
Banfield Pet Hospital Reviews
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About Banfield Pet Hospital
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Banfield Pet Hospital delivers veterinary services and personalized pet health care across the United States. Established in 1955, it offers preventive care, surgery, diagnostics and wellness plans for pets.
Visit www.banfield.com- Quality veterinary care provided
- Affordable wellness plans available
- High costs for services
- Poor communication from staff
Banfield Pet Hospital Reviews
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Reviewed May 3, 2009
Reviewed April 30, 2009
Reviewed April 30, 2009
Reviewed April 29, 2009
Reviewed April 28, 2009
Reviewed April 26, 2009
Reviewed April 23, 2009
Reviewed April 21, 2009
Well, I brought my Bengal in for a UTI. They ran blood work, etc. All this I was willing to pay for because it comes as a responsibility of owning a pet. When it came time, the technician, who is an old woman, handed me three vials of Clavamox. One was made up for me already. She explained I would need to add water to the others to make them. I said that shouldn't be a problem. She then handed me a 15 mL syringe and showed me the line she had drawn with a permanent marker at the 14 ml mark. She said, "Fill it to here." I said that that was simple enough. And she asked if I knew how to give the meds to my kitty, and I said I was a seasoned veteran at getting a cat to swallow meds and she left me.
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!
Reviewed April 16, 2009
This is just in regards to what others have listed below. Pets are expensive. I don't understand why you get a pet without doing some research on the kind of pet you are getting to know about health issues. Also, especially if you work in the medical field, then you know that you are not going to provide any service without payment of some sort. Like an office visit, no doctor will see you without payment upfront. It's just the same with pets! Pets are expensive so don't get one unless you are willing to pay or submit to the fact that you may have to euthanize your pet. I don't feel it's fair to that hospital that someone thinks that they should get a free hand-out. They have yearly set ups where you can get vaccinations really cheap and there are special clinics for that as well. Banfield is more of an upscale do all necessary medical treatment places and probably wasn't the place for you. So, again, do some research before purchasing or adopting a pet!
Reviewed April 15, 2009
On 4/15/09, I have had the unfortunate challenge of taking my dog to Banfield Pet Hospital located in Newport News, Virginia for the treatment of parvo for my pet. I tried two days before my puppy was diagnosed to get his routine exam but was not able to do so because of the miscommunication of staff. Before he received his treatment, I discussed in confidence with the nursing staff that I wanted to get him the treatment that was required to keep him healthy; one, because I did not want to incur additional cost that was not necessary and two, because when I took him in, I was not financially able to pay an extended amount for their services.
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.
Reviewed April 14, 2009
On 04/13/2009, my fiance came home from work while I was at the airport dropping my nephew off. He called and said that our 13-week Teacup Yorkie was laying on his back with his legs stiff in the air. He then proceeded to bring our puppy up to Banfield vet located inside of PetSmart. I met him there shortly after they had taken Max (our puppy) back. They called me back and told me they wanted to try to save our dog but needed to do blood work. The cost of that was to be over 400 dollars.
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.
Reviewed April 12, 2009
Okay. I just figured I should write to all these little comments about Banfield. I love how people are so quick to get on the internet and complain about bad experiences but when you have a good experience, you don't say anything about it. I personally have never had a single problem with Banfield. I think everyone that works there works just as hard as any of you, people. Everyone needs to understand that Banfield is a corporate company and there are rules and regulations that all employees have to follow or they will get in trouble, just as with any other corporate company. Certain illnesses or problems come with certain diagnostic testing or medication that is required by the certified board of veterinarians that work for Banfield.
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.
Reviewed April 7, 2009
I recently got a rescue dog (a few months now) and have had a few appointments with Banfield under the wellness plan. Up until now, I thought they did a pretty good job. Unfortunately today was just awful. They were busy, so it took over 2 hours for our appointment. I was late for my appointment because of car trouble; but 2 hours still seems ridiculous. It's not like they were treating my dog for even half of that time.
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.
Reviewed April 5, 2009
I came home one day and my Pit Bull puppy had a huge gash on its leg. The cut was about 4 inches long and at least 3/4 inch deep. I was so glad I had signed up for the Banfield insurance plan. I took him in and, in about 3 hours, the nurse came in and told me the bill would cost $1500 but since I had the insurance, it would be only $500. They told me both(?) his cuts would need stitches and staples. They didn't have time to do the procedure. We went in at 10 am. They sent him home and told me to bring him back.
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!
Reviewed April 3, 2009
I have to add a little to this. I started with Banfield because they seemed a reasonable alternative to the regular vets in the area who are going increasingly crazy with their prices. My problem with Banfield is that they use very young veterinarians, for the most part, who have never lived in the real world and have very little practical experience. The result is that they over utilize services and run up charges needlessly. If they worked in managed care in the human world, they would quickly learn to be more practical and reasonable. But hey, what do they care? You are paying for it, right?
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.
Reviewed April 3, 2009
I do not recommend the wellness plan Banfield has to offer. I took my 12-month Pomeranian to have her first round of shots done at Banfield, and they talked me into joining the Wellness Program. At the time, it seemed like the better choice to make for my dog's basic needs. Anyhow, I gave a letter to the nurse from my breeder stating that she does not recommend small dogs be given any boosters with Lepto, it being too stressful on a small dog. The nurse advised me that their shots do contain Lepto, and assured me that they administer this shot to small dogs all the time. I figured it must be okay, if the nurse was saying it was.
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.
Reviewed April 2, 2009
My Yorkie was sick a week and a half ago. Banfield ran a ton of tests on him and charged me close to $400. They couldn't tell what was wrong with him after they got the results. So they wanted to run more tests, which meant more money. I couldn't afford all the tests they needed, so I did one which was close to $120. That test didn't give them anything either. In the meantime, his health got worse. There was blood in his stool, and I called Banfield and left a message for the vet. It took the doctor 3 days to get back to me. My dog passed away a few days later, and they didn't even bother to check on him. They seemed only interested in my dog's health when we were in the hospital spending money. I spent a lot of money, and I have no answers. I have another dog and I don't know if he will suffer the same fate as my Yorkie. Now, I have to pay for an autopsy to find out just what happened.
Reviewed April 1, 2009
Four days ago, our beloved family dog, Godiva, swallowed some rat poison. She vomited immediately so I watched for any dangerous signs. There were none until this morning at 8 am. I called Banfield (she used to get her shots here) and told them the situation and was told the doctor would not be in until 9 am. We waited. I arrived at 8:59 only to have the receptionist ask me 6 times how to spell Godiva (we were already in the system so I don't know what the problem was). Anyway, 15 min. later, we were in a room and waited and waited.
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.
Reviewed April 1, 2009
I brought my puppy in to get looked at. The vet was in the room no more than 5 minutes and the puppy was never taken out of the room and I was charged $250. There was not even as much as a Q-tip taken out.
Reviewed March 28, 2009
On 03/17/2009 my wife took babygirl to Banfield HHospital because we were worried about some lumps on her chest. The doctor told her she had a plan that would pay 15%, this too long to talk about. I will make it short, Banfield don't give a ** about our pets, just the money. I've contacted my Attorney General and the B.B.B. And also a local T.V. Station they are looking into it. I advice you word of mouth will help prevent this from happening to someone else. Call your Attorney General. Tell anyone who has a pet.
Reviewed March 27, 2009
Reviewed March 27, 2009
Reviewed March 23, 2009
Reviewed March 23, 2009
Reviewed March 17, 2009
Reviewed March 12, 2009
Reviewed March 12, 2009
Reviewed March 11, 2009
Reviewed March 8, 2009
This Dr does not know how to speak to her clients. She talked over me and as the owner she did not want to hear anything I had to say about my pet. I will continue to go to this location because everyone else is very sweet but I will never see that DR again.
