Banfield Pet Hospital

I have been going to Banfield Orem for 7 months now and have been enrolled in your puppy protection plan program that included all shots/Neuter. I have always heard negative remarks about Banfield being focused solely on profit, but had yet to experience myself, other than the obvious up-selling of products which doesn't really bother me. I continued going to Banfield for all extras including heart worm injections, flea and tick medication, and other add on shot expenses. I have been satisfied for the most part with the services provided. However, last week, I experienced the most horrific unacceptable customer service I have ever dealt with.

On Thursday, Jan. 26, I brought my puppy in for his last Bordetella vaccine and a de-wormer. He was given the injections and we left. On Friday, he was acting lethargic and a little off. By Sunday, he wasn't better and they said that if he didn't show significant improvement by Monday, I would bring him in, as he was obviously having a weird reaction to the vaccine. Monday morning he looked okay, so I left for school. At 3:00 pm my sister phoned me and said my puppy wasn't looking good and I asked her to meet me at Banfield with him because I was told if I ever needed to see a vet or if my puppy had a bad reaction, to bring him in and we would be helped right away.

I called Banfield to inform them of my dog's condition and of the fact we were coming in and the girl who answered the phone was incredibly rude and inept. She told me they were too busy to take him and when I said this wasn't a normal office visit that something was very wrong, she sighed heavily as if I was annoying and placed me on a very long hold. She came back and said they were double-booked, but that if I wanted to, I could come drop my dog off and in a couple hours. If they had time, they would look at him in between other patients. That was absolutely unacceptable to me. My dog is very ill and the only purpose of purchasing the protection plan was because I was told that if I ever needed a vet or in an emergency, I could bring him in and be seen.

If it was coming in to have his teeth brushed or something, fine, I understand being told that they were "too busy'. However, I specifically explained the circumstances and how serious the situation was. After the first girl on the phone was obviously not interested whatsoever in my pet's health, I asked to speak to a manager. I was told, "I will try and see if she is available. But she is probably busy, so hold." I waited and a manager came on the phone. She was far more pleasant. However, she also stated that they were double-booked and only have one vet on staff and that they could hold my dog until a free moment was available to check him. However, she was unsure when that would be.

Now I don't know about you, but my dog is basically my child and if your child was very sick and being told by the doctor's office, whom you have paid over $1000.00 to, is "too busy" to see you, it is not only unacceptable, but it negates the entire purpose of purchasing the plan. As a veterinary office, I expect sick animals to be seen first simply because there is a possibility of death or further complications. I was not going to wait 2-3 hours to have my very sick dog "possibly" seen in between patients where the attention is obviously not going to be on my pet.

I called Timpanogos Animal Hospital in Pleasant Grove and I explained the symptoms and they told me to bring him right away and would clear room in the schedule for him, as any vet office would that actually cared about the health and wellness of my animal. He was seen and after bloodwork and other exams, it was decided he was having a full-blown reaction to the vaccine, had a very high fever and had full body inflammation. He was given a high dose of steroids and pain killers, and was sent home. He is recovering well and I have a follow-up appointment with them on Monday, Feb. 6.

I wanted to email with this situation so you'll be aware of your employee's horrific and negligent behavior, and to inform you that only will I never be returning to any Banfield location, but I am also a group member of multiple local dog groups and daycare organizations, and will make sure every single member is aware of the treatment my pet and I received to ensure no one is taken advantage of and mistreated again.

I brought my dog in for check up on her ears on 12.6.2012. They gave us medicine. To this day her ears are still a problem. I called the hospital and they told me I have to pay for everything all over again, even the office visit. That isn't right. We already paid for the visit. I am willing to pay for more tests and medicine but not the visit. They don't care about animals, only money. By the way, I have insurance on my pet. I will be getting all the money back, but it isn't a money issue now. Shame on you Banfield Hospital!

My son and his wife are very young and very poor. They really couldn't afford the rescue dog they took in, but were trying to do a good thing. When they took the dog for a check-up, someone at Banfield suckered them into a year-long commitment to automatic withdrawals from their checking account. Two months later, they had to move to a new apartment that did not take pets so they found the dog a new home and "canceled" the policy with Banfield. Banfield made the withdrawal anyway causing multiple overdraft fees.

After further review, I was able to establish that the contract binds them to continued payments for 9 months after they no longer own the dog! For my child, it's been a bitter lesson about reading the fine print on contracts. I have two dogs and I will never go to Banfield again! I will never recommend them to anyone I know with a dog! And I do not ever plan to go to the store associated with them because of this treatment!

I cancelled my pet insurance some time ago as I have recently become disabled and my fixed income does not allow for it anymore. I revived a phone call from a collection agency that represents Banfield and they informed me I owe $300.00. I told them I cancelled this policy that I have had for five years at least a year ago. They said I cannot cancel the policy and it is not allowed. I have to pay for the whole year and if I don't pay, they are reporting this to a credit reporting agency.

I have been a Banfield customer for almost five years. I have two Bischon's, and was very happy with the vet services provided to me in my local St. Charles, MO location. I happened to move two weeks ago to Wisconsin, and found that there was not a clinic located in my area. I just called wellness relations, to cancel my plans on both dogs, and was dumfounded by the nasty reception that I received by one off their representatives. She stated that she could cancel one plan, as it had not renewed, however the second, more expensive plan, had 6 months left on it.

I would continue to be billed for services, that I do not have access to! When I asked for the address, so that I could have an attorney contact, she tried to give me a PO box address. I asked for the street address, requested that she spell it for me, and she stated "you need me to spell street for you too?" Unless I turn this over to my attorney, I will be required to pay in excess of $200 for services that I cannot obtain access to. Additionally, she told me to call back in 6 months to cancel it again!

I brought my new rescue pug into Banfield in July 2011 and signed up for the wellness plan. The payments were supposed to come out of my credit card account automatically each month. 5 months later in Jan 2012, I got a collection notice informing me that my second payment had not been honored (I have a $16,000 credit limit on my credit card and my Visa company said no request for payment by Banfield was ever made, let alone dishonored). I never received a notice of any kind from Banfield that there was a problem. The collection agency said that because my payment wasn't "honored" or requested for that matter, my plan was automatically cancelled and that I owed them the full amount of the plan's cost for a year plus collection fees. I was shocked!

I asked them what had happened and they could not tell me. They told me I had no recourse and that calling Banfield would be of no use. They then demanded I pay the full $500 or it would be reported to my credit company. The woman had me in tears. Luckily, I didn't fold to her pressure tactics and I spoke to Banfield and they told me there had been a glitch in their computing system and that many customers never got their payments automatically applied. Despite the fact that it was Banfield's error and that they contacted no one to tell them this glitch had happened. They automatically sent everyone's account to this ruthless collection agency without ever informing them that they had been cancelled or owed them anything!

The collection agency then added an $80 collection fee on top of the full amount owed for a year of a plan for which I only got 1 month's worth of service! Finally, the best Banfield could do for me was to bring my payment down to $280 instead of $500, saying I would have owed that for all the services I received on my first visit if I hadn't had it discounted by the wellness plan. They did not take into account that I would never have chosen to have all that unnecessary bloodwork and dental services etc. done if it had not been included in the plan! So their computer glitch cost me $280 and they actually want me to join again! OMG! Are you kidding me?

A glitch in their system, no notice ever, a cancelled plan that automatically demands a full year's payment with no services ("well you signed the contract", said the snotty customer service agent) and a collection agency from hell with added fees applying scare tactics about my credit rating if I don't pay it all in full with no explanation as to what had happened! I will never go through that again, never sign up for this scam insurance and be treated so badly again! Do not buy this so-called "Wellness Plan". It will make you sick to your stomach! What shady practices! It should be illegal!

I am contacting your office about a pet exam for my cat, Thor. I took him in today as he has been losing weight, has a loss of appetite, not seen drinking water as much as usual, and has been acting lethargic. I was told by the attending vet, after my wife suggested that he may have an intestinal block due to him liking to gnaw on plastic bags, that the diagnostic procedure would cost roughly $700.00 to diagnose only, not treat the problem. She also stated that, he looked jaundice and that if he wasn't treated, that he could die within 24 hours. My wife stated that she was receiving her income tax return check on Saturday (4 days from now), and could pay the bill then. The vet refused to treat him and suggested euthanasia.

The time now is 6:18PM and we have spent all day contacting animal advocacy programs in an effort to get help for Thor. After speaking with Pet Fund in Sacramento, we located a few resources that were willing to try and help us. Red Rover and IMOM were two of the programs, however, they have strict requirements for their application process that must be followed. One of these requirements is to have the vet (Banfield of South Sacramento) fill out a form confirming the issues and costs. Banfield refused to comply with the request. There reason for denial was because they wouldn't get a check or payment immediately. My wife contacted them back and asked them to please fill out and fax the info the grantor.

Veronica, whom we had spoken to earlier, stated that she would check with the doctor to see if that was okay and return our call. That was one and half hours ago. I must state that Red Rover and IMOM are both listed on your website, http://www.banfieldcharitabletrust.org, but your local office/clinic is unwilling to cooperate. I need to restate here that we were told that 24 hours could mean death or irreversible damage to my pet, my family member. Now we are supposed to look for a new vet doctor. I feel sick, knowing that I wasted 24 hours of what critical time my beloved Thor has left to live because your clinic couldn't have an immediate payment.

We have two cats, Kati and Tigger, who have been Banfield patients since February 2006. In August 2006, Tigger was upgraded from Basic to Basic Plus as he had Bortadella and needed four teeth extracted. Later, he had a fifth tooth extracted. Several months later Kati was also upgraded to Basic Plus. For the next several years, there were no problems.

Several things have since transpired. The most recent information was relayed from Banfield to another area pet hospital that was to perform a CT scan and endoscopy on Tigger on 1/13/12: Tigger had hyperthyroidism and was on medication. The wrong patient record was read as it is Kati who has this condition. Each cat has a separate account and Kati had not been there since October 2011 while Tigger was there different occasions.

On December 17, 2011, Tigger was given chest radiographs, jointly decided by the Banfield and other pet hospital prior to the Ct scan and endoscopy to rule out metastatic cancer. On that date, a physical examination was given which stated, "Heart murmur--none." On December 24, 2011, one week later, the initial consult was done with the referral hospital prior to the procedures. Two veterinarians discovered a grade 2 out of 6 heart murmur. When Banfield was advised of this, the veterinarian said that it had probably been faint and thus unheard on 12/17/11 (just a week before).

On August 27, 2011, Kati and Tigger went in for their 6 month comprehensives. The front desk vet assistant was trying to schedule dentals for both cats with their 2/2012 comprehensives per directions of the discharge sheet, which stated "Abnormal: Dental." The office manager came out saying Tigger didn't have Basic Plus and thus could not be scheduled for a dental. I asked how this could be possible since Tigger had Basic Plus since August 2006 and had previous Bortadella and 5 extracted teeth. The reply was the doctor must have found it necessary to downgrade the plan.

The Banfield customer advocate line advised me on August 30, 2011 that not only had the downgrade been a computer error, probably when the plan rolled over, but that no Banfield vet would change a plan without first consulting the client. The office manager, after the front desk vet assistant pointed out the discharge notes, reinstated Tigger's Basic Plus but also added derogatory notes about his owner. On the same day, I was told that I wasn't an owner on the account, despite the fact I was usually the one to bring Kati and Tigger for their appointments. I asked to sign any form necessary. I did so as of January 17, 2012 and the Banfield Client Service Center said I am still not on the account.

Kati was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism in the spring of 2010; her thyroid medication dosage was changed several times, which is normal as several T4 tests are done over a period of times. On one appointment, Kati's regular vet was not there; the other vet asked why Kati was on such and such a dosage since there was no notation in the computer. My husband and I both said that was what the vet had prescribed. When the final dosage was arrived at (1/4 A.M., 1/2 P.M.) we asked Kati's regular vet to prescribe a quantity of 90 rather than 30. The PX came written as "qty 90, 1/3 A.M., 1/3 P.M.," a dosage Kati had never been on. It was corrected, but after several days our pharmacy said Banfield had still not called in the PX.

In 2011, my husband and I went to vacation and had arranged for a Pet Hotel at a nearby Banfield/Pet Smart location. The Pet Hotel asked to have our regular Banfield location fill out the medication form, stamp it, and also a short note that Tigger was okay to board since he had a breathing problem, which later was discovered to be an upper respiratory infection. Banfield was not cooperative, was hesitant in why the statement was needed, and angrily stamped in several places on the medication form so one almost could not see the dosage written.

We have a home telephone, although we do not have an answering machine due to telemarketers. My husband also has an office telephone, and in 2011 we added an e-mail address. As far as I know, the United States Post Office is still in business and utilizes both first class mail and postal cards. Patient notes on several occasion state, "Cannot reach client. Also tried cell phone." (We don't have a cell phone). In 2009, patient notes indicated Kati had a possible UTI and would need Clavamox--we were never contacted.

On another occasion, the same vet who read Kati's medical history to the referral hospital for Tigger's procedures this year, telephoned my husband at work using my last name, despite the account being in my husband's name. On another occasion, patient notes say that such and such was on one vet's board instead of another; the reason is that we weren't called. We always ask for a faxed copy of any blood or other test results as we keep the same medical files on Kati and Tigger that we do on ourselves. We have had to pick up results, making an unnecessary trip due to the request not followed through on a consistent basis.

On January 13, 2012, after Tigger's Ct scan and endoscopy, the latter for gastro intestinal issues as well as coughing, sneezing, and vomiting, the final report by the referred hospital stated Tigger needed an echocardiogram. Banfield contacted us on January 17, 2013, in response to a copy of a December 27, 2011 e-mail advising of Tigger's diagnosed heart murmur, G.I. problems, and again asking to upgrade Tigger to Optimum as well as Kati, because the Optimum plan covers T4 testing, EKG, Feline Heartworm Test. The response was not medically necessary, that Banfield did not want to put the cats through unnecessary testing, and the T4 would not be covered as it was not done in house.

In checking with the Banfield Client Advocate line, I was told that a client buys a package of services and if the test cannot be done in house, any additional costs incurred by Banfield cannot be passed on to the client. Regarding the echocardiogram, I was told the regular veterinary cardiologist (who was named) Banfield used would not perform the test, but a veterinary cardiology intern, as the Board Certified veterinary cardiologist had a brain tumor, but he would still read the results; if he couldn't, they would be read by a nearby radiologist. I believe disclosing someone's private medical information violates privacy laws under H.I.P.P.A. As of this writing, we have still not heard from Banfield as to when the echocardiogram will be done; however, in order to mitigate damages, we have secured names of two other area Board Certified veterinary cardiologists.

This is not to disparage Banfield. In today's fast-paced environment errors are made. Banfield is probably not the only pet hospital. In an effort to understand pet care better and speak to my vet intelligently, at my own expense, I elected to take a veterinary assistant program at a local community college in much the same manner I took a nursing assistant course as well as Anatomy & Physiology I & II to speak to our human providers better and understand our own family's health.

After speaking with Banfield's Client Advocate Center about these issues, I wrote to the Banfield Charter Hospital's owner/practice manager as well as to John **, Banfield CEO in Portland, Or. I am hoping my M.S. in Counseling & H.R.D. skills enabled me to present the issues truthfully, factually, and objectively. When I did clinicals for my nursing, I witnessed and heard things from classmates that, in good conscience, I felt needed to be addressed to the State Health Department. Action was subsequently taken to make things better. My mother wasn't there but someone's was. It is the same for my pets--yes, I can elect to change Banfield Hospitals, but my cats do not like to go to the vet; however, they are used to the staff and become at ease once there. As well, if things aren't addressed, someone else's pets will still be there.

I took a coupon to Banfield Pet Hospital, located in Greenbelt MD. I gave them a coupon to them. It had on it free examined for first timer. They said that my name was in the system for another dog. I told them that I no longer have that dog and the dog that I have now is a yolkier. I told them that I was not the patient .The price was $48 but they charge me half even though I haven't been there since 2003.

I have filed two complaints since last year for them to stop billing my account and nothing has been done on their part.

My mother's checking account continues to be billed every month as this was on autodraft. I want to be reimbursed since the contract expired after first year. Someone needs to call me or I will contact the Better Business Bureau.

I took my dog there for care with limping and favoring left paw. They quickly assessed her and determined she pulled a neck muscle. I called saying she wasn't getting better, and they said they wouldn't do anything unless I came in. 3 days later, Sunday 1-8-2012, I took her to another vet. Within minutes the other vet determined she had an infection on her side that also spread to her neck. She wasn't going to make it. They completely overlooked the severity of the situation and seemed to be more concerned about me paying. Please reconsider going there.

I have a 9-month-old kitten I found as a stray. She is a delight. The past year has been difficult as my mother died. I lost my job when I went home to take care of her over 6 months of horrible illness and 3 hospital stays. A month before she died, I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. Since then, I've had 3 major surgeries and 7 months of chemotherapy. I've been unemployed for a year and a half and have been living off my savings. My brother has been unemployed longer and his car was stolen a few months ago. So, I've been paying his rent for him, too.

My kitten, Coco, I consider a gift from heaven as I found her in a bush the day before I had my second surgery in May. This past summer, I took her to Banfield Pet Hospital in Clackamas, Oregon as she had vomited a worm the night before. Needless to say, I wanted her treated as soon as possible! At the first visit, I noticed that the vet was very pushy about selling things. I decided to buy the kitten spay plan and paid 300 dollars upfront for that. Over the autumn, I was very weak and sick from chemotherapy, recovering from surgery, travelling to another state for doctor's appointments, etc. So, I didn't take her back for more shots.

In December, concerned that she was so thin and not eating, I took her back to Banfield Pet Hospital in Clackamas, Oregon. They didn't help at all. The vet at previous visits had said that if I can feel her ribs, it's fine. But if I can feel her spine, then she's underweight. By this time, I could feel her spine too, and she only weighed 5.5 lbs (these are even the guidelines on their weighing scale, that a pet with a bony spine is underweight). She had only gained .4 lbs since July. Mainly, the vet and the technicians all seemed disgusted that I hadn't gotten her spayed yet (she stays indoors).

I noticed they had the wrong weight on her charts, 8.8 lbs, and I told them. They said, "Don't worry. We take the carrier into account." But there was no notice about how much the carrier even weighs. It was noted as her real weight (What if I brought her in to be spayed and they gave her the anesthesia based on the wrong weight? She could die). I asked them to give her worming medicine, thinking maybe that was why she was so thin. I also asked about all the blood tests I had paid for. Couldn't they do those and see if she was sick with something more serious? They said, "Only within 2 weeks before she gets spayed (although this is not printed on the plan information)."

They insisted on taking her in the back, even though I told them putting her back in the carrier would upset her. The technician returned, smirking, saying they gave her vaccines, but it was "too dangerous" to give her the worming or flea medicine. I pleaded, "Can't you sedate her or something?" I certainly can't get give her the oral medicine at home by myself. One would think that vets deal with scared and injured pets all the time. She said no, if she were sedated then the medicine would just "lay in her mouth".

I brought her back 2 weeks later for another set of shots. This technician (a different one) said, "Oh, there are pets. We always have to sedate when they come to the vet. They get so frightened and wild." So, the other tech had lied to me about that. I had brought the worming medicine back with me and he gave it to her. The vet didn't do any of the exams I paid for her, rectal, etc. Again, they mainly seemed disgusted that I hadn't gotten her fixed yet.

When I checked out, the (smirking) tech told me I owed 20 dollars. I said, "How can that be? I've paid 300 dollars already." She said, "Well, you waited too long to bring her back for her vaccines, so we had to start over." I said I wouldn't pay it, that there's nowhere in the contract that a time frame is indicated. She smirked, "Well, it will go to collections." I asked to speak to someone in charge, and I told them the situation. I also said I didn't think Coco had been getting good care.

They went in the back for several minutes, apparently talking to the head vet (he never came out). They came back saying they wouldn't waive the $20.00 charge, after all, they said, "You see how people could abuse this." I told them how I hadn't taken her in during the previous months because chemotherapy had made me so weak, for example, that I would be laying on the couch, thirsty, and look at a glass of water on the table, but be unable to get the strength to move my arm to pick it up. This didn't move them at all. They didn't want to get in trouble from headquarters for losing 20 dollars from their profits.

To top it off, before I left, the vet said Coco was flagged in their files as an "aggressive" cat, that she was "probably feral". That's their tactic; insult your pet when they're criticized. This "feral" kitten was just on my lap right now, purring contentedly. So in their thinking, my "feral" kitten was worth enough to buy an expensive kitten care plan for, but apparently not worth treating extensively. I paid the 20 dollars and told them I'd never be back, that I didn't trust them. I'm not someone who goes around telling people, especially strangers, about my medical history for sympathy. But even these extenuating circumstances didn't move them at Banfield Pet Hospital. It makes me think, what would they be like if something happened to my pet under their care?

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 ***. 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. *** 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 on 7/7/2009 and was seen again by Dr. ***. 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 okay 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. ***. 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 on 11/1/10 and she was seen by Dr. Jessica ***. When Sofie was given back to me, I was told everything was okay, 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 enzymes 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 ****. I received a phone call from Dr. **** stating that Sofie's BUNs (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. *** administered fluids to Sofie and repeated the blood test. Her BUNs 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. *** to investigate further. When I went in to pick Sofie up, Dr. *** sat me down and stated that after looking through Sofie's blood work history, she has had elevated BUNs for 2 years, while her creas (creatinine, another kidney enzyme) had steadily been increasing and though they were in range, they were at the upper end. Dr. *** 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, Hills 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 BUNs 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. *** 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 BUNs and creas mean; it means an issue with the kidneys and kidney damage can not be reversed. Dr. ***'s response to me was that I shouldn't look at a dog's blood work the same way as I would look at a human's blood work and she did not seem at all concerned. Meanwhile, I had Dr. *** 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. *** on 7/28/2011. Her BUN and crea were now both out of range high and I followed Dr. ***'s advice and took Sofie to see an internal medicine vet. I took Sofie to see Dr. Meredith *** 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. *** 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 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.

It wasn't until two 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 BUNs constantly being out of range high for two years, I just can not understand why someone didn't take notice for two 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 animal's 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 BUNs 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 two 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.

My dog, Chyna, was rushed in to Banfield in Fair Lakes on December 2, 2012. She was pronounced dead within minutes of her arrival. My dispute is not with her death as she was 11 1/2 years old. My dispute is with the unethical, irresponsible and heartless time line that has occurred with her to this date. After pronouncing her dead, a doctor began explaining our options. I stopped her as I was aware of the options and had decided well in advance of this day that I wanted her privately cremated and her remains to be returned to me. The doctor explained that the hospital has a third party relationship with a crematorium and would handle the process entirely. They would not be sending her to be cremated until December 8th as they only send out/send in patients every Thursday. Therefore, I would not get her back until December 15th.

December 15th came and went and no phone call from Banfield. On December 16th, I called the office and was met with complete and utter disregard for the emotional nature of this situation. The girl at the desk actually told me she had no idea where my dog was and that she'd need to call me back. In the meantime, I communicated to my husband what I had found. This evoked him to call their office. He was told that they found out that the crematorium was closed and they would have no further information until they could reach someone there on Monday, December 19th. They said they would contact us then with an update. They did not.

On Thursday, December 22nd, I called the corporate office in Portland to file a complaint. I began working through James. James told me that Kara ***, practice manager in Fair Lakes, would contact me the next day to update me on the status of my pet. No one called! I called James at noon, eastern time to ask why I had not heard from anyone. I was treated with no care or compassion when I was patched through to the local hospital today, December 23rd by James at the corporate office.

My dog still has not been returned to me and I am now being told that she will not be given back to me until December 29th. I am told that someone from their "leadership team" will determine the course of action to handle my complaint and I should hear from someone within five business days. Bottom line, they were quick to take my money to treat us like a number. In the end, I am the one left explaining to my 10-year old daughter why her dog hasn't made it home for Christmas. I implore people to stop using this company. They are cold and heartless and care not about the animals or families involved with their patients.

The Wellness Plan at Banfield is nothing more than a scam, a way for them to make more money. I previously used a Banfield Pet Hospital for a cat I had years ago so when we got our puppy, Sam, a few months ago, I thought it would be a good place to take her. We were presented with the Wellness Plan brochure at Sam's initial visit on October 8, 2011 and thought it was Banfield's way of making pet care more affordable so as to encourage people to take better care of their pets. We thought it was nice that the plan would include her spay when we were ready to do that. We were not told that there would be a penalty if we cancelled the plan at a later date. We paid the initial $99 annual membership fee, the first monthly installment of $23.95, $8.96 for getting her wormed and set up for her next appointment.

At her next appointment on October 29, 2011, she was given her next set of shots and her first dose of Trifexis for heartworm and flea prevention for $18.85 and we were charged our next monthly installment a week later. We scheduled Sam's spay for December 6 at which time she would be 5 months old. I dropped her off the morning of December 6 and I was told that the spay would cost me $39 which was for her E Collar and pain medicine which is Carprofen. They did not give me the option of getting my own E Collar which I could have bought at Petsmart for $5 less. I was called early that afternoon and told Sam would be ready for pickup at 4 pm.

Now, Sam showed no signs of being in heat prior to her spay. No bleeding, nothing swollen as are the tell tale signs. I was told that her spay would now be an additional $61 because she was in heat and they had to do an extra suture and it took more time than expected so they had to use more anesthesia. I had no choice but to pay it as they would not bring Sam to me until everything was paid. Nothing was stated in the contract. We signed about their being extra charges if the dog is in heat and based on our last visit on December 16, we don't even believe that she really was in heat.

The manager is such a liar! They called me the next morning to ask how she was doing and I told them that she would not drink. They suggested chicken broth which I promptly bought and gave to her and she did start drinking a little better. They never called back to see if Sam was drinking any better. They gave me the drug called Carprofen on December 6 after her spay for her pain and to help reduce inflammation. The paperwork about the drug said it could have side effects like diarrhea or loss of appetite.

Two days after Sam's spay, she started having diarrhea and that continued until her follow up appointment on December 16. When I took her in, they asked if there were any problems and I mentioned the diarrhea. Instead of owning up to the fact that the medication they gave Sam could be causing the diarrhea, the veterinarian suggested she could have Giardia and they could do another fecal exam. This one out of my own pocket since they had done all the ones covered under the Wellness Plan. Sam had just had a fecal done the day of her spay which was negative.

The veterinarian then suggested she could also give her an antibiotic even though she had no idea what was wrong with Sam and a probiotic to help her stomach. If I would have done everything they were trying to get me to agree to, it would have been another $100+. I just wanted Sam to feel better so I gave in and accepted the probiotic for $39.

I told my husband about everything later that morning and he talked to a friend whose dad is a veterinarian. The friend advised that we could give Sam Kaopectate which is safe for dogs and it would likely help. We had not opened the probiotic the veterinarian at Banfield had given us and my husband and I went back there a couple hours after the initial visit, requested our money back, and tried to return the probiotic. We were told that because the probiotic was a prescription, we could not return it because that would be breaking the law. The probiotic was not a prescription, it could have been bought online for $19 and is a nutritional supplement. My husband requested to speak to the manager. She came out, proceeded to yell saying she would not break the law for him, and that our dog needed it. She just kept repeating herself saying she would not break the law for him.

My husband advised they would lose their business, tossed the probiotic on the counter and we left. We bought a bottle of Kaopectate and after two doses, Sam was completely back to normal. My husband called Banfield's complaint line that same day December 16 and filed a complaint about our ordeal. He was told that we would get a call back after they researched everything. I followed up today, December 20, with the complaint department. The representative put me on hold for 25 minutes. I hung up and called back.

The representative then told me it was Banfield's policy not to take back products that have been sold. I told him we are very unhappy and want to cancel our Wellness Plan as it is not turning out to be what we were promised. He advised that I have to talk to the cancellation department and transfers me over there. I speak with a representative and explained my story again and he advised that they won't cancel the plan until everything is rectified. He requests to put me on hold to check on things and I am again put on hold, this time for 10 minutes.

He comes back on the line and advises me they will not cancel our plan because services have been provided and we would have to pay for them before they will cancel our plan. He tells me that the manager we spoke to on December 16 at the hospital has tried to call me twice to rectify things and that my husband threw the probiotic at her. I tell him she is lying to him just like she lied to us and he tells me she would not lie to him. I tell him I have not received any calls from her and he asks me if I can substantiate that claim. I said yes because I have no incoming calls recorded on my phone from the hospital. I tell him that my husband didn't throw anything but that he tossed the probiotic on the counter. He argues with me and says that's not what the manager said. He says we will have to pay for the services rendered and they will not do anything for us.

I advise him they won't get another dime from us because all the hospital has done is nickel and dimed us for stuff we didn't need and charged us for things that were supposed to be included in the Wellness Plan. He tells me that our account will go into default and affect our credit. We were never told that we would not be able to cancel the plan at a later date and no one should have to continue paying for a service that is less than satisfactory. I am going to continue trying to fight for our money back and for anyone considering the so-called Wellness Plan, don't. I wish now we would have done our research because there are so many bad reviews, complaints and horror stories about Banfield and their Wellness Plans.

I don't even know how to put all my painful experiences in this description box really. I can only say that I am utterly stunned that Banfield has not been sued as of yet and I won't be surprised if they currently do have cases filed against them.

They will push food brands like Royal Canine or Science Diet because they are involved with making it and therefore, gets a cut when they sell you Banfield brand food. Both brands are of mediocre material quality but sold as expensive as some Grain Free diets. They will push flee/tick medicines, First Shield Trio on you. Even though Frontline is the better product and cost less at Walmart. Somehow, Banfield claims First Shield Trio is cheaper/better with their "VIP" discount. They're ** cost $15 a dose, Walmart sells 3 pack Frontline for less than $30.

They will perform services on your pet without your consent. For example, I brought my Golden in for her Spay, which everything should be included in the plan. I came to pick up my Golden, I was told that pain killers aren't free, her plastic collar cost $40+ and on top of that, they charged us $13 for a nail trim. When asked why an extra $13 was charged for nail trim, we were told that her nails were too long and she was scratching the nurse. Please tell me how my dog is making blood marks on you when she's fully sedated going under the knife?

After the surgery, we noticed that she had a huge bump on the end of the stitch. At the beginning, we were told by Banfiled that it was only a small swell and it will disappear over heal time. After about 1 week for her checkup, the big bump is still there and then we were told by the nurse that it is a piece of flesh and will likely stay there for life. We have no idea if the Spay surgery was done properly. When we get shots that are covered within the plan, sometimes our pet was led to the back for the shot. When she came back, we get no ID or tags for the shots performed. There was no way in hell we can prove that the shots were given, on the other hand, we can't prove that they weren't administered either.

When my Golden had diarrhea, they did not perform any analysis first before their vets told us what meds to take. Very strange to us that fecal samples, blood works were not done on her to find out exactly why she had minor vomit and diarrhea. We did not take their vet's recommendation of 3 different types of meds because our Golden only vomited and diarrhea once. We wanted to observe her a bit further before we take all the meds she prescribed. Little did we know, we pissed off that vet. Oh and mind you, they switch vets around all the time. Who we see this month will be different the next time we come. So anyway, when we decided to go home and observe our pet, we told the vet to keep the list of meds on record so that if our Golden vomits or had diarrhea even just once, we would come back and get the meds right away.

But no, the vet we saw that day was just upset that we didn't take her "expert" opinion and cough up the cash for the meds. On the same day, our Golden no longer vomited and diarrhea, she was healthy as an ox. She must have ate something by accident that may have upset her stomach a little. A week later, we were there for our Golden's second checkup. Lo and behold, we have the same vet see us again. Right off the bat, she recognized us and our Golden. After going through our pet's health records, she discovered that we never took the meds she prescribed but somehow our pet just got better. I think that was the trigger point for the vet. So in the first 5 minutes of seeing our Golden, she told us in these exact words: "You need to teach your dog some manners!". Mind you that our Golden is a 10-month cutest little girl that everyone loves. She is a puppy, it is her right to jump around and hug, lick, kiss people she likes.

For some reason, this vet lady was just upset and acted "scared", "disgusted" when our Golden jumped up and hugged her. My wife and I were just sitting there with our jaws dropped to the floor. We have never in our lifetime met a vet that hated animals but for some reason, is still working as a vet. But in our heart, we know that this woman basically had beef with us for not taking her "expert opinion" and her "expert medications". Since our Golden recovered with none of her prescribed **, she kind of lost face so she had to rub it in by telling us that our kid doesn't have manners. Imagine you take your son/daughter to see your family doctor, then your doc tells you straight in your face that your son/daughter needs to be taught manners. Long story short, I cancelled the Banfield plan this morning. Avoid Banfield as if it's the Biblical Plague.

On November 26, 2011, Lila was referred to Capital Area Veterinary Specialists for a surgical consult. An appointment was scheduled for December 6, 2011, with Dr. A. At that time, we were informed that Lila would need a total hip replacement. Surgery was scheduled for the following week, on December 14, 2011. Dr. A. expressed concern regarding Lila's skin condition and prescribed her an antibiotic. On December 14, 2011, Dr. A. determined that Lila could not undergo surgery, as her skin condition had not cleared. Surgery was rescheduled for December 21, 2011, and a skin culture was taken. On December 20, 2011, we were informed that Lila would not be permitted to undergo surgery for at least another week as her skin culture had returned positive for a serious Staph infection. It was noted that more than likely Lila had been suffering from this Staph infection for several months. As you know, if Lila had undergone surgery while fighting an active Staph infection, the result may have been lethal.

I am disappointed because Lila has had numerous appointments at Banfield, specifically to address her ongoing skin condition and was never diagnosed with a Staph infection, nor placed on antibiotics. Banfield's failure to diagnose this infection could have had devastating results. In addition, the failure to identify this Staph infection has caused Lila unnecessary pain, discomfort, medical procedures, and the delay of an extremely important surgical procedure. Lila's first appointment at Banfield to address her skin condition was on May 14, 2011, with Dr. G. She was seen by either Dr. G. or Dr. H. on May 28, 2011, June 27, 2011, October 1, 2011, October 27, 2011, November 3, 2011, November 17, 2011, and November 26, 2011. During all of the appointments, I expressed concern regarding Lila's skin condition. Specifically, that Lila's skin was red, sore, with several areas missing fur and some open sores. Lila could not stop scratching and appeared to be in a significant amount of pain and discomfort. Lila was initially given a steroid shot and I was told to give her a bath two times per week with a prescription shampoo.

When these treatments failed, an allergy test was conducted. The test did return positive for several allergies, and I was told that all of Lila's skin issues were the result of her allergies. Lila was placed on a prescription hypoallergenic dog food at that time. Despite the change in her diet, Lila's condition did not improve. Lila's November 26, 2011 appointment primarily focused on Lila's need for surgery. However, I specifically expressed more concern regarding the lack of improvement in Lila's skin, particularly her continued discomfort as evident by her constant scratching and red, sore, skin. At this point, some areas of her skin were broken open, revealing open sores. I was told at that time to focus on Lila's surgery and that her skin condition issues would be revisited once she recovered from surgery. At no time was the possibility of a Staph infection conveyed.

I rescued two 5-week old kittens and decided to get the kitten wellness plan for the both of them. Everything seemed fine at first, but one of my cats began to display symptoms of infection such as black discharge and intense scratching. I brought the cat in and they charged me 50 dollars to do an ear swab analysis which they said showed no evidence of infection. They said he had dirty ears and gave me a general cleaner. A few weeks later, the same issue continued and I brought him back, this time the infection showed on the swab. Perhaps a doctor instead of a teenage worker took the swab with actual care this time. So, I gave my cat medicine and he seemed fine during my next follow up 50-dollar visit.

Of course, a few weeks later, my cat was still scratching and displaying discharge. I brought him in with clear signs of infection and they told me no infection! Instead, they told me that the cat might have a tumor and needs to see a dermatologist to have surgery. I am beyond myself with grief that my poor 5-month-old baby may need surgery and book an appointment at a real vet! They immediately swab the cat's ears and look for different strains of bacteria, since that would be the logical thing to do with such symptoms. They reassure me that they do not see evidence of polyps but instead of my cat's poor scratched ears and scabs because of the pain he has been in for weeks!

I saw a vet, got a medicated cleaner and proper medicine and now I can sleep knowing my cat doesn't have a tumor! They are so disorganized at Banfield. I have waited over 4 hours to see a vet with an appointment at the Skokie location. The fact that my cat was misdiagnosed in not acceptable. I am scared to let them spay my cat because if they can't deal with an ear infection how would surgery go? Also, they told me that my cat weighs 2 pounds less that the scale at the real vet. Heaven forbid, they might have gave him the wrong dose of medicine and kill him. I am truly disappointed and scared for any animal that gets treated at Banfield Pet Hospital. It seems cheap but they charge for every little thing and don't know what they are doing. Someone in corporate is laughing all the way to the bank!

I am seriously considering we should present a class action against Banfield. The way they misdiagnose and treat patients is questionable and illegal. My pet, Achu, was on the "Wellness Plan" since he was born. Aside from suffering the occasional "seizure" (which Banfield, to this day, was unable to diagnose), he was in good health. Last February, I asked for a thorough check-up and they found a mass on his jaw. I was told that it was inoperable, and that the dog had 6 months to live at the most. They even gave me the prognosis without a biopsy, immediately assuming it was cancer. It turns out, it was just a growth, and he was operated in the Coconut Creek Animal Hospital. He is still alive, and a year and a half has gone by.

December 20, 2011: in October, the dog went in for a checkup. They only drew his blood, and apparently didn't run any other tests. I pointed out a large growth in his eye (red, covering most of his eye), to which they diagnosed him with Cherry Eye and actually operated on him. We noticed that his eye wasn't getting any better, and they claimed it was the antibiotic not working. They changed it 3 times and nothing. I was starting to get upset so I went and complained about Dr. Padilla and was assigned to Dr. Segal. They referred me to an optometrist as they themselves couldn't figure out - and the optometrist not only informed us it could be a tumor, but cautioned us that she had found a lump/mass in his testicle.

How does the eye doctor find a testicle mass and Banfield completely miss it during a routine check-up? I took him back to Banfield, where they did a biopsy. They called back last night and told us he has lymphoma. I called this morning to further discuss the prognosis, but both doctors seem to be out of the office for the holidays. The front desk was rude, telling me to wait because five other people were at the counter. Seriously? The prognosis of a dog with untreated lymphoma is usually 60 days. I just wasted an entire morning. Thanks to their incompetent staff. This pet hospital should be banned or penalized.

My dog starting vomiting and wouldn't eat and just lay on her side in the grass when I took her out for bathroom time and would just collapse. I took her to the nearest vet that was open on Saturday, which happened to be Banfield. They took her in and did tests. Now, in hindsight, I know what was wrong with her but they didn't. I remember vividly the vet saying her liver values are high and we don't know why. She went daily to Banfield's and their associated hospital for 5 days and no one could ever tell me what was wrong with the dog. She couldn't walk and I thought she was paralyzed from a heart attack but the vet said she didn't know if she had a heart attack or not. What vet can't tell from blood test what is wrong with a dog or at least have some clue or if a dog has had a heart attack?

So the last day she was there she started getting better and I took her home with a hoard of prescribed meds but still no diagnosis of what was wrong with her. I prayed night and day and even slept beside her on the floor because the vet said to restrict her movements. I was afraid to let her sleep on the bed because she will jump down at times.

She got better. I was happy and life went on. I noticed her wetting the floor often even though she went out four times a day or more but chalked it up to old age. A year later, I moved home for the summer to live with my mom and while I was on a job interview where I had to stay overnight, my mom fed her and another dog some ham even though my mom knew not to feed her people food. When I was on my way home my mom mentioned that she didn't feel well and was just lying on the grass and wouldn't get up. I immediately thought of what had happened before and thought oh no.

I got home and she had vomited like before and wouldn't eat. I took her to the vet (not Banfield) first thing in the morning and he ran the blood test and told me it was a pancreas attack from what my mother fed her. I told him about the year before and showed him the paper work and he said it is the samea pancreas attack and that should have jumped off the page at the vet.

Anyway, my dog died the next day. He advised me that she had onset diabetes now if not from before and if she recovered, it would be a miracle. He mentioned putting her down but I wasn't ready that day. He said that she might recover and might die. I went there that morning and she wasn't any better. She had vomited blood and looked terrible. She gave me this look and made the most unforgettable sound which told me she was ready to go even though I didn't want to accept it. I told the vet to give me until the afternoon and I would come back. I wanted my mom there, so she could see what she did, and my sister there, so I would have some support. They called me about an hour later and said get over here because she is dying and doing the death breaths. Stupid traffic kept me for about 10 minutes even though it should have been 2 max. When I got there someone was holding the door for me which I knew wasn't good and I got to the back and she was dead. I know if you are posting here, then you know what I am talking about. You see your best friend dead and there was nothing you could do. No amount of money, nothing

The vet said that I should have been told from the first episode that she had a pancreas attack and I should have been advised to never feed her high fat foods and a proper care regime given along with checkups. Banfield missed the entire boat. They never told me a ** thing and if I could interpret blood tests from dogs, then I would have DVM behind my name. Why did a supposed vet from a supposed school hired by Banfield not know what was wrong with my dog when another vet looked right at the blood test work done and saw it was pancreatitis? Had I known, I am sure that I might have been able to prevent that from happening by at least telling my mother that she has had one attack. So for her sake, while I am away, do not feed her any people food and she might have listened. She and I both did not know that a single piece of ham would kill my dog, but if I had known from the start after all that at Banfield that her diet should be this and that and to prevent death or another attack do this.

I hope that anyone reading these complaints take them to heart and avoid this company. Obviously, quality performance is not an issue for them and suckering you into contracts which take an act of congress to cancel is the name of the game. I am not even sure certified vets work there. Probably certified by Banfield in a crash course or something. I just find it amazing that they didn't know what happened after both vets working there looked at her and their affiliate hospital. I don't even believe she went to the affiliate hospital and just sat in the cage while I was at work each day.

Do your research. Ask around before entrusting the life of your beloved pet in the hands of these incompetent vets that are out there whether at Banfield or not. You are mostly a dollar figure to all of them anyhow. But if you are going to pay, they better fix what ever is wrong and at least know what they are doing.

Last year in December, I took my dog in for her regular check up. I have been a member for 10 years, never missing an appointment. This time they told me my dog had a heart problem and I needed to change my coverage. I did not believe then. So, I took my dog to another Animal Hospital who found no heart problem. I then called and asked to be dropped. I was told my plan increased in January and I could not cancel until January 2012. Please cancel this plan. I have had so much trouble with Banfield. I no longer want to be in your service. I have had to call corporate office 4 times this year concerning service and staff. It has been a terrible experience. Effective right now, just stop my payments.

I recently just had a new puppy and I want to get insurance plan for him so I decided to go with Banfield.com. I took my puppy in for the first time check up and vaccinated. We had to wait and wait. It took a whole day out of me. After everything was done, I was told the puppy might have a little diarrhea. That's normal for after the vaccine. Several day had passed and the puppy still having diarrhea so I called Banfield up and told them the problem and to see if I can bring him in and check up. The representative there told me to give it another day and if the puppy still have the same problem call them back and they will be happy to check him up. I was like okay, let's see.

Two days after the puppy still had the same problem, so I called them back and told them the same problem. They put me on hold, switching from one representative to another. Finally, they pick up the phone and told me to go to another Banfield. I was like, "What the hell is this?" I told them, "You guys told me to call back if the puppy still have the problem and you guys will take him in and get him check up." They were making up excuses and apologized and told me to go to another place.

I also tried to set up another appointment but they told me there's no appointment available even the whole week after that. I got so freaking mad. I just paid them everything for the insurance on my pet and they treated my me and my pet like that? They sound very caring but they don't give a *** about our pets! Please be careful with Banfield.com. Don't waste your time or money with them. Your pet and you deserve more than that. It's a big mistake for me to get insurance plan for my pet at Banfield.com. Thank you for reading.

I could not believe the way my yorkie's situation was handled. They told me she had to have a c-section and before I had even authorized it, Dr. B, as they refer to him was preforming the surgery. The young man at the counter told me to pay $300 and pay the balance out as I could. When I went in the following Monday to get her stitches removed, the young woman from across the counter yelled at me did I bring any money? I said, "No, I was told there was no charge for removing her stitches." She said, "Oh not for this but you owe us for your dog's c-section and unless you pay the balance by Friday we will turn it over to collections."

I said that wasn't what the young man told me when they did the c-section and she said that he spoke out of turn, that the manager wasn't there that day and did not authorize such a deal. I tried several times to speak to this "manager" and was given excuse after excuse why I couldn't. I finally learned the manager was in fact the doctor who did the c-section so he was there when O was told how I could pay the bill. The way they treated my situation has brought me to the decision I will never take my animals in Banfield again and I am telling my family and friends not to use them either. My animals deserve better

I have had nothing but problems when it comes to stopping an auto renewal and ensuring that I am not being charged for services the plan should have covered. I was charged $74.85 for services I never received.

Back in January 2011, my husband and I took our dog there to get the necessary shots, and treatment for her ears. They talked us into a plan, which supposedly could save us money, and has many benefits for our dog. It sounded like a great idea to sign up, and we did. At that time, they said that our dog had ears infection, and a few shots that was needed. We agreed to get her treated with the total amount of $251.00 (this rate was the members' rate). I offered to pay them up front, before I left my dog. They said no, and to pay when they're done.

When we came back to pick up our dog, the bill was close to $500.00. To make the long story short, we had a dispute. To make matters worse, the manager came out and threaten us, that she will send us to collections. We didn't say that we were not paying, we were just disagreeing on the price. This was in front of some customers that she was being loud, with the threat about the collections. We contacted Banfield Corporate, and finally agreed on the settlement in the amount of $261.00. Today, after almost one year, we got a call from a collections agency, demanding the full price that was originally disputed. This is very frustrating, now that our credit is involved. Do yourself a favor, stay away from Banfield, and warn your friends and families.

I am an owner/operator/administrator for Umpqua Valley Kennels LLC located in Drain, Oregon. We have a sterling reputation. We breed Chihuahuas, French Bulldogs and Frenchbos. For the last 1 1/2 years we have been referring our new puppy families to Banfield thru their free coupon program for well puppy checks. We will no longer.

We have pulled all references to them and their services from our website and new puppy reference materials. Our website receives 5-7 thousand hits a month. We place 250-300 puppies a year with families (no pet store sales!).

Banfield has refused to honor our vaccination schedules and victimized our puppy families. Quite a few of our families actually saw us vaccinate their puppies and we attached the shot stickers to the record! They told them they would not treat their puppies or dogs unless they repeated the entire shot schedule!

I have been trying to cancel this account as we gave our dog away last year but have been unsuccessful in reaching your office by phone. I was placed on hold for extended amount of time (over one hour) and my contract expired after the first year. However, my account continues to be billed for services although we have not used them in over one year.

Stop billing my account. The contract should have cancelled after the first year. Reimburse my account for the last months beginning with January 2011 and don't make it so difficult for patrons to cancel your services. Answer the phone promptly and stop billing without contracts being renewed by your customers.

I was told that the pet insurance could be used at any of there stores, which is false. They just start a new contract, which took me over two years to get out of. They spayed my dog, and she now goes in heat. They messed up. I had so many problems with their services. Never, again will I take any pet to Banfield. They should be required to pay back the money I spent, to have the dog fixed.

