probably not a safe thing to do because our cat got really sick. We thought he was going to die. He was having trouble breathing and would not eat or drink for a day. He was also very lethargic. Later that month, he started expelling worms which had never happened before. We think Banfield made him very sick and did not warn us that there could be such severe side effects. When we called them for help after we saw these symptoms, they did not even seem concerned and offered no help. The vet was also bragging about how her cat never had problems with vaccines. At the same time she admitted that her cat did not receive the same kind of treatment. She was very inept and smug and contradictory. Now we have another cat that they were trying to push insurance on and, like the other customers, we were not given much attention when we made it clear that we could not afford a lot of extras. The vet was rude and the receptionist was even more disrespectful. She would not sell us non-prescription flea medication because we wanted to buy some for our other cat who had not been seen by them as well as for the one who had been diagnosed. She tried to scare us into thinking that both would be infected even though we’re fairly sure one wasn’t. She just wanted to push more product and yet she wouldn’t sell us a dose for the other cat. I don’t think she can rightfully refuse to sell us a non-prescription product. Also, she said we would have to continue buying flea treatment FOREVER and that they would never clear up. Obviously this company just wants to rip people off and doesn’t care about the well-being of the animals. DON’T GO TO BANFIELD unless you want to suffer along with your pet and be coerced into wasting money!
I work at the front desk (CSC) for a Banfield in Maryland, and I want to say that I’m sorry you’ve all had such bad experiences. At my hospital, our vets are VERY professional and VERY well-educated and trained. Everyone who I work with truly does care for the pets and we always do our best to make sure your pet remains healthy and happy.
While it is true that we sometimes take pets in the back to give shots and whatnot, we ALWAYS get permission before doing so and we ALWAYS give you the option of staying in a room for a pet. Sometimes, with aggressive pets, we take them in the back because the way that we have to handle them, while not inhumane in any way, can seem harsh to owners so its for your own benefit to not have to watch.
Vaccine reactions can happen no matter how many times your pet has gotten a vaccine in the past, much like allergies in humans. Reactions are not OUR fault, nor your fault, nor the pet’s fault, but saving YOUR pet is YOUR responsibility and that’s why you’ll get charged for “emergency” shots and whatever the pet needs. Do keep in mind though that Banfield has a first-time vaccine reaction coverage policy, you just have to remember to mention it and make sure that your Banfield follows through with getting the first $100 covered.
The Wellness plans are a really good value when you consider that office visits are about $45, vaccines are $25 to $35 a piece, and other services can range in price. When you sign up on the wellness plan, you’re paying for a PACKAGE of services, NOT an insurance plan. We give you the option of either paying for the whole thing at once, or breaking it down into monthly payments. If your pet dies, you’re still responsible for paying off that PACKAGE that you purchased. If you buy a car and something happens to it, you still have to pay off that loan.
Don’t judge all Banfield’s based on a bad experience that you’ve had. I’ve been to many private vets over my years of owning pets and none come close to the awesome treatment I’ve gotten from my Banfield vets and I wish I had known about them sooner. Our hours are convenient for pretty much everyone, and at least at my Banfield we’re always there to help you. I don’t know how many vet offices you can call and have someone spend 20 minutes on the phone with you because you have questions about your new puppy. Not to mention the fact that we take walk-ins every day of the week. Banfield truly is a great company, but in the end it’s still a NATIONAL company, and of course our prices are going to be higher because it is about making a profit, sad as it is to say. However, don’t put up with poor treatment from anyone. If you have problems, report them to the Client Advocacy Team and they will notify the district manager, the office manager, and the director of pet nursing. Everyone working should be pleasant and professional, and if they aren’t then they shouldn’t be working in a customer service position.
I took my dog, an italian greyhound I rescued 5 months ago, to Banfield to get his required rabies vaccine. The clinic is highly advertised, and I figured it would be easy and convenient to just stop in at a Pet Smart. Boy, would we regret that!! I had already taken Luke in a month prior to this incident for a physical and for a prescription for some thyroid medication he has been using. On this first visit, the vet and nurse attempted to upsell me nearly $700 worth of tests they could do that day and wanted to schedule another $1000 of tests. Granted, my dog was a rescue, so he may not have been in perfect condition, but I couldn’t afford this and was worried about the health of my dog. However, the vet refused to give the dog the thyroid medicine he needed without running a full CBC blood workup, heartworm and thyroid screen, which ran me nearly $300. My dog did not take to the vet, who seemed callous and incompetent. They made me leave the dog there for the tests and I heard him yelping in the back the second I left. He was fine, but I should have rushed back there and refused to go to Banfield ever again. After what happened following his rabies shot, now I never will. We took him in for the walk-in hours, which I thought would be quick and convenient. Wrong! We waited for three hours before the doctor even saw us to administer a shot that took a few seconds. After another half an hour to get out of the store due to incompetent nurses, we brought Luke home. He limped a bit when he walked but the Dr. had insisted that was normal. The next morning, I woke up to the sound of my dog panting, so I brought him some water, but I found him to be unresponsive. His eyes were rolling around in his head and he was burning up. I tried to get him up but found him to be in a state of paralysis. I grabbed him and held him while I called the Banfield vet in a state of frenzy, who insisted that they did not do anything wrong and that I should bring him back in for blood work. Well, Banfield should not ever be allowed to touch another animal ever again!!! I called the vet he went to while he was with the rescue agency and they saw him right away, gave him saline and steroids and he is now responsive, though still ill. Never, ever take your pets to Banfield!! This clinic only cares about money, not the health of your pet, and will disregard proper procedure even if it ends in the death of your pet! Beware!
I currently work as a nurse for Banfield. Trust me, I don’t like the wellness plans either, nor do I think the doctor here is the brightest pea in the pod. I always try to be nice to people, and quite frankly, I DON’T charge people everything I should be. A few thing I would like to say:
1. READ THE WELLNESS PLAN TERMS BEFORE YOU SIGN THE CONTRACT! Seriously, everyone so desperately wants it to be insurance. It’s not. Stop thinking that it is. Stop referring to it that way. It’s a package deal, nothing more. Remember a couple months ago when you were asking me about it and I told you in plain simple English that it is NOT insurance 5 times? Were you listening to me, really? That’s what I thought. Don’t blame me if you zoned out 5 different times throughout the conversation.
2. In general, be nice the to the nurses and front desk people. We don’t set the prices. We don’t have any control over what the vet wants to do. Keep in mind, a nurse sees the invoice BEFORE you check out but after the vet last looks at it. If an owner is polite with me, I have been known to make some charges disappear, or maybe slip them a coupon for the office visit. Would I risk getting reamed by my boss for someone who was downright rude to me? Hell no.
3. Echoing number 2, don’t complain to me how what we did yesterday for $300 would have cost you $50 at another vet. Yeah, and what do you want me to do about it? You really think I have any power? Not to mention, quite frankly, I don’t really care – I here the same darn thing at least 4-5 times per week, so you’re not exactly unique in that case.
4. Don’t complain about wait times during wellness hours (those times when the office visit is waived). You really think we derive any sort of satisfaction doing just rabies shots for crabby people and their aggressive chihuahuas? You’re saving $35+ at the expense of my sanity. Shut up.
5. Actually, don’t complain about the wait until it surpasses 30min. I remember very vividly as a child going to my non-Banfield regular vet and ALWAYS waiting at least 20min the waiting room before being escorted to an exam room. What is it with people getting into shouting matches after just 5 min?
6. Don’t like the wellness plan? Guess what, I don’t either. So don’t bombard me with “so what am I paying for every month then?” or “that really should be included.” Refer to the comment earlier when I mentioned I have no power. I tried to get corporate to include microchipping on basic puppy and basic plus kitten plans. See how far that went?
7. Lastly, remember how I told you you should have your dog neutered, and you responded by calling me a fat cow? But then 2 months later you ran in begging for my help to save your baby because he just got hit by a car while chasing the in-heat female across the street? Karma’s a b***h.
I love you and wish I could work with you– I’m a doctor at a Banfield in the Northeast corridor. I agree with you that WPs are a great deal WHEN people understand and use them properly– and that includes doctors and nurses. They should NEVER be used to get cheaper diagnostics for sick pets. And it always amazes me that even though clients have to agree to and sign an estimate before any treatment is done, they will complain that the charges were unexpected!!! How much more can we do than explain what we want to do and why and have you sign an agreement stating what we are going to do to your pet? I’m also amazed that people think we have shots that injure their pets intentionally, and would use them. Most of us went to vet school because we LIKE people and their pets and want to do the best for them. I so sorry for people’s bad experiences, because a lot of Banfields DO offer quality medicine in a caring, professional environment, and I love working there! Yes, I have worked for private practices and could do so again, but then I am at the mercy of the whims of the owner, and have even had instruments thrown at me! Just like private vets or any other sector of the economy, there are good, bad, and ugly vets at Banfield. Please don’t paint us all with one brush. Just as we take each client as we find them, please take each vet you see as an individual.
You admit work for an overpriced, disingenuous veterinary practice and you don’t understand why people get upset, plus you feel stealing from your employer is okay for the people you like?
I hope I never employ you. It sounds like you are not fond of people or animals and are in the wrong business. You can’t possibly understand or you don’t care how vindictive and snide your comments are.
Guess what, people get stressed out when concerned about their pets. They also get stressed out about their finances. Veterinary practices combine the worst of both worlds, and YET there are plenty of practices that still find a way to provide good customer service and good product at the same time.
People also can be stupid, annoying and entitled, which you need to be able to deal with if you are going to work with them. Doesn’t seem like you can, considering your vengeful glee over the dog that got hit by a car. Happy that an animal suffered because of the owner’s poor choice?
Yup, you are a winner.
Just to respond to the latest Banfield nurse. We were nothing but pleasant to everyone at Banfield. Everyone loved our dogs and us. It was one incompetent vet who had us resolve to take our four dogs elsewhere.
Never complained about it, but I waited (with an appointment) at Banfield in Richmond, CA on an average of 2 hours. Unacceptable.
This is for Sandra Mc Carthy…If you shop at Mud Bay that puts you in the same town as me. After your experience with Banfield, I’ve never used them so I can’t comment on their treatments. But I would suggest seeing Dr. Steve at Evergreen Vet Hospital, He’s on 14th Ave, right down the street from Safeway (towards the Country Club)
PEOPLE….Banfield is NOT owned by Petsmart!!Stop complaining to them!! Banfield leases space from them-they are not ran by the same Corporations!!
Bad vets happen every where..Privately owned vets can be HORRIBLE as well. It’s not the company, it’s the individual vets.
It seems most of these complaints involve money. Medicine is expensive everywhere, for animals as well as humans. You have to take in consideration what it cost to run a Pet Hospital, It’s not cheap folks!
Pet’s don’t have the same type of insurance we do, so it seems more expensive than it really is.
Think about how much your company charges for their services.
As far as blood work goes, you should be scared if it isn’t suggested to you! NO animal, regardless of young or old, should ever be put under anesthesia with out it. AND NO ONE, not even a Vet can say an animal is HEALTHY by just looking at it!!
AND , No I don’t work for them, this is just common sense!
More food for thought:
For the nurse that would, “Make charges go away for nice clients”: Really? I hope you never own a business and have an employee handing out your merchandise to people behind your back. Nice. Like next time you go to Walmart, see if there are any stock clerks ripping the tags off a few T-shirts or boxes of cereal and going, “Here. Just take it.” AHhhhh!!! Scary!
Not to mention, what if you went in t see your doctor for back pain. Your doctor is going to First, order Xrays to be done by Xray technicians and then be interpreted by the Radiologists before giving the information back to your Dr. Then, he/she might referr you to a specialist depending on what they found or refer you to physical therapy or suggest you rest for several weeks and prescribe you pain medication and/or anti-inflammatory medication. If you were still not better, they would probably suggest an MRI and let’s say this led to a diagnosis that required surgical intervention, then you would need surgery. Now, first of all, would you want your Dr/Surgeon performing surgery WITHOUT taking an X-ray??? What if you didn’t NEED surgery?? Second of all, would you go to said Dr and ask, “so…..I couldn’t pay my insurance last month….think you could ask those Xray technicians to take my Xrays for free?? Or do you think your office staff could make the radiologist charge , ‘go away’. I mean, I know I am not a Dr or anything, but maybe I could just take my Xrays home and interpret them myself and save myself the money?”
Anyways, just some thoughts people. = )
Kat’s post is incorrect. While Banfield is not owned by Petsmart, if you are experiencing bad service at a Banfield (or any other vet) in a Petsmart location, by all means complain to the Petsmart. They have knowingly entered into a contract with that practice and need to know if there is a problem.
As far as Petsmart not being able to do anything about it, also false. They can choose not to use that particular practice anymore, and get a different one pending contractual obligations, of course. Petsmart may not be legally liable for anything that practice does, but they are more than aware that the Petsmart name is linked to that practice, and the bad rubs off far more than the good.
If you own a house and rent it to someone who runs a possibly abusive daycare out of it, wouldn’t you want to know?
Tell Petsmart if you have a problem with the practice operating on their premises. They need to know.
Tonight we took our 4 month old Morkie into the Matthews, NC Banfield Animal Hospital. She was having diareha and vomiting. (we have a wellness plan with them and she has been seen regularly by Banfield since we got her) We called ahead and they said to bring her in, this was 6:15 and we arrived at 6:30. They close at 7pm, told us to hurry and to have her there in 15 minutes. Point being they don’t close until 7pm but neglected to inform us that any pet seen after 6pm has to pay an emergency vet fee. We informed them that they don’t close until 7pm so how was this considered an emergency. They said that because its after 6, that its considered an emergency because it would be after 7 before they could complete the visit. (complete money scam) seeing as how we spent 30 minutes debating why we had to pay such a fee and they never once asked how she was doing, never offered to accommodate us in any way, all they could say was that was their policy and sorry for not mentioning it before you came in. I have always used an independent vet prior to this time. The wellness plan seemed like a good idea at the time. However, now we are stuck in a contract with people who could care less about your pets. The Matthews Banfield acted as if we were burdening them at 6:30pm on a Friday night. The first lady we saw ( the tech) just said there was nothing she could do and I asked to see someone else. The next person, who is named in the complaint, said there was nothing she could do after explaining again that it was after 6pm. I asked to see the Dr. again, she said the same thing….NEVER did any of them (being the animal lovers that they are) even acknowledge our dog, in any way. Their only advise to us, when we refused their services was to take her to the emergency vet down the road. They simply SUCK! I would rather take her to an emergency vet and have someone act like she mattered (and pay their fees) than to ever take her back to Banfield. Judging by all the complaint on Consumer reports, I don’t know how they are still in business.
After over $900 of B.S. including a ct scan for my cat, no prblem was found. after I talked to a fwe other reputable vetnarians, all my cat needede was a simple drip to get her to eat again. My cat is gone now.
Let me tell yall something.
Banfield does not just charge you to be charging you. There are fees for each thing that needs to be done on your pet in order to find the source. They tell you what the problem could be and what they would need to do to find out. They go over an estimate with you and YOU approve those estimates. YOU decide you are going to make these decisions for your pet. The wellness plan is NOT an insurance policy. If you want insurance well damn, go to an insurance company and get it. The wellness plan is a preventive care package and covers annual exams and vaccines. If you feel like your pet does not need these vaccines, all you have to do is tell them that you dont want them done. No one is putting guns to your heads and saying to get anything for your pet. People do save hundreds of dollars on their wellness plans for their pets. Would you rather pay 40 dollars to the SPCA for a spay/neuter for your pet with no bloodwork being done and your pet possibly dying OR would you rather pay 350 dollars to make sure that your pet, which is supposed to be treated like one of the family, is going to make it through the surgery because of the bloodwork that is done beforehand to prevent such things including all vaccines and annuals and unlimited office visits. Okay…so say what you want and do what but dont blame Banfield because of yall not reading contracts and doing research on what you want.
Well you sound like an oxy moron asking if someone would rather pay 40 dollars or 350 dollars. You must be a Banfield money hungry person trying to screw people over to not understand what people are saying. Banfield has screwed many people including me. I was a little more smart and went and got a second opinion. I saved myself thousands of dollars.
Jennifer, an oxymoron is a combining of incongruous terms, perhaps you were thinking of another form of moron
That was a welcome bit of comic relief among so many horror stories.
Allow me to quote Sylvester Stallone in the wonderful, under-rated film, “Oscar,” when being confronted by his elocution teacher, played by Tim Curry: “Oh yeah? Well, you’re an ox AND a moron!”
Add me to the list of complainers about Banfield – in Pet Smart, West Chester. I received a coupon for Banfield while checking out with food for my Jack Russell. Since I had been looking for a vet to clean his teeth…I made an appt thinking it was a reasonable place and offer since it was in the back of Pet Smart. Well, I should have done more research before taking him there. Took him over at 9:00 AM and they said he would be there most of the day…for a cleaaning I thought that was kinda excessive but we were there and I went ahead with the appt. About 2 hours later I received a call that they would need to pull 6 teeth…I said no way…why would you be pulling sound teeth…they said they were very loose and the gums were infected. I asked them to call me back that I would have to think about it and what that would cost…they said if you take our program it will be $255. When they called back I said – have you doublechecked this and they told me now it would only be 5 teeth but they had to come out. He was there and was sedated so I said then if it’s really necessary – go ahead and I’ll send a check for $255. since I wasn’t going to be home at 4:00 to pick him up. My son got home – saw my note and went over to get our dog. He was livid that I would let them do this because he knew the teeth were not loose unless they damaged them in their cleaning process. They pressured him to sign a contract and he said, no way, we thought it was $255. He was so angry with the little dog so sedated he still could hardly stand and just wanted to get him home. He said, I’ll take your paperwork but I’m sure Mom won’t sign it…she wasn’t made aware of any of your programs…they were very beligerant and told him that was OK that they had my info from my check and would be deducting $30.00 every month from my bank acct. I talked to my bank and they didn’t think Banfield could do this without my signature. I asked if there was anything I could do until this could be resolved and my bank said stop payment on your check. This is what I did plus I have notified the BBB of this situation. If I had known anything about Banfield and their reputation I would not have taken my dog there…I’m on a fixed income and thought since I got the coupon thru PetSmart that it would save money. We’re just lucky that so far no ill effects from this fiasco for our dog.
You’re welcome to send my your comment.
Gloria,
I just made an appointment for my pug, but now I am really scared to take her there…(the Banfield at Bridgewater Falls is where I am going)
I have a few questions…this Wellness Contract everyone is talking about…is this something the vets try to get you to sign? I can say no if I don’t want to sign up? Or did they just start charging your account without your permission? I also have a coupon but my pug is limping so I want the best care.
Also I was going to the Fairfield Animal Care Center and to be honest allot of what people are saying is the same thing I have had to deal with at my other vet, long wait times, wanting to charge for lots of little things, teeth pulling, trying to do all kinds of tests while my dogs were boarding there, dogs came home with kennel cough every time (which means we immediately have to go back for another office visit and some meds) I felt like they cost an awful lot so I decided to look elsewhere.
One more thing: What is this about not being in the office with my dog? Surely they don’t do a check up without me present? I understand about people going to work and having to leave the pet there but if I choose to stay them I get to be in the exam room correct?
Thanks for your help
Of course they can not start “charging your account without your permission”!! You are presented with the wellness plam options because they truly allow you to provide the best veterinary care to your pet at an AFFORDABLE price. I wish my dentist or MD provided such a service actually. (WEll, I guess Kaiser is similar = ) )
What you get: all physical exams by a Doctor as many times as you eed to come in, all vaccinations core and non-core are covered, deworming medication against zoonotic (contagious) intestinal parasites (that are especially contagious to small children!), Heartworm(fatal disease)/Lyme disease and tick fever testing(Ehrlichiosis), Ear cytology, fecals, and then as you upgrade your plan, you also are provided a complete Internal Organ chemistry screen and CBC (What any upstanding veterinarian would perform if your pet was sick) and additonally a full dental prophylaxis with preoperative blood work and anesthesia. If needed, You can also upgrade to the highest level plan and 3 views of Xrays are covered! These are considered preventative care services to try to PREVENT and CATCH diseases and conditions before they occur or when they are mild.
You think dental extractions is a “little thing”?? First of all, if peridontal disease only progresses to the point that teeth need to be pulled with the teeth aren’t being brushed on a regular basis or Professional dental cleaning on a regular basis. When the peridontal ligaments are weakened they are weakened by severe bacterial infections.
Have you noticed what extractions and crowns and root canals cost at the human dentist offices?? Why would this be any different or why should this be “Free” in veterinary medicine?
After your pets teeth have been cleaned and polished, it is very important that teeth brushing or other appropriate home dental care is recommended for you to follow up with to prevent further progression of the peridontal disease.
I am writing in response to all the hate on Banfield. Like Fed Up Too, I work at a Banfield as a pet nurse. I would like to comment on a few of these nasty remarks..
First – Wellness plans are GREAT ways for owner to get all of the preventative care their pet needs. If you think we are “money hungry”, think about how much money you spend a month on those wellness plans. Or annually. At the MOST its a little over 300 dollars. ANNUALLY. For every vaccine (we do NOT give unnecessary vaccines SHARON, in fact we are doing away with the Giardia vaccine only because it is not considered core), heartworm tests, fecal exams, dewormings, ear swabs, UNLIMITED office calls, urinalysis, and many more procedures even healthy pets need, 300 dollars a YEAR is saving literally thousands of dollars. So, wellness plans so NOT make the hospitals lots and lots of money. The do ensure that pets come back and get the care they need. To me, that is not a bad thing.
As for the bad doctor/patient relationships some of you have experienced, that is your doctors fault. Not every veterinarian at every Banfield is a spineless, inhumane animal cruelty lover. Yes I will admit, sometimes there are misdiagnoses and bad customer service, but even the most experienced vets will sometimes not know what is going on. Thats where vets who SPECIALIZE in diagnosing come in. The vets at Banfield (the ones I have had the pleasure of working with) DO genuinely care for their patients and want whats best for them. In FACT, I was taking my dog Grace to a private practice for some shoulder problems she had been having, the diagnosed it as arthritis, weeks went by and her shoulder grew out to the size of a boulder. Well, turns out it was a cancerous tumor that a PRIVATE PRACTICE vet had totally misdiagnosed and she had to be put down THAT DAY. So vets are vets, Banfield does not hire the dumb of the dumb. There are standards and just because your experiences have been bad doesn’t mean all of them are.
The staff at my hospital are all VERY caring, remember all of our patients, have great relationships with our clients and I think we work well as a team. We have had some externs (who went on to private practice) who were always ordering up ear swabs for dogs who scratched at their ears, X-Rays for dogs who limped, and the same medicines for every dog with similar syptoms. So think, that vet MAY be your vet now. So before you just brush off all Banfields as “money hungry, insensitive idiots”, remember that NOT ALL BANFIELDS ARE LIKE THAT. There are MANY private practices that are worse.
Thank you for your review. We are adopting a dog soon and were looking into Banfield wellness plans. Vet bills are expensive period, but my thoughts after working for a regular doctors office is that preventative care can often help you avoid higher cost visits. We are planning to visit our local Banfield here in Bellevue Washington. So far I have not seen anyone from that area give a review. Your review gives me hope that we could be making a good choice for our soon to be family member.
I would just like to follow up and add….when all you people are complaining of the prices?? YOU agree to it. So clearly you agree that your dogs needs what we are suggesting. Also, when I take an estimate into a room, I always show the person WHICH of the things on the estimate is absolutely necessary and which things would be helpful but not detremental. Don’t complain to us nurses about the prices. We don’t have meetings saying Hmm…How much can we charge for this and still get people to pay?? And before you agree to sign up for a Wellness plan, read it. Understand it. Ask question!! If you are just blindly signing, then you should be complaining to yourself. And as far as the private practices being better comments… I have have OVER 6 people in the past few months come in asking how much a dental was. When I said 220 AFTER tax (including all bloodwork, anesthesia, hospitalization, ETC), ALL of them were stunned. There amazing private practice vets had told them over 400. For the same.
I am reading so many of these comments and though I empathize with the feeling of seeing your beloved pet in pain, most people commenting here have no clue not just abount veterinary medicine, but plain MEDICINE. I did work for banfield in california before becoming a R.N., and I can honestly say that I saw some lousy incompetent vets there, but I also saw many amazing gifted doctors. (BTW, those of you who glorify private practice vets know this – I have seen several “new hire” vets who were dropped by Banfield for not passing state boards only to be picked up as vets after the third or fourth try by well respected private practices in the area)
For the comment about the e-collar being too big and how the sizing was Banfield’s fault, that is ridiculous. Sometime e-collars need to be humungous because that nose ,when pointed straight up, should not pass the top of the e-collar. Take some personal responsibilty.
For the cat that when in for the dental, I agree that you should have been called no later then 2 pm and notified that they were unable to get to the procedure, but dont get worked up about the cat having to be fasted for the surgery, they are fasted because if they have food in their gut during anesthesia they can become nauseas and choke on their own vomit. And you try dealing with a ten pound killer cat who wants to take out chunk of your face; its a real health hazard.
banfield is the worst place to take you pet! i took my dog there and he was misdiagnosed! they told me it was a cyst when in fact it is a tumor that has to be removed! what a waste of time and money! i will never go to anothe banfield as long as i live
Yes, my dog was hurt bad on the leg I have the wellness plan. They told me I had to pay thousand dollars to have his toe removed, plus an extra 400 if he stayed over night. So I had to take my dog home and bring him back in pain. tell do they really care abiout your pet or money. I say money. word of wise if you care about your pet do not take them to Banfield. Definantly not the one in georgia in snellville off highway78
please you guys want everything for nothing how much would it have cost if you had to stay overnite in the damn hospital more like 4k to 10k and i bet if your loved one had cancer that you would not pay 10k for the treatment cause that is what i paid for my dogs treatment and banfield found it and yes he does have quailty of life he only had radiation thearpy but i bet lots of you cheap asses would just put your dog down banfield has saved my boy two times and they don’t charge me anmore than if i went to another vet in fact they save me money and one more thing the wellness plans ARE NOT INSURACE you cheap people just go out and buy some darn ins for your pet i have my boy covered with the top plan at banfield and a top plan at pets best ins so i just don’t understand all of this whining about banfield and no i have no financial interest in the company
Thanks Buster,
You have just told everyone what we try to tell them when they signed up on the plan. “This is not insurance. This is a preventative care package. Most things are covered like health care, but emergencies and pampering are not.” I work at banfeild and I see everyone’s bills. We really try to save you guys money. I have three dogs and I trust their lives to the doctors at banfield, and the pet nurses. And I really have saved slot of money using the plans and that was way before I even started to work there.
If you get miss treated, its because you miss treat us. We have the right to fire a client and i honestly wish I could fire most of you. All we want is to see your pets happy and healthy. But we cant do that if you are cheap asses. We cant help you, or even want to help you if you at like your royalty and spit in our faces.
For example if you call the day of and you need an appointment and there are none, dont rant at me because your dog needs a rabies shot. it’s not life threatening. Maybe you shouldn’t of waited till the last minute to make an appointment.
But I must say some clients I adore. They are friendly, understanding and i will do anything to keep them happy. Sometimes they will wait for three hours to get a room. Thank you to those who understand that we are very very busy and have to see 60-75 pets per day. Not only rooms, but surgeries, and comprehensive physical exams which require alot of time.
Please if you like us tell us and keep coming to banfield, but if you dont like us, tell us and stop going to banfield. You showing up all pissed off doesn’t help your case with us, if anything it pisses us off and we really wont budge the rules for you, or help you out.
ok?
I never once complained about the prices.
I am complaining about lying and mis-treatment by Banfield employees and the so-called “customer service” staff.
I have a 5 month old puppy that just got spayed @ Banfield. I have the wellness plan – which I’m pretty sure has saved me money on all of her first year vaccinations, however I was stunned when I received the invoice from her spay. The spay was included with the wellness plan but the invoice has 2 columns – one which shows you what you would have paid without the plan. I paid $25 dollars, but without the plan it totaled to more than $1000! No misprint – over one thousand dollars for a spay? What’s going on here? Everything was routine!!!
This is the email I sent to Banfield after the horrible 1st (and LAST visit) I had at the Arlington Heights IL location:
—————————————-
Today I took my dog to Banfield ( the Arlington Heights IL location) for a checkup.
It was my first time there. I was interested in signing up for the Banfield program to help keep my vet bills manageable.
My last dog I took to a different vet, and although I was happy with their services, they are expensive.
Anyway, I walked out of the Arlington Heights Banfield traumatized. The least of the problems was the lack of cleanliness there.
There was visible feces on the floor in the exam room that had not been cleaned completely. A dog peed in the waiting area and someone used a couple of paper towels, but did not completely clean it up.
The other point of concern was the lack of knowledge the staff seemed to have. I was telling them what I knew and they would say, “Oh yeah.” or “Maybe”. I was charged money for a vet tech and a veterinarian (???which I question are Banfield vets really fully licensed vets????) to act very unsure and unprofessional.
As I was waiting to pay my bill, a man with a Bloodhound puppy (she was about 35 lbs) came out of the back room into the waiting room. The dog was in distress and was bleeding all over the place. I asked, “What happened to her?” The person behind the desk said she had surgery on her labia and also was spayed. This poor dog was bleeding all over the floor and not able to stand up without collapsing. The Banfield employees let that dog leave there without so much as a bangage or dog diaper to cover her wound. As the owner was walking her to the car she collapsed again and the Banfield employees were watching and saying “Don’t let her sit down on the salt in the road.” But they weren’t saying it to the people outside, they were just saying as they cringed watching that dog suffer.
They wiped up the blood with a mop and I was horrified to see the blood was just smeared around and not completely cleaned up.
How the Banfield vets, vet techs, and desk employees could have let that dog leave their office in such a state of suffering is beyond me.
I worked in a vet hospital and NEVER saw an animal that butchered sent on its way without so much as a bandage.
I would rather go broke taking my dog to my more expensive vet than to ever entrust my dog to the people at Banfield.
I hope you investigate this (and every other) location immediately. If this is how you run all of your Banfield locations then you have no business being open.
Word of mouth is what will either gain or lose customers and I will tell anyone who will listen and post on every animal message board I can about my experience with Banfield.
No one should have to endure what that poor Bloodhound and its owners did today.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE have this location investigated.
Arlington Heights *
49 W. Rand Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60004
Phone: (847) 253-4433 · Fax: (847) 253-5286
Pet owner beware
I just acquired a year and a half old Yorkie that was abandoned this past Saturday night. Our vet isn’t open on Sundays so I took her to Banfield to get her a good once over and her vaccinations. I made it perfectly clear to the woman checking us in that we already have a current veterinarian for our other pet and plan to take the new yorkie to also, all I needed to do was make sure she got her shots and she is healthy. She sold me on a wellness plan. She said it would be cheaper for all that they were doing for the dog on her visit. She told me I had three days to cancel the plan since I intend on taking her to our current vet. I called this morning to cancel the plan and was told I would have to pay the difference for all the services which came to over 300.00 if I canceled the plan. I told her I couldn’t afford that so I would just keep the wellness plan but didn’t want it renewed when my contract ended. She then tried to give me 2 months of discounts to not cancel my contract when it ended. Finally after continually telling her I wanted it ended she gave up and put it in as do not renew. I have voiced my complaint that the staff at Banfield make the customer aware if the choose to cancel they will owe the difference. I was deceived and am very irritated about it. Now I am stuck paying Banfield 18.95 a month till February of 2011.
We had a bad experience with the Salisbury, MD Banfield Pet Hospital. We were tricked into signing a new contract when we took our son’s dog there for a vaccination. (We are looking after his dog until he can take him back.)We took him to the nearest Banfield Hospital to us because our son has a Wellness Plan for the dog in Gainesville, VA and the dog needed a vaccination to be kenneled here. At no time when the appointment was made and change did the office people in Salisbury, MD tell us that the contract taken out on the dog by our son in Gainesville, VA could not be used in Salisbury, MD. We took the dog’s paperwork from the Gainesville Banfield which the Salisbury Banfield reviewed and left the dog with them as they instructed for several hrs. At no time were we called to say that charges were going to be over $100 which they were supposed to do. At 4PM on a Sat.,Oct. 31st–we went to pick the dog up and were faced with a $527.12 bill or $127.36 which included a new wellness plan taking out over $30.00 a month from our checking account They said my son had to sign–he was 4 hrs. away or cancel his contract which would cost $250. Within ten minutes, it amounted he could and then couldn’t fax his signature-we felt forced to sign. So now there are two contracts–my son has over $30 taken out of his account every month. We are in the process of canceling both contracts–My son will have to pay what’s left on his contract but we don’t want it to roll over into a new year which Banfield does automatically and then they charge you the whole year’s payments to cancel. We will cancel ours closer the the date because we too have to pay the difference of what we paid in Oct. and their inflated amount of $527.12 plus the monthly contract. I don’t understand how this loan sharking is allowed to continue. Every time you visit them they give you their price and what they say you would pay otherwise.(Our vet could not belief these inflated prices.) You are constantly running up a tab of the difference between what you pay them at the time of the visit and what they say you would have paid plus you have these monthly payments coming out of your checking account-This is the worst case of Buyer Beware—there should be obvious signs posted in the offices that the plans can only be used where there are taken out. We are upset because this Salisbury, MD Banfield Pet Hopital office deliberately misled us.(They were aware we did not realize we could not use the contract there and never stated otherwise. They get bonuses for the contracts the exact.)–We contacted the Consumer Protection Agency which contacted Banfield in Salsibury, MD only to be referred to the Banfield headquarters who at last check were “looking into it”. When the Better Business Bureau contacted Banfield in Salisbury, they denied even getting a letter from the Consumer Protection Office in Salisbury. Although the Consumer Protection Agency is still following up on this, the Better Business Bureau closed the complaint even though I strongly disagreed with Banfield’s interpretation of the facts. You would think that an “honest” company would cancel one of the contracts–and at least bother to respond to my written and email complaints–the headquarters never did–PetSmart did just to seem to be interested. I will protest with in every way I can to make sure a Banfield Pet Hospital does not get established in our Pets Smart here. Their contracts are legalized loan sharking. We see our local vet which we always had to anyway. We only went to Banfield because they had treated the dog for over 2 years in VA. PLEASE stay away from this rip off scam!
I WILL NEVER GO BACK TO BANFIELD AGAIN!
I brought my 3 yr old dog to the walk in hours at Banfield for a rabies and distemper vaccination. I was told that he was acting tense around me and they wanted to bring him to the back room away from me, so they could give him the shots. I agreed thinking nothing of it at that time. Boy was that the worst mistake I ever made other taking him to Banfield.
Days after his vaccination I notice he couldn’t keep his balance but didn’t think to much of it at that time. Shortly after he started limping and dragging one leg. I took him back into Banfield because I thought it was a reaction to the vaccination. They told me it looked like neurological damage and couldn’t have been from the vaccination, although it was just given weeks prior. They also wanted to take him back into that dreaded back room to do a nerological exam. Once they brought him back to me all they said was he didn’t have any broken bones (which is what they told me in the exam room) and charged me an additonal $25 on top of the office visit. They wanted to do hundreds of dollars in exams and x-rays but I told them I couldn’t afford it, so they gave me all these meds and sent me home.
I didn’t noticed a big difference over the next 2 weeks so I called the vet at Banfield to discuss why they wouldn’t consider this to be a reaction to the vaccination. They said normal reactions are skin irritation, vomiting, etc and that this wasn’t one of them.
I brought him to another vet because this was a normal healthy 3 yr old dog that has had no injuries what so ever. They did a more extensive exam and my dog felt so at ease and comfortable with them. They said this could be an over-reaction to the vaccination but without testing they couldn’t confirm. This vet was a lot cheaper, friendlier and kept my dog in the same room with me while examing him. They did provide me with a low dose of steroids to see if this would help and sent me home.
Unfortunatley my dog has lost almost all functioning in his lower body. It’s like he paralyzed and is getting worse by the day. He now has to be carried up and down the stairs and sometimes is stuck in a position to where he can’t get up. It has been less than 2 months since his vaccination and I know that is what caused it. I will be putting him to sleep tomorrow because he has lost all use of his body and my kids and I can no longer carry him every where. I know he wasn’t injured and he is only 3 yrs old, so it’s not the age.
I WAS WARNED ABOUT BANFIELD BUT MY FAMILY DOG AND I LEARNED THE HARD.
Ok well I always see negative reviews on everything since people will always take time to talk about the negative and rarely speak about the good. Me and my wife have a 11 week old Shiba Inu. We live in puyallup, WA were we go to the banfield hospital located in petsmart. From the very second we got the dog we went here and we are still in aww as to the quality of treatment we have recieved. Yes vaccines are not required by law how ever neither is the H1N1 and yet we all see people flocking like birds for them because its all about prevention. Which is exactly why we have the vet plan. We pay 100$ starting fee and like 20$ per month and we get all vaccines, neutered, plus de-worming and any hospital visits are also included. And if he needs any medicine you get 10% off.
I am so glad to read your review. We live in Bellevue and were thinking about Banfield for the dog we are going to be adopting. So you feel the insurance plan is worthwhile? We want to be sure to give our new family member the best care possible.
Banfield in MAll of Georgia is the worst veterinary clinic. Last time i took my pet for a dental, my pet got out of the location with allergies and irritation on his eyes. The verianry didnt want to check the pet unless i pay for more threatment. The funny thing is that 3 minutes before they did a procedure. This is the 2nd time this happends. The nurses are all un professional. They dont care about your pet, they only care about the money. Dont take your pets to banfield in mall of georgia.
I had to take my pet tot the emergency room beacuse he was very uncomfortable. The vets at banfield are not well prepared in that location.
My dog recently gained weight quickly, started acting lethargic, had very dry skin, lots of dandruff, had infections and skin problems on his ears, and was becoming somewhat weak. I could not wait until Banfield in Spokane opened as they are closed on Sundays, so I took my dog to pet emergency. I agreed to have basic blood tests done and everything came back normal. My dog had slightly enlarged lymph nodes and I was prescribed clavamox and prednisone. I went in for a follow up with my vet at Banfield the next Monday. She spent approximately 3-4 minutes with my dog and told me she was going to put a bid together of what I should have done. The estimate came back to have blood work and x-rays done with the medication my estimate was almost $600. At this time Dr. Sanders stressed that it is probably cancer we were dealing with so it is important to get the tests done. My husband and I decided to keep him on the medications and give him another week. After doing some of my own research all his symptoms matched up to hypothyroidism. At my follow up appointment the next week, I right away told the assistant that I would like my dog tested for hypothyroidism. She told me that it is probably not what we are up against. She stated at the age of 4 he is not old enough to have this disease. Everything I read dogs can develop hypothyroidism between the ages of 2 and 6. The assistant wanted to talk to the vet on duty (Dr. Sanders) and she came into the room. She only checked his temperature and lymph nodes. She told me that his lymph nodes have doubled in size and are extremely enlarged. His temperature is extremely high at 102.8 and this could be dangerous. She put together an estimate of test to run with the hypothyroidism test…(still stressing he most likely has cancer), the estimate came to over $700. I knew the average temperature for dogs was 101-102.5, for her to make such a big deal about the danger of 102.8 I knew she was lying. No one could answer my questions directly and continued to talk in circles. I knew it was time for me to get a second opinion. I had my dog to a new vet within an hour of leaving Banfield. This vet took the time to listen to me, and answer my questions, and go over all the symptoms of my dog. He physically checked over my whole dog. I did not give him my opinion and I did not tell him what Banfield had said or done. I wanted his professional opinion based on my dogs symptoms. After reviewing his blood work results from pet emergency, he said I believe the next step we should take is to test your dog for hypothyroidism. He went into details of what hypothyroidism was and what it means for my dog if he has it. During my dogs physical examination (from the new vet), his temperature was 102.1 and the vet told me only his back lymph nodes in his legs were slightly enlarged. What a change within an hour (sarcasm). He did tell me that testing for hypothyroidism may just be the tip of the iceberg and wanted me to understand that it could be a long road to find out what was going on if the tests came back negative for hypothyroidism. I am sad to say my new vet called me with the blood results and my dog test positive for hypothyroidism at the same time I had some relief. He explained to me that he can still live a normal life, he just has to take medications for the rest of his life. What that means to me, is that my dog is going to have a happy life and I will make the most of it. Just a couple days on his medication and he is almost back to his old hyper-self again. I find Banfield in Spokane Washington and Dr. Sanders there to be very unprofessional and money hungry. I will not recommend this poorly ran establishment to a person and I will tell everyone I know about my experience.
Be aware of the tricks they oull on the insurance coverage, we was hitting hard times and wanted to cancel the pet insurance, they give us a date to cancel and when we did they stated that they already automatically renewed the insurance, they are very unprofessional and will do anything to keep you paying for the insurance, we have been going back and forth with them for two weeks now trying to cancel the insurance and have them stop removing money from our account automatically and still we are getting no satisfaction, the next thing i guess to do is change banks and account, so be aware because they will tell you one thing and lie to you to continually get your money…
what is wrong with you people you keep saying insurance this is not insurance it is wellness care get it through your thick skulls people anyhow we have have nothing but the best of care from banfield hospital here in campbell ca they have saved me thousands of dollars and i also have full coverage ins for my little one and it all runs about 90 buck a month and if that is too much money then get rid of your furry friend and go have a damn kid see how much that one costs you lmao
Buster, we get it. You worship at the Banfiedl alter. We got it the first 10 times.
buster is the smart one, your just mad he is actually saying something nice instead of destroying it.
If you consider him “nice” you might want to consult a dictionary. Yes, I agree that people who own pets need to do research and PAY ATTENTION to what is going on. It is a Wellness Plan, and an excellent one, but not insurance.
However, for you to say he’s the “smart one” makes me very sad.
We attempted to use the Banfield Animal hospital starting September 2009 in NC. The 1st visit was alright. We opted for one of the wellness plans since we talked our daughter into adopting the kitten we found. The next couple of appts went a little bizarre. After visiting this office a few times we now go in and there is yet another vet that comes in and all of a sudden she hears a heart murmur. No one else in the office could hear this sound. We go back for the rest of the vaccination appts and she is cleared by another vet to proceed with spaying. We make the appt in November 09 and the vet that is there that day is the only vet that supposedly hears the heart murmur. She calls us that mornning to inform us that our kitten needs xrays and other tests to see if she can undergo the spaying to the tune of $350.00 just to start. (I am keeping this story short) At this point we are livid. Because this is feeling more and more like a racket than a place that really cares for animals. We went to pick up our kitten w/o the tests or spaying and discuss this issue with the vet. She was clearly shaken by our frustration. She informed us at one point that “maybe we did not care if our pet died on the operating table but she did.” This did not set well with me as I had to put down my precious dog of 13 years one month earlier. This behavior by a professional truly shows that Banfield Animal Hospital is the epitomy of a Corporate run facility. In other words I feel that all animals that enter this facility are only seen as dollar signs. I must add that we took our kitten to a reputable vet in our area and she was spayed and is doing great.
I had recently moved into the area and took my dog to Banfield in Ocoee, FL to look at a tumor inside my dog’s eyelid. I expected that the bill would not be pleasant, however, the vet assured me that it was a very simple surgery. When the technician came back in with the estimate it was 3 pages long and came to between $1100-$1200. When I questioned the charges on the estimate the vet was not very happy for me questioning him. I decided to get a second opinion and took my dog to my old vet that is about 25 miles from my current home. I was shocked when my old vet came back with the estimate for the surgery to be only $311. The estimate of charges wasn’t even 1/2 a page long. My dog had the surgery yesterday and did fantastic. The bill ended up being only $279 which included all prescriptions that he needs at home. BANFIELD IS A RIP OFF! If your animal needs surgery get a second opinion. A $900 price difference is a VERY BIG difference. The folks at Underhill Animal Hospital in Orlando do a fantastic job and really care about the animal. I will NEVER GO TO BANFIELD AGAIN!
I worked in a vet clinic for several years and I am currently in vet school. When I worked at the clinic, we had several 4th year vet students doing internships. Just to give you an idea of what the vet schools think about Banfield – every one of the students that interned at the clinic (and they were not just from one vet school) told us that Banfield was banned from the list of credible vet practices for internships. I never had any personal experience with or knowledge of Banfield until a year ago. One of my friends took her new puppy there for routine vaccinations. She went week after week after week, having to pay over $100 each visit, yet they did not give ANY vaccinations; the Banfield staff said the puppy was not ready and might have a reaction. I realize that puppies can have reactions to vaccines, but charging over $100 for visits when there are no vaccines given?!? She told me about what was going on and I told her to go somewhere else, and she ended up getting her dog completely vaccinated for less than what she had paid in 2 visits to Banfield. She spend over $600 in Banfield just to have them say her dog was not ready for vaccines. Her dog is still alive and doing great. Another friend of mine took his dog in to Banfield on a Saturday because he was having problems with vomiting/diarrhea and his vet was closed. I know these are very general symptoms and there can be a lot of reasons for them, but Banfield charged him around $500 to tell him to take his dog to an emergency vet because they were getting ready to close. X-rays, ultrasounds, and meds were given at Banfield. He then took his dog to the emergency vet and all it took was giving IV fluids (under $50 for the visit). His dog is also doing fine.
I just want to warn pet owners: do not look for discounts and conveniences. And find vet practices that do not focus on revenue, but ones that care about the health of your pet.
Yes MK
Thank you for sharing that with us.
I think it explained why my last banfield vet was a “doctor” from Nigeria with some vet equivalent degree.
He was horrible. My dachshund never ever had any reaction after receiving vaccination for 5 years under their “wellness plan” until we visited this “doctor” from Nigeria.
Allergic reaction (trouble breathing) after getting the rabid shot and had to bring her in for an “emergency visit charge totaled $300. The “doctor” never even spoke to us once. Not one word.
In the next visit,
He tried to up-sell a plan with dental cleaning.
No..sorry dude.
I choose a “real doctor” (specialist with Phoenix Zoo) instead, with state of art equipment, wonderful staffs and only $800 fee for both of my dogs.
I purchased the “wellness plan” because I was lie to believe it was best for my pets.
I learned my lesson.
Because of Banfield, I’ve stopped shopping at Petsmart as well.
People have problem with Banfield should also submit a complaint to Petsmart cooperate.
(I AM WELL AWARE THEY ARE NOT THE SAME COMPANY…. Don’t worry, “nurses” from Banfield)
Still, Petsmart should know by leasing space to banfield, they are losing customer as well
I’ve also filed a complaint with the Arizona state attorney general. You should do the same with your state agency.
Thank you
Banfield is not a Vet, they are a sales company that sells tests. Terrible. I lost my adopted dog, because they would not heal his Kennel Cough without running $700 of tests and x-rays. I had to surrender him to the Humane Society 5 days after I got him, because they would not prescribe him the amoxicilin he needed and his condition worsened.
I recently signed my new baby bully up on the Banfield Wellness plan, and to my dismay, I have signed up for a scam! The doctors are not only extremely incompetent, but they treated my pet like he was completely replaceable and not worth their time. After bringing my boy in for his final vaccinations and an opinion on his current health, I was shocked to find that it would cost me 500 dollars to take x rays and find out what I could have GOOGLED! Not only did they completely rip me off, they told me my dog would not live past a year. As you can imagine this was extremely heart breaking. After some research, I came across many pet owners with the same experience with their bullies and found out that his condition is definitely treatable. After relaying this information to the vet, she had responded as if the information I had found was old news to her! I was completely dumbfounded that she had not even given me a single word of advice, nor did she seem to understand the text books her vet school had required her to read. As a college student myself, I can attest to the fact that it is not difficult to recite lines from a book. It is however a challenge to understand and interpret the information one reads, a skill this doctor clearly did not posses. Since this visit at Banfield I have found the necessary treatment for my bully, and I am hopeful for his future. Unfortunately, I have spent 1000 dollars at Banfield for absolutely no information; a 1000 dollars that could have been put towards my dog’s surgery. I feel so strongly that the unsatisfactory culture at Banfield is perpetuated nation wide that I have found it necessary to write my first ever review. My goal in writing this is not to scare people away from all Banfields, but to simply advise pet owners to research the doctors in their area before committing to any insurance program. Frankly, my advice is to seek other means of pet care.
Just curious about a comment posted in a community about visiting Banfield. The person said to the effect “I got an allergic reaction from visiting Banfield with my pet.” Does this make sense?
Correction!! I reread and reread the short comment. The comment said that that it was the pet store where banfield was that caused an allergic reaction so bad it caused an immediate ER visit. Still doesn’t make sense. Didn’t even mention why there in the first place.
So you can understand how I misread it. Assumptions do get in the way of precision. The problem is that I initiated a post applauding that particular Banfield that I just transferred to from another Banfield. This was the response. Didn’t mention the name of the store in the title, only Banfield. Not even in the body of the short comment.
Also, I’ve been involved in transferring from one Banfield to another. This time, miraculously to both the Banfield staff and me, Banfield Hospital is now ONE Hospital all over the country, electronically. You can see it all yourself together with your Banfield staff. This way all Banfield Vet stations can help the entire Pet Medical profession. A true miracle. I’m 80YO and the same thing is happening to me with my own health records. All we need is for Banfield to get an Internet Email medical secure service going now. Having moved from one state to another 1000 miles away I know how wonderful it is to have electronic records. From now on if I have to move I won’t have to worry about Baruch’s health being interrupted. Things are changing for the better in Banfield.
Because of the groomer being right next door to Banfield has helped me a lot too. Eventually I can envision that there will be more public recognition of this. I actually had the chutzpah to tell the groomer I wanted my toy poodle to look like my first dog, bichon frise (part Westie but looked all Bichon). I gave them permission to shave him if he had mats. I was pretty sure he didn’t because I brush him. I can’t believe that they customized the coif of my companion to please me. It’s like being a wealthy person, a movie star, at the age of 80. Only in America.
Perhaps the US President might also invest our tax $$$ in producing PCP’s for pets. He’s doing it for humans.
I have been whit Banfield for over 3 years, i have a small dog and every time i take her there i have to wait at least 1 hour or more is horrible, they always tell me she is really healthy but they find some new procedure they need to do everytime and i ended of paying some money so what my insurance cover?…. And the other day i took her and they told me i had to drop her off cause they didnt have a Vet available at the time, so i leave her ther at 8am and at 1pm i called them and they said they were busy but they will start whit her as soon as they could…. what????…. they are so unprofesional…. unvelibable
First of all, the Wellness Plan is not insurance. It’s a way of the Hospital risking their budget together with you risking yours. It’s just a plan. I like it because I’ve figured out how much all through my years, 1994-2005, of being a dog owner, how much I’ve spent annually. The “co-payments” using insurance vocabulary is really part of my choices in managing my dog. Because some vets do not use electronic records properly and even obstruct my partnership in going over electronic records with them and their staff are therefore obstructive, it feels like war. Now that both the current Banfield office and I are in synch since last week, to all of our delight, this will nolonger be true for Banfield all over the US.
As for waiting. Well it works out this way I just discovered. If you leave your dog then it’s considered being in a hospital. If you wait with your dog, it’s considered a PCP visit. Some events such as vaccines and periodontal work are considered necessary Hospital outpatient events. Bloodtests are simply PCP events.
The main thing is to make sure you leave the visit with every single printed document you can including your pet’s specific blood tests which in my case was hard to come by and caused me concern. I’m learning to do this as a habit myself. I’m retired and I have no work-related excuse and it’s still a hard habit to acquire. Actually, I like to compare my dog’s records with my own.
We recently went to the Banfield in St.Petersburg Florida along Tyrone Blvd to check on a bump in my dogs ear. At the appointment we found out it was a cut vain in his ear, not serious yet but needs to be treated asap. We asked about our options, there were 2 drain all the blood (which they said rarely works) or surgery that costed $1500! We looked at all they charge us for and they charge you for every little thing like putting the dog in a cage for what? An hour? They don’t even give the dogs water in the cage. My dogs come back so thirsty they empty every water source!
So yesterday we decided to get a second opinion, we went to a separate vet NOT BANFIELD but a small vet. They said don’t go the drain way because it will fill back up, but instead do the surgery. We asked them how much and they said $400 and that included the fee to have them see him BEFORE surgery. It was incredible, we felt that we were actually paying for just the surgery instead of paying for the surgery, the oxygen, the clean up, the set up, the operation room reservation, and all that stuff.
The man at our Banfield doesn’t love pets. We had an emergency, my dog kept having violent seizure (5 in one day) we called stating that it was an emergency and what the issue was and they said that because they closed in 2 hours they couldn’t help. If your a vet, your supposed to love animals and wanna help them, stay late! But they sent us to a 24 hour vet (who were awesome) that was farther away. Um hello? My dog was seizing I needed the shortest drive possible which was petsmart. We ended up having to put her down sadly, she was miserable and nothing could help.
