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Banfield Pet Hospital
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2.3 526 Reviews

Banfield Pet Hospital Complaints Summary

174 Resolved
348 Unresolved
Our verdict: Engaging with Banfield Pet Hospital, which has a below-average resolution rate, demands caution. Thoroughly assess their service reviews and explore how they handle unresolved complaints. If you encounter issues, document your experiences meticulously and be persistent in seeking resolutions.
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Banfield Pet Hospital reviews & complaints 526

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Newest Banfield Pet Hospital reviews & complaints

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2:38 pm EDT
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Banfield Pet Hospital - billing practices

Anyone wanting to join in on a class action lawsuit against Banfield Pet Hospitals should go to: http://www.schneiderwallace.com/PracticeAreas/ClassActions.htm Once there clink on "Inquire About Your Potential Case" and fill out the online form giving specific details of your problems regarding Banfield. Please, make sure that you include either your...

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4:08 am EDT
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Banfield Pet Hospital stay away from them if you want a healthy pet

For those who say "gee they get busy" try going to a GOOD vet and see how they handle being busy. You'll actually get good care--unlike at Banfield. They rush you into signing paperwork for their health plan (which people should know is good for ONE location--if you don't like that one you CAN'T just move to another one, they won't let you take the insurance). They then give your pet an unending list of needless tests every time you bring them in to justify the cost of the insurance. Yes, insurance makes sense, but only when you are working with a reputable vet. That would not include Banfield Pet.

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jon claude
New York, US
Aug 29, 2010 10:19 pm EDT

if you think tests on your pet is useless, then you shouldn't be a pet parent. shame on you. go read up on good health care and you'll see tests right next to it. educate yourself before you say something like that.

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10:45 am EDT
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Banfield Pet Hospital need more training and better communication

Banfield has been seeing my Chihuahua since birth. I was never informed that she had a heart murmur. I only found out back in March 2008, by the way she is 14 years old, when she dislocated her hip. They took x-rays to see why she was in so much and then they said she has a heart murmur, by then it was too late. All they could say to me was, "yes, she has a heart murmur" repeatedly as if reading a statement and not even listening to my questions. IF YOU LOVE YOUR PET DO NOT USE BANFIELD.

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WhyMyMindWonders
, US
Jul 02, 2012 10:34 am EDT

I don't know the details but I can tell you this...it's very likely your dog developed a heart murmur. Heart murmurs do not have to be present at birth, and sometimes do develop with old age (old heart valves just don't have the same potential as new ones) and since your baby was 14, it's likely hers was developed from old age (if she didn't have any other underlying issues, like an infection), so I would not be quick to think that they didn't care or didn't tell you about it when it was there all along because it may have just developed.

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2:52 am EDT
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Banfield Pet Hospital terrible service

I started taking my dog to Banfield in March, she had severely swollen paws and her ear canals were nearly swollen shut. The immediately started her on Prednisone (must be their favorite drug) They never told me of the hazards of using this drug on my dog. Even vaccinating her while taking it HUGE NO NO since it effects their immune system.

My dog was never fully diagnosed by them. They began to just prescribe anything and everything for her bleeding me dry financially with no relief to my dog! When I started questioning them about their care and the way they were treating my dog is when it came to this... About 4 wks ago I get a phone call saying I can give her some over the counter pain medicine to help relieve her some.

So I called back last week to ask what it was. (since the first phone call they added a 'morphine' type drug to her prescription list which I refused to fill). So when I called back they said there wasn't any over the counter meds I could give her but I could come in and fill the prescription. I told them it seemed funny 3 wks ago the dog in the same condition taking the same meds could take something but now that this prescription was in there she can't?

Well a few days later they called to give me some of her test results and said they were paying off her wellness plan and discharging her as a patient because I was irate on the phone and hung up on the Vet.
I was not irate on the phone I was irritated yes but never yelled or raised my voice. The Vet actually hung up on me, not vice versa!

They just want your money they don't care about your animal. Nor are they treating in a correct manor to get results.

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tx777
Palm Coast, US
May 26, 2013 2:32 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Banfield is by far the worst vet I have ever been to. The wellness plans are a total sham - every visit, I've had to fight to get the vet to perform the most routine tests that are promised in the plan and even then, they find loopholes to charge you... They charge several times the regular rate for meds ect. so you end up paying for that you would have if you'd gone to a reputable vet. All of the doctors at Banfield are inexperienced and incompetent. They are clearly only concerned about getting as much money from you as possible. I worked at a vet for over 5 years and know a little bit about what a good vet should do. I recently took my Great Dane into Banfield in Palm Coast and paid a lot of money for a complete senior wellness exam with a full CBC blood panel screen. The vet barely looked at my dog and did not even notice 5 large lipomas until after I pointed them out to her. She spent LESS THAN 3 minutes examining my dog! She did not ask to review his records nor did she carefully listen to heart and lung function. It was very clear to me the whole exam what just a sham to get money and she did not care at all about my dog's health. She seemed annoyed that I asked questions and did not have informed answers for any of them. They supposedly did a full CBC panel which (miraculously) came back in about 5 min. However, they did not give me the results and when I came back it to pick them up, I noticed there was an abnormally low level platelet count (148) The doctor had not even noticed it until I pointed it out and then made excused saying it was "normal" A reputable vet would have ordered a manual check of this to confirm. A low level platelet count can be very serious. I now have to go to another vet to have this checked. The CBC panel itself was not nearly as inclusive as most panels done at regular vets.. yet they charged me 3x what most vets charge! I told her about my dogs cognitive decline and the doctor said she had never heard of Anipryl which is the most commonly diagnosed prescription med for this... nor did she know about choline or Cholodin; which are the most commonly used supplements for canine cognitive decline! Remarkably uniformed! She did not seem to care at all and did nothing to check him for this... She also said no adults canines can get ear mites which is a lie. She pretended to briefly look into his ears.. (this is not the way to check for mites.. you have to take a swab at look under a microscope) When I worked at the vet, I personally treated at least 30 adults dogs for ear mites. Finally, they charged me twice what they originally quoted for Rimadyl and only gave me 10 days worth with no refills! I had to go back in to get the Rimadyl because the vet forgot to add it during the first visit! When I finally got it... It did not have the full amount and most of the pieces were broken up. Two years ago, when I took my Great Dane into Banfield on the "platinum plan" for a complete yearly exam and screen... they left him in a small cage all day long and when I picked him up after work - 9 hours later, he could barely walk and had feces and urine all over him! They told me they did not do anything for him that day.. no tests.. NOTHING! They had forgotten he was there! The doctor refused t come out and talk to me and they even tried to charge me for that! They also gave him 6 month supply of bad heartworm med that was recalled! They did not want to reimburse me nor did they apologize for their incompetence. If you care at all about your pets, I would avoid this place at all costs! You are going to get much better care going to a real vet.

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mother2
, US
May 18, 2011 10:37 pm EDT

When I signed up at your clinic I was told in advance that there was going to be one vet - so far there has been at least 10 there now I told there are two new ones and they want to do all these test on my dogs again. It seems like everytime you get a vet in your offices they want to do extensive work on the dogs that have been coming there for years (read the charts for gods sakes). I have an 2 elderly dogs and all they want to do is put them threw test that will cost me money (not them) and tell me what they want to happen to the dog (More money). I have already been threw this with the first vet there which caused nerve damage to my dogs leg and now it's to late to fix it and I fought with him about it (Cost me $600 to fine out nothing could be done from another vet). Then Dr White wanted to put them threw the test again I said fine but was not happy (Cost me even more money). I even had a friend who's dog went there 6 months ago and almost died because of the vet did she now takes her somewhere else and the dog looks great (Cost her $4, 000 and your doctors saying it was not there fault). I don't know who you hire but a better back ground check should be done along with some compassion and understanding of the owners. I have sent lots of people to your clinic only to hear horror stories from them I'm beginning to understand what they are saying

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BAN BANFIELD
Ann Arbor, US
Oct 01, 2011 4:45 pm EDT

My daughter worked at Banfield as vet. They are one of the worst employers in the country. Its all money driven and the heck with the doctors and customers. They treat their vets like dirt, and do nothing but push them to do unnecessary tests. If they don't they threaten to fire them. Most of the vets work 12 to 14 hour days and get padi for 8. Cheap, cheap cheap - they are the worst - DON'T BLAME THE DOCTORS.

