Banfield Pet Hospital Reviews

I received a phone call a few hours later and they said she was doing fine. They wanted to do some blood work and run some tests on her. They gave me an estimate of approximately $187.00. I asked about the lump. They said the doctor would discuss it with me when I picked her up. I called a couple hours later, getting concerned since they would be closing soon, and was told that her blood work indicated she was dehydrated and they needed to give her fluids. This increased my estimate to approximately $222.00.

When I picked her up, I was told by Mallory that the problem was that Chynna was constipated and backed up, that they had given her some laxatives. I was surprised and told her that I had never seen an issue with her using the litter box, she goes regularly. The nurse came out and told me that if Chynna wasn't feeling better the next day to bring her back in. Mallory told me I had to bring her back the next day, so I made an appointment. I asked the nurse again about the lump on her throat and she said the doctor would be out to speak to me about it.

When the doctor came out to speak with me, he asked me why she was so dehydrated. I told him I wasn't sure. I had brought her in because she hadn't eaten and had been vomiting. He was surprised by this and told me he didn't know she had been vomiting. I was surprised that he didn't know about the vomiting since I had written it on the form when I dropped her off and told Mallory when I came in. I asked him about the lump and he told me it was just a lymph node, not a cyst. Before I left he told me to bring her back in three days if she wasn't feeling better. I told him that the nurse and Mallory had told me one day and again he seemed confused. He told me to wait for a minute and he would check. He came back and told me not one day, but three days.

At this point I had received three different stories from three different people. I was given no medication to stimulate her appetite, no instructions on what to do if she still wasn't eating. If I had waited three days as the doctor suggested, she would have been on the brink of starvation. The only good thing Mallory did was to waive the office visit charge for me bringing my grand total down to $187.43. When Chynna still was not eating the next day, I decided I could not trust the Banfield Hospital to take care of her. The doctor seemed confused and they had done nothing to actually help her other than the fluids.

I took her to her regular primary vet and he immediately said that given her age, weight, heart rate and breathing along with the vomiting and lack of appetite that she probably had a thyroid condition. He also examined the lump on her throat and said that it was definitely not a lymph node. My vet requested copies of the bloodworm Banfield had done and found that they didn't even run a Thyroid test despite the fact that it was clearly indicated. I spent another $137.00 at that vet to learn that Chynna has a hyperactive thyroid. With proper care and medication, she is now gaining weight and eating on her own again.

I spoke with Carrie, the manager of the Banfield where I took Chynna. She sent Chynna's records over to her medical director and they don't feel that there was anything they did wrong, and that I was in the wrong for not bringing her back the next day (the records don't indicate what the doctor told me, they only indicate what the nurse told me). I have a very big problem with a decision on whether my cat received appropriate care being based solely on records that are incomplete and incorrect based on what actually transpired that day.

I am not asking that all of my money be refunded. But I do feel that $187.00 is exorbitant considering all they did was give her fluids and tell me to bring her back if she wasn't feeling better. I am hoping that someone there will please look into this situation. Maybe they had my cat confused with another one, I don't know. But they certainly did not help solve the overall problem.

Thankfully, my dog is healing slowly on his own. I will never take him back to Banfield. I called to cancel my Wellness Plan and was told that since I had procedures done (those vaccinations that would expire on 9/9/09) and physical exam, it would cost me $350 to cancel plan. The operator also informed me that Banfield renewed my plan 2 weeks before it expired. When I applied for this, they told me I could cancel at any time.

When I went to check out, I asked the price of this ointment, which was packaged as a prescription in a Blistex size tube. I was told $26, so I asked to see it. Turns out it was 15% mineral oil and 85% petrolatum, which you know as Vaseline. No inert ingredients, nothing. When I voiced my displeasure to the clerk, she replied, correctly so, that she doesn't set the prices. So I asked to see the vet again, the clerk checked, and I was told she was busy. So, of course, I tossed the box on the counter, told her that the price was "unethical," and checked out.

Watch out for these kinds of ripoffs. This tube was about .25 oz, making their price $104/oz. I figure that this is about a 10,000% profit margin.

Two days later, my dog had a large, purple, swollen lump so I returned to the Banfield. The doctor told me that it was abscessed and needed to be lanced, then proceeded to tell me that she had told the front desk girl to tell me this when they returned my dog to me at the original visit. Needless to say, no one told me anything and I believe that the vet was lying to cover a mistake and placing the blame on someone else. If the vet had seen a problem when she did the express, why didn't she talk to me then, address the problem and give a medical solution. I suspect that the vet was either to aggressive with the express, missed the problem completely or caused the problem herself.

At the second visit, I was told that the area would have to be lanced, putting my dog to sleep to do this. Dr. ** immediately offered to do this procedure at no charge which confirmed my suspicions of medical mistake. It was 9:30am and I had a business meeting an hour away so I left my dog. When I called at 4:30pm to check up on my dog, I was told he was just coming out of anesthesia which meant he sat in a cage for at least 6 hours in pain. When I picked him up, I was given 4 medications and was instructed to flush the wound and insert an ointment twice a day. This was so painful for my dog that he tried to bite me and I was forced to muzzle him to do this.

After several days, the wound was not closing and looked infected. I went to a new vet because I did not trust Dr. ** or Banfield with my dog. The new vet administered two antibiotic shots and instructed me to discontinue flushing the wound. I also showed the billing for the procedure to the new vet who stated that he could have done the same procedure for a little over $100 while Banfield would have charged $412. After the injections, my dog immediately began to look and act more like himself.

I called Banfield back requesting reimbursement for the new vet bill of $137. Dr. ** refused to reimburse me, would not get on the phone and showed no interest to follow up on a dog that she had done a surgical procedure on. I was instructed to call Banfield team services where a representative contacted Dr. ** directly. She told the liaison that I was welcome to sue her as she would not be doing anything more. I don't feel that I should be responsible for the new vet bills caused by Dr. **, and even worse to think that a vet would perform a surgical procedure and have no interest in following up on that animal is shameful and scary. It's been 19 days since the procedure and my dog’s incision is still not completely closed.

Number one, his surgery should have never been performed that late. Number two, the staff should have asked another staff member to carry my dog or asked my husband to come get him. Banfield also did not address two large masses in my dog's mouth while he was having his teeth cleaned. I had to take him to another vets two months later for another surgery. My dog is 13 years old and doesn't need to be put under anesthesia unnecessarily. I will never go to another Banfield clinic. They are a cookie cutter operation and only care about making money.

My point is that he should have just given her the $40 blood test if he suspected that she had lyme disease in the first place. So, I asked the doctor if I could pay for the antibiotics today and make a payment plan for the rest because I didn't expect to pay $300 for all this stuff. The doctor got real nasty and disrespectful with me and told me they don't do that and "Where have you heard you go take your animal where they take payment plans?" He refused to give me the medication unless I had all the money upfront.

After about half an hour, we finally saw the vet. She hardly listened to our description of the cat's symptoms, and immediately ordered an expensive round of blood and urine tests. She also told us to buy several medicines which would help our cat, regardless of what illness she had. When the vet said that she wanted to run some blood work, we imagined that she would draw blood there on the examining table. We had no idea what would be involved, or that it would shortly lead to the end of our kitty's life.

In retrospect, any good vet, any decent person, really would have recommended that we take our old cat home and try the medicines. Maybe in a couple of days, she would feel better; if not, then we would know that something major was wrong and we could make our choice from there. The vet could have said that the test will be more stressful than letting the illness run its course. Instead, she ordered the testing and we felt compelled to go along with it.

She put our cat inside a cage, in a room with other animals in cages and left us to wait. About 20 minutes later, we looked through the window of another room and saw a horrible sight. Our cat was lying on the floor, muzzled and surrounded by four or five employees, who were holding her down. Feeling somewhat upset by the sight, we waited anxiously for the vet to return. When she finally did, she said that they were unable to get a urine sample, and that the cat was a bit stressed out. They left her in that cage for another half hour to de-stress.

It turns out that the reason they couldn't get a urine sample was because they scared the cat so badly that she peed on herself. I can only guess how she ended up on the floor, or why it took four people to hold one de-clawed, old cat still. We had originally explained that the cat is 14 and she has pretty bad arthritis. A jump/fall from the operating table would have been quite rough on her. Sure enough, when we got her home, she couldn't put any weight on one leg. She can't crouch to eat, and she flops over instead of lying down normally. These are completely new symptoms, and when we called the vet to ask about them, she said it was probably a blood vessel that ruptured. I am fairly certain that is a lie.

Since her traumatic visit to Banfield, our cat has hardly gotten up to eat or use the litter box. We are planning to have her put to sleep tomorrow, but certainly not at Banfield. The people who work there are poorly trained and have no respect for the fact that people care about their pets a lot. Banfield just wants your money they don't care about your animals.

Imagine my surprise when I was told no. I called back twice and finally spoke to Dr. **, explained again what I wanted and still she was very reluctant. She kept going on about how he hadn't gotten his heartworm test there. I told her that was true, that he had 2 tests in South and North Carolina and that she certainly had seen that, but her staff did not record it. Finally, she said the note would be ready the next day. The next day, I called and was told she would not write it until she had the insurance company's number. Strange request, but I gave it to them. Another day, I called again and was told they can't find it and the doctor is gone.

By this time, I have had it and told them to cancel the order I had just placed for Lily's allergy medicine and I wanted nothing further to do with them. I have never gotten the letter. She seems very afraid of something and I have no idea what, but she is clearly hiding something. They also did not cancel the allergy med because when my new vet called to fill it, they were told Banfield had already requested a refill.

While we were getting the items we needed, we talked to the volunteers from Sad Sac, who told us about the KRM, which my book had recommended and about putting some Neosporin with pain relief on the inflamed area. The kitten was really coming around. She was eating like a pig and drinking her water. It was clear that she wasn't used to drinking out of a dish. She walked around and loved to be held, and even took her medicine without too much difficulty. She even groomed herself and used the litter box. On her follow up visit to the vet 4 days later, they wanted to do the labs for FIP and FLV, which I knew were costly, and could easily give a false positive or negative due to the kitten's age. They said she was doing well, and in that time had gained .2 lbs. We got more medicine for the coccidiosis, as they had not mentioned how easily it could recur, and the safety measures that needed to be taken.

In asking about the Neosporin use that seemed to be working, though slowly, the vet advised me to get some ointment used for diaper rash that contained zinc. We used cotton to apply it, once in the morning and once at night. The next day, the kitten seemed a bit distressed as she was wanting to be held more. She ate. But she didn't eat with her normal vigor. When I got up in the morning to get her, she was sprawled in her litter, gasping faintly for air. She was limp and her mouth was white. I tried to make sure nothing was in the airway. She looked at me, gasped, and then I saw her pupils blow. I tried CPR to revive her, but got nothing. I spent the majority of the morning crying, "Why?" I then looked at the tube of ointment that indicated that if it was ingested, call poison control. Then, I revisited the veterinary book I keep on hand and the internet, finding multiple warnings of zinc ointment toxicity to both cats and dogs, though cats are more likely to lick it off. This kitten was a little trooper, who would still be alive if not for the negligence of another Banfield vet.

They are the ones that got him used to getting a cookie before they do anything with him and this is the only reason he was backing away - he was looking for his cookie. This is the most sensitive, lovable, gentle lab/boxer mix who had been severely abused when we adopted him at 11 weeks. He's 2 and 1/2 now and he's never been aggressive with another person or animal - he will back away if he's scared. This whole muzzle act caused him to vomit for the next six hours as he was so stressed by the situation.

The office also pushed repeatedly to sell product - heartworm medication when I had just told them 3 weeks before (at the pet's regular checkup) that we didn't need more due to losing a dear friend - pet who was on the same medication. I even told them when I would need it again. Then came the push for prescription pet shampoo and some other product for his skin when I had just asked about his skin 3 weeks before and was told that "it was fine. He was a little dry but it's common and seasonal and would go away on its own."

Considering that this pet has been their patient for over two years, I'm shocked at the lack of accurate record keeping and general knowledge of my pet - to me, it's irresponsible and inappropriate. When I called to voice the complaint and request to cancel my 'enrollment' in their pet plan since they obviously do not agree with my opinion of their care, the only action I have seen is to hear them repeatedly say that: 1) they aren't canceling the plan (there are only two months left for a total of $32); 2) they maintain that they acted appropriately; 3) I could request and they could note on their file that I only see a certain doctor; and 4) I'm responsible for paying out the plan or they'll send me to a collection agency. This is the most unprofessional organization and they are clearly only out for the buck, not for your pet's best care.