Don’t waste your time on Banfield, the “deal” you get on there “plan” isn’t a deal at all you still pay way more than you would with out the plan at a small vets. Small vet offices also tend to give you that “I really do care about your issue and I want whats best for you”
What it sounds like your dog had was a Hemotoma, A pooling of blood that creates a large bump, usually caused by a ruptured blood vessel. The Price they quoted you was outrageous, the surgery should have cost around what the other clinic charged you. I assume the reason you listed off that you don’t want to feel like your paying for the oxygen the clean up etc— is because on their estimate they show a break down of all of that stuff. The reason they show you the break down of everything is because it lets you know what you’re being charged for, many times clients agree to paying for something but feel they had no clue what it is that they paid for. Not to mention, you SHOULD feel like you’re paying for anesthesia (which includes cost of oxygen) because that is by far the most important part of a surgery, hence in human medicine an anesthesiologist is paid far more than many medical professionals, for example a Neurologist/Brain surgeon are paid less-because there is less risk in their area of surgery. They charge you for your pet being in a cage due to the fact that when they wake up from anesthesia they SHOULD be monitored for at least 2+ hours afterward-that charge includes Vet tech and doctor monitoring, usually a heating pad and water for surgery pets, as well as some get to remain on intravenous fluids.
As for your seizing pet, I’m sure they would have had no problem staying late–but I can’t speak for that physician. But often times depending on the pet, they will have to be monitored afterwards, which in that case it’d be better for the pet to be left at a 24 hour hospital where someone can constantly watch it to make sure it does not seize again and if so give it the proper care–instead of a normal 12hr clinic like that banfield in which the doctor could have taken your pet then, stopped the seizing (long before their 2hr closing) but could not monitor the pet through the night if necessary so it would have had to go home or to an emergency clinic anyway. They can’t assume that once they stop the seizing that the pet will be fine, so for the best quality care for the pet, they refer you to a 24 hr clinic so that in the case the pet does need that benefit of overnight monitor, you don’t have to make TWO trips to vet clinics.
None of that infers that the vet does not CARE for your pet, in fact that in itself was more beneficial for the pet, BUT he should have given the option to stabilize your pet then have you take it to the emergency clinic.
But as I stated, I cannot speak for that Vet or the Clinic per say. But I’m sorry for your experience with them, for some people smaller clinics are better..but I would not state that there is an issue with Banfield, the only problem I see here is that they quoted you too high for a hematoma repair and that the doctor didn’t offer to say bring your pet in right now and warn you that once stabilized it would most likely have to go to an E clinic. Don’t denote Banfield overall, because this could be strictly circumstantial.
We got a kitten from a friend who paid for her shots, spaying, first year everything at Banfield. (That contract that helps costs)All we had to do was take her to the vet, and her appointments were already paid for. This was the first time I went to this vet, and I hated every minute of it.
I was at her appointment at 3. There were 4 other people in front of me, and the staff decided to have a meeting while their patients had to wait. So I had to wait 15-20 minutes for the meeting to end, then sit in a room. A nurse came by and check the basic stuff. Eyes, ears, temputure, etc. She then said that the doctor will see me shortly. One hour later, the vet showed up. He checks on our kitten again, and gives her the shot. Then he leaves. Now the vet that I take my other cats to talks to the cats, and makes sure that they are comfortable. My vet cared for my animals, Banfield’s vets just makes you wait an hour to give a shot and walk away. Trying to leave was a pain as well. They were checking in animals, and I was trying to check out to be at work on time. Another 20 minutes of waiting just to get a reciept. I ended up being late for a new job I just got. (Vet app. was at 3, I had work at 5. 20 minutes to from vet to home, and 20 minutes to get to work. Not far of a distance)
The second time I went for for the seconds shots. I got a room rather fast, since there was only one person in front of me. The nurse came in, 10 minutes later, and did the usual check-up. I had to wait another hour just for her shots. Pissed, I packed up my kitten to leave when a nurse came in. I told her that I needed to go to work and I was not being late again. She apolgized, and said that they had an animal emergency. (I get that, but I have been to a vet where they had an emergency and notified the other people. It would have been nice if someone told me)She did the shots, and I was checked out fast. Made it to work on time.
Yesterday we got our kitten spayed. They wanted to add an additional $92 on our bill! I said no, and there wasn’t a problem afterwards. In two weeks she gets her stiches out, and we are never going there again. Her records will go to my vet, and I will never reccomend Banfield to anyone.
This sounds like a case of circumstantial evidence as well as it may just be that one Banfield acting as an unorganized clinic–which will cause clients to feel less quality and more quantity. I have been to Banfield’s in which this has not happened, in fact on most visits, the doctor is in the room for atleast a half an hour just talking to us and asking about the pet and playing with the pet. Granted every once in a while ALL clinics will experience a day where it is unorganized, emergencies in and out all day, where their regular clients have to wait–BUT there should always be good communication with the client.
I took my cat into Banfield in Tucson, AZ located at Irvington and I-19. The animal was bleeding out and I wanted him euthanzied (Dr. Bower said this wasn’t a true word). I had Buster in a PetsMart cardbord carrier taped together with masking tape. Two techs insisted on looking at him and I insisted on a vet. I knew that being as strung out as he was and so sick and bleeding that he would be all over that room and blood would be everywhere and my pet would be more stressed while in the process of dying. All the vet could keep mentioning when I said to put the carrier in a plastic bag and run some gas into the bag to make him sleepy is that they would have to charge for that. Told him I already knew that and he wouldn’t proceed with seeing him until he had presented me with a bill with a really big smile! (Dr. Bower in all his wisdom said he didn’t know how to gas a pet in a carrier.) So we took the carrier into a backroom and they followed my instructions. Somewhere along the way Dr. Bower mentioned “killing” him. He also thought I was overreacting and even suggested that they could fix Buster up and adopt him out! I asked him if he was nuts! When we got Buster settled enough to be able to open the carrier and Dr. Bower looked at him and exclaimed:”Oh my goodness!” We spent at least a half hour before this Dr(?) would even see him. All the time we’re dealing with this situation that was dire to me this idiot Dr. was smiling. He smiled while he gave him the final shot. In all the years I’ve had animals I have never had a vet. act so nonchalant and so unfeeling in an emotional crisis. When the tech left the room I told the Dr. “you may now apologize to me!” He did but without sincerity.
Hello,
Here are some “food for thoughts”:
1. Why would ANYONE make any type of DOCTOR’s appointment 2 hours before they had to be at work??? WHAT???!! So, would you make an appointment with your medical doctor or dentist this close to the time you have to be at your employment?
2. The word “Euthanzied” is NOT a word, nor is Euthanatize. The word would be Euthanasia or Euthanize (verb).
3. “Bleeding out” is not a diagnosis. WHY was the patient bleeding out? YES, it is an emergency is a patient IS bleeding out and the patient should be triaged immediately by the veterinary nurses so that they can get a doctor ASAP and start to try to stabilize the patient or at least make their final hours not so uncomfortable in a cardboard box with some heat support, a warm blanket and pain control. So, was the patient bleeding out because a vein or artery was severed in some sort of traumatic accident ….or did the patient accidently ingest RAT BAIT (rodenticide) or was there a severe flea infestation that had been easily preventable?? In any case, this pet could of benefited from some proper nursing care in the pet’s final hours/minutes.
Absolutely it is a wonderful thing that veterinarians and vet professionals stay late all hours of the night and day for an emergency. This is because veterinary medicine is an extremely compassionate profession. This is done on a daily basis, tiresome vets and vet techs work diligently on your pets for 12+ sometimes 24hours shifts. Don’t you wish other professions did the same?? General human practictioners wouldn’t even SUGGEST that you come to their office if you were having an emergency- that would be sent directly to the ER facility, the list could go on and on….
EL – you must work at Petsmart or Banfield. How dare you pick on someone about spelling! Who cares?? We all know what that person meant.
Rat poison, severe flea infestation…. do you think this person didn’t care about her cat? Pet owners know their pets; you’ve never even met this lady.
And I CAN take my pet to the vet 2 hours before I need to be somewhere. That’s because I DON’T go to Banfield!!
By the way, in your “Food for Thoughts” (incorrect grammar)#3, you typed “is” instead of “if”. Who’s the idiot now?
Actually, I DARE to “pick on her” for a mispelled word BECAUSE she picked on the doctor for telling her that Euthanitize was not a word- which it is NOT. She should of realized he was only correcting her and researched the word first before posting that he was “wrong”.
Again, I was giving differentials for “Bleeding out”, but the POINT IS that this was an EMERGENCY which needed to be TRIAGED and they DID NEED TO TAKE her cat out of the cardboard box if her cat was indeed “BLEEDING OUT”. At least for the comfort of the patient in the patient’s final minutes. Not to mention, as my point was pointed out, if the patient was “Bleeding out” for an easily fixable reason, then this REALLY was critical to put the patient’s COMFORT FIRST!
EL yes you must work for Banfield. I can tell i just left Banfield i worked in the Corp Office. I can tell with how cold you are to clients that you must be and employee becauses only Babnfield employees could be so cold to someone who genuinly cares for there pet. Banfield does not they only care about one thing taking your money and not giving your pet the proper treatment. Why do you think so many lawsuites are filed agianst them right now. They might be a company now but there headed down hill very fast. Next time someone is concerned about how there pet was treated at a clinic if you even care of like animals at all maybe you should show some compassion, but oh wait banfield employees dont know what that is. Im sorry for you i really am. You really do deserve to work for them if you dont already.
This sounds like an absolutely horrible experience.
Wait—— “Show some compassion????” In MY email I* was rhe one that suggested that the nurse SHOULD triage and take the bleeding pet OUT of the cold, damp, cramped cardboard box and plae the pet in a warm blanket, with a an intraveous catheter in her cephalic vein for possible fluids, blod transfusion, or, in this case, sedation drugs and euthanasia solution. Again, wouldnt you rather spend your final minutes, warm, secrure and having your family memeber stroking you and cuddling you as you peacefully got a smooth injection and slipped away?? Sounds nice to me.
EL – oh, poor misguided EL, the Banfield employee. How do you know the box was cold, damp and cramped? My cats love to be in a cat carrier when going to the vet (a real vet, not Banfield). They feel safe in a carrier when they’re in strange surroundings. Perhaps Sandra knew that it was her cat’s time to go, after all it was her cat. Perhaps she didn’t want Banfield “vet techs” to mess with her cat and get it agitated. Maybe she only wanted the vet to see the cat so that the cat could be moved only once. You’re the typical Banfield employee – you want to put in an IV for fluids, a blood transfusion, hey! Why don’t we spend $1,000′s to save this cat and adopt it out! Great idea – except that Carol felt like it was time for her cat to be free.
By the way, EL – since you like to pick on the spelling of other people, why not look at your own post. 6 words mispelled. Oh, my!
Why do you even come to this website? Is this your way of defending Banfield?? I don’t think anyone cares about your obviously skewed perspective.
@TS, EL and others.
Please keep the discussion on a topical level. I’m not going to keep tolerating personal attacks. From now on you will find that comments with personal attacks will not be approved.
Back to topic level:
Last thing on the “bleeding out cat case”- I was truele just trying to offer a veterinary professional perspective on why we as veterinary professionals DO KNOW BEST and DO need to assess what is going on when you pet is in crisis. Cramped, dark cardboard box might be just fine for a healthy cat….but one that is bleeding to death- not so much. the acute loss of blood makes the individual shocky, severe hypotensive (decreased blood pressure) and severely hypothermic (low temperature) so placing an IV catheter (NO easy feat when you are shocky and hypotensive!!!!) is imperative to give a blood transfusion, increase blood volume with fluids OR…. to give the final euthanasia solution. = ( When acute blood loss and severely hypothermic and shocky, a patient woul feel warm and secure on some sort of warming device or warm comfy towels. Just offering an educated professional perrspective to this forum. Thanks for listening!!!!
EL
After the experiences I have had with Banfield (this location in particular)The ladies at the front desk are very nice and helpful but I have no confidence in trusting my dogs health to the vet. I would say they are adequate for routine shots but nothing more. Long story short they did not catch that my puppy had tape worms even though I told them I thought he did. Apparently the routine dewormer is not enough to kill tapeworms which require a special shot that they did not think to tell me until my poor puppy had suffered from tapeworms for 2 1/2 weeks, despite numerous calls asking when the worms were supposed to be gone.
After bringing him in at 5 months because he was limping they told me he may have something broken and they would need to do an xray-while he was under anesthesia..estimated cost: $550.00 -I felt like they were trying to rip me off when they said they would not recommend doing the xrays while he was under for his neutering to save money and the danger of putting him under twice.
We did end up combing the procedures which saved three hundred dollars. They only took x-rays of his knee which Dr. Studdard said was the problem. She reffered us to an orthopedic vet and when I took him there the new vet said his knee was fine and it was his hip. So I had to pay 250 more to have the new place xray his hip (while he was awake,apparently you do not need to put a dog under for a hip xray)
So it is his hip and we are having the new vet do the surgery to fix it.
We cannot get our money back from Banfield for the wasted xrays they performed. I understand she may not be a orthopedic vet but common sense would tell me that if she was unsure of what may be wrong with a dog (while his owners were paying hundreds of dollars to find out) she should probably take xrays of the hip and knee just in case.
Also the fact that nothing is actually wrong with his knee and she “interpreted” (there was a 70.00 interpretation of xray fee) the xray to me as if there were many things wrong with it bothers me.
I would think that a vet would know a little more about general structure of dog bones, even if that is not your specialty.
While I am upset about wasting 250 dollars on these worthless xrays due to the lack of common sense by the vets at Banfield I am more worried about the animals that are taken there for things other than normal shots.
Jena,
First, tapeworms are sometimes not found in routine fecal examinations because they do not shed eggs continuously like other forms of worms. The medication is different for tapeworms because they are not as commonly seen in young puppies, roundworms and hookworms are much more common. Tapeworms are acquired by your pet ingesting a flea and usually are more of a nuisance then a truly harmful parasite. Now that being said, after expressing your concerns you should have been advised about the differences in medication as well as tapeworms in general.
Second, as far as the x-rays go, it is not usually necessary to sedate the pet unless extreme manipulation of the suspected broken limb is required. Again that being said,the doctor should have taken x-rays of more than just the suspected knee and should have been able to do them with the hip AND the knee in one shot. The only reason the dr. may not have wanted to do the surgery while he had a broken limb may have been that the pets body was currently working on healing the bone and doing the surgery would have weakened his body even more.
I can not express on how much I dislike Banfield. I go to the Banfield Pet Hospital in Colma, California off of Gellert. I had 2 dogs, a 5 year old German Sheperd and I had a Pekinese and Shi Tzu mix which just turned 11 on April 11, 2010, her name was Fe-Be. We’ve been paying for insurance and going to Banfield for aleast a decade. We expect our dogs to be treated right, cared for, looked after and to let us know how our dogs are doing when we go to Banfield. Fe-be had a check up and vaccine shots coming up. My dog has allergic reactions to vaccine shots, so she doesn’t take it all on the same day. When I went to take her for her check up and shots on April 10th I believe, the nurse asked me if she is allergic to the vaccines and I said, “Yeah, she is.” So he gives her a shot before the vaccines to prevent the allergic reactions from occuring, which did work for that check up. Then the doctor came in later and examined my dog and gave her the vaccine shots. He said she was in perfect health and looked good for her age. Knowingly you would believe and trust your vet. Out of all the times I brought my dogs to Banfield for check ups and exams they said my dogs were fine and had no problems. The next time Fe-Be was due for the rest of her shots my mom brought her in, this was probably a week after I brought her in. They did the same exact prodecure they did to me. Asked if she had allergic reactions and such. My mom said, “Yes.” They gave my dog the shot to prevent allergic reactions again supposedly. Then the next day my dog didn’t look to good. She was sluggish and looked like something was wrong. Figuring this might be a reaction reaction from the vaccine shots. So she continues with this behavior and we were worried. We told Banfield what was going on they said to bring her in for some medicine assuming it was just a allergic reaction. She didn’t get better and we were really concerned at this point. Again, we told Banfield and we brought her in for some bloodwork, told us she was low on platelets witht he level at 59, which is really low. So they gave her some medice to help her. She got worse! As she got worse AGAIN, we called Banfield and they told us to go to a specialist to get her checked out. My mom took Fe-Be to the San Francisco Vetenary Specialist on April 27 or 28. Before they even did a ultrasound they knew my dog had cancer. When they did the ultrasound it was comfirmed my dog was diagnose with cancer and pretty far into it already too. The liver, both kidneys and the whole abdominal area was infected. It was already too late for surgery or anything else. Doctor told my mom that our dog probably had a few days to a month left. Once my mom called me and told me I was devastated. I do not live with my dogs or my parents, so I came back home after I was finished with that week of school. I spent all my time with Fe-Be when I came back, expecting to have more time with her. The next day I was still with her the whole day until she passed later on in the afternoon on May 1. While she was letting go I was on the phone with San Francisco Vetenary Specialist and they told me to bring her in. By the time I got there it was too late. They let me spend some time with her and everything before I could give her up. They were comforting and they were comforting and respectful to my dog. You can tell that they understood.
I do not understand, how can this be missed?! Just 2-3 weeks before Banfield told me she was perfectly fine and in great health!!!! Not even just this time, all my check ups and exams with Banfield before came back fine with Fe-Be. SO HOW CAN THIS BE MISSED?!
When you go to a Vet you want to feel and know that the place is respectful and comforting to dogs and other animals. You want to know it is a safe place for your pets and where you know they will be taken care of. You like to see the doctors and nurses that play with your dog or cat, knowing that they love animals. THAT IS NOT WHAT BANFIELD IS ABOUT. Banfield is a chain just like McDonalds. They do this just for money and to see as many appointments as they can in a day. Everytime I bring my dogs there for exams where I have to leave them there at 9am, sometimes I dont get them back till 7pm!!! And everytime I bring them back they’re always thirsty. Banfield doesn’t take care of your animals, they just follow procedure. Thats why Im never going to Banfield ever again.
I adopted my first rescue pet and took him to get trimmed at pet smart. There was a Banfield clinic in there and I went over to make an appointment (it was an anal gland thing) I paid $197 for the expressing. They pushed a wellness plan on me and said I could make payments and this was in January. I deployed to Iraq at the end of january and never told my wife of the plan to start taking the dog there, so the dog never used the services. I returned in April and my wife had Banfield bill collectors calling her on a regular basis and she would not pay for something she did not use. When I tried to resolve this I had to pay late charges and bring an account up to date that I never used totaling $250.00, then I said I wanted to opt out of the service and they said they would not let me do that as I had signed up for 12 months of service. Keep in mind I never used the service but they thretend me with credit reporting, I paid them off with $300.00 and still have not nor will I ever go back there again. Every chance I get, I tell people how this serviceman was extorted by this company. DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THE WELLNESS PLAN. IF YOU WANT TO OPT OUT OF IT THEY HOUND YOU LIKE A CRIMINAL>
I was a banfield manager for several years and I know for a fact you are called 3 seperate times with reminders of things your pet is due for when on the wellness plans and it is documented. So, regardless if you were deployed to Iraq, your wife was still recieving reminder calls she should have responded to them or asked why she was recieving them.
I worked in the home office in portland OR and can tell you right now they screwed you had you not used any services your suppose to be able to cancel at no cost and they should have cancelled you at no cost anyways since thats what we do for military. All you would of had to do was send in your orders but no they dont tell you that because all they care about is your money. I worked there and was given 3 free wp but i couldnt risk my pets life to take them there i took them to a small clinic and paid to insure that my pet recieved the proper care that banfield does not and is not willing to give. I DO NOT RECCOMEND ANYONE TAKE THERE PETS THERE. IM JUST SORRY I WORKED FOR THEM
In response to your claim that people are called three seperate times is bogus. I have three cats, two of which are on the “wellness plan” and have been for 3 1/2 years and they have never called me on three seperate times for reminders. I get one call the day before a appointment but that is it. They do like to waste paper and stamps to send out three cards when it is time for a comp visit. After the last incidnet with my cat I am thinking I will be dropping the plan since they don’t read x-rays..am told to bring my cat in right away because his mouth is hanging open but after 3 weeks of not being able to figure it out what is wrong… they tell me that is normal for a 9 year old cat. Got a referral to the UofM and they have called us 3 times in two days, one to set up an appointment and to tell us if need be take him into the ER..and the actual doctor we made the appointment also called to say if he was having problems overnight to bring him in. Now that is some care.
We call you for appointment reminders, when your over due for comp exams, when your over due for your dental cleaning, after your appointment to see how your pet is, and if your renewing your plan.
It’s bull if you never receive calls cause I make those freaking calls everyday.
Not like it’s hard to pick up the phone and call to see whats due, or not, your paying right? Alot of people do it… I should know our phones ring off the hooks every fucking day!
Yes, because every single Banfield is exactly the same, every single Banfield is diligent, loving, and staffed with the best of the best.
That’s why we have all these complaints. Every single one of these pet owners is delusional. Must be, because according to you, CSC, Banfield is the height of perfection.
*facedesk*
After my last visit to Banfield, I got curious of customers’ review on them. And glad to have found this site to learn of other’s experience.
I too have been a long time customer of Banfield after my very first vet had retired. My dog is almost 5 years old and has been in good health thankfully.
Last week, I noticed he was limping little bit. I checked his paws and did not find anything since sometimes a little stuff stuck on his paw then he limped till I took it out.
Then by Friday (5/7), I noticed a bit of blood spotting and took him to Banfield. This doc I had not seen before seemed quite new. Though I did mention some liquid thing with spotty blood coming from the bottom of his paw, she said she had to take a X-ray to examine better. I told her that I did not think that he broke his paw since he was walking though bit of limping. And questioned her how X-ray would help to find other than broken borne problem. She insisted that she could see. And to my question, even us human can’t walk on broken feet, she said, the animals have better control not to get eaten by others in wildlife.
Anyway, I asked for antibiotic treatment first to observe the condition, but she prescribed antiflammatory pill and wash him with salt water.
I did for two days only to witness the condition worsened. His paw is completely swollen twice bigger than this past Friday.
He runs occassionally in spite of his pain but he wants to play with his toy, but stops quite quickly.
All I can think of this vet is Money sucker and lack of experience. Before she prescribed the anti flammatory pill, she took him inside to consult with the other vets.
Also, about how Banfield making their customers to wait in spite of previously arranged appointment, I had that every time I went there.
I am really losing my confidence in the service they provide, and start looking for a better vet.
Banfield, you MUST listen to these complaints.
In over 50 years as a pet owner, I’ve never had occasion to write a review about my pet’s care, but for the well being of other pets I am doing so now. -The price quoted for specific services over the phone was not what was charged. Less was provided and more was charged. I would say you get what you pay for but there is no savings in going to Banfield; it costs more than going to a truly accredited facility and vet. The care is poor quality and it’s a waste of time. -The pet was removed from the room even with stated objection for the exam which lasted no more than 4 minutes. -A rash clearly visible on the hind leg of the pet was not noticed by the vet or whomever actually provided the exam. When pointed out to the vet, she raised no concern but at check out long after the exam had been completed and the pet no longer in her care she sent the assistant to suggest a topical spray at an additional charge. The assistant went back to communicate this to the vet and then returned with the message that given that we should keep the pet quarantined for a week and return after that at which time they would what additional services would be necessary. One might conclude that the topical spray was somehow to keep the rash from being contagious but that’s not the case so it’s not clear what one thing had to do with the other. Had we purchased the spray for $12 would we have even received the follow up recommendation from the vet to quarantine the pet? -This pet was a rescue found left out on the streets. The goal of the veterinary visit which was clearly communicated was to establish if the pet was healthy enough to release into the house with two other pets during the foster period while a new home could be found. Had it been communicated at the time of the exam that there was any concern about the rash and that it would necessitate a week long quarantine and a return visit, we wouldn’t have proceeded with the other services. We can only conclude that the focus here was on retail up charge on not pet care. -After an hour at Banfield, we will now go to an accredited animal care facility, with trained staff and a tenured veterinarian for an exam. This was a bad experience for all but most importantly for the pet. Don’t waste your time and money and take your pet to a place where they can truly be cared for.
The rash has now been evaluated by an accredited veterinary facility and has been identified as light scabbing from an abrasion and nothing at all contagious. Take care of your pet and don’t go to Banfield.
DO NOT GO TO BANFIELD!!!
I went to Banfield Pet Hospital to find out if my dog was pregnant. When the nurse came in she gave us a lecture about not having her spayed and told us that she was going to die. She is a purebred show dog!!! She got out of the yard. I cannot show her if she is spayed! Next comes in the Vet who does not lay one hand on my dog, refuses to listen for fetal heartbeats and says nope shes not that big she’s not pregnant. Should have been my first clue. Next I request x-rays. The vet informs me that she is not very good at reading xrays. So when the nurse brings us back to view them the doctor says: “what do you think that is?” while looking at the films. Then she confirms she is not pregnant. $200 later I decided I had better obtain the films and have a second opinion. Very difficult to get the Banfield people to give me the $200 xrays. Took them to a competent vet and sure enough there is a live puppy in there! DO NOT GO TO BANFIELD!
We also had a bad experience last year with our other dog who had an absess on her foot. The vet that time was not overly concerned with the oozing absess but thought her teeth needed a dental cleaning? They gave us antibiotics for the foot. Needless to say we went back 3 times her foot didnt get any better and now she had an eye infection! They said she had some disease and needed surgery. So I went for a second opinion and it turned out she was allergic to the antibiotic they gave her for her foot which caused an eye infection. The antibiotic also was not the right kind for the infection that she had so they gave her a new antibiotic. Her foot was better within the week. Needless to say I should have learned my lesson the first time with Banfield, but I didn’t and now I had to pay. It is a lot cheaper to go to a more expensive vet the first time than to have to go to Banfield 8 or 9 times and ultimately have to go to a more expensive vet anyway!!
I hate banfield to make a long story short. My dog was having puppies, she had 3 at home and the 4th was just not coming out. I took her to Banfield and they told me that she needed a c-section and the cost was 1600.00 I told them I didn’t have the money. The doctor there try to help but another doctor was going to do the surgery. Dr. Daniel was going o conduc it and he wants 1600.00 up front. Well after rubbing her stomach by my friend the baby came out. GREAT!!! I went home after 4 days my dog was very weak and falling she didn’t want the puppies. I took her again to Banfield guest which doctor was there Dr. Daniels. He told me after 4 hours waiting for the blood results that she need a blood trifusion and surgery and the cost was 1300.00. Well before he even looked at her he told me I know who you are and you didn’t let me do the c-section. He stated” I had my staff there and waited for you 2 hoours, I had to pay my staff over time”. Not how is sweetie doing what is the problem nothing. I gave it to him, I told him you of all people should be happy and it is not my fault she gave birth to the pup. He was mad. I told him I didn’t have the money (1300.00) he then told me that she was going to died. I told him I was taking her somewhere else. Which I did, they gave her a IV within minutes and started examing her. She may need a transfusion but we are trying to let the meds work first. No surgery at all. She just lost a lo of blood while giving birth. The blood transfusion will cost maybe 200.00 verses 1300.00. They even offer to assist me with a payment paln. The dog came first. At Banfield money comes first. I was told even by the workers that they steal people’s money and do not care about your pet. I called the corp office and made a report. I hope and pray that the meds work out.
Banfield Pet Hospital (Louisville, Kentucky) – I cancelled their insurance when they asked me to renew, and instead of cancelling it, they kept it going. Not only did they keep it going, but they insisted that I “used their services” during the time after I cancelled, which I did not.
They kept calling, I kept telling them that I cancelled, and they kept calling. Now, their bill collection service is calling me, and are the nastiest bitches on the planet. So I called up Banfield’s Corporate Office, and was told that there was nothing I could do but pay the bill, and I could just pay the bill directly to Banfield instead of to their bill collection agency, which infuriates the bill collection agency when they call…… but I don’t care.
Go to your local VET, support your LOCAL animal care centers, and forget these corporate assholes who obviously are practicing some very deviant and shady behaviors.
Eat me Banfield.
I HATE BANFIELD ALSO……
To make a long story short, I have been going to Banfield for 2 1/2 years and have never been happy. They do not care about their clients, they care about the money. They are completly unprofessional, unethical and unreasonable.
I brought my dog in on May 26, 2010. She had been vomiting, foaming at the mouth, lathargic, shaking, rolling eyes, etc. It was so scary. After 3 1/2 hours there and a very stressed out dog they told me nothing was wrong with her but they should do $800.00 in tests. Now, my dog was 13 1/2 and I just needed to know if she was in pain. They gave me a list of 6 medications (another $200.00+)to choose from. How should I know, thats why I was there.
Anyway I finally just had to leave. In the middle of the night my dog got real sick, I rushed her to Animal 911. After 10 minutes they told me she had a brain tumor and was in pain. Unfortunately, I did have to put my sweet old dog down. If Banfield could have figured any of this out maybe I could have spared my dog one more night of unbareable pain. I wish I could tell all pet owners my story but this is a start.
Please, please think twice about taking your pets to Banfield
salem ma, banfield is the complete opposite of a vet that tries to heal your dog they are unprofessional dirty and pathetic ive been trying to rid my dog of his allergies with them for a year and a half with no results. the only thing they did was give me huge bills and a dog that constanly got worse. banfield is like the fast food chain of vets yea i kinda looks nice and everything but after the innital get u in and we love ur pet speal it all becomes dark and sad i rember it took me a week and a half juz to fill his presciption for his allergies, and if your pet suffers from allergies a week and a half can feel like forever when u look at ur pet wit 1 eye shut yeast infection in his ear and hot spots under his arms and goo inbetween his paws which cause him to limp. i recently changed vets 1 month ago and my dog is lookin absolutly fantastic and seems to be winning his battle wit allergies. screw you banfield your a discrace to vetenarians
My dog has, what I assume to be, seasonal allergic dermatitis that occurs every August for the past three years, with the symptoms of itchy eyes, skin, and occasionally evolves into an ear infection. The diagnosis from Banfield changes every time I take him (ie bacterial infection, allergies, the list goes on). So, I guess my question is what did the other vet give you as a diagnosis and what did they treat him with? Did they recommend any antihistamine to give once symptoms start?
I cna only wish that I had read this info before I took my dog to Banfield. I wanted to take my almost five year old pooch to get spayed. I knew it should have been done earlier but funding was an issue. I called Banfield to inquire about the price and was quoted a figure of $560+. I immedaitly declined thinking to myself that I would take her to a shelter who might preform the surgery for much less. A few days later someone called me from Banfield to set up a surgery appt. I told her that I was not interested, the price was too high. She said she would check something out if I would remain on hold…I agreed. She resumed the call with me in a matter of 2 -3 minutes saying that they were having a spay sale and they would preform the services for $150 + 25 (ecollar) + Medications for pain the total $221. I was elated!!!
I scheduled an appatontment. I took my dog to Banfield @ 7am. By 8am I got a call from Banfield saying they found a lump and needed to remove it before they would preform the spay to the tune of $1300. I told them that I did not have that kind of money. The doctor refused to do the surgery and I went back to pick up my dog. During a prior visit one week before, This same doctor had given my dog a exam. She did check the lump at that time and told my husband that we should “keep an eye on it for six months” to see if there were any changes in it’s size. The lump right now is the size of a small grape. I dont understand why she could not just preform the surgery I had requested. My theory is that no one told her about the spay sale and when she found out, she refused to do it.
Today I took her back for the last of her shots. When I scheduled the apointment I requested that it be made at a time when there were no other aminals present Foxxy is not pet friendly and they agreed to see her at 12:30pm When I got there there was a sign posted that the staff was making rounds with the other animals and that it should only take around 15 – 20 minutes. I waited 20 minutes and decided to give them a call using my cell phone. They answered immedaitly and I told them I was in the lobby waiting. Someone came out and said someone would be with me soon. and went back into the back. I waited another 15 minutes and left. If my appt is at 12:30 it would be nice to be seen at 12:30!!!
Oh, In my hastiness to get my story told I didnt give proper acknowledgement the facility who should get all the credit. That would be the Banfield hospital located on Nixon Drive in Moorestown, N.J. Pet owners beware!!!
I had a wellness plan at Banfield in NC for my min pin puppy. Needless to say the service she received was horrible; I will never recommend Banfield to anyone!
I got her fixed, they said everything was fine. Got her home and she acted like she was in pain, so I kept an eye on her and the sheet they gave me on what to watch out for. Sure enough she began bleeding, I called Banfield they thought she was bleeding from her where IV was (even though I said the bandages around the stitches are covered w/ blood) they told me not to bring her in unless it got worse or I thought it was serious. I brought her in thinking human mistake they didnt catch what I meant and she was bleeding bad. They tell me there were complications in surgery and her blood isnt clotting, so they added a few stitches. After that she was fine.
I had never had any problems up to that point with Banfield so I thought it’s okay she just has routine boosters in a few months no big deal.
Sorry I thought that because my puppy had a reaction to the vaccines even though I paid for the benadryl shot like I do everytime. Sure enough that night she was swollen and had hives (Banfield’s are not open 24hrs so I had to call the emergency vets) they told me to watch her closely that it isnt serious until she has trouble breathing or her neck begins to swell. The next day Banfield calls to make sure she’s okay, I told them what happened and that she still has a mass at the injection site, they said it will go away in a few days. A few days later it turned into a solid mass that was over two inches in diameter. Called them back they said to put warm towels over it and call back in a wk if it didnt go away. Week later call them back and they tell me it could be cancerous that they will need to take a biopsy that will cost over $100. I dont mind paying for my dog, but it seemed ridiculous that they didnt tell me or warn me about any of this sooner. So, I got a second opinion from my boyfriend’s vet who is amazing. He told me that this happens sometimes with vaccinations and to give her inflammation pills for a wk. Sure enough the mass went away and she is good as new!
I know not all Banfields are the same, but from the stories (from almost every state) it sounds like you’re best bet is going to a better vet that knows what they’re doing!
When you talked to someone on the phone about the stitches was it a PN, DVM, or a front desk employee? They should have had you bring her back in upon the stitches weakening. The diphenhydromine injection is not to strictly prevent vaccine reactions, they can still occur with it, but it strongly decreases the likelihood and if a pet is severely vaccine allergic it will happen with the diphenhydromine injection and from that point on the pet must be given that injection, IV fluids, and anti-inflammatory injections to prevent reactions when they come for vaccines. What it sounds like she had is a vaccine bump? Where fluid builds up after a vaccination and they should have had you bring her back in immediately. That is poor communication. I still do not believe Banfield is a bad clinic, but it seems a lot of the ones listed on her have irresponsible staff.
I took my 11 year old dog to Banefield because he was sick. I knew he was dying, but took him in and they told me he had cancer, but they kept doing tests. The bill was $600 and he was put down the next day.
Banfield is charging me for my minature aussie who has a 1/5 inch long, 3/8 inch wide, 1/8 inch deep dog bite and to sitch will cost me $512 to $612.
Who now day can afford those prices for there annimal. Pet metical cost are now rivaling human health cost.
What can we do to curve the cost.
Is this including anesthesia, anti-biotic injection whilst under anesthesia, surgical prep, flushing the wound, and take home anti-biotics?
Because if not, then it should be arounf $50-80 at most. Either way, I’m assuming there was more to the cost there then that.
Do not take any animal you love to Banfield the pet hospital in any location!!!!!!!!!!
The ‘nurses’ have no formal training, are just there for paychecks and the majority of the doctors are complete and utter jackasses who belittle you and nickel and dime you out the door.
Please do not go to Banfield. This corporation needs to be taken apart and restructured. They say this and that about compassion but it is all about the bottom line.
You get what you pay for at an emergency or specialty facility. Take your loved one there…
Do not work for them either!
The “nurses” you are talking about, please do not assume this about others other than the place you had visited. I got hired at Banfield because I went through 20 months of 5 days a week – 8 hours a day schooling, took my State Boards Licensing Exam and passed. Banfield is trying to only hire Licensed Technicians now. I’m sorry you had a bad experience, but it’s not like that everywhere. I was just offended because you are stereotyping i guess. I decided to get a job there because of their up to date medical equipment, protocols, medications, and AVMA reviews. I love my job, get paid well for it, but my paycheck is earned by the care and compassion and education i give to every single person who walks through that door. But, enough about me, i just hope that sometime, if you ever have to visit another Banfield that you get treated with respect because your showing care for your pet and that you can meet a “nurse” that actually knows something about their job.
You can all right a complaint to the Better Business Bureau to get your money back or the veterinary licensee board. Banfield once again is the most UNETHICAL, UNPROFESSIONAL, UNCARING vet I have ever encountered.
I think its has to do with location. My vet at Banfield in Huntsville, AL (Jones Valley) is really great. The staff is over worked but its a corporation. I’ve worked for a retail corporation before so I kinda know how it goes. The techs are limited to X amount of hours so they are short staffed. So are the receptionists. The one I use is great. Dr. Sims is an amazing doctor and I will continue to take my dogs to them. I’ve never had to wait more than 10 minutes to be seen (the doctor was in another room finishing up usually) and if its longer, the staff will always tell me. They ask if their is anything I need. If the wait is too long, they ask if I want to drop my dog off with them and call me when they are finished. The receptionist calls me at least twice to remind me of my dogs vaccines that are due. They have never nickel and dimed me at all. I get what they reccommed and its up to me what I choose to do. I can decline any service. They never push me for anything. So, I think it is location based.
Its not location based its all Corporate i worked in the Corp office and took calls based on cancellation, I felt horrible having to explain to people in a nice way they are being screwed out of tons of money. They dont really care of the benefit of your pets health its all about the money sale sale sale a local vet that is family owned or something along the lines is way better banfield does not care for your pet they only care about your money
Thank you, this is one of the first level-headed reviews that I have read. I know that many of the people here have had some bad experiences with some unorganized Banfield’s, but as you stated here–that is the usually process I’ve seen Banfield staff run through. I think a lot of the clinics discussed here are location based.
As for costs–that is a corporation thing, I believe the veterinary staff and techs care very much, but I think that corporate plays too big of a role in some of the issues clients have.
Jennifer, thank you so much for your positive review. It was the only one of many that had a positive view of Banfield.
I have worked for Banfield for the past 3 1/2 years and these stories that I am reading are upsetting. I am hurt that people think this way about the staff and Doctors. I go into work every single day with a smile on my face ready to meet/greet the Pets and their families. I don’t make a lot of money (so I am not doing this for the money) but I love what I do and will do this for years to come.
I enjoy getting to know our clients and sharing the good times and the bad with them. I love the fact that I can sit in a room and cry with a client or laugh with a client when a Pet does something cute. I can’t believe that there are techs out there that do not enjoy their job enough to treat their clients with the respect that they deserve.
Thank you for sharing how much you enjoy going to your local Banfield.
NH
I love Banfield!
I started taking my dog, Binx, to Banfield when she was a puppy. (Nearly 7 years ago). She had a wellness plan, which was great for all the puppy shots and yearly exams she needed. When we got our second dog, Boulder, we signed him up too. In the beginning, the hospital I went to was a little slow, and had me waiting in the room for several hours, so I transferred to another location. I now go to the location in Knightdale, NC and it is great. Everyone there knows me and knows my pet- and you can tell while you’re walking around the store or waiting to be checked in that they get to know all of their pets. Binx was recently sick. Blood tests couldn’t find anything, and neither could any sort of XRays. She was having seizures and they kept getting worse. The vet at Banfield was able to give me some medication to stop the seizures, and keep Binx comfortable. Not all the doctors at Banfield suck, mine sure doesn’t.
thanks jackie!
I use to work for Banfield that is until i got fired for being pregnant. I was forced to quite because i got very ill during pregnancy and missed 3 days of work when i brought in a Dr note sighned and dated by my provider they told me that a Dr note is not accptetable, they also told me that pregnancy is no excuse for being pregnant and that i didnt qualify for fmla ha can you believe that. I also saw the way they treated there cleints and there employees it was terrible i was given 3 free wellness plans and even still couldnt find it in to take my pets to that place i was to afraid my pet would be hurt or miss treated and what is up with them and over vaccinated. I hope this company goes under they really are a piece of work take it from someone who worked for them take my advise never take your pets there EVER!!!
We took our Pom to Banfield in Hoffman Estates, Il. to have his teeth cleaned and they way over medicated him, as he was disoriented for days and seemed lost and didn’t seem to know where he was and tried to stay hidden. Also, they took the skin off his leg where they put an IV and did not tell us about that, but put a bandage on it to hide it and said don’t remove it for 3 days. When we took him back to complain about this sloppy and incompetent work, they told us that doctor that worked on our dog was no longer with the practice and that the other doctor in the practice would see us if we wanted to wait since we did not have an appointment. we waited a hour and a half and was then told that the doctor didn’t feel any obligtion to see us since he did not work on our dog, therefore he did not see us and the other personnel was quite rude. We filed a complaint with the Hoffman Estates police department. We will not be taking our pet back to Banfield for anything ever again. If you value your pet’s life and well being don’t take you pet to Banfield.
Banfield seems extremely proficient at scamming vulnerable pet owners. Requiring repeated office visits @ $44.95 a pop, extensive testing (seemingly unnecessary), for a simple problem. My 14 yr old female dog became incontinent, leaking while sleeping. A common problem in aging female dogs and humans, too! Prescibed meds are helping but to refill the prescription I am required to pay for another office visit. The cost of the med is all I can handle on my retirement income…can’t afford an office visit every month! My sweet dog is 14 years old for goodness sake, why can’t we just control the problem and save my carpets!
Hi Carol,
By veterinary state law, vetetinary doctors are required to have a valid Client-Patient-Relationship before prescribing medication and the exam shul be performed at least every 6months to 1 year depending on the state. It IS prudent to evaluate liver/kidney enzymes(Chemistry panel). for anemia (CBC panel), and evaluate for a urinary tract infection (Urinalysis and Urinary Culture) once yearly all are things that the common medication for this condition can affect. Luckily, wellness plans cover this bloodwork and urine testing 1-2 x yearly, depending on on wellness plan. It also covers ALL of your exam fees, vaccinations, dewormings, yeasrly heartworm tests. Very cost effective in the long run!!! And not to mention, proper veterinary monitoring and preventative care = )
Hi Carol, I understand what you are going through i worked for Banfield and left because i couldnt take the scamming anymore i am not a liar and cannot con people like they want you to. You should do what i do go to a private vet. They actually care and take the time to give your pet what they need and no high prices. I hope all goes well for you and your pet.
Oh and please dont listen to EL and sign up for a Wellness Plan that is a sure way of getting screwed that is how they really get you.
Hi, Carol –
The person that answered your post (EL) is someone that works at Banfield. Don’t listen to her/him.
My dog has congestive heart failure and takes a lot of pills (he’s 14 also). His vet does bloodwork every six months, and I guarantee that my vet charges a lot less that Banfield for bloodwork. One of his meds is a diuretic, so he has to pee often and when he’s sleeping, he leaks a bit -so I know how you feel! Here’s my advice for you:
Contact a local vet and ask them if their vets are willing to write paper prescriptions for your dog’s medications. I have some of my dog’s meds filled at Walmart for $10 for a 90 day supply. The rest of his meds come from a website(Drs. Smith & Foster) – very good prices on medicine.
I spoke to my regular vet about my money situation since I lost my job, and they do everything they can to help me save money. When I took my husband’s dog to Banfield – because I had a free exam coupon – I explained my money situation to the “doctor” and asked him to prescribe the same meds – on a paper prescription – that the dog has been on for an allergy. He said no, I don’t like that medicine. He said he understood what it’s like having a hard time economically. Then, with a big smile on his face, he left the room, sent in his “vet tech” and she told me my bill was going to be over $280. They wanted me to buy shampoo, supplements and a list of other things that were not necessary. I told her I would buy the necessary items; she went back to the doc and I could hear him yelling! He said, “It’s not a menu – she can’t pick and choose!” PLUS I couldn’t get the prescription written out – had to pay 3 times as much for the medication as on the internet. I went back to my old vet and $60 later my dog had an exam, bloodwork & medicine that I got filled at Walmart. And he’s doing very well!
Banfield only wants to sell, sell, sell, with no regard to the pet owner’s economic situation, and often with no sympathy for the pet.
DON’T GO TO BANFIELD!!
Re: EL’s reply to my original message: I do understand that it was necessary to test and rule out any other problems before prescibing a medication. But the second urine test and blood test and office visit fee were required just 7 days, only one week, after the initial exam and urine test. The prescription was for a 21 day supply and has worked and my dog has shown no signs of side effects or any other changes in behavior or health. So why, just 3 weeks later, must we pay for another office visit just to renew the prescription??? She’s an old dog, obviously just losing control in her senior years with no other signs of illness.
Actually, I agree with you on this point….but this Dr maybe have been wanting to recheck her to see how she was doing after he/she prescribed her the medication for urinary incontinence. That medication is not benign- it has many side effects (Cardiovascular, metabolic and pets can be more prone to urinary tract infections) However, at MOST he should of been requiring a RECHECK examination (which is cheaper- or FREE on a wellness plan!) Personally, I would of wanted to recheck her blood pressure as well. Then, monitor her chemistry, complete blood count and urinalysis at least annually. Client-Patient-Relationship is important in all of veterinary medicine and is not specific to Banfield as the law states that one must exist in order to prescribe medications and that a veterinary hospital can not solely operate as a pharmacy without a CPR.
Anyways, hope your sweet dog is doing well now!!!
Carol – you can also go to some of the pet care websites and look for over the counter bladder control medicine. I’ve seen some that do not require a prescription. I don’t know how well they work, but it’s worth looking into.
EL – which Banfield do you work at?
This complaint is about the Banfiled Animal Hospital in Lake Mary, Florida.
I took my cat to have his teeth cleaned a few months ago. When I picked him up and went to pay the bill it was much more then what they told me it is going to be. Also, I was supposed to get 2 medications which they did not have in stock. I kept checking back with them every 2 days and then a week later… they still did not have the required medications after 2 weeks of the teeth cleaning. The doctor came up with the answer, that I don’t even need them. Then why did they prescribe them in the first place? A couple days later a whitish zit looking bump grew on my cat’s lip. I took him back to Banfield and after waiting 30 minutes and arguing another 15 minutes they told me that my cat’s lip infection has nothing to do with the teeth cleaning they did or with the missing medications. What a huge lie!!! They refunded the cost of the meds (which I never received), but I still had to pay for this visit which would never happened if they would have done their part correctly! I took my cat to another (recommended by friends) vet where my visit was a dream after all the nightmare with Banfield.
My cat gets this sore on his lip every couple of months since than. I have doubts about Banfiled’s sanitization and pet care practices.
Do not take you pet there!!!
it sounds like your cat has a virus called calichi….its almost like herpes.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
Kelley,
It sounds like we can help address a couple of issues here. First, regarding your first bill being more than you had anticipated: Banfield requires clients to sign off on all procedures, and prices, before they are performed. If you feel that you did not agree in writing to the price, then we certainly want to discuss this with you. Please call us at 877-500-2288.
We also want to acknowledge your accusation that Banfield caused the lip infection on your cat’s lip. In order to help you address this issue from a medical standpoint, we’re actually going to refer you to the number above again, which is our client advocacy team. Explain your concern to our client advocacy team and they will make sure this accusation is addressed.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
Aniko and Kelley,
Our apologies, the previous post was meant to be addressed to Aniko in response to her concerns.
We took our Pom to Banfield in Hoffman Estates, Il. to have his teeth cleaned and they way over medicated him, as he was disoriented for days and seemed lost and didn’t seem to know where he was and tried to stay hidden. Also, they took the skin off his leg where they put an IV and did not tell us about that, but put a bandage on it to hide it and said don’t remove it for 3 days. When we took him back to complain about this sloppy and incompetent work, they told us that doctor that worked on our dog was no longer with the practice and that the other doctor in the practice would see us if we wanted to wait since we did not have an appointment. we waited a hour and a half and was then told that the doctor didn’t feel any obligtion to see us since he did not work on our dog, therefore he did not see us and the other personnel was quite rude. We filed a complaint with the Hoffman Estates police department. We will not be taking our pet back to Banfield for anything ever again. If you value your pet’s life and well being don’t take you pet to Banfield.
Update on Banfield experiene. We received a registered letter from them, after the officer went to visit them, stating we had broken the doctor patient relation, was refunding our money and we should find another place to go for our pets health needs. No apology. Do they think we would ever go there again? I wonder why did they decided to refund the money after the officers visit? Take heed and don’t take your pet to Banfield.
Just curious. My last visit about 2 months ago showed me that all Banfields are connected online. Isn’t this true? So now we all can look at the online records of our pet patients online with the entire Banfield office staff. That way they can print out anything you need to know about your own pet. You can read these documents while you are waiting. You can use these documents to prepare for a visit, even in an emergency. That way everyone is auditing the same text. Very legal. Good lifestyle habits.
Monday I got immediately all the current electronic records for my Baruch, toy poodle who is goomed by Petsmart like a bichon frise;) They are so flexible.
Well, to continue, the record said to go on line to register for on line records. I did. Turns out Banfield is beta-testing pet client electronic record keeping. It was broken for me. But that’s what beta testing is all about.
I’ve participated in this concept with my own health for two years now with two different Medicare plans and it’s wonderful. The latest health plan is completely online interactive. Saves lots of vocalization errors. Nothing like hard copy text strings. Saves time and therefore energy and therefore the health of the pet owner.
I work at petsmart and I take all of my personal pets to our banfield. I am also in charge of taking the stores pets to our banfield clinic.
My dog and my cat are both on a wellness plan and sure it come out to a little over $50 more than just paying for everything outright but it is a relief to me to walk in, see the vet and take off without having to drop a dime becuase I have already paid. I find that I take my pets to the vet more often and keep up with all their shots and minor illnesses because I dont have to worry about a ridiculous bill every time.
My location takes great care of my animals and their clients animals every time I am there ( I dont wait in a room for petsmarts animals, I go in the back with the nurses and doctors ) they do through checks of the animals and get them out in a decent time. And yes, every now and then it takes a while because there are emergencies. You have to understand that it is a relatively small clinic that fits inside a pet store, ours usually only has one doctor on staff and 3 nurses at a time. So yes you might have to wait every now and then for your pet to get its shots but there might be an animal DYING.
Also, how quickly the doctor gets to you depends on the other clients that he or she is seeing. If your appointment was at 330 pm but the 300 appointment has a million and a half questions or a serious issue it will take longer to get to you. Its like a regular doctors office, I have waited more than 4 hours past my appointment time at my OBs office!
It is also unfair to paint every doctor and nurse as “cruel and heartless” that is just ridiculous! Yes, there are nasty people out there who really don’t give a damn working at banfield but saying that they all are horrible people is like saying that all dogs are vicious, you can’t blanket an entire group of people with a lable because of a few bad ones.
And FYI petsmart and banfield are separate companies even though they are located inside petsmart.
Thank you for having a level-headed comment. I believe it is entirely unfair for everyone to just assume that all doctors, all banfields are the same.
If you went to other clinics, you’ll hear all the same complaints there as well-banfield just has a larger target on their back due to the larger corporation.
I’m glad you’ve had a good experience at banfield.
Banfield Animal Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. I see after reading these horrible experiences with Banfield that my negative experiences are not unique. To summarize, I completely feel ripped off by them. They will “push these benadryl shots” that aren’t necessary. Space out office visits. purchased the wellness plan–which in my opinion covers nothing–a complete waste of money. I brought her in to be spayed..and get a call a few hours later informing me that something was off with her “liver enzymes” and that a 300 test was required before they would spayd her. And now, of she’s beyond the 6 month deadline for her rescheduled apt..an additional fee. Banfield is a corporate scam. Big business…they care about money–not animals…corrupt!
In all honesty, if you’ve ever had to witness a vaccine reaction in a pet, you may change your mind on your views of injectible diphenhydramine. Just because you’ve not had a pet react to a vaccine, does not mean that ‘benadryl shots’ are not necessary. They can save your pet and you a whole lot of pain. Some pets still have reactions even with a Diph. injection, while others it will prevent a full allergic reaction (hives, fever, vomiting, swelling, anaphalactic shock etc.). Then you have some pets who are not allergic at all and can handle vaccinations fine. It just depends on the circumstances.
The importance of making sure that your pets liver enzymes, such as Alanine Aminotransferase (or ALT for short), is because your pet could easily have a liver tumor or possible liver shunt. Liver shunts can kill your pet, but there is a surgery to repair a shunt. The test they probably ran was a bile acid test which normally requires the pet to stay at the hospital for two separate blood draws (pre and post) and then sent out to a reference lab to inspection for bile acid levels. If normal, proceed with spay when results are in, if abnormal, then proceed with liver shunt repair.
It’s all a matter of staying informed. Sounds like there is just a lot of miscommunication on their behalf.
