Banfield Pet Hospital Reviews

On 12/01/11, Kaiya was presented to Dr. Kimberly in the Charlotte, N, NC hospital for illness. Taylor's complaint was that Kaiya was lethargic, has a choking cough, not eating. The only abnormal findings were dehydration level of 5%, teeth discoloration and pale gums. Taylor was told that Kaiya has some form of tick disease. She never denied treatment.

On 12/08/12, Kaiya was brought back for a follow up exam - illness rechecked because Kaiya's condition has not gotten better. This was done by Dr. Gillian. The abnormal findings still include the aforementioned but now added inflammation of the tonsils, a weak pulse, a distended abdomen, enlarged liver, gas-filled loops in the intestines, not palpable uterus and bladder, enlarged spleen, an abdominal mass and extremely concerning labs. All this happening in one week's time. Taylor is told Kaiya has an intestinal blockage and needs an immediate operation to remove the blockage. Care Credit was obtained and surgery was performed only to find cancer causing Kaiya to be euthanized. It's obvious to us now that some of the notes describing the interaction between Banfield's staff and Taylor does not accurately depict what actually transpired. The possibility of cancer was never explained and a biopsy on the mass was never done. The reason why Kaiya's records were obtained and are now being questioned is because of our next experience with Banfield with Knox as the patient.

On 07/02/12, Knox was presented to Dr. Rebecca at Charlotte, N, NC for vomiting and diarrhea. The only abnormal findings were brown exudates in both ears and tartar on teeth. The labs showed a positive finding for ehrlichia. Vaccines were given and meds were prescribed for GI upset and ehrlichia. On 07/03/12, Taylor came home to Pittsboro from UNC Charlotte for the holiday. Knox was again vomiting and still had diarrhea. Knox was presented to Dr. Corinne at the Banfield in Apex, NC. Knox has gotten worse. A radiography was performed showing a gas pattern. A foreign body was suspected but not actually seen. Knox was sent to Cary emergency for surgery. No surgery was ever performed at Cary emergency because they had found negative results on an ultrasound and he had not vomited. Knox was there for two days at a cost of $800.00.

On 07/05/12, Knox was brought back to Apex, seen by Dr. Corrine and Dr. Katherine who now decided to do exploratory surgery on Knox. Why? No foreign body was found. This surgery should never had been done. On 07/07/12, I finally picked up Knox after denying their request to keep him another day. I was given a big syringe to give Knox BeptoBismol and a food slurry that I had to prepare. I was told that he was still vomiting and could not walk well. Knox was carried to the car by Banfield staff.

As soon as we got home, Knox exited the car on his own and urinated. Prior to his arrival home, my wife and I prepared white rice and boiled chicken breasts, which were minced up and mixed with the rice. Knox ate a cup of this immediately and drank water. He continued to eat this twice a day, not once vomiting or having diarrhea. I never gave him beptobismol or the food slurry. Once a day for three days, I did give him the Omni. He improved drastically in two days, being able to play with our dog at this time. Every day he improved and was looking like he was putting weight back on. His stitches were removed on 07/14/12 at the Apex Banfield. He was being slowly introduced back to his regular food by this time.

Hopefully after your review, you'll see that something went terribly awry here twice and you will make the proper adjustments so this matter can end and avoid any further need for us to pursue this with the NC Veterinary State Board, the media and an attorney. Thanks in advance.

I filed a complaint, asking them to waive the fee for restitching and talked to the clinic manager, who refused to help me out in any way. She stated that will not give me a freebie since I didn't put an e-collar on him. If I refused to pay, she would call a collection agency. In summary, Banfield performed an unnecessary, unauthorized surgery and charged me for further complications. The staff was rude and incompetent. I cancelled my plan immediately. No help from their customer service either. They just file a report and send it to the clinic itself.

So I kept asking questions, like what are his chances and since he was just adopted, shouldn't this be the responsibility of the SPCA, and I need to make some phone calls to figure out my options. They kept pressuring me (since they were closing and the clock was ticking for them) to take him to the veterinary hospital in the next town for $1,000 a night and who knows how long it will take. No one knows how long or even if he will recover, it could take weeks at $1,000 per night. And surely they get a kick back because they were very concerned about his "transfer paperwork".

In the meantime, my husband reached the SPCA, who arranged for a veterinarian that night and took full responsibility of his care since he had the disease when they adopted him to me. Long story short, Banfield was only in this for themselves and discouraged me over and over not to pursue the SPCA. I only lost the hundreds they charged me for nothing and not the several thousand they were suggesting for his care. I am beyond disgusted. I will never return and tell everyone I know the same. Find a private vet, who has done this for a while and has a great track record. I know I will.

When my wife called at 9:00 AM, they told my wife that our 5.5-year old puppy had just died. It appears that they did not check on him until my wife called. They told her they thought he was just sleeping. I know exactly what happened - they did not check on him. They threw him in a cage where the other dogs were, barking their heads off. He got excited being around other dogs and barked with them, until he barked himself to death due to lack of oxygen. He should have been isolated to keep him calm due to breathing issues. My wife also had been paying for a monthly health wellness plan which was of no help. Then, Banfield presented us with a bill for $125.00 to cremate him and send his ashes to our home. Two weeks later, no ashes have been received!

My mother thinking this was her only option hung up the phone in tears and disbelief at the cost. Luckily, I immediately was informed and had to call Banfield and put up a huge fight just so they would not pull his teeth. Is this how Banfield works? They must make commission. This is a complete disgrace - taking advantage of elderly and impressionable people while providing ** service. Also, the doctor refused to speak with me, and when I picked up Sonny, I had to deal with a ton of attitude and disdain. Needless to say, my mother or I will never use Banfield again. On a side note, when my puppy was neutered and microchipped, my doctor pulled baby teeth complimentary and said it was no big deal.

On top of that, they wanted to charge us $20 for Benadryl, when they admitted that I could give him children's chewable Reditabs. They charged us $10 for poop disposal, $3.95 for needle disposal. They were going to charge $26 for checking the stool for worms only to turn around and treat him anyway because they said they get a lot of false negatives. I said not to test the stool, just treat. They tried to sell the insurance by saying that he would need to be seen every three weeks for the first year of his life!

I have never heard of such a thing! When the first told me what his initial visit would cost, it was over $200. After I argued the necessity of what they were saying, my final bill was $64.00, because I had the coupon. I will never go back there. To the unsuspecting pet owner, you will most certainly be ripped off. They are out to make money, not care for your pet. Your local Animal Rescue League has a clinic and has fair pricing and the money goes to a good cause.

These people obviously have no idea how to handle and escalate issues properly to make the customer feel that they are being heard and that the issue would be addressed to all of the staff so that this doesn't happen again. Then you're given the reasons why there was a delay and why the customer was never given the option to come and get their pet and reschedule the visit. You never take control away from a customer especially when it comes to their pets. We feel that our pets are family members, we respect them and consider their happiness. I wouldn't ever let my dog sit in a kennel for an entire day like this! I'm disgusted by Banfield's behavior towards us. It is unethical and careless.

After dealing with their in-house collections (who was very nice by the way), I started receiving between 10-18 calls a day from their outside collections company (which I had been told had not been contacted yet). When I spoke the the collections agency (IC Systems), they spoke with me like I was an idiot. I told them I do not appreciate being harassed at work, literally, and that I had already taken care of this with Banfield. She said the state of Texas allows 20 calls a day under state law and that it is not harassment and until she heard from Banfield, they would continue to call me. I then called Banfield and asked them to let them know. He told me that he would send it to them, no apology or anything. Needless to say, I called the same day and canceled my plans. There is no reason for that if I have taken care of it, yet they had no remorse or customer service to apologize.

When I asked Jennifer to give him fluids to hydrate him, she told me it was not necessary. I begged to give him the fluids that he needed and she informed me that the clinic was going to close in two hours and they wouldn't provide him with them. When I asked how he was doing, she told me he was not doing any better and that he was ready to be picked up due to their closing time and told me to take him somewhere else if I wanted any more health attention for him. Once again, I begged her for his fluids due to his dehydration. She called me back 30 min. later telling me she had given him a shot of electrolytes of which she has quickly informed me about the price of it.