Reviewed March 8, 2009
Reviewed March 7, 2009
This is my second and 'last' year on the Wellness plan. I thought about canceling at the beginning of the second year and regret I didn't. However, I only stayed with Banfield because the head vet is great and there is one other vet that's good. Even the Petsmart dog trainer told me she wouldn't go to Banfield if the head vet wasn't there. WOW! My issues with Banfield are they run an abundance of tests. On one occasion, the vet thought my dog ate something he shouldn't have so she wanted to run 5 tests. I was pissed because she called me and said the first 3 tests were negative. However, none of them dealt with what she thought the problem was. She was going to run that test next. Why didn't she run it 'first'?
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.
Reviewed March 3, 2009
Reviewed Feb. 25, 2009
Reviewed Feb. 22, 2009
Reviewed Feb. 17, 2009
Banfield insists that I vaccinate my 2 dogs every 6mo for bordatella even though the vaccine is warranted for 1yr. Their boarding facility also attached to their vet practice insists it's necessary. I asked several boarding facilities and other private vet practices about this need for bordatella every 6mo and was told... Banfield wants the $$$$$ by requiring a shot every 6mo. This is over-vaccinating these dogs!!! The dogs get sick for several days and are very lethargic. I'll board somewhere else from now on...
Reviewed Feb. 14, 2009
My cat, Java 17.5 years old, suddenly passed blood in her urine, and became incontinent. I took her to local Petsmart, where my Siberian had received excellent care. There was a new doctor who proceeded, after 30 seconds, to tell me that they would keep her overnight, do bloodwork, x-rays and a urine test for $700.00. If a stone was found I would be charged an additional $900.00 for surgery on my 17.5 year old baby. There was no discussion in his mind. When I asked if he could draw blood and retrieve urine while I was there to avoid kennel bill, he said if I could not afford to do it his way, I could adopt my cat out to give her a better chance at survival. Who would adopt my Java with a $1600.00 vet bill over her head? How dare this so-called DOCTOR try to intimidate me and my daughter into guilt!
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.
Reviewed Feb. 14, 2009
What part of Package of services don't you people understand? A wellness plan is that, you use services you owe for those service. How do you think the hospital is paid? So let's say you buy a wellness plan, you opt for 12 installments, you no longer have your pet because of gave pet away, pet died, or whatever the reason, should you owe for the remainder of the the 12 payments? Well let's say you paid 43.90 toward 512.00 in services, the remainder of the wellness plan would be much less.
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???
Reviewed Feb. 14, 2009
I just wanted to post a message in response to all of the negative posts about Banfield Pet Hospitals. I have 3 dogs signed up on the wellness plan - 2 are on the basic plan and one is on the optimum plan because of her old age. I do not mind at all paying the average of about $50 a month for my dogs. I have only had the dogs signed up for around 2 years or so. During those 2 years my pets and I have experienced life threatening altercations. One had a very serious U.T.I., the other had demodectic mange, and the other was beaten and left for dead at a car wash. All 3 received care from the Banfield Pet Hospital. The care in which they received is indescribable. A very big thank you to the people at Banfield for taking care of my dogs.
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.
Reviewed Feb. 12, 2009
I have sent both of my dogs to Banfield in Woodbury, MN since 1999. Both of my dogs had specific medical issues that required numerous visits to the Vet. I am usually at this Banfield location monthly for one issue or another. The posting of Pengfei regarding a Mr. ** from the Woodbury, MN Banfield location is puzzling me. I have known every Vet that has practiced at this location since 1999 and there has never been a Mr. ** there. From the time my 9 week old puppy broke his leg in 1999, to yesterday (Feb 11, 2009), this Banfield location has been beyond incredible. Yesterday I had to put down my second dog in less than 2 months. My first dog simply could not move around anymore and my second dog died of a broken soul because he missed his friend.
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.
Reviewed Feb. 12, 2009
I've read through the complaints about Banfield and they honestly surprise me. I work with a rescue organization and we use them for emergencies. Dr. ** has always been great. She is very courteous, understanding and knows what she is doing. She truly cares about the cat/kitten we bring in. Like I said, I'm surprised by this. She's a great vet! Please keep it up.
Reviewed Feb. 11, 2009
Our dog was hit by a car and, as a result of the accident, passed away recently. Despite the fact that our dog is now deceased, Banfield feels it is their right to continue to charge my account for services that we will (obviously) no longer use (for an additional 6 months). Banfield claims that they have the right to do this as a result of the contract we signed. If this is true, this should have been made this fact MUCH more clear (I would never has signed the contract). In addition, I feel that the services we have received (prior to the death of our dog) were less than professional and certainly not worth the monthly cost.
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.
Reviewed Feb. 9, 2009
I took my dog in for her regular schedule vaccines, and told Dr. Amy ** at that time that I wanted to reduce my wellness plan, specifically omit the dental portion of the plan. Dr. ** told me that I should have my pet's (Sydney) teeth done first since she was due for a dental exam and then cancel the plan. So, I took her advice. When I called the number they gave me to reduce the wellness plan to the lowest basic plan, I was informed that since I utilized the service I was locked in to the plan until 11/12/09. Otherwise I would have to pay almost $252 to reduce the plan. Needless to say I was furious. Dr. ** encouraged me to have the work done before I cancelled the plan and never told me by doing so I would not be able to change the plan until 11/12/09 as a result. She told me I could have the work done and then reduce the plan immediately thereafter.
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.
Reviewed Feb. 9, 2009
After finding out my previous vet had raised their prices and were selling to another owner I shopped around for another vet for my two dogs and my son's two cats. I called Banfield and was quoted a very reasonable price for vacs. When I arrived they pressured me to sign up for their wellness program, stated that it would save me money and include additional services as part of the wellness program. So I signed all four pets up, they received their vacs and appointments were made for the free checkups. Well I thought I was in heaven but as it turned out after the wellness check the vet informed me my oldest dog (7-8 yrs old) has a 'slight' abnormality in the blood test relating to my dog's liver and said it was very important to have a special test at $75.00.
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.
Reviewed Feb. 8, 2009
I signed up for the wellness plan they have at Banfield thinking that it would offer good protection for my dog that I just adopted at a local animal shelter. As it ends up, it offers absolutely nothing except for shots that I could probably get for cheaper at a low-cost clinic. Anyhow, my dog got into a bit of a pickle and ate something he shouldn't have and was throwing up for a full day. I took him in thinking that something might be covered, but they wanted to charge me 400-600 dollars for x-rays! Anyhow, I refused because that's just absurd. As someone who works on a large animal farm, I knew there was no possible way it could cost that much. After I got that news, I took him to the vet that my mom takes her dogs to. How much were the X-Rays? $120. The prices charged by Banfield are absurd, even if you are on the wellness program.
Reviewed Feb. 5, 2009
I took two of my three dogs for their shots. The puppy was fine and they administered his shots and it was quick. But, the nightmare began with my 7-year- old Pomeranian. At first, the nurse told me he was fine after listening to his heart. Then the vet checked him and left the room and sent the nurse in to tell me that my dog had a murmur and would not be able to go on any plan. I told them how unfair it was to do this to him. After talking to the manager, they accepted him into the plan. They told me to leave him there to check him and see how bad his heart was. He was there 5 hours without giving me any information on his medical condition. Only that he is fine - but no dog. Well, finally, the vet came out and told that his heart was fine, but there was a problem with his throat. No medication was given for his condition - and now when I pick up my dog, he is in pain from the method used to take his X-rays. I thought that maybe he would feel better after a couple of days but he's worse.