When I called to speak with the manager, she expressed concern. So she went back and asked the reception if she had done this. When the manager came back, she had a whole different demeanor. She almost called me a liar. I told her there was a crowd and I was so upset and stunned I could hardly move, to which she said, "Yes, my employee says you wouldn’t leave." The doctor there ** also spoke with me and said if I continue to be difficult, they would not want my business anymore. I was to apologize to the manager and the reception would apologize to me but getting an apology from someone that doesn’t believe she said this doesn’t mean anything to me. And the doctors turned on me. It also was handled very unprofessionally as the whole office knew about this situation.

Well, my dog's appointment came up and we got a confirmation to come in but that I was not to come since I have frightened the whole staff. I told this doctor ** that I thought this was dead and forgotten; yet, he brought it all back up and he had an attitude with me. I now have found out this particular Banfield is probably doctor owned so that is why they both said they wouldn’t want our business anymore. My cat died on 3/7 and I don’t feel this staff cared enough about a sick cat. I will be taking my business elsewhere as soon as my dog's wellness plan is up. I don’t ever want to deal with such crazy, inconsiderate, and unprofessional people with no integrity. And that the fact I have scared the staff, this means they don’t belong in this field.

Another vet's office had no idea what PKD was when I asked, so I knew I was in the wrong place. My particular Banfield vet is awesome, as is most of his staff. I've never had a group work so well with me. I breed cats, so I'm at the vet's office for kitten shots, tests, etc. on a regular basis and good, affordable care isn't so easy to find. My recommendation would be that if you don't like the vet, staff or care at the Banfield you've gone to, don't think that's representative of the entire network. Larger cities have more than one location. Try another one, and make them aware of the problems you had at the other location.

After a six-day stay and over $1500 in hospital charges, she came home and has been fine ever since. Banfield called every day not to ask how she was, but to badger me for more money! After going through this for about three days, the manager at the time settled the payment and I paid what was agreed upon. I shouldn't have given them a penny, because I found this whole thing had been a result of negligence on Banfield's part failing to properly hydrate my cat during and after the procedure. Anyway, they have now placed a collection on my credit report. I am sure that hell will freeze over before they get another penny out of me. They are lucky I didn't sue them, but I just can't afford to.

Tomorrow, my pet will be sedated in order for her new, caring doctor to take the appropriate x-rays to determine the extent of damage and if/when my pet may have to have hip surgery. I will continue to pursue Banfield Pet Hospital in order that no other pet will have to go through what mine is going through right now. Banfield Pet Hospital does not care for your pet or for your feelings when your pet is injured by their negligence, ignorance, and stupidity.

In order to cancel the Wellness Plan (What an oxymoron!), I will have to pay $240. I actually cursed the lady on the phone this morning when she told me that! They want me to pay them for injuring my pet? What a load of crap! I will continue to spread the word regarding these facts and about why I hate Banfield Pet Hospital and why you should, too.

I returned to Banfield the next morning and asked how my healthy cat became so sick, when the only change had been their "caring" for him. They could not explain. They said he must have an inner ear infection and they would need to run tests, etc., which are not covered by my wellness plan. They also wanted to shoot him up with more meds. I did not feel comfortable leaving my cat with them overnight and without my supervision because of what had happened with his ear. Later that evening, I noticed my cat had gotten worse. He could not get up from the floor without falling and his eyes were jumping back and forth rapidly. I brought him to the emergency vet who told me his eardrum had been punctured and there was "cleaning" fluid in his inner ear. She gave me some antibiotics and told me it may be 2-6 weeks before he gets better. She diagnosed him with ototoxicity, inner ear infection due to chemical poisoning. She also noted he had no evidence of ever having any kind of ear infection in the first place.

Bottom line, it has been 6 weeks. My cat now has permanent balancing and gait problems thanks to Dr. ** and the pet nurse at Daytona Beach Banfield. I have filed a formal complaint with Banfield. They offered to give me the $121.00 I paid for an emergency vet, but only if I signed a paper saying that they were not admitting guilt and were unable to treat him only because the emergency happened after hours. Did I not bring him back that morning and give them the opportunity to help? Also, they would not allow me to cancel the wellness plan, like I will ever bring my cat back to them. I am now out the charge for their "cleaning" of my cat's ear, the emergency room vet charge, the monthly fee for my wellness plan and future vet bills due to this situation. It isn't as much the money as it is the lack of honesty by these people in admitting they made a mistake.

The doctor would come in look at her for a few minutes, leave for 20 minutes, come back in, look at her for another couple of minutes, did a urinalysis, and proceeded to tell me that she needed to do more tests on her. When I asked her the result of the urinalysis, she told me she saw some bacteria but needed to do more tests. I asked if she could just give her an antibiotic to cure the urinary problem, but she refused since I wouldn't allow them to continue testing her. Seeing that I was upset, she offered some inflammatory pills to give her.

The following day, I took my dog to her regular vet who gave me an antibiotic based on the urinalysis they did. It is my considered opinion that these people at Banfield are nothing but charlatans looking to take advantage of people in a most pathetic way and should be put out of business.

I immediately contacted Banfield and a day later, Dr. ** contacted me, that he had spoken to an oncologist, but it wasn't very helpful. I then suggested that he contact the manufacturer. He did and that was also inconclusive. He told me that if the medicine works, it may outweigh the risks. I was appalled and stated that it is quite the opposite. Increasing my pet's risk of a recurrence of the cancer hardly outweighs the benefits of his allergy relief. I contacted Corporate on June 29, 2009, spoke to Duane and was advised I would be contacted in 3-5 days. I have not heard from anyone representing Banfield Hospital yet.

On multiple occasions, I have found the staff disorganized, always in a hurry and misinforming. I am requesting that I be withdrawn from the Wellness Plan from June 2009 to its expiration November 2009. I have absolutely no confidence in this facility. My pet has gone through multiple surgeries in an attempt to remove all affected tissues.

So, she told me to wait and someone will be with me shortly. Approx. 15 minutes later, she came back to me and told me to leave my pet with her and they will call me when she is ready for pick-up. I found this kind of odd because I had a one-on-one the first time I enrolled, and for me to leave my dog with them, I was not too comfortable. But she told me that being that Thursday was Wellness day, they are making an exception with my pet. So I proceeded to leave my pet and went on my way. They told me they will call me before they proceed with any shots - check-ups, etc. So I gave them my cell phone number.

They called me and told me that they were going to give my pet two out of three shots - a Distemper Parvo DAP Vaccine and a Leptospirosis 4-way Vaccine. I had mentioned to the physician on duty that she had an allergic reaction towards one of those shots last year. So I warned her beforehand. She proceeded to give my pet the two shots. I picked up my dog and went home. Around 5:50 p.m., I noticed that my dog's nose was swollen and I called the clinic. The physician was leaving for the day and they told me that I had to take my dog to the closest emergency clinic and said their goodbyes. I was left with my pet having this reaction and I found myself having to take her to emergency because your physician could not instruct me to do what I had to do for her. I took her to the Country Animal Clinic and was informed that she only needed to take Benadryl. This exam cost me $177.25 which I feel was unnecessary for me to pay, having just taken my pet to see your physician and sign up for another year.

I took my pet home and monitored her as the physician from the Country Animal Clinic instructed me. Sunday came along and my pet was vomiting throughout the day. My husband called the Banfield clinic and they informed him that he has to take the pet back to the emergency room because they were closing. Now, I am not satisfied with the service you have provided me and I would like to discontinue the 2009 - 2010 contract and my $177.25. You push the customer to sign the contract and the service that you provide when an emergency occurs does not meet my expectations. Thank you.

Second, I'll respond to Jacqueline of San Clemente, CA's comment on June 12, 2009. Jacky stated: "First of all, there are over 700 Banfield Pet Hospitals in the United States. You can not judge every clinic based off of one bad experience. Banfield veterinarians are just as good as a 'real vet.' That's because they are real vets."

Jacky, Banfield Pet Hospitals are a chain. Because of this, they all have the same codes, same hiring practices, same training, same procedures, and the exact same treatment plans. You absolutely can judge all of them from a bad experience at one. If you get a hamburger from McDonald’s that you don't like, you can say, "I don't like hamburger X from McDonalds," not just, "I don't like hamburger X from McDonald’s at this address with this person making it." That's foolish. They carry the name and a mark on one is a mark on all - as it should be.

Also, you're right, there are "real vets" at Banfield. But, they are the bottom of the barrel. With 700 locations and a company with thousands of owners, the dollar is the bottom line. Their vets are not the top of the class, they are sub-par, and Banfield is where you end up after vet school if you have no other options. In sum, a mark on one should be a mark on all when dealing with a massive corporation that is uniform throughout. Also, they are out to make money, not to make your pets better. They will upcharge where they can and they will not give you the help you need for your loved one when you need it most, as the vast majority of the accounts here have shown. Also, with hundreds of negative reviews, many of them devastatingly tragic, from all over the country, how is it that you can even think of saying something along the lines of, "You haven't brought your pets to all 700 locations, so don't judge”? Foolish.

We waited about another 25 minutes because we got an estimate on the blood work cost. They told us we needed to leave the cat because the blood work would take awhile. We were told that around 8:30 p.m. we could pick him up. They never called us, so we called and they said the cat was okay, but they were running one more test. I was already on the way to pick up my cat. When I got there, the vet told me he had a fatal virus and there was no cure. We knew that cat was old and he was not drinking or eating and we did not want him to suffer anymore, so we put him to sleep. It was about 9:00 and the store was closing, so my cat had to wait until the morning to be put to sleep.

What really upset me was, why the vet did not complete the blood work and why they were telling us the cat was okay and also giving him an antibiotic injection for his paw when he was dying anyway. I feel they just tried to drain for any money they could get. My bill was $565 to put him asleep and the blood work. There are over $100 in expenses that would should have not occurred. We are people hearts. To put my cat through this really stinks. They are overpriced.

I stayed for the visit which they tried to get me to sign up for the wellness plan but I never made a final decision that day. The vet told me that Morgan had an ear infection and prescribed medication for about three different things. He told me the total for the meds came to 122 dollars. When I went to pay for the meds, I realized they prescribed a medication that Morgan was already using so she discarded it and was about to charge the same amount. I asked why the price would be the same if I'm not purchasing one of the items any longer, so she made the proper deductions. When I got home and looked at the invoice, I noticed that I was also charged an office visit that was supposed to be complimentary for the first visit.

When I called, I was connected to Mimi who said she is the supervisor and her title is a Maryland field trainer. While explaining to Mimi the situation, she interrupted and told me there's nothing they could do and that I should have checked my invoice. She also said that the visit is free for healthy pets. I asked why wasn't I told that before the visit and she said, "I'm not the one who processed you." She told me that I shouldn't have signed for the doctor to treat Morgan.

They lied to me to get my money and I don't believe the diagnosis is right either. I lost $86.38 for a visit that did not solve the problem. Morgan had to be seen once again by a vet to get the right diagnosis. This has been too expensive and time consuming.

I have since taken my dog to a private vet who is much better and cheaper. Banfield claims that those services were $251 if ala carte. My vet charged $75 for a proper exam, by a doctor, and shots. I was unable to cancel the contract so far. They make it impossible, on purpose, giving you the "choice" of paying the trumped up "ala carte" charges for initial service or paying the entire year contract, which is roughly the same - $25.91 monthly charge from your credit card for a year whether you use them ever again or not (I never did). They then tell you to file a written complaint, but no one knows how that would be done. It is just a time-consuming runaround.

Needless to say, every time I went after that, I had to pay for something beside the fee for the heartworm treatment. There was always something wrong every time I went. To make a long story short. I've paid about $1500 to Banfield from February '09 to June '09. I took my dog to get sprayed on June 18, 2009. On June 19, 2009, I found my precious dog dead in my backyard. I was told she probably threw a clot or it may have been from heat exhaustion. I called to cancel the plan because I have already paid an extreme amount of money in such a short time. I was told I could not cancel until February 2009 even though my baby is gone and I can no longer attend anymore of her doctor visits. Please do not take your dog to Banfield unless you are prepared to lose to them.

I called Banfield Corporate Office to cancel my Wellness Plan, the representative told me I owed them $325.00 because my Wellness Plan had renewed on the 12th of May, and my cat had received services, therefore I am responsible for the difference between the discount fee and regular fee. I explained that my cat was deceased, and did not understand why you would force pet owners to pay for deceased pets. She said she would send me the contract to prove that I agreed to the terms and conditions.

At the time I signed the contract, I was approached in PetSmart and told about this great contract. I was told about the savings and nothing about if your pet die or you cancel the Wellness Plan, they will hold you obligated to pay. Banfield is a true rip-off and I encourage everyone to use a regular vet, do not sign a contract with this company. There are some good vets, but the corporate office is there to steal your money and take advantage of pet owners. I would be happy to speak to an attorney or participate in a class action suit. Banfield is deceptive and dishonest. I believe Banfield is engaging in consumer fraud.