I am angry with the customer service I received from Lynn and Kaylee. My dog was seen on three visits before she was admitted for kennel cough virus that progressed into pneumonia. Lynn had her back to the front desk when I arrived, and she was chatting with a Petsmart customer! I had called in advance so she should have been expecting me, or any other customer who would walk in. It took her at least five minutes to acknowledge me. What if a deranged person, thief, or robber had walked in?

The other receptionist, Kaylee, has poor decision-making skills. I had called ahead and let her know I was bringing my sick dog back to be seen for the third time, because her condition was declining, and she was gravely ill. I waited an hour and a half to be seen! I was very frustrated. I announced to Lynn that I was tired and ill at ease with the wait time. She said if I could wait, I would be seen in 30 minutes. My dog was admitted by the doctor to be treated for pneumonia. Banfield needs to train their front desk people to evaluate the seriousness of a dog's condition, and make a decision if a dog's condition should be made a top priority to getting immediate attention from the vets. If my dog was brought in, in an ambulance, would that have made her a top priority (I carried her in, because she was too weak to walk)?

Every other dog that was seen that day while we waited, walked in, and walked out with their owners, while we waited, were not seriously ill. My daughter, Ashanti ** who purchased the wellness plan, remarked that Banfield's accounting is certainly prompt in debiting their monthly fees from her account! Being African-American, I can't help but feel that we were discriminated against, because all other customers that evening were Caucasians with appointments, and we're seen 10 minutes upon arriving. We sat and waited before scheduled appointments got there. Kaylee and Lynn could have squeezed us in between the gaps, because we were sitting in the waiting room alone, nobody else, but us and space! We were not strangers to the hospital. This was our third visit in less than a week. I remember them, but they were oblivious to us.

One would have to be blind and dumb to not realize we were an emergency! Banfield must implement better front desk procedures and better evaluation of a dog's needs for prompt medical service. Common sense and great work ethics are all these two Kaylee and Lynn need. Their ability and professionally ethics need to be addressed and some form of discipline needs to be exercised, a diversity class on how to respect persons of color and our pet emergencies. They also need the insight to address what is an emergency that needs to be made a priority.

I am appalled at their lack of decision-making and sensitivity in our situation with our gravely ill pet. I do not want the next persons of color with sick pets to experience what our family did. I felt no compassion or caring. But I am truly disturbed at Banfield's protoccol on evaluating the seriousness of waiting room patients! I want Banfield to evaluate their customer service protocol and train the front desk people. This is to make better decisions on the seriousness of a pet's condition, before an owner has a dead pet, or an astronomical bill because their animal was not serviced promptly, with or without an appointment!

I know in my heart-of-hearts, that pet lovers would gladly have waited the fifteen minutes or so for the doctor to attend to our dog and admit her for treatment. My complaint is with front desk customer service, and their decision-making, not with the vet-care. Our dog is gradually healing, but "not out of the woods" yet. She benefited from her hospitalization and meds. I would have appreciated some home care instruction though. I got on the internet and researched my dog's illness. She is improving because I had sensed enough to want to know how to make her comfortable and facilitate her recovery process. Banfield did not give us any instruction on keeping her comfortable, and assisting with her healing, recuperation process. Shame on them!

After you left the Bainbridge practice, you handed my case over to another one of your vets. If you search your memory - I came to you for help in getting my dogs to Hawaii. All was going well until your vet miscalculated the timing. The word that your employee (Dr. **) used when he told me of his miscalculation was "Oops". Please allow me to tell you what oops is costing me. I have been in Hawaii for seven weeks without my babies. I miss them terribly. They miss me. I had to leave them with friends, and pay them to take that responsibility. (My choice, my friends asked for nothing, but I felt the need to compensate them in a small way.)

My friends are watching the girls, and whereas they are doing fine, they are not with me. I trusted you, Dr. ** and Banfield to make this trip an easy transition. You failed miserably. Although I thank you for Dr. ** suggestions, let me tell you the issues I came across. First, I checked into the idea of airline travel for my dogs, and the first idea shipping them through the airlines will definitely not work. The airline places them in a holding area in between flights and states they are not responsible for food, water and bodily functions. The dogs may be held in this area for an hour, or six hours. No, that will not work. The second idea, driving them to Chicago, also will not work. The service was also not to be held responsible for anything but shipping, like a UPS package.

These are my babies, part of my family. I love them. I will not treat them like parcel post. So, the only viable solution I could come up with was to have someone bring them to me. Someone that would make sure they were cared for. So, your error has cost me, aside from the emotional toll: $97 for the overnight room in LA (non-refundable booking because I had arranged my flights to stop overnight to give the dogs a break in travel as they are not allowed on planes for over 12 hours in a 24 hour period). I am spending $2300 for a round trip flight for my son to bring them to me, $97 for a hotel in LA to once again, break up the flight for the girls. That is $2497.00 because of your oops, not including the flight fees for the girls, since I would have had to pay those anyway.

Then for Dr. ** to drop the ball on sending me the originals I need for entry that is ridiculous! He said he sent them three weeks ago but I never received them. Then last week, he told me that I would have them by Friday. They never came, so now he says, "Oh, you'll get them by Monday." That leaves me 3 days to get them notarized and sent to the Department of Agriculture. I have never dealt with a company that promises so much and fails so miserably. I trusted you when you said you had done this many times before and would take care of all the paperwork.

I am assuming you will wash your hands of the problem; after all, it is my problem, right? How am I, or others, supposed to trust you or Banfield, if you make mistakes like this, that impact lives so greatly, yet you care so little? I am now looking at losing my apartment because I can't pay the rent and all these extra charges as well. Calling what I feel disappointed is a gross understatement. I feel hurt, betrayed, lost without my little companions, guilty that I had to leave them behind, and angry, exceedingly angry, about the way this was handled.

I didn't have services performed. I stopped at the Banfield Animal Hosp. in a nearby PetSmart to ask the cost of neutering a male kitten. We've taken in a stray to foster, and I will have him neutered before finding him a forever home.

I was quoted a price of $316 to neuter a male kitten! When I expressed my disbelief, the rationale was, "But we need to do blood work". Yes, I understand that, but it's still an outrageous cost. I can take this kitten to my regular vet and have the procedure for $158. And my vet is a solo practitioner in a nice suburb, so he can charge premium prices. I can also take the kitten to a low-cost spay/neuter clinic about a 30-minute drive from here and have the little guy neutered and have the blood work done for a total fee of $35-- the PetSmart is five minutes away so it would be convenient.

Needless to say, we'll be heading off to the low-cost clinic. My observation here is that if Banfield Animal Hospital and others like it, charge that degree of outrageous fees for a simple neuter, they are contributing to the problem of the overpopulation of unwanted pets. Average people might be able to afford to feed a pet or two that lives in their home, but unreasonable vet fees like $316 for a kitten's neuter, are something they may not afford. And then we have the animals reproducing and their offspring being dumped at high-kill shelters or elsewhere. It's not right.

The state of animal medical care in America is frightening. We pay through the nose for services. We overpay for Rx cat food and there seems to be little we can do to fight it, but file a complaint with Banfield and start blogging.

Ray Ray is a rescue cat. He is a Maine Coon. We got him at 26 lbs in April of 2011. We went to Banfield to get on a yearly plan, to cover basic services. The vet told us he was not just big, like MCs are, he was obese. She insisted we put him on a very restricted diet on a product requiring a Rx. We did. Soon after we took him in, because his stool had a horrid smell. A different vet saw him and put him on a Rx that would clear the problem. She failed to tell us that it is considered the most foul medicine, and that the animal will resist it. After 3 days he stopped eating and went into a fatty liver syndrome.

We took him back to Banfield, who ran $1,000 worth of tests, some more than once, and the vet, a different one than the last one, sent us to an emergency vet clinic who ran the same tests, put him in a feeding tube, kept him for 3 days, and charged us $4,000. The vet there gave us a Rx for food to reduce his weight and get him on the right track.

We took the Rx to Banfield to get it approved, to buy a very expensive small bag of I/d cat food from Petsmart. We're now on bag 4, we're out $100 and today, when I took Ray Ray in for a 6 month check up, and teeth cleaning, I was told that his weight is up 3 lbs, and that the food I have been giving him in a meager fashion is not a diet food.

Where is the accountability at Banfield? The staff took none. The vet there today is new and doesn't know my pet, or my story, and won't talk to me. I'm writing a letter to the President of Banfield in Portland, OR. His name is John **, and he is the CEO. I want my money back. I want a response from him, or a high level executive in a hearing, to explain to my fiance and me, exactly what the model of Banfield is. Why is there no consistency on medical care, and what they are going to do to rectify this situation?

Banfield is the Jiffy Lube of animal medical care. There are 3 things I will be asking John Payne for:

3. A hearing with him, or an executive from Banfield.

My sense is that it makes more sense to contact John Grisham, and ask him to write a book about the egregiousness of animal medical care clinics, and food suppliers!

I have three pit bulls. Two are three years old, and the youngest is only one year old. My oldest Pit Bull suffers from epilepsy. Banfield failed to provide medication for him on several occasions. One time he had a an epilepsy attack so bad, that it caused him to cluster. They didn't provide any support or help for us. We found out that he suffered from this disorder through the research on the internet, conducted by my mom.

We advised Banfield of this serious ordeal he has. They said the best thing for us to do, is "put him to sleep" because it can be expensive, and if you don't want to do that, we suggest putting him up for adoption! He is just two years old. Every time one of my family members would call to get his medication, it would be an issue. When he had that serious epilepsy attack, he almost died at Banfield. They sent him home with a temperature of over 105, and they told us that it was only 101.1. We ended up rushing him to the emergency vet which cost us over $1,200 just too save his life.

Recently, we had an issue with them being rude, and one of the nurses was very racist. She kept saying "you people", and she had hung up in my face when I asked her she meant by that? Because of them being racists, they kicked my dog out of the vet because a staff member refused to provide a complaint phone number.

We have had problems with them since day one! They gave us the wrong information, and the nurse who didn't want to provide a complaint number, told me she was the manager and "you can call them, but it won't matter because they are going to have me call you back ,because I am the manager". She refused to let me talk to another co-worker, and she stated that, "since I am the manager, what I say goes". I have never called them before, this was my first time, and she insisted on saying she talked to me before.

They provided two weeks of medication for my dog, which means I have to hurry up and find another vet for him. In that process, when he did go to Banfield, they would weigh him, and the scale they had was off by 15 pounds, which made any medication he has taken incorrect. The medication he had taken is based on his weight. He has been having a epilepsy every week due too his medication being the wrong amount and grams. In fact, in the three years we have been taking him to the vet, he has seen his "doctor" only two times. Every time we took, him she was never there. He has no idea who his primary care doctor is because she is hardly there. My dog didn't get the correct medication that could lead up to liver damage, or death at an early age. It compromised my trust for any vet because of this issue.

Banfield killed my dog, period. That's what happened. I adopted a 9-week-old puppy from a no-kill shelter on Thursday. She was sent home with antibiotics for kennel cough and she saw my normal vet on Friday morning. At the time, her only symptoms were the typical hacking cough and sneezing. She would nap for 45 minutes. She would be a normal happy/active puppy for 20 minutes and then nap again. My vet confirmed the kennel cough diagnosis.

On Saturday, the puppy became much less active and she had a significant drop in appetite. By Sunday, all she did was sleep and then she started vomiting. Her last stool had been diarrhea and she was refusing all food. Since my normal vet wasn't open, I brought my puppy to Banfield at Nyberg. I expressed my concern on her rapidly deteriorating condition. I was told that "puppies sleep a lot" and I should continue the antibiotics. I specifically asked if I should be concerned about parvo and I was told no. They gave me a script for a bland diet dog food and told me to keep an eye on her. The dog wasn't eating, so what good does dog food do? I asked if it was okay to give her Pedialyte since she was vomiting so much and the vet said yes, that it would be fine.

She was nearly non-responsive and she continued to vomit throughout the night, so I took her to my normal vet the following morning. She was immediately admitted and began to receive treatment for parvo. The Banfield vet said that my dog wasn't dehydrated, but my normal vet said that my dog was definitely dehydrated which means that her condition worsened during the night due to a misdiagnosis. An in-house parvo test was completed by my vet and confirmed the parvo diagnosis. When I called Banfield to let them know that a highly contagious diseased dog had been at their site the previous day, they were very dismissive. I believe the phrase was "Oh, yeah, I'll pass that along." When my vet's office called to tell them the same thing, they also got a dismissive response.

The only parvo symptom that my dog wasn't displaying was fever. Diarrhea, vomiting, anorexia, and extreme lethargy are not symptoms of kennel cough. My dog was hospitalized for three days before passing away from a secondary pneumonia infection. An infection that most likely wouldn't have set in had she gotten proper medical treatment the first time she was seen by a vet. The 24-hour delay in treatment might well have caused my dog's death.

The fact that the paperwork was filled out incorrectly was frightening to say the least. Things like "Lungs sound clear" were checked when my dog obviously had a cough from the kennel cough. I had to give her history and symptoms to three different people since no one documented anything and, apparently, they weren't communicating with each other. When the nurse came in with the script for the dog food, she asked me if that was the right one or not. I had to ask her to confirm it with the doctor. Even if there hadn't been a misdiagnosis and an apparent lack of concern over the healthiness of the environment, I wouldn't have returned due to the substandard care and attention we received while there.

But the thing I found the most unacceptable was the fact that no one seemed to care that something as highly contagious and potentially lethal as parvo had been at their location. The virus can live on surfaces for up to six months if not properly decontaminated. I have tried to be a responsible pet owner at every turn in this recent venture and I am furious that Banfield doesn't take their responsibility to other pet owners seriously. When I left the Banfield Nyberg location, I felt frustrated and unheard. Now, I'm way past frustration.

I took my dog in to the East Harlem Banfield vet location thinking that I would be saving money and that they could help her with her issues. I came to find out that they suckered me into getting their wellness plan that covers basically nothing and that if your dog is sick, you would have to pay so much more out of pocket. The women receptionists are rude and not very good at explaining anything nor do they know anything about dogs.

My mother took my dog there and she signed my name for the plan assuming that the plan would cover a lot of things. They did not tell me that you can not cancel anytime and if your dog dies, you still have to pay. I am shocked. It's all about the money. I spent about $700 out of pocket and they claim I used $1200 of their money and I pay monthly $78 and for me to get out of the plan I would have to pay about $900, even though I paid $700 on top of the payment. My dog was sick and they knew that and told my mom to take the plan and it would cover the bills for that day. If a payment or the plan was not signed then they would keep my dog until it was paid? Are they crazy?

The doctor was very sweet and I spent a lot more money doing all these tests that still could not tell me what was wrong with her. I was fed up with Banfield and the doctor and needed a real vet who could get to the bottom of the issue. I never signed the wellness plan and I still am waiting for the Wellness Plan to be sent to me with my signed signature on them . I never signed for the plan instead that made my mother sign for the plan. I didn't get a fax or any paperwork stating that my mother who is 70 and not good with English would be signing my name to any plan. I called the corporate office and they just started telling you no, or we can't do that and just toss you around to few reps and they rather have you be upset and cry rather than think about the dog and the fact that you are completely pissed off that you were coerced into a plan and that anyone can sign your name to any paperwork.

I never gave my mother nor anyone authorization to sign my name on anything concerning a wellness plan. My dog is now back to the vet I left and it was a stupid mistake for me to trust a corporate vet as they do not have lead doctors and lack the care of the owners and the dogs. My dog was overlooked and have a liver issue which should have been found by the Banfield doctor. I saved her life. Not anyone at Banfield could care less about me and my dog.

I'm still waiting to hear back from corporate office who said they have my paperwork. I changed credit cards today and will fight them in court if need be as I feel I have been taken for a ride! Don't give up and take them to court!

If you love your pet do not take them to this clinic. We signed up for the insurance plan early on. Needing emergency surgery for ingesting an object, we took our two year old dog to the Banfield Hospital in Arvada. It was a big mistake. This facility is not set up for sick dogs. They do not have the ability to keep animals overnight. After a very long surgery and needing to be kept warm due to low body temperature, they sent the dog home.

The next day, his incision was open and oozing. We brought the dog back to them and they put another stitch in, with a good size hole left "to drain" the wound. Two days later, the wound opened even bigger. Still oozing, we decided to take the dog to a private veterinarian. We found out the liver was dying because they did not stitch him up properly. He also had an infection inside.

I have been paying for the Banfield wellness plan for 5 years during which time I have been pleased. 2 months ago my dog, Pepper was to have his teeth cleaned. This is something I have been paying for. We had moved to Washington State and went to the Renton Banfield Pet Hospital. They refused to clean his teeth this year even though I pay clearly every month and this is supposed to be included.

After much deliberation, I tried to cancel the membership and was told that I can't for 8 months as they started the membership in Washington as new (I didn't sign any documents). So, I can't cancel and Banfield refuses to supply the treatment I pay for. I never again will refer Banfield to anyone.

I was sold 3 plans for my animals. After I was sold the plans, I was told that they could not clean my 2 cats' teeth because of a heart murmur that was determined at the initial visit. The reason I signed them up for the plans was because they deceived me and talked me into buying 2 dental plans for my cats.

In addition, I was making approximately 5 visits a week to the hospital. They kept telling me that my animals were sick and had no diagnosis. I kept running tests that weren't included in the plan. Furthermore, they staggered my puppy's shots one shot per visit so I was in and out for days. I spent over $1,500 and refused to take my animals back because they would not let me cancel the plans. I have to continue to pay the doctors and not quality doctors. There are a lot of people who work there that have not been trained properly or put through proper schooling I lost a lot of time and money.

We had been taking my adorable Shetland sheepdog "Logan" to Banfield since he was a puppy, my parents got the wellness plan. We had an "okay" experience with them until he turned about 1 or 2 years of age. He was throwing up constantly and we arranged for him to be checked at the University area Banfield in Charlotte, North Carolina. The vet came out with a vile of blood that was supposedly my dog's and it appeared as if crisco was floating on top and he exclaimed, "This is your dog's blood! He has high cholesterol". He insinuated that the dog's issues were a result of us giving him treats. But it is not like he was being fed treats constantly. We accepted responsibility as we couldn't think of anything else that could be the cause of his issues. Fast forward 4 or 5 years and a lump appears on his chest. I become extremely anxious, fearing that the lump is malignant. We arranged a check up with the vets at Banfield in Mathews, North Carolina and they tell us the lump is fatty and it is because he has had a thyroid condition since he was born, the cause of his high cholesterol. They gave us a prescription for him, and told us to give him the medication once a day. It has not gotten bigger or smaller since then, for which I am so thankful for.

Fast forward again 3 more years and he is now 9 years old. Another lump has formed, but this time it is on his leg. It grew to the size of about a tennis ball. We took him to the same Banfield in Mathews to have it checked out and they performed an in-house biopsy. They can't figure out what it is because it is inflamed so we give the go-ahead to send it off to a lab. They still can't figure out what it is because there is too much blood in it. We were sent home, with his medication quadrupled. The vet calls us to tell us that for $200 they can perform another biopsy. We said that we can't afford it and she demands we bring him back in a month. But we didn't. And here is why: about a week after that visit, blood appears in his stool. I freaked out, but then realized I had been giving him his medication for a week now, about the time it takes for medicine to set in. They had quadrupled it and I was following their directions. When I immediately stopped giving him the medication, the bleeding stopped within 2 or 3 days. The medication was stripping the lining of his stomach. If it had continued, an overdose of that medication "Levothyroxin" can cause death.

A month later his lump starts bleeding. Instead of taking him back to Banfield, fearing they will over or under medicate him, I covered his wound with Ichthammol, a black drawing salve. After a month the lump shrunk and I was certain the lump is fatty due to the contents that were coming out of it. Since then, my dog was on a holistic diet, a decision we made ourselves. We have canceled our Banfield account and my father has spoken on the phone with their costumer service. A month ago they informed him he might be eligible for a refund due to our troubles. But when he spoke with them today, they called him a liar and that they never give refunds. They were not concerned that our dog nearly died, they were more concerned about the money. Any dog I have in the future will never see the inside of a Banfield pet hospital and Logan will spend the rest of his days at a private vet.

Today is Sunday, 10/23/11, and I should be relaxing and enjoying this day. But I am still so furious from my experience with Banfield yesterday (Saturday, 10/22/11) at Almeda here in Houston, TX until I didn't sleep at all last night. I love my dog Bella and I feel guilty sometimes that she is treated and living better than some homeless children. I have only had her for a year and 3 months. She was a Christmas gift from my son and daughter after they decided that I had grieved myself long enough over the loss of my mini Schnauzer (Angel).

Angel only went to Banfield one time during the 8 years that I had her and it was for something minor (I can't quite recall). I should have given Bella the same luxury of having a private vet. Because after my experience with Banfield yesterday, I will never ever go there again! I was treated terrible and I had to leave my Bella for about 30 minutes. What I found strange is that they wanted me to leave and they call me. Bella had injured her hind leg. She jumped out of my arms onto the hardwood floor. Then I noticed her hopping. There were so many other places that I could have taken her but I have no idea what made me go to Banfield. The manager was rude as ** to me.

My daughter has 3 dogs and uses Care credit. She was out of town and I knew that she would put the outrageous amount that I was charged on her Care credit card. The manager gave me pure grief while I was trying to get the card number from my daughter and they charged me $255 and did absolutely nothing to fix my dog's problem. They took an x-ray and told me that it was broken (hello, I already knew this), gave her some pain pills, which my doggy doesn't seem to be in any pain, and said that I would have to go to another Banfield doctor that's all the way across town from my house to get my dog taken care of. I was treated like a second class citizen so I just wonder how they treated my dog while I was gone.

I am calling the corporate office tomorrow (on Monday) because I think that I deserve my money back or at least all but the office visit. I am going to turn them in to the human society. My pet is just as important to me as anyone else's. That manager needs to take more management/people skills if she is going to deal with the public. And let her know that she "can't judge a book by its cover", if you get my drift. I hate it when I let someone ruin my day and let alone my entire weekend now. Yes, I am very upset. That particular Banfield should be re-staffed or closed.

I recently had a small issue with a Brier Creek Banfield in North Carolina. I have been a loyal customer for some time now, and my most recent experience made me completely aware of the importance of your animal's care in relation to their own personnel priorities.

My dog Bentley is five months old and had been playing in the woods when I believed he was bitten by something. I noticed immediately after him running out of the woods that both sides of his neck were completely swollen, so I immediately threw him in the car and headed towards Banfield. On my way there, I called to verify their closing time to ensure that I wasn't wasting my time. They answered the phone very promptly and I immediately asked, "What time do you close?" She informed me that they were closing in 15 minutes, after which I told her I was only five minutes away. I told her I was on my way and explained that both sides of my dog's neck were swollen, and I would simply like them to look at him. She then proceeded to tell me that they were closing in 15 minutes, and that I should take him to an emergency room because they would not have enough time to give him the care he needs.

In turn, this trip cost me $300 dollars because Banfield's receptionist felt that they couldn't do their job. I have called into the corporate office, and I've yet to get a call back. I assure Banfield that I will go out of my way to bring this to the attention of others. I am truly thankful that Bentley's situation wasn't life and death, but to tell a paying customer you don't have time to take care of a loved one is unacceptable and disrespectful.

I noticed that my dog had a large lump on his ear at 9:00 PM and when I touched it, he cried. I immediately called the vet at 7:00 AM and arrived when they opened their doors. I was told after the initial review that he needed surgery now because if it bursts, it would go into his brain and kill him. Upon picking him up that night, I was hit with a $1,800 invoice, which obviously gave me a heart attack--his head all wrapped up with this extra large cone on his head.

It was a hematoma, which, I found out later, would eventually go down by itself although it would leave cauliflower ear. Two vets told me that I was ripped off--no way should the surgery have costs that much money. One vet told me that Banfield works off quotas. I am still paying on my credit card because of this and the idea of them telling me that my dog would die is absolutely unforgivable. By the way, the hematoma came back, which is why I took him to another vet and it did go down by itself. Never again would I take my dog to a Banfield Hospital for any reason.

My 2 dogs had Optimum Wellness plans for 6 years. I have come to believe that the vets were given a bonus based on sales. The "nurses" there are not smart or helpful for the most part. After years of paying $65/month for two dogs and a couple hundred extra per year for this or that antibiotic or supplement, I set my plans for non-renewal. I held for 15 minutes to request this and then was actually hung up on after I declined "free" months to retain me as a customer. Very poor customer service and vets who care more about money than pets. Get VPI insurance or another plan to cover your animal. Banfield is an overly priced and incompetent organization.

I am totally disappointed with Banfield Pet Hospital and the vets at the Williamsburg location. I pay a hefty monthly for both my dogs. I get charged for one thing or another every time I visit, mostly for drugs that they keep prescribing for my male dog who supposedly has allergies. Recently, this same dog was diagnosed with a cancer called cerunious adenocarcinoma in his right ear. I was sent to a surgeon to remove a growth and that's when he was diagnosed with this cancer. Of course, all the money I have paid over and over does not cover surgery. It is costing over $2000 for his subsequent surgery, after paying for the original surgery and biopsy. Banfield supposedly is a "preventative" program. I just did not trust them and I can't get out of the program. They won't let me quit until my contract with them is complete. Banfield is nothing but a money grabbing organization and there is no concern for your pet. Beware.

Hello, my name is Maritza **. I've been a customer for over 5 years. I have two dogs, a pug named Sushi in Orlando that now lives with my parents and a 5-month old Chihuahua named Yuki in the area of Roanoke, Virginia. As soon as I got my new dog, I thought the right step was to take her to Banfield since my experience with the hospital back in Orlando was great. But two months ago, I scheduled an appointment for surgery to get my dog spay since I want to have it trained and enroll her in a dog care.

Last week, they tried to contact me to reschedule the appointment. Unfortunately, I work in retail so my schedules are different from normal hours. When I got to hear the message today, Tuesday, I called back and they told me they didn't have any doctors to perform the surgery for two weeks and the only doctor left wasn't feeling comfortable taking care of my dog. I told them that I couldn't change it because I wanted to take care of my dog. After that, I was getting frustrated and I apologized to the receptionist because none of the doctors wanted to take the call and he was the only one putting the face for them. He then told me a doctor would call me back with a solution.

A few minutes later, a female doctor called me with an attitude saying that there was nothing they could do about it; that they tried to contact me for weeks and I didn't respond. I told her they only called me a few days before to tell me about it and I explained to her that I wanted to take care of my dog during my days off, so I needed to have it done during the following week because in my job as a manager, sometimes I have to work for more than 10 hours in a row. That was the reason I scheduled in advance. She responded to me by saying that someone could do it today, but I had to rush my dog and take it to the hospital in less than 30 minutes. As far as I know, dogs can't eat or drink anything at least 2 hours before surgery. So obviously, my dog wasn't prepared for surgery.

Then, she told me I could leave her in the crate while I was at work. After I told her I wasn't going to be able to be at home during long periods of time, which even for a healthy dog is inhumane to leave it in a crate for more than 4 hours. Then she said to me with a big attitude that I wouldn't want to have surgery done to my dog with someone who wasn't feeling comfortable doing that type of procedure. I've always thought of Banfield as a great place for my dogs but after this, I'm scared to take my dog to some place with people who doesn't know what they are doing and with doctors who don't understand how important pets are for owners like me. She was rude, unprofessional and clearly doesn't know what she's doing.

On 9/30/2011, I took my beloved dog of 10.5 years to the Ocala Banfield to have him put down as he had been sick and I was not going to let him suffer any longer. I had called a week ahead to arrange this and they made me wait until 2:15 in the afternoon to bring him in.

Then upon our arrival the receptionist asked me to put him on the scale so he can be weighed. I ask what for, I am having him euthanized. She said oh, I didn't look to see why you were here. Dr. Moses then explained what they are going to do and that I can have as much time as I need with him before they start. I ask if they will take him to the car for me and am told no, they will get me a shopping cart from Pet Smart. Needless to say that by this time I am truly upset as if having to do this and having to wait all day with him isn't enough, they are going to put him in a shopping cart.

However, the nurse did bring him out for me and was very gentle. This however, was just truly a bad day to begin with and the staff certainly did not help with things. The staff that is there now is terrible; none of them seem to have a caring attitude towards animals. When we first started going there they greeted us and talked to Duke and he was so excited to see them. However, things have changed and it seems to be just another business with no caring for the customers and animals. We have gotten a new puppy and to be very honest, I really don't know yet if I want to go back to Banfield and receive the kind of care they are giving at this point.

This complaint is actually in addition to my original complaint to the Banfield Corporation. When I reported that my dog had been treated inaccurately for 6 months, given the wrong medicine and then they dismissed the ongoing problems as my "dog just has bad genes", their solution was to send my complaint back to one of the veterinarians that I was complaining about and have her contact me. She and I have communicated back and forth for the past 2 months. I have provided her with the legal guidelines for medical negligence and malpractice, copies of all her medical information that showed they kept saying she simply had allergies and refused to acknowledge the thick yellow substance and scabs and sores that continued to get worse as anything else.

When she got so bad that she could barely stand or walk, they said she suddenly had arthritis and gave her injections which she then got even worse. At the point that she was laying in the floor, not moving and yelping in pain, I took her to another vet hospital. There, they quickly ran lab work, x-rays, skin scrap and ear swabs and determined that she did not have arthritis and actually had a bacterial infection. Because this type of bacteria had been left untreated for months, it had taken over her entire body causing all these medical problems. All of these actions by Banfield proved without a doubt that they were negligent and Dr. Baker even admitted to me on the phone that they simply didn't listen to me. However, when I asked to be reimbursed for the amount I spent on inadequate treatment and then on accurate treatment to nurse her back to health, she determined on her own that there was no evidence of negligence. Well, of course she would say that.

I took my two guinea pigs, which I also purchased at PetSmart, in because they are suffering from a severe case of mange mites and I have never witnessed a more unprofessional, inexperienced team of so-called 'experts' in my life. It is more than obvious the illness my guineas contracted (also very common) and yet they still insisted on taking ten days to wait on test results. They did not give my pets anything as far as immediate relief and I was afraid they did not have ten days to wait for treatment. Do not take your pets here. It will only be a waste of time and money and is not worth the frustration. Overall rating is not even worthy of one star.

I too was scammed! After falling for the Wellness Plan, I took my 2 dogs in for a follow-up visit 7 days after the initial visit to get the dogs teeth cleaned. The retail price they charged, which they keep adding up so you cannot cancel the plan without paying the retail price, was $1,146.00 to clean 2 dogs' teeth. I can clean them for the price of 2 toothbrushes.

Beware of this scam. They said they had to do blood work and all these other ridiculous tests just to clean their teeth. My total retail price keeps increasing each time they go for a visit. So in total now, I have spent $1,900.00 to have vaccinations and teeth cleaning. Go to a real vet!

I have been taking my dog, Nikki, to Banfield for 5 yrs. I started at the Woodbridge office till they opened one closer to me in Brick, NJ. Wow, am I sorry, my dog has what they say, a skin condition but I don't think so, I think there's a lot more going on, everytime I go in, it cost me hundreds of dollars, besides my monthly due and I get the same result, nothing. Well, 2 weeks ago, we took her in again and had another vet, because the vets don't stay long, they quit after awhile, so of course the dog is scared getting a different person everytime.

Meanwhile, they wanted to take blood from her and she flipped out and they actually strong armed my poor dog, almost gave her a heart attack, till I said enough, as I said that the young tech kneed my dog, so I went out to the desk and said your tech is a **. I was very upset, okay so now, I have a recheck visit in 2 weeks, well, 2 days before I received a call from the manger of that branch in Brick, telling me that I can no longer come there because they don't like me. Did you ever hear of this? I can go elsewhere but they don't want my dog there anymore, well, I said, "excuse me, I have a contract monthly you can't tell me where to go," The girl was rude as hell like always and I'm waiting for a call back from Banfield's headquarters, probably won't happen, but all they do there is nickel and dime you and they don't cure your animal, it's an ongoing thing because all they want is your money and could care less about your pet, and make you feel like a bad owner

Meanwhile, I treat my dog as if she was my child , how dare them , not once was I asked what happen that day, they just took the word of their tech and didn't care what I had to say, now, if it wasn't for us pet owners, who care for our animals, these people and Banfield wouldn't have a job or business. It's time we people take a stand against Banfield. I will be going to a new vet and stopping my bank from allowing them to take moneys from my checking acct, but I am not letting Banfield get away with how my dog and I were treated. I'm going to the news paper and my lawyer.

I am hoping that others will take a stand for our pets that don't have the voices we need to speak for them and if we all stick together we can have something done. Please don't back down to Banfield, something must be done, for anyone who would like to contact me, please feel free, my email is **, together we can take a stand. I'm still in shock from the phone call telling me not to come there all because I voiced how I didn't like the girl kneeing my dog because she was mad and after 5 yrs of paying Banfield, my dog is worse than before and they don't care at all.

My father took our family dog Biscuit (11 yr. old Boxer) to Banfield in Fresno, CA about a month ago due to Biscuit having seizure like symptoms. The so called vet there checked him and did in-house lab work. My dad also had the so-called vet check his front paw, because he had a bump on it and it was getting bigger. The vet told my dad the seizure was caused by the heat and he was dehydrated, and his paw was fine. The labs came back fine, so the quack said. His heart was fine along with whatever they say they checked. It does get hot in Fresno. But Biscuit is hosed down several times a day and always has 2 bowls of fresh ice water set out for him. He also spends most of his days in the house when it is extremely hot. Believing this quack, my dad brought Biscuit home thinking he was fine. That office visit cost my parents $215.00.

A couple of weeks later, Biscuit had another seizure and we knew it was not the heat! We took him to the HOPE Foundation where he was seen by a real vet. Just by listening to his heart, she knew there was a problem. She had more labs done on him. The next day, we were called with the results. He has a possible liver failure (beginning) and positive heart issues. The primary concern is brain tumor, and he had urinary track infection. As for the paw, he was put on antibiotics because it was infected! Biscuit is having an ultrasound done so his heart and liver can be checked. We are told the liver medicines can cost hundreds of dollars a month. If he is not in pain and the medicines will keep him with us longer, then it is well worth the money.

The scary part is, Banfield is the vet my parents have been taking Biscuit to for check ups. Now we know they really don't know what they are doing! These health issues did not just happen overnight. If the doctor there had a clue, he could have caught these issues, before they got to where they are today. Long story short, if you love your pet, please do not take them to Banfield! They do not care about our pets. They just try to push products on you to take more of your money. Thank you HOPE Foundation! By the way, I am not giving them one star by choice. I have to enter something to submit this!

I had pet insurance through Banfield and they recommended my dog get fixed because she is a pitbull. So at 6 months I took her in and had her fixed. After the surgery, she got an infection in her stomach at the incision line and would not stop vomiting. I brought her back and they said the work was not covered by the insurance. So, I had to pay for all the blood work and x-rays to see what was wrong. They said nothing was wrong. I kept bringing her back time and time again and they kept saying the same thing.

My dog is now 2 years old and after taking her to another vet, they said she has nerve damage and something is wrong with her spine from the surgery. She can't walk on her back legs and there is nothing that can be done to fix it. She also has hip dysplasia. I'm getting ready to put her down because I can't see her suffer any more. Banfield is responsible for my dog's problems and the reason she continues to suffer. Bottom line; do not take your animals there as all they want is your money and they don't care about your animals.

I believe careless and slow diagnosis led to the death of my Schnauzer, Lexie. When we brought her in and purchased the puppy plan on March 22, 2011 we were very pleased with Dr. Martin and the staff at Banfield Animal Hospital in Petsmart on Gunbarrel Road in Chattanooga, TN. Recently, though, the office has been extremely busy as if overbooked and the care we received has been rushed.

On Tuesday, September 6, 2011 Lexie had an appointment for her Bordetella immunization. I waited 10 minutes to check in at the front desk. Lexie weighed 9.00 lbs. When I was finally able to talk with Dr. Martin he seemed very rushed. I explained that she had shown signs of constipation over the weekend. Dr. Martin agreed and said he wanted to keep Lexie for a few hours and administer an enema. He asked which dog food I was using and said it was fine. I picked her up that evening and Dr. Martin gave me instructions concerning her diet to prevent a re-occurrence to include pumpkin and mineral oil.

On Tuesday, September 13, 2011 she began to have a tinge of blood in her urine and appeared to be constipated again. I called and told the office that I thought she had a UTI. I arranged to bring her in. Her weight had dropped to 8.30 lbs. They gave me the choice to wait on a veterinarian or leave her. I left her because the office was so busy. I received a call advising that X-rays were needed because she was exhibiting neck and back pain. I was surprised because she had not shown any symptoms at home. After X-rays were read, Dr. Alyson said she believed there was a problem with her back. They kept her overnight. There seemed to be no concern with the blood in her urine. I told the nurse I was concerned she had a UTI instead of back problems. I picked her up the next day. She was lethargic and had bitten her front leg until it bled. The nurse didn't even notice it. When I brought it to her attention, the nurse took her back and put a bandage on it with no explanation as to what had happened. Again, the office was very crowded and everyone was rushed. Lexie was prescribed pain medication and instructions to keep her confined for 30 days and feed her canned food for ease in bowel movements. Dr. Alyson thought the constipation was caused from not being able to getting into proper position due to back pain. I kept her in a child's pack-n-play and carried her if I took her out. As advised by Dr. Martin, I fed her the Eukanuba canned dog food instead of the Pro Plan Puppy dry food she had been eating. An appointment was made for a re-check on Wednesday, September 21, 2011.

On Friday, September 16, 2011 Lexie began to drip blood and she constantly squatted as if needing to urinate, but was unable to. She had started having a small amount of diarrhea, probably due to the change in dog food. I called again and they asked me to bring her in. She weighed 7.9 lbs. At my request the nurse took a urine sample. I questioned Dr. Martin about the X-rays. He said there appeared to be a spot showing on the X-ray, but he hoped it was a muscle issue. He never offered to show me the X-rays. He was very rushed coming in and out several times. He administered Ampicillin Trihydrate and Dexamethasone injections and prescribed Amoxicillin and Metronidazole. He said she should show signs of feeling better by the end of the day. She seemed to stay the same during the day Saturday.

On Sunday, September 18, 2011 I called again because she was not getting better and was becoming increasingly inactive. The blood was a puddle instead of a drip and she was not eating or drinking on her own. I explained that she refused to eat and I was giving her water through a syringe. I was told to pick up a different antibiotic and call back in one week. Again, I felt the phone call was rushed. I knew something was terribly wrong with Lexie, but I continued to trust that the Banfield office knew what was best for Lexie. She had already taken her dose of Amoxicillin that morning, so I waited until nighttime and gave her the new antibiotic - Zeniquin. At this point I had spent $550.34 on treatments and medications with no results.

On Monday, September 19, 2011 Lexie could not stand. I was certain she was going to die. I received a call from the Banfield office reminding me of the Wednesday, September 21, 2011 appointment. It was upsetting that the staff member was unaware of all of the previous calls and visits. I told the staff member to cancel the appointment because I knew Lexie was about to die. The staff member became upset and asked me to hold. I was on hold for quite some time. I had Lexie in my lap at the time and finally hung up to tend to her. One of the nurses called me back an hour later and was on the phone with me when Lexie died. She asked me several questions to confirm that Lexie was indeed dead. She then wanted me to bring her in for a necropsy to confirm cause of death. Again, I was very upset. I knew Lexie died from a UTI. I didn't need a necropsy to know that.

Lexie was a sweet companion and I am very upset that she suffered and died unnecessarily. We put our trust in Banfield and they let us down in a heartbreaking way.

This company is staffed with individuals who are much more preoccupied with making a commission on the garbage they peddle, than on the health or wellness of the animals they serve. They repeatedly referred me to products that were sub par and had no clinical purpose whatsoever. I am a nurse. Whenever I have inquired into the purpose or contents of a specific product, I am met with manifest ignorance. The vet that worked with my animal did not seem at all knowledgeable and was unable to answer my questions. I was informed at one point that my pet had a mass. Seven hundred dollars later turned out to be a perfectly normal liver in an animal of advanced age. I consider this corporation unethical.

I found a domesticated stray cat outside my office. After a few weeks of feeding it, I was able to capture it. My intention was to keep him. But before I was going to bring him home, I brought him to Banfield (Petsmart) in Huntington Station, NY for an examination. I had a free one-time visit coupon. After waiting almost an hour, a tech came in and started pushing a wellness program on me. I told the tech that I just wanted the vet to look him over before I brought him home. Again, I had to wait before the vet came into the examining room.

When she did, she checked his heart, lungs and teeth. I asked to have him checked for HIV and Feline Leukemia so she sent in a tech and an assistant who did not know how to handle the cat. They drew blood and came back later telling me that he did not have either of these diseases. She said that it was okay to give him his distemper and rabies shot.

I asked her to check and make sure that the cat did not have fleas. In fact, the cat did have fleas and now my home is infested with them. I would never ever recommend Banfield to anyone who loves their pets! Banfield Pet Hospital is a sham and it should never be called a veterinary facility because it is not! I am surprised that Petsmart is even associated with them.

My doberman Diego first went to the Pet PR and was saved. We had no complaint there. But when we chose the Banfield inside of Petsmart in Towson, things started going downhill from the start. My dog is taking Vetmedin, Lasix, Digoxin, and potassium supplement. Anyway, this is the problem. My family has shelled out so much money trying to save Diego's life and it just never seems to end. When we went to Banfield for help, they told us to get a heart test and blood work done. We told them that up to this time, we had close to 3000 dollars invested in Diego. The Pet PR wanted to charge us 600 dollars for the heart test. It couldn't be put on care credit. But when we went to Banfield, they told us not to worry, that they would handle everything. They said that for 400 dollars, they could do the test on care credit.

Because their doctor was a heart specialist, we took Banfield at face value and had the test done two days ago. They also said that they had to do blood work to check the levels of the drugs in Diego's blood, mainly his digoxin levels due to the possible toxic levels. The doctor then told us that if we followed his advice, our pet could possibly live to see 12 years of age. Our dog is only 6 going on 7. Anyway, we got the heart test and blood work, doctor visit charge, and a holding charge. It came to a whooping 571 dollars.

The doctor called me back yesterday, telling me that our dog had an enlarged heart. He said that he wanted to run more blood work, including a digoxin level check. At that time, I asked why they didn't do that test when we paid for it, the first set of blood work. He claimed that it wasn't part of the test. But on the first visit, he said that it was important to get these tests done. So, I was confused to say the least. Then, he said that a kidney test was done and that the kidneys were at risk because of the extreme amount of drugs the dog is taking. He said that we needed to shell out more money for test that should have been done in the first place.

I got fed up with the doctor. So, I tried to talk to the hospital manager. I was told that she had no ground to stand on and that she could credit us with a free 45 dollar visit next time around. My problem here is that everybody wants to pass the buck. But when it comes time to pay, they want their money upfront. So now, I have to pay another 171 dollars for the test that the doctor said he was going to do in the first place. Then, after he talked to me, he called my roommate. He told him that he was just going to take Diego off the digoxin slowly and then test his blood in a month or so. This again confuses me because of the toxic problem with this drug.

I am wanting Banfield to pay for the test they said they would do and stop making excuses for their mistake. My dog's life is in jeopardy. Please call me anytime. My landline number is **. Something has to be done in congress to stop giving vets the right to steal money off of pet owners, when they are grieving over losing their loved animals. We have spent a total of around 4000 dollars and we are no better off than when we started. Please help us and investigate the Towson Banfield animal hospital. Thank you.

Never take your dog to Banfield, the pet hospital located inside Petsmart. Never sign up for their Optimum Wellness Plan. It is a complete ripoff and the people working at Banfield Pet Hospital in Yukon are incompetent and unprofessional. The vet there is the most unpleasant person I have ever dealt with. It makes me want to never go to a Petsmart again! Don't waste your time and money! You and your pet deserve better service. I wish someone had told me and I just don't want anyone else to be treated this unfairly by this awful company.

Would not let me cancel a plan and automatically started taking money from bank account. I had to get new debit card.

I took my Saint Bernard in to see Dr. ** at the Banfield in Salt Lake City. I waited in the room for at least 40 minutes; finally he walked in, looked at the computer, and started rattling things about Dharma; I said that she has never been here before. Dharma was nervous and standing in the corner; he looked at her and said that he don't like the way she's looking at him. He walked out of the room, came back in and just put a muzzle over her mouth without even asking me. She was not aggressive towards him at all.

The issues were with her eyes and ears; when he went to look in her ears she was shaking her head. He called the vet tech in to hold her down which only made her more nervous. I told him that she would be fine if I just held her, and he said that he had too many people tell him that their dog won't do anything. I just couldn't deal with the situation anymore, so I told him that I am just not really happy with what was happening. He got up and walked out. The vet tech came in with some medications and started explaining how often to give them. I asked her if the doctor was coming back in and I really didn't get a response. I then relayed how upset I was about the whole situation, and she said basically that he had a hard day with a lot of surgeries. He never came back in to say anything. During the whole visit, all he said is that the best thing to do is to take all these skin tests or something for about $200-$300 and nothing about what he thought it was.

Avoid at all cost! I had just moved to a new town. My dog requires a prescription food and PetSmart (or ** is more appropriate) was the only place in the new town that carries it. I had a prescription in hand from a Veterinary Dermatologist and Banfield would not sell me the food unless I had an appointment with their (less qualified) vet. The real purpose of the visit was to sell me a plan to vaccinate my dog for over 300 diseases. In all my years of going to highly qualified, respected vets, even specialists; I have never, ever heard of this many vaccines. Simple Google research revealed that most of the vaccines didn't apply since my dog was an adult and based on where we live. The "tech" had the gall to try and guilt me into vaccinating for things that are not appropriate! Sick, sick, sick sales pitch. Please do not ever subject your animal to this, see a real veterinarian.

I called in for a refill prescription at Banfield Pet Hospital 3855-59 Sepulveda Blvd. Torrance, CA 90505 and was told that my pet hadn't been seen since 2008 and needed an exam! I told them that my pet was seen in August. What are they talking about? The lady put me on hold (or so she thought), and I could hear her talking to another girl who said, "tell that lady she needs a ** exam." I was shocked and disgusted. I told the lady, "Make a copy of my records and I will be down there."

I brought all of my records with me. The manager Lindsey gave me a copy of their records and I told her that my dog was just seen here and what is going on. I gave her a copy of my records and come to find out that they had two different charts on my dog. She then told me, "Why do you come here with an attitude? Why don't you go to another place?" I couldn't believe this manager! She did not apologize, didn't even fill my medicine and she made it seem like I wasn't welcome there.

I have been going to Banfield for almost nine years and in that time, I have never had a problem with them. The staff is great! The girls at the front desk go out of their way to make me happy. They are always happy with smiles on their faces when I come in with my dog, Hazel. They love Hazel and Hazel loves them. The doctor and vet techs are great as well. They do their best. Animals cannot talk and tell us what is wrong, so I understand that they have to do blood work and other testing to find out what to do next.

I wish I had insurance like what I have through work. When I go to my human doctor, I have to pay a copay of $25.00 every time I go even if it is just a follow up. My human doctor always wants me to have a lot of blood work every time. Thank goodness that I have an insurance or it would cost a lot! The Wellness Plan, although not an insurance, helps out a lot as well. I don't have to worry about paying an office visit and I get my 10% off. So, when I do have to pay out of pocket, it is cheaper than what it would be if I didn't have it.

