As I normally do I want to give you a review of as many pet insurance company websites as I possibly can and today I go through the Banfield Pet Insurance website with you. If you want to visit their website you can do so by clicking here. Before I get started with the review I would like to state that I have no relationship to Banfield and I am not associated with them in any way.
Banfield Pet Hospital
From their website we can see that they have been in business since 1955 which means that they have more than 50 years of experience in the pet industry and without digging any deeper into what they are all about that should at least give them some credibility as nobody stays in business for more than half a century without having a happy customer base. That is an important observation to make as we sometimes see that new business are creating a great buzz and then they disappear in just a year or two. As we generally expect to have our pet for more than a year or two we’ll like the insurance company to stay around for a long time as well. In addition it is almost certain that the Banfield VET staff is also highly educated people.
Main Page Options
From the entry page we’re able to subscribe to their email newsletter. This isn’t something new but what is lacking is an explanation as to what it is that we’re actually subscribing to. It doesn’t say whether it is about keeping your pet healthy or whether it is about the Banfield Pet Insurance business and how their sales numbers are evolving. That could definitely be improved quite a bit. The second thing that I found a bit odd was that you are asked to enter your company name. Does this mean that the newsletters are meant for corporate people that have their own company or at least work for one? If you had asked me I would have assumed that the newsletters were for pet owners but I must be mistaken.
The Banfield Newsletter
I decided to sign up anyway and within a minute or two I received an email to confirm my request. Now that is the way an email newsletter signup should work but even after receiving the mail and having a look at the confirmation page I still don’t know what it is that I can expect to receive.
But let us go back to the main page again. The page’s right side is divided into two categories. One is the three current news articles and the other is the four major sections of their website.
One thing that I can help to notice is that nowhere on the front page is stated anything about Banfield Pet Insurance or even anything about insurance in general for that matter. But from the main four sections we might be able to locate something about it.
The Four Major Sections
The site is divided into sections called “Your Pet’s Health”, “Locations”, “Careers/Practice Ownership” and “About Us”. From the view of a pet owner the sections about careers and about Banfield seem rather irrelevant. Sure it would be nice to know more about them and if that is what we want we can click the about us link but currently we’re trying to locate something about pet insurance options.
I believe that it would be a fair guess to assume that anything about insurance ought to be found in the section called “Your Pet’s Health” as the “Locations” section will merely be a bunch of addresses and phone numbers. It is relevant information but not what we’re currently looking for. In the end it might come in handy because we might have to call them up if we can’t find the information about their pet insurance.
The Pet Health Section
Entering the section about pet health we don’t seem to find that much. It is another page with a newsletter form and then a few paragraphs claiming Banfield veterinarians to provide exceptional pet care. They write about their “Optimal Wellness Plans”, but still nothing about pet insurance. However we would all agree that being well is the preferred options as to being ill and needing insurance coverage.
From the page we are again provided with three options. We can choose between the “Dog Health”, the “Cat Health” and the “Optimal Wellness Plan”. Neither the dog health section nor the cat health section says anything about Banfield pet insurance. The dog section talks a little about the importance of nutrition, vaccinations, parasite control, spraying and neutering and about having routine checkups.
The cat sections talks about exactly the same things and as a matter of fact the two sections look almost identical in nature.
The Optimal Wellness Plans
Since we have only the optimal wellness plan section left I feel comfortable that we’ll find something in here about pet insurance. However I find to be quickly disappointed. The only thing on the page is information about the importance of keeping your pet healthy and how you can increase your pet’s life with 25% by great preventive care.
Don’t get me wrong here. All of this is VERY important and nobody wants to have anything but a healthy and happy pet but we’re still here to try to find information about insurance and not prevention.
Conclusion: No Banfield Pet Insurance
So here we are after surfing their website we still come up empty handed. We have found pages about pet health and why it is important but even though I have surfed through all the other pages of their site I couldn’t find even one place where the Banfield pet insurance was mentioned.
Therefore I must come to the conclusion that what might be referred to as the “Banfield Pet Insurance” isn’t really an insurance but rather a “Wellness Plan”. Banfield is committed to giving you the best possible tools and options for keeping your pet as healthy as possible and in the case of illness and injury… well, you have to find your insurance coverage elsewhere.