I asked her what the total price of my bill would be since I was on my way to pick him up. She told me it was $347. When I got to the clinic, I was informed that my bill was $499 even though the shot they had just given him was $40. I wrote a check and waited an hour for my dog. After an hour went by, they told me they would not give me the medicine because my dog bit Jennifer in the process of the shot. When I asked Jennifer to show me the bite, she refused to show me the bite and argued that she was bleeding and was going to the hospital instead.

Afterwards the manager of the clinic refused to give me the medicine and warned me that Animal Control with the police was coming by. My dog had been in this clinic since 10 am without any treatment. If it weren't for me, he would not even get any fluids at all, not to mention they didn't give him any water to which they admitted too. I told them that my dog needed to go home and get rested but they still wanted to threaten me. I gave them my vet's number, my address and my phone number and told them if anyone wanted to contact me about my dog, they were more than welcome to.

When I called the clinic back and checked on Jennifer, she was very rude and hung up on me. I didn't even have the heart to tell about her rudeness or how I was spoken to from her. I couldn't even believe people such as this person were working at an animal shelter. I came for help to this clinic, trusted these people who "help the animal when the health is needed." Instead, they didn't do anything to help him until I begged them to at least give him fluids. Now, I am at home with a "still sick dog." I paid $500 instead of $347 plus $40 and at the end, I left with nothing but a heartache. I really hope people will research their vets before they put their beloved pets into hands of these people.

Not only did I end up paying around another $1,000 for a dead dog, I also had the added joy of a monthly reminder of having him put down. Supposedly, the cost was offset by the reduced cost of the tests they performed. I don't know - I never bothered to do the math. A year later, I have a new puppy. He goes to the Humane Society now. They are awesome and very reasonably priced. They even trim his nails for free (Banfield charged me $12 every time). Please, do your pet and yourself a favor. Go to the Humane Society. They need the money much more than a corporate entity does. And if yours is like mine, you will find the people there are true animal lovers and do what they do out of love, not corporate greed.

We left and he took the meds for 10 days and showed improvement. They scheduled a second appointment to recheck him in a week. When I showed up for that appointment, the tech was terrible; and in the process of doing a fecal exam, she hurt my baby in such a way that he screamed a meow. I instructed her to stop, as he never even meows out loud, louder than a whisper. She then promptly returned and shoved some flea meds in his mouth before I could ask what she was giving him, the possible side effects, and why was she giving him this. The vet then came in and said they were going to draw blood and said it would cost $40.00. I asked why I had been talked into their "plan" on my first visit while in a hysterical mode. And they said that the "plan" did not cover blood tests even though the brochure said it did. I told her my social security would not come until next week. And she said, "Get your finances together before you return." That was very upsetting but I left. When next week came, I was called to be reminded of my appt. by the receptionist who also said, "Make sure you have the money to pay for this test."

An hour later, they called and said they needed to cancel the appt. and make it another day because of surgery on a pet and their appointment system (which had been changed a few days prior) did not catch this. I explained I was a little annoyed but would call them when I was home and reschedule. When I got home and before I had a chance to call, they called me again and said the vet was postponing the surgery to see me so I would not be inconvenienced. I was shocked that a vet would cancel surgery on a pet for a return routine exam. I said at that point, I would decide what I was going to do. I started to have this feeling of am I doing the right thing to take my cat back to this vet. It sounded like it was all about the money.

I called Banfield corporate to report what I felt was bad business practices and complaining about this plan they sell. I also spoke with the division that sold this plan and asked about the diagnostic blood work. They tried to tell me it was only once, period. Nothing in the brochure and contract state that. And the items that are listed that are limited all specify time limits. They said they did a poor job in defining but would do nothing about it. I later found out that they issued a new contract going forward less than 2 days after my call. I also cancelled my plan and said I was not worried about the collection threat. They deducted the next payment after I cancelled it.

I went to my bank to put a stop payment on my account and my banker said he had the same experience with Banfield and cancelled his policy as well. He said my only option is to close my account and open a new one to stop them from putting through the automatic payments. He had to do the same thing. I urge everyone who filed a complaint on this venue and any future complaints to do the following: (1) Send all of your complaints and documents to your State Attorney General; (2) Report them to the Better Business Bureau and to your State's Vet Board. We must work together to save our pets; save future pet owners from what we have endured. I am not sure if my baby is going to be ok. I believe she did damage something internally when she was doing the fecal exam as he is now showing other symptoms.

The next morning she was worse and was having small seizures. I called Banfield and they said to bring her in. I went in and I told Dr. ** that I thought she was having seizures and she said she would have to do x-rays and bloodwork and other tests. I asked her if there was anywhere I could take her where it would not be so expensive as I couldn't afford all of those tests, and she said no and didn't take her out of the crate or look at her and charged me $46 and the day before I paid $203.86. My neighbor told me to take her to her vet and I did. First, I went to pick up the urine test result (Banfield said she had blood and crystals in her urine) and the new vet said she would not have diagnosed UTI nor have given pain medicine when she was not in pain at the time, and especially not buprenorphine. She was dehydrated and having seizures. Her urinalysis results from Banfield were negative and within normal range (they lied to me). She got worse and by August 18 her seizures were one after another. It was horrible.

I had to bring her to an emergency specialist in the middle of the night where they had to euthanize her. It cost me $428. All in all, the total is $800. I am heartbroken. Last week she was perfectly fine. I am so sorry I brought her to Banfield trying to save some money because I was out of work (I had a coupon for $40). I trusted them and they only wanted to get money. I also found out the shot and daily dose of Convenia are very different in price. They lied about that also. Now, they continue misleading people when they are at a very vulnerable time. I miss her and will send this to whoever I think can change such things from happening. She was a beautiful 6-year-old cat and I loved her and she is gone for quotas or greediness. I would like a response.

I asked to speak to someone in a managerial position in the corporate office. I was sent to 3 different departments that could not help me. The receptionist hung up on me after the 3rd attempt! I used the name registry to finally get to a CEO. While on hold, Banfield's marketing stated every 6 months, vet visit is required to maintain pets' health. What a scam! My dog has gland issues so I must frequent my vet, but other than that, a once a year visit is all that is recommended. Anyone who takes their pets to this establishment deserves what they encounter! This company cares nothing about you, your pets or your safety. It is all about the almighty dollar! I have weaned my dog off the wet food because I refuse to enter PetSmart for any reason including toys for my dog! Beware of the company.

When I called back 10 minutes later to cancel my membership, it was a different girl on the phone and I was told that they could not do it in the store and I had to call their 1-888 number. So long story short, it was too inconvenient for them to provide my dog with a service that I was paying for which led me to cancel my service. And I had to pay for that too! They charged me $320.01 for fees of services rendered to my dog during that plan year (which was his initial examination) that would have been covered while he was on their plan. But since I was prematurely cancelling my 12-month contract, I had to pay for those services my dog received minus the $49.95 of my first monthly payment. So all in all, they didn't want to do their job and I had to pay them $270.06 to get rid of them.

I know that Banfield is a nationwide company and just because one location is messed up doesn't mean they all are but that is a little unfair. I just want to share my experience to help other potential customers make an educated decision. Do yourself a favor and go to Google and look up "pet insurance reviews". You can find adequate and fair priced plans to cover your pet and if you still end up going with Banfield, then I hope your location is awesome because I know that the one on Temecula Parkway in Temecula, California isn't.

Two days later, after doing some research, I figured out that the kitten had ear mites. I called Banfield to ask why nobody had looked in her ears and they said (and I quote), "We do not typically look in an animal's ears unless they are having problems." I wanted to bring her back in, but they were going to charge me for another office visit, so I took her to another vet. As soon as the receptionist at my new vet's office saw the kitten, I was informed that she had a severe case of ringworm (thus, the bald patches of skin). They couldn't believe that Banfield hadn't diagnosed it 6 days ago because it was so severe. She also had ear mites!

Now, I have ringworm, my husband has ringworm, our other cat has ringworm (from us!) and my friend's son has ringworm. It's a nightmare! Banfield refuses to admit their mistake. Stay away from Banfield in Paramus, NJ.

I called again on 7/27/12 to transfer my new puppy on the plan and was told this only applied if my previous dog had died. I requested to speak with a manager and was disconnected four times. Finally I spoke to Andrew who told me there were no managers to deal with complaints regarding contracts, and they were the corporate/district office not being under any other guidance. My issues are that my dog was stolen and my family, including my young children, is still grieving the lost under 4 weeks ago at this time. This is an awful experience and feeling to not know where your pet is, and Banfield Wellness, that claim they are for pets, had no sympathy or empathy for my position. I have researched and found that their prices are higher than the cost of other vets; dogs do not need to come every 3-6 months for checkup/shots like they recommend. They don't cover the animal if they are sick so you will pay out of pocket with the addition of paying your monthly charge. The plan doesn't cover wellness meds such as heart worm, flea and tick ointments; doesn't cover meds – only gives a discount rate of like $1-$2.