Also, when Hazel was just a puppy, they told me how the Wellness plan would help me save money. They showed the cost of just walking in for just two vaccines with office visit and medical waste fee. That added up to be almost the same amount that I would pay with the Wellness Plan for one year and for the one-time membership fee. They also recommended that because she is healthy now, I should go online and look into getting a pet insurance for her because when you go to a vet hospital, you pay for everything out of pocket and the insurance company will pay you back a certain percentage. So, now that Hazel is older, she has really bad skin allergies every spring, summer and fall. If I didn't have the Wellness Plan and my other pet insurance, I wouldn't be able to take care of her.

I love my Banfield, they have helped me out a lot and when I am there. I see how other clients are cared for. They are always happy. Of course, you are going to have some people who you can't make happy no matter what or people who are looking to get it for free. Life isn't free. I knew that when I brought my puppy into my home. She is going to cost a lot of money to take care of her the right way and as she gets older. It's not cheap! Banfield helped me in the beginning to do the best things for her. So now, I can afford the things that she need because she is older. I can't say enough how happy I am with Banfield. I always call around just to see how much things would cost at a different vet hospital and the prices are about the same, if not more, because they don't have Banfield's Wellness Plan.

So, as you read what other people have to say bad about them, keep in mind that Banfield is nationwide and you can't make everyone happy, especially when the person doesn't want to listen to the other side and has set their own mind on how it should be. First, ask yourself, did they go to four years of college and four more years of vet school to be able to give their opinion on how things should be done? Why listen to someone else? Go with an open mind and judge for yourself!

My overall visits usually go over very great. They help me with my dog and the problem is solved. The issue is they don't call back within 24 hours to check on my pet. I know it sounds crazy, but I'm serious. My best friend goes to a different Banfield at a different pet's mart and they call her at 10:00 AM the next morning to check on her pet, all the time.

Then the vet never shows face in my room. Always the vet assistant and they do all the work. I have only met the vet once and that's only because the assistant was taking too long working with me, and one of the employees walked in the room and said the doctor needs you in another room. I thought that was very rude. My dog was just as much in need as the other dog. I mean she was actually sick. Other people were coming in for just checkups and what not.

When I always call to schedule an appointment, the receptionist is always nasty to me like I can't bring my dog there if she's sick. Lastly, when I call to talk to the vet, it's always an issue. It just so happened no matter what time I call, whether it's 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, or 3:00 PM, the vet's on lunch and I have to leave a message. Then they call me back at least 4 hours later.

It's a weekday, you're not that busy. People actually work during the day. When the vet called me back one time, she was nasty. I told her I didn't get off until 6:00 PM and she goes well, I don't know what to tell you because we close at 6:15 PM. So if you're not here by then, we can't see your dog. Like, wow, that was rude. I paid u and I didn't even get to see your face and then you don't care to see my dog. That was sweet of you to say.

I called to talk to the vet again today. It has been about 2 hours since I called and I still haven't gotten a callback. You need to hire vets that care about our animals because they're like our kids. I think they're rude and I feel if I'm paying $100 a visit, I should be able to speak to a vet.

April 2010, my Alaskan Malamute was presented with pyometra, and received a spay. Last August 2011, my dog started bleeding. I took her back to Banfield, and she received 2 weeks of antibiotics for infections. After the antibiotics, she still continued to bleed. I took her to another vet, blood tests of estrogen and cortisol revealed my dog is in heat. After the surgery, the vet showed me an intact uterus and a right cystic ovary. Histological examination has been done and I received the results today, September 23, 2011. I have a copy in my hands. Dr. Sara ** was the first vet who negligently did the first spay.

Wellness plan is a scam. It is advertised as being a premium veterinary service "with special discounts on other services", outside of routine veterinary care. In reality, the price I was quoted with my super-spiffy special plan discount was over $1000 more than the cash price (no discount) at a local, independent veterinary office. Worse yet, when we had our first appointment, we showed up about five minutes before our schedule time, but we were then made to wait over an hour while they took a walk-in (non-emergency, animal in no distress) during our scheduled appointment time.

So, I get to pay an upfront big, chunk "start-up" fee, plus a recurring monthly fee, all for the privilege of being treated as less important than a common walk-in, even when I have an appointment, and the privilege of paying $1000 more for the same surgery than I would at another veterinarian in town, where I would actually see the same doctor every visit and get personalized care. Hmmm, decisions, decisions.

I took my dog in for skin problems and ears. I also wanted her nails cut and ears cleaned. I was made to feel by the veterinarian that I was neglecting my animal. They brought me in a plan program that started out at $397.00 and when I said no to almost all of that, they went in to say that they could not help, unless I purchased all the treatment. In this day and time, it is all people can do to help their animals.

The comments were inappropriate and made you feel like you didn't care about the animal. I would have stopped the treatment when the first comment came out of her mouth, if she had not been cutting the nails. I have visited this store before and never been treated like this. Maybe she should think how she comes across to the person who is paying the bill. As of now, I don't think I will revisit this vet (Not that you probably care). What a waste of time and money.

My dog nearly died because of their mistakes. I had to take him to the ER veterinary and it cost me $170. My children were a mess. Then, they charged me the monthly fee when I told them to cancel. They promised me the $23 and won't give it to me! Do not use them!

Samson is okay now, but I truly thought we were going to lose him!

I took my 3 month old kitten to Banfield for her first appointment with them on 08/29/2011. I only had a couple of complaints about her runny eyes and runny stool. They did a complete exam on her. They said she was a little underweight, but other than that she was good to go! Banfield checked and said that her ears were clean, and so was normal, non-painful under the abdomen section. They did try to push the Wellness Plan on me the whole visit, to which I kept kindly refusing.

Today is 09/13/2011. I accidentally stepped on my kitty to where runny feces had come out of her. I was devastated! I called Banfield and told them of my emergency. They gave me an appointment for two hours later, nothing sooner! I rushed my kitten to a local vet, and they saw her right away. They did a physical exam, and said it felt like she had had stomach problems for a while. I did not hurt her in the incident, thank goodness! The vet said after the fecal exam that she has giardia! Banfield should have picked that up! The emergency vet said that her ears looked like she may have had mites when she was younger, and her ears weren't cleaned afterwards. Banfield had said that her ears were clean and odor free! I feel bad for stepping on my kitten, but I am glad that I learned that she has a nasty virus that needs to be treated promptly! I do not recommend Banfield to anyone.

Earlier this year (February/March 2011 time frame), my mother took my 8-year-old female beagle Maxie to Banfield, her medical provider, to get a checkup done due to an obvious mass on Maxie's left side of the abdomen. Dr. Hurry examined her and told my mother that the mass was simply fat and that she needed to lose weight. He advised her that if the mass got larger, then he would suggest undergoing surgery to remove it. In June 2011, we brought Maxie in to Banfield because her eyes were profusely leaking tears. The female doctor who saw Maxie was Dr. Singh. She was very rude and inconsiderate of Maxie's situation. She prescribed Maxie with eye drops that ended up having no effect on her teary eyes.

In July 2011, Maxie began having symptoms of back problems. She began walking as if too much weight was forced on her back. We brought her back to Banfield and Dr. Hurry examined her once again. He mentioned that Maxie had back problems and that it was very common in beagles. Her back pain became so severe that Maxie could take no more than 1 or 2 steps at a time and would have to sit or lay down. We brought her back in to Banfield and Dr. Hurry prescribed her prednisone. Prednisone, a steroid, made no improvement on Maxie's problem. Not once did Banfield make any recommendations to do x-rays, blood work, or any further exams.

Days later, Maxie began salivating and coughing a lot. We brought her back to Banfield and Dr. Hurry stated that she had an infection that was causing her cough, and he placed her on antibiotics. Maxie's health worsened and we took her to a local veterinarian who was recommended to us by a relative. They immediately ran several tests such as x-rays and blood work. Her blood work came out normal for the most part but the x-rays showed a large mass inside her abdomen. This mass turned out to be a large tumor. The tumor was so large that it was causing her organs to be pushed to her sides, explaining the left mass on her left abdomen.

Dr. Craft was the vet who examined Maxie and he gave us two options. The first option was euthanasia because the tumor was so large and it was causing too many complications to Maxie's health. Due to the size of the tumor, it seemed very hopeless for a chance of survival. The second option was to undergo surgery to determine if the tumor was benign or malignant, but it would be a high-risk surgery with the potential for Maxie to die as soon as she receives anesthesia. I decided to move forward with the operation because I remained hopeful in that she would come out okay and she would get the chance to continue living.

Dr. Craft performed the surgery and found the large tumor to be benign. He removed it and Maxie survived the surgery in stable condition. Dr. Craft showed us the tumor. I almost fainted when I saw it. It turned out to be a 4-lb. tumor resting inside her abdomen. He recommended for Maxie to stay in his clinic overnight for further observation. He asked us to call him the following morning to see if Maxie improves.

We called the next day and he advised that Maxie was doing much better and was ready to go home. We were ecstatic and we picked her up a couple of hours later. Dr. Craft mentioned that due to the large size of the tumor, it caused complications to her lungs which were the reason why she salivated and had a chronic cough. There were fluids in her lungs and the prednisone that Banfield prescribed took a toll on her ability to properly recover. We took Maxie home and she seemed to be doing well, aside from being fragile and not being able to walk due to the 6-inch incision that was made on her abdomen.

Later that evening, Maxie's cough worsened and she began breathing heavily while she slept. We immediately took her to the nearest animal hospital. She arrived without breathing and without a pulse. The doctors immediately performed CPR and revived her. The doctors mentioned that she had gone too long without sufficient oxygen to her brain, meaning she was brain dead. There was nothing they could do for her. As a result, we had to euthanize Maxie. I would like for Banfield to assume responsibility for not properly diagnosing our beloved pet and causing her so much pain and suffering, including us, her family.

During the past month, especially this past weekend, we have incurred a total amount of $2,500.00. I would like for Banfield to take responsibility for what they did and cover the costs that we had to incur as a result of Banfield not properly diagnosing Maxie. I have done some research on Banfield to see if there are other cases similar to Maxie's and I found thousands of cases like ours. I would like for Banfield to be investigated and to put a stop to their careless practices. Thousands of pets have wrongly died a slow and painful death due to Banfield's negligence and I want this to stop so that no more defenseless animals have to experience what we experienced with this organization.

I took my my dog to Banfield two months ago for a sore on her chest. They did blood work and a swab to find out if there was any bacteria. They put her on antibiotics for 10 days but it got worse. On my second visit, the results came back positive so they put her on another antibiotic, which got her even worse. On the third visit, they decided that they couldn't do anything and referred her to an specialist, who obviously was very disappointed with the treatment and condition of the ulcer.

My cat has a rash on his belly and top of his left ear. I suspected ringworm. I made an appointment with Banfield Animal Hospital. The vet indicated he had to do testing to see if the rash was a fungus. The vet did a scraping of the cat's ear and belly for testing. I was told I would have to wait 10 days to see if the bacteria grows thus, proving the bacteria to be a fungus. I was told that they would prescribe medicine once the results from the test were back. I was charged $120.00 for the scraping and visit.

Bad, bad, bad; I wish there is an option for no stars rating. I have been recently seeking to adopt a pet. I was at Pet Smart looking at the kittens. After speaking to the volunteer, she had told me that Banfield had a four- week old kitten that I would love. She was right. After meeting the kitten and bonding with her, I asked what was required for adoption, aside from my application. I was told by the veterinarian assistant that Banfield does not take in animals. She had assumed the cost for the antibiotics that the kitten was taking which she would like to be reimbursed. She told me about diet, and said she would send home the food she had purchased with me.

We discussed veterinarians, and I told her that (which was also noted on my application) I intended to use a veterinarian close to my home, who came as a reference. I was told I would be able to bring her home on Tuesday or Wednesday. I received a call from Banfield on the day I was told I could bring the pet home. I was told there would be a $45.00 adoption fee, and I would be required to enroll the kitten in Banfield Wellness Plan for a total of $450.00.

This totally contradicted what I was told, and had discussed. I don't need a membership fee or financing (monthly payments) to care for a kitten. I am quite capable of paying cash. I never intended to use Banfield, and I stated this upfront. Banfield pulled a bait and switch which gives legitimate organizations trying to place animals in homes a bad reputation. I would never use a company which turns on a loving home for a profit. Shame on them!

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 an 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 paid for out of pocket and was not part of the well plan). It was not needed. And it could have been given at a later date because she was not 100% healthy.

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. They are money hungry. The only good thing with this clinic is that you can go shopping while waiting.

My daughter took her cat to Banfield because she was throwing up all the time and losing weight. They ran a lot of blood work and said there was nothing wrong with her. She gradually got worse over the next year and a half.

I took her to another vet and she was diagnosed with a cancerous growth on her kidney, causing her to be so sick. They said it was inoperable and she had to be put down. If Banfield had diagnosed her properly in the first place, her life may have been able to be saved.

Also, when she needed vaccinations, they gave her 5 at once, almost killing her. This may have let to her getting sick, as she was sick for a week and never seemed to be quite as healthy as she was before the shots.

I am writing in regards to the 6:30 p.m. appointment that I had for my dog at the Banfield in Apex, NC yesterday, August 31, 2011. When I scheduled this appointment, I confirmed that my dog's records would be transferred from the Banfield, Brier Creek location in Raleigh, NC. I have had my dog for 10 years and he has been experiencing the same ailments, with the same medications, for at least seven years. So, I am very familiar with the two medicines my dog requires: levothyroxine for his under-active thyroid and Remicin for his ear infections. The last time the Remicin was prescribed, it was at the Banfield location in Brier Creek.

Upon placement in an exam room, I found myself waffling back and forth for twenty minutes or so with a vet tech who kept searching for information on the computer. Her lack of familiarity with my dog's medical history and the medicine I was asking for (Remicin) was apparent. She would say things like, "I don't see that." The vet tech also insisted on an ear swab test for my dog, which I contested as unnecessary. After my frustration with the situation grew, I requested that she simply complete the blood draw for the levothyroxine--I would wait to talk to the vet. She took my dog into the back office, not returning for 30 minutes. When the vet finally appeared with my dog, I asked why a simple blood draw took so long. She said that she examined him in the back room.

I have never had an animal examined outside of my presence at any other Banfield or other veterinary hospitals. I do not understand how this is an acceptable practice. I also question the thoroughness of the exam because I know that my dog has plaque on his upper molars, something that every vet, seen in the last two years, has brought to my attention. The vet did not mention this obvious medical situation during the conversation that followed. As I did with the vet tech, I told the vet that I was familiar with what was needed, given the long history I've had with my dog, specifying both medicines. The vet also said that she would like to test the dog's ears, just to be sure of what type of infection the dog had, stating that certain medicines are better for certain infections. The vet talked me into allowing this $31 test.

Upon return, she offered me several medicinal option for my dog's ears, the first of which was the exact medicine I stated that he needed in the first place. Then the vet indicates that the medicine would have been the first recommended medicine with many of the different types of infection. Essentially, after an hour and a half that it took for a pre-scheduled basic vet visit, I feel that I was duped into paying $31 for an ear swab test that was unnecessary. I paid a $35.95 fee for an exam that, as far as I know, either didn't happen or, at best, was less than thorough. Not including a full prescription for levothyroxine, the cost of this horrible experience totaled to $157. I essentially believe that the amount should have been $66.95 less. Specifically, $31 less for the swab test that should not have occurred and $35.95 less for an exam that was not held in front of me (and very well could have not happened at all).

I have serious concern over the practice Banfield has; coercing customers to have their pets tested unnecessarily in an apparent attempt to increase customer charges, and the apparent practice of examining an animal outside of the owner's immediate presence. I request that the amount of $66.95 be refunded to me as a Banfield credit that I would be allowed to use at any Banfield location.

I recently took my 2 collies in for infections. They were not cured. So, I had to bring them both back. I have no faith that they will be cured after this second trip. I have yet to ever receive the results of one test they charged me for. Don't get sucked in to one of their wellness plans. Even though the office visits are free on the plan, they keep you coming in with a dog. They won't cure on purpose, so they can keep charging you for all the medicines that are not effective and non-refundable. Banfield is a big crooked racket.

To those who are complaining, the Wellness Plans are not insurance. They only include what is considered preventative care. Preventative care on Wellness Plans include vaccinations (only 1 of each type per year), 1 set of routine bloodwork per year, and various of other things. They are not meant to be insurance and they do not cover sick visits. They help with sick visits in that they include the office visits and give discounts on sick visits.

It is malpractice to routinely offer antibiotics to every pet after surgery. A routine spay/neuter or tumor removal absolutely does not need antibiotics. It is a different story if there is already an evidence of an infection being present. Of course, if there is evidence of an infection being present, antibiotics are warranted; otherwise, it is malpractice.

If your pet has an allergic reaction to a vaccination or heartworm injection, that is not anyone's fault. Nothing was done incorrectly. Is it anyone's fault if you have an allergic reaction to a bee sting and end up in the hospital because of it? Why should the doctor have to pay for something where no malpractice was committed? It makes no sense.

If you decide to cancel your Wellness Plan but use $500 worth of services on Day 1 of the Wellness Plan (and only pay $80 toward the monthly payments before you decide to cancel), why should you be allowed to cancel your Wellness Plan without paying the difference? You are ripping off Banfield by doing this. Think about it, people.

Also, when you come in as a walk-in, your pet is not an emergency, yet you refused to drop-off your pet and the hospital is busy, how can you expect that you won't be waiting for hours to see a doctor? What is wrong with these people?

Any company as big as Banfield will have numerous complaints on websites. You can't please everyone. The only reason why your neighborhood's non-Banfield vet does not have as many complaints online is because they are only one facility in one town. Of course, every business will have occasional complaints. Now, multiply this by 800 hospitals in the country!

On Friday August 26, 2011, I called PetSmart Banfield Pet Hospital located in 11331 Causeway Boulevard, Brandon, FL 33511. It was to schedule a drop off for a check-up of my pet. Bailey appeared to be sad at times, but still active when I arrived home; nevertheless, I was concerned. I received the okay to drop him off at 8:30 on a Saturday of August 27, 2011.

On Saturday of August 27, 2011, the check in went well. In the check-in sheet, I listed the reasons I was bringing Bailey in. I listed that I thought he might be in pain (potentially his hips), and he needed to be checked out. I also listed that he was overdue for his heartworm medication, and when the intake specialist sneezed, it reminded me that Bailey had been sneezing also, so I asked for that to be checked, as well. I received a call from Dr. ** at 1: 35 PM advising me that she has checked Bailey out and he will need to x-ray him to determine the condition of his hips. She indicated that there were some concerns, and she could not accurately diagnose him without x-rays.

She indicated the x-rays would need to be done under anesthesia, and it is not covered under my current Wellness Plan which, by the way, was scheduled to be paid off on Wednesday. During the call, the staff was researching plans that would accommodate the services she recommended were needed. Also, during this call she said that the only plan that would fit was the neutering plan. She said that Bailey is not a breedable dog and needed to be neutered. She went on to tell me how I could be punished legally should I attempt to breed Bailey due to his congenital disorders. She advised me of the Lemon Law; which would penalize me (as much as $1,500.00 per puppy), if Bailey father any puppies. This issue was mentioned several times during the conversation-- how I could be held liable for Bailey breaking loose and mating.

For the record, Bailey has never mated. I did not want the responsibility of him mating, nor any damages resulting in him mating, such as puppies of which I may be responsible for should another owner not want any puppies. Based on what Dr. ** said about the necessity of the medical care that was needed, I agreed to the upgraded plan. To me that it was implied that Dr. ** was more interested in neutering Bailey, and trying to deter me from breeding him. I do not believe that she was concentrating on his hip issues. She was eager to proceed with the neutering process stating that she could do it today, and I could pick him up at 6:00. Dr. ** never mentioned what she thought was wrong with his hips, only the fact that he needed to be neutered.

When I arrived to pick up Bailey, I was called into a conference room. I was advised that Bailey had a fractured hip. At this point, the conversation revolved around money. Dr. ** showed me the x-rays that were taken. She advised that Bailey had a fracture and that his joints were not in the sockets properly on both hips. She further stated that they were rubbing and not clicking--that was a problem. She stated the fracture does not heal on its own; that he would require a $1,700 worth of surgical procedure, and it could not be done at Banfield.

She recommended that I keep Bailey in a cage for five weeks, so the fracture would heal on its own. Meanwhile, my poor dog has a cone on his head, stitches in his groin and is going to be forced to remain in a cage for five weeks. I asked what other options we had. She answered a surgery that will cost $1700, which is described as a FHO (Femoral Head & Neck Ostectomy). She wrote the name down on a piece of paper for my record. I feel that the fracture should have been addressed first. I was now on a neutering plan; neutering could be done any time after the hip issue is resolved. This is cruel to the dog and me. I don't mind keeping him in a crate for five weeks, but not with a cone on his head that increases his anxiety. Dr. ** was interrupted by a staff at least twice for what appeared to be non urgent concerns regarding other pets.

On my way home, I called Banfield back because I was still not sure of how the hip problem related to Bailey being neutered. A young lady came to the phone and was very rude. She told me how expensive the x-rays and anesthesia would have been in my current Wellness Plan, and the only other option was to upgrade my plan. She stated those (x-ray & aesthesia) services were not covered under the current plan. She reiterated Bailey needed to be neutered because of all of the legal issue that I would face if I bred him. She then ran down my cost for violating the law; the Lemon Law that I could be charged with, and the penalty for each puppy that was born. She was very rude; this call did not make matters any better.

At approximately 8:45 PM, I received a call from Dr. **, who was following up from my previous call, as I am certain the young lady expressed how concerned I was. Again, Dr. ** talked about money; if she had to do x-rays with my current plan how much my out pocket expense would be. She then stated that the neutering plan was the best plan to cover the hip x-rays she felt was needed to determine his hip problem. Again, she added how important it was for him to be neutered because of the Lemon Laws, and how I could be penalized if he had puppies.

I was still not satisfied with Dr. ** response. I was more concerned how she implied that I would mate Bailey; thus, neutering him. After discussing with her that I was so close to paying off my Wellness Plan, she said that it will no longer apply. I have a new Wellness Plan, and the monthly premium has increased. Again, I was in disbelief of how my visit to Banfield has resulted.

Now I am faced with my poor dog in a kennel and with a cone on his head. The kennel was suggested to reduce movement, so the hip fracture would heal. He is uncomfortable adjusting to the cone and is aggressively trying to get the cone off. This causes him to move more which is likely to cause a delay with the healing of his hip fracture. He was prescribed gloclosimine conjoint, which will not be available until sometime next week. I was not given the option of the heartworm medication that was prescribed. On his last visit, he was given the flea prevention medication that included the heartworm prevention. I advised that I did not want that medication. Worm Shield (Hannah Pharmaceuticals) was prescribed by Dr. ** in January of this year. This medication was more cost effective for me, and Bailey was well adjusted to it.

Dr. ** stated that Trifexis is what she is giving her kids, and she strongly recommends it. Well, if this is the same medication he got last month, he had a vomiting reaction. So, I spoke to someone at Banfield and was told that if his vomiting episode was one hour after taking the pill, he would be fine. This never happened on the other medication.

This was not my first visit with Dr. **. Previously, she indicated that Bailey had crystals in his urine. She prescribed dog food that would reduce the crystals in his urine. I asked her how long he would be on the special food. She said for the rest of his life. However true this was, I did not feel comfortable with her treatment; I called back several times to inquire about her diagnosis and prognosis. During this visit, she did not say anything about this issue, nor during our conference did she have knowledge of his history described above.

In addition to the concerns noted above, Bailey was recently groomed at Petsmart. After he had been groomed, he was to be taken to Banfield for his vaccination and heartworm medication. When I arrived to pick him up at Banfield, it was suggested that I try the heartworm medication that includes the flea protection. I advised at that time that I don't think this option will fit my budget, but I tried it.

After we have arrived home, I noticed Bailey was acting a bit differently. About an hour after giving him the new heartworm and flea medication, he began to vomit. I immediately called Banfield and was advised that he would be fine. He continued to act differently, so I picked him up. I discovered that he had been cut on his penis and testicles during his grooming session. A few days following, I received a courtesy call from their grooming department, and I advised the caller of my discovery of Bailey's penis and testicles being cut and all. They offered was an apology. They told me to put Neosporin on the irritated areas, and they asked if I sought medical attention with a Veterinarian. I advised I didn't know I could do that, but I did tell the gentlemen that Bailey was walked over to Banfield after he was groomed. I was totally surprised that this was not noted by Banfield, as a fecal exam was done for the heartworm check. I have pictures of the injuries.

This ordeal had implications that I wanted to breed my dog; not only was it not recommended by Dr. Merkel, but she took matters into her own hands. I am hoping that we can come to a mutual agreement to resolve to the aforementioned issues. Here, are a few of my recommendations:

1. Any issues with his hips should be paid for in full because of him being placed in a crate, with a cone for two of the five weeks he was required to remain inside the crate to heal, and the medication suggested to help in the healing will not be available until Monday or Tuesday of the upcoming week.

2. This should be a training issue, so that no other customer has to bear the emotional and physical effects of the above referenced ordeal.

3. A better communication approach regarding the Wellness Plan should be provided.

I own a 5 year old Doberman Pinscher by the name of Foozer and I signed up for the Wellness Plan at Banfield Hospital in Brandon, Florida. I was told that my dog tested positive for heartworms, so I upgraded to the most expensive plan in order to cover the extra procedures needed for Foozer. I wasn't sure how I was going to pay the money for the expensive and dangerous heartworm treatment. I was shown his chest x-ray, and I was told that he was in the beginning stages of the disease since one blood vessel was larger than another one.

Luckily, I took Foozer to another vet (Sumter County Animal Hospital, who I would highly recommend) to get a second opinion, and I was told that my dog did not have heartworms.

I told the people at Banfield about my findings, so they wanted to test him again to confirm what I had told them over the phone. I brought him back to Banfield and Dr. ** tested my dog in front of me and found that he tested negative for heartworms.

Needless to say, I voiced my concerns over how and why this happened, and I was not given a straight answer. Not only did this business provide false information to me about my dog, but I just about spent a huge amount of money and put my dog through hell for nothing. I cancelled my Wellness Plan, and I am still receiving letters and phone calls on a regular basis. The letters continue to show monthly fees piling up and the company has threatened to report past due amounts to the credit bureau. One would think that Banfield would cut their losses with me and hope that this story did not get out, but it appears that they would rather continue squeezing me for money.

I wonder how many other pet owners have been told by Banfield Hospital that their pets tested positive for heartworms when the truth is that their pets were worm-free. The pet owners would never know the truth unless they got a second opinion.

My dog was scheduled for a checkup appointment. The hospital told me that they will give two vaccines today to my dog as part of the routine checkup.

I dropped my dog in the afternoon and was asked to pick up the dog around 7 p.m. When I returned to pick up my dog, I met Mr. ** who told me that the dog is ready and he'll bring her out. When he came back, he had a dog in his arms, which I thought was dying. The dog was all wet, the dog's eyes were all red and were like gonna pop out of the dog's head. The dog was ballooned up and seemed to be in severe pain and I was sure that's not my dog.

I immediately told Mr. ** that this is not my dog and his reply was no, this is your dog and told me that I was wrong but when I changed my tone with him, he said that he got the dog from the cage where my dog was supposed to be resting. He said that he'll see what's going on and went back to the back room and I followed him to see that what's going on.

While I was following Mr. **, another associate, Ms. Tania came running after me and started shouting why am I near the door. I told her what happened earlier and she kept yelling that I can't be standing here and I can't follow Mr. **. Again I tried to explain that I am worried about my dog and wanted to find out what was the issue and she kept yelling at me, move out of here and so on.

Two things: first, I was very much concerned about my dog and secondly, I felt so embarrassed that this lady Ms.Tania was yelling at me for no reason and has no professionalism. After few agonizing minutes, Mr. ** came back with my dog and told me that she was in another cage. At this point I remembered the first dog and his condition and started to think that I hope they didn't give the wrong vaccination to the wrong dog, which would be absolutely heart breaking.

I hope that poor little fella is OK and no more Banfield Pet Hospital for us.

My complaint about the local Banfield is two-fold. I went to purchase Rx cat food that my cat has depended on for three years. It was prescribed by Banfield and I have continued to purchase it from another vet that is close to my new home about four hours away. The receptionist said that my Rx was expired and I would not be able to purchase it. I explained that my cat was well and didn't need a visit at this time but was in need of the food. She said that I could speak with the vet if I wouldn't bring my cat in as it is their policy to renew the Rx at 6-month intervals.

While she went to inform the vet, another customer told me that she thought it was also unnecessary to have to keep renewing the Rx. We discussed Royal Canin food that we used and how she had decided to keep her pet on the Rx food, as I have these past years. They told me, at the time, that he was at risk for recurrence of the original problem if I didn't. She was quite polite and we had a nice discussion. At this point, I was put in a room to wait for the vet. Before he came in to speak with me, I saw him pass by and then heard him speaking to the woman in the waiting room I had spoken to.

Unbelievably, he was reprimanding her for "creating customer dissent." He was there several minutes. Of course, this customer was offended. I heard her tell him, also politely, that she has a right to her opinion and that he was out of line for speaking to her that way. He continued to berate her for speaking to me. I sat waiting and became angry when I heard this happening. He then came in and told me that he couldn't renew my pet's food (Rx) without a visit. "It's policy." I said that I understood but I didn't see the need to bring my cat in because he is doing well. I explained that I needed this food that they prescribed as I was nearly out and he was putting my pet at risk. He reiterated that it was the policy. I let him know that his lack of compassion was unacceptable and he said that I could think that if I wanted.

Upon leaving, the other customer waited for me to get my contact information because she was livid about how she was treated and spoken to. She also informed me about some private health information the vet mentioned to her about my pet. She knew that it was unprofessional and unethical. We agreed that we would both be sending a complaint to Banfield.

To add to my horror, I took my pet to another vet to get a new Rx and went back to PetSmart to get the food. I nearly imploded when they told me that I needed to take that Rx to Banfield to get a prescription card so I would be able to purchase. I refused and they sold it anyway. I am not finished sending complaints to any and all parties involved with Banfield and/or PetSmart. From receptionist to doctor, this place has zero compassion or willingness to help. I have nothing good to say about this location in Modesto, CA.

I took my three animals in for a certification to fly into the Bahamas. Most places charge $35 for the exam and I was flying out of South Florida so I went to this ** they call a practice. All my animals were up to date on everything and flea protection. I was catching my flight for work the next day and just needed a 48-hour certification that all animals were in good health. I was infuriated because I had to be in the clinic for five hours (equivalent to $500) or they wouldn't sign my documentation.

They gave fecal checks (negative), shots that the animals didn't need, heartworm checks, you name it. What a crock of **. I worked for a veterinarian for four years and I unloaded on the nurse and the doctor. They simply said, "We found a flea on your dog; therefore, we must do these tests. Also, the cats need to be tested for FeLuk." They are indoor adult cats and they are perfectly healthy. Then, they noted my certification. I almost got denied to get into the Bahamas (that my dog had parasites) just because of one presumed flea. I told them, "I was in PetSmart, you idiots. Do you not think the flea jumped on him here?" I hate this place.

I think, Banfield Pet Hospital, failed to give my dog its treatment. I called them about my suspicions that they did not give my dog the fluid therapy that the veterinarian had subscribed. There was no sign of water between its shoulder blades; no lump at all. Another thing, why wouldn't they let me watch them give my dog the treatment. Their reply to my suspicion is that the dog was extremely dehydrated and the fluids absorbed into the body quickly.

My veterinarian said that it takes a minimum of twenty minutes for it to be absorbed; that is if the dog was very dehydrated and up to two hours for the fluid therapy to be totally absorbed. Anyhow, how would I prove that the dog didn't receive the treatment?

I have been a very loyal employee to not Banfield Pet Hospital but the animals I saw each day, but I can take no more! I am a vet tech "pet nurse" and I am done with Banfield! I strongly suggest nobody bring their pets to any location!

As more of an inside perspective, I can say that Banfield's reputation is exactly correct, they are all about money! They will not treat your pet like family and you will be overcharged for unnecessary procedures/products. I have seen things in the past four years that have kept me up at night. I have witnessed a doctor hitting an animal during an exam, several different times. The same doctor instructed me to place an emergency bite wound dog into a kennel so that our scheduled appointments would be taken cared of first. While the doctor saw his scheduled appointments, I sat with the small dog while he was bleeding in his cage and crying from the pain; all I could do was cry.

I was only a vet assistant with no other experience and I thought my only option was to obey what the doctor said. The small Schnauzer died that night because his intestines were punctured. I wish that I could say this was location specific but I've worked at three different locations. I've seen a doctor admit that a patient does not need a specific service but charge the client anyway.

As an employee, I am treated terrible also, 8am till 8 pm schedule while getting paid crap! And sitting down at any point during those hours was a big no! I will never bring my animal to this awful place again, nor will I ever be associated with this place! This is only a small example of the negligent crap that I've seen in the past years! And finally, Firstshield flea prevention sucks! It's like water! Advantix is so much better! I worked with doctors who refused to put that crap on their own dogs because it does not work!

The costs for treatment are horrendous on top of the monthly dues which don't cover a damn thing. It is cheaper to save up the money that is being thrown away with these people for when your pet needs it, and take them to a "real" animal hospital.

My plan is expiring at the end of this month and today (the 19th) I took my dog to get his vaccine. Well, they could not give it to him unless I renew the plan for another year, even though it has not expired yet, or else, the cost will be about $100.

It's unbelievable. I can't believe that I have spent so much time and money with these people.

My dog had a surgery at Banfield Pet Hospital for tumor removal worth $600, but he was not given antibiotics after the surgery. My dog scratched open one of the sutures, two days after the surgery, so we had to go back in and have the incision stapled shut ($90). Again, he was not prescribed antibiotics.

I took him in for his follow-up appointment ($130) and the vet told me the site has abscessed so they will have to do another surgery ($500). All of this could have been avoided had the vet prescribed antibiotics ($50) in the first place. My dog is having the surgery today but I have little confidence and won't be surprised if I will be picking up a dead dog.

I went there twice within a week and saw two different vets who just went off a three page list of the things they could do: e.g. x-rays - $200. I took my dog to another vet within the same week and they diagnosed her problem immediately. It was a golf ball-sized hotspot on her tail. When I spoke with Dr. **, I specifically told her I wanted a rectal and pancreas test, which she did, but both were negative. The first two vets gave me medicines for upset stomach, which wasn't the problem. They should have examined her tail and they would have found the problems immediately.

I recently spent over $1,300.00 on medications, injections, office visits, tests, and prescription foods for my dog because Banfield continued to ignore what I told them. They said that my dog's breed just had bad genetics and nothing was going to change. I original brought her there in February because she had two scabs/sores on her back that weren't going away and I wasn't sure what had caused them. They automatically said it was allergies even though she has no history of allergies and gave her antibiotic for her ears as they claimed there was yeast in them. They made me put her on prescribed ultra allergen food. The scabs and sores began to spread all over her body, her eyes became full of this thick yellow substance and her mobility became limited due to her not being able to jump up and down on the couch or bed, struggling to go up stairs and even stand up.

It guilted me into having Adequan injections for supposable horrible arthritis (one injection caused her to have a seizure in the car while driving on I-40) and they acted as if me not giving in to their recommendations made me a poor owner. They also told me that the out of nowhere ear "wax" that was clogging up her ears daily was just normal and I just needed to clean them more often even though I was already scraping this junk out on a daily basis. All of these things continued to get worse and I was ignored and they continued to say she didn't have an ear infection, her skin sores were from allergies even though she'd been on their food for months, and her mobility was the arthritis that she was receiving weekly injections for.

At the point of her yelping in pain when just laying still, I took her on Tuesday afternoon, June 21st, to Northeast Veterinary and found out she doesn't have arthritis at all and the wax and scabs all over her skin were due to a bacterial infection that Banfield claimed was normal wax buildup. Her ears were clear within two days of being on the appropriate antibiotics and ear medication, her skin lesions have almost completely healed, and her mobility is back to almost 100%.

On a side note, the past several times I've dropped her off at Banfield at 8am and I came back between 5:30-6:00pm (this particular day was on May 24th 2011), I was told that they had other emergencies to attend to and had not looked at her yet and for me to come back in 45 minutes or so. This would be after I've worked all day and my poor dog had sat in a small crate for the past ten hours with no food, water, or bathroom break.

I could go on and on about the rudeness, medical neglect, and incompetence they have shown but I think I've proven my point. I feel it is time their inadequacies have been brought to life and people should be informed and stand up to this company.

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We have tried unsuccessfully for the past six months to cancel the wellness plan for our dog. We have called numerous times. The local store is unable to help. They will sell you the stuff but unable to help and refer you to their "corporate" office in which nothing gets resolved. This is a gimmick and a ripoff.

I had an emergency situation with one of my dogs. I called Banfield Pet Hospital, whom I've paid upwards of $5,000 over the past three years for services, and was put on hold for over 30 minutes before being disconnected.

When I called back to complain, they simply hung up on me. The fact that I had an emergency situation with my pet clearly meant nothing to them. It would be a huge mistake for anyone to consider Banfield Pet Hospital.

This was years ago....but goes well with the complaints I've been reading. My dog had heartworms and I brought her in to be treated. I told the vet that I only had enough to cover the treatment and no more. This sort of thing is rather expensive and I was very broke. I left my dog to be treated after signing that I was agreeing to treatment for heartworm only.

When I came to pick her up they handed me the bill. It was for far more than what I was quoted. On the signed agreement, they hand wrote the extra treatment they had performed that had nothing to do with heartworm. I told them I was not going to pay for that not simply because of our agreement but because I did not have those funds available to me. They told me they could not release my dog to me unless I paid. I told them then they could keep my dog and I started to walk away. The vet then said...."no...take your dog but we never want to see you again." I said that was fine.....because I can not trust a vet who would authorize treatment I had not agreed to (in writing none the less) and had been up front regarding what I could pay for.

To everyone: We appreciate your feedback and welcome further discussion of your experiences. If you would like to discuss your concerns, please call our Client Advocate Team at 877-500-2288.

I have a 13 year old Lhasa Apso with Liver disease which has been managed well since 2008. He had a flare up and I took him into Banfield. They weighed him and his weight had dropped and did one blood test and said he is at end stage liver disease you need to put him down. I took him to specialist the following week and ran a myriad of blood work to find out that his condition was completely stable and he is fine. Banfield wouldn't even test for a virus or anything and just said I needed to come back in 2 weeks and put him down

I brought my 6 month old puppy in to get spayed and they killed her.She was a happy healthy little pup and these monsters kept pressuring me to upgrade to the plan that will include spaying, and telling me "the sooner the better" that it will be unhealthy for her if I don't and don't plan to breed her.MONSTERS! I did not want to give any stars- how about minus ten stars.

I have a wellness plan with Banfield Pet Hospital for 5 years and took him in for regular check ups and blood test. Just an FYI that the plan allows one blood test per year, any others are out of pocket, so you can imagine my expense. They told me in May 2011 that my dog's kidney enzymes were elevated and follow up in 2 weeks. When I returned in June 7th, they ran more blood work and confirmed his kidney levels continue to stay elevated $$. They recommended to come back the following business day for more in depth testing $$$. Came back the following business day and the bad news continued. At that point, they perscribed him a Kidney nutritional diet. within 2 days.

Requested for him to return within 30 days to see how this diet is helping his levels. Came back July 9th for his follow up visit, they gave him a physical check up in front of me and then proceeded to take him into the back room where their lab is to take more blood work $$$$. His levels continue to stay high. We were recommended to continue the prescription diet. Once, we got home with our pet we noticed a huge change in his behavior. He was lethargic, began to shake, cry, not eating or drinking or moving his bowls. How could there be such a drastic change after a visit to the vet? Because of this, I did not feel comfortable bringing him back to Banfield so I took him to the emergency care pet hospital near my home and after they did blood test, told me my dog has severe pancreas illness and could die. Banfield never told me or noted on my invoices from the day of the blood test or the day after that he had a pancreas problem.

The doctor at Banfield said it is documented in the computer on his medical records that I was informed of the "possibility" of a pancreas problem. No one told me or I would have acted on it, nor did they note the invoices they gave me that I was advised or list this concern about the pancreas. This was not only unprofessional but also neglectful for not informing me and more important not treating my pet for the problem. Oh yes, the medical records say "possibility". What does that mean??? They do not have the capability to run an accurate test to know for sure? I now have a new vet now and they requested his medical records from Banfield which I now have copies.

I was a monthly Wellness Plan Customer for YEARS at the Brentwood, TN location. When the monthly rate increased and increased to the point I had to cut it from our budget, I became HARASSED by Banfield, by telephone and letter. Threatening collection action if I did not pay the monthly amount including a personal letter from the Vets at the Brentwood, TN hospital. I had been told by Banfield workers that I could cancel at any time. STAY AWAY!!!!! SUCH A RIP OFF!!! ZERO CUSTOMER SERVICE!!

To start, I upgraded my dog's insurance so he can have his K9 remove, teeth cleaning, etc. But this clinic has always had a really bad service, ever since Dr. ** and her staff. Overall, I have had a bad experience on an average of 80% from the first year I had insurance for both of my dogs. Therefore, I canceled one of my dog's insurance.

Now, my recent experience with this clinic is my dog's cleaning teeth. He had an appointment and, all of a sudden, they called me to tell me that they had to cancel. When I paid my monthly bill, I feel that they care less about it. They did not reschedule it or called me or anything. I had to call to reschedule and they gave a bunch of excuses. I feel tired already since it's always me who had to call and find out when my dog's appointment is and that is not my job.

I will not put up with them anymore. This needs to be fixed ASAP. I am wasting my money, time and energy with these people. Please help me, thanks.

I took in an animal with a severe rectal prolapse and the doctor prescribed meds and sent us home. The pet died as soon as we got home. I called Banfield to ask if I could return the unused meds and they said no. They said that my animal was under warranty and just get a new one. I told Nanette that I was going to complain to the customer service. She was very snippy and told me to do what I had to do. Well, Management told them to refund my money (this process took about two weeks altogether).

Nanette's attitude was completely different. She was friendly, apologetic, and gave me a full refund. I was so impressed with her kindness and honesty that I decided to keep taking my other pets to Banfield.

About a month later, I called to request refills on some meds for a pet. I was told that the meds were back-ordered. It wasn't an emergency, so I waited. I called back periodically, only to be told that the meds were not available. This went on for about a month, then without warning, I received a large, plain-white envelope in the mail by certified mail; there was no indication as to who the sender could be. When I opened it, I discovered it was from Banfield, sending my records back and telling me to get lost. I thought this must be something that Nanette had dreamed up on her own, so I called customer service back to explain to them that I understood that they no longer wanted me as a customer, but that they did not have to resort to this type of lying, passive-aggressive behavior, pretending that the meds were back-ordered when they really just wanted to get rid of me. The customer service told me that the district manager had approved this letter and this method of getting rid of me, and that nobody would return my phone calls or acknowledge me in any way.

The vet should have told me that my pet was gravely ill and should be euthanized. Instead, she was all chirpy and acting like this condition was no big deal and he'd be fine. If Banfield did not want me as a customer, they should have told to my face instead of acting like a bunch of third-graders. I have known Nanette for two years and I was shocked that she would behave so horribly; however, the fact that the district manager would encourage and approve such unprofessional and childish behavior is even more shocking.

I am a 60-year-old woman; I am not violent or dangerous, and all that silly cloak-and-dagger stuff is completely unnecessary.

We have ten wellness plan contracts. We are in our third year. We love the service we have gotten from our local facility and our preferred vet at that facility. The staff is always courteous and professional. We have saved thousands of dollars taking this route.

Previously, we had gone to a high-priced vet for over ten years in Boca Raton, Florida. We switched due to a misdiagnosed of our beloved, Bunkie. I guess you never know what you are going to get whether you overpay or are charged fairly. We feel we are very lucky with our experiences, thus, far with the local facility!

My sister made an appointment to euthanize her 16 year old dog at the local Banfield hospital. In making the appointment, she explained (to Banfield staff) all of the prudent details related to the dog's decline. She included the fact that the dog bit her niece the day prior. The appointment was scheduled, and my sister was assured that she would be supported through this process.

Driving the dog to her final appointment, and preparing to say goodbye, was clearly one of the hardest things my sister and her family have gone through. Unfortunately, after more than an hour of crying and waiting in the hospital, my sister learned that the veterinarian would not be able to follow through with the planned procedure. Prior to making it clear that my sister would have to leave with the dog, and one of your staff members quite insensitively suggested several times that the dog's "head could be cut off, and sent in for testing. "

I felt shock and disgusted after I heard how this agency handled this situation. It is absolutely unacceptable that because of Bandfield's oversight, my sister and her family will have to experience the pain of ending their dog's life. If this agency does not have the resources to train their staff, then I feel they have no business offering this procedure.

I had an awful experience. On December 18th 2010, I took my dog in for peeing trouble. I filled out the initial paperwork stating, trouble urinating, and shots. They called and said she was ready. The cost would be $85. They forgot to trim her nails and would do them for another $20, which was initially free. When I arrived, the tech said it would be an additional $65 for the test results so I declined. I felt I payed for examination, shots, nail trim and testing, and I should get results for the exam and test anyway.

I travel to HSV, AR every three months to visit my parents and my dog gets groomed there. I chose to get a second opinion from the DVM that my family has used for more than seven years.

The following weekend, December 27th 2010, I took her into a DVM in Hot Springs Village, AR. Within two minutes into the exam, she said my dog had stones, and asked if she could do an x-ray. I agreed. The Doctor and tech returned with the x-ray and I saw the blockage and just cried. She had to have immediate surgery. After surgery, the doctor stated that this was not an overnight diagnosis, my dog had them for a while! There was seven stones, the largest one 1 1/2" inches by 1" inch which was sent out for testing, and three of them were 1" by 1" and the other three were minor. I still have them.

Banfield has yet to respond to my request of reimbursement for their costly mistake.

Maintained a prepaid services agreement for three years, then cancelled. They have called relentlessly, intimidating us to pay $439.35 for unearned service. Turned us over to I.C. System, Inc - a collection service, now calling demanding payment with threat of credit reporting.

On March 25, 2011, we took our dog Lilly in for a preventive exam. We have been on the Wellness Plan with Banfield for five years. We told them that Lilly had been a little lethargic and hopefully that would be able to tell from her regularly scheduled blood test. After dropping her off with Dr. ** at 8:00 a.m. I received a phone call stating that Lilly had pancreatitis and was given medicine to give her over the weekend (This cost us additional $276.00).

She became worse over he weekend, so we took her back to Banfield Monday morning. Dr. ** suggested that we take her to VCA Sacramento Veterinary, which we did. After spending an additional $1,500.00 we were told that Lilly did not have pancreatitis, but was diabetic and had gone into a diabetic shock. Due to the negligence and misdiagnosis of Banfield, we lost our Lilly on Monday, March 28, 2011.

I had the misfortune of taking my very sick (as it turned out diabetic) dog to Banfield Hospital (PetSmart). I was informed by a rude receptionist that a rabies shot would be required before any examination of the dog, that it is a Florida state law.