37 responses so far ↓
1 Must Love Dogs // Apr 24, 2008 at 11:11 am
Hey Mike,
In all my research about pet insurance companies, including going through 10lb reports on pet insurance, I have never seen Banfield listed as a traditional pet insurance company. I think you nailed it, that they have the wellness option that some people might confuse with insurance. Here is an article that explains things a little better http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/la-fi-lazarus16jan16,1,354216.column
2 Mikael // Apr 24, 2008 at 11:40 am
Hi Melissa,
The reason I decided to do this review is that I saw how many people were actually looking for a Banfield Pet Insurance and even though I couldn’t find it I felt that I had to investigate it further before commenting on it.
Even though I am a strong advocate for pet insurance coverage I do fully support the idea of trying to keep your pet as healthy as humanly possible as the best pet insurance there is, is the one that isn’t needed
Therefore I feel that it is a great idea that the Banfield people are focusing on “supporting health” rather than “treating illness”.
Thank you for the link to the article.
3 Kia // Apr 30, 2008 at 11:11 am
Hi,
I have a 5 year old dog with swollen lymph nodes that is more than likely cancer. I have researched for a week now looking for a company that will cover her, since her issues are pre-existing. Is there a company(s) that you can recommend who can help or any method I could use to get her covered?
I am very, very desperate at this point.
Thank You
4 Mikael // Apr 30, 2008 at 11:22 am
Hi Kia,
I’m so sorry to hear that and I know why just must feel desperate. Unfortunately I’m not able to guide you in any direction that will solve your problem. Pre-existing conditions are always a problem when it comes to pet insurance and since cancer treatment is very expensive I think you’ll find a hard time finding a company that will cover it.
The best thing you can do is to look for a reason for the insurance company to help you out. Don’t think that they’ll do it because they are good hearted people. They run a company and not a charity business. But it you can show they why they should cover your dog (why = make money from it), then I think you’ll have the best chance of getting it.
However since this solution will most likely be even more costly to you I suggest that you talk to a bank instead and see if they’ll lend you the money to cover the treatment.
I’m sorry that I don’t have any other advice but I really don’t….
5 Sarah // Dec 21, 2008 at 4:11 pm
http://www.banfield.net/optimum-wellness-plans/
This is actually the link that shows you all about the Banfield “pet insurance.” It seems as if Banfield refers to insurance as an optimum wellness plan, because even in reference to our human insurance, its still a plan designed to keep us well. Just like “insurance” this plan is designed to help us live longer, give us recommended comprehensive care at an affordable price, savings on prescription medicines, and the ability to use our insurance at many different providers.
And if the brief explanation of benefits wasn’t good enough, there is an 800 number to call for further information.
So, overall, this introduction to benefits is the same as any other insurance website you may visit.
And yes, I do have this insurance for my dog, and I feel very comfortable knowing that I have a place to go that has such kind trained professionals at my diposal for free, that are there to truly help my loved pet.
6 Mikael // Dec 22, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Hi Sarah, I like that you put the term “pet insurance” in quotes because that shows me that we agree even though some of your comments seems like we don’t.
There is no doubt that what Banfield offers is great but it has nothing to do with insurance. Yes you might argue that with the Banfield plan you pet might not need medical care because it’ll stay healthy forever but we both know that there is no guarantee of that.
You’ll find a great many accident that good nutrition and wellness can help you with. If your cat or dog gets hit by a car, they bite or scratch someone etc. then the Banfield solution will do you know good because it is not an insurance. It’s a wellness plan.
The optimal solution would be to get both the wellness plan and an insurance coverage. But that might be over the top for most pet owners.