Reviewed Feb. 5, 2009
These complaints are so funny to read over. What do you people not understand about the plan not being insurance so don't compare it to ASPCA INSURANCE. Maybe you should read over your contract before you sign it??? I have a wellness plan and its wonderful. It covers all the PREVENTATIVE care items my pet would need, just as described in my contract! No more no less!
Reviewed Feb. 3, 2009
I subscribed to Banfield wellness plan over the phone for my new kitten in October 2008 and signed the contract at PetSmart in Irvine. I was happy to discover that the PetSmart in Tustin Marketplace opened up their own Banfield, because that location is more convenient to me. I approached their receptionist and asked if I could make an appointment for my cat's neutering. She told me yes, she just needs to call the other Banfield and do the transfer. That was last month, January 2009. I brought my cat in today for the surgery. Again the receptionist told me she would transfer the plan, when I dropped him off this morning. Then when I was picking him up, a different receptionist, a Ms. Caroline **, told me that I would need to pay the first month of plan and sign a new yearly contract, which would start today.
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.
Reviewed Jan. 31, 2009
Met with vet who made it obviously clear that the Wellness Plan was for well pets ONLY and nothing else... so much so... that my pet who was ill and not eating was NOT treated and sent home for "Let's see what happens in the next few days..." I ended up going to another vet and having him hospitalized for five days. The vet made it clear that if my pet is not going to be here in one year from now, he was not going to put him on the plan. SO REIGNS THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR AT BANFIELD!!!! As far as I know, only God can answer whether the animal will be here in a year from now. This action borders on negligence.
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!!!
Reviewed Jan. 30, 2009
We took our 12-year-old Jack Russell Terrier to Banfield for his annual wellness exam. He had the wellness plan since he was adopted as an 8-week-old puppy. We noted on the questionnaire that he had not eaten for 2 days. He was given a clean bill of health, other than an ear infection and skin irritation. The nurse insisted that we buy a 2-month supply of medications, at a cost of $292, to treat him. Six days later, he was still not eating so we brought him back. This time we received the devastating news that he had lymphosarcoma (cancer) and that he was terminally ill. They wanted another $1500 to conduct tests on him. We refused and took him home. We loved up on him his last week and had him put to sleep on 11/23/08.
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.
Reviewed Jan. 27, 2009
From the time I got my puppy a year ago, he has been with Banfield. We have nothing but positive things to say about them. We are on the puppy wellness plan right now, and from the beginning, they have been great. He had some skin issues. He itches all the time, and they recommended fish oil, that they of course sold. I declined to buy it from them, and instead went and bought some at Walmart and gave it to him, which cleared it up with no problem. Every visit, they check to make sure that we have our heartworm prevention, and flea prevention meds, to ensure we don't forget. The vets always play with him every time he goes into the office, and they are very good at explaining everything to us in detail. We are always given a quote to the regards of our procedures being completed, and I just don't have anything bad to say about them. The thing that people have to look at, is not everyone has a bad experience, and I am sorry for those of you that have, but Banfield has been nothing but great to us, and we have saved SO much money by having the wellness plan.
Reviewed Jan. 26, 2009
I had an 11-year-old Shih Tzu and he became sick on New Year's Day. My husband and I took him to the clinic the day after New Year's. The doctor ran a few tests and told us that his heart murmur was worse. They gave us some medication and a new dog food. Neo was getting better but he started having seizures on January 8th. I called and told them he was having seizures and I needed to bring him in. The girl on the phone, very unemotional stated that if I did not have an appointment I would have to leave him. I told that he was very sick and I wanted the vet to see him right away. She stated they were very busy and if I left him, they would see him as soon as possible. Neo died a couple of minutes later. My complaint is that I have not received one phone call to ask how he is or any care of a dog that was very loved and is missed every day. I will never take another animal to a Banfield clinic again. They are very uncaring and unprofessional.
Reviewed Jan. 26, 2009
Over the past 6 years, I have read the stories about Banfield and the problems that people have. I am pretty surprised to see some of these complaints because over the 6 years that my two little ones have been cared for by Banfield, I have nothing but good things to say about Dr. ** and her team at her hospital. I know that Banfield franchises, so service is something that could be an issue in locations but I personally haven't witnessed it. Both of my kids are covered by the Wellness Plans and they go out of their way to take care of them. Even recommending to do a covered service because they need it (keep in mind they aren't getting any extra charges for covered services and would save money if I simply "forgot" about it) but Dr. ** and her team want to make sure they get the best of care.
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.
Reviewed Jan. 22, 2009
On November 11, 2008, I brought my dog in for a routine six months check up which is covered under their wellness plan. I was concerned about a scab around his anus that would not heal. Dr. ** recommended bringing him in for a biopsy at an estimated cost of $568.00. I suggested that since my dog was due for a teeth cleaning and the anesthesia was a big part of the expense, they both should be done at the same time. They agreed to do that.
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.
Reviewed Jan. 20, 2009
My dog, Aurora, was being treated for a hematoma in her left ear. I went in on Friday, 1/09/09, to have it looked at. She was diagnosed with the hematoma. It was drained and I took her home with medication to treat the ear infection. I was asked to come back in on Monday, 1/12/09, to have it looked at to see if hopefully the hematoma hadn't come back. My appointment was scheduled for 5 pm. I arrived at 4:45 pm, got checked in and was put in a waiting room at 4:55 pm. Was told as normal, my "pet nurse" would be in to see Aurora shortly.
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.
Reviewed Jan. 14, 2009
I have a Pet Wellness contract with Banfield. The contract covers office visits for free where the doctor generally inspects the pet. My dog has diarrhea and I had Banfield inspect my dog on January 14. As part of the inspection, the doctor examined the dog and obtained a sample from his anus. After the examination was complete, he said he wanted to put the dog on Metronidazole and that he also wanted to do an exam on the sample he had collected during the examination to see if an additional drug was necessary. We told him that if that other additional drug did not have any negative effects we would rather just pay for the drug without the test. He responded that in the test, they would look for different things so that there could be multiple possibilities for the second drug. He also stated that the dog would likely recover with just the first drug. We then decided not to do an exam on the sample.
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.
Reviewed Jan. 14, 2009
My fiance adopted a dog for me on a Wednesday. I already had another dog that had a wellness plan at Banfield so on Thursday, I took the new puppy (Apple) to the doctor's office to have her checked out because my fiance thought she was more lethargic than a six-week-old Black Lab should be. When we voiced our concerns with the vet, her response was, "Well, you don't know what's normal for her because you've only had her one day." That night, Apple continued getting worse, so we called the vet the next day. They said she was fine but if it made us happy we could bring her back in.
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.
Reviewed Jan. 13, 2009
First off, I want to say that with Banfield, each hospital is going to be different. It is managed by someone different and the vets you see will all have different views. I think that we see so many more complaints about Banfield because it is so big & everywhere. I am sure that you take the same risk no matter what Vet you go to. I love the people at our local Banfield! They have been nothing but great to us. Yes, there are some vets that want to do more tests or have your pet take more medication so you just have to find the vet that is a good fit for you.
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.