After reading all of your feedback, we want to extend the opportunity to you, our customers, to share your experiences with us. We strive to provide our clients and their pets with high quality medicine and exceptional client experiences on every visit. We apologize that any of your visits to our hospitals were unsatisfactory. To address your specific concern, and to help us improve our overall service, we would appreciate it if you would call us at 1-877-500-2288 to tell us what happened.
Thank you for all of your feedback. We do appreciate the obvious passion you have for your pets.
Banfield – are you sure you read all of our feedback? If you did, then surely you’ve realized that most if not all of us will never set foot in another Banfield clinic.
I’m not going to waste my time by calling you and repeating what I’ve said in this forum. But I will tell you that my experience with Dr. W in Mobile, AL was HORRIBLE! He didn’t listen, he didn’t take me seriously, and he was only concerned with making my bill as large as possible, even though I explained that I’m unemployed and cannot afford all the add-ons he wanted me to buy.
Since you “appreciate the obvious passion you (we) have for your (our)pets”, you must understand why WE are so unhappy with your services and lack of compassion. No amount of lip service from you will make it OK.
YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS.
Your company “fired” me and my pets!
I was lied to, over and over, and then hit with a certified letter, telling me to get lost. When I tried to talk to someone in customer service about it, I was told that Management had approved this bizarre action and nobody from Banfield would acknowledge me. Ever.
You talk the talk but you don’t walk the walk.
The damage is already done, you dont deserve a phone call. You should have thought about this before all of the negative feedback.
I find it really telling when there are so many negative posts from former Banfield employees. “how difficult to smile and be friendly to people all the while knowing they’re being totally ripped off”
Thank you for your continued feedback. We hate to hear when customers have negative experiences at our clinics, but this does help us find ways to improve. If you have additional experiences to share with us, please feel free to call 1-877-500-2288 to tell us more. Pet forums like this are where we know we are finding the most dedicated, proactive and loving pet owners, and your opinions and experiences are very valuable to us. We respect that you will seek veterinary care where you and your pet are most comfortable, even if it is not your local Banfield location. Our goal is simply to continue to learn how we can provide the best care to all current and future customers and pets.
Excuse me, what is the point of calling you?
Your company kicked my pets and me to the curb in a passive-aggressive, underhanded way. When I tried to talk to customer service, I was told that nobody would call me or acknowledge me in any way.
I spent quite a few hundred dollars over the two years I was taking my pets to Banfield, and I think you’re a very tacky organization. All that talk about “Banfield strives to maintain a high standard of blah, blah, blah…” means NOTHING.
Your actions speak VOLUMES. You’re a cheesy, petty, mean-spirited corporation pretending to care about people and their pets.
I am going to cancel my wellness plan as soon as possible. I have had animals for years and have never had such bad experiences has I have had with the Banfield in Silverdale Wa. My dog Lola is a 1 1/2 year old husky mix that I adopted from the humane society about 7 months ago. She has high seperation anxiety due to being abandoned. She is very sweet and wonderful with kids other dogs and people. I have spoken with the Vet about her anxiety and that I was concerned about leaving her for a drop-off appt. They said she should be fine but they would call me if she wasn’t. Five hours later after she was left sitting in a cage waiting her turn I called to check on her and I was told she was giving them a hard time and they were going to have to charge me for “extra physical restraint.” For a dog who was adopted from a shelter and spent alot time in a kennel this is very stressful and of course she is going to be scared. Today I brought her in for what I thought would just be a quick booster shot. We were kept waiting for an hour and by then my dog was very stressed. The vet was not very nice and gave me attitude because my dog was being snippy. They made me put a muzzle on her which only made the situation worse. I have tried to explain to them that she is anxious but not an aggressive dog. They have never offered me options on how to make visits easier or help her anxiety except to pay them more money to hold her down or sedate her. They don’t listen to what I tell them and just assume that my dog is misbehaved or not trained when in fact she is a wonderful dog who is just more sensitive than most. I have never had a good experience there and feel bad that I have put my dog through all that stress. I will be finding another vet that will treat my dog the way she deserves to be treated.
This attitude of dog owners disappoints me:
Not insisting that muzzles be put on all dogs when out of the leash and cage at the vets.
To be honest that’s because before I became a dog owner, I lived with a male spouse for 31 years who suddenly knocked me down to the floor in the kitchen and started kicking me. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me. So the first thing I say to my vets is put a muzzle on him. Even then the vet himself got fooled and sure enough my peaceful dog growled and tentatively snapped. You should see the shock in both our faces. He’s such a wonderful peaceful loving toy poodle.
I appreciate that Banfield is seemingly aware and concerned about all the complaints “feedback” on this forum. Just this morning I called my local banfield to cancel my wellness plan and they said to call corporate. Well after 27 minutes on hold I FINALLY was put through to someone who not only told me I could not get out of my contract, but that because I had utilized services after the cutoff date for my plan, that I would owe $400 if I cancelled. And then when I told him I had spoken with my local Banfield people and they said all I had to do was call to cancel, he got snippy with me and said he was going to call them – then he put me on hold AGAIN without asking me and at the 35 minute mark, my call (from a land line at the government agency where I work) was cut off. I am mad about this treatment and am beginning to feel like I am being scammed. I have tried to look on the Banfield website to look more closely at the contract, but there does not seem to be one on there. I just want to know, what recourse do I have to cancel this plan????
Sarah,
If you would like more information about your Wellness Plan, or need to discuss cancellation options, please contact our Wellness Plan Relations team by calling 888-649-2716.
We too have had a bad experience with Banfield here in Oregon. The company cannot even keep their act together here in their own backyard. We went in with a sick dog. We were sold about every test there is and when it came time to read the results the vet could not even give us a definite answer. We left with no treatment plan and an appointment the following day. Our dog got worse and we went to an emergency vet less then ten hours later. The dog was so sick we had to make the choice to have him put to sleep. I filed a complaint with Banfield. They called me back and said we declined several services that were crucial to his health (which we did not). Banfield said they recommended that the dog stay in the hospital overnight and we declined. Within the next sentence they said the dog was stable when he left. Why would a stable dog need to stay in a hospital? Their complain department is a joke and I hope that our continued reviews will help others avoid a bad experience or the avoidable loss of a pet due to lack of experience.
Hello All !!
First off, I would like to say that I am sorry you have had horrible experiences at your respective Banfields. Yes, I do currently work for one in Texas however at times I am just as frustrated as you are. It is very hard working for a corporation who says they want to treat their patients like family but can’t even treat their employees like family. We are constantly being reamed for not seeing enough patients, forced to see anything that walks through are door (whether we are equipped to see it or not; or no matter what the day is like (emergencies and what not)), and constantly told we should stay open longer hours (we are the longest open clinic in my city aside from the emergency clinics).
Second, as far as working is concerned Banfield is just a paycheck for me. If it were not for a few key individuals who I work with, I would not still be there. But I work everyday with the patient in mind. My entire goal for working at a veterinary clinic is, and always has been the opportunity to change and improve a patients quality of life.
Third, The staff at my clinic are some of the most compassionate and caring individuals you will ever meet. Some of my co-workers have become some of my best friends.
So while I completely understand, and agree with most of your complaints, I would like to say that the corporation is bad, I merely work at the hell hole…
Thank you for your time.
We have the top of the line wellness plan, and to date have not been in to have our dog looked at without additional charges. We’ve paid at least$1000 for this dog and his Banfield wellness plan. Once this plan is over, were changing back to the traditional vets. Never cost us like Bandfields.
I have both my dachshunds covered under the “wellness” plan. I took my older one into Banfield after he had an acute episode of what I thought was abdominal pain. I was told he had a urinary tract infection,and was given antibiotics. Well, 2 days later he was properly diagnosed with a ruptured vertebral disc and had emergency surgery as he had spinal cord compression. When I submitted my complaint to Banfield, the vet called me and argued with me that her diagnosis was correct. This is after my dog was recovering from spinal cord surgery. My advice….DON’T SIGN UP for any of their “wellness” plans. Set aside a dog fund and go to a reputable vet.
I had been warned that Banfield was the McDonald’s of veterinary care, but they were located nearby and I thought I would give them a try. There were subtle signs of what was to come on the first visit with my puppy. First there was the sales pitch for the Wellness Plan (which I refused), followed by the video pitch in the exam room while I waited on the vet to come in. Luckily, I know how to hit the “off “switch so was not subjected to their banter a second time. When the vet came to give my puppy her vaccinations, she tried to sell me on a shot of Benadryl to combat any potential allergic reactions. I declined, and then she pitched me a second time, pointing out that if a reaction should occur, it could be deadly. Since my pup had already has a series of injections at the breeders, I was not concerned. Additionally, I was in the vet pharmaceutical sales field for 15 years vaccines and knew of no safety issues with the products they planned to use. I also refused the bordatella vaccine and the vet expressed dire concern over impending threats to her health.
Over the next few months, I continued to go to Banfield to finish her series of puppy shots. I was less than impressed with the staff, the pet nurses, and the veterinarians, who were different each time I went. As the time for spaying her approached, they gave me an estimate of over $550 to do the surgery. Thinking that charge was excessive, I called around and discovered that the Humane Society was charging only $90 for the surgery and a micro-chip for identification.
Yesterday, I took my dog back to Banfield, as I suspected she had a foreign object in her ear. The nurse examined her and then consulted with the doctor in the back room. The vet came in and also examined her, tried to convince to get the bordatella vaccination, and explained that she would have to culture a specimen of the ear drainage to determine the infectious agent. Knowing a bit about veterinary medications, I asked her to simply dispense a broad spectrum antibiotic, thus eliminating the need (and expense) of culturing. She quickly dropped the pitch on the need to culture it. The doctor left the room along with the nurse. The nurse came back in and asked where I had her spayed, then went in the back again. She returned with an estimate of over $150, which included an otoscopic ear exam, an office visit charge, ear cleaning, and two medications and asked if that was OK. I had never experienced getting an estimate of charges for a procedure before and it struck me as odd. I said I thought it was on the high side, but to go ahead. Two nurses took my dog out of the exam room and into the back – again, a procedure I had never witnessed before in that most veterinarians would do the exam in front of the client. One of the nurses appeared again and said that upon otoscopic examination, there was a foxtail in her ear and that it would be an additional $30 to remove it. I thought that was incredible – there was already a charge to look in her ears, now they wanted $30 more to remove the foxtail! I felt my hands were tied at this point, and said to go ahead, but they should show we what they pulled out. The doctor came back in a few minutes and said she would reverse the $30 in that the foxtail was not deeply imbedded.
When I got home, I did some research and discovered that the ear cleaning solution and the antibiotic were both available online at about one tenth of the price they had charged me. I also learned that the antibiotic was supposed to be stored in the refrigerator, which they failed to mention to me. Now, I understand that there must be a markup on medications to fund the overhead of the hospital, but that was ridiculous. The predatory pricing and price gouging are appalling and they have lost me (and anyone I talk to) as customers!
Cathy,
We would like to speak with you directly about your experience at Banfield. Your feedback would be especially valuable! Thank you!
Oops! Forgot to leave the number to our customer advocacy line: 1-877-500-2288. Sorry and thanks, Cathy!
I had a small kitten that had come up to my house. I had him for about 3-4 weeks. He was a little playful and very loving. He had no mother so he looked a little undernourished because of not getting his mothers milk so I feed him baby kitten food to help nourish him. He had a grand appetite. Well, I noticed about 2 days ago he was losing his appetite so I took him to the vet at Banfield. On the way to the vet the kitten was crying and jumping in the carrier and even when we got to the vets office the kitten was still crying and jumping up on me. The vet examined him and wanted to do all of these procedures to him which were expensive. After the doctor left the room the nurse came in and asked me what I wanted to do. I explained to her that I could not afford to do all of those procedures because they were too expensive. So I asked what was the minimum they could do to help the kitten get better until I could do more. She said the worm meds was what she recommended more than anything. So I told her to do it. She took a syringe and filled it completely full of medicine and gave it to that small kitten and then she left the room. I put the kitten back in the carrier and left the office also. When I got in my car I noticed my kitten was just lying very still. I let him out of the carrier when I got home and he started walking over to the storage building wobbling back and forth. I knew he was dying. He died shortly after that. I will always believe they killed my kitten because he was jumping and playing when I took him in to the hospital and when I left with him, he got very still and then died later.
D A,
Please feel welcome to call our advocacy line to discuss what happened: 1-877-500-2288. We are very sorry to hear about the loss of your kitten. At Banfield we consider him to be a part of our family, too.
A while ago I took my cat to Banfield (Laurel, MD) for shots; it was OK and not too expensive so when she got an ear problem I went back. They said she had a fungical and bacterial ear infection and gave me meds for her with a bill total of $300. My cat had an allergic reaction to the antibiotic medicine and so they told me to bring her in. I told them I wanted to change the antibiotic to Clavamox which she tolerates well. They said they only had the pills and would have to crush the pills and put them in a solution. I said fine, because I did not want to go too long without medicating her. They left the room and came back and said they wouldn’t do that and gave me a prescription and said I could have it filled at any pharmacy. I tried several pharmacies who told me that they didn’t even have Clavamox in their database. I ended up going to another Banfield which had some in stock and I was able to obtain it. The total bill is now at $400.
When I complained about the cost of the 1st visit and the $50 med which my cat was allergic to, they were very cold, and said they could not do anything about it. I couldn’t believe that they would charge me for a second visit and refuse to provide me with the alternative medication or at least try to locate some. I had to go on a wild goose chase to get it.
I have had 10 different pets in my life, and numerous ear infections. I have never had such an expensive one and have never had such appallingly indifferent treatment. And they still expected me to come back in 2 weeks for a followup? Are you kidding?
I will take my cat back to Virginia to her old vet who is 3 hours away before I return to Banfield.
Maria,
We apologize that you had such a frustrating experience! We strive to provide our clients and their Pets with high quality medicine and exceptional client experiences on every visit. If you’d like to discuss your experience with us, our customer advocacy team would be happy to speak with you (1-877-500-2288). Your feedback helps us improve!
Thank you for all the reviews – I was considering taking my dog to Banfield at the local PetSmart but after reading these reviews, i am staying clear!!!
Stay far…far away!
I took my mini chihuahua too banfield numerous times because he just kept getting sick….We kept telling the vet it was sugar…The vet wouldnt listen….He got sick 4 days ago and i took him too another vet….He said my chihuahua was under weight…Banfield said he wasnt….And Cujo…passed away 4 days ago at 5 am from hypoglocemia…(low sugar) and should have had a feeding tube put in too help him..Unfortunently It was too late and i lost my baby…..I am soo angry at banfield my chihuahua should not have died…They were careless and I blame them for my loss…
Banfield killed my poodle in June 2010. I took in my dog for coughing. She was given an injection which after given I was told was antibiotics for allergies. She died a week later. She was never x-rayed or blood drawn. I have been heartbroken ever since she was my heart. I need a good veterinary lawyer. Any suggestions?
sorry to bust your bubble, but antibiotics would not have killed your dog a week later. don’t blame banfield. blame yourself for not seeking medical attention for your dog elsewhere. if you try to sue, you will lose.
I know how you feel. “Most” (I won’t say all) Banfield vets are worthless. They do not know what they are doing and they only want your money. Here is my story… My dog recently gained weight quickly, started acting lethargic, had very dry skin, lots of dandruff, had infections and skin problems on his ears, and was becoming somewhat weak. I could not wait until Banfield in Spokane opened as they are closed on Sundays, so I took my dog to pet emergency. I agreed to have basic blood tests done and everything came back normal. My dog had slightly enlarged lymph nodes and I was prescribed clavamox and prednisone.
I went in for a follow up with my vet at Banfield the next Monday. She spent approximately 3-4 minutes with my dog and told me she was going to put a bid together of what I should have done. The estimate came back to have blood work and x-rays done with the medication my estimate was almost $600. At this time Dr. Sanders stressed that it is probably cancer we were dealing with so it is important to get the tests done. My husband and I decided to keep him on the medications and give him another week.
After doing some of my own research all his symptoms matched up to hypothyroidism. At my follow up appointment the next week, I right away told the assistant that I would like my dog tested for hypothyroidism. She told me that it is probably not what we are up against. She stated at the age of 4 he is not old enough to have this disease. Everything I read dogs can develop hypothyroidism between the ages of 2 and 6. The assistant wanted to talk to the vet on duty (Dr. Sanders) and she came into the room. She only checked his temperature and lymph nodes. She told me that his lymph nodes have doubled in size and are extremely enlarged. His temperature is extremely high at 102.8 and this could be dangerous. She put together an estimate of test to run with the hypothyroidism test…(still stressing he most likely has cancer), the estimate came to over $700. I knew the average temperature for dogs was 101-102.5, for her to make such a big deal about the danger of 102.8 I knew she was lying. No one could answer my questions directly and continued to talk in circles.
I knew it was time for me to get a second opinion. I had my dog to a new vet within an hour of leaving Banfield. This vet took the time to listen to me, and answer my questions, and go over all the symptoms of my dog. He physically checked over my whole dog. I did not give him my opinion and I did not tell him what Banfield had said or done. I wanted his professional opinion based on my dogs symptoms. After reviewing his blood work results from pet emergency, he said I believe the next step we should take is to test your dog for hypothyroidism. He went into details of what hypothyroidism was and what it means for my dog if he has it. During my dogs physical examination (from the new vet), his temperature was 102.1 and the vet told me only his back lymph nodes in his legs were slightly enlarged. What a change within an hour (sarcasm). He did tell me that testing for hypothyroidism may just be the tip of the iceberg and wanted me to understand that it could be a long road to find out what was going on if the tests came back negative for hypothyroidism. I am sad to say my new vet called me with the blood results and my dog test positive for hypothyroidism at the same time I had some relief. He explained to me that he can still live a normal life, he just has to take medications for the rest of his life. What that means to me, is that my dog is going to have a happy life and I will make the most of it. Just a couple days on his medication and he is almost back to his old hyper-self again. I find Banfield in Spokane Washington and Dr. Sanders there to be very unprofessional and money hungry. I will not recommend this poorly ran establishment to a person and I will tell everyone I know about my experience.
i am not happy wiyh bafeild. AND try to cancel, If you are not on the ball as to when your contract is up—- they automacticly renew. i canceled on my renewal date but they went ahead and charged me for the month because — i had to givr them notice 30 days in advance’ These people are worse than high pressure salesmen and there tactics are unethical.If you don’t watch them they steal your money and blame you for letting them. I am telling everyone i can about how they operate.
Donna,
If at any point during the plan’s year you decide to cancel the Wellness Plan, you are able to do so by either paying for the services you’ve used from the Wellness Plan, or the remaining Wellness Plan payments, whichever is less. If you need further assistance with this issue, please contact our Wellness Plan Relations team by calling 888-649-2716. They’ll be happy to help!
The Wellness Plan agreement you sign states that it automatically renews..
Your wellness plan automatically renews (like it says on the paperwork you signed, but clearly didn’t read) so that you don’t have a lapse in coverage and show up with a sick pet and are told “Sorry, you don’t have a wellness plan anymore!” I would imagine you’d be much more unhappy about THAT. And “stealing money”, really? I signed the same contract you did, and unfortunately it seems like you are upset with yourself for not keeping up with your own financial obligations, but taking it out on Banfield because it’s a large company, and therefore an easy target.
I had received a coupon for $15.00 off my next visit for vaccines for my Lucy …in Schaumburg…As I made the appointment, I brought up the coupon for the shots and the girl informed me that would be good…Well between all the commotion of the day, I forgot to give her the coupon. I asked Lori on the phone today if I could come in and they could run the coupon and credit my credit card. She said NO/…..Now I spend 60.00 on grooming last week…190.00 in shots…70.00 in food and misc. items for my dog…
I explained to her that she had a three year shot so the coupon would be invalid…and she said sorry. I explained I wouldn’t be back then and she said that alright …sorry …bye…Unbelievable in these hard economic times that a place that boasts of their service is so rude and not willing to deduct a mere 15.00 on my 2 year old retriever …think of the money Banfield and Petsmart will lose in the years to come…???
Denise, would you mind calling our customer advocacy line to clarify the your situation to us? We can be reached at 1-877-500-2288. We’re sorry to hear that you had a negative experience at one of our locations.
I will be calling and e-mailing my formal complaints. I have been going to Petsmart and using their grooming facilities and vets for over 6 years. Yes the vet clinic is a mess. You make an appointment and have to wait a long time. Today was the last straw for me. I moved 45 minutes away and called to make a vet appt for a bortadello shot and get my dog groomed. I was assured by the Banfield receptionist on the phone it could all be done at once. I dropped my dog off for grooming at 10:30 a.m. in the Silverdale, WA store. It can take up to 3 hours for grooming so I was told to make a 2:00 appt for the vet to give the shot. I paid for everything in advance and left. The groomers would walk the dog over to Banfield. I get their a little after 2 thinking my dog would be ready soon. I am told it will be an hour and they would call me. I say I live 45 minutes away and have no where to go. I was the only person in the waiting room. I did notice a walk in paper for another client, they already had a room. I leave for few minutes and decide I am just going to sit and wait. I stopped by Petsmarts groomers and find out my dog was taken to Banfield at 12:15. He was with Banfield for 3 hours and 15 minutes for a simple Bortadelo vaccine. At 2:30 I ask to speak to the Manager. I was told she would be right out when she finished with a customer. She never showed. At 3:30 they say he is ready and I can check out. I have to tell them I have already paid. They finally bring him out. Never spoke to a Manager or the Vet and just left. Never to come back. Don’t go they only want your money and don’t care about customer service.
when it comes to having to be connected to a corporate business, banfield is forced to take on a “full load” schedule. for all you know, there could have been only two nurses and one doctor there that day working their asses off. people bring their animals in for physical exams and vaccines, then complain of a huge health issue that makes the appointment last two times longer than anticipated! sick animals come first. wouldn’t you appreciate that if your dog was sick and needed medical attention?
it was YOUR fault that your dog was not up-to-date on his vaccines. so your case was not top priority.
oh, and it’s BORDETELLA.
I believe that the Banfield concept is great. Especially now that it’s all connected all over the US electronically. That way the consumer and the Hospital Admin can have a similar environment as Google Earth. It’s up to the consumer to educate themselves about this environment. Simply opt for a complete access to the electronic record of your dog at home. In the meantime, the consumer can look at the screen together with the staff. In fact, there should be this capability in the waiting area. While waiting, the consumer can view his own companion’s health with others. There’s no end to the egalitarianism of electronic records. No dark secrets can happen. Thus the doctors get the most honest responses to their questions. It’s a win-win. First off, I’d ask doesn’t the vet know when a person is lysing if the person says they don’t smoke?
I’m not happy with this hospital in San Lorenzo, the service is horrible, i had to wait over an hour just to get one vaccine for my dog, and when it was my turn i had to wait 30 min for the vet to come, then another 20 min to get the actual vaccine. I give this Banfield 1 out of 5, and i don’t recommend you taking your pets to this place.
Alex, would you also mind discussing your experience with us? You can call our customer advocacy line at 1-877-500-2288. Thank you for your feedback, and we’re sorry to hear that your visit to one of our hospitals was unsatisfactory. We want to provide excellent customer service on every visit!
Wow. Some of these complaints are making me crack up as I read them. I work for Banfield but thankfully not at any of the aforementioned hospitals that have been handing out bad service. Our wellness plans are not insurance. Get it straight. Anything not printed on the wellness plan brochure that you’re handed is not covered so don’t expect stellar discounts for plans that are only to be used for well pets. Pet nurses are trained in-house but how funny is it that I’ve seen doctors that are worse at pulling blood than I am?
Medicine of any kind is a learning process for everyone involved so don’t go back to see a doctor who you think lacks the experience. Any type of doctor, whether it be animal or human, gets very little hands on work during their schooling except for the last year or two. Some schools don’t even start surgery until fourth year and considering that vets aren’t required to do residencies after they graduate, u can see how some of you may have landed in a situation where your pet is the first case of that kind that doctor has seen(they just won’t tell you that obviously).
Nobody’s truly at fault there, a new grad needs practice and a patient needs a doctor. Every doctor has a license number so if anything, do a little background research and decide if your pet’s situation should really be handled by a newbie. Our chief of staff once had a Cornell(a school most would hold in high regard) grad who didn’t know how to read a stool sample so there’s an excellent example for you – not every school teaches the same things, not every hospital has the same crappy service. I’ve also had my fair share of outrageous claims made by clients so sorry, I don’t believe everything all of you are writing; much of these complaints are one sided and nobody’s heard the hospital’s side of the story.
We’ve had clients try to sue before but because of the way we meticulously write down medical notes after every conversation held with an owner, we’ve yet to lose because it’s yet to be our fault. FYI, we can also record our phone conversations with you if need be so don’t try to pull a fast one on a hospital that has tried their best for you but you’re just a difficult individual in general. And the whole surgery/anesthesia thing…it’s also a lie that Banfield hospitals are marked off the list of internships for vet students because we’ve had 2 vet school interns in the past 2 months.
Both of them have agreed that what we do for the care of our surgery patients is far and beyond what they’ve witnessed at private clinics they’ve interned at before. We have ecg, pulse oximeter, blood pressure, fluid warmer, fluids in general!, heating pads for post op(the little guys lose heat quickly), electrocautery(so your pet doesn’t lose heaping amounts of blood), and so much more that I can’t list off right now. Banfield may be about the money at times, but that money has paid for a lot of excellent equipment that other private clinics can’t even afford. It’s actually a pain in the butt for me to sit there and monitor 4-5 different machines at the same time but the benefit to your animal’s health is priceless and that’s why we do it.
As far as the costs for procedures (since I saw someone mention how our client estimates are columnated into what they paid and what the full price is), a spay is a hysterectomy! Your female’s tubes aren’t just getting tied, her reproductive organs are being taken out at the measly cost to you of a wellness plan. Not to mention you get your pet back the same day! Do you know what a human undergoing a hysterectomy has to deal with?
If cost is such an issue, then don’t get an animal; because if you’re not going to treat that animal like family and pay prices that you would for family, then that animal is not worth it to you. I would take out a loan and declare myself bankrupt before I’d let my dog die from something that can be fixed with surgery. That’s just me though. Oooh and another thing! If we’re (this is us specifically though) constantly trying to sell you ear cleaner, it’s because you haven’t cleaned your animal’s ears!
If those ears are nasty every time you come in to see us then we’re going to mention it to you every time. So do yourself (and your pet!) A favor and clean those things out because I’m pretty darned sure that you wouldn’t allow yeast or cocci or, god forbid, pseudomonas to fester in your own ears. If you can’t handle it being on your own body then don’t let your pet have to go through it (this goes for fleas/ticks, matted coats, untrimmed toenails, tear stained faces, urine-stained tails, etc etc as well). For every well-kept, healthy animal that I see I probably see 5-10 unkept, sick ones so it definitely wouldn’t surprise me that some of those owners have commented on this site.
And always fix your pets. Boys can get testicular cancer and girls can get ovarian cancer or even worse pyometras. Don’t know what a pyometra is? Look it up, most of you think you know as much as doctors do anyhow…
You are a perfect example of why people are learning to stay away from Banfield. As a “professional”, you profusely lacking tact…
Word is spreading FAST and you have just helped it spread FASTER!
Wow is all i can say as a previouse Banfield employee ( I worked on the Cleint Retention Team at the Corp office i was responsible for cancelling wp ) I am very upset that you would come off attacking all these people who have had terrible experiances with there pet at this god forsaken hospital. i left banfield because they are liars and very untrained. I wouldnt trust them with my pets life. They taught us on the retention team to lie to clients and say they received services that they actually did not recieve. It is a scam for sure. I am very angry that you would come on here and talk down to everyone who has had a complaint it just shows what kind of person you are and i would not want my pet to be seen by you or anyone you were trained by or should i say brainwashed by. please people do not take your pets her this woman is a perfect example of why you shouldnt. And who are you to say people cant take care of there pets. I love my pets dearly but i also have children and they come first i would do whatever i possible could to save my pets life but not if it meant my children would go hungry or i would go bankrupt. That is not logical thinking. And there are many places that are willing to help your pets that are in need that wont take everthing you have in your wallet. I would trust the vets at your local humane society they give you the vaccinations and the neuter/spay and its way cheaper then the wp and you get to take your pet home knowing that someone who truly cares for your pet and is educated took care of them. Please stay far away from Banfield they are scam take it from and employee who worked there and honestly knows what the place is about from all angles.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
Please know that the author “Analise” is not a representative of Banfield. All of your feedback is valuable to us, positive or negative, and you should feel welcome to express any concern you have for your Pet’s care. At Banfield, we do strive to provide our clients and their Pets with high quality medicine and exceptional experiences on every visit. We are sorry to hear when a visit does not meet these expectations, but we want you to know that we have a customer advocacy line available for you to discuss your experience. We want to improve our overall quality of care and service, and your feedback is helping us do that. To contact us, please call 1-877-500-2288. We want to help!
Acknowledged.
I’m sure as an employee she is feeling a sense of personal attack with all the complaints but it sure doesn’t make Banfield look any better.
I appreciate the referral to the advocacy line but after hearing how that works (or doesn’t), I believe I will save my breath.
If there were just one of “me” complaining or even a few “me”s , I would say it was an isolated incident but with so many complaints and from all parts of the U.S. and all about the same thing, Banfield really should read these and take note.
I hope Banfield is able to acknowledge all of these complaints and work to improve. It would be nice to hear a buzz around town about improvements on all levels.
Until then, I will not be back.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
Cyn,
You’re absolutely right, and we are listening. We’re really hoping to give all customers a reason to get that buzz going, too!
We’re currently working to identify areas where we can improve, and the feedback we’re hearing here, and from our advocacy line, is really giving us valuable insight. As you said, it can be easy to feel personally attacked when reading negative reviews, but we also realize that you are all passionate Pet owners who have trusted Banfield with the health of your Pets. We really do hear a lot of positive feedback, but we’re also learning that forums like this can help us find areas where we need to improve.
The reason we encourage customers to call our advocacy line is because we can pinpoint the exact issue, location and customer, which helps us address the issue on a more direct level. It is meant to help customers, but we also realize that you are taking your time to help us as well, so we also appreciate the time that customers take to call us. And we’re listening to all of the feedback about our customer care lines as well!
We’re very sorry that your visit did not meet your expectations, which means it also didn’t meet ours! We hope you find another vet in your area that you and your Pet are happy with, but we’ll certainly be working to continually improve. Maybe we’ll even be lucky enough to see your dog again someday!
Good luck, and thank you for your feedback.
To Banfield’s Aug 18 reply…
Because you really do seem sincere in your reply about wanting opinions to turn around about “Banfield” in general and feel the advocacy line can help to make that happen, I will call them and give them my take on my own experience.
I do have a local vet I really like and have used for over 20 years. It was the “Free” coupon and the hours of operation that made me even think to try Banfield. So I will continue with him and wish Banfield luck in their changes to better their future – and I’ll keep my ears open for any town “buzz”
Just to shed a little light from the inside… I’ve worked as a receptionist, pet nurse, and an office manager in my career with Banfield. We do receive word from our corporate hospital in regards to any complaint from a client ASAP.
But, only if they have called in the complaint to our Home Office in Portland, Oregon. And, not only are we informed of the situation just once… but several times until we communicate with Home Office about our action(s) taken in regards to the complaint. And, if no response from us is made within a reasonable amount of time, believe me, there are actions taken from their side to ensure we evaluate, address, and resolve the situation quickly.
So, please believe me, customer service is held high within Banfield’s priorities, right along side with exceptional pet care. Every individual is different as well as every hospital. There have been times when the client flow is so incredibly overwhelming that I have been a little short with clients.
But, there isn’t a time I haven’t regretted it or have thought I could have handled the situation better. Just imagine the hospital is short staffed and with only one doctor. There is very little man power to get a lot done within a short and demanding time frame. Because, a lot of what we do is a either exactly how they do, or how they should do, for humans.
We must medically document the pet’s condition through Physical Exam screens and notes. We have to go through rule outs and protocols that are formulated for better and higher quality medicine towards pets that are ill and in need of medical treatment. We have to calculate drugs that are fitted towards the pet’s needs by their weight, and trust me, this can some take time if the pet is rather debilitated.
We have to fill out forms for out-of-hospital diagnostic labs for in-depth complicated cases that need specialists. We have to prep and perform surgery, see appointments in rooms, see pets that are dropped off, and completed all these tasks, screens, labs, and notes all within about a 10 hour time frame WITHOUT overtime. It can be very stressful at time, especially if an unexpected emergency arrives that really throws a wrench into the gears. I mean, a human can make an appointment with a doctor and the typical wait time is about 45 minutes before they are even seen by a nurse.
At least that’s been true for my case in the past. But, that’s only for a physical, lab tests are something entirely different. Depending on the case, you may have to go to another facility to get blood work done. Then it’s about a week before you hear anything from the staff about the results. You have to schedule a surgery appointment months in advance. But, with Banfield, we typically have results within an hour, if not shorter, and this takes a lot of man power, up-to-date technology, time frame to work on the case, etc…
Trust me, I’ve had my fair share of upset clients screaming at me for poor quality of medicine, horrible client service, and time consumption taken out of their day. But, all I can tell you is that about 95% of those times it’s because of financial issues, and I can understand that. I have personally put myself in a financial bind in credit cards to save a number of my pets’ lives and this was at a Banfield I was working for at the time. But, it was worth it to me. Money can always be made but companionship is never the same…
But, critisim and distress with clients, to me, is always addressed and always taken into account because I personally want to know if I am doing something wrong or making someone upset so that I can correct it. I want to ensure that I am here for the client in the way that I am here for the pet. But, we are only humans, doing what we were trained/taught, and we will miss things sometimes, run out of stock because of unexpected patient numbers for the week, our machines will break down, we’ll be overworked, highly stressed, and have a bad day in general, just like everyone else.
I know we cannot please everyone out there, but no one and no business can. So, perhaps in some form, this will bring a slight understanding that we are here for you and we are here for your pets. I ALWAYS strive to provide top quiality customer service and pet care because it’s something I have always believed in. Because, if it wasn’t for you clients, we wouldn’t be here preventing illnesses or treating them. But, we can’t unless you let us, and I’m sorry, it does cost money in order for us to provide medical care.
You paying us pays for our machines, medicines, vaccines, instruments, x-rays films, the rent on the building, staff pay, electricity, bio-hazard waste pick up, etc… But, If we do something wrong or upset you somehow, let our Home Hospital know, because they WILL inform us one way or another. I accept the complaints just as much as the praises and personally strive to better myself for the field I work in.
I want to know if I am doing a bad job or a great job doing what I love most. And that is being here for the pets who need medical attention and being there to educate the people on how to provide better TLC to their pets. Our field is a continuing education field and that doesn’t exclude client service.
I would like to kindly point out a couple of other things for some readers, if possible:
1. There are now currenlty more than 750 Banfield Hospitals nation wide,
http://www.banfield.net/about-us
which is a number that is always growing…
2. The typical number of Pets seen per hospital will range anywhere between 25-35 a day for only ONE doctor. If we schedule two doctors to work the same day… the number is near double
3. A large number of hospitals will typically have only one doctor working about 75% of the week. The company likes to reserve the later part of the week, Thurs-Sat, for an adequate number of staff members on hand for heavy client flow.
4. If you consider the numbers of pets seen per ONE doctor at each hospital… there are going to be quite a number of complaints and that’s rather inevitable. And, sometimes, I am sad to confess, it can be the client’s personal issue and not the clinic’s.
As an example, within the last two weeks, I went to see a client and patient in a room. As I entered, I ensured I showed great excitement about the client and pet being there to see us for the first time. Which, by the way, I do really feel that way. I love seeing new clients because it gives me such a large opportunity to educate the client about how we opporate, what we offer for preventative care and treatment, to meet our staff and doctor, to educate them on up to date medications/proceedures/viruses/packages we provide for care/etc…
Anyways, the client presented us with a coupon that would waive off the office visit and a heartworm test, which we honor willingly. As I proceeded to perform the nurse exam on the pet, I asked the client typical questions:
a. The pet’s condition within the last 30 days.
b. The pet’s current diet.
c. The pet’s current flea/heartworm preventative.
d. The last time the pet had seen a vet / proof of vaccines.
e. Any other questions about us or any concerns for the pet.
So, as I continued with my questioning, I had come to find that the client orders heartworm prevention online. Also, a heartworm preventative that we don’t carry within the clinic. So, working at a Charter Owned Banfield practice, I had to break it to the client that our doctor does not approve online prescriptions. One of the reason’s being is because we actually had seen a case within the last 2 months where a client had religously ordered heartworm prevention online and had given it to their pet each month. We checked with the online source about purchases and other vet clinics about heartworm testing and it all added up. There seeemed to be no gap in the client’s purchaes or heartworm tests and we ended up with only the assumption that the pet was recieving heartworm prevention every single month within the last year and a half. UNFORTUNATELY, the pet actually tested POSTIIVE for heartworms when we tested that day. They had recently signed up on our Wellness Program and the pet was due for testing, so we automatically did it. Not only that though, but because the client ordered online, there was no warrenty for the product’s efficancy. So, in the end, the client was financially responsible for the heartworm treatment, in which can end up being around $1,500 in total if they weren’t on the highest level of the Wellness Program.
So, I shared this information with the client and informed her that we do not approve online purchases because of so many issues we’ve witnessed with such products. But, I did offer two other options:
a. We price match the brand name if she were to go online and bring us the invoice including shipping. I emphasized that if she were do to that, she would not have to wait on the product to be shipped.
b. We now offer the injectable formula of heartworm prevention called ProHeart, which also prevents hookworms. Trying to pitch the point that she would not be responsible for giving a tablet or chewable every single month.
The client stressed to me that they have a strict schedule of giving the heartworm preventative on the 1st of each month. So, I congradualted the client on such a schedule and encouraged whatever method they used that worked, but still, our doctor would not approve online approvals. But, regardless, the client did become rather disgruntled and uncomfortable. So, I took the opportunity to just simply educate the client and even confessed that I’m unfamiliar with the heartworm prevention that they order online, so I’m unable to compare our products with what they are used to. The client took some time and eventually decided for us to continue with the heartworm test. Because, she would ultimately be saving about $76.00 with us all together and only have to pay about $40.00 TOPS if she elected to recieve heartworm prevention from us. So, I asked her if it was ok that I take her pet to our treatment room so that another tech. could properly restrain the pet in a manner in which I could collect blood the easiest. The client was ok with this after a second of hesitation. I did what I could to ensure the client was comfortable but it seemed that nothing I could say or do would calm down the client’s nerves. So, I proceeded to take the pet to our treatment room. I wasn’t back in the treatment room for even one minute before the client bombarded to the back stating that she wanted her pet and didn’t want any of our services. That we were simply just feeding her scripts and telling her what we were told to say. So, I gave her, her pet back without hesitation.
But, the sad part is, I wasn’t feeding her anything. Our clinic alone has diagnosed about 40 pets with heartworm disease since January of this year… and I’m used to diagnosing maybe 5-10 a year…. It’s a HORRIBLE year for heartworms and parasites, and all I wanted to do was ensure the pet’s saftey. I never knew that online prescriptions could be a risk until that one pet came in a few weeks ago. I was dumbfounded when I heard about.
I honestly still don’t know how to feel about the case with the client who was uncomfortable through everything and just exploded like that on me. I did everything I possibly could to ensure that we were here for her pet in every way possible but she seemed… so resistant to it.
So, it’s clients like that, that end up complaining online a lot. I’m not saying that every single person who complains about something isn’t a victim, but you honestly have to think about the math of everything.
With there being SO many hospitals in the U.S.A., seeing 25-35 pets per ONE doctor day within about a 10 hour time frame each day, including surgeries, emergencies, drop-offs, appointments, and walk-ins… how could there not be complaints? Someone will be unhappy enough to report the wait time, the prices, the over-stressed staff, the very new – fresh graduate doctor, having to compensate for seeing a Banfield doctor on a Sunday when their regular vet. is closed and somehow, it just didn’t measure up to the exact same care they have recieved from their vet for the last 10+ years. It’s seriously unavoidable to have people complain, and honestly, I think it’s needed. We need to know and we do become informed of the complaints. The resolution may not always come to be the complaint’s satisfaction, but we do address the situation, evaluate, and resolve one way or another.
I promise you though, if you look for reviews on any business, or heck, even movies, music, etc… you are ALWAYS going to get different opinoins. Because everyone’s thresholed is different. People have higher patience than others, some people have better understanding about things than others, some people are financially able to handle situations than others, etc…
But, believe me, I am NOT trying to glorify Banfield in any way. All I am trying to achieve here is letting people in on a deeper depth than they realize. Bring them in to the reality of the operations I’ve been involved with and let them know, we are not all the same. I do sympathize for any bad expierence anyone has gone through though, no matter where it was.
But, if one Wal-Mart doesn’t have a particular product or is short staffed on check-out lanes… will you not go to another one in the hopes of a better expierence? They are everywhere you know… And, I will admit, I have sworn off their automotive department because of HORRIBLE service at several different locations. But, only AFTER I had to endure horrid expierences a few times and it just seemed to be a trend.
So, all in all, take into consideration a few things about Banfield. They ARE one of the largest chains of veterinary clinics, so naturally, the number of complaints/praises will be higher than private veterinary clinics. We ensure quality medicine because we have to run by prodocols and rule-outs. Like, what if your 3 month old puppy was presented for vomiting/diarrhea and we simply supplied you with medications for the symptoms and no diagnostics? If you found out the puppy died of parvo, the mas majority would most certainly blame the veterinarian for the lack of diagnosis and not suggesting treatment. Or, if you’re geriatric kitty was ill the same way and you call in just for advise because you don’t want to spend the time to see the vet or spend the money. So, we present you with some at-home-treatment you could use to help your kitty and it still dies because of blockage or maybe renal failure? I wish we could do things easily, but I wish even more that the illnesses of pets were even easier to handle. Sometimes we can’t find a reason for certain illnesses and that personally just doesn’t sit well with me. But, I understand that, like people, pets are individuals and can develop illnesses that are special and it does cost time, money, emotion, and sanity in order to treat. Again, we are here for your pet as well as you. We are here to educate you on everything possible to make you better understand the risks of illnesses and what it takes in order to treat these illnesses. Viruses, bacteria, parasites, etc… are all evolving NOW. I’m seeing it this year alone. So, medicines will ALWAYS evolve too which will change prices and the way we approach things. But, no matter what, we are here for your pet and you. We want to see your pet healthy just as much as you do, but we can only do so much. It’s up to you as you are the voice for your babies. So, sure, we have bad reviews, but what company doesn’t? I am proud to work for Banfield and I cannot wait to achieve my D.V.M. and become a doctor within the practice. So, sorry for the long post, but I just think that there is something missing from this site… and I just hope I can bring some light to everything. If not, well, that’s up to you and I just hope that your pet is well now, no matter which vet you went to go see. Because that’s all I want. To see happy, healthy, well taken-care-of pets.
To “Banfield The Pet Hospital”:
I really wish you could tell your employees to stop belittling people on this message board. Tori, for example, is rude and only making your company look worse – which is not what you guys want, right?
Please know that the author “tori” is not a representative of Banfield. All of your feedback is valuable to us, positive or negative, and you should feel welcome to express any concern you have for your Pet’s care. At Banfield, we do strive to provide our clients and their Pets with high quality medicine and exceptional experiences on every visit. We are sorry to hear when a visit does not meet these expectations, but we want you to know that we have a customer advocacy line available for you to discuss your experience. We want to continue to improve our quality of care and service, and your feedback is helping us do that. To contact us, please call 1-877-500-2288. We want to help!
Are the vets at Banfield considered Doctors? HA! I would argue that point. How professional is it of you to come on here belittling patients who have trusted this woreless organization. Not only to be ripped off and robbed of their hard earned money, but to also experience the loss of their pets due to the neglagence of Banfield. I am hoping Banfield will fold one day and I will continue to blog and tell everyone of my poor unethical experience with this lousy organization.
Help control the pet population take your pets to Banfield.
Oh by the way Analise.. your “welness plans (not insurance)” is the biggest wast of money. I do not know how you can defend such a unethical establishment.
P.S. and brush those darn teeth too instead of whining about how outrageous our tooth extraction costs are because periodontal disease is PREVENTABLE and if anything, consider the cost as punishment for your negligence.
again….you lack professional tact….you need to find a career OUTSIDE of public contact….but then, you do seem to fit right in with the overall Banfield atmosphere.
Again everyone – stay away!
Analise.. you are a piece of work. I hope when banfield finds out who you are they fire you. However, it seems that poeple like you are what makes this company who they are.
My dog was hit by a car and I rushed him to Bandfield Pet Hospital in Midtown Mall. Worst mistake Ive ever made.The vet was very arrigant, the receptionist was an idiot, and I was treated as if I was purchasing a product. The only thing that everyone was concerned with was the bill. They do not care about animals as they portray. They only care about money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amen!
I hope this gets to the right people – I have posted the same on various sites to get this out to the public…..not to mention word of mouth.
.BEWARE OF “FREE” COUPONS!!!
I wouldn’t even give them ONE star if it would let me! Oh how I wish I had read these reviews before I went! I went to Banfield because I received a “FREE” office visit AND EXAM coupon in the mail. I have a small dog that I suspected had a stroke- but wanted to be assured it wasn’t just an ear infection. My appointment was for 5:00 – and just like vets, I make appointments at specific times because I do have a life outside of a vet’s office. I was there at 4:55. The receptionist dallied around for a good 10-15 minutes before she asked me what I needed. She took all the information again that I gave them when I made the appt and took me to the exam room. She did the vitals and kept making sales pitches for their “pet wellness” plan but when I didn’t bite, she finally left. TWENTY minutes later I had thoughts of heading out the door, it has now been a 40 minute wait for the vet – I have never sat and waited on a vet in my life and I’m not young – and have always had at least 3 dogs and a cat so I visit vets often! I wish I had walked right out of there! But I didn’t…and I regret that decision.
The vet finally walked in and had me put my dog on the floor so she could watch her. I told her I was there to be sure she didn’t have an ear infection and after looking in her ears she assured me she was clear of that. She checked her reflexes and diagnosed possible tumor. Okay.
Then the bill came. My mistake? I told them I had a “FREE” coupon BEFORE the bill. They gave me only $34.95 off of the office visit when the coupon CLEARLY said it was a $47.95 value! Then they ADDED another $24.95 for a neurological exam! Are you serious!?!??? I argued both in a nice way but they didn’t budge – being on the verge of rude towards me. I told them I have never been to a vet that didn’t include a diagnosis with the office visit AND EXAM and all I wanted them to do was check for an ear infection! My billed totaled $90!! I should have refused to pay the bill and walked out but I did pay and once I signed the slip, the receptionist picked it up and with a smirk and a sarcastic voice said, “have a nice daaaay”. Rude.
I wish I knew how to get hold of someone who matters but after reading these reviews it may actually be how they train these people to run the business so it wouldn’t matter anyway.
The vet wanted to make an appointment for a follow up and I just gave them my best “are you crazy?!?” look and told them “absolutely not – I will NOT be back!” I can honestly say I have never told anyone that to their face before.
I think PetSmart should look closer at who they associate with because although I know they are separate, I now have a bad taste for PetSmart. I will still shop there but will cringe every time I enter the doors….which may eventually make me go elsewhere.
I hope others are smarter than myself about reading these reviews BEFORE they go – BE WARNED! I could have gone to my regular vet for a $35 exam and left with a $50 bill – meds and all! I learned my lesson with Banfield’s “FREE” coupon and will never make the mistake of using them again – for anything!
Cynthia, Take my sincere advice dont call the client advocate team it consistes of 3 people and half the time they dont even listen to you. The corp office treats you worse then the hosp does. Oh and they wont even help you at all. They are rude and highly untrained its worse then dealing with there horrible hospitals. ANd if they say that they will help resolve your issue and that they will call you back they wont, they will make you call back and then tell you sorry we got the hospitals side we feel they did everything they could your complaint case is closed. its terrible and hold times are outrageouse.
I don’t know if it is Banfield’s policy or if they are reading my complaints but I just received a phone call from them (Yukon, OK) asking how my dog is doing today.
I have to give them this – on a more positive note – they did make a follow-up call which caught me totally off guard.
If only my experience last night had been as pleasant…
OMGoodness!!!
I am soooooo mad at myself that I didn’t read these reviews before I used Banfield!!! I didn’t even read them before I posted my complaint – wow – unbelievable!
I’m going to look to see if there are any class action suits now active concerning false advertising and false charges. If anyone knows of any, please reply to this!
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
Cynthia,
We read your post about your recent trip to Banfield, and we hope that you’ll reach out to our Customer Advocacy team at 1-877-500-2288 so we can discuss your experience. We truly value your feedback, and we certainly don’t want you to feel deceived or unwelcome in any of our hospitals!
Cyn,
Please feel free to email me at om1930@banfield.net to discuss your complaints. I would be happy to meet with you and repair any hard feelings you have with our hospital and quality of care.
Thank you,
Shandel
Office Manager, Banfield Pet Hospital
Yukon – 1930
I probably should point out the Banfield Vet I used – that I will NOT use again – is in Oklahoma.
Once again let me make it clear that personal attacks on other people commenting will not be tolerated! Your comments will be deleted instantly!
/Mikael
I called the toll free number that Banfield gives out and recounted my bad experience to a very bored and disinterested young man. I stopped midway and asked him if he were awake or not! Never got a follow up from that complaint, so don;t bother, just stay away from Banfield.
Yeah that is how they do business sadly. What they do is put you on mute and go about surfing the web or playing with there cell phones are carrying on the conversation they were having with the person sitting next to them before you called. They generally stop listining after you give them your first name and the first sentence of your complaint. It’s sad they are called the client advocate team. Where is the advocacy for the clients banfield. What about our pets when are you going to start giving our pets proper care that does not consists of lies to take our money and leave us feeling like horrible pet owners because we cant afford your service. When are the clients and our pets going to come first. You need to change your catch phrase because your not treating our pets like family. Your treating our pets like they are a cash mine all for your taking. I let everyone know how terrible you are and how incompetent your supervisers are they just sit at there desks texting and dont even take calls about upset clients how horrible.
Thanks again, EX. It looks like Cathy confirmed what you said about the customer advocacy line. I waited long enough at the reception area and again in the exam room – I don’t have the time to wait on the phone too especially if they are not truly concerned.
The advocacy line can’t change the company policy – Banfield is going to have to do that and all they need to do is read all of these complaints and do a mass overhaul.
I have never put up a negative post on anyone and I’m sorry I felt the need to do so this time but I was so overwhelmed by their intent that I felt a need to warn others.
I have the wellness plan for my 3 pets, 2 cats and 1 new puppy. Since I got her I’ve been to the Banfield vet many times..every time I wait at least 2 hours to see a doctor. Once I stayed for 4 hours..1 1/2 in a little room waiting for the vet to see us. I think that’s ridiculous.
If they care about their customer they should understand that our time is as valuable as theirs.
Last Sunday (August 17, 2010)I took my 4 months puppy to take her shots as scheduled and yesterday (August18, 2010) I had to rush back to the vet because she had a severe reaction to her vaccines. She was vomiting, diarrhea, staggering and swelling of her face…(her face was deformed!!!)…I almost lost her.
After a whole day there taking fluids, the doctor told me that they think it’s the brand of her vaccine that caused that …because they had a bunch of other cases…
Now I ask…if the vaccine was bad and they knew it…why keep using it?? Putting our dogs in risk?
By the way I am talking about the Bainfield in Lauderhill- Florida
To make my post fair..I need to mention that I don’t believe the staff is to blame…I just think they are under staff..The company is trying to keep their costs down..by making people wait 2-4 hours to see a doctor.
if it was a vaccine for Lyme or Lepto, then you should have been informed of the higher possibilities for a vaccine reaction. the nurses should have asked you if you wanted diphenhydramine (or Benedryl) to lower the risks. if not, ask for it next time. you’ll save yourself a lot of trouble.
I took my 1 year old chiuaua puppy to Banfield. I have no clue about these people waiting 2 to 4 hours. If you read the sign above the clerks desk and even in the rooms it says “sick/injured animals will be treated first for the safety of the staff/public”. So if your animal is getting their teeth cleaned or a freaking parvo vaccine, then yeah you might have to wait for the dog thats bleeding….. I only waited literally prob 2 minutes, got escorted to a room, then 2 minutes later had a nurse check his temp, then 5 minutes Dr Watts came in and felt my dogs stomach for literally 10 minutes straight, but before that she greeted my dog and gave it a kiss and a hug. They did not even try to sell me a plan, or anything. In fact, Dr.Watts(in Arlington TX, gave me a worst case estimate about the x rays. My puppy might have a blockage, the x ray was not very conclusive, as x rays can only really give ideas about bones and show some gas. Dr Watts actually explained everything to me, I’m studying for my law degree, but i still don’t understand all of the doctor lingo. She was great, and about the price, at least Banfield allows you to get a card and get 6,9,12 months of 0% interest, i don’t know many clinics that will give you that option up front. I was not pressured to buy any extra services or pressured to make a decision. I really appreciated this place, and no i do NOT work for this company, nor do i get any kick back( if your reading this and want to give me a kick back just give me a number).