7 Debbie Duran // Dec 25, 2008 at 9:22 am
Hi Mikael,
Thanks for that review, I just purchased insurance for my dogs yesterday from VPI Insurance. We took my dogs to Banfield hospital back in November to get their vaccines. This was the first time to go there, i heard it they don’t charge for a doctors visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2-4, so i thought well its just vaccines lets do it. My husband took them and when he got back he told me that those people didn’t know what they were doing. When they injected one of my dogs, they pinched the back of the neck to give the shot and she stuck the needle in and it came out the other side and was squirting the medicine out the other end. My husband thought to himself this woman doesn’t know what she is doing. Unfortunately, when she gave our other dog her vaccines she must of hit the spinal cord or something. When we got her home she didn’t want to do anything, but we just thought well she’s probably sore and wants to rest. The next morning she was lying halfway in her kennel and halfway out and couldn’t move anymore. By 10am that morning my husband took her back to Banfield where they said it was a neurological problem. By this time her head was contoured all the way to her back and she was bearing her teeth and also she was seizing by this time. We took her to our regular vet and they said it was neurological and they needed to do a CT scan before they could give us medicine. It was going to cost us about 2500.00 for the hospital stay and the CT scan. Well we spent 1000.00 that day. We didn’t take her to the hospital and we lost her that night. It was very hard to see her suffer. I think Banfield is not a place I will ever take my dogs again. Thanks, Debbie
8 Mikael // Dec 25, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Hi Debbie, I’m so sorry to hear that. Unfortunately I’ve also heard some rather sad stories about VPI as well (see this the comments here: http://www.petinsurancepro.com/vpi-pet-insurance/) but I hope that you’ll have more luck with them.
9 Marie // Jan 2, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Hi, It seems like there are alot of complaints about Banfield on the web, but as you said there must be enough happy pet owners to keep it going 50 years. I take my 5 puppies to the Banfield in Braintree, Ma. and LOVE it!! They have 2 vets that are excellent and caring and all the other staff is GREAT too! They explained in the beginning that it wasn’t an insurance but a Wellness Plan. It saved me a fortune, I had all 5 neutered and it covered all vaccinations ( no charge). I am very happy and recommend it to everyone. Of course, it is obvious that all Banfields aren’t lucky enough to have such wonderful staff. thanks, Marie
10 Mikael // Jan 3, 2009 at 8:39 am
Hi Marie,
It is great to hear that it is not only bad news that people have but that there are also people having great experiences with Banfield. Thanks for sharing.
11 Mary // Jan 5, 2009 at 3:39 pm
I haven’t signed up for Banfield insurance (yes, insurance; so what if it’s named Wellness Plan) yet but have been recommended by people that said it’s amazing…I just got online five minutes ago and had no trouble at all finding what I was looking for. Might it be suggested that you’re a little too critical? There were options for a Puppy plan, a Kitten plan, and an Adult Pet plan. Puppies have a $99.95 starting fee and you pay $18.00 per month for a year; this includes all vaccinations and necessary appointments, though I’m excluding neutering for my puppy. No problem. I’ll let you know if I have troubles once I’ve visited the vet.
12 Mikael // Jan 5, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Hi Mary, it’s always a matter of opinion but I didn’t feel like I were too critical though. But please let us know if you have any good or bad experiences with Banfield.
13 Diane // Jan 7, 2009 at 8:38 pm
I have used Banfield’s WELLNESS PLAN for 13 years. First it was one dog, then I added a cat, then another dog. Then the first dog left for Rainbow Bridge. A little while later I got another dog and put her on the plan. It was NEVER represented as anything more than a WELLNESS PLAN. There are several levels to choose from, from puppy (to include spaying/neutering), to senior dogs. You can get coverage for annual dental cleanings, full blood work up once a year, or twice a year. I have been able to change my plan as my pets age and their needs increase. I HAVE BEEN VERY HAPPY WITH THIS COVERAGE. Every vet I have ever had there has been WONDERFUL. It’s disappointing when a vet leaves because they are being transferred “back home,” or something like that, but that can happen anywhere. I love this WELLNESS PLAN because it has helped me manage my veterinary expenses AND get the care for my pets how and when I have needed it. I have saved THOUSANDS of dollars as a result of having these plans!!!
14 Mikael // Jan 8, 2009 at 12:06 am
Welcome Diane. Thank you for leaving your comments about Banfield. It is great to hear what your experiences have been. Thanks for sharing.
15 Kathy // Jan 20, 2009 at 6:32 pm
We lost our Springer Spaniel Pepper of 16 years last year and we had her on the Banfield Wellness plan. He had a tumor 2 years before he passed away and the operation was far less due to being on the plan. We just adopted a 10mo. Havanese and I am signing her up with Banfield. I think the Wellness Plan is great because you are notified when their shots are due and it includes a check up every 6 months. I believe Pepper lasted as long as he did due to keeping him up on his wellness checkups.
