Banfield Pet Hospital reviews and complaints 1
View all 523 complaintsBanfield Pet Hospital - if they treat pets like family, i'm glad i'm not in theirs.
My cat threw up four times in one week, very uncommon for her, so I decided to switch vets and take her to Banfield. They told me she needs a teeth cleaning, which could cause her to throw up if they were infected, a thyroid test because that could also be the issue and since she's over weight and a long-haired cat, she has a hard time cleaning herself so that needs to be taken care of. And they can do all of it while she's under anesthesia. They talked me into their 'wellness plan' (HA) and set me up with an appointment for the next day. I brought her in at 7:00 AM as they asked me to do and I was told they would call me at 1:00 PM with a status update and I'd be able to pick up Pepper at 6:00 PM and she'll be 'bright-eyed and bushy-tailed', that's a quote. I sleep during the days so I made sure I left my phone on so it would wake me up. I woke up at 2:15 and they didn't call, I had to call them at 3:30. The person that answered the phone said "She's being examined now and she's doing fantastic. She's a wake and wiggling around but I'll have the nurse call you back with more details when she's done with the exam". The nurse called back at 4:00 PM and told me she's doing good and I'd be able to get her at 6:00. When I dropped her off, I didn't bring her in her pet carrier, just a collar and a lease with her towel so she has something from home. As I'm walking in, I'm picturing Pepper giving me a happy 'Hi, Dad' meow but I was greatly disappointed. They said they couldn't get her out of the cage and asked me to do it. When I saw Pepper, she started hissing and growling at me... AT ME! She has never done that in the four years I've had her. When I picked her up, she was screaming in pain. Then, I placed her on the exam table because I noticed she was wet on her belly from front legs to back but when I placed her on the table, she couldn't stand. She kept on falling. AND THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A CAT THAT'S DOING 'FANTASTIC'? They never told me to bring a pet carrier. Never told me or even given me the slightest inclination that she's in need of looking after.in fact, they had told me she was doing great. A cat that's hissing and growling, who has never done these things in four years, and has pissed herself and can't stand up, is NOT doing anywhere near great. They suggested that I buy a carrier, to which I said I'm not buying one when I have one at home and they should have told me to bring it. Then they went looking for a box to put her in. I'm disabled so I have to walk with a cane. I couldn't carry my cat out to the car with her in a big cardboard box so I had to get a shopping cart and wheel her out to the car. All the way home Pepper is trying to stand up but the motion of the car and her being still on the anesthesia, all she was doing was falling all over the place while crying constantly. When I finally got home, I had to call a neighbor to get him to come out to get my apartment key so he could get a wagon from inside so I could wheel Pepper in our home because if she fell, she would not have been able to land on her feet. As soon as she got inside she stopped crying knowing the comfort and safety of her home. Immediately she tried to eat. Understandably so since it has been over 18 hours since she last ate and she drank more water in one hour than she normally does in a whole day. Her eyes were dilated and I could tell when she started walking she was in a lot of pain. I found her more than a couple of times sleeping in her food dish. What would have happened if that was her water dish? For that whole night I had to keep her in sight and the Banfield reps never told me I needed to do that. When I finally went to bed (I couldn't stay awake any longer), Pepper tried to jump on the bed but couldn't and fell hard on the floor. The day after I brought her home, she finally became coherent but it was still clear she was in a lot of pain. She just lays on my bed and won't eat much because I can only guess her teeth are hurting her and her butt is hurting too because of he way she's walking. Had the people at Banfield informed me of this during the 4:00 PM phone call and said if I decide to take her home, I would need a pet carrier and she'll require close supervision for the next 24 to 48 hours or given me the choice to leave her there overnight, I would have bee fine with it but they didn't. Instead, they're just another corporation that just wants your money and could care less about your four-legged family member. I went there earlier today to complain to the office manager but she wasn't there. Instead I complained to a vet and head nurse that wasn't there during the week so she had no idea about Pepper other than what's in their system. The head nurse apologized and I told her "sorry just doesn't cut it at this point because the damage has been done and is inexcusable". The vet wanted me to bring her in again for another exam to see why she was still in pain and to that I said "You're never going to touch my cat ever again." I plan on calling them on Monday and telling them this whole story. Since I signed up for their 'wellness plan' (HA), and used my credit card for the recurring billing, I plan on stopping by my bank before I call them on Monday to cancel my card to have another re-issued because reading the 'agreement', I have four business days to cancel but canceling also voids all discounts, which are over $300 right now. If they send this to a collection agency, I could care less. I'm not worried about my credit because they don't have my social security number and even if it does appear on my credit report, I can dispute it.