The doctor and assistant at Banfield’s acted like he was breathing fine and it was his weight that was the culprit. I specifically asked about x-rays on his lungs. They suggested blood work and said they could find out more that way. Being in a position to do what ever it took to help him, I agreed, though I was surprised that’s how they wanted to move forward. I had the blood work done and waited by the phone to get the results, to my dismay. I received a follow up call from someone completely different that wanted to know how Coby’s vomiting and diarrhea were doing. He never had these symptoms to begin with, so obviously their means of health intake are skewed and unreliable.

Finally, I get some results from the doctor stating that he had a urinary tract infection and special food, along with oral meds were necessary. I went directly there to pick up the supplies and paid $136.00 on top of the $322.00 I had just paid for the blood work and exam. Coby graciously took the pills and ate what food his body would permit the next two days.

Waiting to hear results from further testing at Banfield, I watched my precious little guy fade before my eyes. Not seeing time to wait any longer, I frantically searched for nearby veterinarians I could get him to in emergency. Luckily, I found the best vet in Houston closest to me, but it was too late at this point. The new doctor checked his pulse, tapped his side twice and wrapped him in a towel to rush him back to ICU, which is down the hall a few steps from the exam room.

His words were, “This cat is in critical condition. We need x-rays stat!” I lost composure as he showed me the condition of Coby's lungs. 20% lung capacity at that point was all he had to his advantage. Unfortunately, that was not enough to sustain life any longer. Coby passed away in the ICU at the new vet, which I will return to as long as I reside in Bellaire. The point of all of this is to make pet owners aware that Banfield may be good enough to take your pet for grooming or getting their claws trimmed, but never ever depend on their experts to save the life of a beloved pet. Don't let the time come that you urgently need to seek help for your pet. Find a real good family doctor as if you were taking your children. I can not have babies so my pets are my family and I have learned a very hard lesson with the loss of my beautiful Coby.

Even though she stood dripping blood onto their floor, they refused to treat her or even check her out to see if she was okay to walk home. They initially claimed it was because they were too busy dealing with another emergency. That emergency turned out to be a constipated cat. But as I sat there and waited, the assistant came out and told the young woman who was waiting for the cat that the cat was using the litter pan and would be okay. So clearly, they were not too busy to at least look at Sunshine and there were no other people or patients waiting at the time. After they refused several times to even look at her, we left, but Sunshine was bleeding so badly on the walk home that I went back and begged them to look at her.

They then took her in back for a few seconds and returned with her stating that she might need stitches and that might take too long so they weren’t willing to help her. This is from a company that boasts about legendary client service. I ended up walking all the way home with Sunshine and then driving her to the University Small Animal Hospital for care.

Why did Banfield behave this way? When I’d bring my dogs in to Banfield for care, they would always pressure me to leave them at the clinic, no matter how minor the problem. This allowed them to charge double because they’d charge for both the visit and the stay. They could also then fit additional appointments in to what should have been my 15 minute appointment. I eventually started to question this practice (other area vets don’t do this) which was unnecessarily expensive and very stressful for my dogs. I also didn’t like one of the vets, who had recommended $700 worth of x-rays for an allergy problem. They were unhappy that I voiced my concerns about these and other issues, and I believe the vet in charge that day was being vindictive because of this.

We currently have a health insurance plan through Banfield in order for Princess to receive her annual examination. We chose Banfield since we purchased Princess when she was only a kitten through PetSmart. During their adoption period, which we already built our trust with PetSmart, it was not a difficult choice to choose Banfield Pet Hospital as her primary care facility due to its affiliation with PetSmart. As of Friday, May 29, 2009, Princess passed away in the early morning. Her caused of death was unknown due to Banfield's veterinarians in Oxnard neglecting to assist her further on Thursday, May 28, 2009, when my father brought her in. The only way they were going to perform the examination was to charge my father with a $300 bill. This cost would have put a financial strain on my father as he is on a limited budget income. My father did inform Ms. Susan ** of this financial strain, but she was unwilling to help without my father agreeing to pay the $300 examination fee. Her neglect caused our pet cat Princess's chance of survival.

Prior to the Banfield Pet Hospital visit in Oxnard, my father performed his own physical examination of Princess, but he was unable to locate any visible cause of her ailments. No bug, spider and other animal bites, no open wounds, etc. In addition, Princess was a house cat so we never had her roam outside, not even on the patio or in the back and/or front yard. Princess was not a cat that would also run outside when the door was open. So in conclusion, Princess was not eating for an approximate of 5 days, no bowel movements, no vomiting and sluggish physical movements prior to the pet hospital visit on May 28, 2009. She died early morning on Friday, May 29, 2009. Her last physical examination with Banfield Pet Hospital in Oxnard, CA was on March 19, 2009.

I feel this neglect is an inhumane treatment to any animal, especially at a time when she really needed urgent medical care. If this is a facility whose main reason of business is to treat and care for these animals, then the procedure to assist Princess would have never been neglected. It should not have been the deciding factor if my father was able to pay for the cost of $300 or not in order to treat Princess's illness. I feel their company took advantage of my father and put him in a position to choose over his financial strain or pay $300 in hopes your pet hospital would be able to help her, which there was no guarantee. If their facility follows and believes the main reason of business, then perhaps Princess would still be alive today. No doctors and/or staffs should be working at any of these facilities where care and treatment for these animals is a priority and if these people are only working in these careers just for income purposes and they don't have the passion and belief in caring for these animals in order to save them.

An examination cost at any amount should not be placed as an obstacle in order to make the right decision to treat an animal with urgent medical care. Their facilities require extensive training for all staffs including office managers to perform their actions in a humane way and be reminded that they are hired to care and treat these animals, not as disposable items but with respect, compassion and understanding. Your company should not hire anyone just because they have a certification and license, but mainly because of their desire and passion to work, care and treat all types of animals in general.

In the past, when we have taken "Princess" in for her annual exam, we recalled on one occasion that she was returned to us with some parts of her body covered in her own vomit and feces. We spoke to one of your staffs, which they responded that they had no knowledge this occurred and was apologetic although this incident should have never occurred if they only took better care of her. We specifically informed them to omit from feeding her wet food and milk products. But we had no proven facts if they did or not. The health insurance plan cost my father $16.95 per month, which was being deducted from his bankcard. He has been a customer with Banfield Wellness Plan for a few years. If your company hired adequate people who really cared for these animals, then "Princess" would possibly still be alive and they would not have lost a customer.

Father is requesting to cancel the monthly Health Insurance Bill of $16.95 commencing as of Friday, May 29, 2009. Please apply this request immediately. I have already contacted the corporate office located in Portland, Oregon on Thursday, June 04, 2009, and spoke to one of their representatives, Janell, who stated that I would need to forward a correspondence requesting to cancel the insurance in order to stop receiving the monthly bill. She said they will apply it as soon as they receive the request. Our pet cat "Princess" died due to the neglectful actions from Banfield, The Pet Hospital in Oxnard, CA.

Additionally, Banfield doesn't offer "pet insurance," they offer "wellness plans" and the contract that you sign when you sign up for one tells you exactly that, in addition to the services and discounts included. If you have a problem with the way the contract is written, maybe you should read important documents before you sign the dotted line.

My cat and dog have two different vets at Banfield and they are both amazing individuals that I trust completely with my beloved pets. They are both extremely intelligent men with excellent bedside manner. I'm not saying that some of you haven't had horrible experiences, but you are generalizing too much to be fair.

Both dogs were signed up for the Banfield Wellness Plan on January 15, 2008. After moving out of the area in April of this year, I took Meg to a local veterinary clinic, where she was diagnosed as having a thyroid imbalance. The thought of the years of discomfort Meg has gone through because of poor medical attention misdiagnosis and becoming dissatisfied with their service and moving, I decided to cancel the Banfield Plan. When I called the home office to cancel the plan, I was told the plan could only be placed on a "non- renewable" status until a $400.00 balance was paid. When I requested a written statement explaining the balance, I was told this was not possible. At this point, I advise anyone considering the Banfield Wellness Plan to be very careful and do much research.

I am unemployed right now. I got laid off. I said, "Let's start with an x-ray first to see what we are dealing with." This whole time no one has told me about toads being poisonous. I found out on my own through the internet research. The vet prescribed Carafate and Probotic Powder and their prescription food. I did everything she told me. He seemed to be getting better through the week and the diarrhea was gone. Then as days went on, it seemed he was not feeling well. He was still eating and drinking water so I thought he was still recovering from the extreme bout of diarrhea. He was now down to 5.1 lbs from 12lbs. Into the fourth week, he was breathing as though he was going to heave up a fur ball but he never did. Other than that, he seemed okay.

By beginning of June, he was still breathing this way so I was taking him back to the vet, where on the way to the vet, he started acting as though he was choking and no sound was coming out or air. I immediately opened his carrier where I felt him to see if he was breathing, he was not. Once I arrived at the vet, the man vet pronounced him DOA. When I spoke with Dr. ** , he sure could do the spinning talk.

My complaint was that they made me wait that day and that no one, even the vet C. **, knew all toads were poisonous. The manager vet and the other man vet knew. Maybe if she had be trained properly, maybe she could have tried to induce vomiting or given him something to help absorb the toxin. But she did not. Dr. ** went on and on and on about how much training they go through and how they close down every Friday for one and a half hours for meetings, for training. Dr. ** kept dancing around that he would have animals dying everyday if they had eaten a toad. He said it just does not happen.

Since then, my husband and I have spoken to many people we know and many of them had bad experiences with Banfield vets as a whole. I do not usually have the need for a vet because my cats stay indoors and are not exposed to other animals. This toad got into the house after a rain storm. I made it very clear that I would tell as many people as possible to stay away from Banfield vets. And since Petsmart sponsors them under their roof, I told the assistant manager Michelle, that I would no longer be shopping at their store.

After two days, he seemed worse. I brought him to my regular vet and the vet found he has a back problem (thru x-rays and a physical exam) and was flabbergasted that he had been diagnosed with pancreatitis because he did not have any of the classic symptoms. I am livid that my dog suffered for two more days because of a bad diagnosis. My paperwork states that at Banfield, he exhibited normal behavior and no physical complaints which was obviously wrong because if you touched my dog anywhere on the back, he yelped! I want a refund and an explanation. I am going to go back to Banfield to complain and if nothing is done, I am writing the company.

It makes me so mad and sick to my stomach to find out that this seems to be a major problem for Banfield. That was $345 down the drain, a waste of time, misdiagnosis, 2 more days of pain for my dog, 3 hours of my time. I could have brought my dog to an emergency vet and most likely found comfort for my dog.

Along with the sedation and muzzle, in addition to the weakness from being ill, she was in no shape, and did not offer much resistance to anything that was done. We were there during the complete and total time that she was there. Physically with her at all times. Most control of her was done by myself, my husband & our son. They said she needed x-rays but their machine was down and they would call me as soon as it was functioning.

I got no call to return for x-rays. No other tests or procedures were done other than described above. I was given a receipt for services that were not performed at all. I wasn't charged for all services that they had listed but they were supposedly done - they were not. The list is too long to go into but I would be more than happy to talk with an attorney if deemed worthy. The worst thing about all of this mess was that, I am now having to take my pet to a private vet and time has been wasted to what damage to my baby is yet to be seen.

I went home, read the instructions on the vet made label that said 1cc, filled the syringe to the 14 ml mark the nurse had marked, and gave it to my kitty. I did this the next day as well. When I was in the PetSmart that afternoon, I ran into the vet and asked if I was really supposed to give her the whole 14 ml her tech had marked for me because it seemed like a little much. She had me rush the cat back to her and the cat was lethargic and drunk looking.

The vet ran bloodwork, charged me for it, charged me for the emergency visit, and told me my cat had slight liver problems. I asked them to pay for their mistake, and they wouldn't. I could not afford the mistake they made and figured that from the way the cat was acting before, it was better not to make her suffer, so I told them I would pay for her euthanization and they refused to do so. They wanted me to sign her over to them so they could treat her and adopt her out. I told them, "No! She is my cat and I want her euthanized so she doesn't suffer!" They gave me no choice, so I took their recommendations and I treated the cat with Adenosine for 14 days.