16 Gary // Jan 29, 2009 at 5:31 am
I feel this company is engaged in a deceptive and predatory business practice. We took two cats in, simply to get interstate health certificates. Afterward, they socked us with a bill for $800. Eight hundred dollars!! or we could sign up for their “plan”.
Thinking this was something very routine, that would cost a negligable sum of money, we didn’t think to ask for the price first. We were busy packing to move out of state, we didn’t have the time to shop around for the best rate, we simply wanted to take them to the nearest vet, have this technicality over and done with as quickly as possible, and get on with more important things.
We will be getting out of this “plan” as soon as our obligation for the office visit is fulfilled, we will never go back to a Petsmart/Banfield location, and always ask for the price up front for any future vet services.
17 Mikael // Jan 29, 2009 at 6:12 am
Hi Gary. Thank you for stopping by. As you can see from the comments there are a lot of different opinions on Banfield but I’m glad that you took the time to share your story with the rest of us.
18 harriet scarangella // Feb 1, 2009 at 9:10 am
Hi, we have a 3 year old cat in a Banfield Hospital at the present time. We took her there 9 days ago presenting with an eye infection. Banfield told us she had ear infection, & tarter on the teeth and need booster shots. Being she needed general anesthesia for the teeth, we should leave her overnite at a cost of almost $1,500.00, BUT if we joined their “Wellness Plan” that would be greatly reduced. We joined the plan, left the cat there, picked her up the next day and brought her home. She wouldn’t eat at all and seemed DEAF and very lethargic. That Tuesday we brought her to another Vet (more money) and he gave us an appetite stimulant and antibiotics. By The following Friday we were forced feeding her (which is horrible and very hard to do) and took her back to Banfield. I said please help her and they were going to keep her, do some testing, give us IV fluid. I assumed we would not have to pay for this since this is the way we took home home from them (please note she was absolutely healthy, lively and happy when we originally brought her in). In the car, after we left her there, we got a cell phone call from the nurse saying it would be over $400.00 for this stay. I couldn’t believe it, argued with the nurse, but to no avail. I could have picked up the kitty, but WHAT COULD I DO WITH HER. She was in danger of dying from dehydration and starvation, so I said go ahead and help her. I still do not know if they will get to the bottom of this, but this is where I am now and seem to have no recourse. i have a feeling we are taking her home today, still anorexic with no answer (I believe something happened with the anesthesia – the Vet there, naturally, says no). Don’t know where to go from here.
19 anna b. // Feb 4, 2009 at 10:00 am
I had an 11year old cairn terrier with an enlarged heart which was told to me about 7 years ago well I have been a member of Banfield for over a year never once did the vet tell me she had an enlarged heart or fluid buildup. Well we last saw him on Dec 27 2008 nothing was said about hearing fluid buildup or anything just she sounded good. Well on Jan 7th 2009 she was rushed to emergency vet with fluid buildup and Congestive heart failure never once did the vet from Banfield tell me he even knew she had anything wrong with her heart. Tell me from Dec 27 2008 til Jan 7th 2009 he never knew she had heart problems I think they have a bunch of inexperienced vets that are doing training there and do not know that much cause she passed away in Jan 7th.And he asked me what hapened if hes the vet shouldnt he have know that she had issues didnt he hear anything when he listened to her heart.