Reviewed Jan. 13, 2009
We had taken our 10-yr-old cat in to be checked thinking it was diabetic. The price they gave us for treatment was $400.00 to run test. We could not afford this amount and then to have a money care amount that could not tell us how much it would be. After a lot of tears and debating, we could not afford this so we decided that we would have to put her down. Much to my surprise, that would not happen. They would not do that until we ran all the tests to see what was wrong ($400). We explained that we just could not afford to do this or the monthly expense. They would not put her down. That would not be humane, but we should take her home and continue to watch her lose weight and lay in her water dish. I was trying to do the humane thing and put her down knowing we couldn't afford the treatment that she needed so here we sit watching her die because they were worried about humanity. Someone needs to take a look into this business. We love our cat and didn't want to see her put to sleep but more so didn't want to have to see her suffer day after day.
Reviewed Jan. 13, 2009
I took my 10-week-old Pit in after she ingested what we thought was either old grease from a bbq pit or ashes from the pit. She became quite ill quickly, lethargic, labored breathing. She would gag as if she wanted to throw up. When I arrived, I waited at the counter for a couple of minutes and finally someone came out to inquire about the visit. I informed them, and we were taken into a room in which, under the circumstances I would consider an emergency, we waited 30 minutes before the Office Manager, mind you, came in.
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.
Reviewed Jan. 9, 2009
The wellness plan is simply a way for Banfield Pet Hospital to get more money out of you. I tried to cancel the plan, too after moving from Cincinnati to the Chicago area. They are demanding $175 from me. I also realized that I was paying far more for services than is common despite what I had been sold by Banfield's wellness plan. I tried to complain to corporate too. It's rare that I've ever spoken to anyone more rude than the woman that I've been communicating with. The woman claimed that she is corporate and no matter how many times that I call, I'll always be connected to her. Interesting racket they've got going. I'll take my pets elsewhere. The Banfield representative didn't care one iota about any harm that she is causing me, nor that she's lost the company thousands of dollars due to lost business. This isn't worth the stress, time or energy. They've sure lost my business.
Reviewed Jan. 8, 2009
I was sold a year health plan for my puppy & after they got the money upfront I have been given terrible service since. Today I took my puppy in to be castrated & found they had not done the procedure & he has been in a cage without food or water all day. They didn't have the courtesy to call me & tell me they could not do it today & bring him back another day. Each appt I have had they ask for money even though I paid upfront for the health plan that includes his shots & visits. They tell me my account is in collection even though it has been paid upfront.
Reviewed Jan. 7, 2009
I have a Jack Russell Terrier that's 6 yrs old and for the last 3 yrs with Banfield never had a problem, until last month. My pet tested positive for heartworms and to treat it costs over $900.00. My question is why the veterinarian did not even mention about heartworm prevention medication. I'm paying 16 dollars a month for medical basic insurance and now looking back, it's like the whole program is setup to fail. I think I'm not the only one there with this kind of problem. I think Banfield has to step up to the plate with this kind of problems. I'm canceling my insurance and not sure what's next. Also, I found out that heartworm manufacturers do not want liabilities: If the pill does not work, the manufacturer pays the medical bill.
Reviewed Jan. 7, 2009
My brother (who has a wellness plan) with Banfield walked in to ask a couple questions about his sick poodle. Instead of trying to help him with options he might have, they just rudely gave him a very large price tag on how much it would cost him without giving him any other options. A few days later, Channelle died. I (his sister) called (from another city) to arrange for the cremation and urn as a gift for his grievance. Weeks later, he finds out that they spread her ashes over some field instead of returning to him in an urn. He had to grieve again for her. I called to demand some answers and a refund and they rudely claimed that I did not order her remains to be returned. I discussed the color of the urn with the salesperson on the phone so, of course, I ordered an urn to be returned with her remains. They will not agree to refund the money. I explained to them that I will gladly take it to the next level and file a complaint with Better Business Bureau and everyone else I can.
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.
Reviewed Jan. 6, 2009
On December 15, the Banfield clinic at the Petsmart located at 6960 Amador Plaza Rd, Dublin, CA 94568 misdiagnosed my pet with bronchitis and formulated an antibiotic called Clavamox. The bill was well over $200. For 5 days the dog did not show any signs of recovering. I then took the dog to the kennel where I purchased it. The owner listened to the cough and said he has dealt with that same type of cough countless times. That it was nothing more than kennel cough and that according to his experience the dog should be treated with Doxycyclin and not Clavamox.
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.
Reviewed Jan. 6, 2009
I think what everyone on this site should realize is that Banfield may be a national chain, but there is not the same team in every location. You do need to do your homework and talk to the Veterinarian BEFORE you sign a Wellness plan agreement. It is a one-year contract that cannot be cancelled but in extreme circumstances. I work at a Banfield and love my staff. We are not anything that is described in these complaints, but I do know that there are Banfields out there that are. So just research, research, research, to find the best location. There are multiple Banfields in any given metro.
Reviewed Jan. 5, 2009
TERRIBLE!! I have a plan for my dog in Waukegan, IL and my brother had one for his dog in Schaumburg, IL. When he left the country, I took his dog in and he needed his next rounds of shots, so I made an appointment with the local Banfield where I take my dog. Gave them my brother's name and explained I had his dog temporarily. They set up the appointment and we went.
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.
Reviewed Jan. 5, 2009
I just spoke with a very RUDE female that took my call regarding monthly installments. She asked and I repeated three times the pet’s name which made me a little irritated. She said I was yelling and proceeded to try and correct my tone even though I was not yelling. I can't help she has poor hearing. During the conversation she started yelling at me for no apparent reason. Just want you to know, Banfield needs to check their person's phone etiquette and or the lack there of...
Reviewed Jan. 5, 2009
I brought my dog in there due to a broken nail. Thought that they could just clip it, wrap him up, and call it a day (that's what most vets that I've been to in the past have done). I showed up early for an appointment, and (with a two year old German-Malamute mix) spent an hour and a half waiting before I even got in the room to see the doctor. I was in the room for another 45 minutes before the vet tech even came in to see what was wrong. I told her that he broke his nail, and needed to have it fixed/clipped. She said that the screen only showed that he was here for vaccinations, and nothing else. So she goes back to the back, and another half hour later comes in and lets me know the doctor will be in shortly. Once again I'm stuck with a very hyper very large dog in a very small space. The doctor comes in and takes him back to the back.
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...
Reviewed Jan. 1, 2009
My son scheduled an appointment for shots for his dog 1 week in advance at 3:00pm. We arrived early and were placed in a room. The Vet's assistant came in asked what we wanted and I asked what was needed for the dog at this time. She said 2 shots and something up his nose. I asked about neutering and his toenails. She said his toe nails didn't look that bad and couldn't effectively tell us what she meant by that. We had just had them cut at the PetSmart before the appointment at Banfield. She had us sign a form agreeing to the shots needed. She was confusing in her communication and very unprofessional in her attitude. She felt we should know what the dog needed and should tell her.
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?
Reviewed Jan. 1, 2009
My dog has been treated by Banfield vets for over 2 years. I was very happy with the vets in VA as they seemed to really care about the health of my dog. It was only until I moved to FL that I became disenchanted with Banfield... My dog has a history of allergies. The vets at Banfield gave my dog a laundry list of medications that did nothing to relieve his discomfort. As a concerned pet owner, I was willing to open my wallet to get him the necessary treatment. I noticed that as the treatments became more expensive... they became repetitive! The lack of organization was appalling. How can they prescribe my dog the same types of medicines that he was prescribed months before? If they didn't work THEN, why would they work NOW?
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.
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On Oct.17, 2008 my husband took our dog belvadere to our vet because he was sick. Our vet was closed so my husband took him to petsmart/banfield. Upon the vet examining our dog he starts telling my husband that all kinds of test need to be done and that x-rays are need because he the vet felt something in belvadere's tummy. So my husband said let's do one thing at a time, do the x-rays since you think there's something in his tummy.
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.