After searching for a responsible veterinarian, I found one in Coral Springs (FL) that stated that no vet in his right mind would administer a rabies shot to a sick dog. I am very disappointed and shocked to find this out about Banfield and furthermore will no longer shop at PetSmart. I plan to share this information with everyone I speak to.

I dropped my dog off for his checkup and also paid $35.96 for him to get his heartworm shot. I received a call from the hospital that said he had a allergic reaction to what they gave him. So the gave him medication to counter reaction the medication that they gave him. THEN, they charge me for that. I said are you really charging for something you a did this should just be even.

I signed up for a Wellness Plan with the understanding that I could pick my medical home. When my dog fell ill she had test done there and when I called for the results as they were not faxed to the specialist I informed them who needed the results they refused to give them to me, so I went to another Banfield location after complaining in the hopes that the corporate office would resolve the issue. When I went in today back to Evanston today with my sick dog they refused services even though the contract says I can pick any location the vet refused to service me and I can't get out of the contract

We enrolled in a pet wellness plan that, as described, would cover "everything, giving us total peace of mind". Although we rarely used it except for the annual spring visit for rabies and a wellness checkup, We always got tagged for about $145 on average - the same amount it would have cost to go see a real vet and still have the "peace of mind" suggested. When our dog got an ear infection, we went for a couple of visits, had to wait about an hour each time before I walked out. I told them I was very dissatisfied and didn't want to continue the plan. As it turns out - you have to pay whether you like it or not. I did so, but have cancelled the plan (again) and this time, got it in writing from the local Banfield shop and had corporate send me a confirming email. If Banfield offers you a "wellness plan" my advice is to carefully consider why you are at a Banfield facility in the first place after seeing the reams of complaints I see on the web.

The main reason I tried Banfield Animal Hospital was because of their hours of operation. My dog had been sick the night before and had been limping on one leg, so I spent most of the next day inbetween appointments at work trying to find a vet that was opened past 5 PM.

The appointment went from bad to worse, they told me that my dog was dying of liver failure or maybe even cancer of the liver, they based this on the fact that she had thrown up the night before, it was grainy, slimmy and smelt like it had came from the opposite end, if you know what I mean. Which is why I agreed to do blood work, $475.00 after which they still had no answer as to what was wrong with my buddy. They did xray's of her leg because they thought it could be arthritis, the xray's showed none they said.

After three hours and the $475 I had mentioned above they still could find nothing definite wrong so they suggested that I come back for more tests. At one point during the three hours I started to leave just for them to give me a guilt trip, they actually asked me, well don't you want to find out what's wrong with your dog, I said of course but your not finding anything wrong. I went back on Saturday and spent an additional $475.00 for an acid bile test which came back normal. Then they suggested that I do an ultrasound on her liver and biopsies if she had any tumors. Which I did not do, I told them that she had been poked and proded on enough and that I just wanted to let her be.

Anyway to make a long story short, within two weeks time this place got over $800.00 from me, never gave me any medication for my animal, I cried the entire two weeks about my buddy not to mention the stress level was off the charts. She was still not well and I was at my wits end. I went home to Ohio to see family and took her to my family vet, Dr. Timmons who spent about ten minutes with her, sent me home with a ton of meds and said that she absolutely has arthritis in that leg without even having to xray it. It has only been four days since her trip to Ohio and she feels 100% better, no more limping, she actually goes up stairs without assistance. Also, Dr. Timmons said that he didn't see any reason for them to say that she was dying of liver failure that it is totally normal for a dog of her age to have elevated liver enzymes.

I WILL NEVER GO TO BANFIELD ANIMAL HOSPITAL AND I HOPE KNOWONE DOES. They should be shut down. Shame on them for taking advantage of people who love their animals!!

I picked up a puppy from a shelter (which is another complaint as they gave me a very sick dog) and I took her to Banfield because of their hours of operation and I was hoping prices would be more reasonable. They gave her an antibiotic, meds for fever and for diarrhea and drew labs. They assured me she had chlamydia that needed treated and worms. My bill was almost $400. It took 2 weeks for her fever to subside but she was still sick. We returned for our follow up appointment. I let another vet know that she was not much better and she was having sinus infection symptoms with sneezing and gagging and bringing up green mucus. She put her on 2 more weeks of the same antibiotic and stated she was just such a sick dog that it was taking longer. Almost $200.

Two weeks later she is still no better. A third follow up appointment and now a third vet who wants another $121 to perform cultures and put her on another antibiotic. Does this feel like I am being nickel and dimed? Yes. I don't put up with seeing 3 different doctors that don't know me when I am sick, but Banfield thinks this is ok when an animal can't talk and say how they feel. The vet was also 45 minutes late even seeing us. We were forgotten about. We heard him ask if anyone was in room 2 when we had been in there for 40 minutes. This is not the care and concern I am used to from vets. Over $500 and my dog is almost as sick as she was as the first visit with Banfield. I now have to spend money to go to another vet.

On Monday, 5/23/11, I took my pet, my best friend, to the Banfield at the local PetSmart which had been his groomer. He was not eating, drinking a lot of water, and getting lethargic. They ran a series of test and recommended some oral prescriptions. The puppy was throwing up everything, including the water, as they were told. No urine test. The bill came to $626.00. They scheduled a follow up on Thursday.

The puppy did not live that long. On Wednesday, he was so bad that I took him to another vet based on a friend's recommendation. In about five minutes, she determined that the puppy was very dehydrated. He should not have been kept down on any medication in any case. And after a strip in a urine sample, it was determined that he had severe diabetes and probably would not live. He died later that day.

The "charge" of $626.00 could not be stopped, because a "service" had been delivered. I only wish those involved at Banfield get the same "service" at some point in their lives.

Our dog has been going to Banfield since she was 8 weeks old. We have purchased the Wellness plan every year. On 5/14/2011, I returned home after being away for the afternoon only to discover that my dog could not get off the bed that she was on. She could barely walk and cried on pain when touched. I went into the Banfield Hospital the next morning when they opened at 10:00 am and was told by the receptionist that they were really busy that day and it would be several hours before my dog would be seen (I guess a possible spinal/neck injury doesn't constitute and emergency). I took my dog home to rest and she continued to decline.

I went to work the next day and called Banfield in the afternoon to see if I could bring her in to be seen. After being put on hold for a while, the receptionist returned to tell me that they were booked that day and I could bring my dog in as a "walk in," but she could not guarantee how long it would be before she was seen. The receptionist then proceeded to tell me that Banfield doesn't like to see sick pets in the late afternoon or evening because they might need x-rays or further tests. I then asked the receptionist what the point was of paying for this so-called Wellness plan if I couldn't even get my sick dog in to be seen. I told her I wanted to cancel the plan and, without hesitation, she recited the phone number for the corporate office for me to cancel the plan.

I took my dog to the urgent care animal hospital and they diagnosed her with a possible protruding disk in her neck. She was placed on painkillers and muscle relaxants and I was advised to follow-up with my regular vet in 1 week. Needless to say, I have found a new vet for my dog and will never return to Banfield Animal Hospital! I would not recommend Banfield to anyone.

I recommend that no one use Banfield Pets in any location. The individual locations are all tied to the main office in Oregon and the basic tenet is sell, sell, sell. You will find that you are paying an amount each month that tallies nicely at the end of the year. For this amount, you receive little that you could not get cheaper from any local veterinarian. In addition, their diagnosis of a particular problem is often inaccurate and, again, tied rather to selling you an expensive array of medications that are never covered by your particular "plan."

You will discover this should you "sign on." You will also come to realize quickly that you are wasting your money. Do not do, as I did, and accept the word of your local Banfield's that you do not renew at the end of your contract. You must contact the home office. I was not told that. Rather, I informed my local clinic.

The month after expiration, my bank account was automatically billed. When I called, they said it was "my responsibility" to notify them of non-renewal. However, without notifying me, they increased my premium by $10. I could not get my money refunded.

Do not use Banfield unless you enjoy being ripped off.

I had an 11-year-old Yellow Lab who was taken into Banfield on December 17th 2010, due to him limping on left front leg which was extremely painful. Dr. Elizabeth ** took x-rays which did not reveal any fracture. The cost of the visit with Wellness pain was $257.96. Dr. Elizabeth wanted me to bring in my dog for acupuncture treatments at $100.00 and visit possibly twice a week. I declined wanting to see how he would do on meds. He was fine for a few months and started to limp again on March 29th. I took him in this time and he saw a different vet and she diagnosed him with very bad arthritis. She prescribed Rimadyl, which cost me $46.53. My dog did not seem to get any better so I contacted them and was told to set up for re-evaluation and blood work in which I did before they could give me any more Rimadyl.

On April 8th, I took him to see another vet outside of Banfield. He informed me to have vet at Banfield to re-evaluate shoulder because it felt enlarged. On April 12th, Banfield vet re-evaluate my dog and checked shoulder never once mentioned to re-xray it, vet states arthritis and prescribed Tramodol for pain and for me to order Consequin DS tablets, which takes between 4-6 weeks to work. At this visit, they did take blood which had elevation in his Bilirubin; they also dewormed him and gave him Bordella vaccine.

On April 28th, I contacted them again because my dog is in a lot of discomfort; they set him re-evaluation appointment for May 3rd. I could not bear to see my dog in so much pain so I took him to see outside vet again on May 2nd. This vet took another set of x-rays confirming the worst for my dog; he had Osteocarcinoma of his left shoulder and had months to live. He explained that my dog was in extreme pain and Tramodol will not help it and prescribed something stronger. Sadly, I finally had my answer to all my dog's pain, but had to go to a vet outside of Banfield for my answer; this visit cost me $205.00.

My dog had to be put down on May 5th and he was still in extreme pain and I could not bear to have him suffer any longer. Again, I took him back to the same vet who was able to diagnose his problem and paid $190.00 for him to be put down. I not only lost my dog; I lost a loyal champion and friend who was a remarkable one of a kind pet. I lost out on possibly having him with me longer with the correct diagnosis.

I was extremely angry to know all the suffering he endured at Banfield Pet Hospital. I want everyone to be aware not to take their devoted pets to this hospital. I honestly feel that this place should be put out of business. The end result is that my loyal dog, who was in excellent shape besides his left leg, had to be put down. I was and still am extremely sad to lose such a dog who I thought still had many years to be with me.

These guys are good at the upsale. Luckily, I trust my local vet more. I brought my dog in for a 'routine' exam because of a free promotional offer. All of a sudden, my 'free' exam was costing me $173 and they wanted me to buy into a urine culture for $130, antibiotics for $40 and recommendation to purchase a special dog food in the attached PetSmart. They had recommended a blood workup which is fine if they knew how to read the results honestly. I took the results to my vet who pointed out discrepancies in the findings (i.e. if she had a UTI, her counts would be up in places where they were 'normal').

Long story short-- Susan ** (owner and vet of this location and the Morehead City location) *missed* a spinal fracture that 2 other vets felt on palpation, the delay in her treatment plan caused irreversible paralysis and nerve damage in my puppy.

My 5 (to 6)-month-old German Shepherd was on the Banfield "plan". Took him in 3/23/11 for a limp (after he had escaped and was missing for 12 hours in a wooded area populated with wildlife). After a quick (less than 3 minutes) exam and conference he was diagnosed as having "pano" without X-rays or blood work. We were told by Susan ** that it was highly unlikely to be related to his being out in the woods for 12 hours. If it was related to that, it was because the overexertion may have caused the inflammation. We were also told by ** (owner/vet) to rest him on Rimadyl and Tramadol for 2 weeks and come back for x-rays if he was unimproved.

We were told that on the plan our discount would put us at $479-$559 for sedation and x-rays. This turned out to be MORE than what we spent (a total of $456) at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine Emergency Room in Raleigh for emergency care with an exam, x-rays with sedation, blood, neurology consult, and a week's worth of meds for home. This was also more than any other veterinarian in a 20 mile radius, including our local emergency clinic for the sedation and x-rays.

After taking our puppy to another local vet, after he worsened to the point of not walking within 12 days (this was 4/4/11), we were told that his case was severe and it was unbelievable that ** diagnosed him without a workup. The second vet told us to rush to the Emergency Room at the Teaching Hospital over two hours away, because it was that severe. Our beautiful baby was diagnosed with a L4-L5 compression fracture, which due to the almost 2-week delay, caused irreversible nerve damage and rear end paralysis.

Two different vets (the local vet that we took him to when he worsened and the vet at the hospital) diagnosed the fracture on palpation. It was confirmed via X-ray, yet ** *missed* all of this during her physical. Due to her incompetence, we are losing a puppy that we consider to be part of our families. We have 3 options. 1) Spend $5000 for a surgery that may work but is not likely to reverse the damage, just possibly stop the progression. As a military family raising foster children, we can't afford a surgery this expensive. 2) Confine him to a cage for 8 weeks, while feeding him large quantities of medication in the hopes that it may heal on it's own which is less likely than surgery or 3) euthanize a puppy that, had he been diagnosed correctly the first time, would have had an excellent chance at recovery.

If we go with option 3, and put him down, we have to continue to pay for our "plan" at Banfield. We are in the process of working with the Client Advocate Team at Banfield Headquarters to fix this. They are launching an immediate investigation into this veterinarian and we are also filing a complaint with the NCBVM (state board). Susan ** also has multiple complaints against her that have been filed since she has been in practice.

I have two six-month-old female Weimaraner pups who went to get spayed on March 26, 2011 at the Sawgrass, Florida Banfield Hospital. The following day, my babies started getting white spots all over and shedding like crazy. I assumed it was a reaction to the anesthesia from the surgery. A few days after the surgery, I decided to give the vet a call in reference to the pups' hair shedding. I was told to bring them in anytime; when I arrived at the facility on April 2, 2011 at 7:00 PM for the doctor to check them, the first thing out of the assistant's mouth was that I have to pay an after hours fee (just a reminder: the vet closed at 8:00 PM). I thought she was playing a day-after-April-Fools joke on me. My horns automatically turned on.

Getting to the point, my pups were checked out by the doctor, and she stated that she has to administer a skin test to check them for mites. The cost is $30 per pup, and if the test results are positive, I have to pay for medications for each pup. My pups never had any skin or health problems whatsoever until they reached this unsanitized facility. I declined the test because she should have administered the test for free due to the fact that they caught the ** from their infestations.

On Monday, April 4, 2011, I called Banfield's complaint line to file a complaint. I was on hell hold for at least 30 minutes. A customer service rep finally answered the phone by the name of Dwayne. I submitted a claim over the phone, and he stated it takes five business days for them to complete their investigation, and someone will give me a call. A joke. If I wait around for this money-hungry company to treat my pups, they will look like hairless pups. I hired an attorney to analyze the situation to see if I have a case. In the time being, my pups are been treated elsewhere.

The Banfield Pet Hospital provides inconsistent quality of care and very poor follow-up. Rotation of doctors prevents adequate pet care with a degree of continuity. My pet requires an ultrasound due to very high liver enzyme levels. The physicians are very negligent concerning overall training and follow up with owner questions and concerns. The center where I have taken my pet does not have the equipment for an ultrasound. So, days have passed with no followup as to where and when I can take my pet. Needless to say, I am worried and I am trying to get the vet to provide me with adequate followup.

The headquarters is in Portland Oregon and the CEO is Mr. John Payne. Their 1-888 number for complaints is a joke. They promise to call you back within 3-5 business days. Don't wait by the phone, no one will call. There is quite a bit of turnover with the vet staffing, vets leaving or only there for one day a week. I believe that if a vet really cares about providing quality care above profits, they will not be working at Banfield. An investigation need to be done. They are simply getting away too much and they can do it.

I signed up for their plan for my cat that included spraying. There was an initial fee and a recurring monthly fee for this coverage. My cat died 4 months into the plan and I have to continue paying for 9 months for this plan, even though my cat is deceased. This is unfair and takes advantage of grieving owners. When I called them, they said that I had to pay the fee, even though my cat is deceased. Can anything be done to end this scam?

Banfield Pet Hospital offers a Pet Health Wellness Plan. All of their advertising describes it as a discount plan on veterinary services with Banfield. It does apparently discounts the price on most services, but you must be aware that it does not cover all services. That is not well-documented upfront. Another issue that is not documented upfront is that even though you are billed on a month to month basis, the plan is a yearly contract with an automatic auto-renew unless you opt out at the end of the yearly payment term. If you try to cancel before the year end, they will not do so if the "savings" you got on services are greater than the premiums you pay. So based on this practice of theirs, you are not saving anything at all because you are going to be paying it in premiums. I really think some state attorney generals should be made aware of this company's practices. At the very least, they should be forced to make this very clear upfront before the sale. As it is, only a brochure and the staff comments about how much I'd save were given to me.

Purchasing our first puppy was an investment so when I heard about Banfield, I went. The wait every time is always longer than one hour just sitting in their cold exam rooms. I spent nearly $1200 on my puppy at Banfield because she got sick and needed numerous tests, 4 sets of x-rays on two different days. She was given numerous meds, all of which seemed like the vet did not know what she was doing so she kept guessing.

I am in the medical profession so of course, I questioned everything she did. The vet had me bringing my 7pound chihuahua back so many times. Every time I had to write a big check. At her advice, I took the medical plan only to learn months later, it's not pet insurance. So I tried to cancel. The male representative refused to cancel my account unless I made a payment over the phone of $336. He also said I had to send my ID to him; I said this does not sound legal. I asked for a supervisor and he said no. What's going on at Banfield? Why do I still have to pay them if I call to cancel? I have called them twice and both times I have spoken to the same aggressive man who will not cancel my account at my request. This is illegal and I need help. Is there anyone else who is having problems with Banfield?

This year I had a guinea pig that was healthy with only one problem. He had poked the bottom of his foot with some pine shaving and I was concerned about an infection, so I took him to Banfield where they gave me an antibiotic and a bill for $179.00. Then they informed me that it was my fault for using cheap pine bedding. By doing this, they made me feel bad, so I asked them what I should be using. They took me over to this paper mulch bedding and told me to use this and he would be healthier for it.

So I bought it even though I had doubts. I asked them what about if they eat it, would it hurt them? The vet informed me they don't eat it. I questioned him again by saying, "Are you sure? My piggy will eat everything." She informed me it would not hurt him. One week later I was back to the office with a very sick guinea pig; he had ate it. When I asked for help, they charged $39.00 later plus meds of $40.

They apologized and said he would be fine; another two days later he's still no better. $39.00 more plus meds and cleaning out his rectum assured me he would be better. Two more days and he passed away. They do not know how to treat guinea pigs nor do they know what they are suggesting is ok for them or not. Although I did get a heart-felt apology, it still does not bring back Rodney. He was my friend, sometimes my only friend. Please do not trust them with your small animals and do not use cardboard mulch for guinea pigsit will kill them if they digest it.

Our cat, Puffy, had been vomiting for three days. I took her to Banfield in Largo Mall's PetSmart. The vet charged me $400 for x-rays and said the x-rays were inconclusive and she needed surgery as she might have a tumor or blockage. $1300 later, after cutting her wide open, they found nothing wrong. I had asked for anti-nausea or just fluids, but they scared me into thinking she had a bowel obstruction because the x-ray technician could not correctly read an x-ray, and because they wanted to make as much money off of me as possible, they sent her to surgery.

My poor kitty is now home with a horrible, painful 5-inch long scar, wearing a cone due to their negligence. They didn't even feed her when they said they would. They didn't even give her pain medicines until I begged them to. Last month, I took my dog there, and $150 later, they told me I should buy their expensive dog food and she'd stop itching. They buried a $6.80 fee for waste removal, which I called them on as there was no waste to remove and they deleted it with no apology. They are crooks! They know you are at their mercy as you are desperate to help your pet. I had to open up a Banfield charge account. I complained about the poor treatment and was told "sorry for any miscommunication" I am considering not paying $1300 for their ineptness at my poor kitties expense. I will never use this vet again. They are extremely dishonest and inept.

Banfield is deceiving! My little yorkie pup died yesterday because of shock-distemper shot. They performed deworming, 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 8 oz puppy at 9 weeks old. 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 recommended 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 first shot was on 10/27/10. But from what the "profession" advice, it was going to be ok. So we took it.

She came home fine for about 30 minutes and collapsed. She was so weak, paralyzed, and had vomit and diarrhea. 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 a puppy to have this reaction. I waited another day. My little one was not getting any better and first thing in the morning I took her to the vet at Banfield 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 chances of surviving were high. She then recommended taking her to the emergency vet. We then took her to the emergency vet. There the vet took sample of her blood and ran all other tests just like the vet at Banfield did. He told us that her blood sugar was very low and her chances were not very high even if we get a blood transfusion.

I am filled with regrets I took her to Banfield. They have injected way too many vaccinations in such a little one. Vets should know better how much a newly born, 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.

I took my dachshund to Banfields.. Dr.Scott **. My dog is up to date with all his shots. This is our baby. I treat him no less than I would treat one of my children.

At the first visit October 20th, I said he had a couple of sores near his testicles, he said it might be ringworm. He sent me home with medicine and told me to come back in two weeks. He said he would call me if the test would come back positive for ringworm, he then said he called my house /no answer, and that was it. He has my cell phone # but never tried to called it my cell phone. There he could have left a message, but he never bothered.

The next follow-up visit, two weeks later, Nov 3rd, Dr. ** said the dog has ringworm. I told Scott that my dog was shaking his head more than normal, he looked in his ears just with his eyes. Didn't use lighted instrument to look, stuck a Q-tip in his ears and my dog yelped and he said all I see is a little wax. All night long the dog was shaking his head. The next morning, the nurse called to see how he was, and I swear this is the truth, I ask her why he didn't use an instrument to look into his ears? She said that would have been extra money, it was only a follow up visit.

They always call a couple of days before your appointment. If they couldn't get me on my land phone, I'm positive they would have tried my cell #, but for the ringworm? One land phone try is enough. He is totally incompetent.

On Nov 4th, the next day after I saw Dr. **, the dog is still shaking his head excessively. I then took him to Orange County Animal Emergency Service and they said his both ears were infected. I cost me $75.00 for the Emergency visit plus $80.00 for the medicine..

I took my dog Flash in for his 6 month check-up and also requested that his nails be trimmed. I paid for 6 months of heart worm medicine. When I went to get him and the girl brought him out, his nail was bleeding. It was actually dripping on the floor as he walked. I requested they use some stepic and I went back in the examining room with her. Another girl came in and put stepic on his nail and poured peroxide on a cut between his toes. I was very up, I did not see a Dr. which is always the procedure after test and exam. They did not tell me anything about the testing and seemed not to care about the nails being cut into the quick.

I left and did not realize they had not given me the medication until later that night. I called the next morning and got "Bob". He did not seem concerned when I told him what happened, instead he treated me as an annoyance. I went back that afternoon and Bob gave me the medication. No one advised me how to give it and he did not even apologize that I had to make another trip to Petsmart. His whole attitude was "oh well". What is it I'm paying for? I am fed up with the lack of caring and zero customer service, so I am cancelling my Insurance with Banfield.

I took my cat there this past week and here is what I experienced:

I was first given a quote for services in the $900 range for cleaning and stitching an abscess, pulling a tooth and flea/worm meds (which already seemed pretty high compared with other vets we have been to). They told me if I joined their wellness plan it would drastically reduce the costs, which then totaled in the $700 range, but included a year of care on the wellness plan.

However, after services were performed and I went to pick up my cat, the bill was somehow over $1,000! In shock, I paid and left almost forgetting my cat! I called the next day several times and spoke with the office manager, the hospital manager, and called corporate. No one can really tell me what the difference in the charges were. But they are sending me out a copy so I can figure it out.

At one point, they actually offered to have me bring back the medications for a refund! Now, what kind of animal hospital does that? It seems unethical. When I said no, that the animal needed the medicine, they offered me $100 as a compromise.

I'm sorry but $100 is not the same as the difference between the amount I was quoted and then charged. They keep telling me oh, they must have forgotten this or that and well, actually you got some services for "free" that they forgot to bill you for. This place is a mess. This is not how you do business. I specifically asked that everything to be done and the price of the wellness plan to be included on the invoice before services were rendered.

The employee doing so hand-wrote the amount on the top of the invoice. I had faith in her that she was doing it correctly. She claimed I was supposed to stop by the reception to get my total price. I was not told anything different upon check-out.

When I called corporate they told me I could cancel the wellness plan within 3 days for a refund, but would have to pay the retail price for services then, which now is over $1500? How does it go from $900 to $1500? Wouldn't you expect a phone call if your bill was going to be more than was expected? How often do you buy something at a store and when you go to pay for it it is 60% more than what it is marked at? Never.

When your animal is sick, you expect someone to do the right thing, not take advantage of you when you are stressed or emotional about the situation. They very easily could have admitted their mistake and refunded me the difference, but refuse to do that now. I was told there was nothing they could really do, but the hospital manager would talk to the doctor and staff about the miscommunication. So, unless you want to pay an extraordinary amount for pet care, do not take your animals to Banfield on 82nd!

On 9/10/10, I took my black/tan miniature pincher to Banfield in Largo, Md. to get a lyme disease shot. After being checked in, we were placed in room 3 and then a pet nurse that I've never met before came in the room. A few minutes later she decided to take my dog in the back to give him his shot after not being able to give it to him in the room because he was afraid and kept jumping up on me to help him. About 15-20 min. later, the pet nurse and the veterinarian came to the room and the veterinarian said, "Dynamite had a little bleeding from his ear but everything is OK, we applied glue to it". I asked her how did his ear start bleeding and she said, "from shaking".

I asked her how can a dog's ear bleed from shaking and she began to explain to me that whenever dogs get excited and start to shake it can cause bleeding. I was naive and did not examine his ear while we were there because I did not see any blood. Although I thought it was a little strange that his ear started bleeding from shaking especially he's always excited and shake while at home and his ear never started bleeding, but I'm not a veterinarian so I believed and trusted her. About 45 min. later, I returned to Banfield because my dog went to shake while in the car and I noticed blood in the car. I examined my dog and that's when I discovered that his left ear was covered with glue as well as blood and the glue haven't been cleaned off of the top of his head. The tip of my dog's left ear was cut.

I am on a fixed income and took my Chihuahua in to see the Vet. Dr. Pierce was cold-blooded and they wanted the money now and not two weeks later. They would not take any payments. They even have a program that you can sign over your pet; they make it well and then adopt the dog to another home but she wouldn't even do that even after the tech told me about the program. She basically told me to take the dog to the Humane Society and have her put to sleep.

I have never seen a Vet who was so cold-blooded. The only thing she cared about was how much money she tried to get out of us. $424.00 was first on her list.

As a result, I couldn't do anything but take her down to the Humane Society and have my dog put to sleep. I called about every Vet in the phonebook and none would take payments. What has this world come to? I guess it all boils down to the mighty dollar!

We have had our two dogs on a wellness plan with Banfield Clinic. We had $21.95 a month taken from our account every month. My husband was transferred to another city in Feb. 2010. In April, he was contacted by the Banfield Clinic and discussed the move with them and at that time, they told him we could transfer the plan to any Banfield clinic.

When I called to set up the appointment here in Dallas, they told us we did not have a wellness plan. When I contacted the corporate office regarding our account, they told me we did not have a plan. They said our plan had expired in April. When I inquired how much money we had paid to them, they told me it was $263.40. They then went on to tell me that I could not use the $263.40 anymore because my plan had expired in April. When I asked where the money had gone, she said that the money went to the clinic but I can't use it anymore.

I feel that this is a total rip off. The representative from their clinic did not tell my husband that the service had to be used by the end of April.

We had two "wellness plans" with Banfield. The price for each pet continued to go up without notice. I tried to cancel the policy for several months. The phone number listed has no human or voicemail system. I wrote a letter asking to cancel the plans after over 11 years of having a policies. I never heard back. I finally wrote my credit card company asking them to stop approving the charges and at the same time my expiration date on the credit card expired. Thank goodness. Otherwise, I would have been charged until the day I died, not the dogs.

After the charges stopped, our family was harassed and called everyday of the week even after I asked them to only communicate in writing. Sunday morning, you can expect a call from their collection company. We were harassed until we paid the amount they determine we owed. We have not been to Banfield for almost a year and I was charged $99 and my credit was threatened repeatedly, plus, all those months I was paying prior to stopping the charges, an estimated $300.

Contact the elderly, you will find people still paying monthly to Banfield on pets that have passed away. Any attorney would have a field day with this insurance company. Possible class action. Go get them. I will never shop at Petsmart again because they allow their customers to be ripped off. We spend over $2000 a year and Petsmart just lost that revenue. We will be going to Petco.

I opened up a wellness plan for my new pup on 9/13/10 and in less than a month, gave Tinkerbell to a friend. Banfield would not let me cancel the plan or transfer plan to my other dog, who has been with Banfield for 9yrs. What should I have to pay this? I no longer have Tinkerbell. I have been very sick and this is causing me a great deal of stress. Just giving up Tinkerbell had me sick, now this! Please help me resolve this issue ASAP. I cannot afford to pay for a pet I no longer have. I just wanted to save money, so I took out the plan. I am under doctor's care & this has caused me to be very sick, with blood pressure problem as well. Emotional problems has accelerated.

I and my fiance adopted two kittens on September 7 from a couple who posted an ad for free kittens. On the 9th, we saw on the news the husband strangled his wife. I felt like we were meant to save the two kittens, a tuxedo and a calico named Jade and Ruby. We took the kittens to Banfield Pet hospital in Clarksville, TN to get a checkup and shots. Little Ruby had diarrhea and both had tape worms. After I told them Ruby had diarrhea, they tested Ruby for roundworms and told us that she had "a raging infection." Banfield prescribed a food that actually made Ruby worse. The next Monday, I woke to Ruby tapping me with her paw.

After that she lay there, limp. I really got scared when she went into convulsions. I force-fed water and watered down food to her along with real maple syrup while Brian looked online for a pet emergency room. There was none in the area and Banfield did not open until 9:00 a.m. We finally got her to another clinic that opened the earliest and the doctors did their best for her until evening came. Ruby went home with us, but they said the food Banfield prescribed would irritate the digestive system, making her diarrhea worse and bringing her blood sugar dangerously low. Her body temperature was also 5 degrees below normal. They also found a huge abscess in her right side that two vets at Banfield missed.

They cut it out, leaving Ruby with a wound the size of two nickels stacked on top of each other. She had also lost 1/4th of her bodyweight. Banfield had told me it will take weeks for the roundworms to clear up to cover their asses when Ruby got worse because of their care. But when the other clinic tested her, they found no sign of roundworms and here I thought it was a "raging" infection. We just took Ruby to a follow-up today. The abscess has grown and more got cut out. The doctors believe it is the result of an injection from Banfield. Banfield has many unsatisfied pet owners and dead pets as a result of their "care." My little Ruby almost died. I spent well over $100 on her at Banfield and about $600 fixing their mistake at another clinic (mostly hospital boarding fees). Please read reviews and articles about them before taking any pets there. I sure wish I did. They are found in many Petsmart stores.

Titan (my dog) was taken to Petsmart in this store and groomed and nails in July 10' when we picked him up he couldn't walk and they tried to tell us we brought him in this way. This man wasn't even there when Titan was brought in in the am. Long story short, Titan was totally lame in front R foot and had to be carried out to the truck.

We were told to bring him back the next day so their Vet @Banfields could check it out and we did. The Vet gave us 5 Ancids and told us if any other problems to call our Vet or bring him back or call them.

We called last month and were told to call our regular vet since it had been a month (your Recept). Titan got a little better and then downhill this month to lame again in front Right. Titan is 10 1/2 yrs old and yes we realize that he has got some Arthritis but we got no explanation as to why we brought him in healthy and out from your place lame and hurting!

The thing that bothers me the most is Stacie, your front desk receptionist. That woman is horrible! She's rude and has no customer service skills at all! She called me "Snotty" and seems to know everything and wouldn't listen to me. I asked her name and she held up her badge and said "Can't you read?" This is a deal breaker for me and not sure we will ever return. Still have a miserable dog and now forced to deal with his Vet.

My dog has been very ill for about two months now. I took her to the vet about 3 weeks ago and the vet that checked her out told me I had to get all these tests and xrays to see what was the matter with my dog. I told him I didn't have enough that I major test I was concerned about was her urine. The doctor said that was fine to bring in the urine. They take a look at it to see what was wrong.

A week later, I bring the urine to Mr. ** and he didn't want to take it because it wasn't going to solve anything. He said he needed to do all tests to see if what is the problem. Mind you he kept mentioning the price, never even bothered to look at my dog or touch her. Then I brought her in. She couldn't walk and she kept whining when we would touch her.

Today, I bring her in as an emergency and than the doctor tells me there is a discharge from her bottom and then I told him that why didn't he tell me anything last week. I was there you tell me something is discharging when you didn't need an exam for that. Meanwhile, last time I came you didn't even bother to look at her and now that she's so ill can't even walk you tell me there is something discharging from down there. Why couldn't you tell me that before when I brought her in you didn't even accept the urine test I brought in.

Now my dog is nearly dying and he is charging me so much I just don't like how he only talks about money not even worried about my dog's health. This isn't the first time my dog was sick before and was a about to die and he wanted to charge us a lot as well and told us there was a big chance of her dying. We took her home and we treated her and she survived. The doctor just wants money and I feel he does not care. I just want a healthy dog and the other doctor that did care is on vacation so I had no choice this time. I feel she needs serious medical care.

I can give you three good reasons, no matter how good they are or what they may have done, not to use Banfield Pet Hospital.

First: our dog of many years, who was my late mother-in-law's dog, passed away. Banfield will not cancel the so called "wellness" plan. So, I am paying each month until the end of the contract (in my case an additional 8 months after his death). Or, I have the option of paying what they say is the difference in their charge and full retail for the work done in this contract (almost $1,000). We loved Winston. We are still grieving. Their policy does not support their claim of being part of the family and providing "wellness" for your pets and your family.

Second: Banfield was once the family vet. But how can you be a family vet with the high turnover the company now has. It seems that we have gone no more than two visits in a row with the same doctor. And both surgeons who have worked on our animals are no longer with the company. While the staff loved Winston and our other dog Mimi, or at least appeared to, consistency of treatment is no longer there.

Third: On some things, you save money at the time. Winston's surgery two years ago for cancer was far less than "retail" or what other vets we check on would charge. But all other services turn out to be the same or higher when you price shop the market. So, their claim that the "wellness" plan saves you money is at best an optimistic interpretation.

Because of seeing three doctors in three visits, the follow-up and even opinions were different each time. We were to use a specialist outside the plan for Catscans and other expensive options to diagnose. His liver ended up shutting down. Numerous calls and despite our dog having passed away on July 24, we will have to keep paying a "wellness plan for the dog to the end of the term", January 2011. Each payment that comes out reminds us of his being gone, and of course takes money from our recessionary pockets. They will not let us cancel out other dog until June 2011 (she is well), so we are stuck with Banfield. Banfield says they can do nothing as the plan is with an outside company. But when you call that company, they respond "Banfield Pet Hospital". File this under still missing our dog and very unhappy with the policies and practices of Petsmart and Banfield Hospitals.

My dog has the Optimum Wellness Plan for puppies with the Basic Early Care option at the Banfield in Phoenix, AZ at Spectrum Mall on West Bethany Home and 19th Avenue. I've been enrolled since May 2010 and I pay about $25/month including the $139 initial upfront membership fee. My puppy was neutered on 6/23/10 at about 5 months old. He did well and everything went smooth until about 1.5 months later when I noticed he had a hard piece of plastic string that looked like a suture sticking out of his incision spot. I made an appointment and went in for the doctor to look at it on 8/3/10.

Dr. Courtney ** looked at it and said it was nothing to worry about because the suture is supposed to dissolve and he was fine, just a little scabbing which was normal. I went home and about 3 weeks later, took my puppy to the groomers. When I picked him up, my groomer said, "Your puppy still has stitches on his incision area, you should see your vet". I looked at the area again and the scab is now gone and there was a very visible blue outline of a stitch. I made an appointment on 8/23/10 and was seen the same day. Dr. ** saw my puppy again and this time offered to speed up the process by snipping off the tip of the dissolvable suture. When he was brought back by the vet tech, the suture was not snipped off at the tip, but the previously present suture was completely taken out and there was a hole where it laid imbedded before.

The vet tech continued to tell me that there was some ** that came out when the doctor removed the stitch so now the incision area was infected. I needed to buy antibiotic medication and topical medicated rinse to clean the area now. The antibiotic is Ceftodixime 100MG for $15.73 and the rinse is Chlorhexidine flush for $13.07. So now I'm out $30 and after 2 visits and insisting the suture be taken out, and my dog has an infection now. When I brought this up, the vet tech proceeded to tell me that the infection could have been from anything even from the ant bite he has a few centimeters to the right which wasn't infected.

I do not understand why it took 2 visit to remove the very obvious stitch that was still there. I can't say that leaving the stitch in that much longer caused the infection, but I can't say it didn't either. Shouldn't that be the job of my vet? To ensure that my pet is well cared for?!

On September 8, 2010, my 8-pound miniature dachshund, Sasha, had to have her second treatment for mange that came from her mother. She is seven months old and has seen at least 4 different doctors at this location and it wasn't until two weeks previously that a fifth doctor who is new to us, looked at my puppy and immediately diagnosed her problem. This mange meant a mite is in the hair follicle of my puppy and all this time, we asked and asked, why is she always scratching and tossing, etc. It was sad enough and I cried to find out for months and months that she was being eaten alive by these mites and no one caught it. Anyway, she had her first dip bath treatment. It had to be done by the veterinarian and not allowed to be given to a customer.

Well, I told their employee to charge me for all fees that first day because she had to come right back in two weeks. Sasha had bad reactions to this medicine bath. She was totally out of it and couldn't even hold her head up for about 3 days but she wasn't scratching anymore. It was like a new dog but then other side effects came into play, mainly diarrhea and sort of lifelessness. I would hold her all night due to fear she would die because it looked like she would not make it.

After about 1 1/2 weeks, the itching gradually returned on a kind of light basis but yet noticeable. I notice the ear rubbing into the carpet and went back to the veterinarian describing symptoms and concerns. She was given 2 other medicines to relieve symptoms until time for second bath treatment. I was told by two different receptionists there, Grace and Erica, that my bill would be increased by $20 even after all was paid, I thought anyway. I had to pay another $20 on the day of the actual bath. Okay, I accepted the fact that all charges were not applied as asked in the beginning.

Well, on September 8, 2010, the second bath is due and Sasha is delivered by 7 am, as requested. My husband took her on time as instructed, he gets there, they tell him the bill is $73.95, and he calls me upset saying that I need to call these people. I made the call and was talking to Maria. She was rude and she told me that her girls made a mis-quote on different days and times. I explained that their misguided training is not my problem and was the point. Maybe if I knew the true charges I would have researched a cheaper resource. Maria, the manager, told me that her girls never told me that and it was he said, she said. She basically called me a liar, my husband is my witness, and I will take a lie detector test any day and any hours to prove they told me this.

Well, Maria, after calling me the liar, I told her about her unprofessionalism and how they were cheating me but to go ahead and give my pet her treatment for the $73.95 but I will be contacting her corporate office. Maria told me that she is the manager and she makes all decisions at that store and there is no corporate office. Later, she contradicted herself by saying, well even if you contacted the corporate office that they would only email her and tell her to call me and that wasn't needed being she is already talking to me and telling me how this is going to play out. I was appalled at someone talking to me this way and I pay this company my hard-earned money.

I told Maria that I want the corporate number and she would not give it to me and I let her know that I will show her my skills. I'm an administrative assistant and good at it, may I add. I knew within 7 minutes that this company is out of Portland, Oregon and I had located at least 8 upper management names. I called immediately but due to time difference no one was available, yet. I called later that day, my pet was ready to be picked up, and I wanted to get her away from them before stirring the fire, as you never know these days if there is a nut case that will poison your pet or who knows how others think.

After she was home safe, I called and got the Oregon Banfield Advocate associate people and made a complaint and she told me that someone should call me within a few days. I felt like I was just bothering this person, as well. So who knows about this service? We will see but now I have to shop for a new veterinary service for Sasha and Lady. I hope overcharging me $50 was worth losing my business and probably the business of many who reads this and how I was treated by their manager at that location with no apologies yet calling me a liar and had no concerns of customer service skills.

I'm so unhappy with my care, my puppy, received at Banfield the Pet Hospital. This is the second complaint I've made within the past 2 years. My first was about my Rott Titan, I wrote a complaint the Banfield corporate office. My Rott went in be altered. A few days later I had to bring him back to Banfield, my Rott was running a fever and where he had his surgery, it was infected and the stitches came apart. My Rott was given medicine and was put in a ridiculous wrap around his backside. I sent the pictures when I made this complaint 2 years ago. He got worst, I ended up taking him to a Vet hospital, my Rott wasn't able to urinate because the wrap was so tight (24 hours before he relieved himself), the infection was worst. I had to leave him at the hospital for a few hours for them to fix what Banfield did to him.

I wrote my complaint to the corporate office via email to Banfield and sent the pictures of my dog in the wrap. When I went back to Banfield for the follow up visit a few days later, the vet that my dog had was not there anymore. I'm not sure why but glad she wasn't. I decided to give Banfield another chance.

My new complaint is I bought in a 6-month-old puppy (had just got him the week before) on August 27, he wasn't feeling well. He was given antibiotics, checked for worms, parvo (I was told both test came back negative) and given his rabies shot. We left and came home. I put him in a room by himself to rest and tried giving him fluids. I checked in on him often spending time with him. The next morning when the puppy got up, he walked out to get a drink. As he was walking, blood was coming from his behind, not a little but a lot, a puddle was on my floor. I called Banfield and was told to bring him in. I was leery because I felt this was serious and with the problem I had before with my Rott I wasn't sure if I should bring him to Banfield.

My husband reassured me and said he would bring him to Banfield so I could go to work and not to worry. I called Banfield once my husband was there with the puppy. I spoke with Tyler (the vet). He said he believes Bentley (puppy) had a stomach virus. He said he would give him an IV to give him fluids and a shot of Benadryl and an acid reducer. I told him about all the blood, I also know he saw the blood it was all over his fur. He said he thinks it a stomach virus. My husband brought the puppy home and allowed him to rest, he checked in on him at 2:00 pm before he left for work, he was just laying down the room we had for him to recover. I came home at 4:15. I came in to check on Bentley (puppy), he was breathing very heaving and was staring off in space. I called Banfield to let them know, I was told to bring him right in. When I picked Bentley up to take him to the car, he died in my arms. I called Banfield and told them what had happened. I was told to bring him in any way. Once there Tyler (vet) was very sorry and kind, he asked if he could do an autopsy to find out why he died? I told him, yes. The results came back a few days later, I got a call from Tyler, he said Bentley had worms in his intestine and he had parvo that is why he died.

My puppy was misdiagnosed with faulty test given and I don't feel with all the blood coming from him, he should have came home. He suffered! He wasn't given the care he deserved. I believe Banfield is only good for giving shots, that is it. I don't think Banfield is equipped to take care of a sick dog.

I paid for my puppy to get on the Banfield puppy plan on Tuesday when I first bought him in, also for medication $186.00. The next day I paid $137.68 for more medication and for my puppy to have IV and shots of Benadryl and antacid. I did a stop payment on the check, I refuse to pay. I feel if I would have taken my puppy to Pet hospital, he would still be alive or at least given better treatment and not had suffered.

I called the corporate office and put in a complaint. I was told someone would call me within a few days about my complaint. I haven't heard anything about it. All Banfield is concerned about is being paid.

My daughter took her Chihuahua puppy to a local Banfield and of course as the proud grandparents of the puppy, my husband and I went too. Banfield sells a good game, however when all is said and done, they know absolutely nothing about true care for a pet or the pet's family. The vet has never spoken to us when going there. They whisk our little Bella Rose away with a person with a title of "director of Pet Nursing" and her qualifications are? My poor little Bella was seen two times there without incident and then this rude person muzzled her because she said Bella tried to bite her.

Additionally, this ignorant employee "the director of pet nursing," said that Bella should not be bred because her temperament is deficient. Furthermore, she brought poor little Bella out with blood dripping down her back leg (this is not an exaggeration), where apparently they had to draw blood for one of Bella's tests. Well, maybe if they didn't take pets from their family to a strange area with all strangers and a very large dog next to her barking non-stop. She wouldn't have tried to snap at someone. They traumatized little Bella. I think I would have been scared and snapped too especially if I was being handled by someone who clearly has no patience for scared little puppies. Bella Rose's temperament is so sweet. There is nothing deficient or defective about her. I cannot say the same about the "director of pet nursing" though. I believe she was entirely deficient and defective in her handling of small puppies.

It's interesting to me that Bella goes to the groomers all the time and gets her nails ground and never has a problem being handled. I registered a complaint with Banfield's complaint line xxx-xxx-xxxx on 7/29/2010 and was told by a very polite customer service person, that "senior management" would get back to me within a week. It's now a month later and I placed a follow up call a week ago and was again told the same thing. I will probably not live long enough to hear that phone call come back to me from the senior management team. I have asked for them to discontinue my wellness plan for Bella and I guess I will have to fight about that as well because they can't even address my present concern. I feel Banfield is absolutely the worst place to take your four-legged family member. Please don't take your precious puppies to them. They don't really care about your pet or you.

Facts and dates of events leading to the wrongful cancelation of policy. On January 29, 2010, I took my pet Lolla to the Oxnard Banfield for a wellness visit, dental cleaning and removal of deciduous front canine tooth. After picking up Lolla early evening, I was never informed of any type of abnormalities by the treating provider Dr. G. The next day I found that I was charged for a service (nail clipping) that was not performed. They issued a refund and I expressed my concerns regarding the fact that if they could miss something that small, what else could they be missing? I then transferred Lolla's care to the Ventura Banfield for further treatments and care.

On July 24, 2010, I took Lolla in for her yearly physical and tooth cleaning and they performed lab work prior to anesthesia. The labs came back as acute renal failure and positive for a urinary tract infection (UTI). Dental cleaning was postponed and treatment was performed to stabilize Lolla. I was asked by the treating provider Dr. K. if Lolla ever had a UTI in the past or any renal abnormalities. I said, "No, not that I'm aware of." Then later that same day, I was informed by that same provider after looking at past lab work dated 29 and 30 of January 2010 from the Oxnard location, that, indeed, she did have crystals in her urine, which is indicative of a UTI that Dr. G. never made me aware.

I contacted the Oxnard Banfield later that evening and requested that they pay for the care that was given to Lolla for the lack of follow-up and treatment of her UTI from January 29, 2010, which could have led to her current acute renal issues. After Dr. G. taking responsibility for his and then proceeding to makes excuses for his lack of superior pet care as advertised by Banfield, I requested on multiple occasion over the following week not to contact me any further. But he insisted in contacting me and emotionally causing me distress. I finally told him if he contacted me again, I would file a lawsuit against him for harassment.

He told me that unless I signed the release I would not be issued the credit and at no time he stated that Lolla's policy was in jeopardy of being canceled out of retaliation for me not signing said release.

Today, August 25, 2010, I called the Ventura Banfield to reschedule Lolla's postponed dental cleaning and was surprised to find that Lolla's policy had been canceled and to contact the Oxnard Banfield for further information. They proceeded to apologize for having to be the bearer of bad news.