Also, the plan doesn't cover additional recommended exams outside of plan – worm/fecal tests. The plan also increased by $1 in one year from $24.95 to $25.95 per month. I believe if your dog is stolen or lost and you purchase another dog within a certain time frame, you should be able to transfer plan/discount – something to assist you with these issues. I have been told that, “Oh well, there are no exceptions to the rules and you have to pay for a dog you don't have, plus pay another membership and fee for a new dog.” There are contracts and rules, but when a company will not bend or make any exceptions to satisfy their customers… This is a business I will never patronize again and will not recommend to anyone else. And maybe they feel like this is just one customer so they don’t care, but word of mouth is bigger than businesses know.

So on Thursday, I had a new bill for $315.00 in regular fees for blood work, office visits and meds and I was still no closer to knowing what was wrong with my dog! I was told to bring her back for more of the same on Friday. However, my gut instinct told me to start over with a new vet, even though I had the Wellness plan that my wife entered us into for 1-year worth of premium that offers discounts at Banfield. Once I told the new vet at Aloma Jancy what I had been through and the amount of time that had passed where my dog was vomiting, he cleared the schedule and did an emergency exploratory surgery, where he found a complete blockage due to a perforated intestine and lesions growing inside the intestine.

Lucy died the next day. She was too weak and had too many days of toxic bacteria exiting her intestines into her cavity. The vet at Aloma Jancy asked why didn't Banfield order Barium, it would have shown the blockage on the x-ray. I feel the reason they didn't order Barium is due to profits. If Banfield ordered Barium and an x-ray on Monday, they can't bill me out for multiple days' worth of x-rays, blood work, hospital stays and other fees/meds for more visits. In order to maximize their profits from my case, they need to keep ordering in-house x-rays and blood work and drag the case out as long as possible, then finish the case with Barium or a Sonogram and an exploratory.

If they ordered the Barium or a sonogram or an endoscopy on Monday, the blockage would have shown up and the only thing left to bill for would be an exploratory. I feel Banfield's corporate attitude is to make as much as possible from each case and to do that isn't in the pet's best interest. When I asked Banfield Oviedo why they didn't order Barium, they had no answer. Both Aloma Jancy Animal Hospital and Shaffer Animal hospital said that Barium is always done on the 1st day when a case like mine comes in. I have read of Banfield's online reviews and I'm not alone in my feelings of their care.

So now, Banfield Hospital will not admit or say they could have made that mistake on her. Now I have $2,000 of bills that I have to pay for and now she will never be able to get vaccinated again. I only know that she went in healthy and came out very sick and could have died. I really don’t know what to do. I hope somebody out there can help me get this situation straightened out and I can get compensation on this matter somehow. I have all the bills and pictures and documentation. Thank you.

I was concerned about this blood work since my dog was diagnosed with cancer. If we could have prevented this from happening, maybe this blood work was a good sign she's guilty. After two meetings with the top manager, I'm no longer allowed in that Banfield anymore. I cannot step a foot in that hospital. How cruel! She told the manager that she feels that I don't trust her well after seeing a blood work where something looks wrong. Right after my dog was diagnosed with cancer, how can you trust her? She just clams up and freezes when she hears my name! This is a free country. I'm allowed anywhere I want to go, but this hospital has banned me from going there. I cannot even get a refill for my dog's medication! How cruel can you be!

This hospital is so close for me and was convenient. Now I have to drive a half hour to a different Banfield hospital. That is fine with me, they treat me better there and with respect! I would never in my life tell any of my friends or family to go to that specific Banfield. I will make sure that they don't. Very poor service and very cruel to me and my dog, and very uncooperative! I'm very upset with this hospital and believe me I will never step a foot in it again!

By doing this, she stated she will have her manager call me. I asked to speak with Dr. **. At this time, Shirley stated she was the only one there. She was very rude and didn't want to listen. I finally managed to tell her, as she continued to rush me off the phone, that they gave a prescription the last time I ordered it and my pet took his last heartworm meds on June 18. I left a private vet for Banfield with the idea that it has better environment for animals. This is very disappointing and I won't stop at this complaint if I can't get this situation rectified. There is no need for the poor customer service and lack of doctors who aren't available to help understand the issues.

I knew this was crap and questioned them. I then gave them a call when I left and looked in my dog's ear that does not have an ear infection. I asked if I could come back in and return the medicine because it was not needed. They stated I would need to speak to a manager. I have now called six times and left messages with no response.

The long and short of it is we went to a real vet and my dog loved them and will take any amount of poking and probing without even raising a lip. They at least act like they care. Banfield never even made the effort to act like they care or even follow up on his condition. I will be happy to join any class action suit against this company. The Banfield I dealt with was in Norwalk, CT.

I called in a few days later and the nurse said the lab test came back negative. A few days later, the doctor called me to tell me the test came back positive. Now, mind you, this extra service is not covered under the wellness plan. Well the doctor said that I had to pay $1k for the treatment. I told him there was no way. Then, he told me to come in to the office to discuss other options and told me that the alternative is $200. I then told him no, that I could not afford that. Then he pulled out a pamphlet; they did not say anything else about it. I did not feel comfortable about it either. I was watching the news and saw that they were doing a report for Animal Welfare. I was like, “Well, what can it hurt to get another opinion.”

Well, the doctor ran the test and it came back negative. And all I had to pay for the visit was $24, and $30 for the test. The way it makes it look, is that Banfield is out to get your money - no concern for the pet. The heartworm treatment is like putting arsenic in your dog, not once but twice. Why make him or her to go through that is horrible treatment. It is cheaper for me to go to a private vet than Banfield and the wellness plan.

After much addition questioning, I found out that additional unauthorized vaccines were administered, i.e. leptospirosis! I did not and would not have authorized this! Read up on this vaccine and its use. As you read, and read the high risk, please remember that I have a 10 lb. white regularly groomed shih tzu! She doesn't run in the woods or swim in the local creek! She's in the house 90% of the time! I finally was allowed to take Lucy home at 6:30pm. Before I got her in my car, she started vomiting. She continued to do so, on me in the car and again once I got her in the house. Her inflammation around her eyes was also returning. I called the vet back. They had me bring her back in for more steroid injections. We went in for a wellness check that was supposed to be covered by the insurance plan. They gave her an unauthorized injection, and then charged me $240 for their error! You have to pay or you don't get your pup!

By 1:30 am Sunday morning, we were in the Emergency Vet office. In addition to severe lethargy, Lucy was now pooping blood all over the house. The vet provided Lucy subQ fluids, antibiotics to assist with gastro issue caused by the trauma to her little system. He really hoped this would end the saga. Sunday, little Lucy continued to be lethargic. She refused all attempts to provide food and water. My Lucy is now admitted at the ER Animal Hospital. The outcome of this veterinarian’s maverick decision to provide my pet an unauthorized and unwanted vaccine is yet to be seen. This is such a horrible situation. There is no price tag for Lucy, but we're up to almost $1,000 at this point. Exercise caution people! Never ever leave your pet. Banfield requires it for the annual visit! This vet needs to lose her license! If anyone can help me make that happen, let me know!

Obviously, I was willing to pay. I just could not afford it all at once. You would think they referred me to an emergency vet that actually had worse service than Banfield and also did not take payments. I spent the day trying to find someone to see my dog. Finally, I found a local vet to see her. She ended up having major abdominal surgery that night. She had an "endoceception" and had to have her cecum removed. They told me had I waited, it would have been very bad and her bowel may have exploded, she probably would have died. I cannot believe that a national chain cannot make arrangements with its customers for an emergency. However, I am glad I went elsewhere as they would have probably killed her.

When I went to the clinic to get her records to take somewhere else, I was upset and crying and the recommendation to me was: “Whatever is wrong could be very expensive, putting her down may be your best option." Really!? I am sure I would not "put down" my kid if he was going to be expensive. Banfield is out for one thing - money. They do not care for your animals and most of the vets are incompetent. After reading all the complaints I have found, I cannot believe this place has been around this long. We really need to band together to do something about this place. I have made several attempts to get an email or address to write a formal complaint but have been unsuccessful. I can only hope people are reading all my posts and think twice about using this place.