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5:02 am EDT

Banfield Pet Hospital Incompetency and lack of ethics

April 22, 2008.

My first visit with my cat, who was scooting her butt on the floor. A general technician expressed her anal glands and said that only one really had anything in it and that the others were fine. It was recommenced that she lose weight, so she could better clean herself. I was told that if it happened again within the next few weeks, to just bring her back and that they would do it again at no charge.

May 13, 2008.

I return with my cat, who is still scooting. I am now told by Dr. V. that her anal glands are fully impacted and infected. I questioned how this progressed so quickly when we were just in, only to be given the brush-off and told that it can happen quickly sometimes. I was also told that 'by law' she had to be vaccinated for rabies since I brought her in. I found this odd... if that is the law then why didn't I have to do it the first time I was in?

I was told when I left that if she didn't get better, she'd need blood-work done - at a whopping $119. I am also encouraged to start giving her fiber - which ironically PetSmart doesn't even carry... I was told I'd have to go elsewhere to look for it.

I ended up leaving with a full-cost office visit... which why should I have to pay that if I already paid for a visit on 4/22 and was told return if the problem continued? I ended up paying - again - to have her anal glands expressed. I ended up paying for the rabies vac. And finally, I ended up paying for the antibiotic. Oh, yes, I was given a coupon for $15 off for my troubles... but then I was charged a Medical Waste Disposal Fee... what is that?

May 16, 2008 - Approximately.

My cat was now vomiting and having loose stools from the antibiotic - and was still scooting. I took her in and they checked her again and this time sent me home with Laxatone... yes, a laxative... for a cat with loose stools! I only know now this is a laxative because of what the new vet I took her to today told me - and I confirmed be research on-line... Banfield told me that it would coat her stomach and make her feel better. Paid cash, don't recall the total charge.

June 4, 2008.

My cat is still scooting. I take her in and I am told that she now has ear infections - obviously not related to the scooting. I am told that her anal glands are fine and that she just perhaps has an allergy that is causing her butt to itch or that she needs more fiber.

I left with no real resolution to my cat's real problem - the scooting - other than a follow-up visit three weeks from now and being told to try to add fiber to her diet. I was told that blood-work still might need to be done and that perhaps I would want to bring in a stool sample in three weeks if it doesn't stop.

I was also informed that they had supposedly de-wormed my cat on a previous visit. When I questioned this, I was told that I just hadn't been charged for it. So, services/treatments were performed on my cat and I wasn't told... or was she really not treated and that was just said to me?

Finally, I was asked to sign a release for treatment today. The tech who asked me to sign looked surprised when I didn't know what it was that I was signing - he asked if I hadn't signed one before - I explained that I didn't recall signing one before and he proceeded to tell me that I should be signing one before every visit. After thinking back, I believe I may have signed one initially on my first visit, but not on the most recent visits.

I ended up paying again for an office visit, to have her anal glands expressed, to have her ears swabbed and a microscopic exam, for ear cleaner and for an antibiotic for her ears... oh, and that Medical Waste Disposal Fee.

June 5, 2008.

I took her to a vet today who found that she in fact does have one severely impacted anal gland and that it is very infected. They kindly gave her an antibiotic shot (so no two pills for seven days) and gave her a steroid shot to aid the irritation of the inflammation. They also informed me that she does not have an ear infection and that her ears look fine.

After logging my concerns with Banfield client services, I received a call from Dr. V. - a message was left. In the message she states that it is possible that my cat had a ruptured anal gland, the other details were too difficult to make out clearly, but she says that either she told me she had an infected but not impacted gland or vice versa. Regardless, with either statement, then she left my cat leave her office untreated yesterday. She also has her dates confused by saying my cat had been in two days prior, when she had just been in the day before.

June 11, 2008.

After conversations with 'the hospital manager', I am told by her "that she herself is not a doctor and believes that Dr. V. gave her the care she states she did, as well as treated her reasonably." So, in other words, no one is challenging Dr. V.'s decisions, they are being taken as creditable and that's that.

So, the manager offers me to talk to one of the other doctor's there, Dr. W. I reluctantly agreed since my fear was that we were again just going to be supporting Dr. V.'s care. The manager assured me that she would not want to work in a place where that would happen, so I obliged.

I did go in on this day however to recoup at least what little money I could - I was only able to get fees back on meds that I still had in my possession... so, no return for the course of ingested antibiotics, no returns for the multiple times her anal glands were supposedly expressed, ect.

I recovered only $97.27 of my total $236.10+. Upon leaving and attempting the credit - I will still AGAIN charged the medical wasted fee - they ended up having to give me cash out of the register... clearly, something is wrong with this system.

Anywho...

I wait for my 2:00 phone call from Dr. W. (the time agree upon by the manager - mind you I work afternoons for my business while my daughter naps, so I am losing valuable business time). At about 2:20 I call the office to finally get on the phone with a disgruntled Dr. W. who proceeds to tell me that she can't always just drop everything and run to the phone - after simply stating I wasn't sure that perhaps she was expecting me to call into the office. Long, long story short - Dr. W. tells me that she doesn't really know anything about my cat, that she was just told I need to be explained to why a cat might need fiber. She tries to validate Dr. V. giving my cat who has diarrhea a laxative by saying 1) it might have help push the impacted anal gland out and might help with hairballs and/or 2) the product had fiber in it and that sometimes it could have the reverse affect... ? I told Dr. W. that I wasn't buying that since I was told it was meant to 'sooth her stomach' when I asked for something for her vomiting and diarrhea.

After a brief heated call with Dr. W. - who was obviously not prepared to deal with my challenges - because her only real responses where "I don't know, I wasn't there" and "I don't know, I didn't see your cat'" - I again contacted Banfield client services. I was told that there really was no further course of action, that if it wasn't resolved at the hospital level that there was little more anyone could do. I was told that my concerns were be logged and that perhaps one of the field managers would give me a call.

Here we are June 20, more than a week later... no call.

Oh, one final note, I took my cat in to the new vet yesterday... after two weeks she started scooting again... she has worms... HOW ODD considering Dr. V. said she de-wormed her... another lie? or another case of not doing something she said she did? or another case of not doing something correctly?

Let's get a grip here - Banfield doesn't provide quality care for its patients, they lie to cover up their mistakes and to cover up other lies, and then when someone calls them out on it - we're made to look and feel like we're over-reacting and that we just don't understand veterinary care. It's so sad that the animals and their parents (owners) must go through this and that no one from Banfield will even step in for a moment to take a look.

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emily1006
St. Louis, US
Apr 14, 2010 4:50 pm EDT

I can't believe that they didn't do a fecal check at your very first visit! Scooting is usually either anal gland issues or worms. I'm sorry you had to go through all of that!

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5:56 am EDT
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Banfield Pet Hospital this is totally unacceptable

My Mother brought my cat to the vet for a check -up and because he was acting peculiar and had pulled back paw nail and it did bleed. She was refused and turned away when the receptionist said she needed my authorization signature and refused to fait to my job. The main office told me she was wrong, but she insisted they told her not to fax me the authorization. This is why the Staten Island Banfield CLOSED UP before. Shame on them and this will definitely get reported. This is totally unacceptable especially since there also was a problem and possible could be a serious one.