20 Diane // Feb 4, 2009 at 12:54 pm
I don’t get it…was there a reason YOU didn’t tell Banfield about your dog’s medical history? You ARE responsible for disclosing pertinent information to a new vet. Furthermore, a fluid build-up is not something that is forever present with an enlarged heart…it can come on suddenly and quickly. I had a 13.5 year old Golden Retriever/Basenji mix who was diagnosed with severe heart disease at the end of last January. NO sign whatsoever until he SUDDENLY wasn’t himself and collapsed when I was taking him to the vet. My vet at Banfield told me to take him to the emergency hospital overnight so he could be watched and treated. Both the emergency vet and I disclosed all of the information to the vet at Banfield who, by the way, the dogs and I LOVE. He didn’t have congestive heart failure right away. When it DID occur he was put on medication (a diuretic) by the veterinary cardiologist I started to take him to routinely. I took his heart condition seriously and did what I had to do to help him. Furthermore, his condition was monitored by his regular vet at Banfield. He had a cardiologist appointment in early July and the x-rays showed NO SIGN OF CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE — NO fluid build-up. TEN DAYS LATER he SUDDENLY showed signs that the congestive heart failure was NOT being controlled by the medication any longer and there WAS a fluid build-up again and that it was getting worse. Understand that one night he was fine — we went to the dog park, the dogs both had a great time, and we came home and he ate his dinner — and the next morning he was visibly not well, he wouldn’t eat and was lethargic and wouldn’t take his medication and didn’t have the strength or energy to move very much. I repeat, THIS HAPPENED OVERNIGHT!! I took him to the emergency vet and they did what they could, but his heart was just done. The following morning I made the decision that neither he nor I could go through and I let him go.
AGAIN, I LOVE MY VET AT BANFIELD, but I know that I am responsible to communicate with her. THAT is why you have to fill out the paperwork every time you take them in for check-ups. When the vet at Banfield didn’t say anything about the heart (I’m not sure they can tell it’s enlarged by listening to it!) why in the world did you not tell them!!?? THAT is YOUR fault. You didn’t mention if you dog was on any medication for the enlarged heart. If she was, again shame on you for not telling Banfield’s vet. If she wasn’t on medication, the enlarged heart obviously wasn’t much of a problem. You are clearly looking for someone to blame, but it’s probable that the last time the Banfield vet saw her, there was NO CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE present.
I am truly sorry for your loss. The day I had Jesse put to sleep was the WORST day of my life. I know what it feels like. It’s HORRIBLE. But sometimes there just ISN’T ANYONE TO BLAME.
21 debbie // Feb 17, 2009 at 10:41 pm
Ann b they cannot tell ur pet has heart failure by listening to ir u need radiographs or echocardiogram or electrocardiogram to diagnose it oo n a heat murmur they can hear sometimes if it is not bad they can’t hear it. Or sometimes they can only hear the murmur from one side of the heart. It just really upsets me that people make rude comments about thiss company but u don’t c other complaints cuz they r not open as long as banfield has to get websites like this.
22 Erika J // Mar 19, 2009 at 8:15 am
As a first time pet owner, I was unaware that my pet dog needed shots every year. I found out when I was making a reservation at our boarders. So I was looking to get him checked out, and get his shots. I called banfield because we take him to pets mart for grooming anyways. The lady on the phone gave me prices for the shots, then proceeded to pitch the information about their Optimum Wellness Program. So I took him in thinking that the Program was a good idea. I got there early, but the wait time even after my appointment was a little lengthy, and the vet nurse was a little pushy, and sarcastically compassionate. My dog didn’t want his temperature taken, and she persisted in taking it in the room, then removed him from the room to take it and the heartworm test. They stated the heartworm test was required to get on the Wellness plan, and if it was negative he could get on it. They brought my dog back to me dehydrated, anxious, and excited. They offered him water, which invoked vomiting because he was so excited and slurped the water extra fast. And at this point we waited 30minutes (for heartworm test results), then more time to see the doctor. When the doctor came in he said my dog was generally healthy, but needed the shots I had requested, and his ears clean. He also stated (after i had been charged for all these tests) That he could not put my dog on the optimum wellness plan because he was thrashing and aggressive while they were trying to take his temperature (in his butt mind you). Then he began to upsell ear cleaning products, and flea and heartworm protection products, but at this point I was just ready to go because I felt very cheated and deceived. They also told me my dog needed boosters of the distemper vaccine he had just got from them within 3 weeks. This would cost me another $60-70. After verifying with two other vets, I found that he doesn’t even need it. I feel like they lured me in, and pulled a bait and switch, and then upcharged me. My bill eneded being twice what it would have been if had’ve taken him to the Welfare league as I started to.
23 Robyn // Apr 7, 2009 at 2:36 pm
I was just reading how people are looking to Banfield for pet insurance and how it is refered to as pet insurance. I actually work for Banfield and we highly stress that our wellness plans are not pet insurance as well as we do not offer it, but that they are preventative care packages. Thanks!