So, I called my husband to tell him what they did and he was pissed! So then today, I called to cancel the Wellness Plan after talking to my husband and we both agree that we could find a better vet for our dog. So I was told to call the call center to cancel it. (By the way, I work in a call center myself and I know how things are supposed to work and let's just say they pissed me off even more once I got treated the way I did.) I called the call center and I asked to cancel the plan and they asked me why (which should be none of their business). I told them that we no longer need service from them.

The agent on the line told me he would not allow that because I had $140 due and they would not cancel till that was paid. But when I talked to the nurse at the vet, she said my dog was getting $80 (which I paid that day) worth of care and I wouldn't owe anything until his next appointment. I informed the agent on the phone of this and he was very rude with me, placed me on hold, pick up and automatically hung up! I know that my puppy got ** for care, not $200 worth of care! I will never take my dog to that place again! And after reading the issues that other people have had with this place they call a "vet office," I feel horrible for them. This place really needs to be put under because they don't do ** for our animals!

When we are put in a room, I can tell the table was not clean - hair and slobber from another dog are all over the exam table. My puppy was spayed on 5/9/12. I never received a call to come pick her up as they told me they would. I called and was told, "oh yeah, come in and pick her up now". I got there and again, the wait to just check in was 30 minutes. It's like a zoo! People all over, phones ringing and one receptionist! Everyone was complaining and very upset. Finally, I got checked in, paid my 2 months. They said I owed plus the bill of the spay and then told to wait, that someone will be right with me. I waited an hour and a half for my puppy. No one even acknowledged I was there. I finally had to grab a vet who was assisting another irate customer to please get my puppy from the back or please let me know what was going on!

This is unacceptable and so unprofessional. A nurse finally brought the puppy out to me. She seemed angry. She blurted out instructions to me on how to care for Fiona and off she went to the back. That evening, my puppy had a horrible night. She was whining and the incision was oozing more than usual. The incision area was a very deep red and swollen. I tried calling Banfield at 9AM as it says they open at that time and got the recording. I tried again at 9:05, 9:10 and 9:15, still got the recording. I decided enough is enough and took my dog to another vet. I want to get out of this Wellness Plan as of today! I learned my lesson with Banfield and my puppy's life is not worth jeopardizing with incompetent personnel.

The second time I called their customer service, they told me I should have been refunded but that they would no longer honor it. Then I requested to cancel the plan, so they transferred me to that department and then told me they would not cancel my plan. They just lost a customer, who in their own words, never had a problem with billing or service in the past; and they would gladly refund me the overcharge that wasn't their money in the first place.

When we arrived in the office 25 minutes later, Dr. ** came in the waiting room and told us Rudy collapsed. She had him on oxygen and he died. I am so upset. I can’t believe he could die that quick. The doctor said she thinks he died from rat poison. I don’t believe this. My cat was a house cat. He only went outside with me. I always watch him closely. I believe they tried to get the urine so many times that they kept poking him so many times and they caused this. I am not a vet, but I know my cat. I treated him like a king. If there was a rat, I would have known there was one and I have another cat. Don’t you think something would be wrong with him? I just want someone to know what happened. If you love your pets, don’t leave them with Banfield vets. I love Rudy and will always love him. I feel so horrible that I left him there. I feel so lost.

The doctor originally prescribed an ear ointment for $59.95 and I asked her for a more affordable medicine with the same result and she did that. Dr. ** is a good vet doctor. Since Vacaville is 64 miles round trip, I decided to have the follow-up at the Concord, CA location on 4/28/2012. I have difficulty applying the ointment, so I asked the doctor if I can have a medicine to calm him down and I was advised to give him Dramamine. Unfortunately, it doesn't work. The doctor personally discussed with me the result of the exam and scheduled me for a follow-up after a week.

Since I am closer at the Banfield Pet Hospital in Concord, CA, I decided to have the follow-up for my dog. After the follow-up, the doctor did not discuss with me personally the result of the follow-up and give me medicine for ear cleaning, which cost of $24.95. I told them that I have ear cleaning solution that I can use instead. The technician asked me to wait for the doctor and after 20 minutes of waiting, I just decided to go ahead and buy the solution from them. I find that the doctor’s action was very unprofessional since she let me wait for her to explain to me why I should buy this expensive ear cleaning solution and the worst thing was that she let the technician discuss with me my concern.

I also asked to give me medication to keep my dog calm before I flush his ear and the technician talked again with the attending doctor and prescribed tramadol (50 mg) that cost $0.89 per tablet. This medicine costs $0.20 at PetCareRx; the hospital overcharged me by $0.69 per tablet and that is not a good medical practice. The bottom line: I will not go at this location until this organization has disciplined their affiliates.

The final straw was in March 2012. My oldest dog, a Shepherd mix, had a lump. I asked for it to be looked at. They said they would biopsy it and the results would take 3-5 days. One week, two, three - every time I would call, they said, "Oh, we will call you when we know." Finally, almost a month later, I gave another call and demanded to know what was going on. I then posted complaints to the corporate office. Finally, one of the doctors called and went overboard with apology. Apparently, my tirades got some reaction at least. Luckily, my baby is okay, but I see other reviews where their dogs were not so lucky with the lack of response to a biopsy. I am done with Banfield.

Luckily, two of the plans I caught before their renewal and was able to cancel. Of course, with the other two plans, they want to charge me over $700 to cancel. Now, the rep on the phone (who was a total smug ** named Eric) urged me to go to another Banfield because I had over 600 worth of services I should use. What? You want to charge me $700 to cancel but I should go to another Banfield to use $600 worth of services? Why is this company allowed to conduct such shady practices? Class action lawsuit, anyone?

Since then, Lisy has backed out of her collar 3 times by using the leash that Banfield decided to use as a replacement. Today, Lisy wiggled out of her collar and ran into the road. Luckily, the truck that almost hit her was able to stop in time. If I would have taken my car to a garage and they gave it back to me with an undersized tire because through their neglect the original and right tire was damaged, I would either have them replace it correctly or have them in court. I think you get my drift now. No, I will not drive all the way from Piedmont to Spartanburg to pick up or purchase a new leash, the gas involved in such a trip would cost much more than the cost of the leash. Banfield needs to do what they believe is right and then I will do what I believe is right.

They charged me a kennel fee as well. Are you kidding me? I could have held the poor little thing out in the lobby to save money. I don't have money to waste like that. I want it spent on my dog, not having him sit in a kennel while they decided when they wanted to get around to it. Not to mention, the vet gave me a mini spiel on why my dog shouldn't be around my granddaughter. Ok, I know that. I wasn't there, and she's 2. She didn't set out to harm him. But let's take care of the issue, not lecture me on it. I am not a child. I am so going to get rid of this vet as soon as my wellness plan is done.

We had to call the Toll Free Number of Customer Service, speak to a CSR, Lindsey, who transferred the call to the this hospital where I was sitting in the reception area to be able to speak to someone who could help. Fortunately, someone responded. Dr. Hawk, who very at ease, explained they had a lot of work and would take care of Bailey next after having us wait since 11:00 a.m. this morning!

Imagine what a lack of sense of urgency! Dr. Hawk apparently has no idea of their inability to be efficient or effective. Banfield is liable for anything that happens to our dogs. This is animal cruelty allowing a sick dog who's gasping for air to be there without attention during so many hours - 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. This is 7 hours total. What are they thinking? How can they operate this way?

Agencies who regulate this hospital need to get involved immediately. These types of actions need to be addressed and corrected so that Banfield staff can take seriously their jobs!

At approximately 1 PM, I received a phone call from Dr. **. He told me that Neko would require 11 extractions and that the cost would be in the $1,000 range plus about $300-400 for medications. I did not authorize the procedure for several reasons. Neko is 13 years old, and I feared that losing 11 teeth would not only cause him severe pain but would also adversely affect his quality of life. Less than two hours later, I received a second phone call from Dr. ** who advised me that Charlie needed between 3 and 5 extractions. Again, I did not authorize the procedure. As a retired senior on a limited income, I can ill afford to spend close to $2000 on pet care, in addition to monthly wellness plan premiums of $62.90.