Any big company, your going to get bad and good reviews. However think about this, if you get good service at Bestbuy(just an example), are you going to actively go on websites and message boards and tell about it, or are you just going to mention by word of mouth. However if you have a bad experience, your going to go to EVERY website and EVERY message board and give the worst case scenario. Come on people, actually think about it, if people are pissed they will try defame any company and try and “bring it down”, when in all realty if you read this website and think you can make a blanket idea about a company, then you should really reconsider your life. Actually go to a clinic, speak to one of their vets, and make your own decision.
Your statement: “…if you have a bad experience, your going to go to EVERY website and EVERY message board and give the worst case scenario.” is ridiculous. We (the people with complaints) experienced the “worst case scenario” at our local Banfields and we’re relaying our bad experiences to hopefully save other pet lovers from having the same trouble.
Also – “if you get good service at Bestbuy(just an example), are you going to actively go on websites and message boards and tell about it, or are you just going to mention by word of mouth.” You are on this message board and writing a positive review – so you’re contradicting yourself. Several other people have written great reviews here, and I’m glad you had a good experience, but out of 4 PAGES of reviews, the negative ones far outweigh the positive.
Oh, and one more thing: “at least Banfield allows you to get a card and get 6,9,12 months of 0% interest, i don’t know many clinics that will give you that option up front.” Just about any vet you go to can offer Care Credit – it’s a credit card specifically for use at vets and certain (human) health care needs. If your credit is good enough, the vet’s office takes care of the application for you and you can use the credit for the same visit. So… now you know.
Oh and one more thing, about these wellness plans. If you can’t read a contract correctly, then DON’T SIGN IT. You don’t have to have a law degree to understand terms and conditions, and if you still don’t understand it, then pay a lawyer to explain it to you. Secondly, why would you go with their plan anyway? its wayyyy overpriced, you can find way better deals online. Just google pet health insurance, or talk to any private vet secretary, do not talk to a vet, as they have no clue about billing. You need to talk to the secretary/clerk, cause they will be able to give you a better insight. Most health insurance plans reinburse 80% and you can go to any vet
TS first off, I was looking at reviews after I took him to Banfield, and how did I contradict myself? I said if you had a bad experience of course your going to go to every website and message board and talk trash, if your satisfied then you don’t feel the need. I wrote that, because all of these negative reviews are scarying people away from a company. You see people who say ” I scheduled an appt and now I am reconsidering due to all of these negative responses”. I did not contradict myself, because I stated that if you had a bad experience then your more than willing to go on the internet and trash a company that you really don’t know. You didn’t even use full quotes, you took a peice and then spun it a different way, next time you want to take my quotes, at least take all of it before you try and spin it.
Also, go to http://www.carecredit.com that is the credit line, type in your zip code and see if ALL of your vets take it, cause guess what, not all of mine do. I pulled up 3 vets that took it in my area, when i googled my same area I had over 50 vets. So your claim that “Just about everybody takes it”, is completely false. DO some of your own research before you start tearing into my post.
http://www.carecredit.com go there and look up your zip code, I had only 3 vets that took that card. However when you google my zip code I had over 50 vets in my area. So not all vets take that line of credit. I understand some of you had negative experiences, and I’m not here saying all of you are wrong, however post the specific clinic(address) and the doctors who gave you poor service. That is the only way to weed out the bad clinics and vets, if this website is set up to help people then they need more information than “DONT GO THERE”. There is nothing illegal about listing this information, unless you’re giving blatant slander. I gave my own experience, which was a great one.
Secondly, this is the internet, ANYONE can post, and say they are ex vets, ex employees, current employees, or even that they are a customer of Banfield. The internet gives people anonymity. The only point I wanted to make was you can’t give a stereotype to a company, if you see one doctor one time at one location.
OK – you want specifics? The Banfield I went to is on Airport Blvd. in Mobile, AL and the vet is Dr. Weed.
There are several websites with similar complaints about Banfield. And when this many people have complaints about a company, I feel pretty comfortable telling others to avoid going there.
(I wrote my post yesterday about the waiting time and a bad brand of vaccine)
I just want to make it clear, I didn’t write my post to tell people not to go to Banfield, I am just sharing my experience. I believe the doctors are good, but the problem is that they are understaffed. I appreciate the replies from Bandfield, it shows that they care about their customer opnions.
My main issue is the waiting time and yes, I know emergencies go first, but there was no emergencies. I have no problem waiting 1 hour…but 2, 3, 4 I think is too much.
I’m writing a post about how thankful I am about the Bandfield I take my cat to. I have moved around a lot and as such, decided to stick with a vet who I knew. Because of this I feel I can say, with more experience, there are good Bandfields and there are bad. Just like there are good McDonald’s etc, etc.
Not that I have ever had a horrible experience as some of the people posting on here but you also have to compare the ratios. This is a NATIONAL vet chain being compared to local vets. Of course there is going to be more press involved with a company that services so many people. No one in Ohio cares if the local vet in Texas is great or smells funny…
Anyway, the Bandfield I currently take my cat to is in Asheville NC and the last time I was there the doctor sat down with me for twenty minutes, well past closing time, answering all of my questions and giving me information and books and websites to fact check her as well. I have had Furgeson on the Wellness Plan for a few years and am grateful for cutting the price of his teeth cleaning alone. And whenever I call, the nurses there make an effort to figure out the problem over the phone, knowing how Furg hates to travel.
I ran into a problem once with my records getting mixed up with an old roommate (we would come in together often) and when I explained that I didn’t have any contact with her, the nurses there did all the work, calling her, getting her to come in and fix the forms. (This was one in Savannah GA.) It wasn’t their problem (she had my credit card number in her files) since she no longer went there but they still fixed it because I couldn’t.
I hope this helps some people, I know we get up in arms about our pets, they have no one else to advocate for them but I just wanted to leave this comment about my GOOD experience. And that I continue to frequent their establishment.
I want to voice my concern with Banfield and how I feel that I was robbed. I took my Great Dane to the Knightdale, NC location. I enrolled her in the pet wellness program (i also had a free visit coupon) after pricing it came out to be the same $50.00. So i agreed. When my dog was returned to me she was covered in feces. I had to clean her before leaving. The vet then said that if she was to be seen again they would charge me $80/visit. And she looked frightened. I then decided 2 weeks later to cancel the service, and not put my dog through another ordeal. I was told I only had 4 days to cancel. Ok, bad on me. But when i called I was told i was to be charged $62.90 for the plan, which was never used, no claims submitted etc.
I explained at the time of visit i paid everything out of pocket. They said, we waived the fee and so since youre canceling you have to pay the fee. Can someone explain this logic to me. I can understand proration, prorate the 1st month and charge me for the 2 weeks, but $62.90!
I then went straight to Tractor Supply, bought her vaccinations for $7.00 and innoculated her myself.
My recommendation, innoculate your pet yourself. Its cheaper and less hardship for the animal.
that is TERRIBLE!!!!!!! you do not know how to give vaccinations and your dog is not guaranteed to be protected! you don’t know where those vaccines came from or how old they are. you could injure or kill your dog.
Terrible customer service. We were going to the location in Missouri City/Sugar Land (Texas) but the wait times and general lack of consideration for their customers was unbelievably bad. We’ll be taking our pets back into Houston for their care.
i work at missouri city and i cant speak for everybody but i personally see a client the minute they walk in the door and explain everything step-by-step. I give my clients the best experience possible and do my best to get you in and out as fast as i can without minimal waiting. Ive never had a client wait for longer than 5 min. They are immediatly checked in and placed in a room and a nurse is in there in no less than ten min. Your hospital in houston probably has more than one doctor but unfortunatly we dont. Im sorry you had a bad experience but i hope you will to decide to giv Mo City Banfield another chance…ask for me !
I love the Banfield I go to in Casselberry, FL. The staff are always focused, helpful, and kind. When my cat started having coughing and wheezing fits the Dr. took a very sensible route in narrowing down potential causes. She was aware that I dont have a lot of money, so we first tried a few common problems with inexpensive treatments before resorting to x rays to look for asthma. It turns out that her and the radiologist are very suspicious of asthma, so my cat was prescribed steroids to treat the inflammation in the lungs; being that I had no idea how to treat a cat for asthma, the Dr. took time out of her busy schedule to bring her cat in the next day to show me how she administers the inhaler.
Ok… Why is my picture showing up in my posts?
Anyway, I should mention that signing up for the optimum wellness plan saved me about $150 so far, the x rays and everything else that they did was around $900 normally, while I paid $350 plus the rest of the payments of $32/month. So not only did I save money on what I had to get done anyway, now I have access to a bunch of free services for the next 12 months, and the best part? No financing fees.
Has the software for electronic records been improved so that I can now see my own Baruch’s record whenever I want. Just like I can with Kaiser Permanente now and Aetna last year for me?
I must say I am in complete disbelief with this company, my dog simba has been a banfield member for over five years and thousands of dollars. Simba is a 25lbs lhasa and yes is miserable any time he comes near the vet. I have repeatedly asked the vet if there was something I could give him so that he would be relaxed before his appointment or if needed please sedate him, he is a good dog until they try to work with him and then he thinks he’s a pit. We were never given anything to help him and once when speaking with the vet about his issue was told that she see’s him ” because all animals need to be seen”. So wasn’t it a great surprise when I came to pick up simba after his last wellness visit that I was told should not renew his plan… I asked why and was told that it is to stressful for the dog and with his issue that he would proably be cancelled anyway. I wasn’t told this by the vet she couldn’t be bothered and as I stood there crying my eyes out wondering why why could they not have tried to help him, I have heard that there are other vets whom have used meds for the comfort of animals but with my repeated questions about this I was never given an answer, and now my dog has no vet, but don’t forget your payment is still due for the next couple of months. So now I need to make a few phone calls and let the people that I reffered to banfield know of my treatment with them… Please if your looking for a vet that will listen to you about your animals needs this is Not the place to come and will let everyone I can know this .
Have you not considered taking the time to go through training classes? You would be seriously suprised by the amount of improvment your pet would make through such senarios of stress that really poin-point the focus between you and your loved pet and sharpen it. Not only do the classes develop that, but also they develop a confort level with strangers, examinations, abnormal surroundings creating stressful sights/sounds/smells/feels/etc… Consider this…. it may help you become less stressful as well.
I would not say your dog thinks he is a pit. I would say your dog things he is a dog who feel threatened. I am not a fan of the pitbull breed as I believe it is a breed that is overbred. However, dogs are products of their owners and how they are treated. You can fix that behavior with the proper training. So please don’t bash on or make assumptions of dog breeds.
I haven’t had any problems with the veterinarian who owns the practice herself (though another vet who worked there briefly was horrible), but customer service is completely unknown to Wellness Relations. I asked a customer representative several times to speak to a supervisor, and she refused to transfer me – she actually said, “I don’t care how many times you ask to speak to a supervisor, I am not going to transfer you.” I work with the public as a supervisor, and none of my co-workers would even consider refusing to allow a customer to speak to a supervisor. That is downright un-American.
I took my 8yr old chihuhua to Banfield recently when my regular Vet was closed for what appeared to be an ear infection. They confirmed the infection but claimed it was due to a tumor in his ear and wanted to set up an appt. for surgery a couple days later. Being he had a wellness exam a month prior at his regular vet with no concerns a month earlier I brought him there for a second opinion only to find there was no tumor and Banfield jumped the gun, the apparent tumor was inflammation from the infection. This was the first time I took him to Banfield and would assume they have a well trained staff but that was also my last. To further my point before we went there I called about an appointment on a saturday when they are open till 7. They had a 5 and 6 o’clock time available for which I took the 5. We were led into a room at 6:30, upon which my dog got the ear swap and the tech said there appeared to be an infection. They took him into the back to look further and I was told to hangout in the store and they would call me back when they looked further into it. This was followed up by myself and the vet discussing the assumed tumor and the options and trying to sell me the wellness plan while my dog was nowhere to be found until I paid the $205 for the visit and meds and trying to set up the next appt. but they had already shut down to computers for close. All in all if it doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t, be caustious and seek a second opinion.
Banfields diagnosis for everything is a tumor or cancer. Always get a second opinion. I did and saved myself thousands of dollars.
Well I for one, agree with anyone who advives to “steer clear” of Banfield.
When I was employee in 2009, I thought it was the best time of my life. My pets were getting discounted wellness plans, their vaccines and all that good stuff taken care of. What amazed me first off, when I was moved to a different hospital to better further my employment, the doctors there tried to have me fired. SO naturally I quit.
Since then, I’ve had my dogs, moved to 2 different hospitals, (family moves due to military moves), and each move they screwed up our medical records saying things were available that were not, or services that should be available were not.
What finally kicked the bucket for me, was 2 visits (each unrealted to each other). 1st visit, the doctor told me that one of my dogs had conjunctivitis, (failed to mention it was contagious to our other pets, thankfully I knew that though) and during the visit prior to his diagonsis he started probing the eye very harshly, since then the poor dogs eye has failed to heal properly on his 3rd eyelid. The infection is gone though.
and the 2nd visit, I was told I was a horrible pet parent because I used the furminator on my 2 thick coated dogs. (which banfield endorssed the product when it first came out mind you) and I was also an unfit dog parent for allowing my dog to be bit by a fire ants, and I was coming in for the prevenatitive medication to prevent it from getting infected.
So they have lost my trust, they have no “compassion” as they advertise.
So take it from me “steer clear” of Banfield. or learn the hardway.
Banfield is not the place to take your pet. Why I say because for one they are very rude. When you call about your pet, they act like they don’t want to talk. Hello, that’s what they are there for. Sure, I do understand that they have other people in need of help, but I mean come on they say they will call you back after they ask the doctor but they never do. I have an 8-month-old Chihuahua, which I love to death, and every time I would take her to the vet, the wait would be crazy long.
And they are way to pricey. I mean come on $50.00 for just a shot that’s way too much just for one shot. Then I took my 8-week-old Schnauzer over to Banfield about a few weeks ago just to get a checkup. Mind you she only 8weeks old they gave her frontline for fleas and it made her really sick. So, I told her back over there to tell them what she has been doing since I got her home. All they was saying “well to this will have to be this and its going to cost this much money”.
I hate to say it but all they are worried about is money. Then they said well she might have provo so they had to run a test for that, which was 46 and some change, which I was happy she didn’t have provo. So, they ask me what I gave her today I told them nothing. So they ask me about worms and fleas mind you I was just in there earlier that day. I said ‘no”, then I said wait you all gave her frontline today. So the doctor went out the room and came back in and said well she will be fine just keep a eye on her.
So I bought some frontline out of PetSmart because everyone told me not to give her frontline yet. On the box it say “DON’T USE ON PETS UNDER 12 WEEKS OF AGE.I went back over there and gave them the box and said she is only 8 weeks so why the fu** did you give her frontline for and they didn’t have anything to say. So I told them if she dies, they will see me again and I made sure that I have the papers that they gave me when I took her to get the frontline. So please if you love your pet DON’T TAKE IT TO BANFIELD. She is fine having not been sick and is being seen by another vet.Banfield: monroe nc 28110 704-238-8223
Banfield vets are absolutely ridiculous and appalling! They have been treating my STRAY dog since May and they kept telling me they needed xrays, ultrasounds, finally surgery! Then, once they told me the dog was heartworm positive, they convinced me to sign up for the wellness plan and now after they suckered me into doing all of these damn tests, they’ve determined the dog is too “high risk” for heartworm treatments and are refusing to treat her! The vet’s quote to me was “If the dog dies during treatment, I have to fill out 6 months worth of paperwork, it’s not like when the dog dies, that’s it.” WOW! Just, wow.
STAY FAR AWAY!!!
Poor business practices, little to no service, grossly overpriced, and impossible to get away from!!
The will renew you contract with them despite repeated calls requesting to do so. There is no escape. At this point I can’t even pay it off to get them to go away as the won’t allow it.
I have been taking my pets to see Dr. Mike @ the Petsmart located: Brodie Oaks, Austin TX. My 3yr. old dog has been seen several times by 3 different Dr. and he is still in the same condition. The Dr.’s have recommended several meds( expensive) and my dog is still not better. First they tolded me it was ear infection ( my dogs was losing his coat) I did everything Banfield doctors recommended and my dog still isnt better. I was never informed by the staff that I had to bring him in for next set of annual shots, ( took him in and never told that he needed to come back in 2 wks for the 2nd dose’s)when I took my other dog in, for her 2nd set of shots, i ask why I wasn’t inform of my other dog shots , the assistant said , they forgot. Banfield doctors dont know what they are doing, its all about the money. Be ware of the Banfield clinics @ Petsmart. Both of my dogs are still ill. Don’t fall into the $$$ trap!!!!!! Banfield states that they care about our pets, Bull Shit, they care only about how my $$$ they can get from us, because they know we love our pets.. I will never take my pets to Banfield. If you love you pets, stay away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Took my dog Sadie to the Banfield Clinic Brodie Oaks, Austin TX. Was recommened the Banfield flea system for my dogs. Agreed to purchase 2 boxes, $100.00. My dogs have been using Frontline for 3 yrs. When I arrived home, I applied the fleas med to my dogs, my Sadie went nuts, for 2 days she was extremely agitated, and kept rolling around on her back, trying to get the med off!!!! She broke out in red bumps all over her body. It looked like she was on heavy meds, she went crazy. I tried to wash her body to remove the flea med, ( still didn’t help) I called the Banfield office, left a message , office was closed, never received a call back, went in to the office the following Monday and asked why know one call me back, was told that they didn’t know they had an answering machine and know one had check it. The female doctor that I talked to recommened Benedryl to calm her down. Talked with Dr. Mike (head man for the clinic), explained what happened and that I would like to get my $$$ back so that I could go back to the product Frontline, since my dogs never had a reaction to it. They would not give me all the $$$ since I had used the product!!!!!!! I asked if they were going to pay for my dogs dr. visit since she broke out in a rash, they wouldn’t answer me. I just think its bad business to sell you a product and if it effect you pets in a negative way, the Banfield Clinic should refund all your $$$!!!! Banfield will never get another dollar from me. I will not continue on the Pet Plus Plan. If they won’t pay, neither will I!!!!!!!!!!! Bad Business, if you love you pets, stay away from these type of business that sell you their products but dont stand by their products…… I will let everyone know they way Banfield and Dr. Mike conduct business. ITS ALL ABOUT THE $$$$$, NOT OUR PETS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lisa,
This is the same Banfield (Brodie Oaks, Austin Texas) location that I brought my dog to. My comment is a little bit above yours. They told me the dog had heartworms and convinced me to get on the wellness plan, told me she needed xrays, told me she needed certain foods, told me she needed ultrasounds, etc. Now, they’ve sent me to see a specialist and they are refusing to continue treating my dog for heartworms. They will NOT treat her! So, I’m paying $40.00/monthly for the premium wellness plan and I can’t even get my dog treated! It’s appalling! I cannot believe the service over at this location, from the girls at the front desk, to the “Chief of Staff”, to the other vets. They are ridiculous, money hungry bastards, aren’t they?! I refuse to ever step foot in another Petsmart or Banfield again, EVER!
banfield can’t give you all your money back. you have to go through what i’m guessing is FirstShield’s customer service line. they determine whether or not your pet’s reaction was related to applying FirstShield then they give permission to banfield to take it back. they need this permission because banfield needs to send back the product.
i took by 7yr old boxer to banfield in Silverdale, WA. for a suspected UTI. i was there for over 2hrs, before the Doctor even came to see harleigh, and she only spent approx 5mins with her, checked her heart said she had a healthy heart, and the doc felt for lumps or bumps on her abdomin and took a urine sample which she confirmed she had a UTI. she prescribed three different meds, and out the door i was over $230 later. three days go by and harleigh stopped eating. i took her back to the vet, the vet again palpated harleigh abdomin and said she felt nothing, said to stop giving her one of the meds so i did,and she scheduled me to come back the following friday, even though i said she still was incontinent and had not pooped for over a week. 4 days later she still wasnt eating, she was emaciated, her gums were white, and her nose was dry. i called banfield again to get her in right away, and was told i would have to wait until the following day, i asked what i could do to get harleigh to eat, and the receptionist said they dont give medical advise over the phone, and said i would have to wait. so canceled my appt. and called anther vet who got her in, and she found a tumor twice the size of her bladder and a heart murmur within 10mins of seeing harleigh. i ended up having to put harleigh down yesterday. So what one vet brushed off as a UTI, the other found a life ending tumor. my advice is to never step foot into a banfield vet, the docs dont know their face from there A**. and dont care about your pets well being, only about the money
I made an appointment for 9 am for a dip. Dropped my dog off promptly and was told it would be several hours. Then waited all day for no call. When I showed up at 3:30, they told me it hadn’t been done because the girl who does it left!!!! What? They just plain forgot my dog in a kennel with no food or water for 6 1/2 hours!!!! Simple as that. My husband prepaid for this nonservice and they couldn’t figure out how to reimburse him when he just wanted to get his dog and go. Outragious!!!!! I ignoranly signed up for a puppy plan and certainly don’t want to take my poor puppy back to that place so I guess I’ll pay big. Watch yourself. Take your animals to vets that won’t forget them in the back room!!!!!!!!! I’m through the roof with anger!!!!!!!
After going here 3 times we only saw the vet ONCE. The other times we took our dogs in to have their teeth cleaned she said our healthy dog had HGE and they charged us over $200 to give her fluids and had every intention of doing this process again for 3 days in a row. Banfield will call you to authorize services being done BEFORE they do it but not here, they called to tell us she was already hooked up to fluids and it would be over $200. Even after telling us how sick our dog was the vet never came out to talk to us, we never saw her. Being that our dog had NO symptoms we took her back to our old vet who said she looked fine. When we spoke to the owner, he said “Maybe you’ve been going to Banfiled for over 10 years but you haven’t been coming to MY Banfield for over 10 years” He was rude and tried to barter with us saying if we came back to “his” office he’d give us discounts on some of our services. THIS VET OFFICE JUST WANTS YOUR MONEY AND HAS NO CONCERN FOR YOUR PET.
My post is referring to the Banfiled in Louisville Colorado. LOVE the vet in Aurora CO – Dr. Starman
Hi I am taken back with all the comments about Banfeild Over the past several years I too have had some questions about their doctors and medications Does any one from Waterbury CT have similar concerns
Do you mean the Waterbury, CT store, where the vet is selling her “love” novels, that she wrote, in the reception area? It is the most unprofessional vet I have ever seen. I question if she even is a real vet. I don’t know why anyone would take their pet to a place that is selling what looks to be cheap romance novels. I hope she is a better writer than vet!
On behalf of Banfield, The Pet Hospital, we apologize for your experience with our Waterbury, Conn. hospital. While our associates do engage in outside activities, we ask they keep them separate from the work place. As a veterinary practice, our sole focus is providing high-quality veterinary medicine to each and every Pet we treat. As such, these novels have been permanently removed from the hospital.
I have been using Banfield since I purchaed my puppy back in March. All seemed to be fine, so I continued. First they gave him some meds that he had a reaction to–I felt they were pushed onto me. Second I paid them to empty his anal glands, and when I went to a different vet yesterday, he told me that the amount he removed from this poor puppy’s gland was at least 6 months worth (gosh I have only owned him ALMOST 5 months).
The only good thing that has came out of Banfield is he was fixed at a decent price (have their health plan) & his shots are covered until the year is up (under the health plan).
So from this time forward, I will only be taking him for things that are covered for free under the health plan, and I will take him to my new vet for everything else.
I wish I had researched complaints from this website before signing up for a year contract for my pet. I would have NEVER put him or me under the care of Banfield. Now I do not have the safey zone feeling to take him back. I have made 3 calls now to see what I need to cancel my contract. Today I have been on hold for 20 minutes (cell phone) to try to talk with someone. This is my 3rd time to cal and had to hang up each time after 15 or 20 minutes. I see this helpline runs about the same as going to the Banfield clinic. The wait doesn’t bother them. I do see that someone from Banfield reads these complains. If you do and have a number that I can phone without this long hold please emmail it me. I am on my cell and at work so I need to talk with someone. Thanks
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
Diane,
I can actually give you a couple of numbers that might help you. To answer your first question, our Wellness Plan team can walk you through cancellation options. The number is 888-649-2716.
Also, please understand that many complaints may be specific to certain locations. These issues may not, and hopefully won’t, apply to your location. However, if you would like to speak with our team about specific concerns or issues you have about your location, you can call our advocacy line at 866-500-2288.
I know there have been several comments in this forum recently, and we hope to acknowledge as many as possible. Please be patient and we will take the time to read them and respond when necessary!
Thank you.
INSENSITIVE!!?
I had been taking my little sweet chihuahua here since she was a baby, About a month ago she got sick and I took her in. They ran blood tests and I was given very horrible news that she was severely ill and to save her would cost thousands of dollars. In giving me the news they were very cold and insensitive. I felt like they were treating me like a number, no compassion for my beloved pet. The doctor never even came into the room to introduce him/herself and tell me the full situation, I had different nurses the entire time. It was heart breaking. When I had to make the terrible decision to put her to sleep they gave me some time to say goodbye. Less then 5 min!! Then as I was saying goodbye to Ruby my little chihuahua baby and making peace with myself and the awful decision I had to make, A nurse walked in took my little dog and said do you care if we dissect her for learning purposes? I was incomplete shock and disgust for the lack of insensitivity!!! I was such a wreck already I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I called the next morning and told them I would no longer be going there and they sounded like they could care less. I would tell anyone one who loves their pet to not take them here!!!! They are a corporate business who’s employees lack passion and love for the animals that come in!
The worst part is now I have to wonder what they did to my little dog after I left. It is an awful feeling =(
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
Gina,
We’re so sorry to hear about the loss of Ruby, and we are also sorry that you are feeling this way after your experience at a Banfield. Please feel encouraged to call our advocacy line to discuss your experience: 877-500-2288. We’d be happy to hear from you.
I got a puppy and signed up for their “Wellness Plan.” They charged me 21.95 a month and then I was diagnosed with Cancer. I had to get rid of the dog immediately since I would be in and out of the hospital weekly. I was 6 months in to my membership when I called their main phone line at 800-838-6738 (on hold for 32 min’s) to cancel the membership since I no longer had a pet and need the money to pay for medical bills for myself and food. …Well screw my needs. To cancel you have to pay out the remainder of the 12-MONTH PERIOD you signed up for initially (which the locals failed to mention). Yes it’s in the contract, but have some humanity and compassion you corporate pigs. If someone has a genuine need to get out of this then let them. The gal who answered said “yeah my mom had cancer,” thanks, that was helpful. Now I get to decide if I want a phone line or if I want to eat for the next 6 months. I think I’ll stick with the phone since I’m throwing up all my food anyway. Thanks Banfield.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
Jason,
The best number to call to discuss your cancellation options is 888-649-2716, which is the line to our Wellness Plan Relations team. Please know that any payment that you still owe is only for services that have already been used or the cost of the Wellness Plan, whichever is less expensive. In other words, if the services you received cost less than the Wellness Plan, then you are certainly not required to continue paying. Again, feel free to call the number above with any questions.
I just had my 7 year old yorkie poo operated on for bladder stones at Banfield for 42 stones, yep 42!! I just had a call from the vet with the results of the type of stones; calcium oxalate advising we should change the diet again. The dog was placed on the Royal Canin Hypoallergenic diet about a year and a half ago. It is a prescription diet that costs about $26 a month. The vet said the diet caused the stones because of his metabolism. If yorkies are prediposed to oxalate stones why in the world would a diet be prescibed that could cause the same condition?? The food was prescribed for diarhhea that could not be cleared up with over the counter food which cleared up almost immediately…just one problem bladder stones later. No followup was ever done on this dog even though they knew this could happen to him so now we should trust them again to prescribe another diet??? I was never told the food could cause this condition and I feel that you should always be told of possible side effects especially when they are known. I feel like my poor dog is an experiment and I am out $1200 and 3 vacation days to care for my baby. I would like to hear the Banfield reply.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
Brenda,
First, we want to say that we hope your Yorkie Poo is doing well after the surgery. Because our customer outreach team is not equipped to answer questions related to the specific care of your dog, we recommend asking your Banfield vet any questions about diet. We wish we were better suited to answer your question, but we trust that the vet can help clarify this for you. As always, our customer advocacy line is available at 877-500-2288.
I’ve taken both my little dog and my tabby kitten to Banfield for checkups and the front desk service was alright at first but!Get back there with the vet and all they will do is try and sell you their wellness plan;which can exceed 1,000 dollars afte initials fees and after 1 year;and no matter what you tell the vet,they will not stop trying to sll it.And forget about callng them to ask a simple question-all they’ll try and do is sell you more shit-EVEN WHEN YOU EXPLAIN YOU’VE ALREADY DONE WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO COME IN AND GET DONE!And the people who answer are never helpful,honest or even know what they’re talking about;a lady tried to tell me there was a lot of things wrong with my cat and all that’s wrong is he has worms-simple solution to that but she tried to make it seem like he was dying;she hadn’t even seen him in person!And then she tried to tell me only a vet can treat tapeworms; bullshit.he had them when he was younger and we got tradewinds worm tabs-ACTIVE INGREDIENT PRAZIQUANTEL-and she tried to say preziquantel wouldnt work.Utter bullshit the whole place.I’m never going to take my pets their again or even ask them for help or to answer a simple question;i know more about animals then half their vet techs!Fuck Banfield pet hospital and their lack oc concern,selfishness,and ignorance about animal healthcare;fuck them.
Today I cancelled my Banfield First Year Pet Contract. Tonight I rest in peace over my choice. if I had read this site before signing the contract I would never have trusted my pet to this company. I have never had a rude experience with the Pensacola group but I had questions from day one. I did not feel the love for my pet nor did i feel the comfort of taking a 10 week old puppy to them and have him taken to the back room and how scared he must have been not knowing any of them. the first red flag was all the product that was always suggested that I needed. Being a new pet owner I trusted what they said. Counting the shampoo the Pet Smart people told me that I needed then 2 the doctor said I needed I had bought 3 shampoos at 20 dollars a bottle in 3 weeks. Plus a conditioner for his skin..plus a medicine for his itch. This itch only started after he was given his first treatment of Tick and Flea for our area of the country. I see many complaints of the same problem with this product reading on here. thank each of you that have taken the time to write…I wish I had viewed these before signing the contract. Live and learn. My Buddy may have been ok there. My comfort zone had been broken. Now I will take him to the places where I know people have taken their pets and gotten great care with all the sales pitch.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
Diane,
We wish the best for you and your Pet! We’re sorry that you did not feel comfortable at your local Banfield.
As with many products applied to a Pet’s skin, there is the potential for your dog to experience irritation during or after the application, although this and other reactions are not very common. Just so you know, Banfield chooses to recommend the FirstShield™ line of products as our preferred preventative because of the qualities such as a faster ability to kill fleas without needing them to bite the Pet.
In the future, the decision of which flea or tick prevention is used should be a collaboration between you and your vet since there are several types of preventatives on the market. You sound like a very thoughtful new pet owner, and we know you’re going to be a great caregiver for your dog. That’s a lucky pup!
I can’t believe it!
I’ve been a client of Banfield for a year and a half, have my German Shepherd on a Wellness Plan and my cat is also a patient there. The reason I chose the Wellness Plan is that before I discovered Banfield I had my cat in a cat clinic, because she was considered “aggressive” and I was advised to give her tranquilizer every time I brought her in. there were times when I couldn’t afford taking my cat to the vet, and I had to make a very hard choices to go by. Thanks to Wellness Plan these times are over, I pay predictable monthly payment, don’t have to pay for any visits, even if I decide to bring my dog to see a vet every day. The vet is very friendly and considerate and all the staff just adore my dog. i feel very confident leaving my dog there for a day of test, and a funny thing she loves to go to Banfield. Maybe I am wrong, but I never had anybody trying to sell me on any costly treatments, the staff was always tactful about giving me options of treatment. The reason they will tell you about the cost up front is to save you from any surprises later on. It is not all about the money, and if you are not able to afford it they will come up with solution that in the best interest of your pet. My dog was suffering from allergies, and the vet suggested the approach which was more time consuming but absolutely free of charge, instead of trying to sell me on allergy tests which are hundreds of dollars. I am trying to be a responsible pet owner, and I wouldn’t let my pet suffer no mater what.
I got to Banfield totally accidentally, but I am so glad I did. I know I can always count on them to take care of my pets.
I also was very surprised when I had a problem with my credit card (the number changed and I wasn’t notified) and the wellness plan charge was declined because of it. I was so embarrassed and I was expecting they will be giving me a hard time, but nobody said a word to me about it, I had no collection calls, just received a reminder by mail, and when I call the lady i spoke with was very nice and helpful, changed my information and that was it.
i will be a client of Banfield for life, no mater what kind of craziness you put in your comments I know what’s best for my animals. I would highly recommend Banfield office in Petsmart in Parma, Ohio. Hope you find a vet, who is kind like mine. Thank you Dr. Kirby I appreciate your attention to my four legged friends.
took my dog in to have glans expressed she is a mess! have never had her act like this before so i called them today, girl said its normal nopeee its not!!! i have had many little dogs over my life time so i guess i will take her to another vet. also called BANFIELD to make sure to cancel/ DO NOT RENEW well that went over like a bomb young man was quiet rude “think of all the money you will be wasting” ?? “well its your money” i would never EVER recommend these people to anyone in the year i have used them from the front desk to vets they are all about money i didnt not get a sense that they cared about my dog at all and she’s all i have.. so sad thank you for listening GOD BLESS YOU ALL
Please stay away from the Banfield hospital in East Hanover, NJ. I took my 14 year old cat in to have them look at two lumps on his head and shoulder. I waited almost 30 minutes to get into a room and then 45 minutes for the vet to see us. After taking his vitals, the vet looked at his lumps, decided that there was a good chance that they were cancerous and needed removal ASAP. She said that the lumps may be very uncomfortable for my cat and she would have them removed if she had the lumps on her body! It was a Saturday and they wanted to schedule for Monday. I asked for an estimate for the surgery because we are on a strict budget. I was told it would cost $1500 and the vet implied she was doing me a favor because they were cleaning his teeth at the same time and that it was actually going to save me money. I was very concerned about his age and the impact of anesthesia and the vet told me it wasn’t a problem at all. I told her that I needed to think about it and would let them know on Monday. I left the place in tears.
I did nothing for a couple of weeks because my cat seemed perfectly fine otherwise and had for over a year. I finally took him to another vet that immediately identified the lumps as benign and very common in cats, especially cats his age. When I asked if I should remove them anyway, she said that surgery is not recommended as his age and that he should be fine. They drained the lumps, did some basic blood work which turned out normal.
The most disturbing part of my experience is that my next door neighbor had the almost identical problem. Her 4 year old Boxer had a lump on his side that the Banfield vet identified as “attached to the muscle and probably cancerous”. The wanted to perform surgery ASAP. I told her about my experience, she got a second opinion and found that the lump was NOT attached to the muscle and was a BB from a child’s gun (he was a rescue dog from Georgia that had suffered serious abuse). Removal of the BB was not required or recommended.
I will NEVER go to a Banfield hospital and neither will any of our family, friends or neighbors.
Last Saturday, 9-11-2010, I came home from work to a sick cat. She wouldn’t eat or drink and was drooling and had very smelly breath. She was 14 years old so I didn’t think I should wait until Monday to see my regular vet. I took her to Banfield. I thought it must be a bad tooth.
They had trouble looking in her mouth so they suggested they drug her just enough to look. I agreed to that. First they insisted they had to do blood work. Ok I agreed to that.
I did comment on the assistants dirty appearance, her hands and nails were just filthy and her smock was covered in hair. She said she looked like that all the time.
When the young lady vet came in she was just as dirty!
They finally took my Sassy in for this “surgical look” and I could watch them through the glass in the door. I was more than a little surprised that neither of them washed thier hands first, or put on gloves or a clean smock. I should add here that they had first given me a paper to sign that the cost was $350. And I agreed to pay that amount and signed it.
Finally I saw them pick up Sassy and move her to another room. The vet then came to me and said, I’m sorry but it is cancer and very bad.
She recommended that we just put her to sleep. so I said ok. I was crying and very upset. I wanted to stay with Sassy while then euthanized her so my son and I went in when they had her ready.
We said our good byes and kept out hands on her until she was gone.
I was shocked that the lady in there was gowned, masked and gloved to euthanize her but they were filthy when they operated on her.
Didn’t make any sense to me. I went to pay the bill and almost had a heart attack when she said $705.!!!!!!!!!!!!! Really????????
Does Banfiels take advantage of people? I sure think so!
I would never go back there. In fact Petsmart has also lost a customer.
What a shame.
I have written a letter of complaint to Banfield and I hope it will do some good but after reading these other posts I doubt it.
unfortunately, corporate has a set cost for euthanization and cremation. it’s one of the few things i hate about their costs. a 8lbs cat should not be charged the same fee as a 100lbs dog.
I am an ex employee at a Banfield. I can tell you my experiences and you can judge for yourself. I worked for some good doctors and then again i worked for doctors who should be locked up. I first quit because i witnessed a Banfield doctor abusing pets inside the hospital. I told everyone from my managers at the hospital all the way up to the corporate offices. Nothing was done about it, except for my Director of Petnurses coming to me and telling me if i had a doctor who i had a problem with, i would have to bring it up with them. I was also told to quit doctor bashing. On that day me and the other tech working walked out. I was called back 9 months later by another, good doctor to come back. I was told things were changing for the better and i went back part time. Unfortunately things had not changed much. Many doctors in our area were let go recently. Some for the good and some for the bad. The doctor which called me back was let go for some trumped up charges, vet techs as well, and i decided to give my notice. 5 minutes after giving my notice, walked in the reason why i could never work for this company again. Another pet coming in the be Euthanized because of careless actions taken by another Banfield doctor. These are the doctors who are now left in my area. Doctors from international schools, with inadequate training, who do not perform quality medicine. I know personally that illegal practices are being performed in most Banfield hospitals. One of the reasons our good doctor quit is because the company’s practice is to hire Petnurses who are not Licensed Technicians. This means they can pay them less and still have them do the job of some who has been trained and licensed to perform dental cleanings, insert catheters, and other duties. I know for a fact that i was not a licensed tech and performed numerous anesthetic procedures i was not legally able to perform. Please do not take your pets to these locations. They are owned by Mars, which is, you guessed it, M&M Mars corp. They are not a medical company, just another food corporation pushing their products throw the smoke and mirrors of a Vet clinic.
This is the biggest rip-off. I will not shop at PetSmart as long as they’re associated with this company. I adopted two kittens at a PetSmart adoption event. Turns out they both had ringworm. I took the kittens in for vaccinations and consultation for ringworm. $237 the first visit. $241 the second visit. Third visit was scheduled for third round of vaccinations which I discovered were not necessary. When I called, the receptionist told me it would be $70 per kitten. Petco has vaccinations for $49 total package.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
Leigh,
Banfield strives to be competitively priced in the marketplace. You’ll find that many of the most popular veterinary products and services are less expensive at Banfield than at other veterinarians. While certain procedures such as surgery may appear to be more costly at Banfield, this is due to the measures we have in place to ensure the safety of every Pet we treat, such as pre-anesthetic bloodwork, which is required prior to any surgical procedure. To make quality Pet care more affordable, we urge clients to enroll for an Optimum Wellness Plan where they can save up to 50% on high quality, veterinarian-recommended care for their pets.
UGH! Banfield lady.. Are you kidding? Had my dog on the wellness plan for 2 years, took him off and went to another vet. They did blood work, full well exam, fecal exam, and everything for $46 Banfield is a total rip-off I have encouraged every single person I know with a pet to never ever usetheir services. They try to upsell everything to, and they overcharge so much that when you get the bill at the end and it shows you that you saved $350 by being on the wellness plan, this makes the buyer feel good thinking that they saved money. Shop around to your local vets, no one is as expensive as Banfield.
Afton..YOu took the words RIGHT OUT MY MOUTH!
I don’t agree a bit. Clavamox with Banfield is costing me $75 while at other places it costs about $25. Seriously? Then, when you ask for the prescription write up so that you can take it somewhere else they want to charge $15…That is bull. That write up should have been covered by the cost of the Test that I HAD to pay.
First of all, Banfield service options are not INSURANCE.
If Banfield would simply organize their staff all over the country to use the electronic records and just automatically print them out to educate their patients owners, then Banfield would become truly competitive. Banfield should simply have IT vets and staff members. Only hire IT folks, please. I’m sick and tired of dumb young US citizens. Being poor is not excuse to be dumb. Being black, you don’t need a white person to make you IT smart. In fact, Jesus’s (most blacks I’ve ever met love Jesus to death) first five books, the Torah Scrolls, are not electronic documents. So up[grade your Jesus knowledge, please.
The only African-American I know is the US President. I’m Hungarian-American just like he is African-American. His African and My Hunganrian dad were both deadbeats. We were both raised by secular non-Bible mommies. My mom only had an NYC 8th grade ed. His mom had the education of an anthropologist.
If you don’t know this much, all of the US is doomed as far as our poor dogs and cats are concerned.
Correction: The Torah Scrolls ARE electronic now. The cdrom THE TROPE TRAINER. That’s the only way not to be afraid to be a US citizen and an intelligent one. These words historically created Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Mommonism, and just discovered B’Hai!!
Hello, what does being african american have to do with Banfield? Seriously, what are you talking about? This blog is about Banfield Pet Hospital, so your comment or rating has nothing to do with having a pet or Banfield ratings none at all so try the page for “How to post a comment no where” because that was totally wacko.
i wen there and it was great the vet talked to my daughter about her turtle for 50+ minutes, and even wrote out a care sheet. my daughter was thrilled, and the only thing that you can buy at petsmart was calcium powder, which she said you can get at petco and petland and aquarium adventure also was only 3 dollars it was great. we are definatly going back. and we compared prices, and they are the SAME price as all of the smaller vets around us, but with more convience.
This company is crooked! I called to cancel the plan, since it had automatically renewed. Last year the location that I use had me sign something to renew it when I came in for services. I called to cancel because I am a sole providing single parent, and I just found out that I have cancer. My medical bills will be very expensive, so I am trying to get rid of all things that are not necessary. I only used the plan one time last year, so they made a lot on me. I called to cancel the plan, and I was told that I would have to pay for the entire year in order to cancel. I haven’t used the plan at all since it renewed, so I do not understand why. There is no reason why they shouldn’t be able to cancel it especially, since I haven’t used my moneys worth. They wouldn’t be loosing anything.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
Michelle,
You can cancel by either paying for the services you’ve used from the Wellness plan, or the remaining Wellness Plan payments, whichever is less. I want to make sure we send you to the right place to discuss your options. Please contact our Wellness Plan Relations team at 888-649-2716.
If Banfield charged to a card. You can call your bank/credit card company and dispute the charges. They do not have the right to charge your card without permission and they cannot renue your contract without your authorization. Your credit card company will cancel the transaction.
When you sign up for the OWP you are given paperwork which states that the plan will automatically renew and you have the option of canceling the plan prior to the renewal date. By signing that agreement you are providing Banfield with authorization to automatically rewnew and withdrawl from your account. It’s a legal document which cannot be disputed. Read the form before you sign and ask questions!
The people at Banfield Clinic obviously don’t care about people any more than they do not care for the health of the animals. We had paid for a wellness plan for 3 years and when we moved were told we could transfer the plan. Once we had settled in to our new community we visited several Petsmarts to choose the one that felt best for us. Once we made the decision, we called to schedule an appointment and were told we no longer had a plan, that it had expired and we could not use the $263.40 that was paid to Banfield. This was never explained to us at any point during the three years we paid for the plan. One would assume they care enough to give services to those who have paid for them but they don’t.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Tam,
If you are still paying for a Wellness Plan then you are absolutely entitled to the services. I’m not sure where the disconnect happened, but let’s get this straightened out. The number to call is 1-866-277-7387, and our Wellness Plan team can help with this issue and answer your questions.
I also think Banfield is a rip off. I took my daughters cat to Banfield to monitor for the weekend after we went to our vet and paid $236. to have blood tests an IV and a cath put into the cat etc. Our vet suggested that we take it to Banfield as they were open over the weekend to monitor the cat’s urine infection.
At Banfield they preceeded without asking us to do every test over about 15 minutes after they were already done and they had the results from my Vet. To make a long story short the test they took over were wrong because the blood machine was not working properly and told my daughter that the cat was in very serious condition. well the bottom line after all the tears was the cat is doing fine after 2 weeks and Banfield charged us $1,200 for thier services for 2 days……..I could have hired a private duty nurse for that amount of money.
Well what if you took your cats to an emgerency care facility…..imagine how much taht will cost!
Emergency care office visit is $130 on average. Banfield is a complete rip-off. My sister used them once for her cat who had a urinary tract infection cost her $450, next time she took the cat to emergency weekend care and it was $150 with medication.
I’ve taken my animals to an animal ER in town that is open 24 hours. They are WAY less than Banfield’s bloated prices, unnecessary charges and product pushes.
Banfield is a complete and utter scam to suck the money out of the wallets of pet owners who are manipulated into buying anything and everything they say your pet urgently needs…. RIP-OFF!!!!
Don’t any of you people here ask for a printout of everything that the company has about your dog and take it home and study it? I think the company is now in the process of allowing us to access it via internet. At least a couple of months ago it did. I tried but somehow it didn’t work. I don’t have time trying to see if it works. I wish their reps here would tell us if we can have access electronically to our dogs records. They recently promised us we could. If so, then this should be part of employee training for the Corporation. In fact, this should be standard for all vets these days. In fact, it also helps save the USA energy.
I wonder how much Banfield would charge you to release your pet’s records… $200? $500?
I always get copies of my records to take home. I usually don’t save them all, but I have gone to the hospital a few times to get new print outs for boarding, etc for free. I also heard, like some of you others, that it was going to go electronic, but we’ll see.
I understand, and it is very obvious, that most of you people really hate Banfield. Seriously though, they aren’t all bad.
Every invoice printed at the end of your pets visit comes with vaccine history as well as fecal and heartworm testing history. Save your records like you should for your own medical issues and you can keep track of your pet and not have to rely on someone to call and tell you that your pet is due for anything. My physician never calls me to tell me I’m due for a routine check up. Same concept.
Optimum Wellness Plans are automatically renewed from year to year and you are told that at the time you sign up. You are given the option of coming in 4 days prior to the date of withdrawl which they give you and pay with another form of payment so it doesn’t automatically come out. If you are going to go to a Banfield for “preventative medicine” an Optimum Wellness Plan is the best route to go. If you are going there just for a sick pet then it is a little costly. I completely disagree with the person who stated they adopted two cats from PetSmart and Banfield Charged them too much. Banfield rents space from PetSmart and does not recommend non veterinary items that PetSmart sells. Banfield is a large company and is there to make a profit. Banfield is not associated with PetSmart in anyway except by renting space from them. Banfield is completely seperate from PetSmart and does not follow any of PetSmarts policies. If you have an issue with adoption or pricing at PetSmart then you need to take it up with PetSmart. Banfield is a great company and I have been taking my pets there for almost 5 months now and haven’t had an issue since I am on an Optimum Wellness Plan for all three of my cats. If you are looking for quality care, compassionate people who care about your pets and knowlegable vets then go there. If you want cheap then that’s what you’re going to get. Pets are family members like kids, they need vaccinations and routine check ups and they do get sick. It amazes me how people do not realize this. People think they can just buy a pet and boom bob’s your uncle all is fine. That is not the case and I think it should be required that if you’re going to purchase a Pet you should have to have to take Pet Care classes before you can do so.
You obviously don’t understand that Banfield may rent from PetSmart, but like private doctors offices (and don’t even go there with me bc I have worked in health care for 4 years) they get bonuses and kick backs from companys for selling their products. Like the doctor I work for gets incentives and bonuses for prescribing certain kinds of medications, banfield also gets money from other companys. They are a complete and total racket, and it isn’t even worth arguing about, all you have to do is pick a number of a random vet in the phone book and any one of them will be significantly cheaper.
Banfield doesn’t sell any of PetSmart’s products. If you go to a Banfield desk with a bag of food in your hand they can’t ring you up… and the only time they recommend PetSmart products is when it comes to the prescription diet foods that you have to have a Vet card to purchase. They may get kickbacks somewhere, but it is not on the hospital level.
Banfield may not “ring up” a bag of dog food from PetSmart, but you better believe the ‘doctors’ and ‘nurses’ will ram it down your throat that you need to buy dog food – the $50-60 kind in a small bag – the most expensive food you can buy at (conviently) Petsmart. Even after I told the people looking at my pet that I did not have a job and could not afford the $30 shampoo, the $20+ in food supplements and upwards of $200-300 a month in dog food they said was critical for my dog’s health. They tried to make me feel like I was a horrible person because I feed my dog a relatively inexpensive food.
My dog has a flea allergy, and for the time being, he is on prednisone – but only because I went back to my regular vet who understands my situation. The pred costs $10 for 3 months only because my wonderful vet will write out a paper rx for me to take wherever I please. Banfield WILL NOT do this, even if you ask them at the beginning of the visit and they say, “YES, we will” – no, they will not.
Don’t get sucked in to Banfield because of their “free exam” coupon. Big mistake!!! Dr. Weed (Mobile, AL) refused to put my dog on pred in favor of a much more expensive form of CCsteroid. This was after I explained that I am unemployed and money is tight. Then came the nearly $300 estimate….. unbelievable. I’ve never experienced such a “SELL, SELL, SELL” attitude and preying on the emotions of pet owners – it’s reprehensible.
I have to tell you, any vet that is willing to put your pet on pred long term is nuts. Banfield recommends things because your pet needs them. I don’t know if your vet informed you, but pred long term like that can cause your pet liver and/or kidney damage as well as cushings disease. No pet should ever be on steroids that long unless they have cancer or some sort of auto-immune disease and living without them would be pure hell. Also, keeping your pet on monthly flea prevention will help your pet out more than killing him with steroids, and I don’t mean the stuff you buy at wal-mart. Frontline, advantage, Vectra, Firstshield are all topical flea products that are great. There is also a new flea prevention out on the market called comfortis witch is wonderful and it is an oral pill given once a month. Maybe you should try treating your pet’s flea condition properly before getting angry at Banfield for trying to do just that. Also, your house must be infested with fleas. Just so you know only 5-10% of fleas actually live on your pet, the rest live in your carpets and upholstry. You might want an exterminator
MICHELLE:
I am not an idiot. I am not an irresponsible pet owner. I know the long term effects of prednisone. We are not planing on using it long term. I have also tried every flea killer/preventative on the market – none of them purchased at WalMart. I’ve tried Comfortis, it made my dog vomit every time. My house is clean. There is no carpeting in it at all and my couches are cleaned regularly. If my dog has even one flea on him, his is absolutely miserable and chews his fur off. But prednisone keeps him from scratching, biting & chewing himself constantly. I’d rather have a comfortable dog who isn’t miserable every day of his life. I’d rather have a happy dog for 8 years than a miserable, stressed out dog for 10.
My problem (one of them) with Banfield is that Dr. Weed would not even consider giving him prednisone as a temporary option to give my dog some relief. He wanted me to spend over $200 when I had just explained to him that I was unemployed and basically broke. “Oh, I understand hard times” is exactly what he told me before he disappeared to let his “nurse” take over and give me a ridiculous estimate.
In conclusion, Michelle – mind your own business.
Prednisone can do a lot of damage to your dog’s internal organs if your pet is on it for a long period of time. For example, liver or kidney failure. It can be a dangerous drug and blood work is usually required to ensure that your pet is staying healthy. Banfield wouldn’t want you coming back trying to sue them because “they never informed you of that problem.” You might want to make sure it’s safe for your pet. If you can’t afford your pet’s medications that he needs, maybe you shouldn’t get a pet in the first place.
JANELL:
Did you read the post right above yours (my response to Michelle)?? If not, read it. It’s my response to you and anyone else out there who would like to lecture me on the dangers of prednisone. I am fully aware of it and have been from the start. My vet DOES do bloodwork (and it’s a hell of a lot less expensive than Banfield).
ALSO… when I adopted my dog I had a great job with a great salary. Then I lost my job AND had to have 4 operations on my back. Have you noticed that the economy is in the toilet?
To “danielvb”:
Your statement is sheer ignorance:
“I think it should be required that if you’re going to purchase a Pet you should have to have to take Pet Care classes before you can do so.”
I suppose those “Pet Care Classes” would be best taught at Banfield, right? Aside from obedience training for an unruly dog, most people have enough common sense to take care of a pet. For example, the 100′s of people on this site who have figured out that Banfield is a scam only out for their shiny nickels and dimes is proof that people are not so stupid that they need classes on how to take care of Fluffy.