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MiniPinn
, US
Jul 01, 2010 1:02 pm EDT

Nov of 2017 the FDA put out an alert about Vetsulin and the varying amounts of the crystalline Zinc insulin. However, my vet never told me about it and the possible side effects.

In May 2017 I went in to pick up a vial of insulin. i was told that they were out and on back order. I asked if they can call their other locations to see if they had any in. After calling 5 locations there was one nearby that had 1 vial left. This was alarming news and asked the nurse if the vet would be willing to script out in case of a situation like this occurs again. She comes back into the room and says No he will not script it out. Now a month later he is scripting it out b/c they no longer have Vetsulin at any of their locations. They put my dog on Humunlin N and said to keep the same dosage. They never told me about the need to switch syringes now for the past 3 days my dog is getting who knows what kind of dosage. I am so furious at their lack of care.

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Hhuntley
, US
Mar 08, 2011 1:55 pm EST

Bansfield is very underhanded. You call and get a price quote, then they tack on all sorts of “extra fees” including “medical disposal.” I took a feral cat in for spaying and the bill with all “services and fees” was over $650. When I called they quoted $350. I feel totally ripped off and now they are even telling me that I will have to pay an additional fee, on top of the $650+ to get the spaying staples removed. Unbelievable. I will never go back to Bansfield and will definitely tell anyone I know with pets not to go.

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Lost
, US
Aug 30, 2009 6:20 pm EDT

BAH continues to draft my checking account. I am stuck in a contract(This is the 4th year of a 1 year contract!) They have drop off appointments for services (with no comunication) they are never available for sick or emergency visits. They always find a procedure, treament etc. in addition to "covered services so that every "in plan" check-up costs me $60- $300.00 more. They removed the wrong lump requiring a second surgery and acting like I should have been grateful they didn't charge me for putting my poor dog through anesthesia again. The last time she had her teeth cleaned it took 3days to recover from anesthesia and although " eye abnormality was noted on the apperwoork this was never communicated and coatand skin were "normal even though the reason for the apointment was hotspots (I had to have a drop off "well checkup" for them to see her) It took a threatening email before the Vet returned my calls about this I have yet to hear from Banfield regarding any of this. My advice is to stay away from "chain store" vets .

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HanF59
, US
Sep 15, 2009 2:43 pm EDT

On Sunday, August 23, my two dogs got in a fight.

I noticed on Tuesday, August 25, that the one dog's face on the right side was beginning to swell. I decided to keep an eye on it and take her to a vet on Wednesday if it was still swelling.

On Wed her face did look worse, but my husband had chest pains and I took him to the ER, he was admitted to the hospital and ended up in ICU.

On Thursday morning I called my daughter and grandson and asked them to find a vet and take my dog Sasha because her face was really swollen by now. My grandson googled the closest vet and found Banfield (7th Ave and Bell Road in Phoenix AZ). Since they are affiliated in the Petsmart store, I had confidence that this was a good place for them to take her.

When they arrived and the exam was completed, it was decided that she needed to have surgery. The cost was given of approx $1200 and I agreed to this - since my husband was in ICU, I could not put his dog to sleep at this time. Surgery was done, a drain tube placed in her cheek, oral and ear drop antibiotics were given. (She has been given her meds every 12 hours since the surgery).

On Monday, August 31, my daughter took her back to Banfield as requested by the Vet. She was examined and the drain tube was removed.

On September 10 I noticed that her face was starting to swell again. I called Banfield and was told that in order to have her checked again I would have to pay another exam visit. I questioned this since if the decision to remove the drain tube too soon was made, then I should not have to pay for that mistake. Christy put me on hold, came back and said she had talked to the Vet - and that there was nothing they could do - if I wanted her checked again I would have to pay for the visit. I told her I was very unhappy and that if I was going to pay someone a 2nd time to care for my dog after this botched procedure by their Vet - it would not be them.

This is the WORST vet attitude I have ever encountered. I am so sorry I took my pet to this location. I will do everything within my power to make sure others are aware of this treatment. I will share my BAD experience at every opportunity. I do not have another $1, 000 to take care of my pet and if another surgery is now required, then my pet will probably die.

Banfield at this location in Phoenix did not care about my pet – and since my incident I have seen so many unhappy customers at other locations that I now beleive that Petsmart probably doesn’t care either or they would not have continued affiliation with Banfield

My comments are to share my BAD experience - if my dog had not been so sick, and I would have checked all of the complaints before I would not have taken her to Banfield.

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ChichiLeche
Duluth, US
Sep 09, 2009 12:11 pm EDT

I took my cat in so they could look at a type of blister/cut/ cyst on his paw that had become infected (it was oozing yellow liquid). I waited nearly 40 minutes and the vet gave NO diagnosis, only that it was infected. (duh-that's why I took him to the vet). Then they charged me twice for 2 different antibiotics, which I noticed later.

The gave me some antibiotic drops and told me the dosage. When I returned home to administer the medicine, the dropper had a different form of measurement than what they had told me so I called to make sure I had converted the measurement correctly. The receptionist first said "the dosage is on the box" I explained that I wasn't sure and she went and checked, but I felt like they were implying I was stupid. I wasn't able to administer the medicine at that time because it had gotten late and I had to work. I put it in the fridge and went to work.

When I returned it was 9:30pm and I opened the medicine and it was already opened! Horrified that they gave me unsealed medicine, I set it on the table by my purse so I would remember to return it the next day when I went out. At this point I thought the medicine had already been used and was bad and didn't see any reason to refrigerate it.

I went to the vet with the medicine and explained that it was opened. They told me they ALWAYS did that because the medicine comes in a powder form and they have to mix it with drops. I was shocked that the nurse had not explained that to me. I asked for another bottle since the other one had not been refrigerated (because I thought it was bad) and they tried to charge me for it! I ended not taking it at all and walking out. I later went to a health food store and a got a natural herb antibiotic for my cat which is what I should have done in the first place.

I next called Banfield's 1800 customer service line. I said I wanted to make a complaint. A guy said that he would type my complaint into his computer word for word and then send it to coporate. I said "I am not asking for a refund, I only wanted to voice my concern about the vet and the nurse's lack of diagnosis, explanation of dosage and explanation of opened medicine. " I proceeded with the same story as above and he said someone would call.

Someone called 3 days later and left me a voicemail saying that I could not be issued a refund! Uh huh, word for word? Not even close.

I will never return to a Banfield, not even a different location. As shown above, the vet, nurse, and corporate office doesn't care at all about the pet or the customer. They didn't even listen to a word I said.

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Jill Barron
,
Feb 26, 2008 8:31 pm EST

I took my 3 year old yorkie to Banfield Pet Hospital at Petsmart in Kennesaw to get his rabies vaccine and heartworm pills. While I was there, the nurses were completely incompetent, they threw away and had to reprint 4 different estimates in 20 minutes because they said they kept forgetting additonal fees for things like blood storage, etc. The nurse asked why I was there, I told her, and 2 minutes later she came in and asked me again why I was there because she forgot and didn't make notes in the computer for the doctor. When the doctor came in she said she didn't know what I was there for because there were still no notes in the computer. I told her again, they did his vaccine and drew blood and we left. The next morning he was shaking all over, would not move at all, and if you touched him he would cry and whimper. I called at 9 AM and told the receptionist what was happening and that I needed to know if this was normal or to bring him in. She put me on hold, then came back and said that I could bring him in if I wanted, but it would be $80, and "you know, like, they may just give him fluid, you know?" Literally, that is what she said to me. I told her I did not know, and could she please have a nurse or the doctor call me so I could know what to do. 5 hours later, I called back, because no one had called, and the same girl answered, I asked her if I could speak to a nurse or the doctor since no one had called me. The nurse was very rude, interrupted me in the middle of me telling her why I was calling, and asked what exactly is he doing. When I told her, she said (very rudely) that she has been a nurse for 5 years and has never heard of a reaction to a rabies vaccine. I was absolutely appalled because in the 5 hours of me waiting for them to call me I had looked on the internet, and told her so, about all kinds of reactions to rabies vaccines. Not to mention, that is why they will not let me take him in to get groomed until 48 hours after the vaccine. She told me that no one called me because they were in surgery, which at that point I told her how the receptionist answered my question the first time I called and she told me it was because she was new. She put me on hold, then came back and told me that she was mistaken, the doctor said it is possible for dogs to have a reaction to the vaccine, but as long as he is not vomiting and having diarrhea then it should be ok, and to bring him in tomorrow if he is not better. I will NEVER take him back there. I work for a doctor's office and if a patient is having problems we do not guess, or even come close to saying what the receptionist said.