24 Robyn // Apr 7, 2009 at 2:39 pm
ERIKA J
I dont know WHAT they were doing but HWT only take about 5 min to run. Temperatures are needed to make sure the dog does not have a fever as a vaccine would only lower his immune system and make him sicker. HWT are not neccesary to sign up on the wellness plan, the Pet just needs to be appparently healthy. I would recommend a different banfield. The parvo shot does need to be boostered in three weeks, then it is good for three years.
25 Diane // Apr 7, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Again, I have had 3 dogs and 1 cat on Banfield’s Wellness Plans. I have been going to Banfield for 14 years. NEVER was the Wellness Plan presented as INSURANCE. If you can read, you can see that. WHAT DOES OPTIMUM WELLNESS PLAN mean to you? I think it’s pretty clear, especially when you read in the booklet what is covered!!! If you choose not to read or ask all the questions you have it’s no one’s fault but your own. Why do some people seem to be incapable of assuming the responsibility for their own actions or negligence?
26 chb // Apr 7, 2009 at 7:07 pm
We have had our ups and downs with Banfield but I feel they have the health of our dog first and foremost in their minds. We have still had to be proactive in questioning them about why they recommend certain things and what other options we have. Our dog has a congenital heart condition that they discovered thru a heart murmur, but we were unhappy with their initial ultrasound and prognosis so we took her to a cardiologist for a specialist’s opinion. Doggie also had bladder stones and was operated on at Banfield and everything went well and the whole ordeal was made much less expensive b/c of the wellness plan. But now they are pressuring us to put her to sleep for a teeth cleaning (she is only 3), which we don’t want to do b/c of her heart. We are just brushing her teeth now. So like I said, ups and downs. Now I want to figure out if there is an insurance plan out there that will work out better than the wellness plan (besides the pre-existing conditions, of course, but I worry that every potential health problem she has in the future will somehow be magically connected to the heart problem). Thank you for this great website!!
27 Kathy // Apr 8, 2009 at 2:56 am
Our Springer Spaniel Pepper of 16 years was on the Banfield Wellness Plan. He died last year. The plan has a discounted rate for surgeries, etc. He had a growth 2 years before he died and the cost for removing it was discounted which is part of the plan, including free unlimited office visits if necessary. Having him checked under the Wellness plan every 6 months gave me peace of mind.
I recently adopted 2 Havanese and I put them on the Wellness plan. Right afterwards 1 of them got stung by a bee and I rushed her in. There was no charge for the visit, they inspected her thoroughly and gave her an anti inflammatory injection which costs $17. That was all I had to pay for. I highly recommend Banfield’s Wellness Plan to all my friends. Sooo their site is not so great but you could go in or have them send you a brochure outlining all the benefits.
28 Diane // Apr 8, 2009 at 12:43 pm
CHB…My Jesse died last summer (he was 13.5). For the last 6 months of his life he had severe heart disease. There were NO signs of a problem until WHAM! There was no way for Banfield to have pronosticated that he was going to have this problem. It happened at night, so I took him to an Emergency Clinic near here (the one my Banfield recommends when it’s needed). When the Emergency Vet told me that he had severe heart disease I was devastated and felt horribly guilty that my unwillingness to have his teeth cleaned (because of his age) may have contributed to the disease. This is the important part: The Emergency Vet told me that THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN. HE SAID THAT HE HAS NEVER HAD ONE OF HIS DOGS’ TEETH CLEANED AND DIDN’T THINK HE EVER WOULD BECAUSE HE HAS SEEN WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO DOGS THAT HAVE HAD THEIR TEETH CLEANED AND HAD AN UNDIAGNOSED HEART PROBLEM!!! He said that the big problems don’t arise when the teeth need to be cleaned and aren’t; instead they arise when the teeth ARE cleaned and the bacteria is released…and there is an undiagnosed heart problem. I do not know if they would do what they sometimes do in humans….give antibiotics first…but I’m not big on antibiotics because they mess up the flora and fauna of the body! At Jesse’s age, I just didn’t want him to be anesthesized. It was recommended that I give teeth cleaning chewies and NUCKLE BONES to keep the teeth as clean as possible.