I picked the cats up from Banfield shortly after 4:30 PM. Both appeared a little drowsy. The necessity of the extractions was again emphasized by Dr. ** and a vet tech. I was not informed of any other potential health problems. I telephoned my previous veterinarian who retired several years ago and discussed the cats' dental health with him. He referred me to his family's veterinarian whom I consulted on November 26, 2011. I had downloaded the lab test results and treatment history of both cats from the Banfield website. After examining the cats and the lab results, he told me that he saw no reason or need for the extreme procedures recommended by Dr. **. I no longer have any confidence in the Banfield staff and will not return there for my cats care. I requested that the cats' Wellness Plans be terminated effective at the end of November 2011. I will share my experience with my friends and advise them to consider alternatives to Banfield.

I received no response until I found the CEO's e-mail address and contacted her. I provided Banfield with a detailed exam report from the second veterinarian. My credit card issuer agreed with me that I should not have to pay premiums after I terminated the plan. Now Banfield is hounding me with phone calls, demanding additional payments. I am fed up with Banfield, and I told them that I will not pay them one more cent. They called again today, and I made my position clear.

Recently, Banfield has started sending me threatening letters and calling my phone with a recording insisting that I call and speak to someone. After speaking to a representative, I discovered that the card I had given them to pay the monthly wellness plan fee had expired. I went to my bank and found out that is not the case; the card is fine until 2014.

I called back and told the representative that I did not really need the plan anymore and that I did not order the upgrade from the puppy plan anyway. She informed me that I still had to pay some past due amount. I told here that I would not pay because I did not need the plan nor did I order it. She informed me that all plans automatically upgrade. After some round and round about how/what her company is doing, if not illegal, is definitely unethical. I left it at don't call, don't mail, don't charge the card. I was then informed that I would be turned over to collections. No longer will I use Banfield or PetSmart and I will recommend others steer clear, as well.

I called Monday afternoon, spoke to someone and told them my dog never used the collar and I need to return it. The young lady spoke to the office manager and she said I cannot return because it left the office, which is bogus, so I said I’m on my way up there. When I got there 10min later, I was told the office manager went home. They cannot do anything, so I immediately got upset, especially when there is a $15 collar that PetSmart sells directly in front of Banfield office.

The on call doctor was very rude to me. She said my mom is a liar and she agreed to buy all the things, my mother has no reason to lie to me and I am upset because of the manner I was treated. I spent good money there for my dog’s wellness plan as well as meds for her, but this is by far very unprofessional on Banfield for taking advantage of an elder lady.

I filed a complaint with their corporate but apparently, their corporate office does not feel it’s important to return calls immediately, they said 3 - 5 days. I cannot believe this big organization can be allowed to do this to customers. I would greatly appreciate it if someone can help. I feel very disrespected. Most of the staff there are unprofessional, especially the doctor that called my mom a liar because she had me wait at a previous visit half hour or more for meds. I called in hours before while she chilled out and had a conversation with a friend about their weekend and I sat and listened.

We received a call in the evening stating Cameo would be going into surgery and we would receive a call when it is complete. The call came after 8pm that the procedure was complete and we can pick Cameo up. Upon arrival, the doctor seemed nervous and emotional. I became worried for Cameo, as we saw he had a tube hanging from him as Lexi was holding and comforting him. And the doctor took us to the computer to show us the x-rays pre- and post-surgery. However, she could not operate the computer. She stated that it was a new system and that she's not that familiar with it.

She went to get the CD containing the x-rays, so we can view them. It indicated the stones were still there as well as the catheter lodged in his penis. She was unable to remove it. She stated, "We discounted your bill by $600 and we can give you numbers of area surgeons to remove the catheter." I stated to her "You got it stuck in him and now want us to figure out how to get it out and at our expense? No way! Plus, we don't know what to tell the surgeon in terms they will understand."

I asked her if was she ok, because she was very emotional. We understood it was an accident, but we're not upset because it wasn't intentional. She told us to take him home for the night, drain his catheter every 6 hours, and bring him back in the morning. We had questions about his diet and what to look for during the night. But the doctor would not come out to speak to us. She only communicated through Lexi. I thought that was odd, and she also told us to give him his pain and antibiotics in the morning. As we left the building and Lexi locked the door, we looked back and the doctor then appeared out of the room. Again, odd, I thought.

It was a long night. I didn't know if he'd make it through the night. He was so restless and jumpy. The next morning, we arrived to Banfield as indicated before 9am. We were greeted by Lexi again; she was such a sweetheart. I told her of the billing error. They took off the cost of the surgery but left on all the materials and items pertaining to the surgery, totaling in excess of $300. This was not acceptable. She was expecting Cameo because she was aware of the instructions to bring him back and the doctor locating the surgeon to remove the catheter, plus she wanted to monitor him because he could keep the catheter in for more than 48 hours. I had an appointment and needed to leave. It was 8:55am, and the doctor was scheduled to be in by 9am. Lexi asked for the contact numbers for the doctor to call when she arrives.

The entire day passed, my husband stayed in the car asleep after working the midnight shift awaiting her call. No call. So after my appointment, we decided to just go back there. Lexi greeted us warmly again; 3 doctors and a receptionist kept going to the back room. They would come out and would not acknowledge us, except Lexi. We began to get worried. Lexi kept going to the back and would come back and assure us the doctor was coming right out.

After 45 minutes of waiting, I asked what the hold-up was about. Again, I worried something had occurred with Cameo. Then the phone rang, and Lexi indicated room 1 was open. The next thing we knew we were asked to wait for the doctor in room 1. Now, I'm really worried. So, we asked Lexi (She seemed to be the only person communicating with us.), "Is cameo ok?" "Oh, yes, the doctor just want to speak to you in private," Lexi indicated. It was obvious she was being asked to handle us, and it wasn't a comfortable situation for her.

Well, I'm pissed at this point. We've waited all day, and not a word. Here for 45 minutes, still nothing; and now, we're ushered into the room. For 30 minutes, nothing. We came out to see what the holdup was. Still nothing. Finally, the doctor came from the back room with another person. The doctor appeared very nervous, scared actually. And so did the person accompanying her.

My questions: What the heck is this? Have we indicated it was going to be a problem? What is the issue? What has been the hold up? Why is there a heavyweight required? We have been put off all day without a word of update. Now, we are here with no communication from you and then you come out with someone else.

"Oh, she is management, and with issues like this pertaining to billing matter, it's our policy to have someone from management here." I'm pissed because of the manner in which the situation has progressed and now, how we have been handled, stereotyped, and treated unfairly for no logical reason. It was her acknowledged mistake. Now, her options is for us to locate a surgeon, pay for the treatment, and oh, "Please keep us updated on the outcome." It's not going to happen! Finally, she acknowledged the situation was not handled correctly and that she's sorry. I informed her I felt this is a stereotype based on our ethnicity; it was uncalled for and I'm not happy, pissed actually.

The management had nothing to add, but we never have those conversations here. I felt so comforted, no! Then we were informed that the director had approved the doctor to take responsibility for all the corrective surgery at the approved hospital, including meds and stay 100% if we take responsibility of the original bill. It was not the option we wanted; we felt cornered. We felt we had no other recourse, if we wanted Cameo to live. So, this is the agreement we went with.

After speaking to the doctor at the Great Lakes, we determined Cameo still had stones, and the catheter is not functioning. He was bound up again and in much pain. He needed to be sedated. Three days later, Cameo is still in the hospital, the catheter had to be placed back in him, there are more meds, and he's not eating. We are still waiting. Great Lakes has been wonderful with providing information and updates on Cameo and his progress or lack thereof. Banfield is now initiating the update calls to check on Cameo. It's very Unlike our experience with Banfield on Saturday. Highly disappointed and dissatisfied with Banfield COMPLETELY!

These people was so worried for me advising me to go to the doctor to get it checked, cleaned it and wrapped it, but I didn’t do the doctor thing. I felt like it was just as much my fault for trying to help. They were so concerned they have called me 2 times asking if I was alright and made sure Ms. Kitty was doing good.

Then yesterday, I received a message from their insurance office asking if I was going to file a claim. For heaven sakes, no way would I do that! These people are so good. I appreciate everything they have done for Ms. Kitty and my grand dog that is a choc lab Dusty Mitchell and the new addition Maggie cat. Banfield is great! Thank you Dr. Jacob and your staff for your great service, smiles and understanding you are the best!