I noticed a quarter-size bump on my dog's neck. I scheduled an appointment for the bump to be examined. The doctor made her assessment and prescribed medication. The medication did not help my dog, it caused the dog further harm.

I took my cat to Banfield at PetSmart. You see, one day I could not find my cat Corky who was only about a year old. When I did find him, he had a lump on his back in front of his tail. The vet at Banfeild told me he had urinary tract infection, which was very common in cats and they could treat it. She said she would drain it off and catheterize him. I was told to leave him overnight. I went home and started eating supper. The phone rings. It is the vets. They told me they are not equipped to handle Corky overnight. This is after I spent half the bill, about $370. They told me to take him to another hospital. I can't afford another hospital so I took him home per instructions to watch him.

That night he bit me bad. The next day, I took him back. All this time, they were saying he is sick and are putting fluids in him. They never drained his blockage off. So when they keep pumping him with fluid and squeezing his kidneys, his kidneys burst into his stomach. This is the vet's fault. It's like a jug. If it is full, you don't add to it and squeeze it or it busts. To anyone else, if you love your pet, do not go to Banfield. They said they wanted to put him down and I can't figure why she told me she could help. Then let it go so much he died.

I would just like to start off by saying that Banfield in Sunset Hills is the best experience at a vet clinic I have ever had. They were friendly and so compassionate about what they do. I called Banfield at 6:45pm on a Tuesday night because my dog had been vomiting all day in her cage and I didn't realize it until I got home. They told me to bring her straight up there and they would see her even though they close at 7. When I got there, the whole staff was waiting and after the doctor gave me a treatment plan on what he thought needed to be done, I had decided on x-rays and it turned out she had eating part of her blanket and without surgery wouldn't make it through the night. They did her surgery and transported her to a 24hr place for observation and she is alive and well, thanks to the nurses and doctor who stayed 2 hrs after closing to help me.

Anyone who complains about their prices should go to Webster Groves or Kirkwood or the e-clinic. You would really complain then and you would never see the same doctor twice. They have the lowest office visit of around $34.95 and first time free office visits. I take my pet back there every 6 months for a check up with the wellness plan I am on. It has saved me so much money and helped me budget so I can give my pet the best in healthcare.

The only reason everyone targets Banfield is because there are a zillion of them and they are bound to make mistakes like everyone else. I don't know about you but I would rather take my pet to a place where they have the latest equipment and safest protocols then to a vet who has been in his/her own practice for 20 yrs and is stuck in old ways. Banfield will always be recommended by me, you can go in at any time for a tour of the hospital and the Sunset Hills location has their own brochures with the same faces you see when you actually go in.

On Saturday, July 31, 2010, I took my male and female English Bulldogs to PetSmart to purchase dog food. We made our purchase and went home. After arriving home, I noticed my female (Bailey) was breathing very heavily. I noticed her tongue and gums were blue. I immediately put her back into my car and headed for the vet. I called my vet and received a message stating he was on vacation. The next closest vet to my house was Banfield at the PetSmart we had just left. We live only about 10 minutes away.

I called Banfield and spoke to Elaine. I told Elaine I was on my way to Banfield; my dog was having a hard time breathing and her tongue and lips were blue. Elaine asked if Bailey had been seen there before. I told her no, but my cat is a patient there (even have insurance policy through Banfield on the cat), and one of my French Bulldogs had surgery there about two months ago. Elaine put me on hold. Another employee came to the phone (I was so distraught I don't remember the second person's name).

The second employee said, "Can I help you?" I again provided the same information I had given to Elaine. I was then told (as I am pulling in Banfield's parking lot) they are very busy today. They have had two walk-ins and I would get quicker service if I drive to the Emergency Vet Center about 15 minutes away. As I drove rapidly to the Emergency Vet, my precious Bailey died. My 12-year-old son even tried to give her CPR. When I arrived at the Emergency Vet Center, they met me in the parking lot and immediately tried to resuscitate Bailey. They were unsuccessful. I will never know if 15 minutes made the difference between life and death for my Bailey. I thought it was required for a vet to administer emergency care. I guess not on a busy Saturday. My family is devastated and we will no longer shop at PetSmart or take any of our pets back to Banfield. How can Banfield have a logo that states "Treating Your Pet Like Family."

Our beloved Bailey died. There is no amount of money in the world that can bring her back. I spent $244.00 at the emergency vet, and $335.00 to have Bailey cremated and purchase her urn. We purchased Bailey in March of this year for $2100.00. My husband, my 8-year-old daughter, and my 12-year-old son are devastated. We treat our pets like members of our family. She was the sweetest, most calm, and innocent dog we have. She was only 3 years old. Her life was unnecessarily cut short.

On Tuesday, July 20, 2010, I took our pet Molly to Banfield because she was biting her paw, was lethargic, not eating. This vet checked her out and said that she had a urinary tract infection; he put her on medicine and taped up her paw. Friday the 23rd of July she was getting worse so I took her back to the vet and they did all kinds of tests and an x-ray and discovered that Molly had gallstones, the size of a baseball, there were over 30 gallstones that needed to be removed immediately. Dr. ** performed the surgery and sent Molly home that evening. Saturday she was still not herself. Sunday, the 25th I noticed that Molly was bleeding from her rectum, I called Banfield and got their emergency phone number and I called them and they said to bring her in. I did and the vet said that she should have been up and around on Saturday.

He did an exam and prescribed a stronger does of medicine and sent us home. Sunday evening I heard Molly crying from underneath our bed and when I went to pick her up from the floor she was stuck to the floor. I found out that she was bleeding from her vagina so again I called Banfield and the vet had left for the evening so I brought her back to the vet that we saw earlier that day. They ran some tests and did an ultrasound and found out again that Molly needed emergency surgery due to the fact that when Dr. **from Banfield had sewed Molly up they hit her bladder wall and this was causing all of these problems. Molly has been in ICU since Monday the 26th. She has been thru hell and back and so have we. The vet bill cost us $1,834.60 from Friday and $190.05 from the visit on Tuesday.

I feel that Dr. ** did not perform her duties as she was supposed to have. We are talking about a dog who is our child and we have done everything for her. This extra surgery has cost us over $2,000.00 due to the lack of responsibility from Dr. **. I am making a complaint against the above doctor. Neel Veterinary Clinic has saved our dogs life. On Monday the 26th Dr. ** called me to see how Molly was doing and she told me that when they sewed her up they hit the bladder wall. I feel that we should not have to pay for this first surgery due to the fact that Banfield is irresponsible and this woman never apologized to us. She needs to lose her license as a vet.

I took my female dog in. She had been very itchy and biting herself, which caused more damaged to the skin. When we got to see the vet, I explained to her exactly what was going on and it was visible to see what was happening. Then I told her the exact symptoms and skin issues she had when she was six months old. I also told her to look at her file because she has gone to their hospital since she was 8 weeks old. She proceeded to tell me that they need to do a skin graph which takes 3 weeks to get back. I paid for a skin scrape, impression, medical shampoo and antibiotics. But I told the vet that the last time this happened, I spent $500 in their office and ended up having to take her to a pet dermatologist and spent $400 there, and the dermatologist diagnosed my female in 15 minutes with a hidden mite that you can't even see under a microscope. The dermatologist gave her Revolution and the skin was better and mites were gone in a week.

After telling the vet this, she still didn't listen. After a week of treating my female with the stuff prescribed by vet, my female was worse. But now my other two dogs got the same thing. So I called the hospital explain to them that I need a prescription for the Revolution and after arguing with them, they gave me a paper with the prescription, and said that I could get it at any pharmacy. But after calling 8 different pharmacies and 4 other vets, no prescription . So I called them back and let them know this, and they told me to go to 1800 pet meds like they do. I needed the prescription right away. My female and other dogs are so infected that they can't wait for 5 days.

I finally found a hospital. They carried it on hand and was willing to let me purchase it from there hospital even know my dogs don't go there. After all this, I made a complaint to the Banfield complaint line. I was told that I would hear from someone in 3 to 5 days. Well nothing, needless to say, it's been 3 weeks. I have contacted them 9 times and this last time was today, and was told that the director is still looking it over. So I asked what is the director's name and the guy said, "I can't give that information out." Are you kidding me? All I was asking for during all this was for them to reimburse me the last bill I paid which was $172.89. So today was my last call. Now I need to take further action. Any suggestions?

We recently took ownership of a pet from a family member. The dog has been a patient of Banfield for over four years and has a current wellness program with them. We wanted to be sure that Lucy was a good fit, so we waited a month before attempting to transfer her into our name and assume the policy. We went to the Moorestown, NJ location to have her transferred. We were shocked when we were told that we would have to sign her up as a new patient and pay a new patient membership fee of $69.95 while she was currently covered in an account in good standing. They went on to explain that was the only way they could update the information, take the previous owner off the account, and name us Lucy's owner. What they failed to explain is the crime of a predatory nature.

We paid a total of $166.21 on 06/26/2110 to affect this change and purchased heartworm and tick prevention medication. I received a call last night from the same family member that we adopted the dog from and was informed that Banfield debited her account for $23.95, the same amount we are paying. Thinking this was a clerical error, I called the local Banfield clinic. I was told that the previous owner was responsible for cancelling the old premium, which they failed to disclose to us when we opened our account. When she called Banfield corporate today, she was informed that her agreement was binding and she was responsible to pay the monthly fee until the contract expires in November. I called corporate to explain that we were now paying the premium for the same patient. I was told that their policy is to collect for the full contract amount regardless of duplicate premiums.

Now, I have to refund my relative the same amount I'm paying for the dog's coverage. When I asked if my dog was receiving twice the coverage, they said no. When I asked if the transfer which I was charged $69.00 for had increased Banfield's operating expense, they said no. Finally, I asked the corporate representative if they were in my shoes, how they would feel. The reply was a cold "I can't answer that question because it's not my pet". This is an absolute crime. They did not lose a client, but now they are trying to collect twice for the same coverage on a single animal. I'm out of room or I'd explain my sales issue.

Bottom line is that this company has either lost focus on customer service and doing the sensible right thing. But more likely this is a sales organization that is driven by greed and revenue, with a corporate policy that screws their clients with no regard to ethics, moral, or decorum. Their tactics of disclosure are at best invisible as they defer to small print in their terms and conditions. And they even twist those words to a point of distortion that is unrecognizable to the consumer's eye. This organization is dirty, underhanded, and feeds off fear and love of pets to upsell unsuspecting customers, who assume that they are legitimate because they are partnered with a large national chain like Pet Smart.

I called Banfield to get a rabies shot for my cat. Although it was late in the afternoon, they told me to come down and it could be done before 6 pm (which are their posted hours). I got there at 5:40 pm and no one was there so I made the trip for nothing. Also, the lady who is the main receptionist is extremely rude and nasty to customers and yet she's never disciplined for it. I left work early and wasted my time going there for nothing. I would say they owe me about $20 and an apology.

Hands don't the worst thing you could ever do to your pet or your pocket. My girlfriend and I had our cat on a wellness plan for the past five months. The only time that she was seen, was on the day we signed up. The cat was recently eaten by a coyote so there is no need for the service anymore, but they want us to either pay their inflated prices, which are 10 times what any other place charge, or pay for the next five months for an animal that does not exist.

Our dog is also on the plan and every time we go in, it is like having a group of gypsies trying to swindle you. For example, they told me the only way to get a true urine sample was to stick a needle into my puppy's bladder. That service was going to cost over $100.00. I also had to pick up some medicine for my dog. One Banfield told me I would need 50ml of Ivermectin which would be about $45.00, and that would last 2 weeks. Another Banfield tried to sell it to me for $160.00 and said my dog would need 60ml. I found the right drug online for $30.00 and it has lasted a whole month.

Every time it is a new sales cycle for them. They will tell you your dog will die without this. Lies, lies, lies, lies, lies. Beware.

I received a coupon in the mail for a free office visit and exam. It was a Saturday so I thought I would get my English bulldog checked out. I had planned to take her to the vet for her booster shots on Monday. The nurse checked her and mentioned that her ears needed cleaning and there was **** in her ears.

After the check up, she returned with a list of things that had to be done. This list totaled $1,700, and that this had to be done that day. Looking over the list, it included shampoos, conditioners, urinalysis treatment for eyes, blood work, and the list goes on. She said this had to be done that day. I said I would take my dog to my vet to have her checked, at that time she brought in the vet manager and told me if I didn't get this work done, she would call the humane society on me.

I was not going to be blackmailed into letting them treat my dog, then they tried to charge me an office visit, remember it was a free visit? I started to leave, then the vet said if I leave, I have three days then she will call the humane society. I left. I took my dog to my vet and it turns out all she had was an allergy, he gave her the booster shots she needed and the medication. She is doing great and it only cost $127.00. I will never go back to Banfield or Petsmart again.

I went in to have routine shots for newly acquired pup. I was told that the Wellness Plan would be cheaper to purchase than the total cost of the shots. It was represented to be such as an insurance plan that would help in the cost of all further care of any problems the dog may have trouble with in the future. I was told there would not be any more cost for any of the office visits and a discount on any treatment that may be needed in the future.

It was misleading to the point that you had purchased an insurance policy for the care of your pet, which would save you money on every visit. All of this is false. I have yet to take my dog in and not had to pay a lot of extra cost that at any other vets are routine and half the price of what they are charging. You sign a contract, which allows them to pull money from your bank account each month even with no services. It is a scam which people should be aware of.

I found out that you still will be charged even after the death of your pet. They save you no money but actually are more costly. They failed to find demodex mange at the initial exam and cost me over $200 more if they had done a thorough exam. I'm bound to a year contract now for something that is a lie.

I found a coupon online on PetSmart's website for a free checkup and exam at a Banfield Pet Hospital, so I thought I'd give them a try with one of my three cats, a less than two year old female who was almost due for her annual exam. My wife made the appointment, and while doing so, she made mention of the coupon we wanted to use to the employee whom she spoke with. I arrived for the appointment and showed the coupon to the veterinary assistant before she took down the initial information about my cat.

Now, I will be honest here as I was with the veterinary assistant. My cat is very docile at home but she is rather psycho with others - hissing, scratching, and biting is common. I was assured by the technician that they could handle her without a problem and could even trim her nails, for a fee of course, while she was in for the exam. I agreed to the nail trimming, however, I was then told that there would also be a $16.95 additional restraint fee. Okay, so I agreed to pay the fee (although it seems a bit ridiculous) as I didn't really expect to get out the door for free and I really wanted to get her the checkup and the nail trimming. The technician then strongly suggested that I do a round of vaccinations that this cat isn't due for on one until late August and on the other in September, so I declined. She was a little pushy about it, but I politely declined and advised her that I'd want to check with my wife first and would return at another time to do so.

The technician then picked up my cat's carrier and takes her into a back room, and as the door closes behind her, I realized that this facility treats animals out of sight and away from the owner's view. I don't know why this is as I have made over a dozen and a half trips to different veterinarians with various pets throughout the years and have never once seen this. While waiting for my cat, I was feeling a bit pressured with regard to the vaccinations, so between that and the mystery treatment scenario, I had just about made up my mind that this first visit was also going to be my last.

Just a few minutes after she left, the technician left the room only to return to suggest the vaccines again, saying that they had just started trying to get my cat out of the carrier and that based on her temperament, it would be easier on everyone to get them done all at once. I declined, again, only to have the technician leave the room and return to suggest them again. I declined for the last time and then, while I sat in the waiting room and they had apparently gotten her out of the carrier, I could hear someone, I assume the veterinarian, struggling with my kitty and sounding very frustrated and impatient. I overheard this person say "This is ridiculous, and he's not even doing the vaccinations," and after about a minute of hearing them struggle with my cat, this person exclaimed "I'm done."

The technician then returned to the waiting room a few minutes later with my cat to tell me that they weren't able to do anything, not the examination, not the nail trimming, nothing. I said okay, and asked what they suggest I do. The technician stated that the veterinarian was writing up an estimate for me to have her come back and be sedated to be examined and to perform the nail trimming. At this point, after they have given up, the technician informed me that the coupon I had was not valid as they are not part of the chain and that I'd be expected to pay $56.90 for the visit; $39.95 for the exam and $16.95 for the additional restraint fee. I told the technician I disagreed and that I'd like to see this mystery veterinarian.

As aggravated as I was, I kept my cool and heard the veterinarian out on how she proposed to treat my cat should we return. The explanation came down to $425 worth of services which is absolutely ludicrous, even for an aggressive cat such as mine. I knew this was not happening, so I asked what the cost for today's visit was and was told the same amount. I questioned why this was and was told that it was because the coupon could not be accepted and that she had already contacted the owner and confirmed this. I stood my ground and just flat out said that I was unwilling to pay for a free exam that they didn't even perform.

The veterinarian left the room and came back with a story about how she'd instead charge me just a $19.95 service charge for the visit and that she'd explain it to the owner later. Let's just say that my best recommendation to anyone reading this who was considering visiting this or any other Banfield Pet Hospital would be to rethink that and steer clear of this place. While my experience may be limited to this location, something tells me based on the sense I got from this place, that they are to veterinary care what McDonalds is to gourmet food. Find yourself a good local veterinarian who loves pets and isn't only concerned with making money.

My dog had been diagnosed with seasonal allergies by Banfield twice, with excessive, costly testing done both times. The third time, I went in to get the allergy medications for my dog, I was told more testing ($$$$) was needed. I explained that the diagnosis of the seasonal allergies had been made in the past and the symptoms were the exact same, therefore I just needed the same medications that solved the same, recurrent problem in the past. He proceeded to collect a sample for testing anyway!

The Dr. told me that he would give me the meds needed but only if I "Committed" to the recheck visit. As the mother of 3 children and having numerous dogs, I had never heard of mandatory rechecks and that I would come back only if I determined that there was a need for follow up treatment. The Dr. became very angry and told me I would not get the meds for Amber and he would not treat us without the commitment to the recheck ($$$$$PAYMENT). I told him it seemed like an ultimatum and I questioned if it was for the benefit of my dog (remember this is chronic seasonal allergies not an acute injury and I have been through this 3 times) or to increase fees.

Apparently I pushed a hot button and he threw me and my dog out of the office for questioning the integrity of his profession. He sent us away without the medication he agreed to prescribe to my dog (ethical priorities?). BTW he directed me to pay a bill for the office visit on my way out. Nice! I did not pay for the office visit and I called my attorney and the Banfield Complaint line to share my experience. The silver lining is that I found petmed.com and got OTC products that work better then the prescriptions for a quarter of the price.

I will never use Banfield again. It is all about not needed tests, follow up visit fees and bullies who guilt you into things that defy common sense. Good warned!

I took my two year old dog to Banfield for a visit 2 weeks ago due to him vomiting. They ran some blood work (which cost me $120) and then concluded that it was just an upset stomach and sent me home with $80 worth of medication. My dog is on an Optimum Wellness plan in which I pay $18.95 a month for which is suppose to be beneficial for me, financially. My dog got better over the past 2 weeks with no vomiting while he was on his chicken and rice diet. However, yesterday morning I woke up to another episode of violent vomiting. I immediately called Banfield to let them know I was coming in.

During the assessment of my dog for the second time with the same symptoms, I was asked once again the same questions (did he get into the trash? did he eat something outside? did he has flea and tick medication applied recently?) all to which I answered that they had just asked me this two weeks ago. So once again they suggest blood work, IV fluids, Xrays and yada yada yada. I agree to the Xrays and IV fluids and drop my dog off. The nurse calls me 2 hours later to inform me that the xrays show that there is an obstruction but they are doing more xrays with some barium so that they can see exactly what it is and that she will call me back.

Another 2 hours pass and she calls me and tells me to come in and speak with the vet (who unfortunately, I cannot understand to begin with!) Anyhow, I make my way back to the Banfield office where I am met by the Dr. who shows me the xrays. During the presentation I'm told about my dogs stomach and what not, and then told that "there MAY be an obstruction but I can't see anything, so I'm not really sure. Therefore we want to do exploratory surgery".

Now, to me this is like a doctor telling a person that after doing xrays they can't see anything, yet they would like to cut you open and "explore". HA! I saw no thank you, and is there anything else I can do before I go letting them cut my dog open? He simply states, NO. But, if I want to get an MRI done then I can pay an extra $500 on top of the $456 I was already paying them for this visit to MAKE SURE there is something there.

I decided to get a second opinion from a REAL vet. I took my dog to a nearby vet who took one look at the xrays and said THERE IS SOMETHING IN THERE, WE NEED TO OPERATE RIGHT NOW. There were no maybes or possiblys. I spent over $700 at Banfield for something that would have cost me WAY less at a regular vets office. my dog suffered, and so did I.

TURNS OUT my dog had a toy ball stuck in his intestinal track. He would have died that night had it not been taken out. Do you know how much I was charged for the same blood work that Banfield did at this vet's office? $50!!!!!!! HOW CAN BANFIELD CHARGE ME A MONTHLY FEE FOR MY DOG TO BE ON THEIR WONDERFUL OPTIMUM WELLNESS PLAN AND THEN CHARGE ME TWICE AS MUCH FOR SERVICES AS A REGULAR VET WHO HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR OVER 20 YEARS?????

Needless to say, Banfield no longer has my business. I have canceled my dogs plan and filed a formal complaint to gt my money back for their lack of skill as well as emotions.

and behold we get there, they do a whole slew of tests and xrays to determine that the cat has a urine infection. My husband left our cat there, as advised, and was told to come pick him up that nite around 8pm. My husband went to pick up our cat that nite, the nurse/doctor told him that the cat was fine, that he had blockage and that he urinated fine and gave us medicine/ antibiotics and sent us home. We paid an exorbant $430.00 for this 8 hr day of supposed "care".....then They told us to check-in in the morning.

So he left banfield at 8pm we put him to bed (since he was well drugged and loopy when we picked him up) and figured at least the beloved cat was better and we wouldnt have to worry anymore. By 8 am the next morning, his drugs had worn off and the cat was meowing miserably......We did as told and checked back in at the hospital in North Attleboro, MA. Boooooommmmmm...............Not even 12 hours later, this same cat who was cared for and on his way to recovery is now in an emergent situation according to the doctor or nurse there at Banfield........To say we were upset would be an UNDERSTATEMENT! We were told here is a list of Emergency rooms in the area, expect to pay around $1800.00 for his care and then handed back our cat and sent off with a "good luck" from the girl at the desk.

When i asked her how they didnt know he had "crystals" yesterday since they had done a urinalysis for $175.00! That should have shown these crystals or abnormalities in the urine. Not only that when i questioned the xrays and the point of those and asked her why they didnt see the bladder issue or crystal "stones" that all of a sudden the cat had now she just gave me a non commital medical mumbo jumbo stating that they cant detect crystals with an xray. When I asked her what we were supposed to do with the medications we had spent $150.00 on she said "i dunno". Now, what kind of kids do you have working in this "hospital"?

I am a Registered Nurse and know very well that a urinalysis for a $175.00 is OUTRAGEOUS, not to mention the exorbant fee for the xrays and "handling fee"........on the medical aspect, the urinalysis should have shown these "crystals" as the girl called it, and very well should have shown that the cat was in danger and required better care than Banfield could have given...not only that if there were stones it should have shown up on xrays.....Im educated and know very well you should have known.......But to make a few hundred bucks you guys pretended to take care of this cat knowing very well that he was not well enough to send home with us, you should have sent us to a real animal hospital as soon as he was examined on thursday if you were giving good care at your facility instead of thinking about the bottom line and makeing a few bucks off of a family. You didnt even think of the well fare of the cat~ how can you call yourselves honest care givers of animals? It is a SHAME on you guys and your staff there!

We are a family of small means, my husband is on his way to become a pastor and we live paycheck to paycheck......WE HAD TO HOLD OUR MORTGAGE TO TAKE CARE OF THIS CAT! and we did it out of love for our children who adore this animal. Had we taken your professional advice and gone to another drive thru type of hospital or emergency room we would have had to surrender our cat so that he could get the care he needs or put him down so that he would not die in pain because we could not afford another animal bill....Unfortunately (or was it Luckily) that we were declined for the animal Care One credit card that the ER suggested we get.........

To say i am upset or totally disgusted with the care this past visit would be an understatement. You guys should not even be practicing veterinary medicine. I am sending you this letter because i dont know who else to send it to since there is no where else on your homepage to comment or complain. If this letter is sent to the wrong department please forward it to whom ever is in charge at the North Attleboro Massachusetts facility since no one would listen to our complaints there......I want some action taken for this injustice and some response to this letter. I will be letting everyone i know to not have anything to do with your facility. It is a shame how you guys charge people outrageously, it should be criminal.

I just took my eight-year-old dog in for a sore leg to Banfield Vets because my regular vet isn't open on Sunday. The Banfield vet said she couldn't examine the dog without giving her a pain shot first. She left, and the tech came in and presented me with a treatment list of x-rays and blood work, the fees for which were between $650 and $750. I said, well how about just x-rays to see if something's arthritic or broken, and the tech came back and said that the fee would be $380. So then the vet came in and, in baby talk, told the DOG she couldn't do just the x-rays without doing the blood work too, and I said I obviously didn't have that kind of money and that she hadn't even examined the dog yet. I asked her why she was sending a tech in to present me with "price menus" and not discussing options with me herself. She said that's how they do it and I told her she was unethical, that clearly it was money first and the suffering of the animal was unimportant. She went ballistic, and I asked her to just give the dog a pain shot and I would take her to a real vet tomorrow.

She was grossing us out too because she spent an inordinate amount of time kissing my dog on the mouth instead of trying to calm her by stroking her. The dog was shaking with pain, and I don't think was interested in having some stranger kiss her on the mouth. Very unprofessional.

This place is obviously a scam and should be shut down for inhumanity to animals. They are all about money, and clearly have no interest in the welfare of the animal. Any vet who would work for an organization like this also clearly has a skewed sense of ethics and professionalism. For a vet the animal's welfare should ALWAYS come first. I have contacted SPCA to start a complaint against them.

The very sluggish vet-tech came into ask some questions. She wasn't sure about the typical protocol or the paper work involved with getting a FL Health Certificate which is required to sell a dog or cat in the State of Florida. She also didn't understand other nuances involving the expected care that my kitten was to receive. Which was supposed to be a) a rabies shot b) a micro-chip and c) The FL Health Certificate: This certificate requires - a fecal examination where as a sample of stool is taken, and treatment for worms is given irregardless if they don't have infestation, vital signs and blood test for Feline Leukemia and Feline Aides (he has already had both of these shots and nasal medications). Okay so I comprehend this is the protocol - This tech couldn't answer my questions regarding some of the items on the form for the FL Health Certificate though. So I asked to speak with the vet.

When the vet came into the exam room he was looking disheveled and disturbed. He never bothered to give me a professional greeting (i.e. I'm Dr. A); he was very discourteous and began reading to me the FL Law which I acknowledged to him that I already read. I tried to tell him that I knew what he was trying to convey, and I know the law because I've arrived here with my kitten at Banfield trying to get all the care done which came to $202.00 USD ...But because I have 3 different people interested in buying this kitten I could not give him the name of who I was selling the kitten to. *This particular kitten has been shown and been in the top 10 in two TICA cat shows, he is in peak condition - and has had ALL of his kittens shots including calici with all the other core shots. He only lacked getting his Rabies shot. But this vet made some insinuations, and made his point. Which was that in order for the Certificate I would have to have the name, and address of the person buying the kitten ..well I explained because of these 3 interested parties I can't give you one name. And said "then getting a FL Health Certificate is a moot point.. at least for now and I would have to wait."

I asked if he just do the Rabies and the Micro-chip and that I would take the kitten to another Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine to have the FL Health Certificate done when the kitten was ready to be neutered. The Banfield vet went into a rage getting louder and louder saying the same thing over and over about the law. He was so threatening with his body language and tone of voice that I took my kitten off of the table and placed him in the carrier - I told the vet that he wouldn't be examining my kitten. And that I understood what he was saying but... he never acknowledged that I was ending the appointment. I just wasn't going to stand there and allow him to harass me. He was becoming more exasperated, kind like a lunatic and as he became increasingly irrational I started out the door. I simply wanted to protect myself and my kitten from him. When this wacko vet followed me out into the waiting area - waving his arms and yelling at me. I felt that he was having a psychotic episode.

I told the receptionist that THANK GOD he never laid a hand on my kitten and no there wouldn't be a charge for an examination because none was conducted. And that not only has Banfield lost out on the thousands of dollars I spend their in Pet smart, but that I'm going to report this person in a formal complaint to the Better Business Bureau: I then asked her for the number to the corporate offices of Banfield. I will be writing them a formal letter to complain about this particular individual who obviously lacks not only common courtesy, but professionalism so much so that he failed to be reasonable. I made haste, and as I yelled back at him "You are not going to manhandled me - and you're certainly not going to manhandled my kitten. Why this person thought he could be so indignant and despairaging I can only surmise as to his metal instability and inferiority complex. My kittens are luxury pets. I'm not about to return to the Banfield in Daytona Beach, FL located on International Blvd OR any other Banfield because this person exemplified the demeanor of a nit-wit. I felt that he was threatening - DO NOT TAKE your pets to this Dr. A.. He's an unkind, malicious individual and he has a mental abnormality that a physician of psychiatry should examine.

We recently purchased a dog from a breeder. He was no show quality so, we got a good deal. We had 48 hrs to bring him to our vet to make sure there was no underlying condition otherwise the breeder would not be obligated for the dog. It was Memorial weekend so, the only place open was Banfield. That was my first mistake.

They looked him over and gave him a clean bill of health. They told me that the vaccines he received since not administered by a vet and they couldn't be certain they were stored properly didn't count. This is when the got me to sign up for this Wellness Plan. I figured it would be cost effective since he had to have all his deworming and vaccines again and it was going to cost me 100 to get him neutered at my reg vet. The first visit went great and I rescheduled for his booster shots in 3 wks.

I showed up for my appt. at 9. I was a little shocked that someone else was also checking in, but thought maybe they were just dropping off. I then witnessed 2 others check-in. When the vet came in and gave him the vaccines she tells me,"your dog has a heart murmur and we can't neuter him until he gets a sonogram done on his heart". I was dumbfounded. He was just in 3 wks earlier with no heart murmur, but now that I am reaching their must be sterilized by 6 months he has a heart murmur and it will cost me at least 250 to check it out. I unfortunately had not done my research on this place before hand, but hopefully I can save someone from making the same mistake.

If you read the small print it says they have to undergo preoperative blood work before surgery and if it shows something and you can't do the surgery you have to pay out of pocket for the bloodwork. Considering that the bill for the first visit for the vaccines only was 350 I hate to think what blood work would be. I am cutting my losses and bringing him to my vet. I will then get their opinion if he has a heart murmur. I'm not trying to be cheap, I really want to do what's right but I'm not going to pay for something that I don't need.

Took my cat for a checkup at Banfield. They did a fecal exam that they claimed came up negative. The same night I took the cat home it started vomiting long spaghetti like round worms. Round worms are detected by using a fecal exam. Obviously my doctor didn't actually do the exam. I signed up for a lifetime membership for Banfield but do not obviously want to go back. I'm out hundreds of dollars and had to pay for emergency vet services for my cat since banfield obviously majorly screwed up.

I was at Banfield Bloomingdale IL to get some ear medication in the morning, and was waiting for 15 minutes despite the appointment I had made (and I did arrive 10 min earlier than the appt time) The doctor came out and checked my dog for 2 min and said was going to return with medication. Then I had to wait for another 15 minutes and was getting frustrated since I was missing work. I opened the door and asked the receptionist, "do you think you can ring me up ahead of time since we know which medication was going to be given?" and she says "NO" with an attitude.

Fine, so I went back and waited for another 10 min, and vet never came back. I open the door again and ask the receptionist "look, I'm late to work and want to go as soon as possible - can you do something?" and she goes "no, you're gonna have to wait for the doctor". So I said "well but the vet hasn't come out for a while and I'm gonna have to leave soon..." then, she goes "well if you leave now without paying, then you are a THIEF". Oh I got extremely upset and requested to speak to the manager and she goes "I AM THE MANAGER". I decided to walk out of the place because it was ridiculous (of course, I paid for the exam) and when I was walking out the girl had a comment "well you look good with your suit and your nice purse, but can't afford ear medicine". I would never, NEVER recommend such clinic to anyone, and am extremely disappointed at the quality of BANFIELD. Just terrible.

I took my chihuahua Elle to Banfield because they offered an insurance plan and claimed to cost less than taking her to other vets. I got the basic plan which included spaying. What they do not tell me was it covers part of the fees and I had to pay an additional $250.00 or more for medicine and surgical fees. When I took her in for vaccines, I asked the nurse and the doctor to give her a Benadryl shot before the vaccine. On previous visits they took her to the back room to give her the shot, however on this visit they decided to ignore my request and gave my 4 lbs dog 4 vaccines without the shot. Also on that visit I request that the give her the electronic tag, again the failed to tell me the tag is only goof for there facility, most shelters do not have the ability to read the tag. She got sick on the drive home, and was sick all night.

When I took her back the next day they claimed I had refused the Benadryl shot despite my asking for it to be given twice. I told them that the doctor who treated her was not allowed to touch my dog again, and they gave me the same doctor anyway. Within the first couple of months of me getting my dog, she developed symptoms that looked like a small seizures. I was told she probably had low blood sugar and to give her honey and carry additional treats for her. Thank goodness she grow out of it, when I researched it on the internet, I found out it was a problem with the breed and she would probably grow out of it around 6-8 months, which but the doctors never told me.

Instead they tried to talk me into running expensive tests, which she did not need. She also has a skin condition, she scratches and licks patches of fur off and breaks out into an all over body rash. The doctors told me she had dry skin or allergies, they sold me oil spray for her skin, fish oil for her food, their brand of Benadryl, put her on a special diet, etc. None of their medications worked, so they tried to talk me into getting a $400.00 allergy test. When I refused several times, the doctor scheduled the test anyway and told me to bring her in as a follow to x-rays.

When I brought her in for an unnecessary visit, they told me that my insurance plan had just expired and they wanted to charge me for the visit. Also be aware their x-rays run about $400 and do not include copies of the x-ray, which they tell you they need to run so that you can take it to a specialist. I have spent about $1,500 on their wellness plan, medicine, procedures, etc. my dogs skin issue has not been resolved, and I can not get a copy of the x-rays I paid for without paying an additional $30.00 which I was not told about.

We took my wife's min pin (18 Yrs. old) to banfield at the pet smart in white oak plaza in Garner, NC to have her euthenized, due to a rapidly deteriorating condition. We were made to sign several forms before they would preform the procedure, while my wife was in tears the entire time. My wife has had insurance on the dog for many years. Within an hour of the procedure banfield called our HOME saying we had left without paying. HOW INCONCIDERATE AND CALLOUS CAN A BUISINESS BE? I had just gotten Witch in her coffin and had not even buried her yet before this call came to our home. The bill will be paid and we will never do any buisness with pet smart or banfield again!!!!!!! nI will be contacting Pet Smart Corporate with this complaint as well as banfield corporate.

I signed up for the wellness plan at the Banfield pet hospital on April 2009. I was told that the contract extends for a year and that after that year, I can call to cancel anytime (Employee Stephanie stated this at time of signing up). I have to move and needed to cancel after 14 months but was told that the plan has automatically renewed itself for another year and that I could not cancel. I talked to the manager (Donna), who said while she understands that their employee (Stephanie) misinfomred me, there is nothing that she can do and that I have to continue paying for the plan monthly. If I stopped making payments, she would send my account into a collections agency.

I took my adopted dog to Banfield at a Petsmart convenient to my home. I was immediately pressured into a Wellness contract that would be collected monthly from my checking account and promised numerous benefits. I left my dog to be spayed and vaccinated, assuming that the certificate given to me by the shelter would cover all expenses. I was billed an additional $80.00. The dog had an allergic reaction to something done there, and I rushed her back in. Charged again.

She later was diagnosed with Demodectice mange and they treated her with Ivermectrin (approved for cattle - not dogs) and she soon became lethargic and unresponsive. I was told later by a subsequent vet that the dose they prescribed should have killed her. After a long year, I was able to cancel my agreement with them (Feb 2010), but have now received a notice from a collection agency that I owe them 52.00 (including 9.00 interest). I have never seen this bill from Banfield, and cannot imagine being turned over to this agency in less than 4 months on a bill I have never received. I am already anticipating a protracted fight on this.

I took my dog to them this morning, she has been itching and digging- its summer and she gets this every year. She has had this before and the vet we used to have (we moved) would give her a shot of depomedrol 1.0 ml and we would have no problems for the rest of the summer. They tried other options on her but she would have bad reactions to the other medication so we always have stuck to what works for out dog, Well we took her over to Banfield this morning and our appoint was at 11 we didnt leave till 1:30.

we had 3 people come into the room before the vet looked at her and try to sell us everything under the sun!! Blood work, heart guard(already taking and has 1/2 box left),anhistime, shots (update), micro chip(she has one already and they said it wouldnt scan but it scans for everyone else!) flea prevention( already on frontline and has 1/2 a box left), a contract for wellness on and on ! they said she needed a blood test because the girl thought she might have thyroid problems..OK anyway the vet came in and we told her what the problem was and that she gets the shot once a year because of allergys.

she left the room and came back in and said ok we will start with antibotics and benadryl(told her that benadry was not working)so she said I wont give her that shot because we dont have any blood work on her. if you dont go with there sales program they wont treat your pet! she gave me an antibiotic that cost 68 dollars, charged 29.99 for office visit and 25.00 for a different anhistamine and said when your ready to get the blood work done then we can see what else we can do for your dog! WHAT! you talk about going off!

then they called us stupid and unknowledgeable because the shot was not in the dogs best intrest and we need to read up on allgerys. So need less to say I still have a miserable dog that is still itching and unwell. So now I have to wait for Monday to get her help! my dog is still miserable, sick and unwell because they would not help my dog because I wouldnt let them take blood, buy their flea prevention or heart guard items or contract for wellness.

At 4 am on Friday, April 30, I noticed Bob was trying to use the litter box, but did not see a urine or fecal sample. Unsure what trouble he was having, I watched him try four or more times over the course of three hours and noticed that he looked like he was in pain every time he tried. I made plans to take him to the vet immediately.

I began phoning vets and took him to Banfield Pet Hospital on 9th Street before 11 am where he could be seen immediately. Bob was alert, agile, and completely normal except for the pain in his abdomen when manipulated. I explained that it seemed he had unsuccessful litter box attempts for a few hours, which was first discovered at 4 am when I awoke, but he was otherwise normal. Dr. Merari ** felt his abdomen and told me that he felt impacted with feces, which was blocking his urethra, and needed an enema with manual breakup of the blockage and that would relieve the pressure off of his urethra which was preventing him from urinating. I agreed to their estimate for this procedure for $188. I was relieved and went home to await any news.

Within an hour they called to tell me that he was indeed not constipated, he had a full urinary blockage. They did not ask me to come in to discuss necessary procedures or fees or sign any other authorization forms, but asked for blanket approval to do anything they wanted, which made me uncomfortable because I did not have unlimited funds on such short notice and I did not want to agree to treatments and tests that could total thousands of dollars without my ability to discuss what they were individually and decide what I felt necessary and able to pay for. I asked to call back in a few minutes. I called several other vets to compare prices and asked what were the absolutely necessary procedures for a urinary blockage and received very uniform answers, but could not get an immediate appointment elsewhere.

I called to be sure I could borrow the funds necessary to cover the average costs of around $600 with blood work for the procedures as quoted by the other vet offices I spoke to and decided it was best not to move him. I called Banfield back within 10 minutes to authorize very specifically that they (1) remove the blockage, (2) flush his bladder, (3) put in a catheter, (4) provide him any necessary medications and (5) provide IV fluids as is standard procedure for this type of blockage. I then asked them to tell me exactly the costs of these procedures and the girl on the phone told me it would be $310. I agreed and authorized that they do the five things requested and call me if he needed anything else.

They never called or told me that he needed additional medications, procedures, or fluids. I called around 3 pm to check on him. They said he was starting to come out of his sedation, they had removed the blockage, installed the catheter successfully and I could pick him up around 6 pm, as they closed at 7 pm and I must have him out of there by then. Seems they were more concerned with going home early than the health of my "child". I had to insist on speaking with the doctor. Dr. ** came to the phone and warned me that he was not out of the woods yet and I needed to watch that urine production continued steadily through the night to be sure his kidneys were functioning. I assured her that I was quite capable of caring for him with proper instructions and I would be his nurse constantly through the night, every single minute for his care. I asked if he would have an IV bag and catheter collection bag to ensure that he was receiving enough fluids and processing them. She said that there was too much risk of the tubes being kinked, which could block him again causing his death and she did not want to do it. I just needed to be sure to watch him to see that fluids were flowing.

When I arrived at 6 pm to pick Bob up, they asked me to pay $420 without presenting me with an itemized bill and without my seeing my animal or the doctor for a follow up to discuss the procedures completed, his current condition, prognosis, or other necessary procedures they felt were essential to ensure his survival. They were busy at the counter and would not give me a private room to speak with the doctor, but I continued to ask two different girls at the front desk about follow-up care, for an itemized statement, and an explanation of what exact procedures were done that caused my bill to increase more than $100 than quoted. I was not unwilling or unable to pay the bill. I simply wanted exact explanations of all charges and itemized statement so I was certain what procedures had been done. They would not allow me to see my animal until I paid my bill. I continued to insist and they presented an itemized bill, but I was still very confused about the charges, unsure about the full extent of procedures they administered to my animal and continued to ask questions without receiving direct answers.

Dr. ** finally met me out in an aisle of the pet store as if it were an inconvenience and I was a problem, rather than in an exam room with my pet. She told me that she had to give him a shot during his procedure because he had vomited and that was why my charge was $100 more than quoted. She showed me the blockage that was removed (the diameter of a sewing needle), told me to watch his catheter tube to be sure fluids were flowing and take him to an emergency vet if he vomited or cried out. I then asked if he had received any fluids during or after the procedure. She was interrupted and walked away without answering or returning. As it turns out he was never administered any IV fluids during the procedure or after, thus causing his acute dehydration and demise (which I did not know at the time) but I was not able to determine this for sure from my invoice or their lack of direct answers and proper attention to me as a paying customer.

Two other cashiers tried to answer questions for me in between helping other customers at the counter, again treating me as if I were a nuisance. I was there. I was a paying customer with a gravely ill pet. I had waited for 20 minutes while they helped other customers before me. I had paid them over $400 without ever seeing the state of my animal and they still would not give me the direct attention necessary. In all, five different people came in and out of doors, as if I were interrupting them to answer questions and none were fully answered by any of them. Finally, a girl gives me the number of an emergency vet to contact if he had any problems or more questions, gave me medications and instructions to dose him when I got him home and comfortable.

I asked for a copy of all his medical records including his lab test results, just in case I needed to rush him to an emergency vet through the night and was told they could not give it to me because it had not been entered into the system yet; they do it at night. I asked for a photocopy of whatever they did have and they refused, asking me to just wait until the morning. I was distressed, exhausted, I had already paid the bill because they would not let me see my animal until I did and they finally brought out a comatose cat, put it in my arms telling me that he is just still a "little groggy from the sedatives", told me to bring him back in the morning and walked away. At that point my bill was paid, the cat was in my hands, I was in complete shock and they began helping other customers as if I were continuing to be a nuisance. Bewildered, overwhelmed and in incredible emotional pain over the state of my beloved pet limp in my arms, I left as there was clearly nothing more they would do. It was now after 6 pm on a Friday; other vets were no longer open. I was not sure what to do. They assured me he would be ok as soon as his sedatives wore off, "he was just groggy" they said and told me again to come back in the morning.

I arrived home with him around 7 pm. His condition the same as when I left Banfield. I was gravely concerned about his condition but reluctant to rush him to the emergency vet if he was simply still groggy from the sedatives. He was slightly responsive but did not seem right, he seemed in pain so I gave him the pain medications as they had instructed. He had a drip coming from the tube so I thought things were going like they are supposed to, but he was not able to drink fluids due to his state. I tired unsuccessfully to get him to drink fluids, watched him hoping that the "groggy" would start to wear off soon and he kept looking worse. He started to cry out, heave as if he might be trying to vomit and breathe fast around 9:30 pm.

By 11 pm, I arrive at the Emergency Care Center on Belcher Road with him in this distressed state. They confirmed that he was in shock, was experiencing hypothermia, he was more dehydrated than they have ever experienced in the entire history of their practice and immediately began IV fluids and oxygen with him on a hot pad to bring up his temperature. Dr. Lisa ** explained to Bill ** and myself how she could not understand why they did not administer IV fluids, did not have a closed IV system on the cat or why they sent him home in his condition and still so heavily sedated. She explained that the proper procedure was to administer fluids in a closed system to ensure that kidneys were functioning properly and she also said that she has had several pets come to her is such deplorable conditions from Banfield. It is common knowledge to any trained veterinarian that an animal who can not drink fluids of its own accord, being drained by a catheter, will dehydrate and perish. He was unable to be revived and passed around 4 am on May 1st.

On May 3rd, I finally receive the full records from both offices to discover that the documentation in the Banfield records is incorrect to the point of blatant and intentional falsification to avoid responsibility for their negligent care. They stated that I told them the cat could not pee for days when I clearly told them I first discovered this at 4 am the same day. I personally watched the girl write it in the file. They refused to give me a copy of their hand written notes.

Their records indicate that I refused IV fluids, blockage removal, catheterization and a bladder flush when they clearly performed these procedures, which I authorized over the phone around 3 pm. All of these procedures are documented on an itemized bill received upon Bob's discharge, so this also clearly indicates that they have false information in their records. They did not administer fluids; their report says that I refused to authorize it. I specifically requested it when I approved the other procedures and thought they had done it or I would never have left with him in his condition. If Dr. ** sincerely thought that I had refused to supply IV fluids for this procedure, she is negligent for not telling me that it will kill the animal and that it is cruel. Dr. ** should have told me he would not survive without IV fluids and never allowed him to leave in his state if she legitimately thought I had refused it. Not only is this facility grossly negligent in the care of my family member, but if they allowed him to leave in that state and die such a horrific death that I had to witness, will never ever forget and possibly now need therapy for because of the heinous emotional distress I went through with him. It should be considered both animal and human cruelty.

I don't and can't have children. Bob was my child and he wasn't even 5 yet. When he arrived at their location at 11 am on Friday, he needed care but was healthy and alert. By 6 pm when they discharged him to me so unprofessionally, he looked like he was still under complete sedation and by 9:30 pm he began to go into shock. They made me take this cat home in this condition because they wanted to go home at 7 pm. They never once told me that I should take this cat immediately to another vet for continued care in his condition. They told me he was groggy and he'd come out of it soon.

This is gross negligence, abuse and cruelty all in one incident that should not go overlooked or unpunished. If their office was incapable of handling such a serious medical condition because they do not provide over night ICU care to animals. They never should have told me they could handle the case and referred me to a specialist instead of taking my money and killing my family member. They preferred to empty my wallet at the expense of my child, leaving me $1200 in debt, paying for the loss of my most loved family member who was in the prime of his life and the absolute center of mine. Banfield Pet Hospital killed the equivalent of my son in the cruelest way possible and forced me to be an unwilling participant in it. $1200 in veterinary fees and supplies, immeasurable emotional trauma and pain/suffering to the animal.