The Dr. also had me for the days after that bring the cat in for IV fluids that were administered there in a bolus. During that time, they tried to re-prescribe my cat with more Clavamox. I consulted with a vet tech from Texas and she read the liver values, researched them, spoke with co-workers of hers, and determined the cat was in severe liver failure. Her values were at 243 when they should have been below 100. I went back to the vet and asked another secretary there to print out all of her notes about my cat from the computer. The vet even wrote on the report that my cat's liver was more severely damaged than I was told. I had had about enough of their screw ups, so I demanded to be present when they gave her the bolus so they wouldn't kill her.

The vet tech, Kevin, refused. I asked for the bag of IV fluids I had purchased from them and he refused, saying it was against the law. I explained I wanted to bring it to my family vet in Apache Junction who had given me fluids to treat my elderly cat at home just before she passed away last year of kidney failure and old age. He refused. So I told him I will go somewhere else. He said, "Fine." I asked if he could administer the fluids that day so my cat would recover. He said, "No. You have to find someone else." And with a flourish of his hand, waved me through the open door. Dr. ** tried to rectify the first mistake by waiving the office fees for the IV fluids. She tried to rectify Kevin booting me out the door by doing a free blood panel for the cat while I watched through a window. She said she could not refund my previous monies spent.

I have a witness that Dr. ** called her husband, a vet tech at a different local office, and complained about that mistake made by her elderly vet tech and that it was the elderly vet tech's fault. This is not all of the experience either, but I fear for the life of any animals brought to that Banfield location ... and I work at that PetSmart!

As I was leaving the hospital, the pet nurse informed me that since I was unable to pay for their services, I could put him in foster care. I have worked in the medical field and I am fully aware of how these institutions increase the cost of medical service at the expense of the pet because sometimes families may not be able to afford the cost they are requesting. I called another Banfield in Williamsburg, VA and they wanted to charge me additional fees for services that I previously had and at the end of the day, the puppy is the one who is unfortunate not to receive the care he needs to get better.

We explained that we didn't have that kind of money and that was the start of the visit. They then explained to us that our puppy may have liver shunt which if he did have it that he would need a 2000-dollar surgery. And that was not even going to guarantee his life. The vet told us that this puppy was suffering and we needed to make a decision quick. We had no other choice but to put the puppy to sleep. So we thought. After deciding to do that, the nurse came out with a 234-dollar bill to put Max to sleep. We then told her that we didn't have that kind of money either. She rolled her eyes and went back in with the bill, came back out and said we can do it for free but you will need to sign him over to us.

We struggled with the decision for sometime and then decided that it would be best. It was going to cost a lot of money to keep this poor puppy up to par. We walked in the back and said our goodbyes. Both distraught, we walked out to our vehicles and were heading home. The lady from Banfield came out and asked us to come back in and that the doctor wanted to speak with us. This was after we signed the papers to have Max put to sleep. I can't remember what exactly he wanted but to throw more bills in our face.

Shelby, a lady who works in PetSmart came out and handed us this number for a lady named Joanne **. She is the director of Li'l lapdog rescue of Central FL. She came rushing up quick. This lady was soon going to save our puppy. Shelby came out in the parking lot to explain what the nurse was saying at Banfield vet. After the vet nurse came out to get us, Shelby, a PetSmart employee, asked her what was going on for she had seen us in there before. The nurse said, "Well, they can't afford to get the puppy better so I guess I will be taking him home!"

My jaw just hit the ground! I just signed to have my puppy who we all love so much put to sleep and that's not what they are even planning on doing? Who gave this woman the authority to keep my puppy? And it's to my understanding that I am not the only one this has happened to. Fortunately for us, we were able to go in and get Max and hand him over to Joanne so she could get him the help he needed. The nurse's jaw dropped when I went in and told her we were taking our puppy.

Max's condition is still just stable but he is in great hands. After trying to rip me off with a $400 bill not including a $2000 surgery bill, these people have played with my emotions. They look down on you because you can't shell out that kind of money and then want to tell you that they are going to put your dog to sleep and slip him out the back door?! We have a full bred Yorkie, AKC registered, and this lady saw that as a money-making opportunity. I know that the PetSmart employee will talk as well as the gentleman who brought his puppy there too. And I hope if you help me with this, many others will speak up as well and we can to stop this from happening to other pet owners.

I was told that if I complained to corporate from Shelby, the PetSmart employee, that they will just shrug it off and never investigate the matter. The office manager at the vet will be sent a letter and they will lay low for a while. Then when nobody is looking, they will try to screw another average working American family that is suffering with the economy crisis we have going on.

Everyone that comes in needs to stop complaining and threatening the staff because it really is not their fault. I personally do not think I have ever seen a group of people work as hard as this group seeing as the inside issues they have to work through. I am very proud of this group of people because they have pulled together as a team despite all of the things that have happened and actually made that place a good hospital. Everyone in that area needs to have some respect and maybe once in a while sit back and think that maybe you could write some good things on here or anywhere else for that matter instead of just the bad. Just because you don't get exactly what you want for an extremely cheap price doesn't mean you need to act like a spoiled brat and whine about it to everyone on the internet. Get over yourself! And if you are too cheap to pay for what your pet needs, maybe you shouldn't have a pet.

My dog has Giardia parasites; it’s not that hard of a test to do. Fecal exams are pretty easy and quick. They charged me over $32 (even on the plan) for a medication that I later found to be over-the-counter for about 1/3 of the price in an easier form than liquid; I have to force it in her mouth. The vet came in twice and told me the same thing both times. All I wanted to do was pay and get my dog, but there was only one person at the front desk and several people waiting in front of me. Some people just left, others asked for their pets back so they could go elsewhere. I don't think they handled anything properly, and they are not properly staffed. They even made me leave the exam room so someone else could be seen; I could have just left or come back!

I used to work at a vet and we would get busy, but we would tell our patients what was happening and we had several people to assist with checking in and out in a timely manner. Waiting over 30 minutes just to pay is ridiculous. I didn't need the vet to explain over and over about a simple parasite; I am not an idiot. I have a vet manual at home so I can take care of my 6 pets without having to waste my money at vets constantly. I don't understand why it costs so much to do a fecal exam which I do at home with a microscope and solution that doesn't cost that much. My dog was doing very poorly after her dental cleaning recently. Today, she is not feeling well after the medications I assume. I felt so bad that she had to be there for 2 hours in a cage with no food or water.

I am nervous about going back to Banfield and how much everything is going to cost. I just hope if my dog has anything more than a parasite that they know what they are doing and don't take days to do it. They have always called the next day to ask how my dog is doing. They are usually friendly. But my concerns are the costs; they don't give any information about medication side effects. My dog got vaccinated then got the parasite?! They are too busy; they don't clean enough, etc.

First of all, he only had one cut on one leg. Second, they told me that I didn't have to put a cone on him overnight. This made no sense to me. I called my parents' vet in Kensington and took him there. She told me they should have closed the wound immediately and that they had no business sending him home with no cone! In the long run. She stapled him up and gave him a cone in ten minutes. It cost $130.05. That's $1350 cheaper than their first quote! I couldn't believe it. They are scammers there. As far as the contract I signed, it will be cancelled. They gave me a number to call Monday!

I also am a little put off with their attitude. They act judgmental and condescending, as if everything that is not perfect with an animal is the result of a "bad human". They also misdiagnose. For their monthly fee, they also do not or cannot do surgery. It is a lot like a people's "capitated" plan in that regard. If it is too much trouble, off you go to a specialist. Next! Like one of the other contributors, my experiences have not been all bad and certainly not all good! The docs turn over frequently, and so does the staff. They appear to not have good listening skills, or else they are not intelligent enough to understand. When it comes to med refills for a med my pet has been on forever, I get different opinions from different docs.

They do not listen to my experience as a pet owner of what works and what does not. Some techs have to talk to the doc to refill, and others say "No problem, here you go!" The benefit for the monthly premium of the Optimum Plan keeps dwindling down. They are supposed to have a quality assurance program. But there is nothing published for the consumer as to what they are focusing on, and how they are making changes to improve. There is nothing that I can tell in the way of educating you on where to file a complaint with Banfield Corporate if you are unhappy with care at a local vet. This ought to be a minimum standard! Supposedly, they have this fund to help older people with pets pay for vet care. I cannot find anything that describes how you can recommend someone to this program, or how people are identified and enrolled in to it. I would be happy to contribute if they were a little more forthcoming.

Recently, they diagnosed my dog with an infection in his leg that had surgery. They treated me like I neglected him. I did not! We kept his bandage changed as scheduled, and he was on ABX with the surgeon. I only went there because I thought that the dog had a GI or GU problem. They ran CBC, Lytes, Chem (thought those were the same, but they charge extra). They wanted to do x-rays, but I refused because they did not have access to the surgeon's prior x-rays for comparison. I told them that the surgeon said it would take months to heal. The vet acted like 3 months for a crushing facture with 3 rods should have been healed by now (puleeze!).

Well, long story short, they did not even give me results. They did not fax to the surgeon. They just gave me ABX, changed the bandage, treated me like a bad owner, and charged me $179.00 for the privilege. I saw the surgeon 3 days later. The surgeon said there was no infection, but that the ABX change was okay. I had to ask Banfield to fax the notes to the surgeon, so much for continuity of care. They seem very good at making an appointment, getting your pet checked in, seeing your pet, treating your pet, charging you money, checking you out and giving you lots of papers, wellness care.

They need improvement in listening, taking proper information down at check-in, communicating with you, looking at all options for care, and not just the most expensive and giving you choices and consequences of each. They need to improve on being more experienced in their profession, continuity of care, and communicating with all stakeholders in a case. Being transparent, they benefit subscribers and other customers. Posting complaint information and quality of care information.

A half an hour after I came home, I noticed my dog's head was becoming swollen and she was rubbing her head on the rug trying to stop the itch. By that time, Banfield was closed for the day and gave a number to a 24-hour emergency hospital. The person I spoke to stated that my dog was having an allergic reaction to her shot and I should take her in ASAP. When I took her in, they gave her a steroid and a shot of Benadryl. They advised me to give her baby Benadryl if the swelling didn't go down by the next day, something I could also do when she had her next round of shots.

This emergency visit cost me around $125, in addition to the nearly $500 I paid for a year of the Wellness Program. They did contact Banfield and that following Monday, and the nurse from Banfield contacted me. He advised that the next time my dog came in for boosters, they keep her for three hours to monitor. This will cost me an additional fee of $90 to monitor her, and any other fee for any medication they gave her. I thought this was ridiculous! I said the vet told me I could give Daisy the Benadryl myself before and after her shot, rather than cough up some more money. I should not have been surprised when he told me that it was procedure, and they would not be able to give her the shots if I was not willing to let her stay for them to monitor her. For what, so they could just milk me for more money? From reading the other posts, they obviously don't care about the well-being of my dog.

Finally, the same brain-dead receptionist came back in with a bill for $468-$569. I asked her what for, when no one has even looked at her. I then demanded a doctor and she said I would have to see a nurse first. I told her to "Go get someone, my dog is dying right here, right now!" She wanted me to sign off on the papers and I asked her what was going to be done to my dog. With that she answered, "I honestly don't know." I then asked, "How the hell does she know what it is going to cost if she doesn't know what procedures if any are to be performed?" I was losing precious moments with my dog. She died less than two hours later. My dog passed away due to the lack of care and speed of any type of care and their putting money ahead of animal health.

I know a pet can't tell you what's wrong but if you notice several dogs with particular symptoms and 99% of the time the diagnose is x, why not run the test for x 'first' and then go from there. If I left it up to Banfield, I would spend hundreds of dollars on tests. That's why I always ask for the head vet because he's the only one that seems to know off top what's wrong and doesn't run an abundance of tests. On another occasion, one of the vets wormed my dog, mind you I mentioned in our conversation I already wormed him. She told me, "You would be surprised how many people say they give their pets meds and don't." I told her I take care of my dog and she had the nerve to say, "I went ahead and wormed him anyway to make sure."

Thank goodness he didn't drop dead! And another big issue I have noticed is it doesn't matter if I have an appt or not and if the only thing I am there for is a couple of routine vaccinations, I never leave the hospital under 1.5 hrs!! So I definitely have started researching local vet offices. Petsmart/Banfield is a business and a business is out to make money. I only hope the lead vet is still there through the end of my plan.

When all was said and done, after Dr. **'s many tries at GUILTING me to pay for his outrageous suggestions we agreed to a treatment of antibiotics and prescription cat food. Now that I have time to do some research, I find that the prescription cat food has MORE!!!!!!!!!!!! ash content than a commercial urinary tract health canned cat food. My Java is doing fine, no blood urine and no incontinence (2 months later) thanks to the Amoxicillin. Please do not take your beloved animal to Banfield in The Petsmart store Cortlandt Manor, NY without your resolve intact.