They revised the quote and told me I would have to bring him back the following day, because they were closing shortly and nobody had notified me to bring my dog with a full bladder. They also wouldn't accept the fresh urine sample I brought in with me. Mind you, we ended up having to take our dog to a new vet, where they gladly took a fresh urine sample that we brought and were able to easily diagnose the problem.

I was told that when we brought him back the next day, we would have to pay another office fee of $39.95. So, I asked the vet, "You mean to tell me you can't do anything for me today and I have to pay $39.95 and then I have to bring him back again in the morning and pay another $39.95 office visit, not including testing fees?" She confirmed that was correct. I was irate about paying two office visits for the same issue when I was leaving with no answer or any sort of solution for my dog.

I spoke to the office manager who finally said she would waive the fee for today, if I brought him back tomorrow. I told her I did not know if I would be able to return the next day and that I was utterly disgusted with the care (or lack thereof) that I had received that day. I did not return the next day, and I received a very rude call which said I had been sent to collections. No invoice, no bill; nobody tried to call me. And now, I am in collections for a crappy service and no diagnosis of my dog.

We ended up going to a new vet entirely, where my dog received the care I wish he would have received from Banfield. I am severing all ties with Banfield and would encourage you to do the same if you are looking at your pet's best interest. Banfield is out to make a buck and couldn't care less about their patients' well-being. This place is a scam.

I arrived with my baby and immediately, she barked "we're booked!". Wait, I booked 2 weeks ago and called because I thought I would get a reminder. I checked my spam, she interrupted "we're booked!". I explained that I had called twice and it was okay to bring my dog in for his vaccinations. She proceeded to tell me that, "Oh, too bad". In so many words, until I bit her **. Then she tossed me papers (no explanations) and then proceeded to take my dog back and then asked, "Did you weigh him?". No, the sign states "Staff weighs the animals". Disgusted, she sighed and weighed him. Rachet receptionist told me I have to talk to the vet. No problem. She said, "we'll have Rocky out in 1/2 hour if you don't mind". Sure! And thanks for fitting us in! ** lady came out and told me 4PM! She proceeded to tell me that he's whining and upsetting the other dogs. No **!

So at 5PM, three hours later, I got this ** crap that my dog has a severe ear infection and have pulled this huge chunk of ** out of both ears. I said, "If you did, it should be going in for testing if it's that bad. But I don't believe you. I take care of his ears". She then said, "$200 for the test". I said, "**. Show me what you found". Silence. Yeah, I thought so. Let me talk to the DVM. ** receptionist Erica (she's intolerable at this point!): "You can't. She's in surgery". I said, "well, she's behind you and she just came out with my dog!". No, she didn't! Quit arguing with me! ** receptionist Erica disappeared.

On top of this entire event, my dog was there for over three hours and he was not given any water, just for shots! I'll never take any pet there ever again! Hell, I wouldn't even take my worst enemy there! **, they'd probably tell me my bird is dead if it was missing ** feather! All in all, my 3-year old Retriever is home and I will never take any of my fur babies back to such a ** with that type of service! Ever! It cost me $150.00 for shots and ** customer service. I've informed my service dog owners too that utilize your services. No one, I mean no one, treats a family member or patient the way your employees do! Ever!

Snowflake always weighed close to 30 pounds and suddenly, his weight was dropping. He went to 25lbs, 22.9lbs and on Monday, 3/12/2012, he weighed 21.7lbs. He was dropping at least a pound a week. The vet said he was dangerously thin, no **! Nevertheless on 3/12/2012, after the results from his blood work, she said he was anemic and his liver was failing. She said it could be liver cancer or a tumor, not once did she reference the deadly medicine she prescribed for him on three separate occasions.

I had to have him euthanized on Friday, 3/16/2012, as he was quickly deteriorating. A friend of mine mentioned that a friend of hers posted on Facebook about her dog fighting for his life after being prescribed Rimadyl and I researched it and found out that it was also known as Carprofen. It kills me to know I administered the medicine that ultimately took his life, but I promised him I will fight this fight for him. This one is for Snowflake, RIP my best buddy ever! All I have now are memories, an empty collar and unattached leash and a dog bed filled with his toys!

I am a nurse and know diabetes. I made suggestions and got ignored. I knew something was not right and he was getting worse not better. I was in tears when I told my husband that they didn't think he needed to be there anymore. He stormed out of work and we went and got him and made the vet refer us the the specialist vet hospital. We got there and they told us he was in a diabetic crisis and wanted to do an ultrasound. I agreed. I trusted these people. They did a hip replacement on my dog and are amazing. The ultrasound and blood work showed renal failure, liver failure, dehydration and uncontrolled diabetes. I was devastated, sad and oh so angry. Misdiagnosis by the vet, days of bad treatment by Banfield, it might not have changed the outcome but I will never know.

The next morning, we were all there as my friend, my companion of 15 years was put to sleep. Two months later, I am still grieving and will never forgive them. I went to cancel my wellness plan and was told that because I have used more services than the plan cost, I get nothing. I had the plan less than one month. They caused my cat to be in agony and they do that. I hate them so much. My only saving grace was the nurses and desk staff. They saw what was happening and tried so hard to be diplomatic and nice, but I could see they did not agree with the doctor or what was happening and were very helpful when we went to collect my cat.

To our dismay, we received a voice mail while we were on vacation, stating we had missed our pet's appointment. I called and spoke to a Sophia who was quite rude to me. Upset by her attitude towards me, I asked for our medical records and indicated I was canceling my monthly contributions to the Wellness Plan. She responded (very gleefully) that she will give me the number 3 times. I took that as a threat that I would be wasting my time.

Banfield cannot hold us or anyone else to a plan if they are not performing their duties and treating their customers bad. Therefore, I would like my Wellness Plan canceled retroactive to February 26, 2012. Sophia indicated that she was fairly new to Banfield. She truly needs customer service training and the Veterinarians need a lesson in caring. By the way, part of my pet's service training, her grooming, and her daycare were at that Banfield that I can no longer trust. Please help retrieve my money and cancel the Wellness Plan.

Then, when my husband picked the kitty up tonight after the surgery, they snuck in another $47 charge on the bill. When I called back about it after he got home with the cat, they argued that we owed it. My husband and I are headed back in there tomorrow to get that money back. What a 3-ring circus this outfit is. Word to wise: stay away. I should never have gone back there for a second serving. See my post in summer or fall 2011 about the horrid treatment we received with another cat.

My dog was 4 at the time; of course, I would have the tumor removed. The new doctor researched my dog's records because she wanted to know everything about the dog before she treated him for his comprehensive exam and that is when she located this information in his files. Thank goodness she took her time. Dr. ** was above and beyond excellent, however, the previous vet has put a very sour taste in my mouth. I immediately took my dog to a new vet outside of Banfield, who advised that the tumor needed to be removed immediately.

I have filed complaints with Banfield and have not heard from anyone. I asked to cancel my account and was told that I could not cancel my account because it was a contract. You failed to tell me about a tumor that needed to be removed. I feel my account should be cancelled and I do not owe them a dime, in fact, I think they owe me for the surgery.

So they kept her and ran all these tests: distemper antibody, fecal sample, heartworm/lyme/ehrlichia, intestinal parasite and a CBC. So they said that the tests would not be back for a couple of days and that they would follow up with us when the results came back. So they gave her some medications for the pain and some vitamins that visit cost us $611.60. Well, three days later (February 13, 2012), we had to take Meechi back there because we noticed that she had some bad swelling on her lower extremities. So they kept her again and now they ran some x-rays, urine tests and more bloodwork and gave her an IV for fluids and told us that she was going to need surgery because her hip was dislocated and that we would need to speak with the orthopedic surgeon.

So again, they gave her more medications and told us that they would follow up again when everything came back in and that visit was $585.73. So days went by and we have heard nothing. No call about the tests and still haven't heard from the surgeon about how/when we can do this surgery for my dog. Well, my dog's health started to deteriorate and we were trying everything. Feeding her started to get difficult and giving her meds was getting hard because she would have to take them with food but she wouldn't eat. Well again, we had to take her back because she was not eating or drinking anything. So we were not able to give her meds. This was on February 21st and again, no one has informed us on anything from tests to surgery. I had to call and find out if everything was okay and their response was, "Her bloodwork came out good/fine," and when I asked about the certain test (distemper), they had nothing because they said they never ran it and didn't get it done. This was two and a half weeks ago. Why wasn't it done?