Reviewed Oct. 21, 2008
Over a year and a half ago, my dog Uno had a seizure. I was so freaked out and called around to vets, the only one who could take him in asap was Banfield hospital in Colorado Springs. Dr. ** took good care of my dog and when tests had to be run to find out what was wrong, she introduced me to the wellness plan. I have no complaints whatsoever! My experience with her was amazing and I would definitely recommend her to anyone.
Reviewed Oct. 21, 2008
I took my 11 wk Dalmatian puppy in to Banfield b/c she had a small lump on her neck that seemed to be tender when touched. The attending vet looked at her & immediately told us it was cancer & said that it needs to be surgically removed IMMEDIATELY or that my puppy’s life was in danger. For some reason, in the back of my mind I did not believe the lump was cancerous at all. I had to ASK THE VET for an anti-inflammatory to try to bring down the swelling. The veterinarian was very rude and condescending when I would ask her questions about my puppy’s health. She gave us a week’s worth of anti-inflammatory & an antibiotic & we scheduled the appt for surgery, b/c we didn't know what else to do.
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.
Reviewed Oct. 19, 2008
I recently had my dog Romey given one shot of Immiticide (for heartworms) and some Drontal pills for tapeworms. I read online that the side effects of Drontal, the med for the tapeworms can cause severe nausea and stomach upset. My dog was nauseous and would not eat for the next two days, following the Drontal. So I called Banfield for advice on what to do. They said to bring him in. They are starting to make me feel like I am at a used car lot every time I take him in. They told me I needed bloodwork to count his white cell platelets, as well as a Giardia test and some additional antibiotics. (He was already on amoxicillin for a urinary tract infection.) He had already been vaccinated for Giardia, so why would he have that? And why push me to get his blood tested for a tummy ache?
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!!!
Reviewed Oct. 18, 2008
I have been going to Banfield for many years and transferred to Tampa Banfield when I came to USF. I have never felt so ignored as a customer before in my life. My dog was there for 7 hours and I did not get a single phone call about her. When I called multiple times I spoke to a gentleman who could not speak clearly at all on the phone. I did not even catch his name until I went into the office and read his name tag, Tony **. He placed me on hold for 10 mins before I got frustrated and went into the office to get my dog.
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.
Reviewed Oct. 16, 2008
On 9-18-2008, I took Princess into see Dr. **. She examined her, gave me a quote of $225 to $250.00 for all of her dental work, which would include her molars which appears infected. That seemed to be acceptable, so we made an appointment for 10-9. The staff later called us and changed the appointment because of staffing issues, and set the appt. for 10-14. When my companion arrived to drop Princess off, he noticed a completely new crew, but gave it no thought. I called and checked on her several times.
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.
Reviewed Oct. 16, 2008
Please help me. I am 52 years old with a lifetime outstanding credit history & credit score. I take pride in paying all my obligations in time. I entered my dog Izzy into a health plan at the end of May 2007 for 1 year with monthly payments of approximately $25.00 & a down payment of about $139.00. The monthly payments were automatically deducted from my credit card.
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.
Reviewed Oct. 15, 2008
I took my dog there because he won a free check up. He got the check up and was sent home with the advice that I should change his diet. I said ok; so I put him on a new food. A few days later I decided to get him the pet insurance and they said with it, he has to have a full check up. I made the date to drop him off. I get back and they tell me my dog is developing crystals in his urine and should be put on a special diet. So I decided to change his diet with the food they suggested which was $78.00 and along with $125.00 worth of ear cleaner they recommended.
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.
Reviewed Oct. 13, 2008
This is my second encounter with Banfield Animal Clinics. First time was to get my puppy vaccinated... the list they gave me would have cost over $800's. I then went to another clinic and it was approx. $100 for the vaccinations. I then went back (was not thinking in my right mind) for my dog at a year old that had diarrhea. They gave me a list of $600 for tests (including radiology-for diarrhea).... please... they got it down to about $200 but didn't give me any suggestions on what to do about diet, etc... nothing. I left after wasting the money for the visit. Talked to several people and went online and was told to start with a bland rice/chicken diet, pepto bismol for a few days, etc.... the clinic would not give me one suggestion unless I had all the tests. I walked out angry once again. They do not look out for the best interest of the animals but the $'s. Several others have had the same issue. If you love your pets, do not go there.
Reviewed Oct. 10, 2008
I am a former employee of Banfield the Pet Hospital of Mobile. I was an office manager there for nearly 3 years. The complaints I have read are correct, the wellness plans are rip offs. Banfield marks up the prices on vaccines and testing. The reason why wellness plans are pushed are because team members there get bonuses for every plan sold. So the client is left with half a bill for standard care that costs $350 dollars or get on a wellness plan for $100 or so. Catch is you are under contract for a year and if your pet dies you are stuck paying monthly. Another catch is they train the team members to say they will take your pet in as a convenient drop off but that is to get more patients in and out the door. One of the reasons for my departure are because I have witnessed the Director of PetNursing, Supplemental (relief) doctor and Partner doctor hitting patients.
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!!!
Reviewed Oct. 1, 2008
My dog passed away approx. 5 months ago. I called to cancel my Banfield wellness plan. I recently noticed I was still being charged. I called to find out why. The man that helped me said my dog was treated two months ago. I explained my dog was dead and he did some investigating. When he returned to the phone, he stated that he canceled the plan as of today. I stated once again they have been charging me for the past five months for a dog that no longer exists. The man stated he could not give me my money back because services were provided when he was alive. It seems that this is a company that will take you money willingly when no service is needed. If you use any part of the benefits you will pay back one way or another. This is what was said to me in enough words. I think this whole wellness program is a ripoff. It saves you very littile money when you need it. If you use it you will pay. If you don't use it you will pay. Dont fall for it. It really is a joke.
Reviewed Sept. 24, 2008
went to this clinic as a follow-up for my cat, Cooper Rainbow Bogart. Male nurse who sees him claims no such thing as feline asthma. Doctor sees him. Says it is hard to treat feline asthma. Gives me number and email address firm of company I am to get medicine from. Since I am an asthmatic, I asked if I could use my inhalers; said no. I called this company she referred me to--only sell aerochambers, not the inhalers (said I could use human inhaler). Several companies said the same thing. Wasted hours to find a company that sells feline inhalers (they, also, said I could use human inhaler).
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.
Reviewed Sept. 23, 2008
My son and I decided to expand our family by adopting 2 10 week old sister puppies. One of my puppies (Kloey) began throwing up uncontrollably last Wednesday and I got her in to see a vet right away at Banfield Pet Hospital. He told me that we could not test for Parvo since she had recently been vaccinated. He then said she had an obstruction and after $500 worth of x-rays and blood work recommended $2400 worth of emergency exploratory surgery, I rushed her to the emergency hospital hoping for a better price or a referral to somebody that would work out a payment arrangement.
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)
Reviewed Sept. 22, 2008
Every year I took my dogs to get their teeth cleaned, Banfield charges me approx $275 per dog to do this. If I haven't had my dogs in for their half yearly exam, they slap on an additional $60 each! I asked them, what do I get for $60? I was told they administer the anesthesia. Well, excuse me but I am charged separately for anesthesia.
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.
Reviewed Sept. 22, 2008
We had a pet plan with Banfield for our dog. The credit card we used was stolen. The plan came up for a automatic renewal. They tried to use the card and being as the number was changed it would not go through. The next thing we know we are turned into a collection agency for $264.00. We received no notice that there was a problem. We tried on numerous occasions to contact them about this matter with no return calls or resolve. Other than we had broken the contract.
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.