December 2009, I took my 3-year-old cat Missy to Banfield due to a very large protruding uterus from a false pregnancy is what they told me. They removed the uterus and sent Missy home that day and told us to keep her calm and by herself (I have 3 cats) for a few days to heal. I took her back for the follow-up in 3-4 days, and they said something had protruded through the incision and she had to have surgery again. They did the second surgery and she still had the same large fatty feeling lump when I brought her home. They said to bring her back in April. I brought her back in April, and now they say they want me to pay to fix that lump again, now they are calling it a hernia. I can't get anyone from Banfield to call me back and I am getting angry.

I have paid through the nose for a wellness program due to them saying the surgery would be cheaper if we signed up to pay $29.00 per month and then still charged us about $500.00 for the surgeries. Also, my cat still needs this lump fixed. She's been lethargic compared to normal. She's fighting with the other cats (I am assuming it's due to her not feeling well, and I am afraid this lump is going to keep growing and kill my cat before Banfield decides to get off their butts and fix their mistake and help my cat.

May 3, 2010, I took my 2 year Shih Tzu for a check up, she is very healthy and you can tell. These Dr's were not only hard to understand but they didn't even introduce themselves to me. They looked at Meme, gave her a heart worm shot, told me she was very healthy but had tartar on her teeth. He assured me they would have to clean them (haha) something a dental bone would fix (3.00). The Dr. in the exam room made sure I knew the price even before I got to the desk to pay. He had a computer right in the exam room for a price to give to the customer, unbelievable! 110.75 dollars later and I would guess 15 minutes at the most.

These people advertise good prices and excellent care I saw neither, no line of people waiting, (now I know why). I'm glad all these people are complaining. I was one of the lucky ones just to get ripped off and not have my pet endangered. Thank you for sharing. Will never go back and I will spread the word about these so called DRs.

Anyone considering the Banfield Wellness plan should do so with the full understanding that this is a yearly contract and will be renewed automatically each year. In order to cancel this contract prior to the anniversary date, you must pay either the monthly fee for the balance of the contract, or you must pay their regular fees incurred from their annual comprehensive exam. In my case, they scheduled this exam shortly after the anniversary date and listed $415 as regular fees (what they would have charged if I did not have the wellness plan). To cancel, it would cost approximately $208 (8 remaining mos X $25.95) or $415. This automatic renewal (without signature) was not explained at the time of the contract purchase nor was the cost of getting out of the contract explained. Beware.

I brought my Yorkie in for testing of diabetes. He was drinking lots of water and peeing. After paying $650.00 for tests, he was diagnosed with diabetes. I was given insulin and told to use 2 units (by the receptionist). When I checked the needles, it really didn't look like 2 units were much, so I called and asked if they meant 2.0 or 20. I was told by the receptionist 20. I was going on vacation, so I filled up 8 needles in advance for the dog sitter.

When I came home, I had a message from the vet stating that it is 2 units, not 20. I called the vet and told him that my dog had been getting 20 units. He said o no. I said I called and that's what your receptionist told me. I told him that he should have went over the amount with me anyway, not her. My dog still had been drinking a lot of water and peeing. I had to bring him back to Banfield (which of course meant more money).

Now the vet put him on a twice a day insulin called Vetsulin. He had been on it for about a year and a half. Now, I am finding out that Vetsulin has just been recalled and it causes blindness in dogs. Needless to say, almost $1000.00 and my dog being blind, I am back at the beginning trying to find a new vet and new insulin. Bottomline is this is just like a food chain restaurant. They don't care about your pet at all. Save your money and your dog! Please!

We cancelled our membership with Banfield in August 2009, but they would not stop charging our credit card until the end of 2009. Then, they told us that they would give our dog vaccines which were due, but each time we went to Banfield Pet Hospital at 1816 N.E. 82nd Avenue in Portland, Oregon, we were told that the vaccines would be given the next time. This went on for two months.

Finally, on our last visit, we were told that our dog really didn't need the vaccines after all and the vet stated that she didn't even give them to her own dog. In any event, they seemed more interested in trying to push their products on us and had no interest in taking care of our dog. Banfield is more interested in parting you and your money than they are in providing care for your pets. I would suggest that Dove Lewis Animal Clinic would be a much better hospital for your pet. It has been several months since we cancelled our Banfield Wellness Plan, and today, we received a notice from the Multnomah County Animal Shelter which included a bill for pet licensing.

It seems Banfield was none too happy that we cancelled our plan and this is retribution. I have read hundreds of horrendous accounts of Banfield from other clients and I can only conclude that this is part for the course. I intend to sue Banfield Pet Hospital for Harassment and Extortion! Anyone interested, please contact me! Banfield prescribed their own brand of dog food for our dog and she became extremely ill.

In fact, she started eating peanut shells meant for the squirrels because she wasn't getting enough to eat. The food made her absolutely miserable and seemed to go right through her. It was soon after that that we noticed her ears were infected due to the medication they prescribed and her feet were bleeding and infected. Since we have stopped taking her to Banfield, her ears are better, but still inflamed. Her feet have improved tremendously and her weight is back to normal. Banfield should be closed! They are a danger to pets and a liability for pet owners!

My dogs are mixed breed litter mates and have been insured with Banfield since they were puppies at about 9 weeks old. At their initial visit, we were told they would probably reach 80 or 90 pounds and be prone to hip dysplasia because of their size. We had seen their mother and couldn't believe they would get that big. But, they did! They are now 7 years old. Over the course of the years, we have been somewhat pleased with the care our two dogs, Boeing and Hemi ,have received.

During our evacuation from hurricane Katrina in 2005, Boeing, our border collie mix developed a rash/infection around his nose and mouth. We took him to a vet in Texas as we were passing through who took a skin sample and prescribed a cream to put on his infection. The cream seemed to work rather well, and quickly. But, almost exactly one year later, he developed the same thing. We took him to Banfield. They said it was a "plastic allergy" and that we should only feed him from dishes that were not plastic. Since we didn't feed or water them from plastic containers, we were a little confused but filled the prescription for the meds.

The infection eventually went away, probably on its own more so than with the prescribed meds. More recently, in February, 2010, we noticed that Hemi, the black lab looking one, was favoring his left back leg. Having brought him to an emergency clinic when he was about 10 months old for the same thing (and being told it was "growing pains"), we were not immediately alarmed. When he continued to limp after a week, we scheduled an appointment at Banfield. After sitting in the waiting room for what seemed like an eternity, (as is the norm) the doctor came in, felt Hemi's foot, ran her hand up his leg then pulled it backward. He yelped in pain. She said "it's hip dysplasia" and prescribed an expensive anti-inflammatory medication.

No follow up visit was mentioned, no "call us if this doesn't seem to help", no "to rule out anything more serious we may want to do x-rays", nothing. Over $100 (and yes, we had the Wellness Plan insurance) and 2 weeks later, we had not noticed an improvement. I told my husband I wanted a second opinion. My sister has always brought her pets to the Humane Society location near our home for veterinary care so we decided to make an appointment for Hemi there. On our initial visit, they asked if they could do x-rays. We agreed. The office visit and several x-ray shots cost $126. Not a bad price compared to Banfield's rates with insurance.

They called us a couple of days later and said they would like to meet us to discuss the x-rays. We went in and met with a doctor who told us that they had referred our x-rays to a specialist at the clinic that we had used when Hemi had growing pains because she saw something unusual in his x-ray. The specialist at the clinic met with us and told us that he was 99% sure that Hemi had osteosarcoma (bone cancer).

They took digital x-rays that confirmed his suspicion. We then met with a veterinary oncologist to discuss our options for treatment and were pretty much told that he would be dying in a few months, even with expensive treatments and amputation. She was the sweetest lady who took a lot of time to explain our options, his degree of discomfort, the possible medications and chemo and radiation treatments we could try, etc...all the while treating us like people who were losing a family member, not just a dog. We have decided to keep Hemi on pain management medications as long as we can to keep him comfortable rather than put him through the trauma of an amputation that wouldn't necessarily buy him any more time.

Had Banfield diagnosed Hemi with cancer rather than just hip dysplasia, we may have caught it in time to save him with chemo. But, it was too late for that by the time he was properly diagnosed. I will never use Banfield again and will tell anyone who has pets to avoid Banfield at all costs. They seem more interested in herding people and their pets in and out and raking in the dough than being genuinely concerned with their health and well-being.

I have the Banfield Wellness Pet Insurance that I bought when I got my dog as a puppy. I have 3 dogs, all of them at the same clinic with the "insurance". I either have the most unhealthy pets ever or they like to make up ailments that my pets do not have. At every exam I never leave without a bill, finally I got smart and refuse treatment from them.

I take them to a second vet for a second opinion and usually the second vet doesn't see anything wrong with my pets. Today I was in the lobby for an extended amount of time and notice that every "Pet Insurance Holder" walks out with an average bill of $80 and nearly all of the pets had eyes and ear problems. And I felt sorry for these young adults that brought their rescue pit in for shots and walked out with a $478 vet bill and nothing was diagnosed or treated at that time (this was only for test).

March 13, 2009, I finally got the puppy of my dreams a Yorkie, named Charlie. I had been taking Charlie to Banfield since Jan. I had asked questions in regards to his weight several times. They had me change his food. Finally, the last visit the vet in March decided to have him come in for a test. My mom who watched the dog for me during the day called because of Charlie's change in behavior and lack of appetite. They said to just monitor him and bring him in as scheduled for his test that Sat.

The morning I took Charlie to get his testing, it was evident that he had lost his hearing and his sight. I dropped him off and told them all my concerns. A few hours later, I get a call that Charlie needs an emergency surgery. I had my mom drive me up there, when we arrived we were told that Charlie would not make it through the surgery because he had gone into a comatose state. Therefore my dream puppy would have to be put to sleep. It was such an awful experience. The test they gave him showed that he had a portosystemic shunt. Once I got home, I researched portosytemic shunts and realized that small breeds like Yorkshires are very susceptible to them. A sign that a puppy has this condition is weight loss.

My question is why the vet waited so long to give the test. After his first drastic drop in weight the test should have been offered. I would assume that a vet knows that small breed dogs are susceptible to this condition and what tests are needed to see if they have a portosytemic shunt. My poor dog had to suffer through this and it could had been fixed with surgery, he didn't have to die. To add insult to injury , the vet said they would send me my bill. They have yet to do so, however, I get a call stating that they are sending me to collections and I asked them where's my bill, they responded with we tried calling you. Who calls to say here's your total bill. Why would they not send a billing statement. I would just warn people to be careful when sending your puppies to Banfield. If I decide to get another dog, I think I'll go through a vet's office not Banfield.

I have had both my dogs insured through the Banfield Pet Hospital Insurance Wellness Plan for over seven years. Last October, my Yorkie passed away. I called Banfield and asked to have Ozzy removed from the policy. They told me since I had the auto-pay plan, it was based on one year and that I would continue to pay $59.90 through January. At that time, Ozzy would be removed from the policy but Angus (my Westie) would remain.

In March the local Banfield hospital called to remind me that Ozzy and Angus had an appointment on April 3 for their comprehensive exam. I explained that Ozzy had died and he was brought in for cremation to the same hospital. They said they would update their records. When we brought Angus in for his check up they told me that my policy had lapsed and that I would have to pay for a full year before they would see Angus. I decided that I was no longer happy with Banfield and left.

A few days later, April 6, I checked my checking account statement and found that I had been charged $59.90 by Banfield. I have called them twice and both times was sent to a supervisor who was not there. I wanted my money refunded. I was told by someone in billing that he couldn't do that because there was a glitch. I explained that the glitch was my dog died, multiple times, and he refused to understand that the issue was theirs, not mine. The glitch was not cancelling Ozzy--despite a note in my file from October when I called. He told me I should be happy that they didn't see Angus or I would owe them for a year.

I am appalled that my dog's death is seen as a glitch and that after more than seven years as a client, they are willing to lose a customer, keep $59.90 because of an error they made, and never bothered to get back to me. An amount of $59.90 charges in April, no services received, and according to them the policy lapsed in January.

I took my dog into Banfield on 6/12/09 he was having diarrhea, told them that I had just changed dog food, and that he had had a bone, the vet ran a bunch of tests and found bacteria in his fecal matter, gave we an antibiotic and sent me home charged me $171.50. The dog kept vomiting and having diarrhea they changed the medication twice and we had to waiting a couple weeks to see what the meds would do. Took him back in on.

7/10/09 couldn't tell me what was wrong charged me another $81.64 for the same kind of stuff they had charged me for. Recommended that I have a very expensive blood test done, and suggested that the dog needed his teeth cleaned and the blood work was included in the teeth cleaning, so I agreed to have the dogs teeth cleaned and blood work done on 7/23/09, was charged $456.69.

The dog was still having diarrhea took him in again on 7/30/09 ran some of the same tests. During the office visit I asked the same vet that I had started all this with if this could be enzyme imbalance in his intestines due to the change in dog food and eating that bone. She said yes, so as I was leaving the store, I bought an over the counter probiotic enzyme for my dog and in 2 days he was back to normal. This little over sight cost me $806.02 that we did not have, I am not working and this devastated our budget. Even if you give Banfield a credit for the teeth cleaning I was taken to the cleaners for about $600.00. To top it all off I have to tell them what was wrong with my dog, thank god for the internet. I waited to file this because I am having been dealing with a very ill family member.

As a first time dog owner in a new city, I had no idea where to go after adopting my new dog. She came with a free exam from Banfield from the shelter, so I decided I would schedule my appointment with them. The night before the appointment, we had to rush her in unexpectedly, she had licked open her spay incision leaving a gaping hole for all her intestines to fall through- the only vet I knew was Banfield, so I rushed her in at 10:30pm, half-an-hour before closing. They took her back immediately and began to clean and reinsert her organs, after three hours of waiting in the exam room for her to get finished. Tthey took me back to the room where her procedure was completed and let me sit with her.

By this time, it was well after 2:00am and I knew I would be paying big for it. Banfield's policy is to not let anyone leave before services are paid for, they showed me the bill ($1,936.78) and asked me how I wanted to pay. I asked if I could put $700 down and juggle some money in my accounts to pick up the remaining balance. They agreed and I was on my way. I checked in with her and the vet every day until she was ready to go home four days later, it was that time they brought up the 'Optimum Wellness Plan' and showed me the savings, even with the $280 start up cost it would end up saving me close to $650, I figured it would be worth it and not knowing any better signed up. I left happy that my dog was alive, but feeling significantly overcharged.

On my second Banfield experience, we had to go in for what looked like a UTI or Bladder Infection. I figured a quick look and some meds and we would be out the door, but when they drew the sample it turned out to be the protein in her muscles breaking down and entering the bladder. Apparently, she had been over excercising, especially with her major surgery only a month and a half prior. I chalked it up to experience and let them keep her overnight for an IV flush. They made it sound like she wouldn't live through the night without it, which seemed wrong, but I didn't argue. The next day, when I was allowed to come pick her up I got the bill for $374, with all my Wellness Plan discounts- the regular cost would have been upwards of $600. I though it seemed high, but paid blindly again.

Our third experience with Banfield was a run in with a bee at the park, her face ballooned to twice it's normal size and her eyes were so puffy she could hardly see. Of course, as luck would have it, I was working at the time, so my roommate took her in after calling and being told under no circumstances to give her Benadryl. She panicked, rushed her in, and let them do their thing. They tried to talk her into an overnight stay to administer an antihistamine via IV, but she refused (thankfully!). We were stuck with a $224 bill, for a check up, injection, and the instructions to get and administer- Benadryl.

Among all of the major expenses, we've also participated in the semi-annual 'Wellness Exams' which take an entire day (7:30am drop off, and something always seems to come up to bump our 12:00pm pick up to 4:30pm). They never will preform the exam in front of you, they always whisk the animal away to the back room. On our last exam, I asked if we could get an out of state health certificate for a trip we were taking to Glacier Nat'l Park, the out of state certificate is included in the Wellness Plan. When we picked her up later that afternoon, they said since we would be taking a day trip to Canada they had to give us the International Health Certificate, when I said I didn't want it because it wasn't necessary to get to or from the States they told me the law had just changed and I wouldn't be able to get her across the border without one. I figured they would know best and shelled up the $66.60 for the certificate. When crossing the border, I asked both ways what I needed to provide for the dog, the border patrol for both the US and Canada said the only thing they need is a rabies certificate.

After all the money I have "saved" (while overspending) at Banfield, I decided to cancel my Wellness Plan, I called the local office who gave me the number to call and cancel. Fifteen minutes on hold and I talked to a representative who didn't put up too much fight about cancelling but offered to waive the fee for the month to see how much it would cost without the plan. I opted out and they said it wouldn't expire until the 7th of August, or if I wanted to cancel today I could pay the $75.86 balance of services rendered for the year and cancel today. I opted to pay the balance and cancel on the spot, I'm not planning on ever going back to Banfield, especially now that I've found my new vet who I love and would never put a dog through the stress of a day long check up. Overall, I feel slightly cheated by the deal, $20/month for the past two years and I still have to pay to get out of the deal. Good riddance.

When I took my eleven-year-old Pomeranian to PetSmart for grooming, the lady there said that before he could be groomed, he needed to be properly vaccinated. I took him to Banfield in PetSmart, where I had taken both of my dogs for several years, for his vaccines. Within thirty six hours of receiving his vaccines, my dog began acting very strange. He wouldn't eat, drink, or play, and he started drooling heavily, laying on the floor in an awkward position for hours on end and looking around as if he saw something that scared him.

When I took him to the emergency vet, they said they didn't know if there was much they could do, but they prescribed some antibiotics, hoping that there was something infecting his liver. After a few days, however, Keanu finally died. I soon realized that my case was not the first like this, that several times Banfield has given a heavy dose of the rabies vaccine.

We have our dogs (2 rat terriers) enrolled in the Wellness Program . On March 31st, 2010, we took our 3-1/2 year old female Rat Terrier to Banfield, Oceanside, California, as she had uncontrollable diarrhea. She was lethargic, and it seemed like she might be in pain from the gas and bloating. We thought it might be due to something she might have eaten during one of her walks (She has a really bad habit of keeping her nose to the ground and eating almost anything. She's food aggressive, so once she has something in her mouth, you can not get it out.).

They did a giardia test; it was negative. They did a pancreas test, negative. They took x-rays; it came back abnormal. At this point, my tab was at $615. The next step was to perform surgery to find out whether it was Bloat or a blockage. Surgery would have cost $2,000- $3,000. At Banfield, you have to pay in full; they don't "do" payment plans! I was told that they (Banfield) don't want to have an outstanding balance due on their books, that's why they don't offer payment plans. I don't have that kind of money just laying around the house! They gave me a few names of other Vets that accept "Care Credit". You have to apply for it in the same way you would apply for a credit card. There's no way in ** anyone will approve me for $2,000-$3,000 line of credit! I had no idea that vets don't accept payment plans.

What are our options? They didn't give us any! None! If you can't pay for the surgery in full at the time of service, then you have to kill your dog.so now I have to live with the guilt that we killed our dog.

That is so ***! I wonder how many other pet owners have to kill their pets because they can't pay in full for surgery?

Banfield is nothing more than a business.They don't give a ** about the life of an animal. It's more important to them that they don't have an outstanding balance due on their books!

How can that Vet Doctor sleep at night knowing she just killed a 3-1/2 year old dog because her owners didn't have $3,000! *** Banfield! I am going to cancel my other dogs' wellness program and find a Veterinarian that is a vet because they love animals, not because they love the money.

I worked for Banfield briefly, as a collections rep at the corporate office in Portland, Oregon. The post by Daniel is perfectly indicative of the corporate atmosphere as well. The Wellness Plans are made for one reason only, to make the company money! All day long, I talked to people who were told by the hospital that the plan could be canceled at any time. I know for a fact that the corporate office is aware of this misinformation, and deliberately does not advise there hospitals to correct this. The actual production cost of the services provided by the wellness plans is often less than $100, but the retail value of the services can be in excess of $1,000.00. I understand that a company obviously needs to make money, but the markup on these services is outrageous, on top of the unethical lack of information given to the clients by the hospital staff (generally speaking), about their options for canceling the wellness plan.

In addition to this, the billing for the company is all paperless. You have to give a credit card, to be automatically billed every month. If something happens, and the payments aren't automatically processed for several months, the wellness plan is canceled to collections. At this point, even if the retail value of the services used is less than the cost of the plan, they are going to send you to IC Systems (a collection agency) for the whole year's cost of the wellness plan, plus collection fees, if said fees are allowed in your state. This means that if you took your pet in to the hospital, all you had done were 2 shots, and some kind of fecal exam, and later on, the payments are defaulted on (sometimes the automatic billing system randomly just stops taking payments for, seriously no reason), you are going to be sent to collections for up to $400.00.

Granted, it is ultimately the client's responsibility to make sure their bills are being paid, but how easy could it be to miss that $21.95 wasn't deducted from your account? Sometimes, the clients will be mailed a letter, saying the payments are not being made, and sometimes a phone call is generated in the system, but by no means does this happen with every client. I would say it happens maybe 30% of the time. I know, this is all I did all day long for two months, while in the Wellness Plan collections department. I have never in my life worked for a company, where all day long, I had to listen to people threatening legal action. I really believe that it can't be legal that they cancel the wellness plans to collections for more than the retail value of the services that were used, and I also think this is in direct contradiction with what the actual contracts say. This is one of the worst jobs with the worst company I've ever had in my life.

My dog Bruiser had severe inflammation on the back of his neck in the same areas where Banfield had previously inserted microchips. His ear was also very red and inflamed. I originally got the microchips inserted at Banfield, so that's why I took him back there (10/19/2009) and not to my primary vet first. I told the technician that I thought that the microchips had something to do with the infection and she looked and stated that "they put them lower than that". At that time, another employee yelled that they put them between the shoulder blades which is where I said they were.

I asked her to scan them to see their location and both chips were in the area where the inflammation was. She scanned the chips and had a very surprised look on her face. The technician was trying to sell me a wellness plan and flea products, I told her more than once that I did not need them. She stated that they don't recommend any OTC products; however, when I received my recommendations for treatment there were at least 3 OTC products listed and they were horribly overpriced.

When the doctor finally arrived after at least another 30 minutes, she did not give my dog a thorough exam. She reached out for my dog's mouth to check his teeth and she did not give any indication to me or my dog and we were both startled by her action. I felt that as a trained vet you should approach an animal with caring and comfort, not by just reaching your hand into his mouth. She also diagnosed his ear irritation from the computer at least 3-4 feet away, saying "yeah, it's inflamed" without touching it or examining the inside with a tool. She didn't complete a thorough office visit exam for which I was charged. She did not take his temperature, check his paws or look at his ear thoroughly.

I talked to the manager, Denise, and she was going to get back to me and finally did so on November 12. She stated all that she would do is give me hospital credit. I told her that I did not feel comfortable bringing Bruiser back to her facility because I feel that they just wanted to sell me products and they really didn't care about helping me fix Bruisers' condition. I asked that they credit my bank account. I went to my primary vet and paid for the treatment my dog so desperately needed. It was way cheaper and I didn't feel that they were trying to rip me off or sell me stuff that I didn't need. His ear and his neck both got better and it cost less than half of what Banfield quoted me.

I grudgingly paid for a professional service which I did not receive and the customer service was very unprofessional. Denise hung up on me and my mom several times. I've gone to several vets over the years and none of them has ever handled my dog in the manner that the vet at Banfield did.

After my mom and I both went back and forth with Denise, I finally filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. When I called to inquire about the store credit that she owed me, she said "that was before you called BBB, I can no longer talk to you" and she hung up, even though she said that her solution was to give me a store credit, although I told her I would never bring my dog there again. Banfield is unprofessional and they don't care about our pets. They just want to overcharge you and get you to buy their stupid insurance. If you love your pets, do not bring them to Banfield.

On March 13, 2010, I brought my cocker, Max, for an emergency visit to Banfield. It was decided that he could not be saved and we determined to let him go. On March 17, 2010, I called Banfield to find out how long it would take for me to receive his remains. I was told about two to three weeks. On March 23rd, I went to Banfield to get a copy of the paperwork on his death. I asked again how long would it take. I was given the number to Altmeyer and was told that once they pick up the pet, it was out of their hands.

Today, March 24th, I called Altmeyer. It turns out they never received my pet. I quickly called Banfield. After a 17 minute hold, I was told that they still had my pet in a holding area. Unacceptable! I was then given a nurse who told me they had a communication breakdown and that I was suppose to call Altmeyer to come pick him up. After a heated conversation, the nurse apologized and said she would take care of this situation and that someone would call me back tomorrow to tell me how long it would take. This isn't the first time the Newport News office has miscommunicated with me and the health care of my pet of 14 years.

I took my Yorkie to vaccine. She was only 4 pounds. Knowing that she need two vaccines because previous doctor told me about, a vet came and told me that she need a third vaccine. My dog, as soon she got the vaccine, starts to throw up and got blue, needed to be put on an IV and other fluid. They charge me $160 (and I have insurance with then) plus I had to take my dog to a animal hospital after for a monitoring evaluation. Economical result is $600 later plus don't know how my dog is going to be.

Someone accused my dog of biting their dog and told me I should pay their vet bill from Banfield. When this person brought me their receipt, I knew immediately it was fraudulent because I also take my dog to Banfield. I called Banfield the next morning pretending to be the other customer saying, I misplaced my charge slip and how much did I charge the day before. The person on the phone at Banfield asked me did I want to know how much I wanted "the man" to pay or how much my actual bill was. The fraudulent bill was for $114.29 and they actually only paid $63.02. I am appalled by Banfield as much as the people for conspiring together to try and scam me.

I will not pay those people a dime. I will go to Banfield and confront them with my evidence and end my contract with them. I do not need to do business with such a highly unethical and immoral company and I urge all others to do the same.

I took my daughter's little dog into Banfield in Norman after it was attacked by another dog. I was overcharged by them to sew up a wound on the dog. After two days, the dog was in bad pain so I took it to Midwest Vet Clinic in Midwest City to have it checked. It was found that the dog had an abscess where the stitches were and it was full of infection.

What made me take it to another vet was the price Banfield was going to charge me to have another vet look and see what was wrong with the dog. They charged me almost $500.00 the first time and wanted almost $300.00 for an x-ray and around $1,100.00 to fix what was not fixed the first time. This is price gouging and unfair practice to pet owners all over America.

I brought my puppy to Petsmart Banfield on February 3, 2010 for the first time to get her de-wormed and puppy vaccinations. Doctor said she had watery eyes, which she did a little bit, but it's no big deal. She put some kind of ointment that looks like Vaseline in my dog's eyes and said it's for her watery eyes. At the same time, she prescribed it to me, and I was charged for it. I asked her specifically where it goes, and she said into the eyes. I asked again, "Into the eye, touching the eye balls?" She confirmed.

After we left there, her eyes got puffy and red. I did give her 2 treatments as how the doctor instructed. Her eyes got worse and more puffy and more watery. I stopped using it and just washed my dogs eyes instead, and it stopped the redness. I brought her back, and another doctor said that she maybe allergic to the ointment. I said that I'll just try to wash her eyes and keep her clean to see if it will heal from the allergic reaction.

Now the date is the 11th, 8 days later, and my dog eyes are horribly swollen and blistered. Her eyes so watery that every time she goes to sleep and wakes up, her eyes are dried shut from the eye fluids drying as she slept. I have to wet it and slowly try to open her eyes. I know that as the eyes dry shut, the fluid in her eyes keeps building and the disease of the blistering spread to the surrounding areas which is her face. And now, she's getting blisters on her chin and around her mouth and her neck got 2 big bumps getting big and hard. She looks horrible.

I brought her back today, the 11th, and the same first doctor that gave her the eye treatment was there to look at her. I asked the doctor what's wrong with her, and she said she doesn't know and wants to draw blood and check it and brought out an estimate of 500 something dollars. I was so upset and sad at the same time, and I feel it's so unfair to bring my dog there for them to damage her and then they try to make me pay for what they've caused on my dog.

Now my dog is in pain, I know. I don't have the money to treat her right now. Somebody please help me sue them. I really need justice for my poor innocent little pup. Somebody please step up for us. Thank you.

We had a pet wellness plan with Banfield. Our 10 month old puppy had been healthy. One day, it stopped eating and looked sick. My wife and my 9 year old took him to Banfield and they said it was a cold. Within 12 hours the puppy died while next to my daughter. The doctor's response was "these things happen". Now Banfield has a collection agency calling every night because they want $105 for the remainder of the wellness plan owed even though the dog died because of their poor care. I have credit people calling about $105. It's not the money. It's the idea of them wanting payment for a service that is no longer needed because of their poor service.

I have been a customer for years and the people have never really been nice but this last situation did it for me. They insisted my dog needed surgery. I had two other opinions who disagrees. I feel this location is hurting for money and willing to do even unneeded surgeries to bring money in. Second, I went in on Feb 1st to get a heart worm test for my dog so that her prescription was to be filled by 1800petmeds. They also get upset when you don't purchase med's from Banfield. After the negative heart worm test, I had to call over to Banfield three times to ask them to fax the prescription to 1800petmeds.

On the third call, I asked for the vet who is rude, unprofessional and during my last visit on Feb 1st, I talked more about her hysterectomy she had just had and her money problems than she was concerned about my dog. Her name is Susan and she was nasty with me when I asked her to refax the prescription. She became down right nasty then hung the phone up in my face on 8 Feb '10 6pm simply because I requested a refax of the prescription. This lady is suppose to be the director but let me tell you, she truly has some mental health issues going on. I called Banfield Corporate on the 8 Feb 2010 to complain. They said someone would get back to me in 7 days. I haven't heard from them and it's 4 Mar 2010. Every time I call to cancel this insurance I have paid for for years, they give me a hard time telling me I owe money that I don't owe.

I have yet to successfully cancel the insurance but will try again today while they continue to charge my checking account. I really question just how competent the vets are and the director of nursing, Kim, and the individual who answer the phones especially Holly, always has an attitude. I guess poor management trickles down. I called them on this surgery they said my dog needed and Susan didn't like me questioning her. That's my job as a consumer and a dog parent. Dr. B was there for the last few years and never a problem. What a wonderful doctor she was.

Now, the new people in there, well, I pray for the people who take their dogs/pets there. My dog has not had any surgery and is happy and healthy. I changed vets to professional vets who are competent, kind and compassionate towards my dog and I, who could have said yes to surgery however they are well established and not hurting for money. So they are not willing to do unnecessary surgeries. They truly take measures to do what is in the best interest of the animal, not their bank account unlike Banfield.

Recently, my husband and I have been victims of identity theft. We knew there would be an issue with our automated payments because the credit card Banfield has on file was cancelled due to the identity theft. We called Banfield and let them know the situation. They said they would put our account on hold for us until we could get things figured out.

We thought that would be great. It turned out not so great. We have now been getting constant harassing phone calls about our payments. They didn't tell us that an account on hold equals harassing phone calls. We told them we want to make payments but are having a hard time getting funds available. We asked if they could send us a bill in the mail so we could make payments. They said the only way we could make payments was to give them another credit card over the phone or to go into the pet hospital and make a payment.

Right now, this is close to impossible. I am currently on bed rest with my pregnancy and my husband's commute is not in the time frame of the hospital's operating hours. We also have cancelled all of our credit cards and bank accounts until we have things under control. As a client who is willing to make payments, I would hope that a company would be willing to take payments, even if that means they have to send out a bill for a few months. We will never go back to Banfield once our contract expires.

I used to work for Banfield until very recently. People need to know these things so they can make informed decisions. Banfield was recently acquired by Mars, yes, Mars, the company that makes food. They know about food. What do they know about running a Vet Clinic? I have no idea. I have worked with good people, those people know who they are. I have seen morally, unethical things there. The good people eventually leave for various reasons, moral and burnout are big reasons. Banfield is good for cleaning ears, trimming claws, expressing anal glands, simple vaccines and the occasional shave down/groom. With anything else, beware. You pay for what you get. I repeat. You pay for what you get.

I have seen and dealt with, on a regular basis, morally and ethically disturbing situations. I can only really talk about what I saw in the office I worked in. Be prepared, I will explain to the best of my ability. I have seen dogs get dental procedures done on the floor at least three times. I will explain and clarify. The dog was laid on the tile floor and put under anesthesia to get their teeth cleaned/get a tooth pulled. Why on the floor? Because the dog was too big to fit on the place where dentals are done and the dogs were very big, over a hundred pounds each, no one there to pick them up.

A dental cart that at times will shock people using it and shock pets getting their teeth cleaned, no rhythm or reason to it plus ox/monitoring equipment are not always working right/not turning on/stopping in the middle of procedures, office manger refusing to be quick about fixing said problems, responding with comments like play with it and see if you can get it to work, or waiting a week or two or more to order the part instead of making an emergency order.

The machines that monitor heartbeat and other functions, the sound is shut off so as to not bother doctors/staff/with sound of said machine going off. The said machines go off because they don't work right. There's a problem with machine, or there's a serious problem with pet. Surgery and dental carts/rooms are not cleaned properly. Equipment is not maintained properly. Sharp containers opened then closed and set up to empty small containers into bigger containers. At one time, small sharp containers were growing and cleaned out by someone because no one knew where to get sharper ones. Sharp containers are expensive so let's just clean it out so we can use the money elsewhere. That practiced stop when the office was caught by OSHA.

Various tests aren't read quick enough or properly or not read at all. Example, heartworm tests aren't snapped quickly enough so there's a possibility of false reading. Fecals are not being read fast enough or not being read and giving owners a false read only to have the owner come back in for same issue later then pay for another test to find out that the owner's pet has worms which would have been caught if the first test was read. Urine is not being read quickly enough for possible false reading. Blood test results are not run/read right or just being lost. There never have enough supplies. I repeat. There were never enough supplies. Surgeries had been done in unsafe manners/unsterile manners such as declaws. A veterinarian doesn't scrub up or gown up for declaws and says it's not a sterile surgery anyway. Clients buying and paying for medicines are not even in the hospital at that time because the hospital has run out/wasn't ordered but still sold to clients. Name bands are not put on a regular practice. Why? They are too busy.

Pets are confused, wrong pet treated for the wrong thing/given medicine to that it shouldn't have gotten. Pets being wrongful tracked. The tract tube was put in a wrong place or done by someone who shouldn't be doing it. Pets being maimed by wrong/poor diagnosis. Pets being killed by arrogance/wrong/poor diagnoses. I have seen pets poorly tracked by wrong size of tract tube that was put in and have either lost a piece of their trachea or coughed a piece of it and no one tells the owners. This can kill a pet in time. I have given owners their dying pets and the office manger says, "Good luck in making it to the ER." I have seen routine procedures go bad due to incompetence/wrong people doing things.

They shouldn't have and watching, said"Pets die. And not being able to say anything to the owner except, "Sorry, for your loss." While I'm crying, being called soft for crying over a pet/believing what an owner says people not using muzzles on pets they are working with. It's for my safety and the safety of the pet. Cats getting their heads slammed into worktable because it's a cat and cats are temperamental. When a certain owner is there, this isn't happening. If she's there, it doesn't because she handles the cats and is great at it. Saving of suture for later use, here's a big one bait and switch.

There are plans for preventive medicine. One plan has blood work. Beware, this is usually done for dentals once a year. You get the blood drawn. If it comes back to normal, it's covered with no problems but if it doesn't come back to normal, your charged blood work that's suppose to be already covered that's over a hundred dollars. Also, you will lose that blood work that's supposed to be free because you have been paying for the monthly plan. if you need blood work you have to pay again because you used the routine blood work already. It makes no sense to me.

Its horrible and has caused lots of problems in IV lines, bags of fluids, needles not changed i.e. we got a memo saying that IV lines and needles need to be changed after each patient and bags of fluids not to be used over 48 hours because some hospitals weren't doing it and it caused deaths. This hospital used to use fluids until the fluid bag went empty. They don't do that anymore though.

The staff/office manager says horrible/mean things about clients behind their backs while trying to get the most money, trying to pad the bill, saying things about clients because they either ask questions or don't understand what's being told to them, improper training/no training, improper pictures taken, taking advantage of an emergency situations, and laughing about it. Example, the client is being charged $75 every 30 minutes for an emergency and the office manager laughs about it because she's making money off another's pain. That's just some of what I have dealt with, sorry for it being so long but I feel people need to know so they can make an informed decision.

We took 2 healthy kittens to be spayed. When we went to pick them up, we were told one was not doing well and the vet wanted to watch her for a couple more hours. We later picked a kitten that was alert and playful 5 hours earlier and now was blind, could not stand, legs were stiff and she had lost control of bowels and bladder. She would not eat or respond. Banfield said she may have had an allergic reaction to the anesthesia. We took her to a different pet hospital where they said there was no hope. We euthanized Mini the day after Banfield spayed her. Please take your pets to a good vet. Our children can't understand how this happened and we can only guess.

Nine days ago, I took our golden retriever to the vet at my local Petsmart. She took e-rays and did a blood test. This vet told me my dog will be fine, recommended a change in diet and then sold us some very expensive dog food. Because our dog didn't improve, today I took her to another vet. The second vet took x-rays which showed that my dog was in advanced stages of cancer which had spread throughout the lungs, liver and various other parts of her body. The second vet had to put our dog to sleep.

I took my 8 year old dachschund for a basic checkup but she also had a tremendous thirst for about 10 days. After $425 worth of tests, etc., Dr. Enloe said her sugar was high but not high enough for insulin so he wanted to try her on a diet food for 2 weeks & repeat the blood work. Well, within 10 days Crystal became worse & worse until she wouldn't eat, or drink. I assumed she had a "bug", since the doctor said she was not diabetic. I was traveling out of town for the weekend to see the grandkids that always cheer her up.

By the next morning, she hadn't urinated at all or ate or drank in over 48 hrs. I took her to a vet there who immediately put her in the hospital-"critical". She sent for the blood work from Banfield which showed her blood sugar was high & her urine showed the highest reading the charts show, as well as the gluten level was off the chart. They kept her for 4 days on iv fluids and 2 different kinds of insulin. She is finally on soft food, drinking and urinating normally, but still not 100%. I visited the vet today to question why he didn't start her on insulin 2 weeks ago. He said he doesn't trust the tests. I told him I want reimbursement for all their charges (since I had also signed up for the wellness plan), and I also want reimbursement for the hospital charges when out of town. He said he is not authorized to give a credit. I told him I will never bring either of my pets back there.

I am a member of a wellness plan and my puppy has visited our local Banfield since the day she arrived at my home. I have also had two other family pets in and out of the doors of Banfield and have usually had great experiences. I recently was one of the clients at the Alpharetta North Point PetSmart location in Georgia when they transferred to Johns Creek. I was fine with the move and called several times to have all of my pets' vaccination charts and information transferred to the Roswell Crossville Road location, which is even closer to my house. Never visiting this location before, I was sure I would have the same great experience and that the doctors and front desk associates would be just as kind and treat me and my puppy as well as usual.

Visiting for the first time at the Roswell location, I had a rude awakening. I was bringing my dog in for a skin condition I had begun noticing. The staff there (Kelly) seemed posh to start with as I ignored his rude remarks on, "Oh, you need to spay that dog. We don't need any more runts running around." (I am in fact on the spay included wellness plan so his words were far from necessary). After waiting in the office for 1 hour and 45 minutes before seeing a doctor, she came in seeming to be in a hurry.

She brushed her hand through my dogs coat for a calculated 30 seconds, agreed with my opinion that it seemed to be and probably was an allergic reaction. She then said nothing more and left the room. I thought she would come back with some more information or to take another look, rather a tech entered with a $780 priced treatment plan for skin cultures, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, shampoos, ointments and a urine sample. I was dumbfounded at how this could be the treatment plan a doctor who "treated" my dog for less than one minute to an issue she herself said looked to be an allergic reaction.

Walking away from Banfield at that time with nothing but the shampoo in hand to ease the itching (which later caused the condition to spread) I proceeded to a different local veterinarian a few days later that treated her with a steroid shot for $45 that cleared her skin up in less than 24 hours.This is not the end of my rather negative experience. Visiting again a few weeks later, I had decided to give the office another try because of its convenient location and to take advantage of my wellness plan to give my puppy some updated shots. I was welcomed by a female associate who seemed nice enough.

Soon thereafter, a tech came in again with a printed out estimate of my costs. I told her I was on the wellness plan and that the majority of what was listed should be cost free. She walked out of the room and Kelly came in with a very rude and condescending tone that they cannot honor my plan unless I buy the adult plan or re-pay my initial plan costs. I, of course, refused to re-start a plan nor pay for any further plan costs that I had paid for back in June when my plan began. He told me she could not help and that I had to contact the Alpharetta office to get her shots and to continue her plan.

The Alpharetta branch had long since been closed. I contacted the Johns Creek location who of course told me that Roswell had to call them to have my plan transferred back. Regardless of the fact that when I heard months ago that the Alpharetta location was closing I had to call back and forth numerous times to have all the information transferred to Roswell to begin with. I now have scheduled my puppy's spay and further shots at the Johns Creek location, a very inconvenient 35 minutes away. However, the staff, over the phone at least sounds very kind.

I will never again return to the Roswell location again and I will also make my friends, family and neighbors aware of my experience with the staff and doctors there. The procedures of examining and calculating what actually needs to be done to help my dog, I felt, was totally ignored. I would hope that a veterinarian office, doctor, associate and especially the bottom line of the corporate company standards itself are always #1, the health of the pets that come through its doors and not trend of increasing money.

I truly hope that the above letter helps you implement a change in the way clients are their pets are treated and how things are handled between each location. Transferring her plan was confusing enough with each location telling me a different thing. It did not help that the staff was rude and inconsiderate about it as well.

I also hope that the doctors, which I am sure are not all of them, grasp the understanding that when someone brings in their pet, it is because they want a problem fixed, just as people see their own doctor for the same reason. Thank you for your time and I would appreciate a response in this matter.

Banfield Pet Hospital had given my dog more than 11 shots on the same day, without my approval. One of them reacted wrong, and it cost me almost $7,500.00 to bring my dog back to life. My dog almost died.

3 strikes, Banfield is out. I would never recommend this service to any pet owner who truly loves their pet. First strike with Banfield was when they put my puppy under to spay her. I had given permission for them to also remove her hernia. When I went to pick her up, she still had her hernia and they said, "We didn't get permission to remove it". However, upon closer inspection, it was found that I had in fact given permission to remove the hernia. Second strike? I took my puppy in for her shot and was not given any instructions other than, "Please pay your balance and have a nice day". That night, she was limping and crying, so I took her to emergency care (which is not covered under Banfield's insurance) and they said that she was having a reaction to the shot and I should have been told this might occur.

Third strike? My 7-year old Greyhound has been limping, so I took her in. X-rays were done, the vet told me that she had cancer and had less than a year to live and that I should just give her pain pills and enjoy my time with her. I contacted two other vets and they didn't know why a test for Valley Fever was not done. When I called the vet at Banfield and asked to see him, he said "Oh, I did talk to another vet and she said that I should have checked for Valley Fever and I was going to call you". He said that he was not from Arizona, so he didn't know that Valley Fever should have been screened. He also said that there was only a 5% probability that it would not be cancer and would be Valley Fever.

Needless to say, I loaded up my Greyhound again, took her back, paid another $135 to have the test done. I contacted another vet today who said, "You can't determine if it's cancer until a biopsy is done". He also said, "There is a 50% chance it could be Valley Fever". As a pet owner, one can only imagine the anguish me and my 2 girls have been through during these experiences. If my dog does, in fact, have cancer, I will deal with the options and prognosis. However, to make a determination so quickly that is not based on evidence is a disastrous mistake for a vet to make and I could have said "goodbye" to my dog way too soon. Please do not consider using Banfield!

About 5 weeks ago, my cat started acting up. We went to our local Banfield, because we had a wellness plan through them from my previous location in Winter park, Florida. When we got there, aside from the fact that it felt very impersonal, it led to a long wait time.

Every person we saw asked us the same exact questions, and we ended up repeating ourselves continually. And the actual vet only came in for a very short period of time and then left right away without explaining anything or telling us what needed to be done. This was followed by a nurse coming in and handing us a bill for a bunch of stuff, most of which did not make any sense. We paid it, and he got antibiotics. Things went well for a while.

Then a couple days ago, he started acting really funny. But on the phone, they said it would be fine to wait until the next day to bring him in. So we waited, and during that evening, his condition went from bad to worse. So we rush him to the clinic, and then they tell us that he would be alright and came back with a huge bill over $850 which I could not pay. So they cut off a bunch of the unneeded tests by their own words and came down to $600. After making a couple of phone calls, I decided to go forward with it, because I love my cat dearly.

He didn't make it though. They put him through a lot, drugged him up, and then when it came closing time, rather than keep on caring for him, they told us to take him to another clinic a short drive off. Following their instructions, we drove him over to the new clinic where he died of a heart attack due to his kidneys failing completely.

What's worse was we talked with the doctor at this 24/7 clinic, and she said that she could have told us 5 weeks ago that this was going to be a problem we would be dealing with for the rest of his life and would need a special diet. She also told us that the chances of his survival had been so low that the fact they did not even tell this to us at Banfield made me feel cheated. Had I known at the time that this had the slightest chance of working and would leave him in pain and gimped for the rest of his life, I would have put him down and not put him through what I did. And that makes me feel horrible.

I love my cat so much, and to know that they lied to me just to get my money when they saw the writing on the wall that he probably would not make it but kept on telling me he would, that's not right.

If I went to a doctor, he would be straight with me if I was dying, and I expect the same about my vet when it comes to my animals. And this is why I will never go to another Banfield ever again. I don't care if they change management; the problem is the people as much as the overpriced treatment.

I think it's a shame how the customer care has gone down due to a few new girls at the front desk. Hope has been extremely rude on several occasions and when anyone gets a little testy with her, she can just put them on hold or complain about them in front of other customers to other girls at the desk. Today, my dog was in for a comprehensive and I tried calling for 2 1/2 hours and there was a recording done by HOPE giving office hours and that the call would be transferred to an operator. The operator answers and it's the same message HOPE is giving over again.

I finally called Pet Smart and had them ring the dog care center and someone from there went to ask them about the phone. She then came back and told me I could call now. I did call immediately and the girl that answered told me they had a staff meeting and that is why the phone was on auto pilot. I don't believe that for one minute. When you are trying to run a business (especially from 1-3 pm) that was hardly the answer I was looking for. I asked when I could pick up my dog and without even asking who my dog is, she said he'll be ready in a half hour. I have gone down for him and waited over 1 1/2 hours. Someone should take a look at management. I have been a faithful client of Banfield for 5 1/2 years now, I will no longer recommend you.

We purchased a puppy in August and was recommended to use Banfield. We took her for her initial visit and were informed that they had a puppy wellness plan. It would be an initial fee of $140.00 plus a $25 fee taken from my credit card every month for 1 year which was no problem. In middle of September she started to bite her hind quarters raw. We took her to the vet and they said that she may have had a reaction with the shampoo from the groomers and advised us to use a hypoallergenic shampoo.

At the end of September when she was fixed, the vet said that she was still scratching and biting so better to keep an eye on her and give her Benadryl. On October 16, we took her back for her recheck and at that time they took a scraping of her back quarters. Two weeks and a $115 later I get a phone call saying it was bacterial and I had to come in and get her medicine and shampoo. At this point the poor puppy has no hair left on her back legs. Had to purchase the shampoo and medicine. Told me to come back in a couple of weeks. On November I took her back, she was still scratching and biting her legs. They took more tests and more medicine worth $118.