As an aside, when Jesse finally let me know that he was done and didn’t want to fight anymore, and the Emergency Vet put him to sleep, my BANFIELD VET, as soon as she received the fax from the emergency clinic that Jesse had died, CALLED ME IN TEARS, and we cried together for awhile. I really do LOVE Banfield. (Of course there have been problems along the way, but as soon as I voiced a concern it was dealt with. If there was a vet I didn’t like — only happened once — I just refused to schedule my appointments when that vet was there. They know who to schedule me with and do.)
29 Chris // Apr 27, 2009 at 9:03 am
To Debbie Duran above, my grandmother just had a similiar incident. She took her cat in to have it’s teeth cleaned and now he can barely use his back legs. The Dr.’s are pretty much ignoring her, this was a healthy 3 yr. old cat when he went in. Terrible!
30 Diane // Apr 27, 2009 at 1:01 pm
I’ve always been told that cats and anesthesia often don’t mix well. I go out of my way to avoid having my cat anesthetized. Having teeth cleaned is a choice, with cats, with older dogs, etc. You have to weigh the risks FOR YOU. It’s important to keep their teeth cleaned, but not at the risk of their overall well being. I use tartar control treats for my cat and big old knuckle bones for my dogs. Remember, when a human is anesthetized there are risks as well, and sometimes it can result in serious problems. It’s not always the doctor’s fault. Risks are explained to you. Whenever the vets at Banfield want to do a procedure that would require anesthesia, I discuss the pros and cons with them and make my own decision. I don’t understand why people cannot own their part in some of these things that have been reported.
31 Chris // Apr 27, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Thats all fine and well but the vet will not even see her. She is 91 yrs. old, very upset in the waiting room and he stays in back and makes another Vet see her. I think he knows he did something wrong! And losing the use of their back legs is not a common anesthesia complication. We all know the risks of anesthesia but have some emphathy when things go wrong.
32 anna b. // Apr 27, 2009 at 3:50 pm
I just adopted a dog on Jan 28th 2009 and was told by the Banfield people after bring him in for a checkiup that the lyme disease test came back Positive. I said to the Vet does that mean he has Lyme disease he told me we will see if he starts to limp. Well I wanted to know if I just adopted a sick dog because I just lost another dog a few weeks ago from an enlarged heart. So I told him to take a C 6 test to check on the Lyme disease that the snap test said he had said positive. Well the Banfield company said they will not authorize such a test as the C 6 only a snap test. So I had to go to another Vet to take it and costs me $200 to do so and it came back NEGATIVE can you tell me why they could not do it for me because they are trying to be cheap and not put my mind at ease that I would lose another dog.
33 Lauren // May 2, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Whatever you do stay away from Banfield Pet Hospital. They are a scam and only want to take your money. There is not one person who works for the company with customer service skills, ESPECIALLY Jenny in the accounts department!
34 Ilana P // May 4, 2009 at 11:07 am
I am a Banfield customer, and have been since fall of ‘07. Honestly, I’ve had my ups and downs with them but since this is my first pet, I have no basis for comparison. According to the summary of services provided that I receive at the end of my visits, I do save a considerable amount of money through their Wellness plan (I’m on the lowest option), but I have not verified the accuracy of those price quotes elsewhere. I am uncomfortable with having to leave my cat there for several hours if not all day, depending on how busy they are, in a cage surrounded by numerous other animals; and if my cat dies I either have to continue with my monthly Wellness Plan payments until the year is up or pay them full price for all the services I’ve utilized that year. This last fall I took my cat, Charles, in for his yearly booster shots as usual. Within a week of the appointment, I was petting him and discovered a lump on his leg. I took him into Banfield immediately and was at THAT point informed of the potential risk of infection and/or a very aggressive type of tumor growth in response to one of his shots (I believe it was rabies, but don’t quote me on that). I feel that this is very important information that should have been emphasized or at least offered upfront before the shots were administered–Charles is an indoor cat and I most likely would not have taken that risk since he isn’t exposed to other cats. Charles was seen by multiple doctors that day to get second opinions on the lump. They started him on antibiotics immediately in the event that it was an infection, and a sample was taken to assess the lumps malignancy. I was called as soon as the *negative* results were received. Despite their busy office, I have always been able to get in touch with a receptionist and/or a doctor if needed. Granted, I have no idea how I would have been treated if his results came back positive and they had given him cancer, but as of now I am prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt. I am online looking up reviews of Banfield today in particular because I’ve been called to schedule Charles’ comprehensive exam and am feeling quite reluctant after that last scary experience. However, I must emphasize that my reluctance is largely based on questioning the necessity of further vaccinations, not the doctors and nurses at Banfield. I have always found them to be knowledgeable and genuine, though they do seem generally overwhelmed by their patient load. Ok. I have in this moment decided to take him in, wish me luck! Thank you.