Reviewed Sept. 19, 2008
I took my 8 week old Yorkie Harley to Banfeild in Las Vegas. I figured they would be a good accredited hospital being that they are in a franchise PetSmart. I took her for a regular check up, just home from the breeder. The doctor told me that she needed her first vaccinations, I showed her the papers the breeder gave me with proof of Harley's inital vaccinations. She insisted that the vaccinations had been given too early and they would not take effect. Ten minutes after Harley's visit I noticed that she had vomitted inside of her carrier. I went back to the front desk and asked the nurse was this normal. She said no but all the doctors were gone for the day and that I would need to take her to one of the local 24hr pet hositals.
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!
Reviewed Sept. 11, 2008
The first time our boxer Ushayia was having breathing difficulty we noticed that there was a lump on her neck and decided to take her to Banfield. Banfield ran blood work and performed a cytology and prescribed clavimax and prednisone to reduce the swelling. The blood work and cytology did show an abnormality, but nothing that had any cancer concerns so Dr. Palozzi recommended that we complete the antibiotics. Ushaiyas condition gradually got better.
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.
Reviewed Sept. 5, 2008
On 9/4/2008 i took my 2yr 10lb chihuahua for routine wellness drop off they drug him out by a leash and told me that he wouldent let them put his leash on. so i collected (tobasco) and took off the leash they had on him, it was so tight he was gaging. i put his collar on and started to leave the store and noticed something red hanging out of his right eye, as i turned him around to look i saw both whites of his eyes were full of blood i went back in and said what happened to his eyes and the tech said what's wrong with his eyes.I said you can't see, she then proceded to the back to get the vet.
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.
Reviewed Sept. 5, 2008
We rescued a Boston Terrier in February of '08 and because he had gone to Banfield in the past we decided to go to Banfield here in Cincinnati. We had just recently moved to the area and were looking for a new vet for our rescue and other dog. When I took my pug in for a Parvo shot because Banfield sent me the reminder that he was due, he was given the Bortella shot instead. This concerned me very much.
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.
Reviewed Sept. 5, 2008
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.
Reviewed Sept. 4, 2008
I purchased a Wellness plan for our Family Kitten, took the Kitten to Banfield for their 12 week shots, and the bill was approximately 300.00 plus of pocket expenses of almost 100.00. The portion covered by insurance was inflated along with perscribing antibiotics for ear mites and saline eye drops that are over the counter for a few dollars instead they had my husband purchase perscription drops with a very high price. Then two payments into the plan we had to give the kitten to friends due to my daughters allergies.
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.
Reviewed Sept. 3, 2008
My Husband & I had the most horrific experience that a Pet Owner could possibly have on September 1st, 2008. Our beautiful white American Bulldog took ill that afternoon. As we watched in horror without being able to provide him an relief as he struggled to breathe. We contacted this Banfield and asked if we could bring him in to be seen. I called when we arrived for assistance because he weighed over 98 pounds. The rep stood in the doorway and held the door open. My Husband & I struggled to remove him from our vehicle because at this time he was not responding and unable to walk. A male stood inside and did not offer any assistance. We basically dragged our pet inside as they watched.
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!
Reviewed Aug. 29, 2008
I brought my 1 year old lab in she had brown wax build up in ears and liasins from scratching. i brought here into banfield over month ago they were suppose to sedate her clean her ears do tests on her .they tell me this bacterial infection. anyway next day i pick her up ears look same not cleaned charged me over 1500.00 dollars bunch diffrent medicine and follow up appt for following week. ohh by way dr rude. so week goes by no better take her in says need more med 225.00 more dollars nother week goes by im thinking why is my dog still have same problem and med not working?
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
Reviewed Aug. 27, 2008
I had a very horrible experience with Banfield site #316 in Tampa. My puppy started vomiting on Sunday around 4:PM so I called the Vet at Banfield and he suggested that I bring him in the office. I brought him in and they performed blood work and gave him some medication to stop the vomoting. I took him home and continued to vomit. I took the puppy to the office again the following morning (Monday) they performed and X-ray and they indicated that he something in his intestine and he required surgery. So all day long they performed more bloodwork and surgery still no progress.
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
Reviewed Aug. 26, 2008
Banfield Pet Hospital offers free exams on certain days so I figured I would take my dog in on one of those days. After doing so I now realize that they're going to get they're money regardless of a free exam. I should have known that the experience was going to be bad when I was ignored by the tech who was sitting at her desk on the computer and never once asked me if I needed help, until later. The work she was doing appeared to be important. I never said anything to her because she looked at me a couple of times and knew I was there. I figured she would come to me as soon as she could and I was not going to be one of those impatient customers.
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.
Reviewed Aug. 25, 2008
My fiance is a Vet with 22 years of experience, graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, one of the top Vet schools in the US. He was also a Major in the Air Force in Public Health and was in charge of the health of our troops when they deployed to Iraq after 9/11. He is an excellent emergency Vet and believes in quality diagnostics. He grew up on a farm and loves animals.
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.
Reviewed Aug. 21, 2008
After starting use and payments on the VISA account with this banking system we encountered fees which they randomly applied and removed. We also found accounting errors in incorrect of full payment amounts and thus causing account to fall within overcharge fee range. Spoke to several different office personnel in several different locations and each time was unsuccessful in resolution of the matter. When I, as primary card holder, lost my job due to no fault of my own, I attempted to use the card insurance plan to cover the unemployed time.
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.
Reviewed Aug. 13, 2008
I purchased the Optimum Wellness plan in 2005 over the phone. I was never told about a 1 year contract. I had a fancy brochure in my hand that looked like a great health plan for my two cats. I have had monthly deductions of $60.00 ever since. Everytime I went to the vet I still always had a bill of $70 or more. They would say your plan doesn't cover this or that. My plan did cover blood work and urinalysis which when I had concerns I was just told everything was okay. Then my one cat was diagnosed to be diabetic and of course the insulin, needles and so on where never part of the wllness program.
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.
Reviewed Aug. 13, 2008
I do not have a complaint w/ Banfield. I am a Vet Tech not assoc. w/ Banfield but an other practice in Ohio. I know with my 12 yrs of experience that all animal hospitals make mistakes. We are all human. Yes we are talking about lives here. But look in the Human medical field. Do they not make mistakes.
People now want the cheapest and fastest way to make their pets better, w/o understanding that there may be needed test to perform they are not all useless. If the doctors did not perform the needed test and your pets suffer then there should be valued complaints. We as individuals need to stop the complaining because mistakes happen along w/ miscommunication w/ staff members. Take a few minutes and look at other jobs fields no one is perfect.
Also most people complain about cost w/o understanding how much the hospitals are charged to vaccinate or medicate your pets. It is expensive to run a successful vet hospital due to our out of pocket costs too. We have bills to pay in the hospital too just like costumers. Just get over it.
Reviewed Aug. 11, 2008
I recently took my puppy Barley to the Banfield walk in clinic. He was in need of a heartworm prescription. I was told previously that he would need a quick heartworm test and then would be given the medication and I should go to the walk-in clinic to be seen. I arranged to work from home so I could take my dog into the vet. Earlier that day I called to see if the walk-in clinic was running that day and to see if there was time to have the heartworm test.
When we arrived there was a sign posted saying the clinic would not be available that day. When I questioned the staff saying that I had called earlier they proceeded to argue in front of me and make the decision if they would be able to see Barley that day. The reason the clinic was closed was that a surgery performed earlier that day went wrong and the doctor was too tired to see any patents. Either way, they convinced me that my dog must be seen by the doctor and a blood test was required. I agreed to see the doctor because at this point I didnt want to take another day off work to get my dogs medication.