On December 8 I took her one last time the vet and at that time they told me that my puppy had ringworms and that is what they were treating her for all this time. No one ever said it was that she sleeps with my daughter and I also have another dog in the house. If someone would have told me that I would have remembered and would have been very concerned. Some people who work in the animal field who saw my puppy before this were shocked when I told them what they told me what they were treating her for. She had no sign of it. They took more tests and gave her more medicine I waited for over 2 hours in the office to find out the vet didn't need me to wait that they didn't even run the test at time. Oh by the way this was $169 later.

I took my puppy to another vet. He looked at her paper work and did not see any records of ringworm. He suggested that we do not give her the medication that Banfield was giving us and that she was on it for too long and that we need to try and change her food. They mentioned that she may have food allergies and we need to put her on a poultry, beef, wheat free diet. We started this before the Christmas holidays and her legs cleared up.

I called Banfield on December 8 to put a complaint in and 2 months and 4 phone calls by me later, I have not heard from them. All I am asking at this point is to cancel my wellness plan with them. During my phone call with one of the employees on January 4, 2010, I was assured that they will not credit the cost my card until this issue was resolved. I just received my bill and sure enough I was charged the $25. I would like this resolved. I'm tired of playing games with them.

I signed up for the Optimum Wellness Plan which was an automatic deduction from my checking account. After several months and visits, I realized that Banfield is one big scam. The documentation on the Wellness plan had no time commitment, so I stopped Banfiled's automatic withdrawal from my bank, which took three months to stop.

It has been 6 months now and Banfield is still withdrawing money from my checking without my authorization. My bank said that I need to go through Banfield first and get them to reverse the withdrawals. If I don't get that from them , then I need to contact my bank once again. My complaint is that Banfield is a total fraud and I cannot believe that they are getting away with it.

I am extremely disappointed with Banfield Pet Hospital Service. Their staff is incompetent and totally out to get your money.

I signed up with their pet wellness plan and were greeted by a very friendly staff. I brought my two German Shepherd puppies at three weeks interval for five consecutive months for testing. No problem were ever found--while the dog had diarrhea and not does not eat fully. Growing frustrated of the increasing bill for each examination without any results, but I was trusting their expertise.

I began to notice worms in my dog's fecal matter. I was extremely surprised for we test for worms just days before and all these months without any problems. I did notice one of the puppies has a round tummies indicative of round worms. I scoop some samples (including some crawling worms) and brought them in for a worm examination. After 45 minutes, the stupid nurse told me the doctor and their exam reveal there were not any worm. I blankly stated that they only need to look and they'll see the worm crawling. They then handed me off some generic drug that I could have gotten from Wal-mart without examining what kind of worm it was.

They are apparently a bunch of incompetent ** out to make profit. After this forum, I'm heading over to BBB to voice my opinion. Calling their representative led me on wild goose chase. Be careful with this bunch of **. Petsmart is also lame for partnering with a company and providing no support for feedback. I love my dogs, and to see them suffer all this time needlessly in the hands of these ** is unacceptable.

I have had several frustrating experiences over the years. I have many pets so I visit there frequently. Over the course of the last two to three years, things have really went downhill compared to when they first opened.

In the fall of 2009, I took our dog in for a routine teeth cleaning. They used anesthetic. He did not come out of that appointment the same. He couldn't walk the same and three months later, he isn't much different. I asked a doctor (who isn't there) and she said that it could have happened from the anesthetic or it could have been the way they restrained him, but she didn't know because she didn't do that procedure. I asked to ask those that did the procedure and didn't get any answers.

Fast forward to this week, I have an older cat who needed his eye removed. I took him to a different clinic initially because I wasn't feeling trustworthy of Banfield, but ended up there because my cat was on a plan and it cost me $300 less. All of his blood work looked good and everything else checked out which made me feel confident that surgery was the right thing to do. He came home from the surgery, ate, used the litter box, walked around fine and was great the first night but the next afternoon, he couldn't walk.

We called and they wanted to check his glucose levels (he's a diabetic). They were high, but not high enough to cause this. He threw up so they gave him a shot of pepcid and another to help him with the nausea. They said his temperature was three degrees cooler than normal and we would need to feed him every hour and give him water and keep him warm, but it was just the anesthetic wearing off (which made no sense because he was walking the previous night--if anything he should have been better). They brought him out in his blankets and were going to send us home. He was struggling to breathe and was breathing out of his mouth. They took him in back and gave him oxygen, but still acted like everything was status quo and he was okay.

One and a half later, he passed next to me at home. I'm grateful that he was home, but I don't know what happened! I know he was older and diabetic, but what happened? It is hard for me to not link the anesthetic both with my dog and cat and question how they monitor it and who is giving it? I don't even know if they listened to his lungs to see if he had fluid in there from IV or misadministered?

My husband recently took our 2 dogs to Banfield Pet Hospital in the PetSmart store in Plymouth Meeting, PA. They were supposed to get shots. (We previously used Petco where they have a package deal for about $50 which include the necessary yearly shots.) He said they were extremely rude from the very beginning. He called me because they were trying to sell him a wellness package for $400+ for each dog. I spoke to the girl and told her we wanted only the shots. The other was too expensive.

My husband came home two and a half hours later and said the bill was $398. The vet was asking him questions about the dogs and she decided to do an ear culture and other things, plus ear drops. My husband is a senior citizen and they led him to believe that the charges for the cultures were $40 and the $58 for the drops total. Then they charged him that for each dog.

I checked with other vets and online and the same name brand medicine ranges from $10-20 for one bottle. I called to talk to the vet regarding the ridiculous charges and to say one of my dogs showed absolutely no signs of an ear infection. She was busy. I was furious. As on a fixed income we could not afford this. I drove the drops back to the store, used a ice pack because they told him it had to be refrigerated. They told me they would not take it back and their registers were closed. I was so upset. I left the medicine on the counter and told them to put it in their refrigerator and process the refund the next day.

The vet called me back that night and I told her we could not afford $115 for $20 worth of drops. She did not respond. I often do without many things (sometimes medicine) because it is too expensive. That was six days ago and they have not yet processed a refund. They had the nerve to send my husband home with information on their "wellness plan" for additional money. It should be called their "rip off" plan. I have called the credit card company and registered a complaint. I would never bring my dogs to Banfield. They try to make you think they are a savings over an individual vet, however, they are extremely overpriced. We have not been reimbursed for the $116.

I canceled my account after not receiving the service that I signed up for. My dog was supposed to be fixed and they said that they could not do it because he was now too old. I asked about this when I purchased the pet insurance and then again on another occasion. At no time did anyone in the pet hospital, to include the doctors, tell me that there was an age limit. At that time, my account was due for renewal. I told them that I did not want to do it. They told me to call the corporate office to see if they could work out a plan.

The number they gave me was not to the corporate office. It was to the billing department. I was then transferred to what I thought was the corporate office and was told that nothing could be worked out. I told them that I would like to cancel. I received a couple of more phone calls after telling me that I now owed for another year. I told them the account is supposed to be canceled. I thought it was over until I received another phone call a few minutes ago from IC Systems saying that I now owe $300 for a service that I have not used since cancellation.

I decided to go to Banfield because I heard about their puppy plan that would cover my dog's spaying. Everything seems fine in the beginning. I joined the plan. My dog was scheduled for her operation. I dropped her off and went on my way. A few hours later, I was told that they could not do the spaying because her liver levels were off. They gave me medicine and new prescription dog food. They did not have a small bag and I was convinced to buy the large 25 pound bag. I have a 5 pound Maltese. There was no way she would finish that. The food was much bigger than she was used to, but they told me she would eat it. They could not tell me how much to feed her so I had to judge myself. They also gave her liver medicine and antibiotic.

After 10 days, they told me to come back. She got one of her shots and they did another blood test. They told me that there was no improvement and now she seemed to have a sugar problem. The vet on duty told me maybe that was wrong and the machine was off. They indicated that she would probably need an operation to correct her problem. I did not feel comfortable with them so I took my pet back to my original vet. I only changed because of the good deal on Banfield's puppy plan. Her spaying was included. He asked for her records and look at the same blood work results they did and told me there was nothing wrong with my pet. I had to pay another $270 so I could cancel the plan. I had to pay the difference in what I saved. Of course, I will be writing to corporate to try to get all my money back. Except for paying a lot of money to Banfield for test, food and visits, I guess I got away okay. I got a second opinion before they did anything to my dog.

I was going to have my 4 month old kitten spayed, and went to Banfield Animal Hospital, after finding out from my own vet that their charges for spaying her would be in excess of $200.00. They recommended that I take the Kitten Optimum Wellness Plan Plus, that includes spaying costs. On October 5th, I signed up for the plan. On October 18th, I took her to Banfield, because she had diarrhea, where the vet said she was negative for parasites, and that it could be the result of a change of diet, prescribing Forti-Flora, for $20.00. Unfortunately her condition did not improve, and may have even worsened. On October 21st, I was in Banfield again, because the diarrhea did not stop. Dr. ** prescribed an oral antibiotic for her, which did finally help her.

On November 30th, I had an appointment for her surgery (spaying). That morning, I left my clean dry baby in the hospital, and returned home, happy that her neutering would be taken care of. One hour later, they called me, and said that they could not do the surgery, because our kittens' blood test had shown an elevated white blood cell count. Also, before I had taken her in, her diarrhea had seemed to be under control, but when I picked her up, both the kitten and towel inside her cage were covered with diarrhea. They claimed to have cleaned her up before bringing her out, but it sure didn't look that way! Nor did they offer me anything to clean her up with, before we left the hospital, so they left us to drive home with both cat and cage full of feces. The vet said that she could not spay my kitten, until her blood work improved. The kitten was already 5 months, and 2 weeks old at this point. I was told to bring her back in a week.

On December 7th, we were in Banfield again, ready to have her surgery finally taken care of. We were surprised to learn that they were requiring us to pay full price for another blood test, without any assurance that the result would allow her to complete the surgery (that's $200.00 minus 10% for the plan). We weren't too happy with that, visualizing a row of $200 bills falling like a row of dominoes, before we could ever get the surgery done, that had been promised! We persisted in asking for some more affordable alternative, and were there for over two hours, before they admitted that they could do a blood cell count in house for only $76.71.

They sent us home, saying that her blood had improved, but not enough for them to do the surgery yet. On December 11th, I came home to find my kitten showing signs of going into heat. I called Banfield about this, and made an appointment for December 13th. Again, I was told that I would have to pay more for the spaying, since they would have to use medication to counter her "heat" before spaying her. That appointment was canceled and rescheduled twice by Banfield, because they did not have a veterinarian available. It was December 14 when we called again to find about our appointment. We were told that they still need to do blood work in full price, $200.00, before her spaying.

Now, I feel like I am a victim of the system, Wellness Plus Plan. I have the Plan. I paid a large initial membership fee and my credit card is charged every month but my kitten will not be fixed without doing very expensive blood work. And of course, there is no guarantee of result just simply by telling me that conditions are less than optimum. I feel that they can demand that the $200.00 blood test be done over and over and over. The Plan folder says "all you need to do is pay the membership fee and first monthly installment on your annual plan, which covers preliminary medical and administrative functions that build the foundation of your Pet's Wellness Plan. After that, you will never again face a large bill for your Pet's normal care, just a greatly discounted monthly payment. $200.00 may not be a large bill in their eyes, but it is in mine, especially when I'm faced with the prospect of it being repeated again and again.

Frankly, my kitten would have been through her surgery and well recovered by now if we had simply gone to one of the spay/neuter clinics that are available in our county. Banfield may "treat your pet like family", but I feel that their contract and subsequent services were actually fraught with pitfalls for the unwary. Most especially, for someone like me whose first language is not English, and does not expect to find these little traps in the fine print of the contract. I took them for their word, when I read the portion of their pamphlet that I quoted above. I am giving up on Banfield, except for those services that are already paid for. I can't afford their extra fees, nor can I afford to cancel the contract, so I must let it run it's course, and not let myself be trapped by the automatic rollover into the adult wellness plan. This entire mess has left me angry and regretful that I ever signed up for this plan.. I feel like I am caught in a noose without any chance for escape and I'll never recommend this plan to anybody.

As mentioned above, the greatest potential for harm may have been financial, but I feel that my kitten's well being could also be harmed, if the spaying procedure is delayed too long.

Tonight, we took our four month old Morkie into the Matthews, NC Banfield Animal Hospital. She was having diarrhea 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 it's after 6, that it's 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 doctor 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.

I have been informed that as a result of a previous partnership, the veterinarian of the Banfield Hospital in Manahawkin, NJ has possession of my pets records until there was a resolution to the business closing.

The transference of the records were not handled in a professional and ethical manner. The business partner went to the location of where the records had been maintained (Banfield Manahawkin) to pick up the records of her clients, The veterinarian and owner of the Banfield location and his staff pushed the records in shopping carts not secured to the curb outside the PetSmart store for pick up. They were not in boxes but exposed and blowing in the wind. I do believe that is very unbecoming and unprofessional of a veterinarian.

This plan is not worth the money put into it. I ended up spending over $100 every time I took my puppy. The cost and "savings" are extremely inflated. Then, when I called to inform them that my puppy had been hit by a car and asked for non-renewal at the end of the year (I already knew they wouldn't just cancel), their cold-hearted response was "oh what a shame, after she had just gotten all those vaccinations and was spayed". They proceeded to review the amount of money that the plan had saved me (again, inflated) in an attempt to keep me from yelling at them for not canceling the plan outright. I couldn't believe how cold-hearted they were, more concerned about their image than the loss of my puppy.

In July 2009, my dog (Roxy) was experiencing difficulties due to issues she has with torn ACLs in her hind legs, and I was told previously by a different vet the year prior she probably had issues with her spine as well. I had elected not to have surgery performed on her torn ACLs for purely financial reasons, but was looking to make my dog as comfortable as possible at this point. I took her to Banfield and was told she needed multiple x-rays, blood tests, etc. I was overwhelmed when they estimated the total cost of all these "necessary" tests to be well over $500. Therefore, it seemed to be a good idea at the time when they suggested their "Optimal Wellness Plan" - since that particular plan included some of the tests they said she'd need. This plan cost over $400 and I also had to pay out of pocket for the x-rays at a total cost of approximately $700.

I was told that for one year she could return for any reason to the Banfield clinic since I bought the Optimal Wellness Plan, and it also included follow-up visits during that year. The vet put my dog on three different RXs (and very expensive - all at out of pocket costs to me - they are not included in the plan) and suggested surgery for her spine and torn ACLs. When I told him I couldn't afford the surgery, he suggested that I euthanize my dog! He said she was in "severe, continual pain". I decided to take my dog home and try the prescribed medications because I did not want to euthanize without a lot of thought on the matter. I had to return to Banfield 8 days later, as my dog was now refusing to eat and was vomiting continuously. Banfield hydrated her and I later took her home.

I decided totally on my own to take her off the prescriptions, as I definitely noticed that is when she went so far downhill. Slowly she returned to her normal self, although she still has the issues with the pain from the spinal stenosis and the torn ACLs. Her spirits are very good and she has a hearty appetite. On January 9, 2010, I returned to Banfield for my free Optimal Wellness Comprehensive check. I had already paid for this plan in full on the day I purchased it in July 2009. I dropped her off and told the receptionist I wanted to speak to the vet prior to picking up my dog, as I wanted to see what he thought on her condition since the last time he saw her. I'm still very concerned about my dog's pain. I have her on aspirin therapy now and wanted to discuss this with the vet.

However, when I was called to pick up my pet, I had to request to speak to the vet again, and then wait for twenty minutes while he came out of the back area. He had no idea what I was talking about when I started asking him about my dog's issues. It was fairly obvious that he had never even seen my dog that day! After having me wait while he retrieved her chart and looked at her x-rays from the previous visit, he then told me something totally contradictory to what he himself had told me the previous summer. He said she is probably not in too much pain and she's doing fine. It was clear that he had tried to "sell" me on the surgery and high cost meds during my previous visit, since this visit he was singing a totally different tune.

After our conversation, I asked him if he would have a vet tech trim my dog's nails (since it is difficult for me now due to her torn ACLs and spine issues). This is something most vets offer frees of charge to their clients and no more than $5 for non-clients. However, I was told to check with the tech, so I waited some more and asked him when he finally came over. He said he had to ask the Office Manager. I waited some more. I nicely reminded them that I pre-paid for the Wellness Plan less than 6 months ago - and spent well over $700 at that time but they could have cared less. They told me under no uncertain terms that they would have to charge me if they trimmed her nails, and they'd have to charge me $11.70 with my Wellness Plan discount. When I asked what they normally charge clients, they said $12.50 for a nail trim!

So I spent hundreds of dollars for this so-called 'wellness plan' and I get 80 cents off? That's some discount! It is VERY apparent that this is a 'quantity over quality' clinic and they are just ripping people off left and right. I know they are dealing with volume and could care less about the animal. If they truly cared about animals, would they refuse to trim my dog's nails, given her health issues? Give me a break! Beware of Banfield - you will definitely get better care and probably at less expense - if you use a vet with a private practice.

I took my dog, an italian greyhound I rescued five months ago, to Banfield to get his required rabies vaccine. The clinic is highly advertised and I figured that 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.

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. We were 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 doctor had insisted that it 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!

Luke had to be taken to a different pet hospital which saw him immediately and charged under $100 for their services. I have anxiety and almost had to be admitted to the hospital myself because of how stricken I was over my pet.

Thankfully, I have not lost my beloved dog as so many of you have. I was lucky in that he was on his way to well within 36 hours but here's what happened. On Saturday, January 2nd, 2010, I arrived at a Banfield Pet Hospital in Phoenix, AZ at 9:00 a.m. as a walk-in because my dog began urinating blood late the previous night. I was assigned a room to wait for the vet. The nurse arrived, took the dog's temperature and recorded symptoms in the computer. Shortly after the vet arrived, she did a basic bodily exam and said that she would like to do some testing but she suspected a urinary tract infection.

Shortly thereafter, the nurse returned with a bill for approximately $1,200 worth of "procedures." Upon reviewing the bill, I refused several of the treatments and procedures they had listed. The nurse immediately tried to talk me into purchasing pet insurance to which I refused. I told them what they had listed was excessive for a simple URI and unacceptable. I had them remove almost all of the procedures and tests with the exception of a urinalysis, antibiotics and some other random things. The final amount came to approximately $233 which I agreed to pay.

The dog was taken to the back for a urinalysis and I was directed to the waiting area. A bit later, the dog was brought out after having been sedated to perform tests because the vet was afraid that he was going to bite her. A few minutes later, the vet came out and said that his bacteria levels were low and he didn't have a URI but that she was concerned he had "stones." She stated that he was bleeding excessively and she was concerned for his welfare and that his condition could be life threatening. She said that it was imperative he have x-rays and other procedures listed in the initial bill. It was implied by the vet that I was not providing adequate care for my dog by refusing to have these other things done.

The subject of pet insurance was then brought up again by the vet because she knew I could not afford to pay $1,200. I was basically backed into a corner because I could not locate another vet who would see my dog as a walk-in and he could go no longer without treatment. I reluctantly agreed to the pet insurance and they wrote up another quote for procedures and treatment. This one resulted in me having to enroll in their pet insurance for a $39.95 a month fee for one year so he could be treated and approximately a $330 bill payable that day.

The dog ended up spending the day at the vet. I received a phone call from them at 12 noon stating that they needed to put him on fluids to be able to x-ray his bladder, this incurring an additional $80 charge. I agreed to that. This brought the bill up to $413. I arrived a little before 5:00 PM to pick the dog up. The nurse nor vet were overly cooperative in explaining all the procedures and charges listed on the bill. The vet's final diagnosis was a URI, which she'd previously stated at 11:00 AM that he didn't have and that's what led to more procedures, tests, my enrolling in pet insurance that I did not want and incurring additional charges.

How does a dog not have a URI at 11:00 AM and then have one by 5:00 PM? Had the vet been honest in the first place in saying he had a URI and not insisting on procedures and test he did not need, I'd have not been forced to enroll in pet insurance because I'd have been able to pay the $233 they previously quoted me for the tests I requested.

On Monday, January 4th, 2010, I went to Banfield and spoke to a woman at the reception desk. I explained to her all that happened on Saturday and stressed that I did not want the insurance that I was "forced" into buying because the dog didn't need all the additional test they gave him. I told her that I was not going to dispute the $413 I paid because I knew that they wouldn't refund any of my money anyway but I did not want the health insurance.

I told her that I wanted an explanation on how the dog at 11:00 AM was diagnosed as not having a URI after a urinalysis being performed and required more testing. And then at 5:00 PM, after the extensive testing showed nothing (if they even actually did any other testing), he suddenly then did have a URI. She said that she would speak to the vet who attended the dog tomorrow and if she couldn't resolve this with her, she'd talk to the hospital manager. She said that she'd call me on Tuesday to let me know.

As of right now, 5:00 PM on Tuesday, January 5th, 2010, I have received no return phone call from Banfield. My dog has a "check up" appointment at 8:00 AM on Saturday, January 9th, that I'll be canceling Friday morning. If I have not received a phone call from them by then, addressing this issue, I'm going to file a complaint against them with the Better Business Bureau. My dog will never return there and I'll tell everyone I come in contact with not to take their pets to them. This business is nothing but unethical, unprofessional, uncaring, money grubbing, dishonest and overpriced.

My dog, a 13-year-old Akita, died in May last year. When I called to cancel the wellness plan, I was told that I would have to continue paying the monthly charges for 5 or 6 more additional months. It did not matter that my dog was dead and I would no longer need the coverage. What a rip off. I am now trying to have the payments canceled. I'm paying over $45 per month.

We took our 4.1 pound toy YorkiePpoo, Mya, to Banfield for a splint on a broken foot. They told us that her foot should heal with no problem because she was still young and the bones heal quickly. One week after they placed the bandage and splint on, Mya licked a wound on her leg just above the bandage. I immediately took her in to have the wound checked. Dr. Rubaloff examined the area, gave me some antibiotics and tried to send me on my way (it didn't look like they even cleaned the wound). At that time, I asked the doctor to remove the bandage and check the entire leg in order to make sure it was not infected and healing properly. The doctor told me that they didn't want to disturb the splint and that it should stay on for at least another 3 weeks. The next day, I noticed the wound oozing and it looked infected, so I took Mya right back to the hospital for them to check it again. Well, they bandaged the wound and sent us home again (without checking the entire leg).

About 5 days later, we noticed a foul smell coming from the bandaged leg. We took her in ASAP. Everyone at the hospital noticed the smell, however, they said that they would be closing in one hour and there was no time to check the bandage that day. When we asked about the foul smell, the doctor jokingly suggested spraying some pet grooming perfume on the bandage to make it smell better for the night. She took Mya back, sprayed her bandage with "smell good" stuff, gave her back to us and told us to bring her in early the next morning. We took her in first thing the next morning and left her there for examining. I called several times to check on Mya and they told me the doctor would call as soon as she could. Later that afternoon, I finally got a call from the doctor and she told us that Mya's leg was severely infected and that they would have to amputate the entire leg! I couldn't even fathom this and I threw the phone across the room in disbelief. My partner picked up the phone and finished the conversation.

After the phone conversation, we immediately went back to the hospital to see how our Mya was doing and to talk face to face with the doctor. My partner and the doctor talked while I held Mya and just cried over the fact that something so simple has just turned out to be a nightmare. The doctor gave no details and stated that we should leave Mya at the hospital overnight so that another doctor could examine her first thing the next morning. At this point, we did not trust the hospital, but we still wanted to do what was best for Mya. So we stayed with her until the hospital closed and reluctantly left her there. There were no night staff on duty, so Mya was there all alone. We could have kept her at home and had better watch over her. I did not sleep the entire night and first thing the next morning, I called the hospital to ensure she made it through the night. They said she was just fine when they came in, but the doctor didn't arrive until 8.

About 9 am, the doctor called us and told us that Mya had lost 2 toes and there was exposed bone on her leg. How horrifying. He recommended that the leg be amputated and stated that there are plenty of dogs that live with three legs. Both doctors were very nonchalant and way too casual about the situation. We told them, how would they feel if they themselves had to lose a leg? Would they be so nonchalant about it? After we paid Banfield another lump sum to tell us that they screwed up in the first place, we took our dog to another vet for a second opinion. The new vet stated that if he was the original vet, he would have had the bandages checked and changed weekly. Now, our concern is saving the leg, which the new vet will perform surgery but is not sure that the leg can be saved. I feel that if the doctor had checked her bandage sooner or at least when I asked them to, Mya's condition would not have been as severe.

With all of the stories of malpractice, Banfield needs to be sued. They will never learn to be more careful with our loved ones if they continue to be allowed to perform less than professional services and have no remorse in the end.

It has become known to me that my pets' records and x-rays were grossly mishandled by the owning veterinarian and his staff members. There were transports of my pets' records 2 times from one location to another and then from his Banfield location to another former associated due to closing of the business. The first time was documented with photos that they were treated like common trash in garbage bags. The second documented by photo in shopping carts left outside the business doors on the sidewalk in blowing wind. I am appalled that something that is so valuable to the pet owner like medical records and x-rays are treated with such lack of professionalism and care. This veterinarian and staff give our pets' medical treatment and care. I wonder what happens when no one is looking. I have paid good money for over three years in medical treatment, blood work and x-rays to be handled with such contempt.

I brought my puppy in to be evaluated and treated for an injury. He was a beautiful shih tzu/maltese mix I purchased for a family companion and a therapy pet for my sons, who have special needs (autism, MMR, seizure disorder, etc.). Chewy was accidentally stepped on a few days before I had brought him in to be seen. The same day he was stepped on, he was somewhat inactive, but resumed normal movement and eating the day after. However, a couple of days later, stopped eating and his muzzle area swelled immensely and oozed some sort of infected discharge.

When I brought Chewy in to Banfield on November 4, he was quickly looked over and I was told that they would help to provide x-rays for further information. Dr. ** came back into the room and advised me that according to the x-ray, his entire muzzle area was crushed, that he would require major reconstructive surgery which would cost thousands of dollars. She commenced berating me of how inhumane and cruel it is to allow him to live and not have him euthanized immediately.

I was reluctant to have it done immediately, due to wanting to seek a second opinion and to make arrangements if necessary to do so when my children wouldn't be home, which I had advised Dr. ** of and tried to explain--all the while trying my hardest to gain some composure of my own and crying my eyes out. Needlessly to say, she continued to berate me on how cruel I was, making me feel more horrible, with every passing minute, as I looked upon our beautiful, loving puppy desperately searching for the right, instant decision to be made. Finally, I gave in to her adamant request and she still remained cold and insensitive as I bawled my eyes out and fished through my pockets for the money she needed right then and there.

Anyway, when it was over, and I returned home to face my children, Dr. ** contacted me by phone about an hour later to inform me that she found some sort of rubber band object lodged in his mouth upon examining him again, trying to reassure me that upon that findings, he still would have needed major reconstructive surgery, etc.

On top of being devastated over our loss, I was now infuriated with this vet, whom I had entrusted with a family member, to thoroughly examine and hopefully to treat. She accepted no responsibility at all for being negligent, offered no apology nor did she attempt to, showed no compassion at all or anything close to attempt to show some sort comfort or condolence, period. She even stated that she provided some free services, as if she was doing me a huge favor and like it was supposed to make up for what not only she had done, but also for what she didn't do and should have.

I requested Chewy's body and was told the next day that it was already disposed of and was refused a copy of the x-ray report or to have the x-rays shown to me, which I had never seen. And to this day, my family has yet to receive any form of an apology, let alone response to their negligence and lack of compassion. Still, we struggle with our loss, unable to find any closure or peace.

My oldest son, whose disabilities are more advanced than my youngest son, since our loss, has worsened in his conditions, to the point of presenting dangers to himself and/or others, requiring increase in medication, medical care and several recent hospitalizations. He just returned home again, from out of state hospitalization, the day before yesterday. He spent Christmas evening through New Year's eve in the hospital again, away from his family.

I know that nothing can bring Chewy back. I have not sought to replace him. I was berated for several hours as I sat horrified, weak and in tears, accused of being cruel and inhumane. I will not accept being accused of being cruel and inhumane. I aspire to share our loss with others and will continue to do so, in hopes that this cruel, inhumane atrocity, does not happen to others and to receive a heartfelt apology and more, that my children are much more than deserving of.

About 6 weeks ago, I brought my 4 year old Beagle into the Monroeville Pennsylvania, Banfield Pet Hospital to be checked for a leg injury. I noticed that he wasn't putting much pressure on his right hind leg and he would lay down with it raised at a funny angle. At that visit, I was told that he may have bruised or possibly strained it. They confirmed that it was not broken or dislocated. He was given a shot for pain and I was told to watch his diet because he was a little overweight. I paid over $200 dollars for this visit. For a couple days it seemed that he was back to normal, but then I noticed that he had returned to favoring that same back hind leg. I had followed the doctor's order and watched his diet and I also limited his excercise, so he would not put so much pressure on the sensitive leg.

About 3 weeks later I noticed that his condition worsened. I made another appointment with the Banfield, Pet Hospital and they found it necessary to take xrays of his leg. After reviewing the xrays, I was told that they saw no signs of trama. The xray showed that his leg looked fine. I was told that it was "probably" arthritis, but the only way to truly see if that was indeed the problem, they would have to do surgery. That was the end of my appointment. I left with no referral, no diagnosis and no answers. That visit cost me over $250 dollars. The next two weeks my dog showed very little signs of improvement. He was still holding up his hind leg in obvious pain until late this afternoon, I found him unable to walk and yelping in pain when he was touched. I immediately called a 24 hour emergency pet hospital and made an appointment for this afternoon. They requested that I have copies of the xrays that I purchased at PetSmart faxed to their location.

I was told by PetSmart that they could not fax nor email a copy of the xrays. I could only pick up a copy from the store on disc and there would be a $25 fee. I inquired about possibly having that xray fee waived, since I spent over $500 on fees and services that have amounted to nothing! I was told with an "oh well" attitude that the fee would stand as is. After my visit with a more experienced and professional Pet hospital, my dog was given a true diagnosis of having ACL and not a "guess" diagnosis of having arthritis. I am so disappointed in PetSmart and their service at the Pet hospital. I feel that they have inexperienced doctors that do not have the appropriate level of training needed in order to give a correct professional diagnosis in serious cases. I feel that they did not do their best nor offer their best treatment to my pet.

I take this very seriously because my pet is part of my family and I expect him to receive the same type of service that I would get for myself if I had an injury and needed medical attention. I have been using PetSmart services for about 8 years. For all of my dogs, I've used the PetSmart Pet Hotel, PetSmart dog grooming and the Banfield, pet hospital for routine exams. Unfortunatley, after a disappointing serious visit to Banfield, I have decided to never return. I care too much for the health of my pets to allow them to be seen again by incompetent doctors. I would suggest to anyone who has recently taken their pet there for an evaluation, please get a second opinion.

I took my cat Ajax in because he was lethargic and not eating or drinking. when i took him in i explained that he has a history or bladder infections. after leaving him there a few hours and picking him up there diagnosis was he is overweight. they supposedly ran test. i ended up paying $352.75 for bunk care. i ended up taking him to my vet the next morning and my vet had a fit when she read what they supposedly did and could not figure out that he had a bladder infection. she even called them and still didnt understand what they had done . they even told me to give him water around 9 pm , which turned out to be a big mistake,as he was in much pain taking him to my vet.

i got ripped off on his care, i told them to check for bladder infection and i dont think they did anything other than focus on his weight. i ended up having to put ajax to sleep, his kidneys were failing. i dont think these people paid any attention to what i told them about his bladder infection or even bothered to check to see if that was the problem. what i got charged for there crappy care, i got 3 days and lots of test and medication at my vet. i have been ripped off fincially and the physical pain of losing my pet of 10 years. my vet will back me up on there crappy care to--pet haven.

I presented my Pembroke Welsh Corgi at 9:48AM on December 1, 2009 because he wasn't eating or drinking water and was breathing very heavily. After presenting me with every option in the world for estimates they finally at 11:27AM did a comprehensive blood test - none of which indicated anything out of range. They ran the EXACT SAME tests less than 30 minutes apart - totally unncessary. After doing tests and exams that were completely unrelated to his condition including a FECAL EXAM which I did not authorize -

Dr. L. determined Kirby had Congestive Heart Failure and insisted I take him to a cardiologist - naturally one he recommended. I told them to hurry up and prepare Kirby so I could get him to the specialist. Immediately I was presented a bunch of pills which were completely unncessary since they had nothing to do with his heart - they were for worm prevention! The total bill estimated to be approximately $548 was now well over $1,000 but they couldn't explain. I refused to pay for anything other than what I authorized. They already processed the one amount on my credit card.

I demanded Kirby at once since his case was urgent. They refused to release Kirby until I authorized the additional charges. I was speaking loud enough for the other customers to hear what was going on. Alison, the "Client Coordinator" advised me I could take Kirby when I paid the bill. I advised her it would NOT be paid and that they better get Kirby to me immediately. The office manager - Jessica M. - advised me to step into an examining room or they would not bring Kirby to me. She was blackmailing me and trying to get me to wait so they could prepare a new bill which would have additional charges because they had to "prepare" Kirby for travel. They advised me two hours earlier he needed to see a specialist so there was no "preparation" needed.

Dr. L. finally advised me that Kirby had a heart murmur - which is odd because in the medical report he states all heart sounds were normal - and if it was his heart why didn't he do an EKG? I refused to step into a room and told Jessica I would file charges against her for holding me hostage and not allowing me to have my pet. She got scared and finally released Kirby. We travelled 30 miles to the cardiologist. Another $849 later after 15 minutes of examining the X-Rays and doing an echocardiogram - NO HEART PROBLEM AT ALL! His heart was totally normal.

The experience at the cardiologist - Emergency Animal Referral in Northbrook was like visiting a used car lot - they try to sell every option in the world. When I refused they pressured me and played on my emotions - telling me if I took Kirby from there I would end up killing him and suffocating him - I was devastated - I finally agreed to have him euthanized. The worst experience ever.

I have since hired three other veterinarians to review Kirby's tests and X-Rays - he had a blocked uretha by a small kidney stone which COULD HAVE BEEN REMEDIED with surgery and Kirby would most likely have come through it fine. HE DIDNT HAVE TO DIE AT ALL! I also noted in my investigation that neither operation is AAHA registered. The whole experience was horrific and the loss of a pet whas devastated me. I had him since he was 5 months old!

Kirby passed away which was COMPLETELY unncessary; Now Banfield has the nerve to threaten collection activity if I do not agree to pay an additional $398.00 - FAT CHANCE. I have contacted Banfield corporate headquarters - Karen J. - VP Client Advocacy (Joke) - She is a registered Veterinarian and is absolutely a sham. She arranged a call with me which I understood to be about the behavior of the Banfield staff and Dr. L.'s behavior. Instead she advises me she has reviewed Kirby's file and agrees with all action taken - I was SHOCKED - WHY would I ask someone from BANFIELD to evaluate the actions taken by a BANFIELD vet? She seemed taken aback that I was not interested in her unbiased opinion.

Her contact information is 1-800- Ext 5476 or the president, John P. (Assistant's name is Gina) 503-. Karen J.'s Assistant - Peter G. is at extension 5506. Also Banfield is owned by MARS, INC! Yes the CHOCOLATE - Snickers Bar company! The Director of Corporate Affairs is Deborah F. - 615-. There are enough complaints on this company - including an F rating by the BBB to warrant a class action lawsuit!

As I operate a ferret shelter, I see several emegencies arise. On July 4th weekend of 2005 I get a call from a person that a ferret is in their back yard, with blood. I raced over to get him. My regular vet was out of town. I called my next vet, he was at the hospital with his wife giving birth. Ok,that leaves Petsmart.

In the past,I have had issues with this vet as she killed a ferret, doing what she thought was a spay job. She has also given the wrong distemper shots to cats/dogs. So, we took Chance in, he had 2 broken legs. She splinted them, (splinted when he needed surgery) at the cost of #368.00. Each day I had to take him back for another splint as he walked these off. Each time I was charged $70.

4th day, my vet is back. I go to Bansfield to get Chances records. The girl there informs me I can't have them as they *belong* to Bansfield! Wrong answer! I am a CMA & know my rights. These are MY medical records to keep as I have paid for them. I do get the records & take them to my vet. He looks over the x rays & sees the splints. Tells me the ferret may well loose his legs as he needed surgery when this all happened.

My vet did the surgery for $178.00. Chance stayed in a cast for 8 months. We did x rays each month at the cost of $40.00. Each new cast was a mere $30.00. All said & done, Chance kept BOTH legs & did walk again. No thanks to Bansfield. I tell everyone NOT to use this vet nor any therein.

6/10/2008 I took two of my dogs (Banji the mother approximately 3 years old and her puppy 5 months old) to the Vet. While waiting too se the doctor, I purchased their wellness plans for my dogs. I explained my concerns about my dog being playing with my neighbors puppy that got sick with bloody diarrhea and vomiting at around 4pm on 6/09/2008 and died by the noon of 6/10/09. Dr.Freshwater said that it may be rat poisoning, hit by the car or possibly parvo. I told that I dont think anyone is using the rat poisoning. It may be the car, but I really doubt it. There is a good chance of Parvo. I asked the doctor to make a test for both of my dogs, but she refused and said, that since my puppy does not look sick, I should just take my dogs home and keep eye on them.

In August I took both my dogs to get spayed. Their associate called me at 3pm and said, that surgery was performed at 11am, and my dogs are ready to go home. When I picked them up at 5pm, both dogs were in terrible shape.

Does it take 6 hours for a dog that had puppies and is slightly overweight to recover after her belly was open from her tail to her chest? When I carried her into the house, she fainted. Her belly started to bleed a little. Dogs are very pain resistant. However, Benji was walking whole night (after all pain killers they gave). I was up as well.

I found much latter by myself, that after surgery, pets shell be kept in small enclosure, but nothing in Banfield instructions.

Small things, like treating hot spots are impossible for vets there. I spend hundreds dollars on medicine, that did not even help. After quitting Banfield and experimenting, I found the good treatment in Kroger: Benadene. Redness and itching was gone over the night.

After all the bad experience, Ive got really concerned for the health of my dogs and did not take them to Banfield after their stitches been removed (and personnel was trying not to give me back my Elizabeth Collars, that I purchased).

I was paying Wellness plan two more months (last payment 10/10/08), after I quit going to them. Their Billing department got concerned immediately (doctor did not care about my visits, or dogs). They gave me the number of their complaint department. I told them what happened and asked to investigate. Their office manager Amanda called me and said about parvo situation, that she was offering me to make the test, but I refused, because did not want to pay. And that was pure lie: I have met her for the first time, when was taking my puppy back home, after parvo treatment.

The Dr Jana C called, and repeated that even if my puppy would be diagnosed with parvo on the first day, they would not do anything differently, they would not start treatment until it got symptoms.

I was waiting for their complaint department decision (as billing department kept sending me letters, I expected the letter from the complaint department as well). I have never got anything from them. Instead they turned me into collection agency.

On Sat. Oct. 31st. 2009 we took our adult sons dog, to the Salisbury, MD 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.

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 dogs 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 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 dogs 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 Gainesvilles 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 supervisors 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.

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. (Ill 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 its 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 dogs 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 sons Gainesville Banfield policy. They also knew we didnt know what the policy said or we would never have signed the contract because we would have known he couldnt 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 dont 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 didnt 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 cant 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, Portland, OR 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. Ive also filed a complaint with the Consumer Protection Division of Maryland, Salisbury office. I hope the can help. This is consumer abuse at its worst. However, from reading the other complaints, it doesnt look like Banfield cares what we thinktheyve adopted the attitude of todays businesses that think they are too big to fail.

i took my dog to banfield because she seemed to be very gloomy and did not want to eat. they gave me an appointment for 11:00am for a medical check up. i got there right on time and they ended up attending me at 2:00pm. the doctor that did the check up did not have the sufficient medical experience to resolve the medical problem. i payed $120 for only being prescribed only a vitamin. seeing that my dog was still very sick, i took him to another vet to reexamine my dog. when the check up occurred immediately they did a cleansing of anal, and also a complete cleansing of the stomach. determining that my dog had gastritis. in only one consultation they resolved the severe problem. i was very disappointed of the attention of banfield and of the doctors that they rely on with the life of our pets. i also called the banfield doctor to tell him that my dog still was not doing well and he never even botherd to answer after multiple attempts.

I had my 2 cocker spaniels at my dog sitters at the end of October. She had another cocker spaniel there who was scratching and biting himself the whole week. I picked my 2 dogs up and didn't think anything of it until 2 weeks later when they both started scratchng just a little. I use Frontline and bathe my dogs twice a month so I knew it wasn't fleas. The biting and scratching got progressively worse and small red bumps appeared on both dogs' bellies. My husband had recently lost his job so I deceided to try the Bandfield Clinic near me in Greenbelt. It was on Sunday the 22nd of November. I filled out the necessary forms and was shown to a room where a veterinary technician started to ask me questions about the symptoms.

In the meantime I started having the same symptoms as the dogs so, I finally called my usual vet for an appointment on the 8th of December. I told her that my 2 dogs had been exposed to a dog with something that was causing him to itch terribly and not only were my 2 dogs scratching but now I was having the same symptoms as the dogs. It took her and the tech about 3 minutes and 2 skin scrapings to diagnose sarcoptic mange which is highly contagious from animal to animal and to people. I saw the mites and eggs under the microscope myself. I told my vet about my experience with Banfield and she told me that she has heard of others like mine. If Banfield would have done the job correctly I would not have gotten sarcoptic mange. It will be easier to treat and cure my dogs than me. I gladly paid the $210 bill because I had a confirmed diagnosis and medications to cure the problem.

We (my wife and I) own 2 Siberian Huskies and they mated. We got suspicious when our female gained a lot of weight. We took her in to the local banfield and the vet told us to get a ultrasound to find out how many pups she was pregnant with.

I wasn't thinking that an ultrasound did not provide that information. So we paid the fees for that service and then the vet came back only to tell us that test does NOT provide information on the number of pups she was having and that we would have to pay to get an x-ray.

Both of us were extremely mad over this. I called corporate office and told them. A couple days later they offered to give us free x-rays.

We also had our female on their wellness plan and they continued to debit an account we had when we told them to stop. Their actions continued to over draw the account because we did not use this account. I called corporate again only to get an offer to pay the overdue balance. I told them absolutely not would I pay for something that I cancelled. Then the rep hung up on me!!!

Then our male Husky got a puncture wound. I still don't know to this day how he did it. Anyways, I took him into Banfield to give them another chance and they told me he needed to be put under, shave the area and do all these other tests. All said and done it totaled 700-900 bucks!

I tried to get a "pet loan" they offer there with no luck. I asked them if there was another way that didn't cost an arm and a leg. They came back and said the wound was infected and couldn't be stitched closed. I already knew this. So I said do it and they quoted me a price of 150. After it was complete the incompitent people at the front desk tried to charge me almost 200 for it! I corrected them and got it for 150.

DO NOT USE BANFIELD FOR ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY WILL OVERCHARGE AND MISINFORM YOU!!!

My dog was diagnosed with pancreatitis on 11/19 and was treated at Banfield hospital at Secaucus, NJ 07094, where I spend $507.83 that week ( and $2534.12 within 2 years); however on 11/25 she wasn't eating or drinking so I took her there; the vet said she's just spoiled and doesnt like the food; so the vet Jennifer F force fed her the food with a syringe, gave her a b-complex shot and sent her home.

Since the vets office was closed for the holiday, I was under duress and was somewhat forced to make this horrible decision. It wasnt fair for me or my dog.

I brought my dog last on the 25th because she wasnt eating or drinking. Dr F said that the dog is just spoiled and doesnt like the food; so she took her to the back and force fed her by a syringe, which was an incorrect approach.

I am heartbroken and devastated for the loss of my dog, and I refuse to give up and sit quietly, while Banfield keeps doing what they do best; separate families on Holidays

I went into the Banfield Pet Hospital on 12/2/09 to have my pet vaccinated. I went during their posted 'Complimentary Office Visit Walk-In Hours'. They talked me into signing up for their Wellness Plan & I wrote a check for the initial fee of $139.99 + the first month's payment of $25.99. After going home & thinking it over and doing the math I realized I wasn't really saving so I decided to cancel the plan.

When I called the office the very next morning to cancel the hospital they told me I had to call the corporate office. When I called the corporate office they couldn't find my record at all in the computer & told me I had to call the hospital to cancel. I called the hospital back again & they cancelled the plan but told me I would only be issued a partial payment. I understood I would pay for all services rendered & was prepared to do that but they were also charging me for the office visit even though it was a complimentary visit regardless if you were a patient or not.

I put a stop payment on my check after corporate informed me I should do so. They were apologetic that they could not help me because they were unable to view my acct. The hospital staff was unwilling to help me or explain why I was being charged for the office visit. They simply stated I would get a check in the mail in about 6 weeks minus the office visit.

The staff was extremely rude & refused to even speak to me saying she would call me back at 6pm (I was calling at 9am). I believe the entire Wellness Plan that Banfield offers is a scam & would like to warn others. I had to pay $30 to stop the check I wrote to them initially. I am going after work to give them a new check for the correct amount for only the services rendered. I will post if I have another problem or charge for placing the stop on the first check.

I tried to cancel my per insurance with Banfield. Ive had it for 6 yrs and no longer want their services. When I signed up originally, I was told I could cancel at any time. Now they are telling me that I have to continue paying until July 2010, which is 8 months away yet. This is BS and its a scam. I took a sample of my dogs urine in to see if she had a urinary tract infection. They said the dog also had to come in, why I dont know. I was charged 251.00 (and this included my insurance discount) to be told that they werent sure, that maybe there was a slight possibility she had an infection. And then added a precription onto my bill that cost 188.00 !! When my husband got home and told me what they said and I seen the cost of the precription, I took it back up there to return it and get my money back. My brother in law took his dog to their vet for the same reason. His dog weighs just as much as my dog. His total bill (and he does NOT have pet insurnace) including the meds was 139.00 ! Banfield is a rip off and so is their so called wellness plan.

I'm a petsitter and have been caring for a 15 year old Shepard with weakness in the hind legs. After a good visit one night, the next day she could not get up at all. Called Banfield and got their recording. It did not say that they were closed that day! After waiting for a call that would never come, I found out they were not open. I took the dog to LI Veterinary Specialists where she received great treatment. To this day, almost a week later, no one from Banfield has returned my call to ask how the dog is. And yes, she is a patient of theirs! I will never take an animal to them, and will not recommend them to anyone. Obviously they do not care about their patients.

I have two cats who have had fleas for a while. I had tried other Petsmart-sold flea products (Hartz and Biospot) and my smaller cat (7 lbs) had a horrible reaction to the spot-on treatment--she wouldn't stop twitching and was despondent, so much so that we had to bathe her soon after application.

That said, I thought that we should try using a vet-approved product. I had never tried it before and was at Petsmart and saw a sign for vet-approved flea killers. I walked up to the lady at the counter and told her about the smaller kitty who was very sensitive to flea medicine. She said not to worry and that First Shield was safe for her, unlike the other products sold in the store. Not knowing better, I purchased the product (which was more expensive than Frontline or Advantage) and tried it.