Why don't people understand this is a package of services? What makes them think it's insurance and even when insurance is canceled don't they still owe the doctor's office for anything the insurance company did not cover??? What makes people think they can use over $500.00 in services and cancel something either little or no money paid? My next question if you don't understand the contract, why do you put your mark saying you do???

As for all of the complaints about Banfield, I find myself in agreement with the other postings on this site. You should have read the policy for the wellness plan a bit closer. It does not cover medical treatment, only preventative care (which includes A LOT). You can't expect to be able to take your pet that has just been struck by a car, or beaten up by a bigger animal, or anything of the sort to a vet and have the work done for free... It's just not in the cards. If that were the case there wouldn't even be a Banfield pet hospital. They would have went out of business before they even opened.

The up side of the wellness plan, whenever I take my dogs to the vet for something to be taken care of, I RARELY have any out of pocket expenses. The staff at Banfield work with me on everything to ensure my pets' health is in supreme conditions. With having 3 dogs on the wellness plan, I have saved over $3,000 dollars in expenses for making sure my pets are in good health. Now don't get me wrong, I don't always get out of there without having to pay something, but 90% of the time, I am charged nothing. My out of pocket expenses are no more than $800. That includes blood work for a U.T.I., a skin scrape for demodectic mange, that includes all medicine prescribed to my pets, all special treatment shampoos, all flea treatments.

Let's see you go to any other vet clinic and have work done for a cheaper price. I had to take my dog that contracted the U.T.I. to a 24 hour emergency vet place that charged me over $500 for a blood work test and a hydration shot. Took pet to Banfield the next day when they were open and had the same exact work done for the price of the blood work which was like $75. It would have been for free had I asked the emergency vet place for a copy of the blood work.

Just because a select few of you have problems at what is in my opinion, one of the best places to take an animal for health care, don't try to ruin a reputation of a business that has worked hard for many years to build. And as far as the wellness plan goes, take a little more time to read before you sign on the dotted line. Don't think because you pay 20 bucks a month that the service is going to be free. Sure it comes out to $240 a year, but you get 2 FREE doctor visits, FREE vaccinations, and many other services FREE that will help your loved pet live for many more years. I would recommend Banfield to anyone that would like to see that their pets are cared for. Dr. ** and her staff at the Banfield in Memphis, TN are a bunch of friendly animal loving employees.

On BOTH occasions, Dr. ** came in on her day off to personally handle the euthanization. The way in which the staff handled themselves was beyond professional. I would like to see anyone put down 2 dogs in less than 2 months with any Vet that would have been better. I doubt it would be possible. For those persons that are angry about their Wellness plans, they should have read the agreement PRIOR to signing it. The plan simply allows you to pay for services monthly at a reduced rate and not worry about paying for office visits for routine questions/issues. If you expected more, then you are wrong, not Banfield. Again, you should have READ the agreement. As with any business, there are good/competent people and there are idiots in every organization. The Banfield in Woodbury, MN is incredible because of its staff.

On top of the lengthy wait times, one vet had to inform me that she had mistakenly given our dog a vaccine via shot (despite the fact the vaccination was only supposed to be administered through the dog's nose). Oops. Thankfully, our dog did not develop an infection (which was a possible side effect of the mistake). Simply said - be CAREFUL. BANFIELD is NOT, in my opinion, a good place to have your loved one cared for.

That was downright unethical and with these difficult economic times, my family and I have to reduce our monthly cost wherever possible. I was dealt with completely dishonestly and as a result I never want to do business with Banfield again. Dr. Amy ** has added to the hardship my family and I are dealing with as a result of the economy, and I personally feel she should be held responsible not me. She completely misrepresented the terms of the plan and Banfield. This is just as bad as what the banks have done, taking advantage of the consumers for their own self gain.

I paid the money and the test came back as inconclusive and that I should have the test redone. I question this and was told that my dog could die if this issue was not resolved. I refused the test since the first one didn't tell them anything more than the blood test and the $75.00 test. He then suggested that I put him on a liver support medicine (no prescription needed) and could be purchased for $300 for a month's supply (my dog would need to be on it for 6 months). I asked if there was another avenue to obtain the support medicine that would not cost as much. I was told they did not know but if I found it for less they would honor the reduced cost.

After many conversations and much investigation by me this liver support is a non-FDA approved OTC product that can be purchased at any health food store or from an online 'vitamin' store for less than $10.00 for more than a month's supply that the vet recommended for my dog. I purchased the product and took it to the vet to make sure I would not harm my dog and was told yes it was ok to give it to him. Months went by and what I found was that every time I took the animals in for their annual checkups I was confronted with additional problems with my pets and for the sum of $300.00 or more it could be correct.

They are nothing but a bait and switch operation. The entire purpose of the wellness check is to bait you into additional costs for what turns out most of the time to be unwarranted treatment. There is never a definite determination just a 'possible' or 'maybe scenario' that will put you into bankruptcy. I cancelled all four contracts much to their disdain and all their threats to turn me over to a collection agency. I paid for almost a year on four animals and the bottom line cost was more than I would ever had paid for the services I received. They would print out 'cost saving' papers on how much I saved by having the wellness plan. What a bunch of bunk! Not only is the plan savings false but allows them to scare their clients into spending excessive money for additional services on no definitive diagnosis.

They need to be put out of business. After finding a new vet and talking with him about my experience with Banfield I was told that many of his clients are former Banfield wellness participants that ran for their life and their wallets. Their practices are deceptive and just another scam perpetrated on well meaning pet owners.

I hadn't planned on renewing after the first year, so now I was forced into starting a new contract, after the surgery was already done! On top of that, I would be charged the new increased monthly rate for this new contract. Either that or I pay some $1000 charge for today's service! After I paid and signed and got home and let my cat out of the carrier, guess what, they were so busy charging money, they had forgotten to take off the IV inlet on my cat! I had to put the poor thing in the carrier again, drive him to a critical care center and have the IV inlet removed.

My cat was hospitalized five days and at a bill of $1000.00 and we will never know what we could have avoided if the cat was in sooner. I realize Banfield has its contractual limitations; however, subject to it's own interpretations, my cat should have been treated!!!! These actions border on negligence and malpractice. Be careful who you go to and check them thoroughly. Trust me, Banfield is interpreting their contracts to their own advantages. BE CAREFUL!!!

When I called Banfield to cancel the wellness plan, I was informed that we were obligated to pay on the wellness plan until it ended in August. So, they were going to continue taking money out of my checking account every month for medical care for a dead dog. When I protested, they said that my dog used a lot of services the last month of his life (duh!) and that we had to continue to pay. I think they are heartless as well as incompetent and I will never take another pet to Banfield.

Are they in business to make a profit? Certainly... human, doctors are too and if you want examples of doctors who take advantage, just look to any doctor who has a human patient with insurance... but I can say that I have always seen the Banfield staff at the Southside Blvd location in Jacksonville err on the side of caution, not profit. There is good and bad in everything, but if you look at the caring individuals in pet care and particularly at locations like these, you will find the good outweigh the bad by a large percentage. I have recently recommended one of my staff members in my business to sign up with Banfield based on the great experiences I have had with Dr. ** here in Jacksonville.

On 12/02/08, my dog had his biopsy of the suspected tissue at a cost of $446. I was called on 12/05/08 and Dr. ** told me that the results of the biopsy from Antech Diagnostic Laboratories, showed that my dog had perianal carcinoma. I was extremely upset and emotional and unable to talk to Dr. ** because of this. I called the next day and he explained my options which included taking a set of radiographs and then referring me to a specialist. The radiographs would show whether there were any masses in my dog's body. They were completed at a cost of $439.00 and showed no mass. I was given the radiograph and the results of the biopsy and a referral to a veterinary specialist.

I went to Veterinary Specialties in Pattersonville, NY for a consultation at a cost of $125.00 and they told me that the prognosis looked good and the small perianal carcinoma could be removed without any further treatment. The surgery was performed on 1/09/09 at a cost of $1635. They also had to take new radiographs before the surgery because the ones from Banfield were blurry and overexposed. On 1/21/09, I had my dog's stitches removed and got the report from the pathologist that the sample was benign. I asked Dr. **, the surgeon, how that could be possible and he stated that he has never seen a tissue sample go from a carcinoma to an adenoma and his only suggestion was that the sample may have been an aspiration rather than a tissue sample which could give a false result. I called Dr. ** on 1/21/09 and gave him the results of my dog's tissue sample from his surgery. I asked him how something like this could happen. He said that two board-certified pathologists came up with two different results. I asked him if he sent a tissue sample as opposed to an aspirated sample. He said that he did.

I am happy that my dog is well and the staff at Banfield and Veterinary Specialties were wonderful, but the cost for this unnecessary surgery and test has been extensive and I will be paying back the total expense of $2646 for quite some time. In addition, I suffered a lot of emotional distress when I received the news of my dog's cancer diagnosis and you can't put a price on that. I do not know who was at fault here; Banfield, for a poor tissue sample to diagnose or Antech Diagnostics who made the call, but I feel that I should be compensated for all of this. I want an investigation.

At 5:30, I walked out of the room, and told the front desk clerk that no one had come in to see me. Soon after going up to let the receptionist know, the "pet nurse" came in. Unfortunately I didn't get her name. She came in the room defending the reason why no one had come into help me and Aurora was because there were a lot of appointments and other emergencies had come up. I told her that I had made an appointment and I expected to be helped in a reasonable amount of time. I also told her I would have rather someone at least come in the room and tell me they were running behind or something.

Obviously there is a lack of customer service with some of the staff. After that appointment, I was asked by Dr. ** to come back on Wednesday to have Aurora's ear drained again. I went to the appointment on 1/14/09, was helped immediately and Dr. ** and I discussed surgery for Aurora. He told me that Dr. **, who is only in on Thursdays, would be the best choice to do the surgery since he does a "newer" surgery. Dr. ** informed me that the surgery that Dr. ** would do, would be considerably cheaper since they would not have to put Aurora completely out. I asked how much it would be. He said anywhere between $150.00 to $200.00, but he wasn't positive on a price.

I went ahead and scheduled the appointment for Aurora's surgery for Thursday, 01/15/09, knowing that it was going to be with Dr. **. I dropped Aurora off and was told by Laura (the office manager) that I would get a call with the quote between 9:00 am - 9:30 am. I called at 10:30 am since no one had called me and spoke to Amy. She kept me on hold for awhile, trying the get the quote for me. I was told by Amy that the quote for Aurora's surgery would be $181.89. I told her, "Great, please proceed with the surgery." A little before 1:00 pm, I received a call from a nurse, Kat, she wanted to give me the quote for Aurora's surgery and I told her that I had already spoken to Amy and agreed with the price of $181.89. Kat, had the nerve to question what I told her and informed me that there was "no way possible I could have gotten a quote since Dr. ** hadn't prepared it."

I became upset at this point since it seems like no one knows what the other person is doing up there, and became even more upset when she quoted me $388.00, and if they "had" to put Aurora under anesthesia, it would be around another $100.00. I asked her how the quote could go from $181.89 up to $300.00 to $400.00. She began to read through what Dr. ** had proposed, and in that proposal was the 2 medications that had already been prescribed to Aurora, which she was currently taking. I told Kat that I had a major problem with her and Dr. ** not even reading Aurora's history to see what had already been done and prescribed to her. I was very persistent in why the quote went from $ 181.89 all the way up to $300.00/ $400.00. I asked her to call me back when she could figure out everything.

She called me back and told me that Amy, who gave me the original quote earlier that morning, was looking at what vaccinations are coming due for Aurora and that was the price she gave me. This made me furious, not only for the money which I would have been fine with paying if that was what I was originally told, but I was also furious for the LACK of customer service and the LACK of everyone not knowing what was going on. I told Kat that I would pick up Aurora between 4:15 pm and 4:30 pm and not to perform the surgery.

When I went to pick up Aurora, I was told the pay $34.00 for Dr. ** examination fee, which I refused to pay. I asked for Aurora and wanted to leave. I waited around for my dog. Finally the "pet nurse", that dealt with me on Monday, 1/12/09, came out and wanted to talk to me. I refused to talk to her and told her I wanted my dog. After going back and forth with her, she informed me that "She had only met me once and she was just trying to help." I told, "Yes, after meeting you once you gave me a bad impression," and I didn't want to deal with her, so she went and got her manager, which is Laura. Laura and I spoke, and I informed her that I didn't feel I should have to pay an examination fee that Dr. ** performed on Aurora, since she had been in the clinic, 1/09/09, 01/12/09, & 1/14/09, and all of Dr. ** notes should cover what he needed to know. But I told Laura from the previous conversation I had with Kat, neither she nor Dr. ** even looked at Aurora's file.