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GemS93
, US
Sep 24, 2009 3:28 pm EDT

So My wife and I noticed one of our dogs was itching alot and then all of the sudden she started loosing her hair! So we took her in to Banfield's since that is the closest vet to our house. They said she is allergic to flea bits. she gave us First Shield and shampoo and a conditioner and some other crap total (over $120). They convinced us to get a skin graph and skin scrape (another $60) they said she might also have a food allergy and recommended this dog food that is $65 for 15 LBS! And then after the graph and scrape they said she also has ring worm and bacterial infection. They wanted to treat everything all at once (another $230) I asked them how can we know whats wrong if we treat everything all at once? The lady said its just easier to be safe than sorry. After doing some research I found my dog had no symptoms of ring worm or a bacterial infection and they thought that the itching and hair loss could be either allergies or fleas (this is when I asked about how treating for both would tell us which it was). After using First Shield for several months my dog has lost more hair and itches non-stop and I still see fleas on her! I am out over $300 and I am worse off than when I started! I flea bombed I used the shampoos and sprays and did everything they said to do and all they have to say is bring her in and we can diagnose her again! Thats $30 just for the visit plus whatever ### tests they "need" to run it would be another $100+ for that visit! (I AM NOT JUST A RANDOM PERSON I HAVE WORKED AT VET CLINICS, HUMANE SOCIETIES, ALL OVER OREGON, I AM NO VET BUT BEEN AROUND AND WORKED WITH VETS FOR YEARS!) TAKE MY ADVICE DO NOT GO TO BANFIELD'S THEY ARE *** VETS, EACH VET WILL HAVE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DIAGNOSIS, THEY SCAM YOU AND FALSIFY INFORMATION, DO TESTING THAT IS NOT NECESSARY, TRY AND TREAT ONE SYMPTOM WHICH COULD BE MULTIPLE DIAGNOSIS ALL AT ONCE INSTEAD OF RULING OUT POSSIBLE ISSUES NOT ALLOWING YOU TO FIND OUT THE ACTUAL EXACT PROBLEM, THEY SELL *** PRODUCTS AT OVER PRICED LABELS, THEY ARE NOT AFRAID TO SELL PRODUCTS THAT ARE PROVEN TO NOT WORK OR CAUSE HARM TO YOUR PETS!, THIS IS A CORPORATION NOT A CLINIC THEY ARE VETS WHO CANNOT GET HIRED BY TRUE CLINICS OR ARE NOT COMPETENT ENOUGH TO HAVE THEIR OWN CLINIC, THEY ARE ALL ABOUT $$$$$ NOT YOUR ANIMAL! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE TAKE MY ADVISE! I KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT AND DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE I DID AND SO MANY PEOPLE DO DAILY. WE NEED TO ALL PUT A STOP TO BANFIELD'S FRANCHISES EVERYWHERE! STICK WITH YOUR LOCAL CLINICS THESE ARE VETS THAT TRULY CARE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR PETS BECAUSE THEIR JOBS AND REPUTATION DEPEND ON IT IN ORDER TO COMPETE WITH THE BANFIELD'S OF THE COUNTRY!

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blombardo21
Lancster, US
Mar 22, 2009 9:30 pm EDT

I don't suggest to take your dog/cat to Banfield Pet Hospital at Petsmart. At first I thought it was such a good deal but then problem after problem occurred. I thought you paid this one time fee of like $300.00 but that's not the case, everytime I go into Banfield I pay.
Okay let's get to the actual story. I took my puppy into Banfield to get fixed. The first couple of weeks after surgery she was fine, until I noticed a huge hole where the incision was made. I immediately called Banfield and told them about the situation. They told me to bring her right in. We took her into Banfield and they said that it was an abscess. I asked what we should do about it. They said it will cost nothing they were just going to cauterize it. In my eyes it was a huge hole and I definitely thought that it needed a suture. I also thought she would need an antibiotic but they said she would be fine. I figured they knew what they were talking about though since they work with animals on an everyday basis. Well two days later I was bringing my puppy back into Banfield because the cauterizing didn't seem to work. By this time I was very upset. I called Banfield again and let them know what was going on again they said to bring her right in. I took her into Banfield for the second time. This time they said she was going to need a suture. I thought with them making all of these mistakes on my puppy I would not have to pay, well I guessed wrong. They ended up charging us almost $30.00 for one suture. I made a huge stink about it because I didn't think I should have to pay. I wasn't the one making all of these mistakes they were. They told me either I was going to need to pay or they weren't going to work on my dog. I ended up paying the $30.00 because I wasn't going to walk out with my puppy having a huge hole in her stomach. Like a week later my husband took her in to get the suture taken out. He had notified them that she was putting off this off awful smell. They said it was part of the healing process, which sometimes after surgery there is a smell but this was horrible. Weeks later again my puppy was still having problems. I looked at her stomach everyday and nothing seemed to be healing. Weeks later her incision should've pretty much been healed. I waited a little while longer. Then I noticed two bumps where the incision was. I then called into Banfield again. They said to bring her right in as they did two other times. Again I took her right in. I had told them she's been throwing up...licking at her behind..and still having problems with her stomach. (I think the reasons why she was doing all of these things is because of the infection on her stomach). They didn't really say much they just said they need to take her into the back room. So 20 minutes later they come in to tell me Paisley (my puppy) still had two sutures stuck in her stomach...plus her anal glands needed drained. They took out the two sutures and also did something with a anal glands. Meanwhile no one came and talked to me about anything that was going on until what they had did was finished. They then charged me for both procedures. Well enough said. We are definitely switching after our yearly plan is up with Banfield. We just had way too many complications. Thanks so much for reading what I had to say I hope it helps anyone who is trying to make a decision on where to take their pet.

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slynn1
Orange, US
Mar 02, 2013 1:07 am EST
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I paid 140 for my female cat, which included pain meds, antibiotics, IV fluids, and a check up afterwards. I am a big believer in smaller vet offices and have recieved cheaper and much more care that is more compassionate and caring.

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WhyMyMindWonders
, US
Jul 02, 2012 10:21 am EDT

If the animal was healthy and you bought it in for like...a microchip...then there should be some concern without the owner's consent that the animals is bought there for this reason. For all the vet knows, you could have been someone who stole the cat trying to claim it for yourself. However, since the cat was injured and required medical care, the cat should not have been turned away.

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Banfield Pet Hospital my puppy was killed

In January 2007, I purchased a beautiful (and expensive) Shorkie pup from a wonderful breeder. I named her Suki (beloved in Japanese). She was so beautiful that everywhere I took her, people would stop me to tell me that they had never seen a more physically beautiful little dog. I waited a long time for her and she was my baby girl. I signed her up for the wellness program at Banfield almost immediately and was pleased. At the end of last June at 6 months old (and with NEVER a single health problem), I took her in to be spayed. The same vet who had ALWAYS taken care of her was off that day, so a different vet was assigned the surgery. During the surgery, she nicked Suki's spleen, which caused a tremendous amount of blood loss. I was not called and informed of this for at least 4 hours, and Suki had gone into shock. When finally, I was called, I arrived to find her barely breathing, and unresponsive. I was sent home with her with the phone number of a 24 hour emergency clinic. Later that night, she died in my lap on the way to that clinic. Elise Casey at Banfield's in Birmingham, AL killed my Suki. The company settled with my attorney for the amount I paid for my puppy, and all medical expenses. Some justice, huh?