Her reaction was worse than with the cheaper store-sold product. She was very skittish and twitchy and began drooling, almost foaming at the mouth, immediately after application. It was a terrifying experience and I can only hope that this story will prevent anyone else from trying it.

Dog Abbee was on wellness plan and when she went in for her check up she was given a clean bill of health. Less than two months later we put her down for end stage lung cancer. Cat Eros went in for dental cleaning and we had to remove the IV cathader from his arm when he came home, his claws were also bloody and broken from trying to get out of his cage for several hours and the vet did nothing.

Having worked in an animal hospital in the past and understanding the resilient nature of how cats heal, I anticipated an in-office procedure to close the wound. I also anticipated oral antibiotics for me to take home and administer myself.

This was clearly not an emergency situation and the fact that they inflated the procedure for profit left me absolutely exasperated. Quite frankly, I was in total shock. I was so dismayed, I walked out of the clinic. I went to a local Veterinarian in my neighborhood and explained the situation. Within 30 minutes my cat and I were out the door with exactly what I had expected to happen. The office visit there included the doctor actually closely examining the wound, clipping the surrounding hair, inserting a single staple to close the wound and prescribing oral antibiotics. The total bill was $69.44 and included a head collar for $11.95.

I simply refused to accept that Banfield's trumped-up Treatment Plan would be any better at treating this simple situation than the care I received for a fraction of the price. I also refused to pay any fee for an office visit when the Banfield staff merely glanced over the wound and took the cats temperature. They looked at the situation simply as an opportunity to make big bucks off an unassuming pet owner.

I have been a Banfield client for 4-5 years now. I have an 8 year old cat. My cat's been seen @ several locations in CA. without incidence. I have never had a problem until today. I recently moved to Las Vegas. Yesterday, I noticed that my cat had scratched her neck area and it had created a bald spot, and made the skin red/irritated. She has also been vomiting a bit lately. I brought her into Banfield today, and I was treated very poorly. I was quoted over $300 for tests/med.'s, etc, etc. I am a college student, and I simply don't have that much $$. I was finally able to get them down to about $100 (they took out the unnecessary and excessive tests.) Also- I have a wellness plan, and they argued with me about waiving the office visit charge and giving me my 15% discount. I finally got them to give me those discounts (which are outlined and owed to me under my plan). I was pretty upset. My cat has had this skin problem in the past, and I have never been quoted $300!! It has always been around $100 for tests/med.'s.

The last straw was when the vet came back in and said she was basically kicking my cat out because my cat hissed at her during the exam. The cat was not feeling good, was stressed out, dealt with a car ride, smelled and saw other animals, had been poked/prodded, etc. -Of course she's going to hiss. The vet. said my cat is "fractious", and said they will refuse to renew my wellness plan!! I felt that the vet was just trying to get back at me because I didn't want to pay the $300 for all the extra tests, etc. I am incredibly insulted. I don't understand turning away clients in a recession. I felt like telling the vet to "man-up". Scared of a cat hissing at you? You're a vet! Deal with it! That's your job!

I have never had a vet treat me like this before. I called corporate when I got home and the lady I spoke with said it's up to each vets discretion if they find the animal "fractious", they can refuse service. This cat is like my child, and it hurt my feelings. Of course a cat is going to hiss a bit when poked/prodded by strangers. Plus the $300 they wanted originally. I have had family members/friends have problems with Banfield in the past as well. Also- I got a letter in the mail last month telling me that they are raising their rates...again! Just go to a normal vet. Banfield is a waste of money, and a scam. The vets are ridiculous! Find a vet you trust, and forget about Banfield! NOT WORTH IT!

Well I was going to be in Texas for a while and my Yorkie needed her 4th shot. I had my paper from my vet in california and she had just had a physician exam just two weeks before her appointment. I was new to the area and I called around for prices and a vet that sounded good. I noticed prices was ridiculously high compare to my vet in Cali. Well i came across banfield and was not aware of their bad reputation. They told me it would only be 29.95 for the shots and they knew it was my first time to go to their vet. She assured me it would only cost $29.95 so it was great plus it was only 5 mins away.

When i got their and filled out the papers, when they took us in to see the vet i told them she just needed her distemper shot they told me she also needed diphenhydramine i just thought that was needed for her last shots so i said ok. The doctor came in and just checked her really quick and gave her one pair of shots and told me i had to wait 15 mins until they can give her the other shot. My dog is 4 months and not even 2 pounds when they came in again they gave her the last shot and she yelped & twinkled a few drops of pee. Well i was at the desk getting ready to pay my bill of supposably only $29.95 he told me it was $94.03. I was stunned for i was thinking it was only 29.95, well the other shot that was needed was $20 and they charged for the doctor doing a physical exam and they also charged me $5 for my dogs little drops of pee. I told them i never asked for a physical exam, he replied that all new customers had to have an exam done by their vet which of course was never mentioned to me. As for the pee i would understand if i had a large dog and it peed a huge puddle but it was a 2 pound dog that twinkled like 4 drops of pee. If i would have know they charged i would have cleaned it my self.

They told me she had to get the rabies shot but i had already advised the receptionist that my dog has a history in his pedigree that they are allergic to the shot and have died. They told me my dog would be okay and that their is no side effects, anyways i scheduled an appointment 3 weeks from that date and they said it was necessary. I went home so disappointed, I went online to look up what shot they have given her and it was basically benadryl. It wasn't even necessary but just to make sure i called my vet in cali and they told me that why would they give her that if she had already received the distemper shot 3 times and she was not allergic to it. So that was $ 20 they charged me extra. i looked up side effects for the rabies shot and found so many- i printed them out, i have my appointment this friday and im planning to tell them that if they can guarantee that nothing will happen to my dog and if that something happened they will be responsible for the death or any problems to my dog. I am so upset cause they care nothing about your pet and are only in it for the money. The rabies shot will cost me another $30 supposably ! But i will not risk my dogs death. i will find another vet to help me find out if my dog will be allergic to the vaccine. I do not recommend this place at all they care nothing about your pet!

after months of disputing their charges on my cr card and cancewlling the cr card the monthly fee was on all i got was a cacellation of the wellness program and that they werte not responsible for my dogs severe vomiting issue.

We were concerned that our other cat may have scratched her with her sharp nails. The first thing I noticed when we entered the exam room was that there had been at least four other animals in that exam room since it had last been cleaned. There was hair/fur on the floor, counter and exam table. The floor looked like it had been mopped with a dirty mop and the dirt just pushed into the corners of the room and up against the walls. The exam room was just plain nasty.

After examining our cat we were told that she had a small cut in one eye and we needed to buy medicine for it. My wife explained she was a vet tech and we would get it from our regular vet's office. (Our regular vet was out of town, but the office was open.)

We stopped by my wife's work to buy the prescription meds we needed. While there, my wife spoke to one of the other vets who asked to see our cat. After a brief exam, the other vet said the cat had an upper respiratory virus infecion and that one of the meds the other vet had prescribed would harm our cat. We got the correct meds from my wife's work.

When we got home, I looked at the paperwork Banfield had given me. They told me our cat had a small cut on her eye, but the papers we were given said the cat had an upper respiratory virus infection.

First we had to deal with a really dirty exam room at Banfield, then they tell us one thing is wrong with our cat, then give us paperwork saying something else is wrong with the cat.

We are interested in hearing from Banfield "Partner" doctors who have been "De-partnered, fired, or reassigned" in 2009 from Banfield Corporate or their Field Leadership.

Especially those experienced doctors who have been replaced by new college graduates who became "Chief of Staff."

Thank you.

hello again i have already left a complaint about this banifield pet hospital but i would like to leave another and i will keep leaving them until some action taken against these heart less people have been dealt with in a way i think is fit weather they get shut down or fined or what ever as i said on the other complaint i have already spent alot of money on my dog and on top of that on the 11/5/09 i gave them alot of money for my 14 month old chihuahua to have a rabies vacction and then he had a very bad life or death allergic reaction according to the front desk woman who probaly does not even have her GED and they called me up today and said that if i do not pay them the money i owe them for injections they gave him to stop the allergic reaction and if i did not pay then it was going to collections theses people are not very nice when it comes to any ones pet nor are they nice when it comes to any ones finacial state so if you can help it interview alot of vets before u make your choice and i should have done that before i picked banfield i would not be in the messed up postion i am in and let me just say that banfield will just say whatever they want to you if you are upset because they do not want to deal with you taht is what the woman from the front desk told me that she just said ok when i told her that i could not give her that money for the injections for real taht is all she could say was ok and you no why she said ok because she did not want to deal with me because i was upset i mean she did not say those exact words but she should of i am very upset about this and the way banfield treats people and everyone who takes there dog there be very careful..... i have been crying because of this whole thing

Several times in Nov I contacted banfield about my cat. I cancelled because she showed signs of improving. Then right after I cancelled I called up again and pleaded with them as I left a message that my cat was worsening. I told them if they could work out a payment untill I would get my check and they never responed to my cry of help. I then had my cat seen by another vet who is mobile and he treated her by then I believe it was too late. She passed away last night from waiting on Banfields part. I feel if she would have been seen at the time I asked since I am not a doctor shewoul have made it.

My dog had symptoms of severe diarrhea and vomiting for two days before I brought her in the first time, on October 9, 2009. I had told the doctor, Laura T, that I had recently been to a park in the area with a lake. The recommendation were several prescription pills to control this. The pills helped, however, as soon as they ran out a few days later, the severe symptoms came back. Scared, I called to speak to Dr. T early in the afternoon on October 14 for advice. I was informed she left early (she needed to go to her child's school). First thing in the morning, October 15, I took my dog to see her at Banfield. I waited patiently, she was a little late getting in, according to the personnel at the desk.

When she finally saw my dog, she prescribed more of the same prescription medications and said she'd do an X-ray. I left my dog at about 8:00am, purchased a bunch of medicines again, and went home. I was called a few hours later and informed the X-ray machine was being worked on and would be available very soon. I guess that still would have been fine, however, I received another phone call at 1:30PM and was now told the X-ray machine would not be available until the next day. My dog had already waited there for over 6 hours with nothing done, not to mention that this was her second time here for these symptoms within 6 days, something which by now should have been cause for great concern.

By this time, an intelligent decision by someone on the staff or one of the doctors there would have been to call other hospitals and pre-arrange an immediate X-ray. This was not the case. I actually had to suggest this and was then told they would make some calls to other area Banfield hospitals. I would then have to pick up and transport my dog to the other hospital. This was done fairly quickly and I picked up my dog and brought her to another Banfield. Please remember I had already paid for services and many prescriptions at the original Banfield, as it turns out, I neither needed those services nor did I ever need or use the prescriptions that I already paid for.

The story goes on, this second Banfield ended up being worlds better than the first. I never realized there could have been such a difference in the doctors and staff. My dog received her X-rays quickly. Two fishing hooks were found in her small intestines. Surgery started near immediately. Although the surgery went well by all accounts, my gorgeous four year old dalmatian developed other complications and never fully recovered. She went thru days of agony and was euthanized on October 23.

One day after learning my dog needed surgery, on October 16, I called and spoke to a Dr. Neal at Banfield in Henderson, NV, the first Banfield in this story. I told him I wanted a refund of the services and medicines I had bought but which I never needed. He told me to call the home office of Banfield in Portland, OR and also told me he, after having learned of my dog's surgery, didn't agree with the doctors treatment plan (from Banfield #2 where my dog now was) post operatively, referring to the fact I was told my dog didn't need any of those medicines that I had purchased. Wow, this reeked of unprofessionalism and really shocked me.

I called the home office in Portland immediately following this conversation. I spoke to Dwayne, who took down the information and told me someone would call me within 5 days with an answer for me. All I asked for was a refund of the bill for that one day, October 15, a total of $220.32. Days went by, I said goodbye to my dog, and I could only wonder one thing during this emotionally unsettling time: if an X-ray had been taken as a precaution right from the very start, would my dog be alive today?

On October 26, ten full days after I had entered a complaint, I had heard nothing. I called again to the Portland office and talked with James. He seemed to be surprised that nobody had called me back after so many days. After remaining on hold for several minutes, James told me somebody would call me within a couple of hours. I thought this would be great, until I received a call from Dr. Neal! Since he was the person who originally told me to call Portland and complain, I didn't see how it was possible that he'd be the one to call me and offer any settlement. Why him, and not the manager? Indeed, he quickly told me there was nothing he was going to do. I am a bit surprised why I never heard from the manager of this specific store, and I still do not even know who that is. I called back James in Portland immediately with this revelation, and he told me this was as far as he could go with this complaint. Apparently, when you complain to Portland about a certain Banfield, Portland turns around and calls that same Banfield and tells them to call me back?? This is unbelievable!

So now I'm writing to you. I hope I have made myself quite clear in the record of events and timeline. I feel I am not asking for very much. It's not like I've never used Banfield's services and indeed I've paid thousands of dollars over my dog's short lifetime to have her checked and maintained. I am simply asking for the small amount of $220.32 for one bill, a bill whose services and medications were, inevitably, never needed in the first place.

For your information, the original Banfield store talked about here is store #0148 in Henderson, NV. The store where my dog eventually ended up having her surgery is store #1394 in Las Vegas, NV.

Incidentally, I hold in high regard the doctors who worked on my dog. Dr. Amir Liaghat and Dr. Vincent Alexis, as well as the staff in the Las Vegas store. They were all wonderful.

My Chihuahua gave birth to 3 puppies, one was only a 3rd the size of the other 2 puppies, and wasn't fully formed enough to survive outside the womb, and was in the process of dying, and had gone stiff a couple times, it was very frustrating. She was only about 2 days old. the vet explained her low survival rate and told me i could euthenize her or take her back home. I told him I'd take her back with me and I was crying because i was stressed seeing the puppy on the brink of life and death the way she was. Mind you I had to be at work in an hour from the time. they had the pup in the back somewhere, and I had already waited 30 minutes for them to bring her back out to me.

Finally a lady came out and said "ma'am, here's your receipt for your waste disposal charge of $4.50" and I said ok and paid her and she said " thanks ma'am have a good evening" so I was like "thanks" and I left. I felt that the pup had naturally died, and the fee I was paying was for disposal of her body, that makes PERFECT sense, and since i was emotional i figured she didnt' wanna come out and say she died but just give me the fee and send me on my way, so I left and went straight to work.

they couldn't tell me if the dog was dead or alive, or what happened to it, just that I was irresponsible for leaving it and all this so I was like whatever and I went on with my life. . . this happened back in June, . . It it Now November, 6 months later, and last week, the veterinarian, whom I haven't had the chance to talk directly too since the incident, came to my place of work to eat, (I'm a waitress), not specifically to see me or anything he just likes eating at my restaurant.

He happened to see me on his way to the restroom, and stopped, looked at me and said, " Oh it's you, the girl who irresponsibly LEFT her puppy without paying or ANYTHING blah blah blah " and he tore into me, AT MY JOB! WHILE I'M WORKING! He continued to degrade me and put me down tell me I have no respect for animals and all this AT MY JOB and it's not my fault he needs to talk to his STAFF not ME and it was completely embarrassing and ridiculous for him to approach me about something that happened 6 months ago and WASN'T MY FAULT, AT MY JOB!

On October 19th, my beloved cat passed away. She had been with me for nearly 16 years. My father had gotten her for me as a teen a couple of years before he passed away. I have gone through so much with my cat. She was my companion. I had taken her to Banfield Pet Hospital in my neighborhood when I realized that she wasn't doing well. She passed on upon arrival. The doctor and nurses asked me if I'd like to have her cremated and I agreed. The doctor on shift said that they would contact me in regards to the cremation. Ofcourse they swiped my credit card for the expense! For almost 3 weeks, I had been trying to find out what had happened with my cat's ashes. One of the doctors finally told me that they screwed up the paper work and the ashes were spread at the crematory!! I had bought an urn for her! Everything that's happened has truly broken my heart. Please think twice about placing your animal within their "responsible" hands. This is awful and I wouldn't want anyone else to go through this.

I had enrolled my dog in a Wellness Plan about a year and a half ago. I have been begging and pleading this clinic to treat my dog for fleas. I've invested a little over $300 this year alone on Advantage, Advantix, and other topical treatments including shampoos and powders that they have been prescribed to my dog. Nothing has worked. I was promised one month ago that they would provide Frontline for my dog, but when I went in to retrieve the medication that I know to work for my dog, they told me they don't have it nor were they ever going to carry it. I kept asking myself why am I repeatedly going to this "vet" when they cannot treat my dog effectively.

I made a complaint on November 10, 2009 with Banfield over this issue along with their refusal to provide my dog with his rabies tag two years in a row. I received a phone call from Dr. G from the Bradenton, Florida Banfield Clinic on the evening of November 10, 2009. I immediately assumed that this "vet" would listen to my complaints and try to resolve these issues as I am a paying client. She immediately started screaming at the top of her lungs at me telling me that I don't take care of my dog. She verbally threatened me when I told her that I would not bring my dog back into that clinic and she continued to threaten and berate me until I finally hung the phone up. I took action and called the dispute line for the Wellness Plan and again, I made another complaint.

As I feel this matter needs to be brought to the State of Florida Veterinary's Board, I called the clinic and asked for Dr. G's license number. I never told them who I was, and yet she immediately took the phone and started to scream again at the top of her lungs. I cannot believe someone would call themselves a doctor and treat their clients in such a way. I truly feel that if I take my dog back to a Banfield clinic, that my dog will suffer the physical consequences of such an atrocious clinic. Dr. G threatened to hold me to a Wellness Plan in which I fear for the safety of my dog to participate in any more.

After a couple of unhappy experiances I decided to go back to my regular vet with my pets where I signed up to a new plan there. Several months went by and I received a call from Banfield telling me that I had to pay them an additional $266.10 to "Cancel" the plan or be turned over to collections. This after not using them for 4-6 months. $266.10 to cancel a policy which I did not complete using.

We took our 5 month old boxer for her last round of puppy shots and Dr. M said she was ready to be spayed and that she could do the surgery the following Friday. I was very nervous dropping off our dog, as I could sense something didn't feel right, but I thought I was being overprotective. I dropped her off around 9am and the spay took place early afternoon, as I spoke with Dr. M after the spay, she stated our dog was doing well and we could pick her up after 5pm. We thought she would spend the night?

Our dog was still coming off the anesthesia Friday night, but we became worried Saturday when she didn't eat a lot and was vomiting. Sunday morning she was still vomiting, not eating, and unable to urinate, she was not herself. We took her back to Banfield, they ran some tests. Our vet was not there, we saw Dr. A. Her white blood cell count was 1.9 and 2.1, at time of surgery she was 6.9. Dr. A did x-rays and everything was ok with x-rays. Dr. A gave our dog a shot of Vitamin B and prescribed one oral anti-biotic, special wet food, another medicene to mix with food, and told us to have her drink gatorade. Dr. A told us we could take her to the emergency vet or come see our vet in the morning. There was no sense of urgency in is voice, just casual relay of information. Us not ever having to deal with this situation figured our little girl had been through many tests and should rest the night and see Dr. M in the morning.

Well, I awoke at 3 am only to find our dog didn't make it through the night. talk about devastating. We brought our baby girl to Dr. M who was very empathetic, she kept our dog to complete a necropsy. We came back an hour later and Dr. M said all she could tell us was there was massive infection everywhere. At this point we later learned that Dr. M should have educated us to get a necropsy from an unbiased source. We didn't think to do this, who would? My parents made a burial site for our baby girl. This was the worst day of our lives.

I called Banfield corporate to let them know we wanted to cancel our puppy wellness plan. Little did we know there was a hidden clause, we had more to pay on the monthly plan, in order to cancel I had to continue to pay $28.95 monthly for another 9 months. I of course did not want to be reminded each month of what happened to our girl, so I paid the lump sum of around $230. I spoke with other vets for their opinion. What I learned was that on Sunday, Dr. A should have expressed to us the HUGE sense of urgency and how sick our dog really was, and we had no choice, we needed to go to the emergency vet. Also we should not have been given oral meds when she was not eating and vomiting everywhere. She needed fluid meds through IV, we never thought of this as we had never encountered this situation before, thus the ever importance of Dr. A to relay this info.

We and with talking to other vets are 100% sure there was a mess-up in the surgery, even thought there is no physical proof. Our dog went into shock b/c of massive infection in her body everywhere, but her heart and sepsis had taken over her whole body. She was a pure breed boxer without any signs prior to surgery of any problems and none of the other offspring in her litter or previous litters had problems. For her to die within 2 days of the surgery means something happened during the surgery. Either something was not clean, something was left in there, and/or something was clipped. Banfield denied any fault, which is why having another necropsy would have made a huge difference.

I called corporate to report what happened, the man on the phone was wonderful. I was told I would hear from someone in 3-5 business days. What I didn't know was that the vets with whom we were complaining about would be settling the dispute. It took 2 weeks for Dr. A and I to speak. He was very defensive, stating he thought he did everything he could do. HE kept repeating himself and excepted no responsibility. After the conversation ended, that was it, I never heard from anyone.

I wonder what was the reason for reporting my complaint when I was left still upset and unsatisfied, and of course never wanting to go to or recommended Banfield services. Dr. A didn't seem to care at ALL. I make sure every dog owner I talk to knows to never use Banfield, most people don't want to anyway, mostly due to the extreme wait times. It didn't matter that we always had an appt b/c they took walk-ins and who ever was there first, got seen. We were there every visit at least 1 hour up to 2 and half hours. We came out of our pockets about $1000 to pay for all the testing on Sunday, all the meds, and paying off the wellness plan. I spoke with the manager at the Banfield, she said there was nothing we could do to get our money back.

Received two robocall spam messages in one day from Banfield promoting flea products. Evidently anyone that leaves an emergency contact number while their pet is treated becomes a candidate for their solicitation. Am on the Do Not Call registry and was called on my mobile phone.

WORST PLACE IN THE WORLD! They charge you all the money of the world, they don't help at all! They should have special rates for people that just lost their jobs and are having trouble paying for their dogs expenses. For them the money is first and they don't care about anything else. I had a problem with my dog, I was going to be charge an extreme large amount of money, I was trying to explain them that I just lost my part time, I'm on a tight budget but they didn't even give me a prescription for me to go somewhere else to try and get the medicines cheaper, because there medicines are VERY EXPENSIVE!

There should be an association that can regulate this kind of situations. They should be able to make exemptions when the animal is suffering and let you pay what you can pay, specially if in the past you used to pay large amounts of money, and if you also have a medical plan with them.

I've been taking my dog to Banfield for over a year. The vet that was working there at the time was great. She cared about your pet not making money for Banfield. I also have a wellness plan I pay for every month which covers the office visit and a small discount on other services, this is why I continued to take her there; I was already paying for services.

One year later change of story. My dog has been on thyroid medicine for at least 8 years same dosage. Now there is a new vet at Banfield and I have had to have new blood work done for her thyroid levels. Not such a big deal except financially it is a bit of a burden to me due to not working. I also had been told that my dog's medical history wasn't in the system any longer which is why they had to do all the new tests; only to be looked at like I was an idiot when I brought this up with the vet. Ok where in the world would I get the idea that her medical history was gone if it wasn't from an employee at Banfield? She also has reoccurring skin problems; she is usually given steroids to treat the skin problem. Maybe not the healthiest treatment, b ut it does seem to cure the problem. Again I had to pay for a skin test that showed nothing. The info on her skin problems was also not in their system, see a pattern here?

I have even called the HQ to talk with them to see if there was something they could do to help out in the situation. After being on hold for over a half hour and then having to give a grueling account of the situation I was told that someone would get back to me. I told the customer service person that if all the follow-up call will be to tell me they cannot help me to bother having them call back. Several hours later I received a very unpleasant call from the vet that has been treating her offering the same useless excuses; he did give me a prescription for one more month of meds.

Two weeks ago I took her to see the vet at Banfield because I noticed her lymph nodes were swollen. I suspected after research that she may have Lymphoma, the vet of course wanted to do a biopsy. The biopsy confirmed the Lymphoma, I was told it was in advanced stages and she had at best 2 to 3 months if I treated her with Prednisone. I agreed to the lower cost treatment due to my lack of funds, if I could afford Chemo I probably would have had her treated. They also suggested 2 Chinese Herbs which I also purchased. I'm not sure if the meds are really helping her or not, but I give them to her every day in hope that what time she has left will be easier for her. My issue is I have to take her back for another blood test for her thyroid levels. Come on the dog has now maybe 2 maybe 3 months and they need to do another test? Why can't they just prescribe the same dosage of thyroid meds for the time she has left? MONEY, plain and simple.

Banfield is a corporation that is here to make money, with no regard to the financial burden it places on its customers, there is no compassion given. I love my dog, and I will pay to have the blood work done so she can live as comfortable as possible for the next few months. Here is another issue; the Wellness Plan is for 12 months, so even after my dog passes on I will still be paying for a program I cannot use, at least 8 more months of my limited income going to Banfield. I can tell you this I will not use Banfield after she is gone for another pet. I would like to have good affordable pet care, but not with a Corporation that only cares about making money. It is no wonder that the first vet we were seeing left, she had a heart and was truly full of compassion not only for our pets but for their owners too.

I brought my 5 year old Pug in just over a month ago for his vaccinations, as well as a few lumps on his belly and rear end that were of concern. I am fairl new to Banfield, and have only taken my other dog (a 15 year old Chow) in for treatment of lupus. I have been working with Dr. Jordan with both of my dogs, and he seems like a knowledgeable and empathetic Dr. He treated my Chow beautifully, as he is living out his golden years quite comfortably.

Let me mention that due to my own disables status, finances are very tight right now, but I do the absolute best I can to care for my animals. Anyhow, when I firt brought Yoda in to discuss the lumps, it was determined that he had mast-cell tumors. We discussed possibly treatments that I could budget for, but the nurse did talk me into signing up for the welness plan. Thinking htat we could possibly get the tumors taken care of, this wouldn't be a bad idea for overall care.

Anyhow, I hadn't yet been able to schedule the removal of his tumors, and my Pug fell quite ill a few days ago. Head tilt, lethargy, etc. I took him in immediately, and the Dr. suspected an inner ear infection. Considering the mast tumors, there's always a possibility of spreading, however - the overall signs at the time didn't indicate that it was tumor related. They sent me home with antibiotics and special calorie dense food to feed him. He would eat, but only by hand and I had to work to get him to drink.

The following day, he declined, so I brought him back in. This was yesterday. Dr. Jordan suggested - and I agreed - to go ahead and keep him overnight for IV fluids and antibiotics. We went to visit my dog at 6:30pm last night, and he seemed a bit perkier, but overall lethargic (although he had just come out of anesthesia).

I spoke with another Dr. this morning (Dr. Jordan was not in today) to see how me was. At 9:30am, he seemed to be improving, and they expected that I could take him home that afternoon (wanted to watch him for the rest of the day). I didn't hear from them in the afternoon, so I called at 3:00pm to see how he was. I was told by the front desk girl tha he was ready to go and I could come pick him up. My 7 year old son and I were very excited that he was coing know, assuming htat he responded well to the fluids.

Upon arrival, we were asked to wait and they'd let the staff in the back know we were there (please bear in mind, at this point, they knew I was there only with only my 7 year old son). Prior to putting me in a room, they had me satisfy my bill. They then put us in a room, where, after waiting nearly 5 minutes, the Dr. came in and told us, with no regard that I had a child with me, that Yoda was not doing well and that he was being kept alive on oxygen. I am trying to hold in tears as to not alarm my son, but was disarmed, not knowing how to proceed with him in the room and I couldn't send him out into the store on his own. The Vet proceeded to tell me that when they took him outside to "go potty", he was still ill-responsive and was very unsteady on his feet. He then notied flickering in his eyes, and was certain, at this indication, that we were dealng with a brain tumor rather than an infeciton (particularly since he didn't respond to the antibiotics).

As hard as I tried, I becmae hysterical along with my son, and had to call a neighbor to come meet me there so she could care for my son while I handled the issue with my dog. My husband was still about 30 minutes out, trying to make it as quickly as he could. My neighbor and son waited outside while my other neighbor sat with me as I held my dog, having him die in my arms.

I am absolutely appalled and shocked that they would "prepare" me to tkae my dog home, see that I have a small child in tow upon arrival, put on a perfect poker face to collect my money, and have me enter a room with a little boy expecting to take his dog home to only have the Vet come in and tell us he's dying. Had I been given any indication that the vet "needed to discuss somethng with me", I would have left my son with family or friends. By the time my husband arrived, our dog had already moved on. He was livid that my son was present, and let the staff know his feelings.

Losing a pet is part of loving them, and I understand that, but the extra trauma put upon me to have my son learn the news in a way I would have never exposed him to amplifies my grief. Plus, I am now reading stories with the understanding that Banfield will continue to charge me the $40 a month for a wellness plan for an animal that no longer exists. This is only my first effort of putting my complaints into print. Banfield is next. I know that they cannot bring my dog back, but I, at minimum, want an explanation and an appropriate apology about their process.

$500 spent to treat him, however, that is to be expected. I don't blame them for attempting the treatment for an inner ear infection. I am on disability myself, and our household funds are not such where we have an extra $500 to handle these situations, but we made it work for our dog. Where I am heartsick is that I will continue paying $40 a month for a dog that cannot use the "welness plan". I can't even transfer it to my other dog.

There was a level of emotional damamge put upon my son. He understands death, however, he should have heard it from me, elsewhere, in a way that a mother explains it. He is now frightened of the Vet office, and, in turn, since it is located in our local Petsmart store, he will no longer go in there. The way they handled this was traumatic and will leave a long term, negative lasting effect on him.

The Banfield hospitals are all separate from each other, and the experience you have depends directly on the doctor who does the exam, not the corporation itself. Because all the hospitals are linked under the same name, these forums can exist. Banfield requires that all of the nurses must be technically trained in a veterinary program, or have years of experience. Inquire at your new primary vet how many of the vet techs are certified, or have gone to school for their position. The doctors do vary depending on ability but they are all trained medical doctors. The wellness plan they have is AWESOME if you have a puppy or kitten that needs to be spayed or neutered, but beyond that you can probably find a better bargain. Yes it can be hit or miss with some Banfields, but it is the same situation for any other veterinary office.

A $200 vet bill--and I still haven't gotten my results sent to me. Oh, and despite the shampoo they gave me, my dog still has the ringworm. Oh yes, and it's spread to her paw. Thanks a lot.

I took my dog in for her appointment and was given an estimate of the charges by the front desk person. The bill was a little over $14. When the nurse came in ( after we had waited over 30 minutes for our APPOINTMENT), she had a different set of charges and a new bill. When I questioned some of the charges (i.e., for heartworm and flea control), I was told that they put them on there to ensure my dog wouldn't run out. I said it'd only been 2 weeks and I would come back to get it when scheduled. I was told that because I'd missed an appointment, I'd now have to pay extra for my dog's shots, which are covered under the "Wellness" program. I declined to get them done at that time and told the nurse I only wanted what the intial estimate covered. She left the room.

I could hear her talking to someone on the other side of the door. When she came back in, she said that I had been told the last time that my dog would have to "make up" the additional shots and that this would be an extra charge. I told the nurse that I understood she was the Messenger, but that I felt that we were being "hustled" every time we came in - that we always paid more by the time we left. We again stated that we would only get the services that the original estimate entitled. The nurse left out again. I could again hear conversation taking place on the other side of the door.

When the nurse returned, I let her know that I was agitated that whomever she was speaking to was relaying messages instead of obviously clearing up the confusion themselves. At this point, Dr. C entered the room, and without so much as a hello, she tells us she is here to assist but we need to stop yelling at her assistant and to "calm down". Obviously, this greeting did little to de-escalate the situation. She went on to tell us what we had been told at our last visit, etc., even though I had never seen this doctor before. I told her I was amazed that she could tell me what had been explained to me when she was not there, and that I had never seen her before on my visits to this hospital. Her demeanor was very condescending to us as clients.

My husband at this point says, let's go, but I wanted LaLa to have the services that she was due under the wellness plan. Dr C refused us service, saying she didn't feel comfortable servicing our dog. I said that was fine, the feeling was mutual, and could we get another doctor; we were told no, the other doctor was busy. My husband again reiterated, "Let's go". Dr. C's last words to us were, "If you'd like, I can have your dog transferred and she won't ever have to come here again." When I called Banfield Corporate office, I was given a claim number and told that someone would get back to me in 3-5 business days.

When I was contacted by Felicia, the hospital Director, she was basically on the side of the Doctor (big surprise), and chose to blame it all on the CSE who did not give me the correct estimate in the beginning. I clearly stated that Dr. C was my problem and her lack of professionalism, and that the CSE's mistake was an honest and human one; it was the treatment we received as consumers by this so-called medical professional that was at the heart of our complaint. Of course, now our dog is behind TWO set of shots, and no one is telling me who will waive these fees.

I can't wait for this wellness program's term to expire, because I will not be renewing a contract with a business that obviously cares more about the bottom dollar than patient-doctor relationships.

The $1,200 for vet care on a well dog was gouging. Another vet looked at the list of shots and said several were not needed for our pet. We feel that the pet insurance was a way to force us into added vet charges - at a time when we could least afford them.

So we scheduled an appointment, took Candy there and they gave her a check up. Candy seemed to greatly oppose this new vet but I didn't want to sound offensive on switching to a different vet so I remained quiet. (The last time my dog was opposed to the vet, they caused my dog to start bleeding anally)
I frowned when they chose to use the thermometer they did as I was used to Vets using a smaller size because our dog is so small.
After that, they said they wanted to do a whole list of vaccinations and tests on our dog that would cost around 400 dollars -- in other words, they wanted to inject a LOT of medicine into a 2 pound dog.
I declined, and kept the rabies vaccine and a benadryl shot. They insisted that I come back in a couple weeks for more vaccines anyways. Politely, I said sure.
They took her to the back, gave her benadryl then returned her, saying that we needed to wait 15 minutes.

When they gave her the shot, they did not ask for me--the owner--to hold her (most likely because I'm 16) and they brought in another vet who administered the shot in the leg

I brought her back home where she was OK but started to slow down little by little. Candy also threw up after we came home. I let her be, because I thought that she had simply eaten too fast.
I'm used to her sleeping for a day after a shot but after a day, she just kept on sleeping. She'd get up, walk around very slowly, drink some water, pee, eat a couple pieces of dried food, and then went back to sleep.
Worried, I picked her up but she shrieked in pain so I set her back down.
I then noticed she was limping, not putting too much pressure on her back right leg.

She was also walking in a strange way where she rotated her back legs--?

six days after the shot, my dog had only gotten worse to the point she needed us to carry her up and down the stairs but would still cry in pain for holding her at all.

She walked very, very slowly and barely ate or drank.

The doctor was adamant that there was no way that it was because of the rabies shot that my dog was in so much pain.

She also reasoned, "if you're so worried about your dog, why didn't you come earlier? Why didn't you come the day she started limping?"

My guardian, now angry, said that the charges were unfair and did not make sense and that the doctors should take responsibility.
The doctor repeated that there was no way that Candy was harmed at the hospital.
My aunt spoke that she understood if she was charged for any form of treatments but not the check up or anything.

Then my aunt questioned why they gave her a shot in the leg, when all the doctors before --including the vet at the banfield in Washington state--had administered the vaccine in the neck.

They then proceeded to say that not only would we have to pay for an office visit, but an after hours visit (we went there around 6:40, they close at 7). I noticed they took out the emergency fee (because they suddenly had time to see the dog, even though they said they didn't earlier on the phone)

She is now not in as much pain as before, but that has shown to me that when they held her for the vaccine, they had caused my dog's leg to some how get out of correct alignment.

Banfield seems to only be concerned with the money aspect of the whole situation, not the actual care of the dog. I'm sure that they didn't even give my dog any benadryl, only saying that they did.

Banfield Pet Hospital cancelled my pet insurance policy after I paid in FULL for a year. Policy was to expire In November, and forced me to purchase a NEW policy in August while I still had 3 months left on my policy they cancelled. So esentially I am paying for 2 policies for the same time period. They told me if I didn't buy the new policy I would have to pay over $400 for the services perfomed that day. I made the appointment under the assumption she had the insurance I paid in full.

At little history, the account went into collections after the company FAILED to notify me the monthly payments were not being taken out of the checking account information I provided to them. They did NOT send a notice of any balance due and I did not know the account was 2 months past due until a collection company called. At this point because my account was 2 months past due I was notified I had to pay the remaining balance in full for the year (which I did, about $150)

Then after paying for the full year, they cancelled the policy and forced me to purchase a new one. This is unfair and deceptive practice I paid for the year and I should get the full year. Not to mention their neglect and awful pet services that I did NOT want to sign up for another year of, I could not wait till the contract ended and I could take my dog to a better vet and now I am stuck for another year. I ended up paying for 2 policies. They would not release my dog to me unless I paid over $400 on the spot or signed up for a whole new year. I was held captive for over 2 hours.

I then explained how I didn't feel that I received any services but that I would be happy to go back in and discuss it with them.

When I went to the counter they tried to charge me for the additional $100.00 worth of "recommendations"! I explained everything above to the lady and looked as if she didn't understand. I told her I felt as if I was being scammed and ripped off, that I had changed my mind on having Banfield being my pets' veterinary office and that I didn't feel like my kitten had received proper care. She reminded me that I agreed to the wellness plan and I told her I was not paying for the plan that I had changed my mind after the treatment we received. She explained to me how that would be fine but that I was responsible for the treatment my kitten did receive. Then I asked her what the treatment was because I never saw my pet get any treatment nor was I told that my pet was getting any treatment other than having his ears checked out. She said that I was responsible for the "Office Visit" and the "Feline Distemper FVRCP Vaccine," in which she circled on my paperwork and handed me. I refused to pay for the vaccine because I didn't see it nor was I told they were doing it. We argued about it for a few minutes then I left without paying for anything. That amount adds up to $56.90. Since then I have not received 1 bill or 1 phone call from Banfield about this matter.

During the times I contacted Banfield I offered to pay for the services I was told my pet received (Office Visit and the vaccine) and they refused payment. I am unsure where the additional monies are coming from. In the paperwork I signed it states, "The doctor has explained the medical condition of my pet and the proposed regimen of treatment or surgery." I was told that the doctor would checkout my pet in the exam room and we would then discuss the procedure. I never saw or spoke to a doctor in reference to my pet, therefore there was no procedure discussed.

I have attempted to discuss this issue with both Banfield and the collection agency on several attempts in the last 3 weeks. Prior to hearing from the collection agency I never received a notice from Banfield that the account was past due or that it was going into collections.

Very poor service, bad attitudes. NO CUSTOMER SERVICE. I brought my dog is with a limp. They didn't even try to touch him and then suggested I HAD to get an x ray because something was 90% (Sure) broken. I didn't think this was right at all because I am around my dog everyday. Then I was leaving the store after I said no I didn't want to go along with that and the doctor came up and stopped me and said I really needed to get the x ray.

At this point I thought well maybe something is wrong so I went and got the x ray and sure enough the call back and say "you can come get your dog, he is fine" but then they hit you with a $500 ray bill. Not only was my dog still limping but they didn't even show me the xray or fix my dog. They said the doctor was busy so i couldn't see the ray. Why am i paying $500 if my dog is still limping, you don't know what's wrong and i can't see an xray. TO MAKE MATTERS WORST I CALLED CORPORTATE AND THEY DEALT WITH MY CASE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AND SAID ITS NOTHING THEY CAN DO AND I HAVE TO PAY IT AND THEY WILL PUT IT ON MY CREDIT. This is such a shame and I have heard so much negative feedback about banfield. I wish I would of done my research earlier. Don't let it happen to you.

$1000.00 northward in unecesary vet bills and i am fighting as much as i can on my credit card. i also cancelled the credit card with the monthly fee and received a letter, we will see what happens.

Man, this place knows how to dupe you. I was already aware that Banfield likes to do the hard sell and tries to shoot your pet up with every vaccination under the sun without the animal really needing it, but today took the cake. I took my newest addition to the family to banfield for her first visit, check up, rabies, etc, ONLY because Petsmart sent me a coupon for a free visit and physical exam for first time clients. And as much as I don't like them, they are close by, and let's face it, we can all use to save some extra cash.

After getting the hard sell on everything from vaccinations to wellness plans to having her stomach tacked during the eventual spay (her actual words were "I've never actually done it here, but I did it in school and am quite comfortable with it"), we went to pay for the vacs and were told that this particular Banfield was a "charter" member and did not participate in the coupon. WHAT? It was mailed to our house based on the local Petsmart!

Oh man, I am so angry. I would have never stepped foot in that place. I've emailed Petsmart and Banfield, but I guess I just chalk it up to lesson learned because these corporations really don't care about your pet.

I took my jack Russell terrier in for a teeth cleaning. I chose Banfield because I have used their vaccination clinic before and they were $75 cheaper than my regular vet. First off, they tried to push their health plan on me -- first the receptionist, then the technician and finally the doctor (twice). Then the technician asked what kind of flea medicine I used. When I told her, she said NEVER use over the counter flea medicine as I could kill my dog with an allergic reaction. Then the vet came in and said the same thing. They pressured me to buy flea medicine. Hello, I'm there for a teeth cleaning. Then the vet says my dogs shots aren't current. I had just taken her in to another Banfield for her shots a couple months earlier. He tells me that they are going to discontinue the "free" clinics and that I should update her shots now. The dog is current. There is no need for that. I'm already regretting the visit.

They take Rosie and give me an estimate of $250 for bloodwork, cleaning, anesthesia, and antibiotics. I drop the dog off at 9 am. I call at 3:00 and they haven't even cleaned her teeth yet! They tell me there are three dogs ahead of her and they close at 7. Do I want to bring her in another day? Of course not. The poor dog is already there. While I'm at the gym after work (they tell me to pick the dog up by 7 pm) I get four phone calls from them. They say Rosie needs two teeth pulled (major oral surgery) and it will cost $800 and want me to give permission over the phone! I tell them absolutely not I am on my way to pick up the dog and want to talk to the vet. I get there and both the receptionist (who tries to charge me $770) and the technician tell me that the dog has two "dead, rotting" teeth that are causing her pain and need to be pulled. They again push the health plan.

I finally get to talk to the vet (after waiting 20 minutes) who explains that she has two loose teeth in the very back of her mouth. There is no decay, no abscess, no rotting -- they are just loose. The teeth are very small but they have long roots so he would have to cut deep into the dog's jawbone to extract them. This would leave a big hole that he would have to plug and stitch up. Not only does this sound extremely painful for the dog but it also sounds totally unnecessary! I tell him no way do I want this done and he agrees that it doesn't need to be done at this time! They bring my woozy dog out and the technician tries to push this special hard dog food. I told her earlier that am that the dog won't eat hard food and I repeat it again. She goes, "I know, I thought you might want to try it anyway!" Then as I'm leaving, the technician asks where Rosie's collar is and I tell her in the car. She then tells me about "pretty, pink, sparkly collars" in Petsmart that I should buy for her! I will never go back there again. It was absolutely unreal with the sell, sell, sell -- but the worst thing is that they were willing to cut into my dog's mouth and cause a lot of pain and discomfort for a couple tiny loose teeth! This is the Banfield Animal Hospital in Woodinville, WA.

I brought my cat in Oct 1, 2009, to be euthanized. She had cancer and had not eaten in days. They told me, I could be in the room with her, and they would give her a shot and she would fall asleep.

Instead, they brought her in another room, and when they brought her out, they said they had trouble getting the IV in. They had tried but would have to try again. Then they tried to hold her down to put in the needle and she was screeching and crying and trying to bite. She was terrified and in her whole life, she had never experienced any great pain or terror. That is what I had to remember her by and it is on my mind constantly. I feel I should have done something to stop it.

My daughter was visiting and her dog seemed in pain. She has a Banfield wellness plan in TN so it seemed reasonable to take the dog to their local hospital. He needed surgery for bladder stones. The surgery seemed to go well and follow-up visits were recommended but instructions were vague. He was put on prescription food for after care to prevent future problems. A few months later, eating only the very expensive presciption food, he had another bladder infection and she took him to her local Banfield center. They tested for an infection, found a huge one and put him on antibiotics. Five days later he whimpered, crawled into her lap and died.

I don't want to know exactly why he died but his belly was swollen and red and I belive his bladder burst. I don't want to have to deal with the lawsuit I would probably feel compelled to bring but in my opinion, Banfield killed an otherwise healthy, six year old dog through neglect and incompetence.

She was devastated. My husband and I curtailed our vacation because we were so concerned about her. This dog was her full time companion and the love of her life. Although we were in Maine at the time of his death we turned the car around and drove to Nashville. We spent $1500 on a funeral and burial for the dog because it brought her some comfort. I did not cancel the wellness contract immediately - it was being paid for through my credit card - because I hoped she would consider another dog (which she did two months later) and assumed it could be transferred. It cannot. They claim it is tied to the first dog's medical records. It seems to me a few clicks on a computer could "untie" it from his record and apply it to a new dog. To add insult to injury, they want the remainder of the contract paid ($275)and then they will cancel it. The original sugery cost $2300. The prescription dog food is about $2.00 a can and she had just bought a case when she brought him back with the bladder infection that killed him. My daughter, who suffers from depression to begin with, went through emotional hell. I have directed my credit card company to stop honoring the monthly charges for the wellness plan. Over my dead body will I pay off the balance. Finally when I called Banfield's main office to cancel, or transfer the plan, the woman on the phone didn't even say she was sorry to hear about the dog's death - the agent at my credit card company did, with much sincerity.

I had the worst experience ever. My precious puppy Kato was brought in to the Vet and we found out that he had a bacterial infection in his ear. The Vet and the tech advised us that he needed a deep ear cleaning. They told us that the ear would be numbed for the cleaning of the pet and may be a bit groggy for about 30 minutes. After about 40 minutes and them not calling us we returned to the store to pick him up. The poor thing was out cold, not only that but at that point they told us that he would be out for about 2 hours. How does 30 minutes turn into 2 hours?

Needless to say they carried him out on a stretcher to our car. My husband and I carried him into the house when 2 hours went by and still no response. 3 then 4 then 5 hours poor thing barely lifted his head we called the local animal hospital they not holding any liability suggested if I felt uncomfortable to bring him in. Of course, I felt uncomfortable he is just a puppy 11 months old and he was playing when I brought him into Banfield and now he was barely alive. After taking him to the Animal Hospital the Vet there didn't tell us much, but took him to the back and when he came out he "THANK GOD" was up on his feet and licking my face like normal.

I don't know what they did but I am glad I took him to the Animal Hospital. I wouldn't recommend the Banfield Vet to anyone. When they (Banfield) called me back for that call "YOU KNOW THE ONE" with the fake voice and everything (HOW IS KATO DOING TODAY?) I told her not good I took him to the animal hospital last night because he never woke up. I got "Sorry about that" and no return call from the Vet or anything. They are horrible. I will never take my precious baby back there again. I was crying and felt like after 20 years of waiting because my other dog passed, of natural causes, I thought I made a mistake almost being heartbroken of another dogs loss. "I'm sorry", what kind of call is that and for a Vet not even to call back is absolutely having no remorse what so ever. Oh yeah, she "the Vet" seemed to be more concerned with getting my baby neutered instead of letting me know the facts about the ear cleaning. I am sick about the whole thing.