So I took her back to the vet and explained to them that she wasn't eating or taking her meds and that we needed to have an IV put in again so that she came get some fluids in her. So she stayed there and they said the doctor will call me. Well, about an hour later, the doctor called me and asked me why she was there again and I told them why. He started questioning me on everything about her but she has her file in the computer. There is no reason for all the questions but he was very rude and was not listening to my issue! So I had my spouse handle it from there because I had to go to work.

Well, after that visit, they gave her yet more medication and that visit was yet another $156.61 plus more medication at $59.25. Mind you, we still haven't heard anything about the main test result we wanted. Well, after that, it went downhill. My dog's condition was getting very severe by the minute and was starting to suffer. She had lost 20% of her body fat and was all skin and bones. All she did was sleep. She still was not taking any food or medications but we had to force feed it to her. So Saturday, February 25th, my dog was as sick as possible and was doing nothing but throwing up and throwing up mucus which is a sign of congestive heart failure.

So at 11 pm, my dog made a very loud yelp and I ran into my kitchen and saw her just laying there. I felt her chest and her heartbeat was very faint and she was not moving. And seconds later, her heart just stopped and she passed away! I am very upset and angry because my dog went in there three weeks ago and she was in good health. Her only problem was her legs/hip and 15 days later, she's gone! How can she be gone if they sat there and said all her bloodwork came out good and fine? Also my dog was one year old and was 9 lbs, and you pumped her with six different types of medication. It was too much for her little body and heart and her heart failed!

What makes me more angry is that I have yet heard anything from the vet about her test results from the surgeon and when that could have been done, she was supposed to have an appointment that Monday and they never called to confirm. Something needs to be done because in a three-week span, they took us out of $1413.19 and we don't have a dog anymore and with no answers! There has to be some kind of compensation. Each time that I had went into the vet I had to deal with three different doctors and explain everything form scratch three different times because there is no type of communication within the office. I felt like our dog's situation was not important enough for them to find a resolution. If it were their pet, I believe that they would have handled the situation much differently! I would like to hear from someone as soon as possible.

After having the puppy there 3 times and paying $248 plus the monthly payments, I had to get rid of the puppy. My kid and me both developed bad allergies. I found someone to take the puppy and she is in a good home. Then I called Banfield and they tell me that I owe them $400 for the rest of the plan. I argued with the woman and she said this isn't a insurance plan but a payment plan. She said they have already done over $800 work on the dog. They only gave her shots when I was there, 2 each time for a total of 6. I said what were they giving her, gold in the shots? This company is a total rip-off and total swindlers.

In my attempts to cancel the plans, I called and wrote several times. Each time I called, I spend a significant amount on time on hold (30-45 min each time) and then suddenly I would be disconnected. Twice Banfield actually called me to try to talk me out of cancelling my plan in response to a letter, and then both times when they transferred me to the cancellations center - yes I was disconnected again!

I finally reported my debit card as lost/stolen, which in turn generated a collection notice from Banfield, which included a direct number to their billing department. The billing associate was able to cancel the plan directly after I expressed my extreme displeasure with Banfield and she was able to confirm that I haven't used their services for 2.5 years now. Ironically, it took another collection notice sent one week later and another phone call to confirm that the plans were really and truly cancelled.

As a sub-note, I should have complained to Petsmart Management to see if there is any influence there but didn't. However, Petsmart has lost about 75% of my business (~2K/year) because of its association with Banfield.

The nurse swab my females left ear and showed me ear wax, then she did the right ear and the same ear wax. She then told me I should have them tested for infection for an additional charge of $45.94. I told her I yes. The doctor came in and told me that in the left ear had a yeast infection and a bacterial infection and told me that she needed medicine and an ear wash. I told her ok. They did an ear wash and gave me medicine to put in her ears when I got home, which I did.

About 25 minutes after applying the eardrops, she started acting strange, but she did eat her dinner. The next morning, I gave her drops again about 40 minutes later she falls over seizing. I picked her up and rushed her to the Bandfield Hospital. The nurse took her right in. After awhile, the doctor came out and talked with me. I told her that I knew it was the medicine. I asked them to please clean the medicine out of her ears, which they did. They also gave her some medicine to help with the seizures.

Later that afternoon, the doctor told me my options, I decided to take her home and keep a close eye on her to see if she was going to continue the seizures, which she did not. They also left the IV tubing in, in case I had to take her to the ER Hospital in Irvine if she had another seizure.

I called my regular vet in San Clemente and told him what had happened. He asked me what medicine it was. I told him and he said that it was more and likely the medicine. I asked him what should I do, he said that if she has another seizure tonight to take her to the ER Hospital in Irvine, if not to bring her in the morning so he could examine her.

Well, she did not have any more seizures so the next day I took her into the vet. Dr. ** examines her ears and said, “Your dog does not have any kind of ear infection. There is no redness, no swelling.” I then showed him the papers that Banfield had giving me saying she not only had one type of infection but two. Why would Dr. ** tell me that?

Here my little Chihuahua had to go through all of that for nothing. This has caused stress, not on just her, but my whole family. All the time, nothing was wrong, just some earwax. They charged me $657.42 on my Care Credit Card. I want every cent refunded back to my credit card immediately. I am not sure what I want to do about this, I am still in shock that a doctor would lie and put my little Chihuahua through all that just to make a buck.

In September, I took Fred for his second visit and spoke with vet Dr. **. Dr. ** confirmed the diagnosis of Cryptorchidism and stated that we should wait until December or January to see if the second testicle dropped before trying to perform the neuter surgery. Other than that, Fred was fine. I monitored my checking account and the wellness plan auto-drafted each month starting in August for $24.95 each month.

In January, I took Fred back to Banfield and scheduled the Neuter. Everything appeared to be fine with the scheduling and it was initially scheduled for February 11th at 7am. I had to reschedule it for February 19th at 7am. When I arrived on February 19th at 7am, I spoke with Jessica at the front desk. I noticed that they had Fred's name on the wall written in marker, which let me know they had planned on the surgery and looked at our account. I weighed Fred (58 pounds) and filled out the paperwork for the surgery.

On the back of the paperwork, I noticed that the employees were required to call before starting any procedure if the cost was going to be more than $100. After filling out my paperwork, Jessica informed me that it was going to cost money for Fred's E-Collar and pain meds, which I felt should have been covered since they fell within the peripherals of the procedure. I wasn't happy with this, but it was only $30, so I let it go for the time being. I dropped Fred off with the clerks and they said that they would call me when everything was done.

I received a call at 9:56 am and spoke with a technician named Janise. Janise informed me that, due to Fred's Cryptorchidism, the surgery was now going to cost me an additional $149 plus tax. I felt completely blind-sided by this. I was almost speechless, except for the phrase, "This is ridiculous!" I told Janise that I didn't agree with that, but I knew Fred needed the surgery because he was running out of time since he was 8 months old. I also knew that Cryptorchidism is known to increase risks for cancer, so I felt it absolutely necessary to finish the procedure for Fred's health and safety. At this point, I told Janise to proceed with the surgery, but to do nothing else extra. Janise then replied, saying, "So no pain pills or E-Collar?" I thought to myself, how in-humane can these people be? I told her to go ahead and give him the pain meds and the e-collar.

At 10:24am, I received a call from the vet, Dr. ** (surprise!), who told me that the surgery was completed and Fred was fine. Dr. ** said that I could come pick Fred up at 1:00pm. I arrived at 1:00 pm and asked for Fred. Dr. ** came out to talk to me and began to explain why there was an additional charge. I told her that I didn't agree with the additional charge. She explained that it was a reasonable amount considering what people normally pay for the procedure. I then explained that, when I purchased the wellness plan, I was told that the neuter would be covered even after the Cryptorchidism was diagnosed. Dr. ** told me that she was the vet who sold me the wellness plan and she knows that Cryptorchidism isn't covered by the plan. I then explained to her that she didn't tell me that. Dr. ** then said that she couldn't remember what she told me. She stated that she reviewed the notes in the system and it showed that Fred was diagnosed with Cryptorchidism in August and it was confirmed again in September. She then tried to make some stupid analogy to a vehicle maintenance plan. It made no sense and had no bearing on a pet and a health plan.