You don't mean to give me the run around but that's EXACTLY what I am getting. I called the Wellness Plan Relations to cancel the plan and they said I had to speak to the Client Advocacy Team, who took my complaint. After doing that, the rep asked what kind of resolution I was looking for, I was told they'd have to forward it to the local hospital and they had to make that decision. Earlier today, I got a call from the manager at the local hospital and she said she couldn't make that decision but she wasn't giving me the run around. It sure as ### sounds like you're doing just that. I've been given the run around a few times during my time on this planet so I know it when I see it and this is one of those times. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it's a duck. You say you're looking out for my pet but I haven't done anything along those lines, just greed, pointing fingers and passing the buck. Out of the five people I spoke to so far in your company, both local and from your offices, I have told each one of them to put me in touch with a person that can make this decision and each one has forwarded me to someone who can't. That sure as hell sounds like the run around to me. What would YOU call it? No one is accepting accountability for neglecting their responsibilities when it came to my cat only in the hopes I get disgusted and go away. Well, I'll tell you right now. I'm not going away. I'm going to see this through. I have an appointment with another vet in the morning and they know I think someone abused my cat and if they find this to be true, you can count on the fact I'll let the ASPCA, the Humane Society of North Texas and local news and law enforcement know what's going on. I am not making threats but a promise to follow this through until the end. I tried to be civil and asked the person I spoke to from CAT to let me out of my plan and the matter will be dropped because you're never going to even see my cat again, let alone examine her. I told him I want to be fair, keep the money I paid already but make it so I don't owe you anything else and we'll call it square but he gave me the brush off and said he can't make that decision but the person from the local hospital that calls me can... but as I said, she said she can't. So now the game is on. Until I get satisfaction, I'm not dropping this. I don't tire easily and the more crap you give me, just feeds my hunger to follow this through to the end.
@Banfield The Pet Hospital - The people at my local Banfield told me if I wanted to cancel, I had to call CAT. I can see you guys are going to give me the run around... I had a feeling this was going to give me problems, I should have trusted my instincts.
@Zachary S. - Since they don't have my social security number, they can't put a negative comment on my credit report. And even in the remote chance if they could, I can dispute it.
As for calling [protected], I have more than a 12 minute wait to speak to someone but a recording stated if I wanted to cancel, I had to speak to the people at the local hospital where I signed up. That contradicts what they told me there. They said I had to call the client advocacy team.
You are correct. I had no idea what to do for a cat that was under anesthesia. This is the first time I was placed in such a scenario but don't you think it's the professional's responsibility to ensure I know how to care for my cat after a procedure requiring anesthesia? I think so. Think about it, if you get a procedure from your doctor, doesn't he/she give you a protocol to follow for the near future and then talk about it so you understand? Never in my life has any doctor told me I'd be 'bright-eyed and bushy-tailed' immediately after any kind of evasive procedure. I was not made fully aware of the seriousness of this visit but ensured it was something that's very common. Still, my cat is depressed and is lifeless. I don't feel these people did what they could to ensure the complete care of my cat and in my opinion is negligence.
Fortunately, I don't agree with you. There is such a thing as trust when it comes to medical professionals, even veterinarians and if you can't trust those professionals to disclose important care information for your loved ones then they're not doing their job. These people violated that trust all in the name of greed. The need to bring a pet carrier to the vet is not common knowledge. I've brought my cat numerous times to the vet and never needed one. If you actually read my statement above you'd see that I did state what her issues were: she needed her teeth cleaned, her butt shaved and cleaned up and a thyroid test done. Still, four days after the procedure, she still can't walk normally and she's not eating normally either, although getting better every day. Had I known she'd feel this way BEFORE the procedure, I would have opted out and searched for a second opinion... so yeah, I do have recourse and if they take me to court, then more power to them.
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@ Native NYer
If you would like to cancel your plan, then you can definitely go through your local hospital. We just want to let you know this service is also available through our Wellness Plan relations team at [protected]. This is a different number than that of the Client Advocacy team, which is [protected]. The Client Advocacy team is there for you to provide feedback and report incidents. We don't mean to give you the runaround - just trying to let you know we have resources available to help.
@Native NYer,
As a follow-up, if you would like assistance in cancelling your Wellness Plan, please call our Wellness Plan Relations team at [protected]. We'd be happy to discuss your cancellation options with you as opposed to you having to change your credit card.
@Native NYer
On behalf of Banfield, we want to apologize if our communication to you had not been better from the beginning. We certainly want to help our clients understand common effects of anesthesia and how to provide post-visit care. We hope that your cat is doing better now, and we appreciate you trusting Banfield with her care. Thank you for providing your feedback here, but please feel welcome to share your experience with our client advocacy team at [protected].
Stay away from corporations! Vets and Doctors lie to sell you pharmaceutical drugs! Go to a small, reputable business whom you can trust. Corporations are only out for money and they will screw you sideways and at any cost. A small vet business might be more expensive, but at least you can trust that you are getting accurate, quality care.
I'm sorry, but it seems as if you don't understand proper procedure with cats that are under anesthesia. I have had cats all of my life and am very familiar with their care. Cats, just like people, need to be assisted (with a cat carrier often times) after anesthesia because it has not completely worn off and they will still be drowzy. They will have discomfort and they will be acting a little moody or "off" from their personality. You are not supposed to feed them right away and you are supposed to monitor their food and water (and while they eat it) and only give them a small amount at a time. You are also supposed to keep them very inactive and find a small room or cozy area they can stay in. You should keep them from jumping or being active as much as possible, post any surgeries.
I know this sounds like a lot, but it sounds like you didn't even try to do any of it. Were you unaware that this needed to be done?
Either way, I'm sorry you had such a bad experience and I hope your cat is doing better.