Do you work for these tyrants or just a underdog for the corporate masses. You seem to be very aggressive in your defense of Banfield,so to me that sounds like either you DON”T like animals or you’re just like Most people that worked there…..A PAY CHECK!!!!!
I agree. Pet care is expensive. Pets are not covered under insurance like people and therefore cost more out of pocket. F.Y.I. there is no such thing as a free puppy or kitten. They need preventative care just like humans.
I also forgot to state that OWP can be cancled prior the the automatic renewal date and you do have 4 days to cancle your policy after you sign up. You are not obligated to automatically renew the plan, you just have to let them know PRIOR to when the plan is set to renew. It’s all in the paperwork you’re given when you sign up. Read the documents before you sign, it’s crystal clear! As for electronically getting your pet vaccination history that is not possible from what I understand but all you have to do is call your local Banfield and they will mail or fax a copy of your vaccination records anywhere you want them to. It’s just that easy!
What is the fee for such a request for medical records?
We here in colorado Springs CO do not have much of a choice for emergency care on the weekend or a holiday. Most of the Vet’s offices are closed except for Banfield emergency center….I do not go there for my animal care, just went this once for emergency care that my Vet could not give me for the weekend…….
I just signed up for a wellness plan. I took my 8 week old puppy in for shots only and was coersed into getting a plan because it would be cheaper down the line. NOTHING AT ALL was explained to me about cancelling, that I had 4 days to cancel or that I would be charged. I didnt even receive any paperwork about it at all until all of the procedures were done that day. They stuck my papers that I didnt even sign in a box and sent me on my way. My dog had an ear infection and I paid for the medicine and left. When I got home I realized they didnt even give me the meds. I had to drive back there to get them. Never once prior to me agreeing to the plan was anything explained to me other than the plan would be cheaper rather than coming in for services without it. That is very poor customer service and it is a trick to get you to purchase it and give you discounted services right away so that when you do call to cancel you still end up owing money!
Dr. Pickett out of Richmond VA, has bought the practice in Roanoke too. Since she has taken it over, they have nickeled and dimed to death every visit that I have taken my pets to. I have 10 under the dog pet plan but will be dropping each one of them as the expiration date is reached due to Dr. Pickett OUT COSTING every local vet in the area. What was once an excellent resource is now a major center to avoid. The local vet working in the vet hospital is great but even she is held under the iron thumb of exorbitant costs now charged at Banfield in Roanoke. I have been a client for over 5 years but will not be as soon as my plans expire.
Electronic Records. Well, this past spring it worked beautifully for me when I wanted to transfer to a different location. The electronic record saved a whole lot interaction and created teamwork in the new locale. I think it all depends on the culture of the majority of clients in a locale. Not all localities are good at reading English and that effects the service. I see no reason for this but it does persist and is used as a tool politically here in the US in every day in every way. Just experienced it really in my own life in moving from one home to another in two different counties in the same State. I really had to experience it to believe it. This probably effects implementing electronic records too, come to think of it. Just emailed the Banfield site contact to ask about the state of electronic records right now. Seems that the only one available at my home is the one for research via the Dr. No access to my Baruch’s record from home. I get tired of organizing paper in my home.
OK here it is in a nut shell. Went to the Banfield Pet Hospital this past week for the fist time, it was only due to my poor timing, could not get into the regualr Vet. Anyway, I felt like I was at one of those south sea island condo sale pitch meetings. They wanted to sell me everthing under the sun, from their wellness plans, to extra meds. What about the wellness of the pet itself…? Boy, what a business. From the start, the technician to the doctor wanted to sell me something. I’ll never go back again!!! My pet is more important than having Banfield make money on the extras. What is more important, your best pet friend, or the Dollar??!!
I had the same experience. They were trying to sell me one of the wellness plans that basically paid for the dog to be neutered and get all his puppy shots. my dog is already neutered and finished with his puppy shots and the lady was still trying to get me to buy it. Ugh i can’t stand them!
So Banfield sucks sucks sucks. Their motto is we treat pets like family!! IDK how they treat their family, but i would never treat my family like that. I had found a cat in the middle of the road around Thanksgiving. She was freezing. I took her to Banfield the next day to just get a check up. I was a college student at the time and before the doctor had a chance to say anything i told her I’m a college student and i’m not trying to spend a whole bunch of money here. Just want to make sure the kitty is healthy and doesn’t have any major problems. She looked her over in 30 seconds told me she was healthy and walked out. The nurse came back in with a write up with almost $200 worth of tests and medicines she should take. As i declined all of these services the nurse was trying to make me feel bad. The next day i was playing with the kitty and found a tick the size of a quarter attached to her neck. It must have been there for along time because it was huge and there was no hair around it. I took her to another vet, got all her shots tests and the tick removed for half what Banfield wanted to charge me. They’re all crooks
ARE YOU PEOPLE CRAZY?! I have never been to Banfield but it sounds like the prices are pretty normal. What you dont realize is that by going to your cheap vet with cheap bloodwork…who knows if it actually getting sent in. All vets use one of two different labs to run bloodwork and teh lab charges the vet over $40. OBVIOUSLY the vet is going to mark that up. Its ridiculous to complain about $200 for an exam and bloodwork. How much do you pay for your own bloodwork. DUH! vets go to school for the same amount of time as doctors. Are you saying they dont deserve to be paid for their services? You all sound like cheap pet owners. good luck
Dear Pet Owner,
Are you crazy?? You obviously must not be a pet owner if you think their prices are reasonable or normal. I have gone to different vets with all of my animals as well as my parents when I was a child and unless they needed a surgery of somekind the cheap vets prices are reasonable and they do not push you into buying things that aren’t necessary like Banfield does. I have never in my life experienced this kind of crap that Banfield trys to push on their customers.
First off I would like to say that I am no way affiliated with Banfield or Petsmart and never have been. So please don’t assume that my review is in someway tainted, it is just my honest experiences.
I am so sorry to hear that so many people have had horrible experiences, but my furry child (a Shiba Inu) and I have had nothing but good experiences at our Banfield in Orlando (e. Colonial).
We have had the wellness plan and been thrilled that every time her vaccines come up we don’t have to pay and the included office visits have been awesome as we travel lots and some of the airlines require health certificates, which are included in the plan.
We moved to Banfield after the financial burden from her previous vet was getting taxing. They too were fabulous, but charged well over $100 for an office visit. I am a student and while I realize pets need care, this was just too much for me.
Every time I have called with a concern or to make an appointment, the receptionists have been friendly and kind. For a few regular visits I was asked if I would be ok with leaving her for an unusually long amount of time, but the staff politely explained that the wait was due to pets requiring emergency care and that if I preferred I could take my pup home with me and bring her back later. I never had a problem with this as I would hope that if my baby needed immediate care that she would be seen before the routine check-ups.
The offices are always spotless and a nurse comes to talk to us quickly and check her out (I wait 10x longer at my Dr. office). When she has been brought in for a concern other than regular preventative care, the Dr. has always examined her and then given me the list of the tests etc. with the prices. They take their time to discuss everything with me and have often explained what they thought was the most likely problem and the tests for that and on down the list. They also would explain that they could start with the most likely and go from there later if need be to keep unnecessary costs down.
They have always worked with me to ensure the best care while keeping my bottom line in mind. Of course this takes some level of customer savvy and I always ask lots of questions, which they have always been happy to answer with patient thoughtful advice.
My pup was just in recently because she was throwing up lots and yes initially they handed me an estimate of $430, but after talking with the technician we came up with a plan of action that would include $160 for blood tests and nausea medication and to return if anything showed up that needed further attention since they suspected its was just an upset tummy, but wanted to make sure there was no infection. I considered this amount for tests reasonable, medical for humans, pets, etc. is not cheap and I made the choice not to go to a vet with the absolute cheapest cost as their offices left me terrified to leave my dog there.
I wouldn’t just blindly agree to everything my mechanic or even my own Dr. suggested without asking some questions and the vet is no different. They also recommended some rx food, but they said it was only for a few days until she felt better and they only had big bags, so I could just make her some rice and boiled chicken rather than buying the food, but if I didn’t to have to cook for her to just get the food. They did not try to force me to spend more money than necessary. Perhaps I have just been really lucky with the particular hospital we visit, but the care my pup has gotten has been excellent and is much more reasonable than other vets we have tried previously.
Well Pen I guess in your case the plan you worked out with the technician worked however I was not given that option. My option was to walk out and do nothing for my pet or pay what the Vet said was necessary, not the technician. In my case I asked over and over if there was something else that could be worked out or yes of course just a simple blood test but I was told no that there could have been to many things wrong with my puppy. My puppy had Giardia and that was a whopping $50 bucks however that was discovered after all of the other $400 worth of tests that were (absolutely necessary) were done. I too would not just blindly agree to whatever my mechanic said needed to be done either however when you are told that your dog could get very sick and die overnight because he is a puppy and has no immune system and you are told that over and over even after almost crying because you have no money than what does that tell you. It tells you they are con artists. You are correct about one thing…the banfield employees are nice but who cares they means nothing when they want your money.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
Allison,
We’re sorry that you feel this way after leaving one of our hospitals. It is our responsibility to inform and work with our customers to determine the most appropriate care for all Pets. In your case, we hope that we provided you with clear information and care options for your Pet, including an understanding of all possible health concerns. If you don’t feel that we did a very good job of this, then we encourage you to speak with one of our customer representatives at 877-500-2288. We can work with your local Banfield, if necessary, to resolve any issues, and your feedback will certainly help us continue to improve the customer experience at all of our locations.
Thank you for your feedback, and we hope your puppy is doing well!
i have taken my cocker spaniel to 4 different vets to try to find out what was wrong with him. he ended up dying because the last vet took on more than she could handle and didn’t do the tests that could have saved his life. My 9 year old cocker now is taken to Banfield and they have done an amazing job with diagnosing him with Cushings and treating and monitoring it. Even if it does cost a little more or if you purchase their wellness plan (it is NOT an insurance) if your pet means as much to you as mine does, its worth it to know that someone has the knowledge or the common sense to direct you to a specialist that can help you figure out and treat you pet’s illness. They have always been willing to write a prescription to take elsewhere (because its cheaper than getting it from them). So, dont buy the wellness plan if you don’t want it and you shouldn’t complain about it if you don’t take the time to read what it covers and the policies and ask questions if you have them.
All the Banfields that I have been to have terrible. They are very rude and I almost get looked down at, if we can’t trust the people that are “taking care” of our pets then its worth nothing. Will be leaving as soon as the wellness plans end and NEVER dropping them off. My 2 dogs were there all day and still came home with an EST. Weight. What does that say? They could have walked them to the scale, who knows what they diid to my pets, or if they even gotten an exam.
Some of them do try to push treatments, and we should be comfortable with the amount we spend at the vets and not feel pressured to buy anything.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
MelissaMW,
You’re very right – you should feel comfortable with your vet. We’re so sorry to hear that we made you feel otherwise. Our goal is to provide the best vet care possible, but at the same time make our customers happy and safe in taking their Pets to Banfield. We completely understand if you feel better taking your two dogs to a different vet, and we wish the best for all three of you! We do take pride in the care and advanced treatment we offer, and we hope to impress you and your pups if given another chance. For now, we’ll make note of your experience and work on improving.
WELLNESS PLANS ARE A RIP-OFF!
I worked for Banfield 7 years, I was fired for saving a pets life, due to a vaccine reaction, while Dr. Burden was in the parking lot on his cell phone. Banfield fired me because they were afraid of being sued. This company is only concerned with money, not healthy pets. Their welless plans are a rip off, most of the time the pets don’t even receive the services you pay for, that is why they make you “drop off” your pet. The field leadership pressures the veterinarians to preform tests that are not needed. For example electrolytes for healthy puppy spay/neuter. Please never take you pet to a Banfield, this company gets worse and worse.
FYI- Banfield is owned by Mars, the candy company; what does that have to do with pet health care. Banfield just hired a new vice president, his qualifications are sales and marketing. Maybe it is just me, but I think a hospital chain might be better served with someone who maybe was a vet? Also, the company does not even trust the people who work for them, no even the vets they employ, if a vet brings in his personal pet, that vet can not tend to his own pet, because Banfield thinks the vet will steal from them. This shows Banfield only cares about money, not the associates and not pets. Also, the technicians can’t bring there own pets to work with them. I would never take my pet to a practice that hates pets as much as Banfield does.
Brittney I am reading all the complaints about Banfield. I’m a little scared to bring my two cats tomorrow for there first exam. And I don’t like the idea that they can do testing unnecessarily. I also don’t want to be caught up in a plan you can’t get out of. The distance is over 25 miles from my house too. I just discovered on of my elderly cats is diabetic and I am giving insulin daily and need a glucose recheck but the vet I was going to is also a little money hungry and wanted an office visit fee to recheck the sugar to the tune of about 65 dollars. I am on SS and no increase this year again. Should I cancel my appt. Where is there a good insurance plan for animals that vets accept.
Purina Care is the best pet insurance. The wellness plan will not help very much with the diabetic testing your pet will need. If you do not have many options for vets near you, the vet team at banfield will not perform any test you do not authorize and if they do, Banfield will give you your money back. It is improtant to know Banfield doctors are restricted by the requirements of the corportate protocols,which involves unnecessary tests, and way to frequent blood and urine testing. Your cat does need blood and urine monitoring, however after your cat is regulated banfield will require tests much more than is really needed for your pet to stay healhty.
When you mentioned that they are owned by MARS, I had to look it up. MARS does disgusting animal testing for their candy, which results in the animals being deformed, or left for dead. I stopped buying MARS candy because of this, and now that I hear I have been taking my puppy there makes me sick. They want to charge me $400+ to neuter him, when I called vets that are 40 minutes closer and they are only going to charge $85. Banfield told us before that $400 was the amount including any pain medicine he will need, his surgery, and any puppy vaccinations he needs before then, so the cost total would drop down a lot. I called today now that he’s up to date on his shots, and they still say $400. Hmm… I have read all of these reviews, and 97% of them are horrible, while reading the reviews for these local vets, and 100% of them are wonderful. I am going to convince my husband tonight that Banfield is NOT worth it.
I can assure you that MARS does not test their candy on animals! That is ludicrous. Please! You can research any company on the web and read crazy stories. It is up to you… do you want to believe everything you read? Or let history speak for it’s self? Have you ever heard about a MARS product, candy or petcare, being recalled? NO! They take every precautionary preventative step to ensure the safety of ALL their products. My partner happens to work for MARS Petcare, and we use their products with complete confidence. Pedigree and Dentastix for our dogs, and M&M’s for the humans
Banfield… well, that’s another subject. I have had 1st hand experience with this company, and it wasn’t good. I was a new dog owner, a few years ago. I had adopted a shih-tzu from a sad, sad situation. I had no idea if she had been immunized, and didn’t know what immunizations were recommended. Well, $300.00 later, they had over-vaccinated, and given my dog every test in the book. As I mentioned, I was a new pet owner, and believe me, they took advantage of that. The next day, my little Shih-tzu (Gabby) was lethargic, not eating, and could barely walk. I took her to a new vet and the tech there just shook her head when I showed her my print out from Banfield. She said they had over-vaccinated her. Well, thankfully Gabby recovered. I unfortunately had purchased the wellness plan, and had to pay for it over the year, but we never went back to Banfield. I am dissappointed that a good company like MARS is affiliated with such a horrible company. It really is a shame.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
LizzM,
Banfield strives to be competitively priced in the marketplace. You’ll find that many of the most popular veterinary products and services are less expensive at Banfield than at other veterinarians. While certain procedures such as surgery may appear to be more costly at Banfield, this is due to the measures we have in place to ensure the safety of every Pet we treat, such as pre-anesthetic bloodwork, which is required prior to any surgical procedure.
I went to Banfield on Sunday cuz my dog has mange. Couldn’t afford all the medicine and shampoos they recommended so I told them i’d be back later with money. The girl called me the next morning to check on my dog. I told her I got money and I’ll prob be around later to pick up all his medicines. She asked me wat time I’d like to make an appt? Even though I was there less than 24 hours ago, they wanted me to pay for another DR. Visit so they can give him a physical before they give ne his medicine. He hadn’t changed at all. It hadn’t even been a day. Not to mention the girl at the front desk was so rude. I told her I couldn’t afford another doctor visit and I was being sarcastic and said I guess my puppy will just suffer from mange and she said OK. I could have thrown something at her, she made me so mad. Banfield does not care about their customers unless they are getting money from them. I went to another vet who gave me all the medicine for what it would have cost me to just see the doctor at Banfield. They had some not so nice things to say about Banfield as well. Not to mention I left a message for the Banfield Dr to call me back, and he never did!!! If you’re in Jacksonville, Fl, don’t ever go to Banfield at the Town Center with Dr. G. Actually, don’t go to any Banfield
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
Lauren,
We’re sorry to hear that you left one of our hospitals feeling this way. We strive to provide outstanding customer service in addition to great pet care, and we don’t like to hear when clients experience anything less. We hope your dog is doing well, and we appreciate your feedback. We want to continue to improve, and hearing your experience will certainly help us do that.
We recently created a video addressing mange, which might be helpful to you and others: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS0M0KIkMLw. We understand the care that is necessary to treat this condition, so thank you for being such an attentive caregiver! Best of luck to both of you.
Banfield and Petsmart are the worst places to take your pets! I worked at petsmart in the pet hotel for almost a year and I left due to unfair treatment of animals/poor customer service policies. I can’t believe I even thought to take my dog to a vet inside of a petsmart after what I already knew.
While working in the pet hotel, managers did a poor job of planning animals play times. They forced me to take a dog into a closet and spend 30 minutes with him in there because there wasn’t any available play rooms for this dog, and we were running low on time. He couldn’t even run around and he just sat on my lap licking my hand. Someone somewhere paid $70.00 for this!! I would NEVER trust the pet hotel, nor recommend them to ANYONE. This upset me VERY much. In addition to that, their employees are constantly mopping up poop and pee and touching pet toys, blankets, beds, etc. that are covered in feces and urine. No gloves were ever provided. I washed my hands constantly and I still ended up getting put on 3 different prescription medicines.
My fiance and I adopted a puppy while I was out of work, and we took him to Banfield for his first few vet visits. Every time we went, even when we set appointments, we would get there, get put into an exam room right away, but sit in the room for at least an hour. The most recent time, I was already loosing patience because of the wait… but then it got better. Our “pet nurse” kept calling our dog a girl, even after I kept correcting her several times. Then she started talking about neutering him, when he clearly had already been neutered. Our last visit there, we just wanted to pick up our dogs heartworm and flea and tick medicine. They informed us that their computer was showing a lapse and it looked like our dog had not received heartworm for the past two months (even though we had been, and bought the medicine from this exact banfield location.) So they asked that we pay $75 for a heartworm test before they could let us have the medication. My fiance and I are calm people and just simply asked why we should be penalized for their mistake, and they told us there was nothing they could do and that we’d have to pay the money for the test. Needless to say, we will not be returning to banfield. This very same day, we wanted our dog’s nails cut. We took him in there and told them he’d been there before to have his nails done, and they took him without checking us in or anything. They took him in a back room where we heard all kinds of screaming and wailing from our dog. They didn’t come out for about 20 minutes, only to tell us that our dog tried throwing himself off of a table and came very close to hitting his head on a concrete wall. They then had the nerve to ask us if we had ever done anything to hurt our dog’s feet. They did apologize, but told us that they could not cut our dogs nails. (He has definitely had his nails done there before.)
This company does not display any sort of professionalism, and it is by far the worst customer service I’ve ever seen displayed. They completely wasted our time, and nobody seemed to feel that sincerely sorry about it. They lack organizational skills as well which is very frustrating and almost cost us $70 something dollars. How do you lose an invoice? Someone obviously rang up the medicine and didn’t file it into their system. Why should the customer be penalized for this?
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
Amy,
We’re sorry to hear about the experience you had at your Banfield location. Since Petsmart is not affiliated with our hospitals, I can’t speak for them, but we can certainly continue to improve our customer service at Banfield. Did the issue with the heartworm test ever get resolved? I know I’ve mentioned this before on this forum, but I want you to feel welcome to call our customer advocacy line at 877-500-2288. They will address your specific concern and, if necessary, reach out to your local hospital and do their best to resolve any issues or concerns. We understand that you don’t plan on returning to Banfield, but if you do, we hope to do a better job for you, your fiance and your dog. Wedding planning is stressful enough, we don’t want to add to it!
About two months ago, my girlfriend and I adopted a kitten from PetSmart and were given one of Banfield’s “first visit free” fliers. A couple of days after bringing the kitten home, we noticed she had tape worms, so we figured we should act now.
We get there, and they tell us the deal is just for the cost of the office visit. That seemed reasonable, but we made it clear from the beginning we’re both students and can’t afford much. We elected to stay and wait with her rather than drop her off and, after a whopping two-and-a-half hour wait, got a room. The technician IMMEDIATELY starts medicating and testing the cat, and as we try to ask for explanations as to what was going on, we were continually shrugged off, despite the fact we continually were trying to make it clear we wanted to know what they were doing and needed to have our financial concerns addressed.
The actual vet then comes in about 20 minutes later with a bill for almost $200, WHICH DIDN’T EVEN INCLUDE THE TAPEWORM MEDICINE, which was the only thing above and beyond a basic examination I had expected to foot. As for what they had done without our consent? They gave her a fecal test, a dose of deworming medication that DOESN’T WORK ON TAPEWORMS after not even having the fecal test back, and some medication for her ears, because they thought she might have ear mites (and, once again, we were shrugged off as they were doing this).
The vet then tells us that they’re out of tapeworm medicine, and we’d have to bring her back tomorrow, saying we’d unfortunately have to pay for the office visit too, estimating the cost at almost another $100!!
So basically, we brought our cat in, thinking we would get free treatment, got charged for almost $200 in treatment that we didn’t consent to nor, to this day, do I feel like was necessary, and didn’t even get the treatment we came in for. Another local vet was able to give her the tapeworm medicine for just $20.
What a crock.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
Thorne,
To address your concern, I’ll explain how we expect all visits and treatments to be communicated to clients. If you still have a concern after reading, please call the customer advocacy line at the bottom of this response. Our goal is for our new clients and their Pets to enjoy their first exams, and we’re disappointed to hear yours did not meet expectations.
At Banfield, we focus on partnering with our clients so they have everything they need to make informed decisions regarding the care of their pets. After a veterinarian examines a Pet, he or she discusses findings with the Pet owner and makes recommendations to develop a treatment plan, which includes cost estimates for each of the medical recommendations. The Pet owner then makes the decision to accept or decline the proposed recommendations and associated costs. Our hope is that our hospital teams are educating clients that the estimates are only estimates and that, on occasion, the costs may change based upon unforeseen issues, such as the complexity of the procedure. In instances such as this, our hospital team is expected to inform the client immediately of changes to the initial estimate or to the agreed upon procedure. We always encourage a two-way conversation with clients before agreeing to services or signing documents, which helps ensure we have answered any questions and have a mutual understanding before a medical procedure begins.
If you still have concerns about your visit and would like to discuss, we encourage you to call your hospital team or contact our customer service team at 877-500-2288.
I got on the wellness plan at Banfield to get my cat neutered. They were constantly insisting that i buy products from them that “might” be wrong with my cat. The day that i took my cat in to get him neutered we talked to an employee at desk who gave me the option of pain killers for my cat after surgery, i said no because i have had many male cats that i have had neutered else where has never had to take pain killers and has been fine. The next thing i know they are telling me that the pain killers are required. Not only did i pay 400$ dollars for the wellness plan but they could not throw in a cone for my cat to wear. The doctor was in my face, so concerned about the pet not being in pain that she forced me to buy them. If they were so concerned about the cat being in pain why don’t they throw it in the package? My visits with Banfield were very unprofessional, i would not suggest it to anyone.
Not only are they a rip-off, in my experience with Banfield, I found them to be basically negligible. When I took my dog to Banfield, for a blood test, for heartworms, I was NEVER told that I only had 30 days to purchase the heartworm medication or I would be required to have another test. Do you think this mattered to the staff at Banfield ? You’re right-it meant nothing. (I attempted to order the heartworm medication online, but I was apprised that the company could not accept any prescriptions from Maryland vets – Go figure).
All in all, I brought my dog back to Banfield and they claimed to have no record of performing service for him. Upon returning with a receipt to prove that “service” had been performed, I was told there was a mix up with my name. WTF ????? Furthermore, they told me that my dog was ineligible for the injectable heartworm treatment, as he was over 7 years old (by 6 months).
After nearly having to get indignant and arguing with them asserting that they were not providing me with good information and that these oversights were costing me time and money, they acquiesced and performed another heartworm test and gave me a slight discount on the purchase of my heartworm medication.
This won’t happen again because I won’t be going back. I regret having changed from the small, much more professional vet clinic where my dog was once treated. I just hope they will take me back, even on bended knees.
I’m banning Banfield.
I bought the wellness plan because they said thats all I would have to pay but every time I go there they are always trying to upsell something and then make you feel guilty if you dont buy it. My dog was spayed and afterwards they tell me I need to purchase the e-collar and pain meds extra and thats not covered in the wellness plan, what a crock it seems like common sense that a puppy would need pain meds after being spayed so why would that be and option that I would need to buy seperate. they sell these wellness plans acting like there would be no other expenses and then boom they hit you with all this extra crap. If I had been informed in the beginning that I would have to purchase this and that at an extra expense then when I was checking around I would have been able to get a good comparison. After my contract is up banfield is history what a bunch of crooks. then like other people said they inflate the prices to make it look like you have saved a ton of money but the reason they do that is so that you can’t get out of the contract because if you try to get out of it they want to try and say you owe for all that money. bravo banfield what a scam you have going it shouldn’t last much longer if people start seeing all of these bad comments on you crooks.
Banfield is shit. Every time my mom or I arrive at our appointment time, I always have to wait 45-65 minutes. Oddly enough, the white people who made appointments after us are always taken care of first. I’m guessing it’s because my mom who takes my dogs there most of the time can’t speak English fluently (what other reason is there???) They call us into the rooms to make us feel as if they hadn’t forgotten us and then make us wait for 20-30 minutes in that stuffy room. If we complain they always say “I’ll see what’s going on.” 5 minutes later…. “They’ll be ready in 5 minutes.” Up yours. 10-20 minutes later they finally give the shot that takes 2 minutes to administer. We take our dogs to get their shots “oops the vaccines aren’t in. That’s not our fault as it is out of our control. Come back in two hours.” Excuse me??????? You made me wait 55 minutes only to tell me that now??? Oh and thanks you gave my dogs unnecessary Benedryl shots and refused to return my money for the benedryl. What a great country we live in. When we make an appointment. Later that day, you have to administer another shot. “don’t worry we won’t charge you for it.” NO DUH RETARD. Ps we couldn’t get their shots administered anyway because we had to wait 30 minutes and almost miss my play. Thanks banfield you suck
This post has been submitted by the Banfield customer outreach team:
John,
We’re sorry to hear that your experience has been so frustrating. Regarding your allegations of discrimination, we take this concern of yours very seriously. You and your mom should both feel comfortable at our hospitals, and we want to make sure you are always treated equally. This concern can be best addressed on a local level, which our client advocacy team can absolutely do for you. The phone number is 877-500-2288.
Stay away from these crooks. At the Banfield in Columbus (Grove City), you now drop your pet off in the morning for a physical and get to pick them up in the afternoon. The last time I took my dog there and picked her up, I asked to speak to the Vet to see how the physical went and to ask a couple health related questions. I was told I would have to call her back later. I asked to have the Vet call me, and the girl said that the Vet does not make calls. The people there are all well trained in over selling and under delivering. Another good example of my frustration related to a shot that the clinic wanted to give my dog to help her arthritis. I was told it would help relieve the pain she was in. I declined and researched the drug, and found out that it was essentially Benadryl. When I declined that shot, the girl attempted to sell me something else. I finally told her that I was not buying anything today. Needless to say that I located a more reputable Vet, that I actually feel good about taking my dog to. Well now I am making my final payment to Banfield, for the balance of the Wellness Plan (another well designed product to deceive the public), which after numerous harassing calls (every day) and threatening letters. Sorry to say that I actually feel good about making the $100 payment to get these bastards off my back. I also feel good about the $100 in the respect that a friend had asked me about Banfield, and I was able to prevent him from becoming another victim. I will get my money’s worth out of the final payment.
Between 2005 and 2010, I have transferred 3 times. Have had no problems. This past Spring it was a breeze because it is all electronic on the inner workings of Banfield. I did this just when they went electronic in the infrastructure and the new vet plus front desk staff all worked immediately with pc and it was all in sync. They don’t charge you for printouts. but the reason I transferred this last time was exactluy because the whole other location was completely not a team at all. They were really pc illiterate and I think didn’t like the PC. I’m getting a lot of that now. I don’t understand why Banfield is not encouraging a desire to use the PC for everything. I’m so enthusiastic they cannot refuse me. Of course I wrote computer programs for 26 years so it’s a natural for me.
I want to share a conversation I heard in one location. Very nicely dressed ladies, old and young. They thought it outrageous that they had to pay more money because their dogs weren’t neutered. They thought it was immoral and unethical to neuter the poor darling boy dogs. Oh well.
About steroids. From the age of 6 until 1956, I suffered from chronic poison ivy type of itching for 6 months of every year. 7×24. Dermatologists were NOT dermatologists until Cortisone was produced. My doctor, when I explained that the pus from my breasts would fall on my nursing daughter said “That won’t hurt her.” He prescribed Cortisone and as soon as it worked he took me off it. So I called my pediatrician and said “You are so good, please help me with a doctor. I don’t want an internist.” He recommended a Dr. Merrill Parelhoff. Well I found out he was an internist. However, I was desperate. So the first visit he said: “Your doctor had the right idea but he just was afraid of it. What you have to understand is that you will have to be on it for two years. During that time you will have to see me once a month. The reason is because Cortisone masks all symptoms of other illnesses including most of all pneumonia.” His wife, Sally, was his staff. The second month she told me that he was very excited because of the entire improvement in me. In one month I was a normal human being. All the side effects didn’t happen to me. I developed a perfect figure (stay at home mom, well we gals used to compare our measurements;) The Cortisone was supposed to increase my dimensions. It’s obvious to me the symptoms of my skin illness were worse than the symptoms of Cortisone. During the end of the second year he started decreasing the quantity. My skin condition was in remission for 5 years. I never complained to a doctor again and I was on no meds. When it came back I couldn’t find Dr. Parelhoff. He couldn’t stand the pressure of commercial medicine and fled to Johns Hopkins as a researcher. I had called my pediatrician, Dr. Eugene Goldberg, again, and recommended another internist. However, during these few months I discovered myself what caused my skin condition.
I’ll stop here. More scientific observation through the years. I am allergic to too much or too little humidity.
Fast Forward, to 1980. My husband beat me up. One daughter asked which was worse, your skin condition or Dad beating you up. I said my skin torture. I remember being on the floor and him kicking and kicking me, and I said to myself “At least my skin doesn’t itch.”
How any doctor trust any patient with any steroid is beyond me. My own husband was on Lithium to acquire a Mental Disability Pension, which he got. He had to go to the psych, Dr. Bukatman, every month for testing. Eventually he only took Lithium the week he had to take the tests so he could maintain his Mental Disability Pension. One day I said to him “XXX your eyes are so kind on Lithium. Why don’t you stay on it all the time.” He said, “I don’t want my eyes to be kind. I want to be a lawyer with fire in my eyes.”
Now Webmd is confirming my observations about dogs, that dogs grow to have the brain of a two year old. So that supports what I’ve always opined: Pediatrics and Veterinary Science should cooperate with each other in the Universities.
Did you know that our dogs were given the first insulin shots. I think the Endocrinologists are being educated by commercial medicine men, not really academic medicine men. Especially with the wonderful field of anthropology.
This is my first year owning a dog, I looked around at prices and saw Banfields wellness yearly plan so I signed because I was thinking it was going to be great for me and my dog. Banfield is NEVER on time, my appointment can be at 1:00 and I wouldn’t see anyone until 2:30 or maybe 3:00! They are also way over priced, every time I walk in there I feel a vet is just always trying to sell. Its always like no one has any idea what is going on. They are the most unprofessional and unorganized business I have ever seen. Once my yearly contract is up I will be taking my dog to another vet without a doubt.
I recently signed my dog up for the Basic Plus Care plan Which includes all my dogs vaccinations, free vet visits every time I go there( Which is really great for me because my dog has a heart murmur and any time i get spooked at his breathing i bring him up there to make sure that he is doing okay), a 15% discount on everything i purchase there and my dogs Teeth Cleaning ( which is horribly expensive at any vet because they have to sedate them to clean there teeth.) I have had great service at the Banfield I go to in Missouri. Every time I call the receptionists are always very nice to me and remember me and my dogs name! During my first check up at Banfield I asked my vet if i should switch from Purina beneful to a better dog food such a Nutro, she told me that my dog was at a great weight and was very healthy and to just keep him on the cheaper food( she never once tried to up sell me on something that I didn’t need.) All in all I have had a great experience at MY Banfield and I’m sorry that so many people had had horrible service with them because my Banfield and has gone above and beyond for me. I would urge that people as least check with there local Banfield before completely deciding to not go there. Because it seems that not all Banfields are the same based on alot of the mixed reviews. Thanks everyone though for the heads up and I will keep you all informed on if anything changes with my experience there.
I had a good experience with them. I brought my cat in to be treated for tapeworms a few months ago. I had just adopted her from the shelter. When I called for the appointment they told me exactly how much it would cost. They also did a really detailed exam on her, checked her for fleas, etc. They were all really nice. I am thinking about getting the wellness plan for her, came on to read reviews and am surprised by all the bad reviews. I am just adding my two cents that I feel people who have had a bad experience are more likely to post about it online, but at least at the location I went to, they were great!
I took my german shepherd to Banfield et hospital on venture drive duluth Ga yesterday for an exam. They had a coupon for a free check up. May be there is a reason why there is the word ” Ban” in Banfield. Incompetence should be their first name.
The nurse couldnt find his vein though we could see it very clearly and poked him twice twisting the needle. And not just that then she asked my husband to press his thumb on the dog’s wound-incredibly unhygenic. She is damn lucky he didnt take her arm off because he is a very patient, well trained and well behaved dog.
The doctor a woman called Dr Alvarez, came in and barely took 5 minutes to see him, did not check his teeth and yet gave him a clean bill of health in the report saying teeth were healthy. The room was too small and cramped for a big dog like him. There was no effort to get to know the animal or make him comfortable. It seemed all about making money. I wont go back to them and being a journalist, I will publish this in all the media channels I know including my own website
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Kavita,
We strive to provide our clients and their Pets with high quality medicine and exceptional client experiences on every visit. We apologize that your visit to one of our hospitals left you and your dog feeling uncomfortable with his care. To address your specific concern, and to help us improve our overall service, we would appreciate it if you would call us at 1-877-500-2288 to tell us what happened.
Banfield on Kirby Drive in Houston,TX, (specifically vet Tony Malone) killed my kitten. Do not use Banfield services. I have not been able to discuss this for two years since it happened Nov.2008. I took my sick kitten in at 7:00am for medical care of what what seemed to be a UTI (sneezing with mild discharge). The Vet Tony Malone (very unprofessional), did not even check on the kitten until around 12:00pm per the receptionist. When I picked up the kitten after work, it was completely lethargic. The Vet said I may want to have him checked by another vet in the morning and offered no explanation for the kitten’s worsened condition. What he meant was that I should take the kitten to a real veterinarian. I immediately took the kitten to a Emergency Care Hospital because it was too late in the day to get into a vet hospital.The Houston Animal Care Clinic on the West Loop was also guilty in lack of proper care. This is a money driven operation, and has no regard for pet care. Two wrongs here that did not make a right. First thing in the morning I took the kitten to Dr. Bob Rogers at Critter Fixers in Spring, TX. Dr. Rogers gave the kitten 100% attention and care-as the kitten was now pronounced a “code blue”. He assigned a tech to the kitten who never left the kitten’s side as Dr. Rogers administered every possible technique and treatment to save the kitten. It was too late, and the kitten passed away late in the day. Ironically, Dr. Roger’s bill for the whole day of treatment was less that Banfield and Houston Animal Care. For all three medical care services, I paid about $800. DO NOT TAKE YOUR PET TO BANFIELD. Banfield is comparable to an HMO-good for well care and immunizations only. When medical care is necessary-you must take the animal to a qualified veterinarian. A sick pet is way out of Banfield’s league.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
B.A. Daniel,
We are so sorry to hear about the loss of your kitten. Even if this did happen two years ago, we would really value the opportunity to speak with you about your experience. Don’t feel obligated, as this is certainly a difficult subject, but don’t hesitate either. Our number is 877-500-2288. Your feedback is valuable to us. Thank you and best wishes.
We took our dog penny here for a while because it was cheap and we didnt know any better. After the doctors at Banfield put poor puppy’s hip back into place (she dislocated it) no one would even talk to us to tell us how everything went when we came to pick her up. We asked to see a doctor but they couldnt find anyone who knew what happened! We refused to leave without talking to someone so they had a tech tell us some very vague info.
Close to a week later i began to see BLOOD coming through the bandage. Freaked out, I cut off the bandage and came to find out that they had put the bandage on so tight that it had caused huge lacerations in the skin and the circulation had been cut off for close to a week so her leg was a thick with swelling as my forearm! I took her to a different vet where they had to give stitches to close one wound and the wound on her foot you could actually see the tendon because the skin was dead and had fallen off.
Our poor puppy is miserable all because BANFIELD IS A HORRIBLE HORRIBLE PLACE!! Please do not take your pets here and put them through anything like this. We have had to spend close to $1500 to fix the problem that the stupid people at Bandfield have caused. I hope this helps you make your decision about Banfield. DONT DO IT!
I took my dog in for an ear infection and we walked out having spent over $450. I was in shock. Now my dogs having some hair loss and I am at a loss at to where to bring him. I am a FT student and only working a few hours a week, which is barely enough to buy my own food. No idea what to do.
I took my 12 year old cat to Banfield in Columbia, Md last night. She had been seen at a local emergency vet 2 weeks ago, and needed refills on her RX’s. I spent over 700 at the 1st vet to find she has pleural effusion…it can’t be cured, but she can be made comfortable for whatever time she has left. Banfield refused to refill her meds unless I paid them another 700 for the same tests (they wanted their own results), then wanted her seen by a cardiologist. Again, there is nothing to do for her but make her comfortable at this point. I refused, as I had the medical records and xrays from her previous visit and felt it was unnecessary to repeat them. The general feeling was not pet friendly, but a business to make money. No compassion at all. Even when checking in, I had to spell her name 4 times (Annie) because the clerk didn’t know how to spell it. These people are a ripoff, and if PetSmart is wise, they will discontinue doing business with them. It makes PetSmart look bad. Oh yes, the coupon for the 1st well visit exam? My cat wasn’t well… unbelievable. For those who wonder, you will get a better price at a 24 hour emergency vet, and they truly care about the welfare of your pets.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Katie,
We looked into your case, and we’d like to put you in touch with a veterinarian in our corporate office. If you call 877-500-2288, our team will transfer you directly. We think it would help to discuss the steps that were recommended in providing care to Annie.
Do NOT take out Banfield insurance!! One office falsified records on my dog and told me how deathly ill my dog was so that I would take out the Optimum insurance.I took the dog to another vet outside of Banfield who took her off all meds except for an antibiotic. Then I moved to another city and Banfield THEN renewed my contract starting all over again because I had moved. It was “their policy.” You move = new contract. Months later when I took her in for a checkup, they said the policy had already been renewed (based on the first prior date) and the you move/new contract wasn’t valid anymore. So basically, I was stuck with the insurance for another year. I was informed of this after I had just had her treated and learned her records had been falsified on top of the fact my policy had just been extended without my permission based on the OLD address. Nothing was wrong with my dog after all. I’ve tried to cancel the policy, but I will owe $150 if I do. So I am stuck paying for another 3 months until I can cancel. It’s a rip-off.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Susan,
We take these accusations very seriously, and we want to speak with you directly about what may have happened. Please call us at 877-500-2288.
To the Banfield Pet hospital client outreach team
I don’t think you guys take anything seriously. Otherwise you would not have so many complaints against you. I will make sure as a journalist to link all these reviews on all the media outlets I know. My dog is certainly not going back there.
Thankfully Ive not signed up for anything and have warned my friends never to take their pets to Banfield
Banfield SUCKS! They claim they are cheaper than other options out there, yet all they want you to do is pay ass-loads for their over-priced “wellness plan.” The vets try and guilt you into feeling like you are a bad pet owner if you will not agree to have your dog put under so they can brush his teeth. PLEASE! I adopted my dog, I keep his shots up to date and he is healthy…I don’t need to feel like I am a terrible person every time I refuse one of their bogus recommendations. I am in sales, and I can see a bad sales pitch coming from a mile away. Support your local community vet, at least the community holds them accountable. Banfield could care less if every single post on here is horrible, more unassuming pet owners trying to keep their dogs healthy will be sucked in.
Ok, So I finally had to get the Prescription from Banfield and they only charged me $34 when initially they wanted $70….ummm if the nurse would have listened to me she would have known that there was no way my 10 lbs min pin would need meds costing $70. She was about to give me the dosage for a MUCH bigger dog. That’s what I was trying to tell the nurse there before she got all nasty with me. She didn’t want to listen. If I would have gone with the $70 meds, my poor dog would not be with me right now. Once my contract is over I am taking her to a regular vet and doing without Banfield. it’s type scary to think that they would have made such a BIG mistake and not listen to you when you were trying to explain it to them.
DON’T DO IT THEY SENT ME TO COLLECTIONS!!!!! I signed up for the wellness plan and it quickly turned into a nightmare. I was please AT FIRST everything was as they said it would be. I just recently recieved a card in the mail saying my dogs shots need to be updated so I called to make an appointment. I was SHOCKED to find out my plan had been cancelled and had sent me to collections. THey couldn’t pull money form the autodraft I had set up. I never recieved a letter or a phone call letting me know there was something wrong with the account. I did receive one voicemail saying “this is Banfield calling” (I just assumed it was a survey)so I didn’t call back. I called their cs department and was quickly dismissed by some rude cs agent. Now they are expecting me to pay $300 plus a $70 collections fee and NOT receive the service. I just wanted my service reienstated I had no problem paying what I owed. They rude agent refused to help me. This is a complete scam. Seems awfully fishy that my card magically stopped working for them and no one else. THEY JUST WANT YOUR MONEY.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Noelle,
You can reach our Wellness Plan Relations team by calling 888-649-2716. They’ll talk through what may have happened with you and get you back on the plan. We’re not sure what is causing this, but sorry that you’re experiencing this inconvenience!
You CAN access the medical records online now. There is no fee.
Banfield employees do not get any bonuses for helping PetSmart sell anything. They recommend the BEST food and products. This usually means it’s more expensive since it’s better quality, but Banfield recommends this for your pet, not for PetSmart.
Banfield employees used to get Wellness Plan bonuses… these are now gone. Banfield employees get NO bonuses. They often work for little pay and stay after hours almost EVERY single night for YOUR pets. Frankly, if you don’t like Banfield, just shut up about it and take your pet somewhere else. I’m sure if your Mom and Pop back-woods vet had 500 locations, there would be many more complaints. Banfield is a corporation, and every location is different. If you had a bad experience it doesn’t mean all Banfields are attempting to eat your soul. You just happen to be an unhappy person who likes to complain about spending money on your pet. Boo fricken hoo.
If you have not paid your Wellness Plan, oh well. Your credit WILL NOT be affected. If you say that it has been affected, you are a complete liar, or something else (since you are obviously strapped for cash) has messed with your credit history.
For those of you who have complained about your very sick pet getting care at Banfield and dying (i.e. people who could not afford the treatment necessary), stop blaming it on Banfield. 99% of the time the pets who die are because of the cheap ass owners who refuse to pay the money to help their pets. People complain that their pets died days after getting an estimate from Banfield. If other places were so much cheaper why didn’t you take them there? My advice to these people is to just go and euthanize your pets now, because when the time comes to save them you will be too fricken cheap to do anything. And instead of just admitting that you didn’t want to spend the money, you’ll just blame it on whatever vet hospital you happened to receive an estimate from.
Don’t own pets if you can’t afford them. And I hope to God you aren’t like this with your children. Or maybe you are and you go around blaming doctors for not helping your sick child since you just didn’t have the money.
Well Mariah… sounds like you are a disgruntled employee. Complaining about your little pay. How dare you belittle these people on here who have had bad expreiences with Banfield. I am sure if you had bad service or a company/agency did you wrong you would blog your brains out. You belong at Banfield, because from what I can tell is you are just like the rude careless people I had to deal with at Banfield. If you are not happy with your job I would suggest looking for a new job. It is not about being able to afford pets, it is about a company who lies and takes advantage of customers and their pocket books. My dog was very sick and all his symptoms reflected back on hypothyroidism… I suggested this to the vet at Banfield and she told me nope it is not he is too young. He most likely has cancer. Wanted me to spend another $800 on test to start with. I took my dog to another vet and turns out that is exactly what he has. So before you talk down to all these people you should research each persons experience. Banfield is not a good company and I wouldn’t take my pets there if it was my only option. My dog was sick much longer then he needed to be. I will blog about banfield until the day I die because I do not want anyone to experience what I did.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Jennifer,
I’m not sure if you’ve had a chance to speak with our client advocacy team, but we want you to feel free to reach out to us to discuss your experience. The number is 877-500-2288.
We understand that you’re unhappy with your experience at Banfield, but we do want to express our support here. You are clearly a caring, dedicated pet owner and do not deserve to be treated as otherwise. We value the trust that you, and all of our clients and pets, place in our care and expertise. We will certainly look into this feedback to ensure we are constantly improving and holding all of our hospitals to the highest standard of care. Again, if you haven’t called our client advocacy team yet, we would certainly appreciate the opportunity to address this issue on the local level.
We do understand that you’ve moved on to a different vet, and we wish you and your dog the best of luck.
As a quick note to anyone curious about hypothyroidism, we do have some brief information here: http://www.banfield.net/r/hypothyroid. This is a disease that usually develops gradually and can easily be mistaken as laziness or “slowing down” from age or obesity.
You people are huge hypocrites. What’s the point of calling your so-called “client advocacy team,” employed by Banfield?
Whose side are the Banfield employees going to be on?
HEY!! Everyone please calm down and talk to each other in a nice an constructive way. It is fine to disagree but I won’t allow personal attacks.
- Mikael (Admin)
My dog recently gained weight quickly, started acting lethargic, had very dry skin, lots of dandruff, had infections and skin problems on his ears, and was becoming somewhat weak. I could not wait until Banfield in Spokane opened as they are closed on Sundays, so I took my dog to pet emergency. I agreed to have basic blood tests done and everything came back normal. My dog had slightly enlarged lymph nodes and I was prescribed clavamox and prednisone.
I went in for a follow up with my vet at Banfield the next Monday. She spent approximately 3-4 minutes with my dog and told me she was going to put a bid together of what I should have done. The estimate came back to have blood work and x-rays done with the medication my estimate was almost $600. At this time Dr. Sanders stressed that it is probably cancer we were dealing with so it is important to get the tests done. My husband and I decided to keep him on the medications and give him another week.
After doing some of my own research all his symptoms matched up to hypothyroidism. At my follow up appointment the next week, I right away told the assistant that I would like my dog tested for hypothyroidism. She told me that it is probably not what we are up against. She stated at the age of 4 he is not old enough to have this disease. Everything I read dogs can develop hypothyroidism between the ages of 2 and 6. The assistant wanted to talk to the vet on duty (Dr. Sanders) and she came into the room. She only checked his temperature and lymph nodes. She told me that his lymph nodes have doubled in size and are extremely enlarged. His temperature is extremely high at 102.8 and this could be dangerous. She put together an estimate of test to run with the hypothyroidism test…(still stressing he most likely has cancer), the estimate came to over $700. I knew the average temperature for dogs was 101-102.5, for her to make such a big deal about the danger of 102.8 I knew she was lying. No one could answer my questions directly and continued to talk in circles.
I knew it was time for me to get a second opinion. I had my dog to a new vet within an hour of leaving Banfield. This vet took the time to listen to me, and answer my questions, and go over all the symptoms of my dog. He physically checked over my dog. I did not give him my opinion and I did not tell him what Banfield had said or done. I wanted his professional opinion based on my dogs symptoms. After reviewing his blood work results from pet emergency, he said I believe the next step we should take is to test your dog for hypothyroidism. He went into details of what hypothyroidism was and what it means for my dog if he has it.
During my dogs physical examination (from the new vet), his temperature was 102.1 and the vet told me only his back lymph nodes in his legs were slightly enlarged. What a change within an hour. He did tell me that testing for hypothyroidism may just be the tip of the iceberg and wanted me to understand that it could be a long road to find out what was going on if the tests came back negative for hypothyroidism. I am sad to say my new vet called me with the blood results and my dog test positive for hypothyroidism at the same time I had some relief. He explained to me that he can still live a normal life, he just has to take medications for the rest of his life. What that means to me, is that my dog is going to have a happy life and I will make the most of it. Just a couple days on his medication and he is almost back to his old hyper-self again. I find Banfield in Spokane Washington and Dr. Sanders there to be very unprofessional and money hungry. I will not recommend this poorly ran establishment to a person and I will tell everyone I know about my experience.
My little yorkie pup died yesterday becasue of shock distemper shot. They performed deworming, her parvo shots, and the diphenhydramine injectable. We took her to Banfield Hazel Dell location in Vancouver, WA.
When we had purchase her from a breeder in Yakima, WA. She was a playful puppy at 9 weeks old @ ,8 oz. She was eating and drinking well. The following day after getting her, we took her to Bannfield 11/06/10 to get her checked, they reccommended us getting her puppy shots and dewormed, so we did as advise, but informed them prior that she has already been dewormed and had her 1st shot on 10/27/10, but from what the “profession” advise that it was going to be ok, so we took it. She came home fine for about 30 min, and collapse. She was so weak, paralyzed, and had vomit and diahrrea. I knew she was dehydrated from this so I kept forcing water to her and tried feeding her.
I called the vets there and she said it was totally normal for puppy to have this reaction. I waited another day, my little one was not getting any better and first thing in the morning took her to the vet at Bannfield again. They simply did not know what was wrong with her. I left her there for the rest of the day where they put some support for her and told us she has low blood sugar. When they closed at 7, I picked her up and she was still so weak, but the vet there told us she was going to survive, and she was doing very well. She had said that her chaces of surviving were high. She them reccommended taking her to the emergency vet.
We then took her to the emergency vet, there the vet took sample of her blood an ran all other tests just like the vet at Banfield did. He told us that her blood sugar was very low her chances were not very high even if we get a blood tranfusion, that’s when I did not want to see my baby suffer any longer. I cried for hours and still am.
My hospital bills for my baby is sky rise, and she is not even here with me because Banfield kept giving me hope that there was still life in her. I am mad the fact that the vets at Bannfield knew she probably couldn’t make it but gave us so much hope so we can go back there and the emergency vet so my baby suffer and they can make their money!(BAN FAIL)I am fill with regrets I took her to Bannfield. They have injected way too many vaccination in such a little one. Vets should know better how much a newly, small baby can take.
We called this morning 11/09/10 to cancel the puppy membership and informed them that our little angel is no longer here with us.
In memories of Dora 9/7/10-11/08/10 R.I.P.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Khousie,
We just came across your post here and, first, want to send our sympathies for the loss of Dora. We’re going to get in touch with your local hospital to look into this. We will follow up.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Khousie,
We did hear that a doctor was able to contact your boyfriend, who brought Dora in, to discuss this issue and the steps that were taken. Again, we all want to send our sympathies for the loss of Dora.
I just got on to the Banfield Website. It’s crazy. Finally it recognized my original sign on. After a screen popped up to say I don’t have access. Then on My Profile it says something like a free Premium membership and to sign in. There was an asterisk by the word Premium. When are you a member and when are you not a member to the Website. I can not access my Baruch’s records from my home like I can with my own records in my human medical plan. I’m Medicare so my real “insurance” is the Federal Government. the Federal Government is way ahead of Private Industry in the Health Field. Webmd is way ahead of all the dog/cat/human continuum in health care. It’s the only place there is a dog/cat/human continuum. I thought I’d be long dead before that ever happened. But so far I think I am on the Planet Earth.
I am not totally un- satisfied with Banfield but I am sure not thrilled. I am on the Wellness plan and every time I go in, there is an additional cost for something. An example is; I had her spayed and they found a hernia. So not only do I pay the monthly cost, it is always something else. I picked Banfied because it is a great price here in Minnesota overall, but not with all of the extra’s they add in. And I understand dogs do have hernias, but every time I go in they have something that she needs.