When the vet-tech arrived in the room she was very short with me and not very pleasant to my dog either. This was only the third time my dog, Barley had seen a vet (He is very young and the previous owner gave him all of his vaccines) and he was very nervous. The vet-tech did not give Barley enough time to warm up to her and immediately began touching him. When she placed the stethoscope on him he almost jumped off the table because it scared him so much. Then she took him back for his blood work. When he returned he was even more scared and was shaking and loosing large amounts of hair.
Then the doctor arrived, he was very rude and callous with me and kept tapping my dog on the head with his finger. I think this was his way of letting the dog warm up to him. At one point, the doctor said to me I dont like the way your dog is looking at me, I think he may bite. I told the doctor that he has never shown and signs of aggression but I agreed to hold the dogs head either way. Then the doctor reached for the dog and Barley snapped at him (He was really, really scared). The doctor became very angry. He proceeded to get close to my face and yell, Thats why I asked you to hold your freaking dog! Then he turned around and slammed the door behind him so hard that it shook the walls of the exam room. He never came in to finish the exam.
The vet tech came back, asked if I wanted to purchase the heartworm medication and then said thanks see you again. No one, including the doctor, ever apologized for the behavior. I quickly left the Petsmart and was so upset and angry I didnt know what to do. My poor dog was also completely traumatized. Even though he typically is a very independent dog he never left my side and was still loosing hair late into the evening. I have never been treated with such disrespect in my life. I cannot believe that rude staff, screaming in a clients face, and slamming doors. I will never retrun to a Banfield or Petsmart again.
Reviewed Aug. 11, 2008
I have been a member of two separate Banfield's for years and never had a complaint. Both of my pets are on the Wellness Plans and I have saved $850 on my dog and $375 on my cat. The plans are not pet insurance whatsoever. I read the contract before I signed it and it says preventive care. Thus, vaccines, heartworm tests, fecal tests, and spay/neuter for pets under 6 months. It says very plainly that it doesn't cover or discount medicines or flea and tick prevention. It does discount emergency care or most illness related procedures. I feel that this is a lesson in not signing before reading.
Also, if you feel rushed, you can take your copy of the plan home and then read it. If you don't like it, you can cancel within 72 hours without penalty (you just need to pay for services provided). Banfield is the world's largest vet hospital and has been around since the 50's. The doctors at my current Banfield in Ann Arbor, Michigan are always friendly, smart, and I never feel rushed when asking questions. This is not a money-hungry business. They are all about what is best for the pet and the parent.
Yes, Banfield may cost more then a clinic but they have the most state of the art equipment in veterinary medicine today. All of them will be somewhat different. And Wellness Plans are transferrable to other Banfield's by the way. It does restart your year agreement though. So please ladies and gentlemen, read the contract before you sign. If you have questions, ask. Don't just sign and then be upset at Banfield for something that was clearly already pointed out to you. Lastly, I know there has to be horrid Banfield's out there, but I firmly believe that the majority are hard-working, caring, and have your pet's best interest at heart.
Reviewed Aug. 1, 2008
I have several dogs of my own and an a very knowledgeable, conscientious, long-time breeder. A woman who purchased two of my dogs (sisters) told me she would take them to Banfield. I told her what I had read on-line, but she took them there anyway. Long story short -- I think she got ripped off. The vet said the dogs had stinky ears. Did a swab on both dogs and looked at it under the microscope -- over $80. If ear was stinky, there was infection! Sold the lady Otic Ear-cleaning product (non prescription) and put it down as a medication. Also charged $41.40 for a lotion for the ears. Animax, a prescription med that is very effective, is less than a third of that price.
A reputable vet hospital would have offered the option of a prescription that could have been filled on-line at a place like Pet-Meds that offers discount prices. Ear infections are not crises, there was time to have the medication sent, and the pet owner could have saved some money. Charged $9.20 to collect **** from one of the dogs. These may seem like little things, but they add up. My vet does a fecal test on one dog from each litter. If there are protozoa or parasites, the whole litter must be treated. Banfield did tests on both dogs.
I concur with those people who have said that Banfield takes advantage of every possibility to run a test and run up a client's bill. I would never go there. I would recommend that no one go there. Although I did not go to Banfield personally, the dog owner sent me a copy of the bill and I have verification in front of me of their services and charges. Thank you for listening to my experience. The consumer was charged for redundant tests and was not given the option of cheaper, equally effective medication or a prescription for medication that could have been purchased elsewhere for a more reasonable price.
Reviewed July 30, 2008
Upon our arrival we were instructed that Sally needed overnight care due to presence of blood in her stool and urine hence, we transferred Sally to another pet hospital as recommended by the attending physician. At 5:18 PM that afternoon, we checked her out of Banfield not knowing the extent of how serious a "Bloat" condition was to our dog. Banfield staff was so busy trying to leave for the day that they did not take the time or responsibility to fully inform us of what was really taking place with our dog.
When we arrived at the other pet hospital we were informed that the hospital Banfield's staff recommended had only medical technicians on staff with no on-call doctor available to care for Sally's condition. What was their staff thinking making that type of referral? It was their responsibility to make an appropriate referral to care for Sally's condition instead the last thing Banfielf's staff said to us before left Banfield was "Good luck". Banfield wasted valuable time in caring for my dog's critical condition!
On Monday July 28th at 7:45 after a licensed doctor came into the office, we received a call that Sally was internally bleeding to death, as evidenced by the blood in her stool and urine, and the best option was to put her to sleep. We then made a painful decision to let our friend sleep eternally and then had to tell a 7 year old little boy that his best friend was never coming home to play. Sally was put to sleep. She was only 1-1/2 years old!
Reviewed July 29, 2008
Dauchsund got ROUTINE DENTAL CLEANING ON WELLNESS PLAN, and was sent home same day, but couldn't walk (weaving, and dragging back 1/2 of body on ground), couldn't hold head up, and unresponsive. After I inquired about pathetic condition of my otherwise healthy, outgoing pet, Dr. Nancy Roth said that my dog might have been given too much anesthesia, and that she would be ok in a couple of hours.
Four days later, she is still listless, and recovering. Dental cleaning was done on 7/25/08, and today (7/29/08), my dog is still not herself. SINCE WHEN DOES A ROUTINE DENTAL CLEANING ALMOST KILL A DOG. The wellness plan implemented almost took the life of my dog.
Reviewed July 29, 2008
I brought my 3 year old 90 lb German Shepherd in for a wellness exam as well as some small hair loss around his eyes of which I had noticed for the last 2 weeks. After waiting for 1/2 an hour to even sign Max in, I finally was able to fill out the necessary paperwork which took around 10 minutes. Then I was escorted into the exam room. The assistant took his temperature and looked at his eyes and said the Dr. needed to see him to provide a plausible diagnosis.
2 hours later finally the Dr. arrived. She took a look at him and said he needed a fungai culture, skin scraping and skin impression. This I approved. 10 minutes later Nicole comes back and says they did not see anything under the microscope but that they recommend 3 different antibiotics including a shot, a version of their shampoo and a ton of other stuff that almost amounted to over 300 dollars. In addition I asked about getting his Advantix and Heartworm medicine. This I remind you I had to ask for.
So I was told there was no record of Max having a heartworm test and unless I could provide that I had to pay for that specific test. I pulled from his file the previous vets record from last year his heatworm testing and his medicine record. She leaves and comes back and then proceeds to tell me the policy has changed and now he has to have the heartwom test regardless of his past testing and history. This is in addition to the constant aggravation of replying with a FIRM emphatic NO to their WELLNESS PLAN and how much money it will save you! THE BILL CONTINUES TO GROW!