I asked Dr. **how long the procedure and prepping takes for the neuter. She started to say, "About 2," and stopped herself. She went on a tangent, talking about variables and possibilities. I had to ask her 4 times to tell me the times that Fred's procedure took. She finally went and got the sheet and showed it to me. It showed that Fred was put under anesthesia at 9:45am. This procedure began 11 minutes before I was called and told about the additional charge. This is a direct violation of the contract I signed.

Not only has Banfield violated the terms of a service agreement that they promised when they sold me the wellness plan by overcharging me for service that was already paid for, they also began a procedure and then called to notify/authorize an additional charge, which is another breach of contract. The people that represented Banfield today and since August of 2011 are deceptive and malicious. They are thieves and conduct business with corrupt ethics.

BBB notified as well as the FTC. I expect some contacts on this one.

I explained that I told her and showed her that he was not due until April. She stated that they recommend dogs get their vaccines every 6 months. I said, "Take all of that off there, I'm only getting the heartworm test". She left and I asked the vet: "That would have gotten my dog sick, wouldn't it?" She said she couldn't say? Anyway, Heartworm came back negative (he's up to date, so that's no surprise). They try to get me to order the pills through them (but it's way more than online). I refuse and leave. Foster takes his last pill on January 24, 2012. On February 10th, I try to order Foster's new set of pills. The order gets delayed. On February 16th, I find out that Banfield is delaying the order. First, it's because they can't find the paperwork.

I call on February 17th, and they are looking for my dog's information. They call me back and say that since Foster's last exam for Heartworm was on December 30th, I would need to bring him in again to have him tested (at my cost). I decline. I told them I'd be happy to bring him in for another exam, but I'm not paying for it. They refuse. I told them I wanted a refund for the first exam, and they refuse that as well. I now have to dispute the charge with my bank, and I'm taking my dog back to his regular vet even though it's further away.

I will never go to Banfield again. (Also, when they had my dog in the back I could hear him screaming in terror and when I got him back he was clearly shaken up. For a Heartworm exam? He's never been like that at any other vet). Do not go to Banfield. It's a total rip off and scam. I'm finding out more and more by looking up the abuse done to animals there and the complaints filed against them. I regret ever bringing my dog there.

They will reel you in with "wellness plans". If only the value was truly there! It seems like an excellent idea at first because, wow, all shots are covered, a dental cleaning, and unlimited office visits. You are spending $300-$500 a year on this just to feel that safety net that you have those services for free. When the time comes to count on them though, the additional charges will start appearing. "This" is not covered, "that" is not covered. We will give you a discount on the overpriced medicines. Need complicated procedures? You'll have to go to a specialist not associated with Banfield. So add on those costs on top of the wellness plan.

What is more entertaining is their antiquated system for keeping your pets records. God forbid that you take this pet from someone else that has them on their current wellness plan and you move. You will not be able to start them in your name unless you renew the plan and move them to your own record (if the previous owner has other pets they kept on the same account) unless you start completely fresh. Their system and their employees refuse to move over their records to your name. They will only put a note in the system. Many times, these notes are not even read by the employees taking care of your pet. So if there's an important medical note on the previous account where the old records lie and they didn't read it, your pet's health is at stake.

If you call corporate offices, they will tell you that they do not have supervisors or managers you can speak with. When asked who they report to, they will tell you they report to no one and call an automated system if they are running late or need any HR related assistance. So there's no accountability. There's no one you can speak to if the regular reps you speak to on the phone are not assisting you. There's no one to escalate a call to if the rep on the phone is mocking you, laughing at your requests, and being outright rude. We have experienced this type of behavior more than a handful of times. And if you show any kind of attitude, they will cancel your wellness plan without telling you just because they feel you gave them a hard time with a reasonable request for help/support.

On top of all of this, Banfield will over-vaccinate your pets. When they tell you your pet needs all the vaccinations, that is false. Read up on core vaccines and the dangers of all the "extra" vaccines that Banfield will push onto your pet.

If you are looking for a lasting, loving vet to create a connection and history with your pet, Banfield is not the way to go. They are a factory. They have no customer service. They treat you like utter ** and are the most unprofessional medical facility you will ever encounter. My stories are not the only horror stories out there. You can find plenty doing a google search. Don't be suckered in with their wellness plan. Find a vet that will truly care about you and your pet. Find a vet you can tell someone, "I've been with Dr. ** for the past 10 years, they are great". You won't find that at Banfield, I promise you.

We held her as they gave her the injection that ended her life and changed ours. We heard nothing from Banfield, even though they knew as they had her for non-renewal for the wellness plan, I called there advocate and was asked what they wanted me to do, compassion would be a good start. They are owned by Mars, the candy company for one, I will never knowingly purchase any mars product. They also have a facebook page where I was posting daily without profanity what had happened to our girl, well guess what, they blocked me from posting. It's my personally view that they are there not to treat our pets but to up-sell drugs as they sent us out of there with a cat wrapped in a blanket barely breathing with another $200 bill, $50.00 of that being pills which she didn't live to take. I will yell what happened to our baby from the tops of a mountain with hopes that it will prevent another family from going through the hell we have to endure, this is all for Gabby.

First time happened in July 2007 when I took my Himalayan kitten to Banfield-Northville, MI and she was given too many vaccinations for her age and weight. She was barely four months old. Because of that, I switched vets as I lived in MI then! When I moved to FL in 2008, I had to take my kitten to Banfield in Tradition, FL (as I have my health insurance discount there and is the closest hospital by my home). Initially, they have treated her properly from all aspects: professional, medical as well humanly caring. Since they were decent with their veterinary service, I was pleased with the fact that my kitten received proper care.

After that, I had to take her for a follow up on 01/11 and they decided to keep her at their hospital for the day as they thought her digestive system doesn't work properly. They did an enema and she was wet and had diarrhea all over when I picked her up later afternoon. Also, she did vomit and still had diarrhea all night and the following day. I was scared she might pass away and I felt horrible she felt so sick due to Banfield's improper medical care. It was not human that I took her there for a follow up and got her home very sick instead. If someone will do that to something they care about as much as I do about my baby, they will have been sad as well upset too!

Last year, 2011, I took my kitten for her dental cleaning at 8 am and they most likely gave her a much larger anesthesia dose because when I took her home at 5 pm, she was extremely dizzy and could not even walk to her little box or to drink water without falling down on the floor until next day. I was again afraid she might pass away, not to mention she collected fleas and due to her sensitive breed and skin, she developed Flea Allergic Dermatitis where patches of her hair fell off in various areas of her body. Because of that, I had to pay and took a long time to have this problem treated and had to go back for medical treatment and paid for it as well!

I have sent Banfield corporate an email message and explained what happened to some of my vet visits with my kitten and requested them to forward my complaint to the local Banfield Hospital in Florida so these problems will never occur again. They have responded to me and just said to call and let them know about my issues, like a phone call will solve the problems unless they have the info with my complaint on file. First of all, they have not considered her weight, her special breed and associated her with other stronger animals there, which are outdoors and are not as clean as my kitten got fleas from their facility!

This month, 2/12, I just took my kitten for an vet visit because she started to have brown discharge in one of her ears. They said it's just dirt and gave me a solution for earwax. I really hope it is only wax and not an ear infection or otitis. I also have her dental cleaning scheduled for 2/22 now. However, I'm really scared to leave my kitten to Banfield Hospital any day at their center and for her to receive anesthesia due to the three major incidents explained above, and I just do not want to go through another experience like that ever again. On the other side, I have my kitten's optimum health plan at Banfield and she eventually needs to have her teeth properly cleaned. I do not know what to do in terms of my kitten to receive proper, professional and human care. Please try to help and thanks so much in advance for your support!

We went to the other one on Military Hwy in Norfolk, VA and we asked can the doctor look at our dog. Well, the lady took down our concerns and went to tell the doctor, but told us the same the first Banfield did. We are overbooked even though there is a sign right there behind the desk that states severely sick or injured dogs are seen immediately. So we make an appointment on Monday, not knowing how sick our dog really was. When we got to the one in Virginia Beach the only doctor we meet that was concerned said we can not deal with this kind of emergency and that we need to take him immediately to the critical care unit in Chesapeake. They were able to keep him alive for two more days but he was so sick to save and he passed away. They dropped the ball on the care of my animal who was just like our kid to us.

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.

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 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 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!

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.

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.

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.

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'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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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 same—a 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.

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 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

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.

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!

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.

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!

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 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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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!

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.

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.

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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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.

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.