Some people who work there are ok, and some really arent. It is a hit or miss on the customer service you will get. I wont renew and I sure will never go back after Manhattan is off of the plan. Most people that I know feel that way. If I could get out of the contract I would.
Like about 90 percent of others posting here, I just had a horrible experience at my local Banfield inside PetSmart.
My cat had been throwing up for a couple days. I couldn’t get into my normal vet until Monday (It’s Friday now) so I took him to Banfield. BEFORE he even got out of the cat carrier, I had a “vet tech” shoving a brochure in my face trying to sell me the “wellness plan.” First of all, I already have a regular vet. Secondly how rude of you to try to sell me something before my cat has even been seen much less diagnosed! BAD BAD TASTE.
After they took my cat away to be privately examined by the vet (who is the doctor? The Queen of England?) the vet comes in and tells me horror stories about xrays and defends her thoughts even before I get to react. Something told me right then I was in for some interesting fees. So she goes off to “work up a plan” and the “tech” comes in immediately with it. Which tells me it was already worked up. So the bottom line is, they want to charge me nearly $400 for tests on my cat! This being after almost no pre-diagnosis. There could be nothing wrong. He could just be responding to an annoying hairball. Who knows.
I was shocked. I then realized I was inside of a corporation scam. I’m here to seen care for an animal who is very loved and a part of my family. It’s a time of need. Not a time to try to make money and scam me. It left such a bad taste in my mouth that I left. I made the Monday appointment for my kitty and will keep an eye on him. If he gets worse, I’ll take him to the animal ER, which by the way is still cheaper than the $400 they were going to charge!
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Branden,
First of all, sorry to hear that the hospital you visited made you feel this way. We’d like to pass your feedback to the location – can you either call 877-500-2288 or let us know which location you visited?
We have had very good experiences thus far at the Long Beeach location. I was hesitant, thinking that they were too big. I found it to be more like a small city vet. Prices and care have been reasonable. Infact when the flea control was not working for my dog I was told to try other brands that they do not push only one. Infact I was encouraged to try the Costco brand my husband had seen. I appreciated that, no pressure, just honesty.
We went once to Banfield because we ran out of our dog’s prescription, our vet was out and we couldn’t find it anywhere else. So we checked out Banfield. In order to get the food, our dog had to have a “free exam”. There were two vets, one a seasoned vet, the other a visiting vet from another country. During the exam, the seasoned vet said she felt a swelling in a gland in his leg. I was immediately concerned but my husband remained neutral and opted not to get all the tests that were recommended. I thought he was being callous but he later told me he was suspicious of them. It did feel like a heavy duty sales job. We left with the food and I took my dog to our regular vet the next day. He could not feel this mystery lump and pronounced our dog healthy. Even with all these horrible reviews, I do feel it’s the responsibility of a vet’s office to provide you with all the options, and if they are doing that, fine. But having experienced their sales job personally AND after reading an ad from them for “customer service reps” whose description sounds like for a sales rep…. sounds like a racket to me.
Ok Banfeild you guys are crazy. One would think with the amount of complaints you would make an effort to get it togethter. I followed your instructions to have my issues resolved as instructed below. Guess what they were not resolved. Why do you even have a customer service department?
This is what you guys told me to do:
Noelle,
You can reach our Wellness Plan Relations team by calling 888-649-2716. They’ll talk through what may have happened with you and get you back on the plan. We’re not sure what is causing this, but sorry that you’re experiencing this inconvenience!
SO I called as per you instructions:
I told them at the above listed number I was calling to get back on my plan and they said no one in the entire company can do this. So why would you send me this email?
THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I HAVE EVER SEEN!
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Noelle,
Please reach out to our Client Advocacy line at 877-500-2288 to discuss this issue. The number we previously referred you to is usually the resource clients should call to discuss Wellness Plan payment questions or issues. If the issue goes beyond this, then please call the advocacy line.
I too was suckered into the Wellness Plan…and at the time it seemed like a good plan until I realized that they charge you at least three times what normal vet clinics in the area charge…but I kept it until I was finished with this year’s vaccines. Here’s the clincher!
I took my dog in yesterday for her routine vaccines. I inquired about the cost of spaying. She just had a litter of 6 pups that are now 7 week sold. It was hard on her and I decided not to put her through that again. I asked if they had time to spay her while she was in for vaccines IF I DECIDED TO GO THAT ROUTE…The person at the front desk said she did not think they had time as they were already booked with several surgeries..I said fine. She asked me to go ahead and sign the “estimate of charges” form incase they had time and I did decide on the procedure…”then the paperwork would already be done”. I said fine, but CALL ME FIRST!
The next call I got was mid afternoon telling me she was finished with her “exam” and I could pick her up before 6. Then less than 30 minutes later, the same girl called back. She apologized for having already called but said it was customary for patients to stay overnight and I could pick her up the next morning. I asked what they had done to warrant an overnight stay. She said my dog was spayed!!! No phone call to tell me they were able to fit her in, no phone call making sure I definitely wanted the procedure!!!!
So I go to pick up my dog…they refused to give her to me unless I paid the OUTRAGEOUS FEES of $367 (which was discounted from an original $600+ bill because I was on the wellness plan..PLEEZ!) What a scam of a business!!
While I was standing at the counter, WAITING FOR THEM TO BRING MY DOG OUT, I noticed papers with the same name as my dog. I asked if those were her papers, and the girl said no, that was another dog with the same name. What we have here is a clear cut case of miscommunication and incompetence! They simply spayed my dog because I signed “estimate” papers and there was another dog there with the same name in for the same procedure. After several conversations, including my pending phone calls to the local news channels, local authorities and my atty, they brought my dog out.
YOU MESSED UP BANFIELD…AND YOU HAVE NOT HEARD THE LAST REGARDING THIS INCIDENT!!!
BEWARE OF FAST TALKERS AND OBVIOUS SALES PITCHES!!
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Debbie,
We apologize if there was any misunderstanding about the surgical procedure you authorized for Bailey. Based on our medical records and our conversation regarding the procedure and estimates associated with the procedure, you asked the hospital to perform the spay and authorized the procedure by signing the estimate/agreement. Any questions on the fees should have been discussed prior to consent and signature. If a client changes his or her mind after authorizing care, it’s important he or she notify the hospital immediately. If you wish to discuss Bailey’s care further, please contact your home hospital or call our client advocate team at 877-500-2288. We wish Bailey a speedy recovery.
This place is a joke! I live in Houston, have been to THREE different Banfield locations, and they are all terrible. Their staff appear to be knowledgeable and kind at first, but then they will lie to you and treat you terribly, just to take more money. I have had a wellness plan for two years now, and it is my biggest regret. They jack up the prices, just so it looks like you ‘saved’ money with their plan. I spent over $500 today, just on xrays for my cat. PLEASE SAVE YOURSELF THE TROUBLE!
I too am a customer at banfield in New Jersey. I took my kitten there because he was over 8 weeks old and i wanted a checkup. Never the less… I got put on the plan. Here there is something wrong with our cat and I know for a fact there is. I called them several times made several appointments and to them he is healthy. My cat eats but his ribs are showing. For a 6 month old kitten his energy level is non exsisting and he had worms. I took a stool sample, and they claimed he didnt have anything.( i know i didnt feed him moving spaghetti). I have owned cats all my life, and know that diarrea since birth with blood in it is NOT NORMAL!!! So monday I will be taking my cat to another vet and getting a second opinion. If by any chance there is a problem with my cat, Banfield will be hearing from my attorney and so will all the news stations and newspapers. This is an outrage how they treat these animals. Their customer service is HORRIBLE, with a stuck up snobby girl who works at the front desk. They dont even clean the rooms properly before bringing your pet in…when was it that the patient has to tell the doctors office to sanitize a room? Banfield is a joke and rip off!!!!!!!
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Jennifer,
If you still feel dissatisfied with the veterinary care, or client service, that you experienced at Banfield, please let us know. We’d like to discuss what happened with you and address any issues or miscommunication on a local level. All feedback is valuable to us and other clients and pets – 877-500-2288.
Jennifer,
Have your vet test your cat for giardia and also “tritrichomonas foetus.” It’s a fairly new intestinal parasite that affects cats the same way you described, with horrible, constant bloody diarrhea. Other signs are gas, bloating, and unbearably stinky poo poos. He may be thin because of the constant diarrhea.
I’m not a vet, but I have two Bengal cats who had this problem. We tried everything we knew… they did test positive for Giardia but once that was cleared up, they still had diarrhea. Finally I discovered tritrichomonas on the internet and asked for my cat to be tested. It was 99.9% positive. The test is expensive, and the medicine can only be gotten from special compounding pharmacies, but it is well worth the cost and effort. You and your cat will both be much happier!
Also, we switched our boys to Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet food and that has been a miracle.
joni
unfortunately he lost his battle this past weekend. We even took him to another vet who thought he had an upper respiratory. The meds helped for a few days and he even had normal stools. He quickly took a turn for the worse and we believe his organs shut down on him.we stayed with him for the last 14 hours by his side. He wouldn’t give up but we told him that if he had to, we want hm to be happy and well. He started to kick us away at 1230 a.m. We took that as if he wanted us to leave him so he could be at peace when we came back in the room a few minutes later… He was gone. We just know that he had the best 7 months of his life that we could give him.we are having him remated and can bring him home tomorrow. Still it’s hard to talk about him or look at his pictures but we know he’s in kitty heaven doing barrel rolls ina big bath tub filled with bubbles… He loved the bath tub and rolling around when bubbles were in there. At least he is not suffering anymore and we know he knew he was loved like one of our children and he will be home with us forever
found a coupon online for a free office exam (jacksonville, fl banfield location in petsmart at SJTC). in my paperwork i indicated i wanted to learn more about their wellness plan (i was curious!) and the girl at the front desk said, “Your paperwork says you want to purchase a wellness plan?”, “Um, no, just wanted to know how much it is.” So she led me into the room with my cat and gave me the 5 minute sales pitch on the wellness plans. i thanked her and then a nurse came in, asked some questions, then gave me the sales pitch again. then the vet came in, checked out my cat, and game me the sales pitch again. was able to muster up the courage to deny all services (except a mandatory rabies vaccine since the cat hadn’t had one in the last two years).
the people themselves were not my issue. the nurse seemed compentent and was friendly with my cat, and the vet seemed knowledgeable and polite. the thing that upset me about this visit is it was extremely high pressure to get on the wellness plan. when i objected that i wanted to check other vet’s prices, they even had a comeback that involved listing the individual prices for all the services and took another 3/4 minutes to do that. Another thing i found annoying, if i would have signed up for the wellness plan + preventative (or whatever its called), i would’ve had to pay the annual fee (close to $25 a month or $300 one time)PLUS a $70 member enrollment fee. really? an enrollment fee? for what, two minutes of typing my information in the computer? no thanks. if you want to add $70 to the charge of the plan, do it in the annual/monthly fee, but don’t patronize me so much as to say that enrolling me is a $70 job. and the front desk girl said that if i “bought today $15 would be removed from the enrollment fee”. High pressure sales throughout the entire visit.
The last thing that annoyed me was i was told the cost of the rabies vaccine would be 14.95, (which it was) but my bill had a $3 charge added for ‘medical waste disposal’, which i suppose meant throwing away the syringe used to administer the vaccine. now i admit, $3 is a pretty small amount to get upset at, but after all the sales crap i just went through, to find out they tell me a rabies vaccine will cost 14.95 when every vaccine ever administered there adds a $3 waste fee they neglect to tell you about, it just ruffled my already raised feathers.
i didn’t schedule a follow up visit, and after reading the reviews here, i’m pretty sure i wont. i also asked for estimates of the services they said “needed” to be done so i can compare them to other vets.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Brad,
Thank you for posting your feedback. I will pass your comments along, and please accept our apologies for making you feel pressured at one of our hospitals.
I have both positive and negative reviews about Banfield. I took in two dumpster kittens, and took them to Banfield because I knew they would have to be dewormed, vaccinated, fixed, etc. It seemed like it owuld be cheaper in the longer run. The vet was amazing. The staff, overall, was great. They failed to mention the enrollment fee when I was discussing the fees with the dr, but I signed the kittens up anyways since we had already been serviced.
Shots, visits, deworming everything went well. When it was time to get them fixed, I called, asked for the price, and was quoted one price. Imagine my surprise when I got there, and it was a totally different price. Higher, of course. The original quote didn’t include pain management medication, which they “highly recommend”. If it’s highly recommended, you should have quoted it in the price. I wrote a complaint to Banfield, and when I went into the office next, I spoke to the vet, who credited me $50 for the confusion. I was very pleased.
A few weeks later, one of the kittens got sick with a chest cold. I brought him into the vet, and the pet tech basically used a scare tactic on me to attempt me to get a heartworm test on him. We had been giving them heartworm meds, so I’m not sure why she would automatically assume heartworm, but she still tried. It almost worked. His kitty-cold cleared up about 4 days later with antibiotics. This certainly left a bitter taste in my mouth, but I convinced myself it was because she truly did care about my pet.
A year and a half later, we have moved, and switched Banfields. Same kitty got out of the house (they’re inside cats), got into a fight with another cat, and came back home the next day, covered in bites and scratches. Having been the reciepient of a cat bite, I know they are nasty dirty things, so I took him to the vet right away. They shaved his tummy, cleaned the wounds, and wanted to charge me $50 for antibiotic, $30 for topical ointment (kitty neosporin), and $350 for bloodwork “just to be sure he doesn’t have an infection already.” I took the antibiotic, but… $350 for bloodwork to make sure he doesn’t have an infection?? I asked the vet “if he does have an infection from the cat bite, won’t the antibiotic likely clear it up?” She replied “well, yes, but you won’t know.” I decided to come back in a few days if I didn’t get any better. He was fine after 2 days. Scare tactics again.
Also, I have since taken the kittens to another vet for checkups. Brought the paperwork from last visit with Banfield, and they couldn’t believe that Banfield had given less than 1 year old kittens 3 year rabies vaccines. Apparently they said it is not approved for kittens? Good show, Banfield, good show.
I cancelled my plan at the end of that go-round (which made my last “monthly fee” July of this year). Imagine my surprise when today (November) I have a fee from Banfield taken out of my bank account.
Overall, I would recommend avoiding this company. Consistently long waits (up to 3 hrs with an appointment), scare tactics to try and get you to spend more money, and outrageous prices, comparitively speaking to other vets in our area. Generally nice people though, but not worth it. I understand that pets are going to cost money, but for 3 cats, it cost over $2500 in vet bills (2 shot series, 2 deworming, 1 spay, 1 neuter, and 2 sick kitty issues, the rest was regular, and not including the price of heartworm) in 3 years.
Okay so i live in Virginia and i took my dog to the Banfield/Petco in Fredericksburg. My dog had been sick for a few days and when she wasn’t improving we took her to the vet. We think she has eaten a wild mushroom that was poisonous. When we took her to the hospital i noticed that on the wall it said “Sick pets are seen first, for everyones safety.” I assure you that my pet was not seen first. We talked with the lady at the front desk and she told us to wait because this lady was coming in with her dog. We waited about 5 minutes to be seen. She asked us what was wrong with her so we described our dogs symptoms. She was EXTREMELY rude. And then on top of that they asked us to wait a few minutes while they checked if my dog did in fact ingest mushrooms. 30 MINUTES later they say that my dog didn’t ingest mushrooms and that all is wrong is her leg is hurting because she was limping. I immediatly thought this was b/s because how in the hell will a limp cause my dogs gums to start turning black? How would the limp make my dog slightly unresponsive? So we drop off my dog so they can run x-rays on her leg. I call them back later on in the day and they tell me that they already called me about having to run blood work because NOW they were worried that she actually may have ingested mushrooms after she vomited 3 times. I did not recieve a call. 30 minutes AFTER i called them THEY called me with what seemed to be the initial call i never recieved… Also every single time i brought my dogs in for blood work to be done they shaved a patch on my dogs arm. When i got my dog there was no shaved patch on my dog anywhere. I assure you that if my dog dies because of their incompetance then i will be suing for EVERY single dollar that i have spent at Banfield.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
We apologize for any concerns you have regarding the medical care your pet received at one of our hospitals. Based on our medical records, we understand some of the diagnostics we recommended were completed yesterday, but no treatment was authorized by your family.
We also understand care was authorized today. Your pet is now receiving medical treatment and seems to be improving. We wish your pet a speedy recovery.
Just got a call from Banfield today. We had to put our 14 yr old cat down awhile back. Banfield now wants me to pay the rest of of the years health insurance in one lump sum. For a dead cat! In humans this is called “Medicare fraud”. To continue to bill insurance for a deceased pet is cruel and heartless. Banfield is the “Jiffy Lube” of animal healthcare. Draw them in, rack up the charges and keep making them pay even after death.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Steve,
Are you sure this call was from Banfield? Banfield does not provide health insurance, nor do its Wellness Plans go beyond a year-by-year basis. Please call us at 1-866-649-2716 to have this resolved.
This call was from a collection agency hired by Banfield. (Odd since I had no prior notice of the Debt.) I called into Banfield and yes, indeed they wanted Wellness money for my dead cat. The Wellness plan is marketed as pet health insurance, so do not tell me it is not.
I am a client of Banfield, and have a few things to say. First, I will say that I am sorry you lost your cat. I recently lost mine after 18 years. Honestly though, you have to think about a few things before you go bashing a practice out of frustration.
Your pet would not have been signed up on a wellness plan if the veterinarian did not think it would live less than a year longer than the sign-up date. It is an undeniably frustrating situation to have to pay for services on an animal that has passed, but you have to pay for the services you received, that is only fair. If you didn’t use all of them, guess what… you still got all of that at probably half the cost that a private practice charges.
Also, you signed paper-work detailing exactly what the wellness plan covers. Sorry, but insurance doesn’t do that. If there was a wellness plan for humans, believe me, I’d be first in line. That paper-work is clearly presented as a contract, so you knew what you were getting yourself into.
There are plenty of pet insurance companies out there, however Banfield is clearly not one of them, nor does it seem to me like they are marketing themselves as such. And honestly, as a grown man, think about what you are saying. When a human dies, bills remain, and that is a sad part about death.
May you find peace in the many memories you have of your cat, and resolve your anger in time.
This is BS… Our was dog deteriorating all year but they let our plan renew.. They are heartless!!!
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Steve,
First of all, please accept our sympathies for the loss of your cat. We know this is a difficult time, so we don’t wish your cat’s plan to be any additional stress to you.
In the event of a cancellation, or a passing, clients are only responsible for the services that have been provided. So, if the cost of the services your cat received is less than the cost of the plan, then you certainly do not have to pay for the full cost of the plan. Services can be paid for either as one consolidated payment, or we will certainly honor your current monthly payment if it is cheaper. Monthly payment is not meant to act as continued “coverage;” it is simply how the plans are structured for client convenience. Our Wellness Plan Relations team would be happy to discuss your cancellation options with you at 1-866-649-2716.
To clarify, Banfield Wellness Plans are not insurance. They are packages of preventive services that are offered with a 12-month financing option.
Hello,
Recently, I decided to take advantage of the “free exam” for my pet. My lab needed a mass removal for a skin tag on his elbow. I got quoted $400 to remove it. At a local, true, Vet clinic I got it done for $150. Anyways, that is not even my biggest complaint. At the “free exam” they tried pressuring me into scheduled the appointment. I said “not now, I need to check with my Fiance on a best time to schedule”. A week later I get a call to remind me of my appointment. So the basically scheduled it for me anyways. I called back and cancelled, and said I would call back if I wanted it done. Well, a month later, I get another reminder call for my appointment the next day! Really?!? I have never seen a place schedule appointments without asking first. Wow. Finally, I called back telling them that I do not want their services.
I gave Banfield a chance, and they failed in my eyes.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Jeremy,
This shouldn’t have happened. We hope that this was simply a miscommunication on our end, as we certainly would not schedule an appointment that you declined. Can you either let us know which location this took place or, even better, call our client advocacy team at 877-500-2288? They will discuss and pass your feedback along as well.
Thinking about enrolling your pet in a Banfield Wellness Plan?
Don’t do it!
My wife and I enrolled two cats nearly four years ago and now find ourselves fending off a collection agency they imposed on us because we cancelled our plan.
We are 60 years old. Our credit rate exceeds 800. We have never before experienced the hounding from a credit company
But we decided in early March 2010 to cancel our kitty wellness plan. It appeared that quite a few young veterinarians rotated in and out of the Banfield clinic. We seldom saw the same vet. So we opted to transfer the care of our kitty-cats to a neighborhood veterinarian – with no hard feelings toward Banfield.
Because monthly credit charges kept appearing on my Visa bill, I decided to cancel the card. Banfield then began calling and sending us mail – claiming the verbal cancellaion didn’t count. So I faxed another cancellation notice in May. But that did not stop Banfield; eventually they turned this dispute over to a collection agency.
Now we reguarly hear from them.
You can spare yourself similar treatment by never agreeing to a Banfield wellness plan for your pets – one that comes with automatic monthly charges to your credit card or debits against your checking account.
If you sign up, you risk a future fight similar to the one in which we are now waging.
Do NOT sign any agreement with Banfield before consulting with a lawyer!
Roger..
YOu need to read a tad more carefully. I did not contemplate a life long deal when we first signed on with Banfield.
Four years into it, we tired of a steady rotation of vets. So…we cancelled the services. Why would I bring a sick pet back to Banfield when we already had established a relationship with a vet in the neighborhood?
I verbally told the Banfield clinic inside Pet Smart to cancel our contract. MOnthly charges to my VISA card continued.
So…I asked VISA to close my account and issue a new card.
That’s when I heard from Banfield Corporate. They said I needed to put the cancellation in writing…so I faxed them with an emphatic: Cancel!
They continued to hound us……and then turned the account over to a collection agency.
I would urge anyone thinking of signing up with Banfield to avoid doing so – or, to hire a lawyer before signing any agreement.
And…if you have to do that, you would be better off with a different vet.
You all can actually write the CEO of Banfield which is the CEO of the Mars company. Mars is a dog/cat company as well as a human candy company.
Maybe you might add that you’d like to have the plan include access to your dog’s/cat’s electronic records from your home. It helps get rid of paperwork. It facilitates immediate monitoring by both Banfield and each and every nenber of the plan. The staff can have these electronic records available for you to see on the monitor. You can review it all before you go to the office, days ahead of time. I love it with my new health insurance plan for me. Saves gas too because sometimes it’s just a matter of email. Maybe the CEO of Mars can look into this. It worked for me this past year when I changed Banfield locations. Brand new at that time. The entire move was managed in a few minutes.
As of this year you can access your medical records from home.
Roger,
1)I doubt you are a “customer”. If, as you say, you are a “satisfied client” and understand that “The wellness plan is not insurance” than you would not be surfing pet insurance reviews.
2) At the death of my pet the Banfield staff assured me the contract was closed, and all payments were up to date.
3) I never got a “bill” to have not paid. I never received mail/email or a phone call until the call from the collections agency.
4)BBB Rating for Banfield, The Pet Hospital
Based on BBB files, Banfield, The Pet Hospital has a BBB Rating of D+ on a scale from A+ to F.
Reasons for this rating include:
* Number of complaint(s) filed against business that were not resolved.
* Failure to respond to 10 complaints filed against business.
This is the Better Business Bureau’s rating of Banfield. Just for the Portland area. This leads me to believe my situation is not singular.
The hospital its self has no control over cancelling the wellness Plan you have to go to the coorprate office, Also the hospital can not call the cooporate office themselves to cancell it has to be you. Also I got to this page by looking up Banfield the pet hospital so you can not say that the wellness plan is insurance because of where you found this link. I do not know of any “insurance” that you do not have to pay a ductible on when you go in you did not have to do that with the wellness plan did you?
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Roger,
We are sorry that you feel this way about your experience with Banfield, and we still encourage you to call the client advocacy team about your experience already.
Regarding the BBB, as a medical care provider, Banfield treats our client and patient information confidentially and works directly with our clients rather than the BBB to resolve any issues.
I Banfield because I had heard from my daughter they were much cheaper. My previous vet was great but expensive, so I tried Banfield.
They wanted $1000 to remove a fatty tumor on the outside of my dogs leg. So I declined but decided to go ahead with the ear swab and get ear medication because she had an ear infection.
Well she is there now because I had to leave her there…They charged me a $29.99 boarding fee for an ear swab!!!
They had a list of fees…$132 for diagnosis of the ear infection, cleaning ($18 just to look in her ears after they clean them!) and that’s NOT INCLUDING meds. The previous vet was between $17 and $25 depending on the cause of the ear infection….Their fees?? $30-50!!! How much you want to bet it’s $50 when I go back…That will make up for the ‘Free’ office visit they gave me.
NEVER EVER will I go back. Corporate run and it felt like it…fee upon fee…no different than a bank…and don’t get me started on the wellness plan and their nuetral, unfriendly demeanor!
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Theresa,
We are sorry to hear that you feel this way about your experience with Banfield, but we wish you the best of luck with your new vet.
Banfield strives to be competitively priced in the marketplace. You’ll find that many of the most popular veterinary products and services are less expensive at Banfield than at other veterinarians. While certain procedures such as surgery may appear to be more costly at Banfield, this is due to the measures we have in place to ensure the safety of every Pet we treat, such as pre-anesthetic bloodwork, which is required prior to any surgical procedure.
Banfield is a total disgrace. My dog had been vomiting for 2 days with no other negative symptoms and since I couldn’t get into a vet close by I chose one of the Banfield locations at a Pets Mart. They took the dogs temperature (normal) some quack doctor? came out and checked his heart beat asked what was wrong, felt the dog a little and said he would send back some paper work with the technician. This all took about 5 minutes. The tech came out and said “Don’t shoot the messenger.” The ?doctor? had listed everything from blood work to ex-rays to medicine – his “recommendation”. The bill would have been in excess of $600.00. I passed. Went to a “real” vet the next day – a more complete exam and question/answer session resulted in a visit bill for $41.00 and some pills if I needed them to give to my dog if the vomiting continued. We took the dog off food and water for 12 hours at their recommendation and brought him back on light food (rice) and water. No problems since then. Vets thinking was having a slight stomach virus or something disagreed with his digestive track. I tell you the biggest thing that disagreed with me was the total lack of professionalism that was shown by the supposed vet at Petsmart. Never again and along with that I would avoid Pets Mart also in the future – PETCO a better place anyway. STAY AWAY FROM BANFIELD !!!!!!!!!!
I am an ex-employee from Banfield and I agree with a lot of the complaints on this website. Some of the complaints (for instance, many that have to do with wellness plans and treatments) are not fully understood by the people complaining. Everything technically IS in the contract when you sign it (such as finishing the payment year out when cancelling a plan or paying for the services you used that payment year), however that does not mean that they are fair. If you are going to a vet to get absolutely EVERYTHING done for your pet from teeth cleaning to every possible preventive care, then a wellness plan will save you money. However, if you are just going to get a few vaccines then I probably would not sign up on a plan because it will be a waste of your money.
The major complaint I would agree with would be the waiting and customer service. I worked as a receptionist at Banfield (Client Service Coordinator) for two years, and I thought that it was horrible how some of the clients were treated. However, I can promise the reviewers that 97% of the time the bad customer service is not actually rooting from the receptionist. A lot of them are only crabby because they are the ones who get yelled at by ALL the customers when they are upset. The doctors and nurses are the ones who make up the estimates and most of the times they make the receptionist tell the client the price changes, if they notify us that there is a price change at all. THEY do not tell the client when they are uping the number of services, which is why the bill is higher when you come to pick up, and the poor receptionist has no idea why. She/he was answering phones all day, and making follow up calls, and checking people into rooms, and sending out/receiving faxes, and bringing pets to the back. The receptionist NEVER changes the bill.
Another thing that was really annoying as a receptionist is when the nurses are being prompt with the clients when in the rooms, and then they are taking their time in the back running tests and such. I would go to the back and tell them to go faster, and my DPN (head petnurse) would tell me that “the client can wait”. What is a receptionist supposed to say to that?? We have the nasty job of telling the client what we are told by doctors and nurses who take as longgg as they want, because most of the time clients do not take out their (justified) frustration on them.
So my advice would be (from someone who has worked on the inside)
1. If you want to see genuine change, do not complain to the advocacy line or receptionist. Complain to the DOCTORS and the HEAD PETNURSES. Almost all of the time, the root of the horrible customer service is coming from them (believe it or not).
2. If you are not sure about a certain procedure for a pet, do not have it performed until you can go home and research it some more.
3. If you are very anxious to get your pet home right away after a drop off, ask the hospital for their slowest day to schedule it on. Most of the times it is a Wednesday. They can have your pet ready in about an hour on their slowest day. If they tell you it is Saturday, they are LYING. That is every hospital’s BUSIEST day and it could take hours to the whole day to get your pet back home.
4. Never do grooming and Banfield in the same day. Grooming says that they take your pets over afterwards, but they refuse to do so. They make Banfield come and get them, but legally we have to have two people per one dog to bring them over from grooming. It seems like no big deal, but when grooming ALWAYS calls at around 12-2 (our busiest time of day) it is almost impossible for us to make it happen. If you do not mind keeping your pet at petsmart all day, it is a way to save on making two trips. However, if you like your pet at home with you right away afterwards, I would definitely not suggest it. If you have to get it done in the same day, I would pick up your pet from grooming when they are ready, and bring them to the appointment with you (that way they will be done on time). Sounds crazy, I know.
5. This is a secret that will make you all breath a little easier. My office manager at Banfield told me that the collection agency that Banfield uses will not disrupt client’s credit at all. It is a private agency that Banfield uses and will not affect anyone’s credit score. They just call it a collections agency to intimidate people into paying. I still recommend paying any debt you owe to Banfield because the staff works extremely hard every day at work. However, if you do not, you will not end up with “bad” credit.
6. Sometimes it is best to get a second opinion. Not all of the vets are that great to me. Some of the vets at my Banfield, I would trust their opinions HANDS DOWN. However, others I wouldn’t dare let touch my pets and I seriously don’t know how they made it through vet school. I wouldn’t diss Banfield for bad vet service. It all depends on the doctor you see.
7. Honestly, I do not go to Banfield anymore for vaccines or preventive care because it is too expensive for me. HEB hosts great vaccine clinics (very reasonably priced) every month. You just have to ask them what dates they are holding it. There are also low-cost spay/neuter places you could go to. I would go to Banfield if my pet were sick, but it is because I trust the judgement of my doctor there.
Banfield is a joke and I was too lazy to make the change. Please do not make the same mistake When we started with Banfield the fee was $20 a month. It is now $40. I wish I would have made the effort to go else where. What I realized as our dog was deteriorating and we were referred outside of Banfield for work is the work is actually cheaper than it is with Banfield. They create this false idea that you have this lifetime savings over the life of the plan. The crazy part is this so called discounted price is higher than what most Vets charge. I have nothing against the employees at our Banfield because 90% of them were great.
For the biggest issue I have with Banfield is our plan auto-renewed in June and our Dog died in October. I find out that we have continue to pay for the wellness plan because it is a yearly renewal. So now I get a $40 monthly reminder that my dog is dead. Banfield is heartless and hope nothing but the worse for the leadership of the company!!
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Bob,
Please accept our sympathies for the loss of your dog.
We also want you to know that you are only responsible for services that your dog received. If it is cheaper to pay for the services provided, and cancel the monthly payments, then that is certainly welcome. Please call our Wellness Plan Relations at 888-649-2716 to discuss your cancellation options.
UNACCEPTABLE!!.. I will never fall for the Banfield Scam again. You could care less. You post here hoping to show that you do care.
Whoever is reading this, please use a family vet practice. It will save you alot a money.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Bob,
We just want to help you cancel this plan now that your dog is deceased. If your plan auto-renewed and you have not used it since, then you do not need to pay for services that were not provided. We understand that you are not happy with Banfield; we respect your opinion and understand that this is a difficult situation. Again, we’d be happy to speak with you so we can get this plan off your hands.
????? never again
alyssa m. 1 Banfield the Pet Hospital
i took my cat too a banfield vet, ten days befor christmas, her ears were bothering her. when she was getting checked they noticed some gingivitas.
I signed onto the wellness plan because ears and tooth care were covered by it, signed an endorsment saying the could treat my cat and went on my way.
when i returned to get my cat not only did the clean her teeth and ears, they gave her every treatment and procedure on the wellness plan at one time, worm and flea medicine when she had niether tons of blood and organ tests she didnt need and i didnt want.
and the best part is, to cancel my plan i had to pay trhe full amount over 500 dollars all together, all and more of the chrisatmas money i had saved.
i will never go to a banfield vet again, and i will never be so foolish as to trust a vet to do what is right for my animals again
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Alyssa,
Before any procedures are done, we must have client consent. The form you signed when you dropped your cat off would have explicitly listed each service that we were going to provide. If you feel that Banfield provided services that you did not consent to, please call and discuss this with us at 877-500-2288. We can review this paperwork with you to ensure consent was granted.
I took my 9 year old shepard mix Heidi to Banfield, Apple Valley CA. for her comprehensive exam and dental prophy. She has been on the on the canine basic plus care plan for 3 years. When I picked her up later on I was horrified by her appearance. She couldn’t hold her back legs straight, was totally disoriented and scared. The leg where her IV was put in was a total mess. The vet, Dr. Gonzales was totally blase about it and paid no attention to my concerns. I had never met him before, vets at Banfield Apple Valley have a very high turnover rate, so do technicians. Dr. Gonzales didn’t even have the basic courtesy to introduce himself or greet me when he came into the room. My dog has arthritis and dry eye desease. which the vet was not aware of. He also had no idea how old my dog was. When he opened her mouth to tell her age by checking her teeth he treated her like a piece of wood, no friendly word or touch. I Have NEVER EVER SEEN SUCH TREATMENT BY A VET. I took my dog home. She was in terrible shape, couldn’t stand up, disoriented. I called Dr. Gonzales up and demanded to know what happened to my dog. He said she was laying in a cage all day and probably had a “quirk” in her back. The next day I took her to a private vet. This vet told me that Banfield uses sedatives before the actual anethisia that a very hard on older dogs and take a long time to leave their system. As for the lameness – she suspects that Heidi was roughly handled when she had the dental prophy. Nobody at Banfield cared that she was an elderly dog with arthritis. From what I opserved the vet didn’t even see Heidi before I picked her up and never onces checked her history.
ONE MORE THING – when I checked out the desk clerk had no idea why I was there and had to go in the back to ask for help. When I finally got my paperwork it included part of a bill of an other Banfield customer, incl. phone# and address. SO MUCH FOR PRIVACY!
I have tried to send Banfield an e-mail “letter of complaint” but it is being returned. Does anybody have an address that works? I have also done their survey. I will never drop off my dog at Banfield again. I have witnesses who saw Heidi before she went in there. I have 10 months left on the wellness plan and it irks me to have to pay for something I will not use. I urge everybody in AV who thinks of enrolling their pet in Banfield to think twice, especially when you have an elderly pet that requires a little extra care.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Trudi,
We’re sorry to hear that you’ve been through such frustration. As far as submitting your feedback to Banfield, please let us help. First, we’re going to take the details you provided in this forum and pass them along to our team internally. Second, your experience should be discussed with our client advocacy team at 877-500-2288. We appreciate this feedback, and please accept our best wishes for your dog.
I wrote some time ago about my 12 year old cat that was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and pleural effusion. She was treated initially at an emergency vet and had excellant care. I took her for a follow up to a local Banfield, where all the results of her previous tests were ignored, and I was advised that they would not refill her meds unless I agreed to another 700 in testing and xrays. I declined of course and took her to a local private vet in the Glen Burnie, MD area. They were fabulous…all about the animals and what was in their best interests. The vet agreed that nothing can be done for my Annie, but to make her comfortable. Her visit, blood work, and urine came to under 150.00. I will take her every 3-4 months for a check up, and that’s it. By the way…she is doing extremely well, much better than we had expected. Her new vet has called to check up on her a few times. Banfield…you need to start taking your ‘customers’ a little more seriously. The things I read here are shocking, the lack of caring about our pets is blatant. I wish PetSmart would wise up and stop doing business with you, it only gives them a bad name.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Katie,
We are certainly listening to this feedback, and thank you for sharing your experience. Please feel welcome to reach out with further concerns or questions but, for now, we’re glad to hear your cat is doing better than expected.
I read some of these bad reviews before I went to the Banfield in Loveland Colorado. I was very concerned but I like to see for my self. I made a free appointment to see about them cleaning our dogs teeth. I was very impressed with the visit & the fact that the vet also came in & spent 20 minutes with me talking about all my concerns. Many where because of the negative posts on this website. They put me in a complete comfort zone so I brought our dog in the next day for a dental cleaning. I was very nervous as you no the put the animal to sleep before the work is done. To my surprise they called me before , after the cleaning & called the next day to check on the dog to make sure he was OK. All calls where made by the Vet not the tech. I cant say enough good things about this one & first experience at Bangfield. But I can say that we all should use are own judgment when going there as I did.
Very happy customer,
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Richard,
Great to hear this feedback. Thank you and hope your dog is still doing well!
Could you tell us how we can access our pets electronic record from our homes. I can’t figure it out from you Banfield site the last time I looked. I tried all kinds of ways. But I must have missed it.
I took one of my dogs to the Banfield in my town a few weeks ago for a suspected UTI. At that time, I was impressed by the vet and the techs (well, not so much the one who obviously thought she was a “queen”). I wasn’t so impressed by how hard they worked to sell me their care package, but eventually purchased it on a monthly basis.
Fast forward to last Friday. Same dog was limping and not wanting to put weight on a front leg. This little leg has been injured several times and as my girl was getting a little older (8 years old) and the weather was perfect for an arthritis flareup, I figured that was what it was. The regular vet was ill. I thought the stand-in vet went a bit overboard on tests and was shocked to see that I was being charged not only for a person to hold my dog while she was x-rayed, but also being charged for them “warming up” the table upon which she was x-rayed. Also, the x-rays cost twice as much as other vets had charged me for similar x-rays.
The diagnosis was, as I suspected, arthritis and the vet prescribed Rymeral and Rejuvenate. After two doses of each, she started vomiting. This was on Christmas day and her leg was much better, so I stopped giving her either med and put her on a bland diet.
I went to Banfield on Monday morning and told the regular vet what had happened. She said that most likely my dog had had a reaction to the Rymeral.
This morning, she woke me up a little before 6 a.m. by pooping in my bedroom. Mostly, it looked like a normal poop, but she was quite anxious and so I decided to take her and the other dogs to the park (I don’t walk them in my neighborhood). In the car, she started crying, so I stopped at a parking lot and walked her a bit. That was when the diarrhea started.
She seemed to be getting settled down after we’d been at the park, but once home, she vomited her supper from the night before, so I took her to Banfield.
The tech took her temperature and looked at her eyes, but the vet didn’t even touch her when she came in. After talking to me for a few minutes, she said she would go write up what she wanted to do while the tech and I took her outdoors to try to get a fecal sample.
When we brought the sample back to the exam room, the tech went and got the write-up the vet had prepared. In addition to the fecal, she wanted to do blood work, tests for several different kinds of problems (such as pancraitis) and several x-rays (and of course, the table-warming fee and the fee for someone to hold her were on there). They told me the bill would be nearly $600. This after I’d just spent more than $400 the previous Friday.
I told the tech that I thought they were going overboard — that why not see what the fecal indicated first before pulling out all of the stops on tests and x-rays. When the tech couldn’t change my mind on that, the vet came in and tried to get me to agree to all of the tests she wanted to do. She got angry when I wouldn’t.
As it turned out, the fecal showed that my girl had a clostridia overgrowth in her gut. That happened once before in South Dakota when the temperatures were brutal (they call it weather stress up there) and we’d been having similar weather here. It made sense that the brutally cold weather, her not wanting to stay out in it, and the arthritis on top of that would stress her out.
The vet said she wasn’t sure, however, that treating the clostridia overgrowth alone was sufficient. She said that while the clostridia might account for the diarrhea, it didn’t account for the vomiting, which she now said she was sure was due to an obstruction — saying that my dog had probably picked up something at the park that I hadn’t noticed. Also, she was still wanting badly to do testing for pancreatitis since she said that “a lot of dogs get it this time of year.” I told her that yes, I know that and I also know that the reason they get it is because people feed them a lot of rich food from the table.
In the end, we decided that I would take her home and treat her for the clostridia overgrowth, and bring her back if she got worse.
We had only walked a few steps when my dog expelled a bit of bloody diarrhea. So I went back and talked to them. The vet said she was now certain that we were dealing with something more than a clostridia overgrowth because, according to her, it doesn’t cause bloody diarrhea. I told her I seemed to recall that the two who had this before did have bloody diarrhea and that treatment to stop the diarrhea, plus amoxicillin and flagyl cleared up the problem rather quickly.
The vet was now insisting that I allow her to run all of the tests she wanted to run and they prepared a new quote for me. When this quote was added to what I’d already paid, it was more than $100 more than the original quote for all of the tests.
By this time, I was feeling that all they were doing was just trying to scam me, so I told them that I needed to go think about this and perhaps get a second opinion.
I ended up taking her 35 miles to a vet I’d had for more than 20 years and whom I trusted quite a lot. By this time, she was throwing up quite a lot plus having more bouts of diarrhea.
When the vet I trusted examined her he said that everything, including the vomiting and bloody diarrhea, was consistent with an acute clostridia overgrowth problem brought about from stress, such as weather stress. The Banfield vet had told me that there was no way she could tell if there was an obstruction in her stomach without taking a number of x-rays. The vet I trusted listened to her belly through a stethoscope and said that while there may be an obstruction, there were noises in her belly that wouldn’t typically be there is there was one. He also said that while pancreatitis was a possibility, it was a very remote one since not only did I NOT allow them to have any rich food over the weekend, I didn’t have any in the house!
In short, as I realized while driving home, the vet I trust had looked at the symptoms and assessed the possibility of what it could be, whereas the Banfield vet was either too lazy to try to analyze what might be the problem, or just simply wanted to run up the bill as much as possible. To me, she’s nothing more than a tester — not a vet. I won’t be going back other than to tell her what I think.
Meanwhile, a lot of time was wasted today getting my dog some treatment to help her feel better. She’s at my trusted vet’s facility now with a drip of meds to help relieve the nausea and stop the diarrhea. He says she may need to be there a couple of days because she was in pretty sad shapen when I finally got her there.
I’m sure that the bill isn’t going to be cheap, but at least I’ll know that the money has been spent on doing things that we hope will help her — not just to pad Banfield’s pocket by doing tests that may not be needed.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Janet,
Thank you for providing this account in detail. We will be passing along your feedback. If you want to discuss this at all, especially with context of your specific location, we’d be happy to talk to you. The number for our client advocacy line is 877-500-2288.
More developed as this went on. First, the vet called me two days later and was very argumentative with me, saying that the vet who was caring for my dog at the dog must be incompetent for not taking x-rays. Not only is talking about other vets like that against the American Veterinary Medicine Association’s code of ethics, I thought it was extremely unprofessional and unseemly of her to go after the other vet, who is, btw, a very kind, professional, Christian man who would NEVER badmouth her or any other vet. She kept me on the phone arguing for the x-rays that she was so hung up on that I didn’t have time to take my other dogs to the park before going to pick up the one that was at the vet’s. As it turned out, that was fortunate because on the way there, another one started crying and when I stopped to take him out for a walk, he was showing signs of diarrhea starting. He had gotten a paw in the first dog’s poop so had picked it up then, but it hadn’t shown up when we did fecals at my other vet’s the day before. I immediately called the vet who was treating my first dog and told them I was coming in with another possible case. This was the day before New Year’s Eve and most vets were going to be closed, so the vet and I decided to start treating all of them for clostridia overgrowth. The fecal on the second dog showed that was, indeed, the problem, and while he had a belly ache and some diarrhea that evening and next morning, by afternoon the next day, he was well on his way to recovery — compare that with the two and a half days the first dog had to spend hospitalized and came close to dying the first night due to the Banfield vet’s refusal to treat her unless I agreed to give her a blank check to do a lot of unneeded tests.
The following Monday, I went into Banfield and told them I wanted to cancel the so-called Wellness insurance. The vet came out to talk to me. Again, she got angry and started badmouthing the vets that treated my dogs. When I told her I thought it was very unprofessional of her to talk about other vets that way, she said, “They badmouthed me first.” I told her that wasn’t the case — that I had asked them why they didn’t think it was necessary to do x-rays and they had told me. There was no badmouthing of her from them.
I told her that I thought it was unfortunate that a young vet (recent grad) was going down the path of wanting to pad the bill with unnecessary tests and x-rays. She was really hung up on the x-rays and said that she stood by her diagnosis that x-rays were needed and that any vet who didn’t do x-rays with the symptoms presented was incompetent. I told her that it was obvious that the x-rays weren’t needed because the dog had gotten well without having had to have x-rays. She got angry at that point and stormed off saying that she still stood by her diagnosis.
I had been given a card with this number to call, so I called it. Boy, did I get an even bigger education into what DISHONEST, UNETHICAL, MONEY-GRUBBING CHEATS YOU ARE!
It was at that time that I learned that the so-called vet (should we just call them what they really are? Your scammers.) had ran up almost $300 in unneeded procedures on our very first visit! Boy, they must have had a good laugh about that one. I had suspected that my dog might have a UTI and had asked to have that checked — and that was all I had authorized to have done. I was pleasantly surprised when they told me that she didn’t have a UTI and thought that perhaps my suspicions that Banfield pet clinics were cheats and scammers might be wrong.
Obviously, I didn’t read look at the paperwork closely enough to see that the vet had performed, with no indication that there was any need to do so, ear swabs, worming, and several other things that I had not asked her to do nor was there any indication there was a need to do any of these. THESE THINGS WERE DONE SOLELY TO RUN UP THE BILL AGAINST THE WELLNESS PROGRAM SO THAT WHEN THE CLIENT REALIZES HE OR SHE HAS BEEN SCAMMED, YOU GET MORE MONEY FOR CANCELLING THE PLAN.
It was during this phone call to try to cancel the plan that I was informed that so much had been done without my knowledge and without cause to run up the charges to the wellness program. The fellow on the other end of the line couldn’t answer my question about what would justify doing an ear swab on a dog that wasn’t showing any signs of ear problems and had been brought in solely to be tested for a UTI. It seemed like he was just trying to keep me on the line as long as possible. He very much wanted me to talk to some customer care representative that supposedly would take down the information about what had happened and turn it over to a team of Banfield “experts” to determine if there had been wrongdoing.
By this time, I knew that this was a scam and told the fellow that I was sure that we could count on their answer being that their vet had done everything correctly and I was wrong.
But this fellow definitely wasn’t going to let me off the phone until I agreed to talk to this other person, so finally I agreed.
When she came on the line, I told her too that I thought this was all bogus — that they weren’t going to do anything. She took up a great deal of my time writing down what happened and told me that my case would be referred to the “higher authorities” who would let me know in a few days what their decision was.
Obviously, those “higher authorities” didn’t have the guts to call me themselves. Instead, they called the Banfield clinic and told the office manager from there to call and tell me that they had reviewed the case and decided that the Banfield vet had followed the proper procedures. Unbelievably, this office manager started harping on the x-rays that I wouldn’t allow them to do and badmouthing the vet who undoubtedly saved my dog’s life! Also unbelievably, when I asked him why an ear swab had been done when I brought my dog in to be tested for a urinary tract infection, he just said that I’d be surprised at how many ear infections they had discovered by doing this routinely (at $27 a pop, btw).
I grew up on a farm. I’ve had dogs all of my life. I’ve seen a lot of bad vets and bad vet practices, but you guys take the cake. Like your replies to the messages here–you like to make it sound like you really want to do the right thing when all you want is to get into people’s pockets with unneeded procedures and tests — even if it puts the animal’s health and comfort at risk. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Janet,
We’re going to look into this for you. Since we do not have personally identifiable information here, we may need to have you call our client advocate team to address this personally. Either way, we’ll provide an update here for you to let you know where to go for help.
Regarding your accusations of unprofessional treatment, we agree that you and other vets should be treated with complete respect and courtesy. To address this issue, specifically, we would encourage you to call 877-500-2288 to tell our team about this. We do not condone or tolerate any form of disrespect to clients or other vets.
On this forum, we cannot speak to the veterinary services that were recommended, but please know that we do require all services that we provide to be agreed upon by the client. This is done in the form of signed consent, detailed with each procedure and its cost. If you feel that any of these services were performed without your prior consent, then please let us know immediately. For example, ear swabs are often recommended as part of preventive wellness, and we believe strongly in this approach. When recommended, we always ensure that a client consents to the procedure and its cost. Again, let us know if this did not happen.
We will follow up with a response for you.
You guys are so full of it. I’ve already talked to your so-called client “advocate” (what a joke) team. The first time I was there, I consented only to a urinanlysis. There was no need nor indication of need for ear swabs, worming, and the other things your vet did to run up the bill — obviously at your management’s direction. I’ve already gone through these channels and am now pursuing other options, such as a class-action lawsuit, letters of complaint to the state vet board and AVMA, and the FTC. I hope many others will join me.
In the meantime, think about this — in your greed, you lost not one, but four potential clients from one person (me) and lost many more of my friends who might have come to your clinic if I had recommended it. In addition, PetsMart has lost a customer. Before I left there for the last time, after having your vet storm away from me angrily protesting that she stood by her diagnosis that x-rays were needed when it was clear that they hadn’t been needed at all, I stopped by the groomer and told her I wouldn’t be back. That’s $70 X 4 every 6 weeks for the groomer. No more buying food, supplies, toys, etc. there either — that was around $200 per month easily.
I’m not sure why you guys want to waste people’s time. The guy on the phone when I called the number you list above — YES, I’VE ALREADY CALLED AND DIDN’T GET A SATISFACTORY RESOLUTION — kept whimpering around, trying to keep me on the phone as long as possible, then finally passed me over to your group where another person tried to keep me on the phone as long as possible. You guys are not only cheats and dishonest, you’re weird.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Janet,
Would you feel comfortable providing your pet’s name and hospital location? We’d like to reach out to you to discuss your situation. We do not mean to waste your time; we are just trying to figure out the best way to reach you directly to help.
We completely understand that you are not comfortable visiting your local Banfield in the future. Just to clarify, PetSmart is a completely different business entity. Banfield is simply located inside of these stores.
If you are reading this – please DO NOT use Banfield Pet Hospital. I am writing about my experience with Banfield Pet Hospital in NE Portland, OR, and the long-term consequences to two of my dogs.
A few years ago I began taking my Lhasa Apsos to Banfield. I signed up for a Wellness Plan and thought I was doing all the right things as a loving and responsible pet owner. The first thing they wanted to do at their initial exam was a whole series of vaccines – approx. 7. They had just had their rabies vaccine about 2 months before starting at Banfield, and it was reflected in their records and tags. I specifically told them not to administer the rabies vaccine, however, when I picked them up after the exams, I was horrified to discover they had indeed re-vaccinated them for rabies. I was quite concerned this was dangerous, but they dismissed my concerns. I continued taking them to Banfield for about 3 years, and then we added a third rescue Lhasa. Banfield had also put all of my dogs on the Waltham SO prescription diet – stating that because one had at one time shown some crystals, he needed to be on it and since the crystals are common in Lhasas, I should put both (and then all three) on the Rx food. As time went on, I noticed all my dogs’ health and vigor declining. The more I went to Banfield, the more ill they became. They were constantly sick with something. The prescription diet made a “scum” on their teeth, smelled horrible! And they really didn’t like to eat. Time went by, and the enormous amounts of vaccinations continued, as did the decline in their quality of life. Their eyes weren’t “bright” any more, their fur was dull, they were listless and cranky. The fur on one began to thin and he developed papillomas (warts) on his body. They didn’t enjoy walk as much.
I began to do a lot of research online and became concerned about the Rx food and the over-vaccinations. On a visit, I took in a couple of cans of high-quality, organic dog food and tried to talk to the Vet about switching them to something healthier. In the small exam room, she starting sceaming at me! I was mortified. She ranted on that she was not a nutritionist and didn’t know anything about foods! I left. A couple of days later she actually called me at home to apologize for her outburst, but by then I had made up my mind – we were leaving. Perhaps her outburst actually saved my dogs’ life. After doing research, I took my dogs to an holistic veterinarian here in Portland. He is a licensed vet and surgeon, but incorporates holistic approaches and TCM into his practice. I took all my Banfield records and printouts with me that included exams and lab work results. After reviewing their lab work, he was visibly shaken. One of my Lhasas had liver enzyme levels of 2,600 – when 150 is normal! (Not sure of exact enzyme name.) He reviewed the lab work done over the previous year-and-a-half and it was 1,800 and rising. He was also very disturbed by the amount of over-vaccinations the dogs had received, especially the two I had taken there the longest. One of my dogs was about 6 at the time, and he was quite surprised: he had assumed the dog was 10 or 12. (This was the one already losing fur.) He immediately put them on a raw food diet with herbal supplements in the hopes of detoxifying their systems.