After 25 minutes of trying to get my dog, Laura brought out Aurora, and I told Laura, that I was very sorry but I am passionate about customer service and my dog. I told her the nurse that I dealt with on Monday and that came out to talk to me was a real problem and she should really work on her people and customer service skills. I also told Laura that Banfield, PetSmart, and PetSmart Grooming were losing 3 customers. All of my pets were going to go elsewhere since no one knows what the other person is doing. There is no consistency and I was just plain upset with the whole situation. With all of this said, the only people that I dealt with that had a sense of compassion that I saw was Dr. **, Laura, and Rachel. It is sad that the other people I dealt with, have ruined the whole experience, and their negative actions have really outweighed the good that Dr. **, Laura, and Rachel seem to be doing.

Once he learned that we were not paying for the exam he decided to charge us separately for having stuck his finger into the dog's Anus. I am complaining that anything done to the dog as part of the general office visit is covered under the contract, unless a prior notification is given with an estimate and a verbal explanation as to why it is not covered. The doctor failed to provide an estimate and we were notified of the charge only after the fact and without out approval. The incident came across as a retaliatory act for us not willing to pay for the exam.

When we get there, they tell us the vet is not in and we have to wait two hours. Instead of waiting, we go to another vet where we discover that she had PARVO. It costs us about 700 dollars total for all her treatment and hospitalization. When I called Banfield to tell them and they asked why I didn't ask for a PARVO test, my answer: "I'm not a veterinarian, why am I paying yours? She's supposed to know this stuff." I paid Banfield 185 dollars to enroll in the wellness plan for Apple and I haven't recovered any of that, so thanks to their negligence, I am out 900 dollars.

It took me a bit but we now know what vet we want to see when we go. Their wellness plan has saved us a TON of money over the past 2 years. We have a cat & a dog that needs lots of medical attention and we use the plan monthly. We also have two new kittens that the plan has been wonderful with all the vaccinations and spaying that needs to be done in that first year. I think that if you are doing research on Banfield before going... give them a try. I think that they are no better or worse than the local vet down the road. You have to go and get to know the vets. Find a vet that you like & trust. We love Banfield... There are some vets there that I do not trust as much but that will happen anywhere you go. We stuck it out and have found a wonderful vet and a plan that saves us money in the long run.

She took her temp which was normal, all the while my pup, Tuck's breathing got worse. The office manager, then upon leaving the room, said the dr. would be in to see us in a moment. Another 15 minutes goes by, and Tuck gags again and stops breathing for just a moment and goes limp in my arms. I run out with her in my arms and tell them she is having trouble breathing. The office manager comes in again, inquires as to what has occurred and the vet walks in, finally. She explains X-rays will be needed and fortunately since Tuck is still tiny, her entire body will be seen, and hopefully determine what is wrong.

I am shown an estimate of $260+, to which at this moment I do not dispute. Later I am informed that Tuck has ingested bones and her tummy is so swollen that it is 3 times its normal size and pushing against her lungs making it difficult for her to breath. She suggests emergency surgery and sends me to Emergency Animal Clinic. When I arrive there, they quickly notice her breathing and take her for oxygen. Dr. there suggests more X-ray, because the ones I brought were not clear enough. Take note I saw the same X-rays and they are clear enough. She came to the diagnosis of pneumonia, and suggested a 2-day hospital stay. Estimated price: $2000+ was the high end, $900 plus was the low end.

Oh, I neglected to state that prior to the X-rays, I was informed of a $74 office visit and the X-rays would be $180. To be hospitalized, they would need a down payment of the ENTIRE amount on top of the X-rays and office visit. I advised her there was no way I could afford all of it, to give me antibiotics and my puppy, I will pay for service unnecessarily rendered and take care of her at home. To which she advised it would be inhumane to allow Tuck to suffocate and advised I humanely put her down. I told the Dr., "No, give us the meds so we may leave." I paid $240+ and took my pup home. Be advised I went to this emergency animal hospital on the recommendation of Banfield.

I took Tuck home and administered her meds, and kept her safe and warm and calm. The next morning, I awakened to my Puppy sleeping with her head on my face. She is doing quite well back to normal, healthy and playful. Without the advice of the damn animal Quacks who will do anything to tug at the heartstrings of people who they are quite sure will want to take care of their babies. I was given two very differing diagnoses that were clearly unnecessary. I paid $500 in quite difficult economic times, and being a single mom with 3 children, I am attempting to recover. I have gone to the local food bank for assistance I would not have otherwise needed.

My brother had to suffer the grieving over her death not only once when she died, but again when he found out her ashes were spread out over a field instead of being returned. I was charged $99 for a service I can't prove was provided. For all I know, they threw her body in a dumpster. My brother waited at least two weeks for the urn to be returned assuming that he would have closure once her remains were returned. That never happened so he grieves every time he thinks about it. Bottom line, Banfield Hospital did not follow through with their services and has not even tried to make it right.

I went back to Banfield on Dec 20 and told them that there was no improvement. The nurse took the dog to the doctor and after 5 minutes came back out saying the dog has ammonia. I asked the nurse if he meant pneumonia to which he replied - no, the dog has ammonia. I told him I needed to talk with the doctor because I never heard of such an illness. Surely enough, the doctor came out and said the dog had pneumonia. A nurse that has never heard the word pneumonia cannot possibly be a nurse. They must have randomly hired a passerby to fill in the job.

I continued my conversation with the doctor. I asked her if she could prescribe Doxyclyclin as recommended by the owner of the Kennel. She said Doxycyclin would not help because it was a drug for kennel cough and my dog did not have kennel cough. She said they needed some xrays worth almost $400 dollars in order to prescribe the appropriate treatment. At this point I was already very skeptical of the clinic's ability help my dog recover. I refused the xrays and she recommended that due to the severity it would be best if I could return my dog and get a healthier one.

I went back to the owner of the kennel determined to return my dying pet. He told me that although the cough was wet he was 99% sure that it was kennel cough. He arranged for a visit with the vet that treats his pets and told me that if the dog did not get better in 5 days I could return the dog for a full refund. His vet prescribed Doxyclyclin and after 5 days the cough was gone. As simple as that!! In summary: (1) Banfield misdiagnosed my dog twice; (2) They hire unqualified individuals and dress them up as nurses; and (3) They try to get you to spend as much as you can.

An initial bill of well over $200 dollars, plus a one year contract with a monthly fee of $25. These people won't let you terminate the contract no matter how bad they screw up. Money, money, money is all they care about. The pet's health and customer satisfaction comes last.

After the shots were given and I was about to leave, I was informed of a $58 charge. I asked, "Why, he has the full plan right?" - "Oh, BUT, you can only go to the one you signed up at or pay a fee to transfer it." Nice to be told after the fact! Did they care? Nope. Did corporate care? Nope. "Too bad and have a nice day," that's what I got. Do NOT get a plan here. Get your health care through ASPCA. They care and the insurance is portable. What a scam Banfield has going! Bad Business there.

I heard him whimpering, they came back shortly and let me know that infection had already set in (in less than 24 hours?) and he (the dog) would not let them get near the nail, and I would have to return the next day to have him sedated and the nail cut. They gave me a quote for almost $500 an antibiotic, and pain pills and sent me home. I immediately called some friends and got in touch with another vet who let me know that they could most likely do the clip w/o putting him under sedation, and it would not cost $500. Upon looking at the information I had been given they were charging $75 to wrap his foot, when before it was only 12.50... I called and canceled the appointment and took him to another vet. who was able to clip the nail, and it only cost $100. I am appalled that someone who takes care of pets could be this dishonest. I will not be going back to them for anything, and will pass along a warning to those who do or are thinking of going there...

After waiting about 1/2 hour we asked how much longer it would be before the vet would be in to see us. We were told we were next in line. My husband was waiting for us outside and finally came in to see what the hold up was. He by then had come from a car wash that was 1/2 hour away, stopped at the vacuum place and grocery store. My sons couldn't believe now we had been waiting 40 minutes with our dog. The Vet walked by and asked what the problem was. We told her we now had waited 45 minutes plus we were early by about 15 minutes. We now had been there 1 hour. She said we needed to wait in line, this was vaccine day and first come first served. I told her if that is how you conduct business you should tell your customers this prior to setting up an appointment.

My son was not told nor were we when we checked in or when asking the lady outside what the hold up was. I told her your assistant can't explain to us what is wrong with my dog's toe nails and was not effectively communicating what the dog needed at this time. She now wanted me to sigh for a Heart Worm exam. I said why didn't you tell me this when asked the first time what the dog needed now? She along with the Vet got very rude and I walked out of the room leaving my son to get on with their bad attitudes. I was fed up with how horrible the service and complete nonsense and length of time it took for them to tell us what this dog needed.

By now my one son and husband left and I went to ask the lady at the desk about company procedure about vaccine day, and was met with a totally different answer. Not at all the same as the Veterinarian. I returned to the room later. I was informed by my son that when I was out of the room they took blood for a heart worm test. The vet insulted us and said she wouldn't do anything for our dog. We both told her that the lack of communication on their part was not our problem and left. The Vet looked a bit out of it making us wonder if she was on drugs or they simply were trying to get more money for additional services we didn't need. We had already told the assistant we would wait on. I don't do services with people who can't explain what they are doing in a manner that I can understand. I get concerned when they get fidgety or defensive and not want to answer questions when asked. The Vet clearly couldn't answer the questions either.

We will never go back there. We had gone for many years and this very poor level of behavior stopped that. We have a friend that is a Vet and we plan to go there. Just to track down someone to complain to was impossible and my comfort level in going somewhere where no one is accountable concerns me. I called another Banfield and when I asked for the corporate number I got cut off. I called another place and they told me I could give them my number and someone would get back to me, they didn't have a number to call. I called another number and was given an 800 number. Who has time for this? Happy New Year Ms. Customer, you don't count and neither does your dog! I can see by the level of complaints that it is a very smart decision to not go back. Thank you for reading this. What a complete waste of time. They are trying to cover up for doing services, recommending them by pleading you need to tell them what you need for your dog. I guess I should go to vet school instead of business to get my dog worked on?

The straw that broke the camels back was when they diagnosed my dog with a bacterial and yeast infection. I decided to take him to another vet for a second opinion and was informed that there was NO evidence of a bacterial or yeast infection! I was further shocked by the prices the vet charged compared to Banfield's. A Vetalog shot at Banfield will run $28 compared to the $5 I was charged at the second vets. I only have 2 months left on the wellness plan. I called the 1800 number and instructed them to cancel my contract once it has been fulfilled.

When I asked for a letter of confirmation, they declined to send me one stating to just write down the name of the person helping me and the time I called. I plan on writing them a letter to further reinforce my dissatisfaction and to also have something in writing just in case. I'm disgusted by the sheer greed of the vets here in FL. They were more concerned about turning a profit than treating my pet. It's a shame that they are taking advantage of people who want nothing but healthy and happy pets.

Well the x-rays show there was nothing in his stomach and the vet tells my husband, "oh i forgot that those types of dogs have a wide spleen or something and that's what i felt. Then he tells my husband that it could be parvo and that the charge for testing and treatment would be over 2,000.00. My husband by that point lost confidence in the vet and felt like they wanted to rip him off. So he left with antibiotics and came home.

When he showed me the bill i had some questions about the charges (positioning/restraint 1st person, radiology setup/handling). So i called them. I spoke with k** the office manager, i question her on those charges. She stated that they charge just like a human hospital. I told her she was wrong, I worked at a hospital before and had worked for doctors and my son had recently had x-rays done, and they do not charge for things like that. She then told me "well are prices are the same as any other pet hospital in this area and that she couldn't do anything for me. I then said "well let me talk to someone else." She said let me give our corp. #. They are the only ones that could do something.

I did call on that following monday. The lady i spoke to told me they couldn't do anything because banfield is independently owned and that k** should not have said that to me. Waste of time.

Monday morning we took our dog to our vet. He was tested for parvo $30.00 dollars. The test showed he did have parvo. When our vet was faxed over the information on what was done at banfield, he even told my husband why were x-rays done? It was apparent that belvadere had parvo. The vet at banfield told my husband that if belvadere had parvo the estimate for a three day stay and treatment would be over 2,000.00. Our vet charged us 600.00 for a five day stay and treatment. I'm so upset with this company. Their commercials and website claim your pet is like family but that's not true. It's all about the money.