35 Kat // May 14, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Hi I used to work for banfield and the Wellness Plans are just that “well packages” They do not claim it to be insurance because it does not cover sick pet’s it’s more of a preventive care package. The plans a have 4 different levels for adult pets and two for kitten or puppy under 6 months which includes a spay or neuter in the package. There is a one time member ship fee $99 forunder 6 months and $70 for adults the plans start at $12.95 a month up to $32.95 it is a year contract, meaning you will have to commit to the plan for a whole year. The packages offer all Vaccines, Heart Worm testing, fecal exams, Routine deworming, and all office visits are covered. The higher plans cover things like dental cleanings, urinalysis and x-rays. It really is a good deal for preventitive care you should swing by or call a banfield near you for more details.
36 Jane // May 23, 2009 at 12:04 am
I have had several animals enrolled in wellness plans, until my cat was injured by the vet there . I was required to pay something in the neighborhood of $900.00 to treat the resulting illness; since the cat was left crippled, and had not improved after 6 months, I requested a refund. The corporate office had me jump through a series of hoops, only to find that they never had any intention of doing the right thing. It turns out that the “office manager” is actually a part owner of the hospital, and did not wish to part with her ill-gotten profits. I really like the idea of a wellness plan; however, I guess it’s only as good as the care the animal receives. In my case, it was a hard lesson. needless to say, I won’t be returning to Banfield.
37 Peter B. // May 30, 2009 at 6:59 pm
I know a woman who bought two Chihuahua puppies, a male and a female from the same litter, from a breeder at a Bird & Pet Show. She took them to a Banfield location in a PetsMart store and purchased Banfield coverage for each puppy. They examined them and gave them each a clean bill of health. Less than a week later the male became ill. Banfield’s vets misdiagnosed the problem. As his condition worsened my friend took him to a a well known vet that was highly recommended, but the pup was too far gone. The vet performed a necropsy and determined it was a congenital defect that is uncommon, but if caught in time can be corrected surgically. Unfortunately, Banfield’s vets are not experienced enough to recognize those types of conditions. My friend requested a refund due to their negligence, but Banfield not only refused, they wanted her to continue to make the monthly payments on both contracts, even though one of the puppies had died and didn’t need either “health insurance” or a “wellness plan”.
I have my dog, a 10 week old pure bred Boston Terrier that I just bought four weeks ago, getting his shots at “SNAP”, a national chain of non-profit veterinary clinics that only provide wellness care. They don’t treat sick or injured animals, referring their owners to private vets. Because they are non-profit, their fees are very low. They also operate a low cost non-profit spay & nueter facility, about $65.00 on average, compared to a private vet at $250.00-$300.00. If you live in a city or county that has a Humane Society facility, they usually also provide low cost veterinary and spay and nuetering services . Almost all non-profit or public animal shelters that provide low cost spay and nuetering services will do ferell cats for free. Some SPCA facilities also do low cost spay and nuetering.
My pup was AKC registered and I just received the papers transferring his registration into my name. I am getting health insurance through the AKC for him, (his name is “Chester”). I am fairly certain they get it trough VPI, which I do recommend to anyone that can afford it. The monthly premiums are going to look mighty low if your pet suffers a serious illness or injury and you have to pay out of pocket for the pets treatment, or worse, can’t afford the treatment and lose your pet.
I don’t know anything more about Banfield. From the e-mails you’ve published obviously some people have had positive experiences with them and some have had less good fortune. I have observed that they have a lot of young, and probably “trained on the job” veternary assistants, which leaves me less than impressed with the overall level of competence and experience of their personnel.
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