I tell you this because 3 years later, the first two Lhasas are in full-blown Cushings Disease. The dogs are not related, and in fact from different states; however, their lab work is almost identical – if one area is high, it’s high on both; if another is low, it’s low on both. I attribute this directly to the excessive vaccines. Recently, the vet and I discussed and agreed that had they stayed on their previous regimen of Rx food and over-vaccinations, they would both be dead. Additionally, their teeth are a mess, and yes I do brush them daily and get them professionally cleaned. I attribute this to the Rx food – which, in doing more research, have discovered there are some huge class action lawsuits against Royal Canin for their ingredients! And the third Lhasa who was only exposed to Banfield’s terrible treatment for approx. 3 months? He’s fine – no Cushings and shiny teeth.
Please, please do not go anywhere near Banfield, nor over-vaccinate your dog, no matter what they or anyone else tells you. Mine have had titers and they all still test positive for anti-bodies after 3 years! A vaccine only costs a vet hospital about 50-75 cents – and is upcharged to about $21 – you do the math.
A final note – After I let Banfield know I was leaving their practice, and would be canceling my insurance at the end of the term – they STILL automatically renewed it and sent me to a collection agency when I protested! All about the money.
I know this post is long, but I don’t want anyone to have to endure the sadness and guilt I have felt knowing I shortened my beloved dogs’ lives, when I thought I was doing the best for them.
Michelle,
First of all, we want to express that we are sorry that your experience with Banfield has left you feeling this way. We take these accusations very seriously, and please know that we do have resources for you to contact to discuss your concerns.
Regarding the rabies vaccines that you say were not authorized: Banfield only provides services that have been agreed upon and authorized with a signature. If you feel that this authorization did not take place, then we certainly would encourage you to call us to discuss.
To address your concern with over-vaccination, what vaccinations a veterinarian recommends to a patient and considers necessary is based on many factors including age, lifestyle (where Pet spends it’s time), exposure to other animals (not just Pets) and diseases or concern for diseases in the Pet’s geographic area. Rabies vaccines are required by law and, depending on where you live, boosters are required yearly to every three years. At Banfield, we want the relationship with your vet to feel like a partnership, and we want to help you understand why vaccines are recommended, or not recommended. We regret to hear if this was not the case in your experience.
If you would like to reach out to our client advocacy team, we’d really appreciate the opportunity to speak with you about your feedback. It may help answer some questions, but we also want to learn ways that we can continue improvement at this location and others. The number to call is 877-500-2288.
I understand that it is your job to reply to posts with well-written scripts to de-escalate customer dissatisfaction, but they will do nothing to improve or extend my pets’ shortened lives. Regarding the “authorization” I would have given Banfield to administer the rabies shots, I have, in fact, gone through my old paperwork from Banfield and it is clearly marked that they had JUST received their rabies shots – and the date is included – and I noted on the paperwork that another rabies series was NOT approved by me. I have no intention of calling your client advocacy team – sorry, but I am sure they, too, just follow scripted responses. It would be nice if your company truly did “want to learn ways to continue improvement” – but you will have to understand that I doubt Banfield’s sincerity and believe they are just trying to diffuse and minimize the horror stories posted on this blog.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Michelle,
The client advocate team we’re referring you to will address your specific issue and make sure the process of approval was done properly. We’re not trying to solve all problems on this page, nor are we able to do so. We’re just letting you know we have people dedicated to helping you resolve this issue.
Your first paragraph states basically you do not believe this poster was charged without permission. A similar experience occurred with me on visits to Banfield, including one yesterday. Line items for tests and meds my animal NEVER received, as I was in the exam room the entire time. One shot they argued was given during the xray and they said that is why I did not see them do it.
So tell us, is it proper procedure to remove an animal from the exam room to administer a shot? Why would ALL shots not be administered in front of the owner, if the owner is standing IN the exam room? Your reply posts to people seem scripted, dishonest and clearly annoying. There are far too many similar complaints about Banfield for your scripting to appease.
Michele…
Thanks for sharing. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. Among them would be the four-year long decision to keep our kitty-cats at Banfield.
It’s always all about the money. They wanted a surgery for this or surgery for that. Thankfuly, my wife went across town where one of her fellow school teacher’s son was a vet. The second opinion routinely discounted Banfield’s recommendation.
The assistants at the Banfield place in far west Austin were always friendly. But we noticed a steady turnover among vets. That can never be a good sign.
We stopped our plan with several months remaining in the fourth year. They kept automatically billing my ViSA…so, I cancelled my VISA card. Then Banfield began making phone calls and sending threatening letters – demanding a $57 PAYMENT. Then they sicced a collection company on us.
Now that company is turning us in with the credit rating agencies. We are about to turn 60 and never before had a collection company on our backs. Our credit score is deep into 800 point territory. It will be smudged – all because of Banfield.
I would recommend that no one risk what we have gone through. DON’T sign up in the first place.
Nothing good can come of it.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Gary,
You mentioned that you stopped your plan with several months remaining in the fourth year. With whom did you cancel your plan? When you cancelled, did you simply pay for the services that were provided, or did you agree to complete monthly payment of the annual plan? It’s true that you can cancel at any time, but if the services already provided that year cost more than the annual cost of the plan, then we allow clients to finish out the year by paying the monthly payment. If you were, or still are, being billed incorrectly, then you can just contact your local Banfield or call our Wellness Plan Relations Team at 888-649-2716. If a credit card that is being used for payment is cancelled, then we certainly will contact the client to inform him or her of the situation. If you feel that you were threatened in any way when contacted, please call our client advocacy team at 877-500-2288.
Responding to Banfield’s Jan. 6th response:
We were four years into the wellness plan. The assistants and everyone at Banfield in the Bee Cave (Austin, TX) location were friendly and pleasant…but it seemed as if young vets rotated in and out. Rarely saw the same vet a 3rd time.
We had to drive 15 miles – one way. When a neighborhood vet opened up shop, we decided to transfer. We verbally told a young woman at Banfield to cancel the service – about a month after our last checkup for the kitty-cats.
The credit card kept being charged….so, I canceled the credit card and got a new card.
That’s when Banfield began pestering us….They sent us a final bill for $57+ in May, 2010. That’s also when I realized that cancellation can only ocurr in writing….and that a wellness plan rolls over from year to year – thus, becoming a quasi life-long arrangement. I faxed a Banfield card back to the fax number, instructing Banfield to cancel the plan for Kitty, Pepper and Baby.
I disputed the final charge. Banfield was not willing to work with us….and sicced a collection agency on us – which now wants about $225.
For us, this is a matter of principle. We have never had a collection agency on our backs. We just turned 60. We have stellar credit ratings. I don’t like hassles, which this has become.
Unless Banfield resolves this in a friendly manner, I plan to keep posting reminders here for folks to think twice. I don’t want others to go through what we are.
Gary — I want to have my lawyer send them a letter to cancel the wellness plan, but can’t find an address. Do you know what it is?
I too plan on continuing to post here as well as the many other complaint forums created about Banfield. To lose a pet due to their employee’s dishonesty and his attempt to get me to spend ridiculous amounts of money on an unnecessary surgery, and to now have them almost do the exact same thing to a second pet, proved to me they do not belong in this business. Their greed overshadows their desire to help our pets.
My grandma took her Boston Terrier named Toby to Banfield about a year ago.They did all these unnessary tests and in the end she ended up with an $800 dollar bill. Then 4 to 5 months ago she took him back and gave them another chance. He ended up with animal control because they said he bit the tech. I know Toby and he doesn’t bit unless if you are hurting him. And even if your hurting him he just lunges at you. He stayed with animal control for ten days. When he got out my grandma NEVER took him back there. Now he goes to a regular vet.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Jasmine,
All test that are provided for our clients and their Pets are provided with permission. It is our job to ensure that proper precautions are taken and that you understand why we are recommending certain tests, vaccines or procedures. We want being a client at Banfield to feel like a partnership between you and your vet. If this did not happen, then we encourage you to call us here to discuss your experience.
Regarding the charge of $800, do you feel that this amount was charged in error? If so, please call your Banfield hospital to address this concern.
Regarding the issue of Toby going to animal control, it sounds like you disagree with the hospital regarding its report that Toby bit the tech. We do want to help, and we want to discuss this with you. Please call our client advocacy team at 877-500-2288 to talk about what happened.
My Shihtzu was sick and I just walked in to Banfield The Pet Hospital Lawnside. The Vet Dr K Munir examined my pet. He did some diagnostic tests and prescribed meds that worked. The staff especially the vet were very caring. He was very friendly and explained my the importnace of all the tests and medicines in a very friendly and simple way. I have referred all my friends to this vet because I trust this vet would take good care of their pets just like he takes care of my baby Shithzu.
A family member without my permission opened an account at Banfield for my dog. When they did not pay on the account, Banfield began making phone calls and sending threatening letters – demanding PAYMENT. Banfield sent the account to collection even after I repeatedly told them that I didn’t open it nor do they have my signature. Now that company is turning us in with the credit rating agencies and I’m in the process of trying to get a loan to replace my leaking roof.
I don’t have health insurance for myself, why on earth would I get it for a dog?
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Belinda,
Please call our Wellness Plan Relations team immediately to report this fraudulent activity. The number is 888-649-2716.
I am a very HAPPY Banfield customer.I use the Hillsboro OR location.I have 3 jrts – 4,11,16.The WP’s have most definitely done a good job saving me time and money.I LOVE the head petnurse there – she is a total JRT lover and the whole team appears to loves my pack.The vets answer all of my questions and concerns with knowledge and in a time sensitive manner.My 11 year old JRT was in recently for an emergency visit.My bf brought her in and I was able to go and visit with her in the hospital.She was on IV fluids.She let me spend about 1/2 an hour with my girl,and we were both comforted by the visit.And they are 10 mins up the road.Here there is a vet clinic on every corner (LITERALLY).I have found Banfield to be competitive in their pricing.And as I said before,the customer service has been top notch.I have teched before.I have knowledge.I demand that any of the professionals dealing with my animals respect that.And Banfield has done so.
I would have no qualms or concerns about reccomending the Hillsboro Oregon Location whole heartedly.
I goto the Banfield in East Hanover, NJ. Aside from small errors the techs make, I am wondering what the reason for waiting 45 minutes to an hour to see the Dr. is all about. This has been happening every time I go in for an appointment that was scheduled weeks in advance. Also, twice I have come in to find out that my appointments were never even scheduled. This is a huge issue when it comes to a surgery that the doctor herself said was time sensitive.
If I find any malpractice identified by my friend in NYC who is a vet herself, I will be forced to take legal action. I am very paranoid at this point and hope to see some sort of improvement next time i take my pup in.
TNX to President Obama, my Baruch (Spinoza) toy poodle is now 21st century patient. Banfield gave me online access to his whole medical history. Kaiser Permanente gave me the same kind of access to my whole medical history. Hope the US House doesn’t mess all this up for us poor folks. Now each of you can do the same thing. You’ve got to help your local banfield staff in all this. It takes a while for some communities to adapt to new things. And then there’s the politics of people not wanting you to do new things.
My 6 yr old Pit-bull OREO IS DEAD because the Banfield Hospital in Skokie IL, did not do enough for her. They just wanted me to pay, pay, pay and they did not even tell me what was wrong with my baby.
OREO got sick on Sunday, she was vomiting. She was a healthy, happy dog who was up-to date on all of her shots. This is where she had all of her checkups every year.
I took her to the vet on Monday where she was checked by one of the doctors and received a Cerenia shot after waiting for over 1 1/2hr.
First, I was told that the shot is to stop her vomiting. The next day I called the hospital when she was still vomiting, and the nurse said that the shot was an antibiotic and in 24hrs she should get the rest of the same meds at home in tablet form, which I never got to give her since she died and had to return it to the store. They did not even tell me the truth about the medication my dog was taking.
My dog died on Wednesday November 10, 2010 since the vomiting didn’t stop for more then few hours after leaving the hospital, and she was probably dehydrated and had no food in her stomach for days because I was told not to give her any food. The doctor should have put my dog on IV at once because of the vomiting, and do everything possible to save her, right?
I had to watch my dog suffer, she wasn’t able to move her back legs by 10am that day and died before 1pm. She died in front of my eyes, she was trying so hard to breath and there was nothing I could do to save her. I hope no one will ever experience this, it was very painful to watch and even now I am still crying since I miss her so much. I don’t know if she died because of the shot or something else but, I will never take any future pets to any Banfield Hospital, here in Illinois or anywhere on this planet.
Stay away form this hospital,please!!!!! Because of this experience I will never fully trust any future vet.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Sam,
On behalf of Banfield Pet Hospital, we are deeply sorry for your loss. We know Oreo was an important part of the family.
Vomiting is not an illness itself but a sign of many different illnesses, which can range from mild and self-limiting to serious, and even life-threatening, depending on the underlying illness. In order to treat the specific cause of the vomiting (i.e. upset stomach vs. kidney failure vs. intestinal foreign body), diagnostic tests are needed so appropriate treatment, either medical, surgical or both can be provided. We wish we could have done more but without being able to determine the cause of Oreo’s illness, our ability to help was very limited. If you have additional concerns you would like to address, please contact your hospital or our client advocate team at 1-877-500-2288.
I found my dog Chloe in front of my house on New Year’s Day and decided to take her to my local animal shelter to see if she had been micro-chipped. Chloe had no chip so the shelter let me foster the dog for 5 days so they could see if the owner could be found. After 5 days no one had called looking for her so I decided to adopt her. The shelter let me choose to pay $140 and have the spaying and shots done through them or I could take Chloe somewhere else for more loving care and attention. I had 10 days to have shots and the spaying done according to the city law. I decided to have everything done myself. I went to a PetSmart and joined their basic Wellness Plan to help cover the expenses of shots, exams, and the spaying. During Chloe’s first exam I had the vet check to see if she was spayed since I was not aware if she had been and the shelter could not tell. I have never had any dogs before so I was not aware what type of tests that needed to be done to check to see if my dog had been spayed. The vet told me my dog had not been spayed and I scheduled the surgery. On the day of the surgery I received a phone call. It was the surgery nurse telling me that they could not find the dogs ovaries and asking me if she had ever been in heat before. I told her I had just gotten the dog and was not aware if she had been. She said it appeared that my dog Chloe had already been spayed. I can not even describe the anger I felt in that moment. Not only had Chloe gone through an unnecessary surgery, but the doctor was telling me I had to pay for all of the expenses because I had signed a contract. I could not help but feel betrayed by the doctor for telling me my dog had not been spayed. I asked everyone I spoke to at Banfield if there was anyway they could have known she was not spayed without having to slice her open. Everyone told me no, there was no way to tell. I told the doctor I found that hard to believe. I asked him if not even an ultra sound machine or x-ray, or physical exam could have determined this and he reluctantly told me an ultra-sound machine would have been the only way they might have been able to tell but he also informed me that they did not have one at their clinic. After hearing that response I told him I brought my dog in to see if she had been spayed and the vet told me no. If there was a more accurate way to tell if she had been spayed before why did no one tell me or refer me to another clinic who could tell me without having to slice her open. He really had no response but to say he was sorry. The staff was not very understanding at all, They were so fake and I could tell they just wanted me to pay and get out. It wasn’t like I was making a scene or anything. I just wanted someone to understand and was hoping they would at least discount my bills. I talked to a vet tech there and said my dog basically just had exploratory surgery. She looked at me and said well exploratory surgery is actually more expensive as if to tell me to shut up and take my cheaper price of her being spayed After getting encouragement from several people I told about my situation I have to decided to contact corporate and see if they are willing to compensate me in anyway. I feel like it was a mistake to take my pet to Banfield and I would never recommend them to anyone.Their customer service is awful. When I signed up for the Wellness Plan the front desk girl couldn’t even tell me when my first payment would be after the initial fees I paid up front. That should have been a sign. I sincerely regret ever going to Banfield in Flower Mound ,TX. I hope this can help future clients. If anyone is looking for serious medical care do not go to Banfield.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Stephanie,
We apologize for our delay in coming across your comment here, but we want to help. We’d really like to discuss this with you to better understand what happened. Ultimately, we want to make sure this miscommunication never happens again. The number you can call is 877-500-2288.
As an ex-employee of Banfield I have to agree with every statement I have read. While working for them it came to have my wonderful collie humanely euthanized. I could not afford what they were charging for the eutanasia which was in the neigborhood of about $150.00. So I went to a private vet and had it done. Another thing about Banfield is that they are all for the money and not the care of the patient or clinet. There has been may times when a client had left that the doctors would make snide remarks about them because they would not approve all the was recommened, and it was interfering with their production. The last hospital I worked at in a 16 month period there were somewhere between 10-12 pet nurses who either quit because of the treatment they received from the doctors or they were terminated for some minor infraction of their rules. In looking at this there is something diffently wrong with the way Banfield treats their employees.
Nicole…let us all know which Banfield you work at so NO ONE ever goes there. What kind of person would say a dog can’t die of a heart attack?
EDITED BY MODERATOR DUE TO INSULTING LANGUAGE!
Please avoid the Banfield at Petsmart at 525 Connecticut Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06854.
I will never go there again and after reading all these negative reviews I should have never gone there in the first place.
Well another broken appt. when I got there this morning, another excuse by your rude flunky employees. I was suppose to come in for a routine vaccination for my puppy but as always they tell me they had another emergency, well why didn’t you call me before I drove all the way there paying 3.00 a gallon for gas, maybe if you could keep help you would be able to help me. Maybe you corporate fat asses should get on undercover boss to see how you treat people in the real world but not your sitting in your million dollar houses getting rich ripping the american public off, Hell ye I’m pissed its the same old story with you people. I don’t have money to waste driving to your broken appts. I can’t believe petsmart allows these scammers to stay in there building. When my contract is up on july 1st 2011 I want you to know I am cancelling my wellness plan, I am going to call you also and I want the whole world to be my witness that i am cancelling the plan so don’t try to keep charging my card like you do so many other people because if you do theres going to be a problem!! I’M TIRED OF YOUR CRAP BANFIELD!!!!, Its one thing after another, I hope and pray somebody sues the hell out of you and puts this company out of business. I want my dogs vaccines on time and do something about your rude employees in roanoke va. I think they hear so much crap and complaints everyday from people that they act like this. Please people dont sign up on there wellness crap plan because once you sign the contract thats it for that year theres no getting out of it. Oh sure you can cancell the plan but what they do to screw you is they inflate all the things that you get done at first by putting on your reciepts how much you have saved so far so if you have saved 600.00 by there crap numbers then they will tell you that you will have to pay that if you cancell the contract so they’ve got you. Its all about corporate greed, theres no compassion for your pet from these people, all they care about is your money and how they can rip you off more. So if this is not true BANFIELD then cancell my contract and quit charging my debit card without telling me im going to owe you anything. You cant do that can you, HUH Dont e-mail me back and tell me that I will owe anything. You cant fulfill your obligation and vaccinate my pet on time so why should I honor your contract? If there are any lawyers out there that can help please help with these scammers
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Steve,
We’d be happy to help you cancel your Wellness Plan. We cannot access your account to cancel from here, or check on its status, but our Wellness Plan relations team can help. The number is 888-649-2716.
I had a Banfield wellness plan for my Norfolk Terrier. Last November my beloved pet was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The New Tampa Banfield on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. could not handle her treatment and referred me to Florida Veterinary Services. At the time, I told the staff at Banfield that I would not be returning and that my dog would no longer be getting wellness services, since she would soon be dead. Even so, the staff continued to call me several times regarding her dental cleaning, and when I told them she was dying, all they could say was “it’s in the plan”. This breathtaking insensitivity made this very sad and stressful time even more difficult. To make it even worse, they failed to cancel the wellness plan, and they continued to bill my checking account even after she died. How can these people be so cruel? I had to call the Banfield corporate office and relive this entire emotional rollercoaster to get the plan cancelled and my money refunded (and I have yet to see the refund in my account, I don’t know if they will be true to their word). On this basis I must warn all pet owners that this company cannot possibly have the best interests of pets and their families at heart, only their profits. I can never even walk into a Petsmart anymore, let alone use a Banfield facility. Please be warned.
Hello Dodie, I concur with you in every point of interest. They killed my dog. Two days after a hip x-ray to tell us he had arthritis, my dog is dead. They need to be investigated by the state agency that regulate there certifications to be in the Veternarian sector of animal medicine. We too had the Wellness plan. I will haul there axx’s in small claims court if they utter a word about a payment on a plan that is no longer needed and submit a counter-suit of wrongful death of my pet. The word need to be spread through the Internet, Tweet and Facebook about Banfield, in my case the PetSmart Banfield Pet Hospital in Largo/Kettering, MD area. Sorry for your lost Dodie…
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Dodie,
We are so sorry that your experience with Banfield has left you feeling this way. We just want to jump in here to see that this has been resolved. Please let us know if not.
People, I urge all pet owners to STOP taking your pets to the Petsmart Banfield Pet Hospital in the Largo/Kettering Shopping center. They KILLED my Jack Russel. They are the most incompitant money hungry organization period. There Wellness program is another scam. They mistreat your pets and may cause them to have other serious illnesses. How can taking your pet there for an x-ray Thursday and be told your pet has arthritist and two days later on a Saturday your pet is dead. I’d like to know what else they did or why they couldn’t see something else that caused my dog to die. I took my dog to a REAL Vet Hospital and it wasn’t anything they could do to save him. He had seizures, vomitting, low blood count anemia and internal bleeding all from an x-ray, I don’t think so. They killed my dog. Folks, spread the word, plaster the Internet, Tweet, Facebook and get the word out to all pet owners, “Stay away from Banfield Pet Services” especially the one in Largo/Kettering area. They will kill your pets. Funeral services for our dog will be tomorrow. We picked out a very lovely casket for him.. Rest In Peace my son…..
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Morris,
We are sorry for the loss of your pet, and our sympathies are with you in losing such an important member of your family. We are reviewing your case and will be in touch with you shortly to discuss the care your pet received.
I would like to add my voice to the chorus. My 10 year old rescue Tabby Moe began to display lethargy, vomiting and other signs a non trivial illness. After 4 visits to the Petsmart/Banfield facility in Whittier, CA (I am withholding the name of the attending vet due to a lawsuit I have filed against PetSmart, Banfield and the vet, i.e., all concerned) My beloved friend passed after suffering needlessly without a proper diagnosis, treatment or emergency triage of any kind. I rushed him to a second vet who bagan emergency treatment including taking Moe to her home to guard him through the night. Her angelic efforts would not bring my Moe back from the brink. She phoned me the next morning to tell me the sad news that he had slipped from her grasp during the night. All her knowledge, all her experience, training and skills could not undo the damage Banfield had allowed to occur internally to my little Moester.
You love you animal(s) more than you know, and the pain of thier loss is bone crushing. We look at our vet’s with the eyes with which our animals look at us -the eyes of trust. Losing them to a vet’s negligence and imcompetence – defies description. There simply are no words.
Do not take any animal, for any reason to this facility.
Mark & “Moe”
Whittier, CA
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
We are sorry for the loss of your beloved pet—we know how hard it is to lose such an important member of the family. We understand your pet was diagnosed with cancer in multiple organs. Unfortunately, there is nothing that could have been done to resolve this diagnosis. If you wish to discuss the care your pet received, we would be happy to talk with you in greater detail—you can reach our Client Advocate Team at 877-500-2288.
Another complaint from my Banfield and this is based on my pet pomeranian named Max. He consistantly wheezes and throws up like watery white stuff. The vets dont seem to care even if they see him with other parts that are not normal. My dogs baby tootth are still there and it feels like they dont seem to notice and like when i asked them what type of diet or dog food i should feed him they answer any type of dog food. So i was like what the hell is that like a proper answer for a vet to give. What i just really want from banfield is to help cure my dog with more interest and actually give proper advice for me on how to take care of it more and the proper food for it to feed.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Jaime,
To clarify Max’s experience, did these symptoms occur before his visit? Did he go to the hospital for an exam, or for this specific issue?
I have a new Yorkshire Terrier and have enrolled him on the puppy wellness plan. So far the vets and nurses have been absolutely amazing to me and my little Bentley. I’m only paying $25 dollars a month for their services which are including all of his shots and doctors visits (NO COPAYS)!! Its amazing. His nuetering is included as well which can cost up to $400 dollars. I dont have to pay a cent more than $25 dollars a month. Its utterly amazing. When I had my Jack Russell, Kira, I knew I was going to pay at least $35 dollars everytime I took her to the vet on top of whatever else she needed. I absolutely love my Banfield Vets and nurses. Its not really all that fair to them if YOUR dog becomes ill to blame them for the illness. Its also not fair to blame a death on them. That is your dog. If you wait entirely TOO long to take your sick animal to the vet, whose fault is it really should your pet die of illness?? Yours or the vets who went to school and got degrees because they love animals?? There’s my two cents…
It is great to hear that you are happy with your new puppy and the services you have received so far. However, be VERY careful if your puppy ever gets a serious illness, which can happen regardless of preventative care, because there are many items NOT covered by your plan. When the time comes and they suggest some very expensive procedures, surgeries or tests, to ‘save’ your dog’s life, if you cannot afford it, beware of their words. I have now twice heard that I needed to allow them to do emergency surgery or my pet would die a painful sudden death. Both times, they told me the only other option would be to put the animal down right away. Last year I fell for it and had my dog put down. This year, after hearing the same exact diagnosis on another animal, I risked it and said no, and immediately got a second opinion. Guess what? The animal had a sprained muscle. No deadly infection or cancer that required immediate emergency surgery. She is now FINE! and THEY wanted me to put her down last night after denying the surgery!
PLEASE be careful with your puppy’s health and best of luck to the both of you. Enjoy your new ‘baby’!
I was reasonably satisfied with the care provided by the primary veterinarian at the Banfield to which I used to take my pets. The second veterinarian there, however, declared that my dog was “healthy, but a little underweight,” two weeks before he hemoraged from a tumor of the esophogas – and this was in spite of the fact that I told them of his sudden unexplained weight loss in spite of ravenous hunger, slight bleeding from the mouth, and that I thought he had cancer!
Last summer the receptionist tricked me into downgrading my plan – which is not allowed in midyear according to the contract. When I tried to cancel the plan or re-instate the original plan for the remainder of the term, the “customer support” person I talked to at Banfield refused to let me talk to a supervisor – she actually said, “No matter how many times you ask, I am NOT going to let you talk to a supervisor.” That is outrageous, and not the way customer service works in America.
Banfield has lost 7 patients through their dishonesty and rudeness – our family’s 5 cats and 2 dogs. In addition, I have shared my experiences with Banfield with approximately 20 friends and co-workers, most of whom have shared the story with their friends and relatives. I work in a position involving customer service, and Banfield’s refusal to let me talk to a supervisor has become a standing joke in my office, and consequently is unlikely to be forgotten. Doesn’t Banfield realize that their poor customer service and lack of concern with customer satisfaction has backfired, and lost them hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits? How can Banfield be so short-sighted?
I certainly can believe this, Margaret. Banfield seems to believe that they are a world all to themselves and can set their own rules in dealings with others. Like their “client advocacy” team who keep you on the phone taking down your story, then turn it over to an internal review board who is always going to say that the vet was right. Believe me, they KNOW that they’re scamming people, and to me, that makes it even worse. This is evident in the way they handle their so-called “wellness” programs. If these programs were worthwhile, Banfield wouldn’t have to worry so much about preventing people from cancelling them — they would be worried about the ill will they generate by refusing to let people cancel, continuing to bill people after they’ve cancelled, making it unclear how to cancel, etc. Unfortunately, companies like this rely on new people to dupe. So long as they keep getting new people to sign up for their bogus plans and incompetent care, they won’t change — unless they’re forced to change by enough people filing complaints with the FTC, their state veterinary boards, the Better Business Bureau, the American Veterinary Medicine Association, and participating in class-action lawsuits against them.
banefield is a joke janet, what do I do to file a complaint with the ftc? I can’t wait until june when my contract is up and if they keep charging me after that then theres going to be a problem.these people are a joke, always trying to add this and that thats not included. why in the hell would pain medicine not be included after spaying. let one of these rich corporate pig pricks go get surgery and have the doctor say pain meds are not included in the plan that supposedly includes everything.
Banfield is refusing to refill my dogs insulin needles because they say they haven’t seen her in 2 months for a glucose test. When I explained to them that I cant afford the almost 100.00 for the test & office charge AND I monitor her blood at home they said they were sorry. When I explained to them she is going to die- they said they were sorry- then proceeded to try & sell me their wellness plan.My dog will be dead in a few days.
I am still dealing with IC Systems, the debt collection company that Banfield uses.
I received a FINAL NOTICE from Banfield last July – insisting that we owed $53.85. We disputed that amount.
Now, the debt collection company is trying to negotiate from $220. This has been a stressful situation.
That’s why I will continue to come here and warn folks ….not to deal with Banfield in the first place. You will be much better off finding a neighborhood vet than to deal with these corporate goons. Now, to be sure, there are some very fine folks working for Banfield at all levels.
But, at the end of the day, you will have to deal with the corporate burearcracy.
It’s just not worth it. And I will come back from time to time to remind everyone – unless or until Banfield resolves our dispute in a friendly way.
gs
Gary,
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
I really want to try to put you in contact with the right person on this. Would you be comfortable providing your pet’s name so we can locate your information? We can look you up this way and contact you directly without asking for contact information online.
Sorry, we’re obviously a little bit limited in a public forum and we want to protect your privacy. I really hope we can help, Gary.
Our kitty cats: Pepper, Kitty and Baby.
Would be filed under “Scharrer”
Spicewood, Texas.
I’d be pleased to negotiate a settlement. If it works out, I will stop
complaining about Banfield; if it doesn’t I plan to keep coming back here
and warning folks.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Thanks, Gary! The team confirmed with me that they will be reaching out to you directly.
Again-They care ONLY for money Banfield KNOWS my dog will die without insulin and they refused to fill her needles because I cant afford to come in for a glucose test.I dont have their plan- I pay full price and when I demanded they repeat the words “I KNOW MAGGIE WILL DIE WITHOUT HER INSULIN” they had the nerve to add “But its a matter of testing” – NO its a matter of her getting her insulin – I test Maggie at home because I cant afford an insurance plan or weekly visits.. I hope they all burn in hell
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Kelly,
I am looking into this for you. Off the top of my head, I’m not personally familiar with Banfield’s policies from a medical perspective, e.g. providing insulin without a glucose test. I passed this question along internally and will respond as soon as I can provide clarity on this issue.
Kelly,
We were able to get in touch with someone to help you and reach out to you directly. Here is the response from our medical team:
As a veterinary practice and as a veterinarian, one of our goals is to manage chronic diseases like diabetes so the pet gets the maximum benefit of treatment while minimizing risks. Diabetes is a serious disease which must be closely managed, especially after a change in dosing. Giving the wrong amount of insulin (too much or too little) can be life threatening which is why a glucose curve (multiple blood samples over a 12 hour period) is the best way to determine whether the insulin a pet is receiving is appropriate. The hospital will be calling you to discuss how to resolve your concerns and ensure your pet receives the care it needs.
I am having a great experience at Banfield Hospital Lawnside NJ. The staff there is very nice. They had a new vet from Canada. He is awesome, very passionate and caring. Initially I took my dog to another hospital where the vet gave me an estimate of $ 800 just to treat a simple kennel cough. Dr. Munir at Banfield Lawnside just charged me 174 and fixed the kennel cough as well as ear infections. I would always go there.
Banfield is the worst! My experience was with the Banfield office in Turkey Creek near Knoxville, TN. To keep it short, my normally perky 8 yr old dog spiked a fever and began acting lethargic on a Sunday afternoon. The only clinic I could find open was Banfield, about 45 minutes from my home. I brought her in and was seen by a very harried young woman who admitted that they were very short-staffed at the moment. Fine, it happens, I’m just happy they are open. My dog is diagnosed with a UTI and given fluids and they ask to keep her overnight. She was put into a small, under-the-counter cage in the exam room and hooked up with fluids. Seemed an odd place, but I thought perhaps they were putting there so they could keep a close eye on her since they had no one working in the back that day.
Fast forward to the next day, I call repeatedly throughout the day for updates, keep being told the vet will get back to me, I should be able to get my dog later, just wait until the vet calls you. Finally, at the end of the day, no call backs, so I go out to visit my dog. She looks better, is still being housed in the small, under-the counter kennel (she was a 65 lb dog), but they won’t release her until they get clearance from the vet. Understandable. Go back to work, never hear from them the rest of the day.
Day 3 – Lather, rinse, repeat.
Day 4 – Almost indentical, except I get a terse message from the vet she can go (at 6:30 pm)after I have spent 2 days harrassing her poor front of the house staff trying to get answers. I go to get my dog and she is brought out smelling like urine, damp, unkempt and with tape still on her leg where the IV had been. Ask to see the vet, of course she isn’t available. The techs were busy as well so basically the front desk person retrieved my dog, brought her out and I was given no follow up instructions. After getting home and cleaning up the dog, I took off the tape and found out they hadn’t removed the IV. Better yet, it wasn’t even capped off, the only thing preventing an open line was the fact her blood had clotted in the tube. Nice.
Never again. Thank god a new ER clinic has opened recently that provides excellent, if pricey, service. But, hell, I’ll pay if they are good, Banfield isn’t worth a nickle.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Sarah,
I just want to follow up to let you know this has been brought to the attention of the field leaders in your area.
$386.47
That’s how much it cost to set up a preventative care plan with them. They are worse than the damn cell phone industry.
It’s supposed to cost around $150.
Also they didn’t neuter my dog. They tried…But fortunately he “got sick” all over their kennel (good boy Iggy.) I took him to another vet who let me watch the procedure, and when he gave him the anesthesia to put him under it took about 30 seconds to kick in. There is no way to get your money back from these assholes. I was on hold for 15 minutes just trying to get ahold of someone, and the individual franchise stores can’t do anything regarding refunds.
And, Yes even if your pet dies…You are required to fulfill the contract with them. Fuckers. Private clinics offer better care, and many, many of them have cheaper prices than Banfield. And no contracts. They are a terrible, terrible company. They came recommended by family or I would never have gone to them. I will say that different offices have varying levels of care/expertise. Hopefully if you have your pet with them you are at one of the few “good ones.”
First off, the posts that call it PetSmart Banfield or whatever, they are totally different businesses, they just share the same building space. PetSmart has no control over what they do. This week I have had a horrible experience with Banfield. My 11 year old German Shepherd mix suddenly became very weak. I took him to Banfield who told me that either his spleen was enlarged or it was a spleenic mass, but I would have to go to a medical center to have a $1500 sonogram done to determine what it was and if it was operable, otherwise I would have to have him put to sleep because eventually it would bleed out. I was told he wasn’t in any pain, he was just weak because it was bleeding. I was told to give him an iron supplement and liver to keep his iron up. He spent the entire next day at Banfield. That afternoon I decided to get a second opinion from a vet a friend of mine that runs a rescue suggested. After looking at the x-rays I brought with me, my dog’s spleen was definitely enlarged, and there was a mass, HOWEVER, what he showed us was the spleen, wasn’t even the same thing the Banfield vet showed me. She was showing us the actual mass saying that was the spleen. The second vet also did a digital x-ray so he could see his internal organs more clearly (which he didn’t charge for since I’d already paid for the Banfield x-rays). After feeling his lymph glands, he decided to do a biopsy on one of the glands. The test came back as positive for lymphoma. My dog has cancer and they couldn’t diagnose it, the Banfield vet did mention that she thought it may be lymphoma, but she never checked his glands once, let alone did the biopsy, she already told me my dog was dying, why not find out why he was actually dying. I am still going to loose my best bud, but I know what is actually wrong with him. He is on steroids and tramadol to ease his pain. I just want one more day with my dog to say good bye. What enrages me the most is she said he wasn’t in pain, I want her to feel the pain of EVERY lymph gland in her body swelling at once. I don’t blame them for his illness or his eventual death, but he’s gone to Banfield since he was 6 months old, and there is really nothing that can be done with lymphoma because I refuse to put him through chemo and radiation with his age and he won’t understand why we are doing it. What I blame them for is the the misdiagnosis of a fairly common disease.
I took my cat in at the end of this past July, as she had been hiding under the bed and not eating, for a day or so. With the first visit, they said her liver numbers were not satisfactory, and mentioned fatty liver disease and to force feed her, so I did, although, no yellowing signs. Then I took her again, as she still was not eating, and not her playful self. They did more tests, for the more common cat diseases, which I know my indoor cat could not have. I took her in again at least once a week, as I was getting more concerned of her not eating and lethargy. The whole month of August was blood tests, numbers, and so on. Finally, they recommended x-rays, which I think they should have done right off the bat, to look for tumors. Of course they found tumors in her stomach, and she had become anemic. On Sept 11th, they said she needed a blood transfusion, which could cost in the thousands, and that she has cancer. After spending at least $1300 on all those, in my opinion, not needed tests, we put her down on Sept 12th. I guess, I am just frustrated still, because while she was getting those tests, that had nothing to do with cancer, she was in pain and suffering from cancer! It just saddens me, and maybe she could have been saved. Maybe I am just blaming myself too, for taking her to Banfield, and not getting a different Vet, because I had never been to Banfield, and thought I would give it a try. I truly miss her so much, my poor girl.
For those of you that use the Banfield in Buford Ga. please beaware that in the last 16 months they have loss a total of 15 team memebers, either due to being fired for stupid reasons, just getting fed up with the bull that the management puts them thru or transfering out to another location. This should show each and everyone of you that there is something wrong with this hospital. At one time it was an enjoyable place to work, but as of last July all that changed when new management took over. They say they are all about customer service, as an example they would rather you come in and waste valuable time knowing that you can’t afford what they are going to recommend instead of going to a private practice. All they want is the mighty dollar. The best thing for all to do is find a good private practice who can do more for you and are willing to work with you finacially.
I took my dog to banfield due to a limp. He was police trained and an awesome soccer player. They diagnosed a severe infection after xrays, tests, etc. Prescribed antibiotics. One month later, dog still limped. Went back again. They did more tests, gave more meds. Again the next month I brought him back. The vet I saw the 3rd time did yet more xrays and told me the dog needed emergency surgery to have his hind leg amputated due to bone cancer. after already paying them 1500+ I could not afford the ridiculous price quoted and that vet told me my only other option was to put him down, which I did and it destroyed me. Last night, my cat was acting if her leg was hurting her. My regular vet did not have night hours so begrudgingly, I took her to banfield. Same vet as the dog’s 3rd visit saw the cat. Did xrays. Prior to diagnosis, I was handed a bill. 351!! I asked the girl to go over the bill line by line. There were items on there that they never even did! I told her to remove them immediately. The vet comes in 2 hours later and tells me my cat has this deadly infection and needs immediate emergency surgery or she will quickly die. (All this based on a single xray!!) I remembered the dog’s same diagnosis. I told the vet I would call him back the next morning with an answer. He then recommended that surgery should be done right away or put her down. I refused. I took her to another vet this morning. Banfield REFUSED to release xray until I went there and paid a ‘release’ fee of 25. more. My new vet said no and redid the xray for free. Nothing, absolutely NOTHING on the xray. Blood work should NO INFECTION! She recommended a spay and while in there she would do an exploratory to rule out Banfield’s diagnosis. Spay was done right then and lo and behold, she is a healthy cat with A SPRAINED MUSCLE from playing!!!!!!
Now my heart is broken because I can pretty well guess that last year, I unknowingly allowed Banfield to put done what was probably a healthy, active dog because I fell for their scare tactics. This company should be shut down!!!!!!!!
Dee,
We are so sorry to hear about the recent loss of your dog, and we hope your cat is recovering well. Please give our Client Advocacy team a call, as they would like to discuss your experience with you. The number is 877-500-2288. Thank you in advance for your time and, again, we are sorry for your loss.
I am a previous employee of Banfield the Pet Hospital and was a district manager for 5 years and from a personal inside position I can guarantee you that every Monday money is all that we discuss on our conference calls. Good doctors and nurses are forced to perform protocol’s they may or may not agree with, not to mention the unbelievable pressure from field director’s and medical directors to continue to have a high apc ( average pet charge ). Banfield believes that if the apc is high the quality of care is high. Many pets have died while under care of team members have NO experience and some of the doctors not much either. I can say with all of my heart that you never know what your getting there so it is best if you do not go. The wellness plan’s are not what you think. I regretfully can tell you I have watched 9 pets killed due to negligence in my 7 year career with Banfield… not one owner was told the truth about what happened and all medical notes were doctored by the doctor. PLEASE STAY AWAY!!!
Jessica,
The accusations you have posted here are extremely serious, and we will treat them as such. We are unable to gather any detail about your accusations in this forum, so please call our Client Advocacy team to address this directly.
I took our 10yr old Greyhound to Banfield in Watchung, NJ for her annual visit and vaccines. Staff was nasty and I believe I upset them when I declined the OWP. They demanded the payment before my dog was even seen and when I asked for what because she wasn’t seen yet the receptionist replied “I don’t know why it is just the rule”. The Dr. never introduced himself I had to ask the receptionist his name as I was leaving. The techs took our girl in the back for the blood work and vaccine and as I watched through the door the techs were fumbling with her as she sat there so stil, not sure what their problem was. Dr checked her over for two seconds, it seemed. Vaccines were administered then I asked what her weight was, I knew it was around 65, and the Dr spun around in his chair and said they didn”t weigh her out front? I replied no I think they were ticked w/me for not taking the OWP. Dr said something to one of the techs and then said oh they will weigh her now. Ahhhh yes mystery doc I do hope yo administered the correct dose too.
Then i get home and review the paperwork from the vist that I had to request because they only gave the receipt for the visit, I see that her “condition” is poor. As I look into it I see they say her teeth need cleaning. Ummmmm… shouldn’t that have been part of a discusion at the visit?
Yes I was trying to save a few dollars and we were not completely happy with our old vet but I really feel I did my “kid” wrong by bringing her to the worst “doc in the box” ever. Thank goodness it was only for a check up and not something serious.
Kate,
This is not at all the client service we strive for at Banfield, and we want to apologize that you left your visit feeling this way. I will take down your feedback and pass along internally. However, please also know that your direct feedback is very welcome and would certainly help us to continue improvement. To reach our Client Advocate team by phone, just call 877-500-2288.
My dog after 17 years passed away. Almost 10 years of that 17 years, he was insured with Banfield under premium plan $49.50 each month.
It is so unfortunate that when He passed away (at Banfield hospital) this organization still kept charging me the monthly dues. It is a sad case that you take advantage of people that wants to provide care for their animals. Once I called and informed them he no longer needs the coverage, Banfield told me that I have to pay another 6 months since I had an annual coverage which was not true. My first month was annual and after that was on a monthly basis.
Banfield is bunch of slim crued business people that have no compasion for animals or their owners. They want to take what they can, as much as they can. Another insurance company.
SHAME ON YOU BANFIELD!
Benny,
First and foremost, we are very sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. In addition to being a practice of veterinary professionals, Banfield is a practice of pet lovers; we understand that losing a member of the family is extremely difficult, and we are saddened by your loss.
Please know that Banfield’s Wellness Plans are not insurance and that you are only responsible to pay for services you received. If your dog received services previously, and those services were worth more than the value of the plan, then we simply allow the plan to be paid in full. However, if you did not receive these services, then you certainly do not have to pay for them. We’d be happy to discuss your cancellation options with you; just call our Wellness Plan Relations team at 888-649-2716.
Five days since our visit to Banfield and still waiting for them to fax over the ok to 1800petmeds for my dogs meds….nice! she will be out as of tomorrow. When we call the office first they told us the fax machine was “ruined but now it’s ok” then “the Dr. was soooo busy but he will get to it tonight before he leaves” and todays response is “ok we will do it today, the Dr you saw is here”. May I please no what the hold up is signing your name to a piece of paper and faxing it back. 1800petmeds has contacted us once if not twice a day to tell us they are still waiting and they keep faxing requests over to Banfield. I can not believe I paid for such horrible service. Never, never, never, again.
Kate,
Please accept our apologies for this frustration – and for our delay in finding your post. Have you received the paperwork you needed?
We have four cats on the Banfield Plan. We go to the Banfield in Mechanicsburg, PA. Our pets are treated very well and we are never pressured to buy anything. For us, the optimum wellness plan is a great value. If one of our cats even look funny we can take them to the vet. We have never been criticized for bringing in our pets because we heard them sneeze or they aren’t as active as usual. We have had the plan for two years now and are very satisfied. All the vets at our hospital are great and very knowledgeable. So thank you Banfield for allowing us to give our babies the best care possible!
I was a client of Banfield, the Pet Hospital of Superior in Colorado. The primary vet’s name is Dr. Ken Katz, another vet on the roster is Shelley Raines. There are other vets on staff that are not listed in the directory. Both of my cats were on a Wellness Plan.
On December 23, 2010 I took my cats in for dental examinations. This requires that your cat be intubated and anesthetized. I brought my cats home. One seemed normal and the other, Rahmi, hid under the bed. I contacted Banfield the next day and they said this was normal. I then went on Christmas vacation out of state.
On December 26, my cat sitter arrived. She said that Guinevere was hogging Rahmi’s food. This is unusual and I was concerned and called my sitter. There were no signs of vomiting, he was breathing fine, he was eating, and he was sitting with her on the couch. She said she’d keep an eye on him. The rest of her updates were normal.
When I returned home on January 3, 2011 I walked in my door to see that Rahmi appeared to be blown up like a balloon. I wondered how much my sitter fed him. I knelt down and poked at him- it seemed to be air. I didn’t understand what was going on and I called the emergency vet. They asked if he had any recent surgeries and I said he had a dental. They said to bring him in.
Immediately they suspected that his trachea had been torn during the dental. They took xrays and air had lifted his skin about 4 inches from the rest of his body. He had collapsed lungs and his heart was lifted from his chest wall by several inches and all of his organs had shifted around, which made the situation critical.
The next morning, the surgical team confirmed this and determined that he must have a necrotic tear in his trachea that required surgery. I agreed to the scope and surgery. During the scope, they found nothing. They told my vet what had happened.
Shortly after they relayed the information to Banfield, the vet who performed the dental called me and acted all concerned. She then stated, “Obviously it wasn’t due to the dental because it’s been over 10 days, and tears always present immediately. Shucks, if it was due to us, we’d definitely contribute to the costs.” She then tried to get me to say it wasn’t their fault. Even though there was no tear, my cat was still gravely ill and could die at any time.
I filed a complaint with Banfield and two days later Dr. Katz had one of his assistants call and say it wasn’t our fault, we’re not refunding the dental expenses, releasing you from the plans or reimbursing you any costs. We consider the matter closed.
Research on the internet shows that a dental is the primary cause of tracheal tears. It also shows that a cat will present in the emergency vet 5 hours to 12 days following the dental procedure. It also shows that the tears occur to improper procedures intubating, extubating, rough positioning, and not disconnecting the tubes from the machines when manipulating the position of the cats. A stylet can also cause the rupture.
I am writing a blog about the whole experience here: http://banfieldsucks.wordpress.com/ I’d love to prevent others from having to deal with this corporation.
This is a picture of what they did to my cat.
http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/7306/rahmisubqemphysema.jpg
Every time I try to resolve this issue with them, they repeat the same thing my vet said, word for word. I know trying to resolve it amicably will not work, so I’ll have to send complaints to reporters, the BBB, the AG’s office, Consumer Complaints, the FTC, etc., and file in court.
We are sorry to hear that Rahmi fell ill and we are glad to hear he has recovered. After reviewing Rahmi’s medical records from all the veterinarians who cared for him, we have confirmed that there is no relation between the airway abnormality and the anesthetic procedure performed in our hospital. If you have any specific questions or medical concerns relating to Rahmi’s care at Banfield, please contact your hospital team. If you have additional questions or concerns, you may want to follow-up with the outside specialist who performed the diagnostic scoping procedure.
We would also like to clear up the apparent confusion regarding your Optimum Wellness Plan account. The remaining monthly payments are for services Rahmi has already received at Banfield. When an account is put on hold, the payment is not automatically debited from a client’s specified banking account (or credit card), but clients are still responsible for making payments during the hold period. If you have additional questions regarding your wellness plan payments, please contact our Wellness Plan Relations Team at (888) 649-2716 or wellnessplanrelations@banfield.net.
From my experience, Banfield is a total rip off and have horrible pet care. Not only did was my dog treated for liver failure when he simply needed an antibiotic, but a 3 lb puppy (chihuahua) was given Giardia, Corona, Levo, Rabies, Bordatella, Distemper Parvo HA & Distemper Parvo LA at one time. After a visit to the ER Vet in the middle of the night and another $100 dollars, I went to another vet in the area who explained the levels of toxins in his liver and why it was not liver failure, which was a severe treatment considering he needed a mild antibiotic, and not cost efficient for my pocket. I paid over $700, besides the insurance rates for all the care (blood tests, ultrasounds, etc) and medication from Banfield and the other vet I saw only charged me for costs of meds due to the fact that he was dissappointed in the care and treatment and that he saw I had more than overpaid for the unnecessary care. After the other vet opted not to charge me I felt that was a big indication of Banfield’s level of treatment, this made me see this man actually cared that my dog’s health was important and priority. Not only that this vet pointed out that in his opinion based on the size of my dog and all the vaccines given, that may have the cause of the reaction in the first place and he explained this is not certain and it may have happened and he explained what vaccines put him at higher risk when given (levo and rabies). Now every time he is seen for vaccines, no matter the vet seen, he has to be checked in for the day due to his risk of another reaction. He explained next time he would have to charge me and he would have to hospitalize him for the day but he absolutely would not give a dog that size that many vaccines at one time. Also, he explained that some of the shots were unnecessary and why. (Although I didn’t go into detail he gave me facts as to why; ie. the Corona is not something that is mandatory due to regulations such as Rabies and that in his career he has treated maybe one dog for symptons related, it is just not common.) The point of this is to make others aware of this, because not only was this all terribly upsetting and stressful for me but the cost was absurd. I would not want anyone else out there to go thru what I went thru with Banfield.
Kristi,
Since I am not familiar with the specific treatment provided to your dog, I do want to at least reach out to say we are sorry that you had such an unsatisfactory experience at Banfield. If you continue to have concerns about the treatment that was provided, please feel welcome to call our Client Advocate Team at 877-500-2288. Hope you ad your dog are doing better.
A WARNING TO ALL PETOWNERS; DO NOT TAKE YOUR PET TO BANFIELD HOSPITAL.
Banfied should be BANNED!
I took my cat to Banfield Hospital for a physical and to evaluate a loose tooth. I have been to many many veterinary hospitals in the past and I have never experienced such apathy and incompetence. After an hour wait standing in a crowded hall with urine on the floor (which no one appeared to notice)we were seen by a Technician, to whom we related our companion’s full medical history, including prolonged gastrointestinal problems and diarrhea. Our little boy was weighed while in his carrier, and no one made any attempt to subtract the difference to find the correct weight. We were briefly seen by a Doctor (?), who conducted the physical in seconds, rapidly and emphatically informing us that the tooth required immediate extraction, prescribing an antibiotic to be administered prior to, and following the procedure. Did my companion have a tooth infection requiring an antibiotic ? There was no time permitted to ask questions (or even think/absorb the rapid-fire recommendations made), and the Vet spent the majority of the time trying to sell us a “Wellness Plan”. He persistently referred to the male patient as “she”, showing that he had failed to read the information/history or even look at him closely. When we declined the insurance plan he immediately left, and two staff came in and began cleaning the room before we even had time to return our kitty to his carrier. We heard our name being shouted at the desk, demanding payment and a deposit for the extraction to be performed in five days time. (If the condition were truly emergent, why should we wait five days? If they had no availability, why not refer the patient to a doctor who could perform the procedure in time?)
I called Banfield when my cat evidenced an adverse reaction to the drug: severe diarrhea. I spoke with a staff who evidently had no knowledge or training in the field of veterinary medicine. He refused to allow me to speak with the Vet on duty or even leave a message for him/her. He merely advised that I bring my cat in for another evaluation (and another fee). I was unaware of the medications side effects and potentially lethal conditions which may result. The antibiotic prescribed was Clindamycin, which I subsequently learned (via the internet) can produce potentially lethal SUPERINFECTIONS/CDAD. WHY WAS CLINDAMYCIN PRESCRIBED WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER, SAFER ANTIBIOTICS? WHY PRESCRIBE SO DANGEROUS A MEDICATION FOR A PATIENT WITH A HISTORY OF PROTRACTED GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS? WAS HE PRESCRIBED THE CORRECT DOSAGE, AS DOSAGE IS DETERMINED BY WEIGHT AND THEY WEIGHED HIM IN HIS CARRIER, WHICH ADDED 5.6 LBS.? WHY WAS AN ANTIBIOTIC PRESCRIBED AND WHAT SYMPTOMS WERE WE TO OBSERVE TO GAUGE ITS EFFICACY? Everyone I spoke with was callous, apathetic, showing only concern for money and how to keep my deposit. NO ONE INQUIRED AS TO MY KITTY’S HEALTH OR SHOWED ANY CONCERN FOR HIM.