During the course of the next week, the bump started to get smaller, so we decided to take Kali to another vet to get a second opinion. This vet was EXTREMELY thorough & even withdrew fluid from the bump & sent it to the lab to be tested, a procedure that the vet at Banfield told me was not possible. The results came back today, & the lab determined that the bump is an inflammation & has absolutely no cancerous cells whatsoever. Banfield wanted to put my 3 month old puppy through a surgery that was not necessary at all. They determined that the bump was cancerous based on absolutely no medical findings. I will never take Kali back to this veterinarian again! Hopefully this review will save somebody from the stress & worry that I went through to find out her bump was nothing! Luckily she is all better & happy as can be.

They told me unless I had the test for Giardia, they would not give him any medicine. I thought they would just give him something for upset stomach, but they gave him Metronidazole, a drug used to cure Giardia, even though his test was negative! (I read this online unfortunately after I had already given him a pill.) Metronidazole's side effects include, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. Why did they give me something that would make his already upset stomach even worse?! How incompetent are they?There was no need for the Giardia test or the Metronidazole tablets. I later read online that you can give a dog Pepto-Bismol for stomach upset. That was all he needed and felt a lot better.

Banfield could have told me to give him Pepto, instead of making me get the unneeded test and pills. I told them no to testing his blood platelets and they acted like I was being a bad mom. I will not let them push unnecessary tests on me, worthless pills and rake me over the coals. If pet care was more reasonable, maybe more people would rescue shelter animals. All of Banfield's prescriptions cost double of what you can get them for online. I got the pet wellness plan, so I could get free office visits, but they are NEVER free. They always find some BS thing to charge me for and I am very unhappy with their services. Additionally, they were supposed to clean Romey's ears on his first exam visit and clip his toenails. His ears are still dirty and his toenails are so long, that they curl under. These people are supposed to care about our pets!!!

When I got there he was too busy playing with his Pit Bull, Dakotah (he didn't stop talking about her, I just wanted my dog). After he finally decided to take care of the customers he did a horrible job and seemed to be to preoccupied with his dog to do the job. Because of him I will never go back to that Banfield again and I will not be renewing my Banfield Insurance.

At 2:00 they still had not started cleaning procedures. At approx. 5:30, my companion went to pick her up, only to find that they had charged me $271.26 for cleaning only. And a referral for a dental clinic. This is out of range considering Dr. ** had quoted cleaning and extractions. This is a bit redundant, being Dr. ** took care of everything for our poodle for less, and she had the same dental problems. This whole deal was shady. Why were they not honest? They're all to blame. I am calling the credit card company, as soon as I call Banfield and tell them how disgusted I am with them.

In April 2008, I called the Banfield Hospital at 201-845-5575 to inform them that I was not going to renew the plan for another year & to request a last appointment for whatever treatment my dog was due within the plan before expiration date. I got an appointment for May 2008 & as soon as May's payment was deducted from my credit card, I send a fax to 201-845-5576 requesting immediate cancellation.

I was shocked to receive a fax response back stating that my dog had received services after the plan renewed, which I never did & referring me to contact some cancellation team at 888-649-2716, who referred me back to them stating that the doctors at that Banfield hospital own the hospital & some other excuses. After receiving the run around from both places, I canceled the authorization for payments from my credit card. My dog received his last services in May 2008, which was the anniversary of the 1 year plan & the last month paid.

I asked for services included in my plan before expiration date because I was not going to renew. Therefore, I was very surprised to see the statement on the letter that my dog had received services outside the plan. I neither renewed the plan nor authorized services outside the plan. I don't know or understand how these people do business. I have worked for the Federal Government for 20 years & 15 of those years were collecting past due Federal Debts. I have all the supporting documents. Please let me know if you need me to fax them to you.

I was interested in the crystals and why $125.00 worth of ear cleaner, when I got some from another vet which only cost me $18.00. So I decided to get a second opinion on my dogs health. Well, at the vet he had been going to tested his urine and found no crystals or any development of them in his urine. So, I became upset with Banfield. I informed them when they called me about his check up appointment, but all they said was Oh. I decided to take him to the check up appointment to see what was going to be the new result. Well, I waited for more than 30 minutes just for a Nurse to come in and tell me that he was there for some lime shot, which he has never gotten with in his 5 years of living and never needed.

I told them of the information I got from the other vet and the DR said they only did one test and she did two. That day they never checked my dog again for the crystals, but just wanted more money if I was going to get him tested by them again. All they want is money, misdiagnosing your pet and being rude and mean. The lady Dr had no compassion and only wanted me to pay for all these expensive things. I will never take my dog back to a Banfield ever again. They only want to drain you of money and not try to help the animals.

The DPN also knocked a dog's tooth loose (while using the clippers) while shaving the neck for a blood draw. DON'T DROP YOUR PET OFF WITH BANFIELD. Ask to stay in the room and watch; after all, there are windows to look out into the treatment area. That is until you get to REALLY know your staff. Don't be afraid to give surprise visits! Don't use Banfield of Mobile. The doctors are fairly new and all of the employees are under 25 with little or no experience with pets!!! FYI, the 8 vaccines they offer: distemper parvo ha, leptospirosis, giardia, lyme, corona, bordetella, rabies are not all routine. Banfield administers every vaccine available to animals. This has been the 3rd hospital to work for and I have never seen so many cases of vaccine allergies!!!

Call back; I was angry; gave me attitude. She leaves me a message that this company had to have me call first and then she could send in prescriptions. Call her office back and was assured this would be done. About a week goes by. Get a call from supplier; she never faxed in prescriptions. I cancelled order. Called office and was very angry. Spoke to office manager; she claims they had faxed it twice. I called the company back. They never had received any fax. Call office back and called them a liar. Then, after I called. They finally did the fax. I verified with supplier and put in the order. It will take two weeks for me to get this medicine; due to their incompetence I have to wait 3 weeks.

There is no price for emotional damage. This is my favorite cat; this is my third Egyptian Mau (I lost 2 previous). I feel a vet should be competent, know what suppliers do what, and not string a client along.

I was surprised when the vet looked at her x-rays and blood work, and then came in with 1 last test. He was testing for Parvo. I let him know immediately that I was told that the Parvo test could return a false positive because of a recent vaccination. The vet then told me that was not at all the case and could provide documentation proving otherwise. He also said that any speculation the vaccines affect the test, clearly say that the false positive is a very light reading of positive. When he returned to tell me he would never do exploratory surgery on a puppy with Parvo, I was shocked and dismayed. He said that she not only tested positive but had a very high positive.

Having just spent $500 on unnecessary tests at Banfield Pet Hospital in San Bernardino, CA, I couldn't afford to hospitalize her and couldn't take her home to treat since I had her seemingly healthy sister there. I had to make the heartbreaking decision to let her go. It wasn't until Saturday that her sister (karly) began showing the same symptoms. When I contacted the owner of Banfield Pet Hospital to let them know that unless obstruction is contagious they were completely wrong and took advantage of my desire to save my loved one, the basic response that I got was...sorry for your luck. I am now trying to treat my 2nd puppy at home since I have spent $900 in the last week in vet bills.

I firmly believe that Banfield Pet Hospital was completely underhanded and has no concern for the safety and well being of any animals that they may treat. I am a single mother that struggles as it is and to have someone take advantage of my heartbreak, I'm disgusted. I can only hope that we can, with our love we can pull Karly through since my options for treatment have been limited by Banfield Pet Hospital.

we have already lost 1 puppy and are in the process of losing the other. My 9 year old has gotten to experience loss and death for the 1st time in his life. I have my puppy's blood work and x-rays that banfield ran and in the information that is attached are a number of questions and answers regarding her symptoms...answers I never gave them and that they filled out on their own. I think they falsified documentation when I contacted them for copies of her bloodwork and xrays (xrays they say belong to them and have to be returned even though I paid a significant amount of money for them). I am now uncertain as to whether I will be able to make my house payment since I have spent almost $900 in vet bills in the last week ($500 of which was completely unnecessary)

Banfield will nickel and dime you to death - take your pet to a reputable vet and stay away from this corporate crook. I have since sold all my stock in PetSmart.

They would no longer service us but yet we had to pay the full amount of the contract. I paid the full amount to the collection agency as i did not want a bad credit report on my record. However i feel i have been totally ripped off as i was never given a chance to pay- i paid the full amount and never received the services-now i have no health plan for my pet. What a rip off. I plan on reporting them to the bbb also.

So I called the breeder she instructed me to give my puppy Children's Benadryl. 3 days later my puupy developed hypoglycemia(low blood sugar), I took her back to Banfeild. I asked the doctor could this condition have been caused by the double dose of vaccines he said no. Then they prescribed her an antibiotic and prescribstion wet food. She didn't eat any of the food and she developed a horrible cough and had lots of blood come through her stool. That is when I realized that my Harley was very sick.

I took her back to the breeder who took her to her vet and they gave her antibiotics for the infection and cold and she is now doing fine. Banfeild took my money and my Harley could be dead if I had of took her back to Banfeild!

However a few weeks later while our family went out of town her swelling came back. I took her back to Banfield and Dr. Palozzi wanted to redo al the same test from the prior visit. After some discussion we agreed upon x-rays and a biopsy of the swollen lymph node. She then prescribed clavimax and dramol. This was on 8/17/08. During the first week of treatment Ushaiyas health deteriorated rapidly. Her breathing became more difficult, swelling increased to both sides of her face. I contacted the following week on 08/27 to check on the results, but they informed me that it was not in yet and that they would call me. I also told them that the clavimax was not working, but they said to complete the dosage as prescribed.

I called back on 09/02/08 and Dr. Palozzi said that the specimens were not cancerous and that its an infection in the body. She then said prescribed more clavimax and another antibiotic called clindamycin. I ASKED her for prednisone due to Ushaiyas swelling and she agreed. She felt that a combination of the two would be the best shot to curtail the infection. Ushaiya passed away a week later.

I found that on the chart that the biopsy was available on 08/25/08 and that Palozzi noted that she tried to contact me. She also said she tried to contact me on 08/23 to address any concerns regarding response to the clavimax. Interestingly I gave her the benefit of the doubt and pulled my cellular phone records and showed that there were no calls for either of those dates. So she lied to me which I did call her out on it but she swears she did call me. I feel betrayed. With something that is so time sensitive, nine days could have made a big difference. Dr. Palozzis professionalism is suspect as is her lack of compassion.

If I felt that Banfield tried all that they could, they displayed a sense of urgency to try to address my pet's deteriorating health then I would praise their service. But when [they] deal in lies and string us along $600, $400, $250, $100 and $100 [they]'ve become a bunch of crooks.

Then the vet tried to convince me that my dog had done this to himself because he was so upset and it was no big deal it will go away they were just hemorraged...I was horrified at his no big deal..then he followed it up by telling me well if you need anything else were open 7days a week now..what did that mean?

my sisterinlaw who is working for another vet saw tobasco and was very upset and upon talking to the vets where she works said that on such a small dog a (subconjunctival hemorrage) usally happens from stangulation and such a small dog should be easy to handle with all the techniques such as wrapping him in a towel to calm him or there are many safe medications to calm a dog down and these other vet's were confused on why no other measures were used and advised us to not take him back to banfield because he has been severly traumatized.

It has been 2 days and his eyes are getting better but they were not concerned at all...please stay away from banfield pet hospitial this is the second dog of mine they have traumatized.

A month later, I get a notice in the mail stating my pug was due for Bortella. When I questioned the vet about this, she stated that it came from corporate. I asked her if this shot mistake was documented and she replied that she would be sure it was in the computer.

Prior to this, our BT had nasal surgery and was in for another visit. The vet that saw him suggested nasal surgery and when we informed him that the BT already had the surgery he responded that he didn't read the dog's chart.

We just took the BT in last week for a red swallon eye and severe scratching. It will be the LAST TIME we go to Banfield. The vet suggested a skin scraping and then forgot to do it. When I asked about it, she thanked me for reminding her. After the scraping a technician came to lead me out for my bill and I informed her I was still waiting on the skin scraping results. She got the vet who told me she was having someone else look at the results because that someone else was the expert. Then what expertise is the vet suppose to hold? She then stuck her head in the door to quickly tell me the results were negative and I could go out front to pay.

When I asked her about the medications and if anyone was going to explain them to me, she then came into the room to explain. I paid $104 that day.

When we took the BT to a different vet for his check up, the vet could not believe the medication he was on - paw wipes, paw bathing solution, anti-fungal, and anti-biotic. He said that the antibiotic was okay but the rest of the medication was unnecessary. He was very personable and explained everything to us. We will stay with hime. Needless to say, I am shocked that Banfield could demonstrate such poor professionalism. I feel that this particular hospital did not demonstrate best practices of a veternarians. I do not feel that they provided the best care for a living thing.

We paid entirely too much money for the mistakes that were made. I do not think that corporate and local hospitals match their patients' files. If so, I feel that the Bortella mistake would have been documented and we would not have received another vaccination notice.