I don't hold Banfield responsible for killing my dog, just Elise Case (may she rot in ***), BUT she is still employed there, and was never even reprimanded.

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phorse
, US
Jan 26, 2010 3:24 pm EST

What do you mean, Banfield did nothing? They re-imbursed the price of the dog AND medical expenses.. Do you expect every veterinarian to get sacked when they make a mistake that is actually quite common? At least they explained what happened and worked it out financially, which is more than a Dr will do. Human dies in surgery, surgeon gets paid. Surgeon still has a job. Yet you people think that a vet should go and work at Walmart..
Why do you think vets are getting so friggin' crazy? They are expected to do everything, charge nothing for it and make no mistakes..

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Suki's Story
San Antonio, US
Dec 15, 2009 11:11 pm EST

I am so very sorry for your loss. I probably hear more horror stories about Banfield than any other place. Thank you for posting your story as I know it has probably saved other lives. I hope you filed a complaint with the state veterinary board about this "doctor."

I too had a "Suki, " also a victim of veterinary malpractice (not at Banfield). I founded the Veterinary Abuse Network in her honor and memory, and for 10 years I have worked in the advocacy area of helping people hold vets accountable (it is basically an impossible task, as they are so well protected by state boards, political connections, and lot$ and lot$ of $$$$). We are making some small progress, mostly in the area of educating consumers as to what to look for (failure to notify a pet's owner, for example, when the animal is in crises is a HUGE red flag, as is the unavailability of the vet, shabby recordkeeping, lack of informed consent, etc.) and therefore hope to help them avoid bad vets.

It's not surprising Banfield did nothing. I hear that all the time. The only thing to do is file a complaint, but the vet will likely get away with everything. BUT...I still tell people to file. It puts the vet on notice, forces them to put their lies in writing (which ALWAYS catch up with them later), and alerts the vet board that even if they don't do anything, they will recognize that name should they see it again.

Again, so very sorry. I know how devastating this is, and while I am glad the insurance company acknowledged the loss, they too are paid to keep their sorry vets out of trouble as much as possible.

Take care.

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banfield nurse
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Nov 05, 2008 2:43 am EST

Sorry to hear that this happend to ur dog, and i appreciate that u don't blame the whole practice for one dr's mistake.
just to mention these mistakes happens even in emergency hospitals nad i have wittnessed a case where the dr's coverd the death of an animal on something else.

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Banfield Pet Hospital beware of them

I took my puppy to be spayed. She is totally incontinent ever since. Banfield will accept no responsibility. I took her to another vet that said they are responsible. Basically they have let me know I should sue they don't care. The monetary gain I would get from suing won't cover the medicine she now needs for life and other care. My living room furniture is now at the dump. She's not even 6 months old. Banfield will not take care of things if they made a mistake. Beware and cautious if you have a contract there.

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ALDVM
Tustin, US
Mar 21, 2009 2:32 pm EDT

Hello,
I am contemplating working for Banfield so I am carefully reviewing many of the positive and negative comments on the website about the company.
First, what you are describing is a hormonal-induced incontinence. A small population of spayed females can become incontinent. This could happen at any vet, any hospital, any day. It usually requires treatment with a product called DES or PPA. So ironically, your other vet is incorrect and simply taking advantage of your hatred of Banfield by saying they are responsible. I hate to tell you the same exact thing has happened to every single vet, including me, and including this new vet you are going to. That's the facts.

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8:43 pm EDT

Banfield Pet Hospital overcharging and lying

My opinion of banfield: scam! I just got a yorkie puppy and the first day I took her in to banfield they diagnosed her with several different things and labled her "the poster child" of the vet because she "just has so many things wrong with her." in one week this "vet" has taken $650 from me. I'm a college student and this is a pretty huge chunk of my income.in 8 days, they have put her on 7 different antibiotics, in addition to the heartworm medicine and 3 vaccinations. One of these vaccinations was the bordetella which is supposed to prevent kennel cough, which they diagnosed her with 5 days after they gave her the vacc. Only to put her on 2 new antibiotics in addition to the 3 she was already on for other things she supposedly had. Two days after that she wasn't getting any better and they had me bring her back in and diagnosed her with pneumonia. They then put her on 2 new antibiotics and took her off the previous ones, claiming they weren't strong enough in addition to making me leave her there for a large fee and claiming she needed to stay under their supervision for 2 days. None of this was covered under the "wellness plan" either. I was told by two different vets and the breeder I got my puppy from that I was being extremely overcharged. I don't think the word "wellness" is a good way to describe my puppy consecutively getting worse and worse over this one week as soon as I take her in to this vet, then being charged $650 just to have to take her to a new vet in the end.

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K.A.-
Longview, US
Mar 28, 2010 2:16 pm EDT

I worked for Banfield briefly as a collections rep at the corporate office in Portland, Oregon. The post by Daniel is perfectly indicative of the Corporate atmosphere as well. The Wellness Plans are made for one reason only, TO MAKE THE COMPANY MONEY! All day long I talked to people who were told by the hospital that the plan could be canceled at any time. I Know for a fact that the corporate office is aware of this misinformation and deliberately does not advise there hospitals to correct this. The actual production cost of the services provided by the wellness plans is often less than $100, but the “Retail Value” of the services can be in excess of $1000.00. I understand that a company obviously needs to make money, but the markup on these services is outrageous on top of the unethical lack of information given to the clients by the hospital staff (generally speaking) about their options for canceling the wellness plan. In addition to this the billing for the company is all “paperless”. You have to give a credit card to be automatically billed every month. If something happens and the payments aren’t automatically processed for several months the wellness plan is canceled to collections. At this point, even if the “Retail Value” of the services used is LESS than the cost of the plan they are going to send you to IC Systems (a collection agency) for the whole year’s cost of the wellness plan plus collection fees, if said fees are allowed in your state. This means that if you took your pet in to the hospital all you had done were 2 shots and some kind of fecal exam, and later on the payments are defaulted on (sometimes the “automatic billing system” randomly just stopped taking payments for, SERIOUSLY, no reason!) you are going to be sent to collections for up to $400.00. Granted, it is ultimately the client’s responsibility to make sure their bills are being paid, but how easy could it be to miss that 21.95 wasn’t deducted from your account? SOMETIMES the clients will be mailed a letter saying the payments are not being made and SOMETIMES a phone call is generated in the system, but by no means does this happen with every client. I would say it happens maybe 30% of the time. I know, this is all I did all day long for two months while in the Wellness Plan collections department. I have never in my life worked for a company where all day long I had to listed to people threatening legal action. I really believe that it can’t be legal that they cancel the wellness plans to collections for more then the retail value of the services that were used, and I also think this is in direct contradiction with what the actual contracts say. This is one of the worst jobs with the worst company I’ve ever had in my life.

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crystal
,
Jul 12, 2008 6:26 pm EDT

for your information the wellness plan is for well services not when your pet is sick. not all banfields are this was the banfield in lawrenceville georgia only thinks about your pet and what to do to help them. just becuase you have had problems at one hospital does not mean you will have the same problems at another. do not judge one hosptail by what they do.

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Banfield Pet Hospital consumer complaints ignore

On 5/22/08, we took our 2 year old Poodle, Bobby to your clinic for a physical examination. As a part of this examination, the Vet took Bobbys temperature with a rectal thermometer. His procedure, I thought at the time, was unnecessarily rough and Bobby reacted with severe pain when the thermometer was jammed into his rectum.