Given my experience at Banfield, I took my companion to another hospital, whose physician and staff were caring and patient. The DVM advised that my cat had no tooth/gum infection and there was no need for the antibiotic which has made him so ill. He is now being treated for the adverse reaction, and he has not stabilized yet. In addition, CDAD can develop at any time (up to weeks) after treatment, can recur, can require colon surgery and can be lethal.
I only wish I had never taken my companion to Banfield. I hope my little one’s life can be saved, and WOULD NEVER TAKE ANY LIVING THING TO BANFIELD.
Julie,
We sincerely hope your cat is doing well and that you are both happy with your new vet.
The experience you described is not at all the client service that we strive for, and we hold all of our hospitals to the highest standard of care. We’d value the opportunity to speak with you directly about your experience. Your feedback will help us in our continued improvement to provide the highest standard of care and service. Please feel encouraged to call our Client Advocate Team at 877-500-2288.
Banfield is all about $$$$. After only 2 visits with my 12 tr old female dog I am finished with this company. Their 1st protocol is to sell sell sell and maximize as many of my dollars out of my pocket and into their’s as possible. My dog was limping and unable to walk on her left rear leg. So, I took her to Banfield where they took x-rays and told me she had a torn ligament and would probably need surgery. However, when my partner, who is a PA looked at the x-ray, he saw nothing. The so titled “Chief of Staff” at the clinic stated that she perscribed “pain releivers”, when in fact what they sold me was a simple anti-inflamitory medication. Final conclusion is that our dog had a simple sprain which will heal in time with rest and confined activity.
When you go to Banfield, notice the constant sales pitch!!! The only reason they push the Wellness Plan, is to lock you in as a customer. Trust me thay have no interest in saving you $$$. My dog sprained her leg once before when we took her to our previous vet. The total bill for x-rays and 2 medications was $162.53. Our bill at Banfield was $384.74 for the same treatment but a mis-diagnosis!!!
We now found a small private animal clinic to care for our pet’s healthcare. No high pressure sales and no high “raping” bills!! They stay in business, not by selling a contract, yet by providing good quality service. In the 92 customer ratings for this Hospital 95% are 5 Stars. I am ashamed of myself for allowing Banfield to rip me off. My dog depends on me and deserves better than this! I should have known that a Department store Animal Clinic was exactly that!! Think for yourself, but in my opinion if you are reading this site you are a great pet owner who will see exactly what I should have.
Be Aware of Banfield
I’m not sure what else to do. I have called their corporate headquarters and filed a formal complaint. I will be giving Banfield the “boot”.
I have been taking my epileptic dog there for 4 yrs now and ever since I move to Austin/Cedar Park area and transferred my dogs records (from San Antonio) it seems like all their ethics went out the door and all they care about is money; retesting him for cushings disease, holding his phenobarbital meds (that he needs to control his seizures) for ransom b/c I could not pay for the $105 phenobarbital test until the following Friday (payday) even though he is on a lower dosage now and the last test showed very little PB in his system. I have spent over $8,000 in the four years with them.
C’mon Banfield, where do drawl the line and what if, b/c of their ransom tactics my dog goes into an epileptic state that he will not recover from. Is that negligence on Banfields side? When a human walks into a hospital, they cannot refuse us medical care and have to fix us up. Why? Because it would be unethical…. Sorry, I know you have a broken leg and you’re bleeding to death but hey… you should of thought about your financial situation before you decided to break your leg… what? You can pay next Friday… nope sorry you’re just going to have die. I’m looking at my dog right now and he’s is (epileptically) chattering away. Thanks Banfield… you suck!
Adam & The PePster,
As a practice of pet lovers, we know that all pets are very important family members and we want the best for them. Because our veterinary hospitals require payment at the time pets receive care, we offer CareCredit as a potential payment option for our clients. CareCredit has helped many of our clients with similar payment situations and we encourage you to explore this option for your dog. While patient care in human hospitals is at least partially subsidized for those unable to pay, unfortunately a similar system does not exist for veterinarians. If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact our Client Advocate team at 877-500-2288.
I only wish that I had read some of these complaints and issues with Banfield. I took my baby there for a routine spay and chip. Her first visit for the procedure was unsuccessful. I was called a couple of hours after dropping her off to come back and pick her up, she fought the sedation. Against my better judgment I listened to their explanation of why she did not go under and rescheduled. They allowed me to hold her as she went to sleep to keep her calm I kissed her and handed her to them for the last time. I called to check on her a couple of hours later and they said she was fine. I then received a call a little over an hour later saying that I needed to come to the hospital immediately. When I got there she was hooked up to all these machines and she was gone. When my husband and I asked what went wrong the doctor told us that she started having trouble breathing and he asked to do an autopsy against my wishes my husband allowed them to. My husband asked when did they noticed that she started having trouble breathing the doctor said it was company procedure to check on animals ever 15 minutes. It has been over three months and we have not heard anything from Banfield on the autopsy. We have been beside ourselves with grief since she passed away it feels like we lost a child. She was my husband’s first pet and our first pet together. We have so many questions like:
• Why didn’t the over $200 in blood work show a problem?
• If they knew she had problems the first time why didn’t they keep a closer eye on her?
• I don’t give a damn about the company policy who often were they checking her?
• 15 minutes is a long time to have breathing problems?
• What did the autopsy show?
• Why didn’t they call me sooner to say good-bye to her?
If you love your pet and care about them please take them some place else.
From all of us at Banfield, our hearts go out to your family in the event of your loss.
We are currently unaware of this situation and urge you to call our Client Advocate team to discuss. The number is 877-500-2288.
What is your client advocate team going to do bring her back, erase the images my husband and I have of her stretched out on a table with tubes in her? The most upsetting part was the vet handing me a black trash bag with her in it! I told him I brought her in, in her carrier and I want to carry her out that way. Your vets and staff have absolutely no hearts. Then the staff has the nerve to send me a card saying they were with her when she passed. That is a crock if they were with her they would have noticed she was having complications breathing instead they fed us some bull about their policy on checking animals every 15 minutes. The truth is that by the time they noticed she was having trouble breathing it was too late to help her. So what is your client advocate team going to do for me?
To Paulette–
I am so so sorry for your loss. Banfield’s advocate “team” gets their paychecks signed by Banfield, you can’t expect them to do anything except pay lip service and pretend to care.
I hope you can file some kind of consumer complaint against them.
They didn’t kill my pet, but they behaved abominably, and I’m going to keep venting about it until I get it out of my system.
I took my pet to the Hoffman Estates Banfield for routine vaccine and the vet missed on of the major vaccines. I went back next day and informed them and the office Manager was very rude and asked to pay for the office visit again for their mistake. When questioned she said my pet will not be vaccines there and not to come there anymore. she even called the Police to make the situation worse as this is complete racial discrimination.I am working with client advocate team to get an apology from the office manager.
DO NOT TAKE YOUR PET HERE.
Banfield is bordering on being a scam. They originally say you’re only signing up for 1 year….and they don’t tell you that by default your account is set up for ‘ automatic renewal’. So, when you get charged for your 13th month, and you call and ask what’s up, they will tell you too bad you signed the contract. And, if you want to close the account, you will be charged thru the end of the 2nd year. What a ripoff. And, take your pet in and still have to spend $100 for routine maintenance. This company is a joke – I can’t wait to get to the end of my contract.
DO NOT GO HERE!!!
You are not charged through the end of the year unless you use the services on the plan when it rolls over and starts a new year. You dont use any services, you cancel without paying. You use services, you pay for them.
That would make sense right?
Today I watched my little girl close her little eyes for the last time. I immediately felt a hole in my heart and my soul. I was feeling an intense pain that I had never felt before.
It had been almost a year since we found out that Banfield’s diagnosis of the growth on her foot was completely wrong. We waited for three months for the growth to go away since the Banfield doctors said it would just go away on its own. On the fourth month we became concerned because the growth had not gone away but it had grown. We immediately took her to a known and competent vet many miles from our home. We then found out that our baby had a malignant tumor and it had spread throughout her entire body, and our baby now had 2 to 6 months before she would die.
Please be very careful when you consider the healthcare options for your pet. We thought we had done the right thing buying a wellness plan from Banfield. We paid on the wellness plan for over 10 years before we found out that it only covers very minor issues, shots etc. As it turns out, the care or should I say lack of care, we received from Banfield was what killed her. Please don’t let this happen to you.
This post has been submitted by the Banfield client outreach team:
Norma, I am so sorry for the loss of your pet. I know how hard it is to lose a member of your family, so my thoughts are with you.
On behalf of Banfield, I would like to refer you to the Client Advocate Team at 877-500-2288. This team will discuss what happened with you and get a better understanding of what happened. I hope you are doing well during this difficult time and thank you for your feedback.
I purchased and paid in FULL for a puppy wellness package for my puppy Murphy and also renewed and paid in full a adult wellness package for my Bella. Today 5-20-11 my puppy Murphy had an emergency and I called Banfield to schedule an emergency visit, I brought him right over as told by the secretary and when I got there I was seated in waiting room. In less than 5 minutes I was denied service because of a $27.95 hold on my account (as I was told). They refused to tend to my puppy for $27 and could not explain to me why if my mother had paid this in full, do I owe this? I was outraged at how obvious it is just ALL ABOUT MONEY! The employees showed no concern, they just cared to collect. I demanded the corporate’s phone number and called for an explanation. The representative was no better, she told me that Murphy’s puppy package had AUTOMATICALLY renewed over to the adult package and that $27.95 must be paid before he is seen. I told her to cancel my Bella and Murphy’s packages and that I was not happy at all with how Banfield and Corporate handled the situation. Needless to say they REFUSED to credit my account for the next 6 months for bella because I would no longer take my dogs to them!
Alethea, I am sorry to hear that you are frustrated by your situation and I hope Murphy is doing well following his emergency.
Please know that you are only responsible for paying for services that have already been provided. Or, if it is less expensive for you, then the full price of the plan can be paid as an alternative. I know you have already spoken to a Banfield representative, but I want to make sure you have the right contact information to address any outstanding issues or voice any additional concerns. You can call the Wellness Plan Relations team if you still have questions regarding your account (1-866-649-2716), or you can call the Client Advocate Team to address client service concerns.
Thank you for your feedback, and we hope Bella and Murphy are both doing well!
It really all depends on the Banfield you go to. I live here in Miami and have 4 to easily choose from. I will post my experience with all 4 of them.
I have 2 Rhodesian Ridgeback / Bull Terrier Mix dogs, that I got at about 2 months old. Because of their mix, they are very shy and not trusting of strangers, but get very vicious when put into situations that are harmful to them.
I will separate my experiences by the PetSmart location and store number.
Kendall Store #1526: Were very rough with dogs. When they did the ear cleaning the cries from my dogs were so loud that everyone in the store thought my dogs were being murdered and tortured. After my dogs visit to this vet, my dogs would automatically go into defense attack mode to avoid being handled by the vet.
Miami/Flagler Store #348: This vet had no experience with large breed dogs at all. They were terrified of my dogs and did not do procedures correctly resulting in my dogs being injured and getting infections in the vaccination area. Decided my dogs safety was more important.
Coral Gables Store #1411: When my dogs received the infections from store #348, I decided to have this store fix it. They prescribed crap loads of medications and even said that my dogs will need surgery. I decided to only give them antibiotics and the infections went away. I took my dogs back to this location a few more times but they always wanted to fill my dogs with medications and could not handle my dogs at all. One day I walked into 4 people surrounding my dog and them trying to wrestle him down, then they wanted to charge me for all the extra people they needed to hold the dog. During my dogs visit to have their teeth cleaned, instead of telling me they had issues with getting the fluid line into my dog, they decided to injure every single leg. My dog literally had bloody bandages on each leg. Once I went to visit to check on them, they told me what happened, I then explained how to do it and 2 seconds later the fluid line was in with no hassle. They then prescribed tons of meds which mad my dog vicious.
Miami-Midtown Store #1412: I decided to take my dogs to this vet because everyone said to avoid the store because its near a bad part of the city. I’m glad I decided not to listen. The staff is super friendly and bend over backwards to nice, polite and helpful. Once I took the dogs into the exam room, the nurse was very kind, explained what was going to happen and asked me my concerns (something the other locations do not do). I told her my dogs did not like the vet and have a history of aggression. The doctor then came in and explained once again what will happen. So we decided to do the most aggressive first. The nurse gave him a treat, which he loved, and the doctor quickly injected a med into the nose. Then the nurse started to cheer and praise him, while I did the same. He didn’t even notice the 3 injections that followed. We then did my shy dog and even he responded well. None had to be muzzled. They then examined my 3rd dog, which was signing up for wellness that day. They explained that he has issues and what I can do, and best of all, how I can save money. The other Backfield’s seemed to want to do nothing but over medicate and recommend things that were not relevant just to get more money. This Banfield was different and I left with a very big smile on my face (as did my dogs).
So in the end, it really all depends on the people working at a particular store. It took me four tries, but I can safely say that I have found the store for me and my pets. The wellness plans are very well worth it. I saved $327.00 that day. I have the 2 younger dogs on the middle Wellness Plan ($32.95 ea. a month) and the older one on the Wellness plus($42.95 a month), since he needed more blood work and Xrays done.
For everyone out there-Banfield DOES NOT HAVE INSURANCE! It is a set of pre pacakaged services. The things listed are the only things included in this package. If you use services in the package, you are expected to pay for them even if you dont have you pet anymore, for any reason. Otherwise people would come in and pay $100 towards the services and use the vaccines and the spay/neuter and then cancel it because they “dont have their pet anymore”. This is not right but people try to do it all the time(read the posts and you will agree) and get upset because they have to pay for what they used. Everyone acts like they think every illness and every item to purchase should be “covered” and they only pay $30 or so a month. How does that make sense. You pay a small amount every month but get free everything else? Read the brochures. It lists what is included and what is not. There is no confusion. It is not Banfields fault that you would think everything is free instead of taking 5 seconds to read the full information. I have a poodle on the wellness plan and I know what is included and what is not. I also know why. A business cannot give everything away for free, no matter what the business is. I also know that they have alot of high quality medications and machines to diagnose, treat, and monitor my dog while she is getting her teeth cleaned. I would gladly pay more to have better medications and safer procedures then settle for cheap care. This is a life we are taking about, and it is silly people expect so much care for so little money!
I can honestly say that up until my last 2 visits at Banfield I was pretty satisfied. However that was because of the doctor that my pet had NOT Banfield. Unfortunately he died a few months ago, since then my visits have been hell for my dog especially and also myself. They are way too concerned with selling their own products rather than taking care of the pet. My dog used to be very friendly, however about 8 years ago, she went in for one of their “Comprehensive” exams that is requires you to leave your pet all day for them to poke and prod them. When we picked her up, she was never the same and since then has been very scared of people, especially men. About two years ago I found out that the sedative that they used back then left the pet awake but created a “paralyzing” effect so that the dog could be worked on. And eventually it was banned because it had serious side effects such as seizures, strokes and demensia. The vet we had thought that this is why she became the way she is now.
Today I took my dog in because she has a tumor on her eyelid. They backed my dog into a corner and kept trying to look at it. Eventually my dog snarled at them, and they still felt it was okay to push my dog into a corner. My dog has never uncontrollably like she did today. I wanted to cry because of how scared I could tell she was. I finally told them that they were stressing out my dog too much and they needed to back off. They then walked out of the room and sent a different person to tell me to sedate her and bring her back so they could do their exam. I asked if they could still sell me the heartworm monthly pills and they said “no” because she was due for her heartworm test 6 months ago and they refused to do it today. They also told me that I could either upgrade my plan to “Plus” and spend only $300 on the surgery to remove the tumor or I could keep my plan the way it is and spend $900 to get it removed. They also told me that I needed to purchase 5 different products to help my dog’s skin allergies, all of their products mind you.
Needless to say, I am stopping payment this month and going to a real vet hospital. I am beyond angry. These people need to learn how to work with animals better, and learn to care more about the pet and less about selling their useless products.
Banfield is a joke. Seriously. You pay so much money and I don’t feel you get “Best”.
What’s even worst is that when you year is done, they don’t advise you that it will happen, they just renew your agreement. I get that it is stated on the contract but I put that paper work away a LONG time ago. The CS agent told me well, write it down on your calendar or put it in your phone. I don’t have calendars and I had to get a new phone because mine stopped working so regardless of me putting it in my phone, I still wouldn’t have it because it would have gotten lost. They should be more considerate to customers and send a “REMINDER” email. It’s not rocket science to send out a reminder. It’s appreciating your customers. I am very frustrated right now. I have to wait one more YEAR in order to cancel this crap. Something that I rarely use anyways. NEVER again!!!!
Banfield is a huge money-machine preying on the emotions of pet owners. For the most part, the vets are inept and hogtied by corporate policies which ensure a profit. And that, my friends, is the entire reason for Banfield — profit, at all costs and the moral compass be damned.
Support your local vet practitioners. Establish a wonderful relationship with your locally owned vet clinic. The vets there like to make a profit so they can remain in business but they are in practice to do something positive for pets. In other words, making money allows them to do what they love: address the needs of pets. Banfield works hard to make tons of money for shareholders who don’t give a rat’s ass about your pet. Most of the Banfield vets can’t think on their own, could never make it in private practice, have little to no “bedside” manner and simply love to rack up your costs with tests your pet does not need.
If you like vets who serve a machine that takes a cookie-cutter approach to pet care, then Banfield is for you!
My main complaint about Banfield concerns customer service.
I had a huge disagreement with them last April over a guinea pig who died a few hours after seeing the Banfield vet. I did not use the medications they sold me, and I asked if I could return them. They said no, just use them for another pet, and your guinea pig is under warranty, so just get a new one.
I thought their attitude was disgusting and complained to the corporate office. The corporate office instructed the vet’s office to give me a refund, and they apologized, saying they didn’t realize how upset I had been.
I was very impressed with this–how often do you get an apology and a refund? So I wanted to continue taking my other pets to Banfield. About a month later, I called to get refills on some meds. Everything I asked for, however, was back-ordered. Any time I called, I would leave a message, but never got a call-back. This went on for several weeks.
Finally, I got a fat envelope from the postman, by Certified Mail. It was a plain envelope with no return address. Mystified, I opened it. It was from Banfield, returning my pets’ records and basically telling me to get lost.
I was disgusted by this. I can understand that they don’t want me as a customer anymore–but they really didn’t need to resort to all the passive-aggressive lying, then sending me a letter in a plain white envelope because–what if I saw who it was from and refused to sign for it? They were acting like I was some sort of dangerous criminal. All they had to do was ask me to sign for my records, they did not need to resort to all that childish, cloak-and-dagger stupidity.
I called corporate again, just to tell them that I understood they didn’t want me as a customer, but that the method used was just silly, probably something that the office manager came up with on her own. I wanted to tell them that it was not necessary to lie like that, then to ambush somebody with an unexpected Certified Mail letter.
I was told that corporate APPROVED the letter and the method used on me, and that nobody would call me back.
Now, I was mocked for this on another board by someone who said that *I* am the one who is being childish. Maybe I am, but I have never experienced anything like this from any type of merchant, EVER, in my more than 50 years, and I think they are shockingly unprofessional.
You know, I just started working at Banfield (yes, I admitted it, gather your pitchforks) and I just want to say one thing. If you don’t like Banfield, go somewhere else. No one is forcing you. But I was a client before I was ever an employee, and I would not have been able to afford my puppies vaccines and general check up without their wellness plan. Also, this is a corporation. You will get the care that the individual people of the hospital are able/willing to give. If the Banfield near you does not have good people, it does NOT mean that no one working for the company cares about animal or knows how to do their job. I love my baby girl more than anything and I trust the doctor I work with. I would not leave my puppy with anyone else. I agree that this is not the case with every single hospital, just as it is not the case that every singe Hilton Hotel is the same or every Apple employee is equally as helpful. Go to the vet that makes you feel comfortable. It is about the people working inside the hospital, not the name on the door.
To Astrid:
You’re right, of course, to go somewhere else. I am sure that all the folks here have done exactly that.
However, there is trauma involved with medical mistakes, and there is even trauma involved with their vicious and stupid customer service.
Switching vets does not erase the painful memories that people have. I myself experience nausea and anxiety when driving past my local Petsmart/Banfield. I hope these feelings will go away someday.
I can’t speak for anyone else, but neither I nor my pitchfork have anything against you, and I hope your employment situation is a happy one.
exactly! I will NEVER take any pets, and will advise everyone I know not to take their family members (pets) to them! I have already spread the word and have informed people of what has happened to me! So far, I have successfully made aware to 15 random people, including my stylist, people from restuarants, and my place of employment to switch their vet care! If myself and each of them continue to do the same and spread my experience, my dog’s untimely and unnatural murderous death will not be for nothing! All I want to do is spare the pain of others so they will not have a whole in their heart like I do!
This is the complaint I posted to the Banfield website. Judging by the vast numbers of negative postings, I assume my cries will fall on deaf ears.
I never thought corporate greed could creep into the wholesome happiness that is pet ownership, and here comes along this company named ‘Banfield’. The ‘Wellness Plans’ are a nice shell game. I noted a gal in our Woodbridge NJ location making a big scene because she kept getting billed months after her dog died. Because she was not bring the deceased to Banfield for treatment, she was tagged as an ‘animal abuser’ and could not adopt a new puppy.
To those Banfield ‘disciples’ that have posted comments about the “Wellness Plans” not being insurance, I say this:
Health (or life) insurance is an investment that you hope you never need. You try to take care of yourself, eat right, exercise, etc., and hope you never get so sick that you need to go to the hospital for complex care. You go to the doctor for a regular physical, or if you have a cold that just won’t go away. But it’s there if you need it (as necessary). And we understand that there may be additional costs for treatments or meds or therapies. Health insurance costs are reduced when more people participate in a plan.
The Banfield ‘plans’ fly in the face of this theory.
The premise of the “Wellness” plans is more than preventative care. Sure your dog or cat goes for an annual checkup and booster shots. But to say that there is a need for the plans and to charge for the kitchen sink is ridiculous. I don’t think people question what is ‘included’ and what is ‘extra’. We have two plans for two cats (because we were told there is not ‘umbrella’ plan), for example. Where’s the ‘economy’ in that?!?
I am sure there are Banfield’s in the USA that give great service, great pet care, etc. But where are they? Why is this board so lopsided with vitriol?
####################
We have been bringing our two cats to your Banfield facility, located in the PetSmart store in Woodbridge, NJ for almost a year. Since our initial visit, we have been less than satisfied with the level of service there.
Our experiences at the hospital have had more emphasis on sales of products and service “plans”, as opposed to pet care. There is a keen interest in getting a hold of your credit card. The staff is unwilling to answer questions, or communicate the most basic information. Far too often the standard answer is “I don’t know”. I expressed my dissatisfaction to the gentleman at the counter. It should not take over an hour to meet an appointment. After all, that is the main reason to make an appointment. I was told very clearly that he could not help me, that this is the hospital operational policy, and I would just have to wait, and I was more than welcome to go elsewhere. Unpleasant, unhelpful, and rude are words that come to mind (although less savory language comes to mind as well). To be honest, we receive better service from the counter help at our local Burger King.
A scheduled appointment is NEVER kept; we wait for a minimum of (1) hour before we are brought to an exam room. By comparison, other scheduled appointments are ushered in within (20) minutes of their arrival (after the first occurance, I made it a point to note the amount of time we spend there; arrival time, waiting room time, in relation to other patients). We are ALWAYS the last patient to be seen. I have never waited for (2) or more hours in the waiting room of the busiest doctor, or an ER for that matter.
But after our experience on July 30, 2011, we have concluded that choosing Banfield for pet care was the biggest mistake we have ever made.
During a previous visit, we asked the staff about walk-ins. Our friend Rocket, a four year old outdoor cat, was in need of serious medical attention. We were told that if the animal is seriously ill, they would be given priority/emergency care. We called at 8:00am EST, when the clinic opened. We were told to bring him in. We arrived at 8:45am and checked in. Meanwhile, other people started lining up for appointments. We were aware that we would have to wait some time, but we were told during a previous visit that emergency cases take priority.
At 10:00am EST, the vet finally came to talk to us. He stated that we would be escorted into an exam room shortly. (45) minutes go by, and we have yet to be seen by the nurse technician. Meanwhile, other walk-ins and apoinments are coming in, registering, and then being escorted into an exam room. We made the decision to take him to a private vet, whaich took us in almost right away. The entire experience was positive. Sadly, our friend Rocket was too ill to save, and it was necessary to put him down.
I have made it a specific point to inform friends and family from all over the country, as well as patrons waiting in the PetSmart store that Banfield is the worst pet hospital. I cannot fathom how it is you operate a business, and a corporation with a clear conscience. I am stunned by your longevity as a company with such sketchy business practices. You and your board members should be embarrassed and ashamed by your conduct.
I will not be renewing my wellness plans in the future, and I do not wish to receive any correspondence with reference to any other sales “bargains” or “gimmicks”.
#########################################
In all fairness to Banfield, people don’t usually post about good experiences. I certainly didn’t.
I had a good relationship with Banfield for two years prior to my “incident.” I liked the vet very much.
After the bad thing happened, I attempted to resume taking my pets to them, but I was “fired” in a sneaky and underhanded manner, which made me lose all respect for them.
I brought my nine week old puppy into Banfield Pet Hospital in Manahawkin, NJ for her first vaccinations and check up. I was told that she was perfectly healthy and strong. After a few days I brought her back because she was having diarrhea and wasn’t eating/drinking enough. I took her three times and they kept running stool samples and told us that it was probably the food or her adjusting to the environment. They charged us hundreds of dollars per visit, not including the costs of the tests. She wasn’t getting better and they weren’t giving me any answers. They had us buy a cat paste to give her, which she would eat, but they instructed us to keep giving her it as much as she would eat it. I took her to my family vet while visiting my parents, he took a stool sample and found that she had the worst case of Coccidia that he has ever seen. She could have easily died if we didn’t bring her in when we did. The vet said that in addition to the poor instruction Banfield provided, their advice to give her the cat paste made her worse. Banfield are untrained professionals, with no knowledge of how to properly execute tests. The vet said a simple stool sample would have shown the parasite, they had taken two samples and came up with nothing. Not only have I been cheated out of the hundreds of dollars they charged me, but my puppy suffered because of their negligence. I will never bring any of my dogs to Banfield pet hospital again.
We apologize that your visit to one of our hospitals was unsatisfactory. We strive to provide our clients and their pets with high quality medicine and exceptional client experiences on every visit. We certainly understand your frustration and are currently unaware of this situation and urge you to call our Client Advocate team to discuss what may have happened. The number is 877-500-2288. We hope your puppy is doing well.
I know your comment was not addressed to me, but I know that you will ignore anything I write.
I notice that you use that phrase over and over about “striving to provide high-quality blah-blah-blah.”
Have you ever considered dropping that part from your posts? Why not just try to help the person with their problem, instead of bragging about something that clearly is not very good?
I have never been treated so shabbily by any company in 58 years as I have been by Banfield.
BANFIELD PET HOSPITAL NORTH AUSTIN OFF OF I35 AND PARMER
My initial visit to this clinic was okay. I did feel pressured to buy the wellness plan and other services. However, my second visit was the worst!
My dog was a little sick with and enlarged abdomen. I was very pleased with the service to treat this. Right after the treatment, the vet tech pressured me into getting a vaccine (which I payed for out of pocket and was not part of the wellplan)was not needed/could have been given at a later date because she was not 100% health wise.
My dog became so sick that I had to rush her to the Emergency Animal Hospital of Northwest Austin (which had a very caring staff and was AMAZING). She had to be put on fluids and is still in the hospital three days later. She has liver damage because of them pressuring me to vaccinate her.
To be fair, I am aware that vaccines can have adverse reactions, but if she had been in better health the reaction would NOT have been life threatening.
Pros:
-shopping while waiting
Cons:
-money hungry
-do not understand how a pet IS part of the family
To Emily:
Well, thankfully your pet survived and hopefully will recover.
I certainly agree with you about them not understanding how a pet is part of our family, despite their stupid slogan.
When my guinea pig died, the Banfield vet said, “Oh, he’s under warranty, just get another one.”
Then the office manager fired me as a client.
Emily, please feel welcome to call our Client Advocate Team to discuss what happened, the number is 887-500-2288. We apologize that your visit to one of our hospitals was unsatisfactory. Our goal is always to provide excellent client service, and your feedback is truly valued.
My apologies, the number is 877-500-2288.
I will never ever go back to Banfield ever again. I agree they over charge you even with the plan I set an appt for 9:00 and did not see the doctor until 11:30 no lie I was waiting in the room for almost two hours then had to come back because the doctor couldnt figure out what was wrong with my dog. I was on the most expensive welnees plan and they were still going to charge me $600 just to take my dogs tumor out and it would be an extra $200 just to send it off and get it looked out so I called the # to cancel her plan and they have me on hold for 30 minutes the customer service sucks all that money were paying and we cant get faster service no thank you Im done with that hospital I will take my dogs to another hospital and get them on a plan
I agree that your wait time was absolutely unacceptable, but it is common for there to be additional costs for the surgery and pathology. This is true in human medicine as well. We would never expect to be able to go into our doctor’s office and tell him “I’m not well” and nothing else, and expect him to figure out what is wrong in one visit like people do with their pets’ doctors. We would also not expect him to find a lump, operate on it himself, study it under a microscope himself, and tell us what it is, all for the cost of our office visit. We would expect him to send us to a surgeon for that surgery, which would cost tens of thousands of dollars, and then send the tumor to a pathologist, which would cost at least many hundreds more dollars.
The Banfield Wellness Plans, as has been explained by others already, is not an insurance plan of any sort. Banfield has tried to provide a way for people who can’t afford to pay large lump sums of money for pet care, a way to get their pets examined and vaccinated. The semi-annual exams that are included in those plans are also designed to hopefully catch any emerging health condition the pet might be developing, just like check-ups at a human doctor. There are many, many people who have pets who take them to the vet as puppies and never go back. They do this because when our pets “decide” to get sick, we usually never have the money to run right out and get them healthcare – blood work, stool samples, eye exams, etc. I believe this is Banfield’s way of hoping people will bring their pets in on a semi-regular basis so they can catch illness or disease early enough to treat it when it IS cheaper to treat and more likely for the pet to get through the illness.
I have read almost all of these posts, and I wonder how many of you know what Banfield is “really” doing with “all this money” they are making off the people? While most doctors in a private practice have their insurances, employees, supplies, etc. to pay for, Banfield has that AND many charities they fund or help to fund. I agree that the costs at Banfields are on the high end (just like many private-practice vets), but they also turn that profit around for “the people” in their community, too. How many private-practice vets do you know that do that?
I’m not trying to say ALL their money goes into these charities, of course they make profits, but they have a fund that helps people pay for surgeries when they don’t have the money and the pet will die without it – I saw a woman receive this money ($1,000) just two months ago at the Banfield near my house. They also help to fund a service that allows people who are dying and will be put into hospice, to have pets stay with them until the person passes away. They also help fund a program that is connected to a Meals-on-Wheels type thing (not sure if it is called MOW) where they provide food for the pets of the people who are receiving the MOW food assistance. They help fund continuing education for their employees and also have a scholarship for employees who want to go to school but can’t afford it.
Also, the reason we have to pay for the “plan” even if something happens to our pet is because the bulk of their yearly treatments and vaccinations happen in that first visit. At that time, the plan is only costing you about $35 plus the first payment, which is around $25-50 or so, depending on which plan you get. But all the stuff they do on that first visit would normally cost you hundreds of dollars! So of course you have to keep paying it! Otherwise, you would have gotten several-hundred dollars worth of services for $60-85. Would that be fair to Banfield? So for people who need help paying for preventive care and those who would not normally take their dog in for check ups, it is a blessing. Plus, once they have that plan, they can make an appointment and come in or call as many times as they want and it is always free. If they want to have their dog’s toenail looked at, it’s free. Of course they’d have to pay for the medicine prescribed (just like if you took your script to a pharmacy) but the visit is free. How many human doctors or private-practice vets are willing to do that?
Another benefit to a corporation is that you have someone to turn to if a vet or tech or assistant is behaving poorly. At a private practice clinic, there is nowhere to go. At a private practice, the veterinarian makes the rules and can do anything he/she wants to do. That can be a good thing or a bad thing.
It does bother me to hear about the way in which many of the people on here were spoken to because there is no excuse for being disrespectful. But it does bother me that Banfield doctors/techs/assistants are being accused of being in it for the money because one more thing I know for sure is that they don’t get paid worth a darn. And even that is by design. That is the employees doing “their part” in trying to help people get pet care who normally wouldn’t be able to get it.
DO NOT TAKE YOUR PETS TO BANFIELD!!!! they killed my dog, which had no health issues at the time. a simple teeth cleaning turned into my dog not making the table for the procedure. THe petsmart I am referring to is in Conroe, Texas….the vet is clearly not qualified and legal actions are being considered by my lawyer! advise all family, friends, and anyone that owns a pet not to go there! i lost my best friend, who was not even close to her time to go.
Meredith, first of all we want to say how sorry we are for the loss of your dog. We appreciate your feedback and I do want to make sure we acknowledge your concerns. To discuss this further please give our Client Advocate Team a call at 877-500-2288 so we can gather more information.
To Meredith:
I couldn’t agree with you more. I tell everyone I meet how awful Banfield is. You notice that they post on this board but they ignore every single thing I write. I believe they have been instructed to act as though I am not alive.
Banfield did not kill my pet, and after making a complaint and getting a refund for one service, I attempted to resume my relationship with them. After all, they had provided very good service for two years previously. However, they fired me as a client in a sneaky, childish manner, while at the same time smiling to my face and acting like everything was fine. When I attempted to tell Customer Service about this, they informed me that Management higher up had APPROVED this shoddy, underhanded treatment.
I am 58 years old and have NEVER experienced anything this bad from a merchant of any kind. Banfield is the worst, and I will keep talking about this as long as I am able. If they had offered me my records back in a professional, adult manner, I would have accepted it, but they couldn’t do that. They had to act like third-graders instead.
I went to Banfield as they were in the PetSmart where my dogs get groomed. They thought my Westie had a ruptured anal gland. They wanted 385 to expel the other one and pack the one that ruptured. Along with antibiotics. I left and paid for 40 for the visit. I brought my girl to the vet on Monday and he expressed the other gland and gave me antibiotics for 20. That was 365 less. Be careful. So sad, because they are overcharging by a huge amount.
Took our dog to Benfield Clovis CA. I too wish I had read some of these statements before I took my dog to Banfield. We went in to get a 3 year Rabies Shot. We were told the shot would cost $22 and we made an appointment. When we got there I told the front desk (Again) we were there with our dog for our appointment for her 3 year shot. After doing a lot of waiting, someone comes in with a paper saying I need to sign it so the Dr can examen our dog. Not saying anything about that is authorizing for a office visit charge. Our bill turn out to be $68.50 and the shot is only good for one year. Not only did they seak in the office visit, they think we will be bring out dog back next year,instead of 3 years. I do not care for their sneaky bullshit. After telling them out our dog not getting the right shot. It seems there is nothing they can do about it. The funny thing is, I was telling some friends about Benfield and everyone in the room stated talking bad about them and how they will never take there dog (or cat) back there again. Well Benfiel, you lost another customer. I will never use your services again. By the look of all these postings. Benfiel don’t give a crap. You are on your way of going out of business and you should…..
I took a stray cat there that i was going to make my cat. The cat had puss draining out of the wound. The vet didnt even touch the cat the day I took him into there offices. They called and told me that they started to shave the area and noticed that that skin was dead to his rib cage and needed surgery that would cost 700 to 800 dollars. I couldnt pay that so they said they would put the cat to sleep for 150 dollars. Still wasnt going to pay that and took the cat home with me, I noticed that they didnt even start to shave the cat. Took the cat to another vet and they shaved the area and said he was fine just had a little infection.They gave me some antibiotics for him and hes doing fine. I will never take another animal to these people who are just in it for the money. I would have put a cat to sleep that didnt need to be put down. They should be ashamed of themselves acting like they care about the animals that come into there clinics.
It is unfortunate that you were not specifically told that there was an office fee in addition to your rabies vaccination, Martin. Typically, the signed treatment form shows clearly, the total cost of the visit and the breakdown of each cost. The ones that I have seen show that anyway. In all honesty, I would not expect to go into a doctor’s office and walk out only having to pay for the actual medication I was given. I have always had to pay an office fee for seeing my own doctor, so I would automatically presume my pet’s doctor would be the same. If all we were doing was paying for the actual medication, in your case the rabies vaccine, then how would the clinic make any money? Still, that should have been made clear to you first. As far as the one-year rabies shot vs. the three-year shot, I’m not sure why they have that policy. I’m not sure if it is state law or just Banfield practices, but the first vaccination an animal gets is always the one-year rabies vaccination and all subsequent rabies vaccinations can be the three-year shot. It might be that they are trying to boost the immunity quicker by giving it two years in a row at first, but I’m not sure about that. Again, that should have been explained to you as well, before you agreed to it.
I am so upset with Banfield. All they had to do was tell me test results, and they didn’t. They wait till 3 months later to deny me a prescription. I will be doing away with them as soon as my plan is completed. I am very upset with them.
For any pet owners out there, just a note. Don’t ever use a Banfield Pet Hospital at a PetSmart. I received a coupon for a free office visit (which is the only reason I went). I thought I would check it out, why not for a free visit (a $45 value). Well, I had the most horrible experience ever, they are worse than a used car salesmen. To begin, the room was filthy, never cleaned before we were brought in, the counters and exam table was loaded with hair. I have asthma and am severly allergic to cats and long haired dogs and I almost went into a full blown attack. So sever that I had to leave the exam room, use my emergency inhaler and finish the apt in the waiting area. I told the receptionist why I was in the waiting area and she offered no appologies and didn’t send anyone in to clean the room. She just blew it off. Next, when the nurse came in, all she really did was try to sell me a wellness plan to suck more money out of me. They actually asked for a checking account number so it could be taken monthly, lol. Next Before the vet even saw my dog they started requesting that I have tests done, which were EXORBITANTLY priced! I told them that I would have no testing done until I saw the vet and she herself looked at the sore. She came in and insisted she run the tests. NOTE: They will only treat your animal if a test is given so if you plan on having your animal seen and diagnosed like you would if you were seeing “a real vet” then NEVER GO THERE, you will get nowhere. Finally, their tests are double as to what you would pay if you saw your own vet. And in most instances any trained vet would be able to look at the problem and diagnose it without running these expensive tests. I was so upset, when I got home I called my regular vet to see what they would charge for the same tests and medication and they told me I was taken for a ride. Then I called Banfield to tell them about my horrible experience. They had the vet call me and all she did was offer excuses. She was completely justified in the uncleanliness of the facility, claimed they can’t help it if there is dog hair, they do their best. REALLY! The counter and exam table were LOADED WITH HAIR. If it were cleaned before we entered the room it would have NEVER looked like that. She also offered all her excuses as to the the test based diagnosis and the cost of the services as well. Live and learn I guess. We are home now, my pup had a nice bath to get all the dander and hair off her and we are relaxing. Its so nice to be able to pass this along so it doesn’t happen to you. How wonderful it is that I can share this with all of you and save you a potential headache
I understand that this is primarily a sounding board for people who are angry or disappointed with their experiences at their Banfield, but I sure wish the posts were at least slightly fair. I, too, am not happy with several of the Banfield employees near my home, but for other reasons than pet care. That PARTICULAR Banfield had some pretty unprofessional people working in it. But they ALSO had some very professional people working there (which is why I am not specifying the exact location). If the location is bad to pets or customers, I think it would be only fair to post the specific Banfield, otherwise, others won’t know which ones to stay away from and which ones are good practices.
I also do not understand why people keep comparing Banfield’s wellness plans to insurance! It ISN’T insurance!! There are MANY benefits to those plans as anyone who is struggling under the ridiculous economy can attest to. Those plans provide ways for people who do not have hundreds of dollars sitting around to keep their animals in good health. WHY is that such a horror? I am one of the most critical and skeptical people in the world and even I don’t see the plans as a bad thing!
The reason a person must keep paying their plan off, even if their pet passes away or is given away, is because MOST of the diagnostics that are done annually for the animal are done at the beginning of the year or on the first few visits. If you had a loved one who had a test or treatment done at a hospital and the hospital was nice enough to let you pay for it in installments, do you think you don’t have to continue to pay those installments if your loved one passes away???? The test was already done, of course you have to pay for it!
And frankly, it’s just not true that Banfield doctors won’t “treat” your pet without expensive diagnostics/tests. Not true at all. We live in a pretty poor area and almost no one has the money to pay for the proper testing to determine what, exactly, is wrong with their pet. But if a doctor can see that the animal most likely has a bacterial infection, for instance, they WILL prescribe antibiotics without testing for the specific cause. The Banfield near us does it ALL the time. But think, fairly, of the liability it could be for Banfield if they just start slinging out prescriptions and treatments for more difficult-to-diagnose problems without making sure what they are treating for. Of COURSE they have to do tests! Tell me one doctor, who is ethical, that would just treat for a disease without confirming the disease first. If Banfield did that, they’d be shut down, and rightly so.
Banfield pays for all sorts of charity-type programs from helping hospice patients be with their pets until the patient passes away (and then helps to place that pet in a home afterwards), they help feed the pets of people who receive Meal-on-Wheels assistance, they have an in-hospital fund to help pay for emergency treatments for people who have no money to pay for it, and other charity funds like these. What other practice does THAT? None that I’ve ever seen.
In addition to their charities, they also use their profits to make sure the hospitals have the newest and best equipment and they have treatment protocols that are considered the safest treatments/medications that there currently are so that our pets will be as safe as possible while in their care.
YES, individual hospitals can have unethical, unprofessional employees. That is true. And Banfield does need to pay closer attention to the complaints they receive about these employees, but this is NOT Banfield Corporation, it is the individual employee who needs to be called out. It would probably be much more helpful for us to specify the particular hospital we have trouble with AND the employees involved.
I want to thank you all for opening my eyes in not taking my puppy to Banfield Hospital. I just got my puppy and was looking for a good vet to take him to, but luckily, after reading those comments, there is NO WAY I’ll ever do that. Thank you all and I’m so sorry that you had to go through that… Many, many thanks!!!
Sofie was one and a half years old when we began taking her to Banfield Pet Hospital in Bel Air Maryland. We purchased a preventative healthcare plan for Sofie that included two complete blood work panels and one urinalysis per year among other things such as fecal exams and vaccinations. Banfield provides these plans in order to catch any illnesses the dog may come down with in the early stages of development.
Sofie’s first comprehensive appointment was on 4/20/2009 and she was seen by Dr. Jill McLaughlin. At this appointment Sofie was given a blood test as part of the plan. Upon picking Sofie up from her appointment, Sofie was brought out to me by Dr. McLaughlin and I was told that she everything was fine with her. I expected this news because Sofie seemed to be a relatively healthy dog and was only going there for a check up, not because she was sick. Sofie was taken back to the vet for a dental cleaning 7/7/2009 and was seen again by Dr. McLaughlin. At this appointment Sofie had another blood work panel run as well as a urinalysis. When I picked Sofie up from her appointment, I was told again that everything was ok with her. In May, Sofie was taken to the vets to get the Lyme vaccine and no blood work was performed at that time. In October, Sofie was taken to the vets for a routine comprehensive exam and did not have any blood work or urinalysis performed during that visit because all of the tests from the plan had been used between April and July.
Sofie’s next round of blood work and urinalysis occurred on 4/28/10 and she was seen by Dr. McLaughlin. When I picked Sofie up from her appointment I was told as always that she looked great and everything was fine. Sofie had her second round of blood work that year 11/1/10 and she was seen by Dr. Jessica McGallidner. When Sofie was given back to me I was told everything was ok, however, when I got home and looked at the summary report that is typically given to me when I leave the appointments, there was a comment about Sofie’s “kidney enyzems” and that Sofie was slightly dehydrated that day. I assumed this could be possible since she never was a big drinker and since no one ever commented about her blood work before, I figured I didn’t have anything to worry about.
Sofie’s next round of blood work was on 4/30/11 when she was taken in for a dental cleaning. This time Sofie was seen by Dr. Sheri Sprague. I received a phone call from Dr. Sprague stating that Sofie’s BUN’s (blood urea nitrogen, kidney enzyme) was quite high which alarmed her. Thinking that Sofie may be dehydrated and that could be causing the elevated results, Dr. Sprague administered fluids to Sofie and repeated the blood test. Her BUN’s had come down a bit after the fluids but they were still out of range high. Since by this time Sofie was only 3 years old, this caused Dr. Sprague to investigate further. When I went in to pick Sofie up, Dr. Sprague sat me down and stated that after looking through Sofie’s blood work history, she has had elevated BUN’s for 2 years, while her CREA’s (creatinine, another kidney enzyme) had steadily been increasing and though they were in range, they were at the upper end. Dr. Sprague wanted to put Sofie on a low protein diet immediately and have her blood tested again to see if that brought down the values.
Sofie was restricted to this prescription Hill’s K/D low protein diet immediately. In the meantime I requested that I receive copies of all of Sofie’s medical history from Banfield because whenever you pick up a pet from this hospital, they send you home with a summary of things performed that day but they do not give you the specific lab work results. When I got home and analyzed the blood work and urinalysis’ I was horrified at what I saw. Sofie’s BUN’s had been out of range high since 4/20/2009, never falling within the normal range limits and her CREA were steadily increasing with each test. Her urinalysis had also shown abnormalities and should have raised red flags that something may be wrong but again, nothing was ever said to me when I picked her up from these appointments nor was anything written on the summary papers that I went home with. I called Dr. McLaughlin because she was the one who saw Sofie the most whenever she had her blood tests and urinalysis’ performed and asked her why this was ignored. I was very upset because I know what elevated BUN’s and CREA’s mean; it means an issue with the kidneys, and kidney damage can not be reversed. Dr. McLaughlin’s response to me was that I shouldn’t look at a dogs blood work the same way as I would look at a humans blood work and she did not seem at all concerned, meanwhile I had Dr. Sprague telling me that I should be very concerned for Sofie!
After Sofie had been on the special low protein diet, we had her blood retested by Dr. Sprauge on 7/28/2011. Her BUN and CREA were now both out of range high and I followed Dr. Sprague’s advice and took Sofie to see an internal medicine vet. I took Sofie to see Dr. Meredith Miller at the VCA in Newark Delaware. Dr. Miller had gone through all of Sofie’s medical history form Banfield and diagnosed her as having chronic kidney disease. Dr. Miller also ran her own blood work, urinalysis, urine protein/creatinine ratio test and a urine culture. Sofie’s blood work still showed elevated BUN and CREA values, her urinalysis was negative for bacteria, and her urine protein/creatinine ratio value was an 8 (normal is 0.5, cause for concern is 1). Because of the enormous amount of protein going through Sofie’s kidneys, Sofie was prescribed medications and was on them for 10 weeks. Sofie’s blood work after the medication was worse than ever and Dr. Miller suggested that we put her on subcutaneous fluid treatments. Before I could make my appointment with Sofie to learn how to do the fluid treatments at home, Sofie started to act sick on Thursday December 22. I was very alarmed and took her right in to see Dr. Miller. We started the fluid treatment everyday but Sofie did not improve, she only got worse. Sofie was sleeping most of the day beginning Thursday December 22, she stopped eating, and she could not drink. My husband and I tried feeding Sofie and giving her water through an oral syringe to buy us time to allow the fluids to start working and flush out Sofie’s system of the toxins that were building up from her failing kidneys. Sofie vomited everything that we tried to give her. On Monday December 26, Sofie woke up from a nap and started acting very strange. She was flicking her tongue in and out of her mouth violently and rubbing her face in her paws while doing so. When I looked at her tongue, it was turning black and was ulcerated which is why she couldn’t drink the water she so desperately wanted. By this day, Sofie could barely keep her eyes open and when she did wake up, she would slowly walk with a hunched back over to the water bowl and try to drink but because of her tongue she couldn’t drink the water she so desperately wanted. We discovered that a blackening tongue is a sign of uremia which is the build up of waste in the blood caused by the kidneys shutting down very quickly. Sofie had also been losing weight and large amounts of fur due to her not eating. We decided that Sofie did not deserve to suffer another day in pain, misery, and thirst. We had to put our beloved Sofie to sleep that evening. She was only 4 years and one month old.
Below (and attached) is a summary of the neglected blood tests and urinalysis results that were obtained by Dr. McLaughlin over the past 2 years and never mentioned to me when I picked Sofie up from her appointments:
Blood work done on Sofie at the VCA in Newark DE 2/13/2009:
BUN 23mg/dL (normal reference range set at 6-25mg/dL)
CREA 0.8mg/dL (normal reference range set at 0.5-1.6mg/dL)
Blood work history from Banfield:
BUN normal reference range set at 7.0-27.0mg/dL
CREA normal reference range set at 0.5-1.8mg/dL
4/20/09 BUN 43mg/dL, CREA 0.9mg/dL (nothing was said about high BUN)
7/7/09 BUN 56mg/dL, CREA 0.9mg/dL,urinalysis showed protein in the urine with a value of 300 (range 0.0-30.0), urine appearance was abnormal, comments were that the urine was cloudy, urine was positive for white blood cells, urine was positive for epithelial cells with the comments of debris in urine, urine bacteria was positive with the comments of few cocci. (nothing was said about high BUN or abnormal urinalysis results)
4/28/10 BUN 79mg/dL, CREA 1.3mg/dL,urinalysis showed protein in the urine with a value of 100 9range 0.0-30.0), pH was 8 9range 5.0-7.5), urine positive for white blood cells, urine positive for crystals. (nothing was said about high BUN or abnormal urinalysis results, or the increase in CREA from 0.9 to 1.3)
11/1/10 BUN 73mg/dL, CREA 1.3mg/dL (a note was written on summary sheet about Sofie being slightly dehydrated by McGallidner but no cause for concern noted).
4/30/11 BUN 67mg/dL, CREA 1.8mg/dL (finally, Dr. Sprague noticed the trend and history and brought it to my attention).
It wasn’t until 2 years later that we were told that Sofie’s blood work was indicating that she had a possible issue with her kidneys. With Sofie’s BUN’s constantly being out of range high for 2 years, I just can not understand why someone didn’t take notice for 2 years. Whenever a kidney issue is suspected, the first course of action is typically to start the dog on a low protein diet because a diet high in protein can aggravate an already present genetic issue with an animals’ kidneys. I can not help but wonder that I might have had a chance at slowing the progression of Sofie’s kidney disease had someone been paying attention to the fact that her BUN’s were high, and that her CREA, although still within normal limits, were steadily climbing. I might still have Sofie here with me today had I been given the opportunity to change her diet 2 years ago when her blood work was clearly indicating that something was going on with her kidneys even though she herself was not symptomatic until the end stages
Do Not Use Them. You can find better, less expensive and more caring. To cancel there wellness plan is a nightmare. They will still try to charge your credit card anyway.
I have been bringing my dog to the Banfield in Fayetteville for over 6 years and could not be happier with care shes gotten at that clinic shes had surgery on her knee there and is now able to run and walk like she used to and most recently I had her dental done and as is routine and part of the plan they did xrays while she was under and the vet found that her heart & liver were enlarged she went over the xrays with me and recommended I bring her to cardiology at the NC State Vet Hospital and she was concerned that the enlarged heart could be a heart condition. Well long story short she has Cushings disease which left untreated can lead to a host of problems to include death. The Vet at Banfield has been great with follow up visits between visits to NC State just to make sure shes doing fine…at no cost Dr Frost is a wonderful, caring vet as are his associates and the staff there are always great.
I recently got a kitten and took her to Banfield just to get her examined; well they talked us in to getting the wellness plan.all together the first time visit was around 150$ They made appointments without asking and recently we just got our kitty (mulan) spaded well the incision looked awful when we got her back it was very long and curved. They did not keep her over night they gave her back to us 5 hours later. a day after her surgery we noticed she had worms ! but supposely they had de-wormed her two weeks before her surgurey. Well now her incision is ripped open as if it wasn’t stitched correctly and started bleeding and is now infected.(its only been a week after surgurey) They have milked us dry and we took her in today and they came up with this , that she would need to be stapled and put on medicine for 142 dollars ! Well we refused because we do not have the money right now, well when she started bleeding we took her to an emergency vet and they said her wound looks horrible and she is running a fever. I want to get off this wellness plan ! Please keep Mulan in your thoughts and I would NOT reccomend Banfield pet hospital for any animal !!!