As far as banfield/petsmart they are 2 seperate companies with 2 seperate corporate offices. Petsmart is not even allowed to sell those foods. The only place you actually can get a prescription diet from petsmart is IF they have a Banfield in the store. There are some petsmarts that do not have a banfield and they do not carry the prescription diets. If the banfield is closed for the night, petsmart is not allowed to sell the foods.

I called Banfield to cancel the plan and set-up another plan for a puppy we purchased, and they charged me 170.00 dollars stating that it is the balance from my first wellness visit, which I only wanted the two required vaccines. The customer service rep had such an uncaring attitude and I waited 23 minutes on hold to speak with her. However, when I opened the plan the service was immediately. I am very disapointed and will never recommend Banfield Services as I see their only focus is collecting money. A vaccine clinic could of been free for the actual kittens needs.

Very expensive lesson on how the mission of Banfield is to take advantage of customers that actually care about their Pets and trust the services are actually in the best interest of the kitten. I am not a vet but know if a customer says the kitten was recently treated for fleas and look in the kittens ears, you can tell ear mites from a bacterial infection and know persian cats eyes can water, so educate the client instead of perscribing a marked up product, when the same thing is almost nothing over the counter.

The Vet before even administering care wanted to know our financial situation. They appeared more concerned about finances than caring for our pet. We were frustrated, bewildered, angered and sad. Ultimately, we were advised to Euthanasia because his condition was grave. I felt through out this ordeal we received no compassion from any of the staff members working on that day. I have never experienced such blatant dis-concern.

As we grieved our loss we were advised that the bill was ready and we could pay right now. We left there without our family member and I felt for them it was just another day.

I read at the bottom of our invoice where Banfield states... We Treat Your Pet like Family. I beg to differ. I would not ever refer their service to anyone. I find myself unable to sleep because I feel Da'boo which was his name was not treated accordingly. And it wasn't just another day!

then nother week goes by still same dr says im not giving my dog the med blaming me for his incompitence 60.08 more and more med now im suppose to go to nother follow up. today i read all these posts realize ive been ripped off and gonna get a attorney. almost 2 grand, dog ears still not better now need go to nother vet and find truth whats wrong.

$2000.00 and still sick dog i want justice for evryone

I took my puppy home and then took him back the next Morning(Tuesday) The vet performs more tests and then he says that he never had anything in his stomach. I picked my puppy up that evening and he is still vomitng. I am now with a bill for $700 and my puppy is still sick. I feel this is a terrible way to misguide a customer.

To add fuel to the fire. The office manager Tiffani was extremely rude when I was making my payment. I was completeing the forms for PetCredit and I indicated that the calculations on the contract were incorrect. She tells me that she does not have time for this because it it time for her to go. This is horrible customer service. It was not my fault that the calculations on the contract was incorrect. This whole experience was horrible and I still end up with a sick puppy

After 20 minutes of standing at the front desk, two customers walked up and she got up to greet them. She asked if they needed help and I just set there, shocked, looking at her. Again I wasn't going to be rude and interrupt them saying I was first, I let her finish and she then asked me if I needed help. I told her I was there to have an exam done, have the 3rd round of shots done and have a fecal check done on my dog. She said ok and apologized for not knowing that I needed help.

Shortly after we went into an exam room and I provided her with my dogs shot records given to me by the kennel company when I purchased my dog. The tech went over what was going to be done and explained to me that the cost would be $102. I was a little shocked at the cost because over the phone I was told I would be spending between $40-$70. The exam was done, fecal check and the vet requested that I bring my dog back in two weeks instead of three to get him caught up on his shots. Ok...he was only a few days late on his shots for a three month old puppy. Didn't understand that one. The vet also noticed that my dog may have ear mites. She asked if she could take him back to remove some of the gunk and check it under a microscope to confirm. I said sure. I was never told this would be $15.58 for an ear cleaning x2, $6.91 for hair removal and $27.12 for an ear swab & microscopic exam.

The tech returned stating that it was ear mites and that my dog would need medicine $41.68. Not trying to be the uncaring pet owner but I asked if we could wait on the medicine. The tech told me no that I needed to buy the medicine because it could damage my dogs ears. I said ok and we walked out of the exam room to check out. Never saw the vet again. The tech got back on the computer and said to me, and I quote Ok, like we agreed the total is $193.49. WHAT!

I said wait a minute, you told me it was $102 how is it now $193.49? It was then that I realized that every time they TOUCHED my dog there was a fee. She gave me the break down of what they did and again, I was shocked. It is a little aggravating that this free exam, 3rd round of shots and fecal check went from $40-$70 then $102 and then $193.49. I had no choice but to pay the bill.

I am a Police Officer in this city and I was not about to cause a scene and have my own co-workers respond but this was ridiculous! I was so angry that I didn't even want to cancel the two week appointment because I was afraid they would have the nerve to ask me why. And then there WOULD be a scene. I just payed the bill and walked out. And then to top it all off, down at the bottom of my invoice, they put that had I purchased the Basic Care Wellness Plan I would have saved $135.74. The appointment is going to be canceled and we won't be returning to Banfield Pet Hospital, ever again.

The economic consequences....my bank account is $120 less than it should be.

He accepted a job with Banfield in Houston upon moving from Katy before our marriage. They promised him the moon--excellent pay, hours, balance between work and family, state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, cutting-edge medicine, highly-trained staff, and the humane treatment of its patients. He would be mentored and trained by an experienced doctor before being assigned to his full-time hospital. He was given a very good signing bonus that needed to be given back on a pro-rata basis should he leave Banfield within one year. All seemed promising. He accepted the position based on these representations.

The very first day of his "mentoring", he went to the Fry Road location in Katy, Texas near our home. When a dog arrested in the grooming area of the PetSmart where the clinic is, my fiance saved his life by doing CPR and resorting to other desperate measures b/c Banfield had no oxygen or trach equipment available. He then found out that despite what the Field Director told him before he was hired, he would have to work until 7 p.m. instead of 6 and that he would have to work Saturdays and Sundays as well. Also, against Banfield corporate policy, he was thrown into seeing patients immediately.

The clinic was filthy, crowded and noisy. Barking dogs in cages lined the exam area. Dogs and cats sat in their own excrement all day. No blankets were provided, and these animals never were given food, water or walks during the day. No chairs were provided to staff, and my fiance was forced to stand for 10 hours doing Banfield's on-line "classes" that are part of its "training". These BLC's are supposed to all be completed before clients could be seen and the "mentoring" program completed. My fiance's mentor spoke to him a grand total of maybe three times, never sat down with him to discuss progress as is outlined in Banfield's extensive mentoring/training protocol, and none of the Banfield written protocols for training him as a new doctor were followed. Blood and bodily fluids from surgeries were left in the surgery room for days without being cleaned up because the tech said "it would only get dirty aain."

In fact, the general cleanliness in the clinic was abysmal and in voilation of public health guidelines. Intubation tubes were not cleaned on the inside, for example. Needles and scalpels were used over and over to save money and were not sterililzed correctly. My fiance was left to fend for himself in this horrific atmosphere where animals recovering from surgery were left unattended all day long, never given fluids or checked on all day long. It got so bad he left the practice one day in tears and came home, feeling so badly over the treatment of the animals that were supposed to be "treated like family", according to Banfield.

It soon became obvious that it is all about production, corporate profits and how many pets can be seen in a day, regardless. The clinic is assigned a number to meet each week, and the staff is lambasted if the money is not brought in. Pets are dropped off without the person ever meeting the Vet, without a history being provided, without a relationship being established according to Texas state law. My fiance was left trying to treat animals blindly, with little or no information. He feared for his license each and every day, and was extremely worried about the care given to the animals while in the clinic.

My fiance was expected to see around 22 pets per day. His "mentor" who never spent any time with him, is paid around $17,000 and got credit for all of my fiance's client visits for an entire 8-week period. He complained to his Field Supervisor that he was not being trained, that the staff was not trained in even the most basic Vet techniques, etc., the working conditions in the hospital were unbelievable and all that happened was that he was transferred to his regular hospital earlier.

Once at the Westheimer location, things were not much better. Each and every surgery that he performed resulted in the pet almost dying b/c the technician operating the anesthesia machine was not trained appropriately (one last week had never done a surgery before and she was operating the machine). No stethoscope was applied to the animal to monitor the heart rate. He was bitten each day by dogs that were not restrained correctly b/c the staff was not adequately trained. Blood work that he ordered was lost. The machines in the clinic either did not work correctly and gave false readings or the staff was not trained adequately.

For example, a new digital x-ray machine was installed, the staff received a conference call re operating it, and then no one could use it--he could get no good x-rays with which to diagnose anything. Medicines that he ordered took hours to prepare. Clients were kept waiting in rooms for one and two hours at a time b/c the techs were busy talking, laughing, eating, etc. Pets that are supposed to be treated "like family" were left unattended and ignored all day long. My fiance was left to see animals alone with no tech help whatsoever.

When he approached the Hospital Manager (who is also a part-owner in the clinic) about these training problems, he was told "Oh, I've been trying to get them to do that forever--I've given up." The lack of training of the staff was again brought up to the Field Director and the Medical Director the week of August 11; again, no solutions were offered. Last Friday, the Field Director fired my fiance, saying he needed to find a place where he could be happier and because he was not prepared to change how the techs were trained (or not trained).

My fiance is going to be forced to give back his signing bonus most likely. He is now looking for another job. He is extremely depressed and worried about the animals left at Banfield and that the public has no idea what happens behind the scenes because the image they portray on their website and at the front desk is not what the reality is. This company needs to be investigated on many levels, it would appear.

They claimed my name was not on the account or other reasons that were totally incorrect. How can they claim that what they provided and billed for each month, bills being sent to me in my name and to my address was not reason to provide the service that had been being paid for......thus developed a lengthy time of overdrafts, late fees, unnecessary account fees, change of account number upon my request to deactivate the card to any possible use and to drop all insurances and protection coverage since they claimed I was not on the account or that they insurance they sent papers to provide and billed for each month was not available.

They refused to communicate by phone in reasonable manner to resolve the problems, they failed after a while to respond to correspondances and have not sent me a billing statement in years; yet I have faithfully made some form of payment on the principal amount of account credit and reasonable allowance for interest but not taking in regard on errors on their part, any extortion of fees and any other unwarranted charges.

This has created a cascading problem for me of emotional stress, health related problems because their actions came after I had encountered a potential life threatening health issue of adrental exhaustion and have other health issues that stress of this nature can complicate or worsen as adrental exhaustion can lead to Addisons Disease and eventually death in continued unrelenting stress. The problems had also lead to renting, job and personal finacial issues. Can evenually be potential ELDER ABUSIVE IN AREAS OF EXPLOITATION FOR GOODS AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES.

Along with my $60 a month I've spent an absorborant amount of money, which is fine because I love my pets more than anything. I currently noticed a horrific weight decline in my cat and was concerned. I brought him into Banfield on a Tuesday. They told me everything was fine and I told them I was worried because the cat had urinated where he was sleeping, and they told me not to worry all was fine. I brought my cat Jesse home and at 7:15pm he had a massive seizure.

I had to take him to an emergency hospital in which my pet siezed 3 more times and I had to pay $930. to find out my beloved pet was in kidney failure. I brought him back to Banfield 1st thing the next morning, they kept him overnight and told me he was totally fine and that it was not kidney failure it was his insulin. Anyway I got a third opinion to find out that it was indeed kidney failure and my cat did not have much time. Needless to say, Jesse had another siezure, lost all control and had to be put to sleep that Saturday.

When I called Banfield they did not say they were sorry and they would not take back a full box of insulin needles they ordered for me. I want to believe the staff thought they were doing their best, but I'm wondering if this is all a big money making scam on Banfields part. I want to stress that even if they told me I had to pay for the Wellness program on a yearly basis, I would have signed up for the program in belief that I was doing the best for my animals. I would have NEVER asked the next question. Do my payments stop after my pet has passed.

They will charge me 60$ a month until Dec. for a cat that they DID NOT keep well. They need to put this in their fancy Wellness Brochure. When people die do they still have to pay tax or insurance? It's hard enough to lose a pet, but to have a company claim they are selling a Wellness program, (I do understand it's not insurance)and they can't keep your pet well, because they don't do all the testing your plan covers is a farce and disgrace to animals and owners.

My best friend is dead and I feel that it's my fault for not researching Banfield Optimum program well enough. I just would have never asked that one question.. Do I still pay after my pet is dead? There is not enough money to bring my pet back and I certainly am not looking for any refunds, I just want them to be straight with pet owners who are paying and trusting their vet clinics to help keep pets well.