Bobby began having diarrhea by that afternoon, became listless and then started having blood in his stool by the next day. On Sunday 5/26, it was apparent our dog was ill and needed emergency intervention. (See paperwork). The diagnosis was an abscessed anal gland that had ruptured and he was treated for this. He now is on medication and has to wear a collar to keep him from aggravating the injury. The cost of the emergency visit was $180.

When we brought Bobby in this condition was present, but unnoticed by your vet. This gland was aggravated by the rough rectal examination. I note on your paper work that the Banfield vet inaccurately stated normal, empty anal glands and didnt see this existing condition. I am told it would have been quite visible in a careful examination, even by a non-professional.

I believe the emergency treatment we had to seek and the charges of $180 should be paid by Banfield because of the rough and negligent examination. The failure of your vet to see and routinely treat the anal abscess in a reasonable manner is unprofessional. Your own examination paperwork notes normal and empty glands.

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Audrey Crippen
Tallassee, US
Jul 30, 2009 4:27 pm EDT

FYI, rectal temperatures are routine and they may seem rough to you, but they're the only way to know your dog's temperature. Even if your dog has a sensitive rectum for whatever reason (worms, parvo, impacted anal glands, infected anal glands, injury, etc.) a temp is requisite because if your dog has fever or if he's hypothermic, these require emergency intervention immediately. They shouldn't have done it in front of you, for sure, and I wasn't there, so maybe it was rough!

Anal glands are checked by squeezing the rectum in two different ways to express the accumulated fluid. Dogs almost always react with pain to this because if the glands are simply full, it causes distress and discomfort to empty them. They probably just squeezed, the dog reacted with pain (normal), and nothing came out (quite possibly due to this infection?) and decided it wasn't a big deal. Vet offices try to get them in and get them out.

I never worked for Banfield but I doubt its operation differs significantly from other clinics. You're right. They should be responsible for part of the cost, but - in my opinion - not because of the temperature or whether or not it exacerbated the condition (it's unknown) but for their oversight and lack of thoroughness which exacerbated the condition.

Nothing's worse than your baby in pain and an animal hospital that's more concerned with the bottom line and working within time constraints. I'm sorry for your experience.

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Banfield Pet Hospital they almost killed my cat

I took my cat in because he was having difficult breathing. Banfield decided he must have rabies shot since he was overdue. They never discussed the possible side effects... such as swelling of the face and throat and difficulty breathing; if they had I would never have agreed. Well my cat had a reaction to the vaccine and I thought he was going to die, the next morning they treated him with steroids and Benadryl but later that night his reaction flared again. How dumb do you have to be to give a cat a vaccine that will cause difficulty breathing when he is already having difficulty breathing? Despite bleeding me for hundreds of dollars for tests they couldn't figure out what was causing his problem and they didn't seem very concerned that he was in any real danger.

After two days at Banfield I took him to a pet hospital where they did more for him in ten minutes than Banfield did in two days. Within a half hour of being at the hospital my boy was breathing easy again and within a few more hours they had diagnosed his problem and prescribed a treatment plan. Sure it cost a few hundred more than Banfield but at least we got something for our money.

I don't think the Banfield vet is a bad person, I think she sincerely meant well but lacks the experience to be treating animals on her own and Banfield failed to provide proper support and supervision. Never will I go there again.

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donna curcio
Plantation, US
Mar 06, 2014 6:52 pm EST
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Banfield knew my cat had kidney disease and prescribed CLAVAMOX which is clavulanate potassium! He is almost dead! DO NOT TAKE YOUR PET THERE!

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jon claude
New York, US
Aug 29, 2010 9:58 pm EDT

well, seeing that it is mandated by the county that all pets HAVE to get at least a rabies vaccine, the cat had to have it... so you would have to agree to get it. but i agree that they shouldn't have given the vaccine that day since the pet was having difficulty breathing already

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Banfield Pet Hospital - can't cancel

I purchased an 8 wk old puppy from a local breeder and unfortunately, a month later my puppy died in a freak accident with a neighbor's kid. When I first got the puppy, I put her on Banfield's wellness plan for puppies. I understood that it was essentially a payment plan, NOT insurance. However, with only 1 set of shots given and a little dewormer, how...

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Banfield Pet Hospital bad service from poorly trained killed my schnauzer

Please do not take you pet to Banfield Pet Hospital if you love it. Veterinarians only stayed a few weeks, so every time you take your pet back, a new vet wants to do a new test to verify if your pet may have some alleged condition. My poor Schnauzer was never properly diagnosed until the day he had four organs fail and died. My beloved dog went for regular checkups but was never diagnosed as diabetic. The idiots only recognized the problem when his kidneys and liver failed. They could not even care for him then. Stay far away!

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Diane Miles
,
Jul 29, 2008 9:37 am EDT

Do not take your pet to banfield pet hospital. They aways tried to push meds on my dog for illnesses he did not have. When I tried to cancel my plan. I knew the year was over they said because he had an office visit I would have to pay over two hundred dollars. I just paid the balance for the year and told they to cancel the plan at the and do not charge my credit card again. I would never use them or tell my friend or family too. Stay far far far away,

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11:17 am EDT

Banfield Pet Hospital wellness plan/staff incompetence

I hate hate hate banfield! We were loyal for years and then started getting sent all over the county when we had emergencies and then made to wait hours! We tried to cancel our wellness plan, but somehow there is no record of that effort and we've been told now that our money can't be refunded. They don't tell you over the phone that the cancellation has to be in writing, we were told it would be handled, and conveniently for banfield there is no record of that conversation. Stay away! We were also completely dissatisfied after taking our bulldog in multiple times for the same symptoms, being asked to pay for expensive medications. When we finally ditched banfield, our new vet told us we could purchase over-the-counter medicines that would relieve our pet. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. Definitely contacting the bbb, I just wish there was more I could do.

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swm1962
Cape Carteret, US
Mar 12, 2010 9:25 am EST

The plan was not the problem for me. I liked it very much. The problem is that they stopped taking the money out of my account and never told me. So after a while they sent a collections agency after me (had I known they weren't taking the money out of my account I would have gladly paid via mail or internet). This was the only notice I got from them. I immediately paid the amount asked for (which was the remaining amount on the contract). After that I was informed that I would have to start over with a new plan essentially double paying for the remaining months on the original contract. That is what I don't like about Banfield.

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n5541
Scarsdale, US
Nov 23, 2009 11:26 pm EST
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Maybe you should read the fine print before signing a contract... Having a pet does cost money. Different doctors use different medication, depending on who you go to.

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Banfield Pet Hospital jill furman

We had brought our puppy tank, at age 12 weeks to get a microchip, we were told if we bring him in on a wednesday between the hours of 9am-11am, it would cost us $29.95, so we did, what a mistake, we waited 31/2 hours, and the vet did"nt even know how to give a local to him, we were treated very rudely. I contacted the main branch they said they would take care of this, to get a call the next day and jill furman offers us to pay more to get it done, I feel that all we went through, we should'nt have to pay nothing! We were told 3-4 different things from the vets and reps, he needs to go under anestesia, a local shot, and he needs nothing at all, but there telling us how painful it is. Would you have surgery without the doctor knowing how to use the scafel? Very confussed, something will be done about this. Thanks if you can help

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Sarah
,
Apr 24, 2008 1:03 pm EDT

I have used Banfield in California for over 2 years now for all 4 of my pets and recomend them to EVERYONE I know. Both my dogs were microchipped and it went great. They did have to be put under, since it is a big needle. But I have the wellness plans so I had it done when both were already being put under for their teeth cleaning. Maybe give another banfield a chance.