I then told her the Banfield upsell was way too much for me to continue on with and that I will cut it off now and go back to my previous vet even as they are located in a different town. Yes, in my own opinion, Banfield Pet Hospitals are money hungry and will take you to the cleaners in the guise of providing the proper health care for your loving pet. BEWARE BEWARE It still cost me over 100 dollars to walk out of there. But they have lost more than that in future revenue with myself and Max only.
2 scraped areas-1 over each eye to draw blood/hair samples and time off of work to the tune of over 3 hours.
Reviewed July 18, 2008
On July 9, 2008 I took my puppy in to Banfield animal hospital. The reason why I took him there is because my puppy was sick with Parvo. All he needed was his treatment. When I took him there they took him in, they wouldn't touch him and acted like they were going to help us and told us not to worry about anything and they would call us back.They called us with an estimate, and I explained to them that I wouldn't get paid till Friday. My intention was not to leave him there get him treated and not pay. I just did not want him to die. She said I had to come pick him up!
While I was trying to find other resources to see what other options we had, we kept him there thinking that they would at least give him fluids. You know keep him well while he was there. Before we went to go pick him up, I had a very rude phone call from a worker there named Liz. She was being very smart alec with me, and her and co workers were all laughing in the background. When we went to go pick him up he was still in the cage where I had place him in, laying un touched. Because of them my puppy is now dead! They could of done something to prevent his death, but instead all they did was ridicule us and laughed in our face.
The reason why we went there is because on their website, it says they treat Pets like family. Well I'll be the first to tell you, thats a false advertisement. They do not practice what they preach! The place I went to go get his treatment the first time were really helpful and assisted my puppy right away. They also said that by law they should of done something to help him. Instead, they let him sit in a cage for 10 hours and feel every second of his suffering pain. This is a form of cruelty and neglect.
That place was a big mistake in my part. I hope that what happened to my puppy, will not happen to anybody else. And I will not let this die down the way they let my puppy die. It's a shame how people who are supposed to care for pets can be so cold hearted to an innocent little puppy! The place I went to was in Fort Worth , Texas Pets Mart Banfield Hospital. I will also proceed in pressing charges!
Reviewed July 18, 2008
On July 9, 2008 I took my puppy in to Banfield animal hospital. The reason why I took him there is because my puppy was sick with Parvo. All he needed was his treatment. When I took him there they took him in, they wouldn't touch him and acted like they were going to help us and told us not to worry about anything and they would call us back.
They called us with an estimate, and I explained to them that I wouldn't get paid till Friday. My intention was not to leave him there get him treated and not pay. I just did not want him to die. She said I had to come pick him up!
While I was trying to find other resources to see what other options we had, we kept him there thinking that they would at least give him fluids. You know keep him well while he was there. Before we went to go pick him up, I had a very rude phone call from a worker there named Liz. She was being very smart alec with me, and her and co workers were all laughing in the background. When we went to go pick him up he was still in the cage where I had place him in, laying un touched.
Because of them my puppy is now dead! They could of done something to prevent his death, but instead all they did was ridicule us and laughed in our face. The reason why we went there is because on their website, it says they treat Pets like family. Well I'll be the first to tell you, thats a false advertisement. They do not practice what they preach!! The place I went to go get his treatment the first time were really helpful and assisted my puppy right away. They also said that by law they should of done something to help him. Instead, they let him sit in a cage for 10 hours and feel every second of his suffering pain. This is a form of cruelty and neglect.
The girl I would especially like to report is named Liz! I will also proceed in pressing charges! Please contact me immediately to see what can be done. And also from preventing this from ever happening again.
Reviewed July 15, 2008
A simple Visit for a Distemper shot {$25.95 } turnedd into a $ 33.95 office visit and also a $ 4.85 charge for medical waste disposal fee for a total of $64.75. If you don't want the office visit you can't get the shot. The office visit and disposal fee are mandatory. I was told temperature was raken and gums looked at and heart listened to will establish if the dog is healthy.
Give me a break. I see my dog everyday and can tell when hr is down. Banfield is a greed driven corporation. additionally. i had a 11 am appointment and still had to wait 45 minutes. Why don't they pay me for the time I waited? The parking is good. It's in PetsMart. i will never refer anybody to Banfield. I do have one more horror story about my last dog that died but i'll get too upset rethinking.
The costs are not told upfront. Aka the hidden disposal fee.
Reviewed July 7, 2008
1. They pressure you into signing up for their pet insurance, but never tell you that it's only for ONE location 2. They then put your dog through many, many unnecessary tests to justify how much you're saving on your plan. My dog has had diarrhea several times. She eats things, I explained that to them every time. Each time I brought my dog in, she had to stay for several hours. They took blood tests, they pulled every fluid they could. Then they'd finally give me some antibiotics for the dog. I got conflicting instructions every time I was in there--from the same doctor. Give her rice, that will help. You give her rice, that's the worst thing you can do, that makes her used to people food. My poor dog was traumatized.
When I moved away from that facility area, I brought my dog to another one of their locations, one that was close to my new location--figured my insurance would just transfer with me. I actually liked the doctors there, they NEVER put her through what the other facility had. However I learned then that the insurance they sold me couldn't be transferred to another facility. They don't tell you that, they rush you to sign the paperwork when you're in there (because they're always busy and completely disorganized).
They advertise themselves as ONE company with multiple locations, they're all found through one web site. Any other company I've ever done business with has contracts that apply to ALL locations. They completely misrepresent themselves. And in the end, your animals have to suffer as they put them through one needless test after another.
I've stopped going to them. I can't subject my dog to it any longer. I would have stayed with the second location in Lone Tree through the end of the contract because they showed some restraint and more actual caring for animals, but they wouldn't let me do that. I called their central office and was told That's just the way it is. Now they've sent me to collection because I didn't finish the contract. These people are just in it to make as much money as possible, they couldn't care less about the animals.
Reviewed July 3, 2008
We were customers of Banfield for a year and most of the service we received was very good and friendly. However, my complaint is with the corporation, not the individual location. I feel the corp. office pushes their staff to practice medicine in a way that is always about how much money they can bring in.
Here are a 3 examples: You want to get a Rx filled somewhere else, they will charge you $11 just for a piece of paper, unless they don't sell it there. They will match prices, but you have to have that proof on hand and it has to be for the exact quantity that they sell. Their wellness plan covers office visits, but there is usually always other costs. My dog had yeast in his ear. It was $27.50 just to get his ear swabbed. They wanted him to come back for a recheck in 2 weeks for another $27.50. That doesn't include the medicine that was $25.
My dog has hip problems. They wanted to run tests that were over $200 and put him on medicine to see if it would fix the problem. I had to ask if we could just try the medicine first before the test, since that was all they were going to do to fix the problem.
I dropped my dog off, because he was having diarrhea. I wrote down that I had given him Imodium AD how much and when. When I picked him up they charged me $10 for 2 pills of loperamide. After I got home, I looked at the Rx bottle and noticed what they gave me. Lopermide is Imodium. They gave me what I already had at home. Their pills were capsules with powder inside that they wanted me to split in half. I bought a whole box of that stuff for less than 2 pills. Not even that, my dog had already been on it for 2 days, which is the max. he should have been on it. That is why I took him in.
Now I can't trust that the medicine they give me can't be bought cheaper at Walgreens or maybe something I already have at home. I can't trust that the procedures aren't excessive. Again, the staff and doctor were great most of the time. But they are pushed to follow procedures that are only about the money.
Banfield Pet Hospital Company Information
- Company Name:
- Banfield Pet Hospital
- Website:
- www.banfield.com