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6:01 pm EDT

Banfield Pet Hospital worst vet ever

I recently adopted a dog that was in poor physical condition - he was in a shelter for some time, and was scheduled for euthanasia. My boyfriend and i brought him into a Petsmart/Banfield Clinic because they could see him before our normal vet could. Basically, the vet was this woman who seemed like she just tripped and fell into this career and wasn't sure what to do now. She wasn't helpful or forthcoming with info. She didn't seem to want to answer our questions (or she didn't know the answers), her attitude was like "uh..." We concerned about ringworm because his fur was falling out in places so she took a skin sample and said we'd get the results in about 10 days. In the meantime she gave us some wipes for his skin. She hardly did much of anything and the visit cost more than $200. After about 8 or 9 days they still ddin't have the results and the wipes didn't seem to do much. We then took him to our regular vet, and he told us the wipes they gave us was useless - and for what we paid for them (2 bottles at that - why sell us so many?!) we could have just paid for some generic oral antibiotic (which we did ) which started clearing up the fungal infection immediately. His skin looks %100 better. Why didn't the vet at banfield simply prescribe the pills in the first place? The other vet wasn't too concerned about getting any test results in before giving him the medicine - he said it appeared to be ringworm and better give him these. But really the worst part of the whole experience was that the vetnurse, or vet tech or whatever they have there, , actually seemed more knowledgable and helpful than the vet! the vet seemed like she was in a daze or just really didn't give a ### about being there and doing her job. It was like a ghost came into the room and didn't know who or where she was, but somehow figured out she was supposed to be examing this dog.
we very much regret wasting our time and money there.

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Lucia520
Melrose, US
Dec 14, 2013 6:21 pm EST
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The people that work at this Banfield Hospital stink! They do not know how you do their job nor do they care! I called for them to fax a perscription in for my dog who has seizures. She was already getting this medicine for almost a year, just ran out of refills. So I call very early one day, they were supposed to fax it in at 9:00am... By 5pm it STILL was not there. Then by 7pm it still was not there! I called back & they said oh she is going to fax it right away. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THERE HOURS Ago! Anyways a short version: they finally faxed it to the WRONG PLACE! & I told them 2 times where to send it & the phone # but still couldn't... My dog had to miss a night pill & a morning pill! Which is extremely bad for the dog! It didn't get faxed over till the NEXT day around 1pm! These people suck & should be fired! They don't care & are extremely rude! Don't take your pet to them if you love your pet!

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phorse
, US
Jan 26, 2010 4:36 pm EST

Antibiotics are not effective against a fungus infection and ringworm takes thirty days to clear itself up, so the antibiotics probably did not do a thing either, so you should be just as peeved at the second vet. In fact, I hope that you post a complaint on his/ her website since he/she was just as bad as the first one.

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11:04 am EDT

Banfield Pet Hospital termination of job!

I was employed by banfield when the hospital first opened up in feb. Of 2007 as a part time worker from 3pm to 6pm or 7pm depending if I closed the hospital to do the end of day close out. I unfortunately had an accident that resulted in having to have spinal surgery done on feb 14 of this yr. I was put on personal leave by banfield since the end of nov. Stating that because the hospital has not been open for a yr. I could not collect disability which was fine I did not expect to ask for it as a part time empl. I understand that there personal leave is only 12 weeks but my doctor required me to stay out another 3 weeks. Then I was told by banfield human resources and the manager in secaucus that my position was no longer needed because they were cutting hours at the hospital. So I was terminated. I feel I was terminated unjustly and should have been contacted earlier by the manager or the field directer who by the way did not at any time during my leave on absence ever call me up and ask how I was feeling or that my job was in jeopardy and that I was being terminated. I even went down to the hospital and the manager there did not even give me an inkling that my job would no longer be there, in fact they said they could not wait till I came back.

Sincerly,
Diane bania.

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Here to say the truth!
Dayton, US
Oct 07, 2009 1:58 pm EDT

The last thing you want to do is work there Diane. You may not think it's the best thing at the moment but I will tell you this that hospital is screaming close me down!. Nurses are not trained the way they should be I will never take my pets there. The way they restrain those pets is deadly. They take out all their pain and frustrations on those poor animals. doctors only look for a way to take your money rather than help the pets out. All they want is a way to pay their bills. They should have that hospital closed. Those workers should never be allowed to touch or own a pet. The wait there is long because the doctors have to look up a diagnosis because they do not know what they are doing. They call it one thing and then three months later when it's not working they charge you more and call it something else. you do not want to be associated with those kinds of people. I don't know how they sleep at night oh wait they don't care as long as they have your money they sleep just fine. I think you should take it from me that hospital is a mess and it either needs to be closed or needs a complete make over. It has been open for almost 3 yrs and it has the worst staff ever today the secretaries are rude the nurses are incapable the doctors are uneducated and the manager is a waste!

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2:04 pm EST

Banfield Pet Hospital unprofessional!

Pet was evaluated and diagnosed as having cysts or treatable tumor. Immediately after surgery, Dr stated unequivocally that the growths were malignant and had matasathisezd. When I asked about a biopsy, he dismissed the idea stating it wouldn't "... tell me anything I don't already know." I ordered a biopsy which indicated BENIGN growths. I had this confirmed with a second opinion.

J. H. Martin, DVM, misdiagnosed twice, caused me emotional distress by his rash diagnoses, and failed to follow best treatment practices. Fees were exorbitant.

I will not patronize this practice or any other Banfield "vet-in-a-box+ outlet.

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1:26 pm EST

Banfield Pet Hospital this place is a scam!!!

Banfield is the worst place you can take your pet. My dog was fine before I began taking him to Banfield. One day, after a regular check up, he started having some jitters. (two weeks after I signed up with Banfield) I was told I was signing up for a month to month plan (misinformed by the vet at the Gaithersburg, MD location), but soon found out that I was liable for a year's worth of fees.

They couldn't diagnose the problem because the Vets did not know what they were doing. I actually had to tell them what I THOUGHT it was after the research I had done searching through various online medical journals. (I am an IT consultant by profession and have nothing to do with the medical industry)

Soon after Banfield administered unnecessary medication (and charging me over $2000 in medical fees in addition to the monthly "OPTIMUM WELLNESS PLAN" monthly fees), they decided that I might be better off taking him to a "REAL PET HOSPITAL". This is what the Germantown, MD location told me.

So I took him to a REAL PET HOSPITAL - VCA Veterinary Hospital in Gaithersburg, MD, and my dog passed away due to unexplained fluid build up in the brain. I was told by the Vet that it was highly likely that this was because of cortisone administered on an old dog and that the Vet at Banfield should have known better..

The whole reason I signed up for this "alternative to pet insurance" was so that I wouldn't be stuck with crazy medical expenses if anything happened to my dog. Not only did they create medical problems, they trapped me with fine print on their contract tying me into a year long service agreement.

They weren't able to diagnose the problem, all I got out of the 3 visits to them, was over 2 and a half thousand dollars worth of bills.

THIS PLACE IS A SCAM!

If you value the life of your pet and your hard earned money, please stay away from BANFIELD, the family pet butchers...

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Anne Lapierre-Paiva
, US
Sep 18, 2015 6:46 pm EDT

Has anyone been able to sue Banfiled or the Doctor for damages (medical expenses incurred) ? My 12 year old cockapoo was treated for allergies when she was later diagnosis with a mass in her trachea. She died during surgery to remove the cancerous mass that could have been treated orally with medication.

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smittysgirl
, US
Mar 16, 2013 6:08 pm EDT
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I first visited Banfield when I adopted my Chihuahua mix and the rescue group included a coupon for a free exam. After reading several negative reviews regarding Banfield in general, I was pretty skeptical but needed to save $ so I made an appt., forgoing my usual vet who was much closer to my home. Two additional dogs later (both adopted at age 14, so they are not your average patients), I would never consider going anywhere else. I am certain that Dr. Parna at the Kentlands Banfield in Gaithersburg, MD has saved my dogs' lives on several occasions, beyond the normal well visit appts. I was initially concerned that an office in the middle of a retail outlet would lack a sense warmth but I was wrong on that count, too. Every time we have been in for an appt. we have been welcomed warmly and made to feel that there is a genuine desire to do what is best for our pets, so much so that we carry several of their business cards to give to friends who ask which vet we use. Understandably, not everyone has the same exact experience but I am very happy with Banfield and respect and appreciate Dr. Parna more than words can say.

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Z1x2y3
Layton, US
May 08, 2012 10:17 pm EDT

Banfeild is terrible! I won't even go through the angry frustration they put me through.. Anyone deciding to use this place should think twice! Compared to what you spend at a normal vet that actually cares about your pets their is no cost savings and Banfeild will let you down guaranteed. Rude customer service (was told by an employee to complain to her supervisors, like she didn't even care about fixing the problems she caused). ALL check out consumer affairs report on this place 91% ANGRY customer rating!

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gerb19432
Canton, US
Aug 06, 2010 4:26 pm EDT

Talk about a SCAM!Last Saturday afternoon we came home to find that our dog had chewed up his tail big time ..Knowing that Banfield was the only vet open in our area other than the emergency hospital. we took him to the Banfield Pet Hospital in East Peoria, Il. The vet said that his tail was dying and he needed an amputation immediately. or it would travel to his spinal cord if un-checked.. She even claimed that it was not from chewing but some other trauma besides chewing such as getting his tail caught in something etc..(which didn't make sense because he was in our bedroom for 3 hours as always on Sat. mornings.) He had been biting his tail due to his allergies and had been given an allergy shot on Thursday and seemed fine on Friday.) Anyway, she insisted it was not chewing and I asked her about the cost of the surgery...She said in these words " fifieen to two". I resopnded, "Do you mean 1500 to 2000?! " She answered "yes"...My husband who was sitting there with me told her that we need to see our own vet..She said "Well, I wouldn't be suprised if you have to take him into the emergency hospital by tomorrow...We said we would take that chance...and she gave us anti-biotics (how caring)and we left..We happened to know where our vet lived so we decided to chance it and stop by...Thankfully she was in her yard and was able to look at our dog and said right away that his tail was NOT dying, showed us the bite marks, told us to give him the ant-biotics and come back to her office in 2 or 3 days...Went back and he is recovering nicely. In the mean time I have been gettin quotes from different vets on tail amputations and the highest was around $300...One vet told me to get a hard copy from Banfield and when I called them they said they needed me to bring him in...Then I complained and told her my experience...She did not offer to look into it and her apology was very shallow...I am so angry...Thanks for letting me air my feelings . Her final words were, Well, let us know how he's doing."

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Deeply Hurt
Chicago, US
May 23, 2010 12:20 pm EDT

Banfield Hospital in Crestwood, IL was responsible for my pe'ts death. The vet and staff convinced me to perform an operation on my 15 year old pet which resulted in death. They charged me $1, 000.00 on top of it all. The death of my pet was bad enough but my complaint went on death ears. Their customer service is poor and the top officials would not talk to me or return my calls. You can not cancel the health insurance with them when your pet dies. You have to pay until the insurance expires. I would not recomend Bandfield to anyone. Beware of the small print of their contract. I wish Banfield would close so that no one else has to suffer like I did. I will be taking this to the better business bureau and eventually an attorney.

Banfield is the worst business I've encountered. They smile in your face then stab you in your back. BEWARE!

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ChenoKatina
Springfield, US
Mar 22, 2010 12:08 pm EDT
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The writing in the comment recommending this location looks suspciously professional. As in, congrats for the attempt to rectify this situation by the Banfield Public Relations Department. Perhaps instead of writing this and posting it as if it came from a happy customer, complaintsboard.com should just inform the public of who actually authored this post. Was it Banfield?

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dog lover
Boston, US
Mar 24, 2009 10:50 am EDT

I've dealt with Banfield at both the Germantown and Gaithersburg locations. The complaints above regarding the yearly Wellness contracts are based on wrong assumptions.
There is no "month to month" plan. The (optimum) wellness plans are a specific cost for one year, and the payments can be spread out in monthly installments over the course of a year. This monthly installment option is convenient, and from what I recall there are no extra fees for doing this.
When someone signs up for a year-long plan such as one of the wellness plans, there's a risk that something may come up during that year where you don't need the plan anymore. Well, in such a case, you can't just cancel the contract - you still owe the inital plan's cost.
I've had great cost-savings by being on the optimum wellness plan the past year and a half or so (keep in mind, the plan will automaticall renew after the first year unless you cancel it, or tell them not to automatically renew it). I also like Dr. Parma in Gaithersburg, who's very knowledgable and explains things very well, and even finds ways to keep extra costs to a minimum when I've asked. This has not been true of any other vets I've had for my dog (which have included a few other places in the area). In fact, one visit to other vets has easily cost the yearly fee for the optimum wellness plan! Also, the vet techs at this Banfield are very nice and helpful, and also know a lot about dogs (and always remember my dog's name!).
Of course, serious problems do need to go to better equipped animal hospitals, and Banfield will definitely recommend this. For example, when my dog was young, she had a serious problem which was immediately diagnosed as her having ingeseted rat poison. In this case, I was referred to a pet hospital in Rockville, where they could do a blood transfusion (there are not many, or any, regular vet practices that are equipped to do this procedure).
I do recommend Banfield and their optimum wellness plan.

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D L LaFon
Houston, US
May 28, 2008 6:22 pm EDT

I registered 2 pups in the Wellness Program (at the same time/male/female). Knowing they were 1/2 related I decided to upgrade my female 3 mos later so she could be spade when she was older.

I ended up giving them to good homes and knew I would have to honor my contract for a yr each pup. Since I upgraded my female I was forced to pay an xtra 3 mos after the yr ended.

Made no sense to me but it was either that or my credit being threatened.

I AGREE...SCAM CITY ALL THE WAY BUT THEY HAVE YOU BENT OVER A BARREL!

By the way, shame on me...this was the 2nd set of pups I went thru them with. NEVER AGAIN!

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9:22 pm EST

Banfield Pet Hospital over vaccinating our pets

Petsmart Pet Hotel requires that pets be vaccinated for bordatella every 6 months when the vaccine clearly explains that it's viable for 12 months. I asked them why they were requireing me to over vaccinate my dog and their excuse was the vaccine didn't last 12months.
If the vaccine says 12 months and all the other facilities will take my dog...then why are they refusing to board my dog unless he has this vaccine every 6 months. $$$$$? All about $$$$$$

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Katie
,
Jul 29, 2008 4:57 pm EDT

I was taking my dog to PetsMart PetHotel in East Hanover, NJ and my dog was vaccinated with Bortadella four months prior. During one of their many kennel cough outbreaks, with the vaccination four months prior, he got kennel cough. The staff did not tell me of the outbreak or warn me and there have been several outbreaks since. Then when I tried to make appt recently, they informed me he needed another shot, becuase it was 7 months since his last. I have spoken to several vets who think the 6 month vaccination is too much and will not do it. I told them I would provide a note from my vet and they told me no. They also acknowledged that there are no guarentees with the shot (which is obvious since my dog was vaccinated and contracted kennel cough in their East Hanover, NJ facility).

My conclusion is they don't care about the health of the dogs and they continue to have outbreaks of kennel cough even with their strict policy. They need obviously change their managment of the facility - more circulation, watch for signs of outbreaks, warn customers when they do have an outbreak, etc. I would say to anyone considering this PetsMart PetHotel in East Hanover, NJ to think twice. They have a strict policy that does not work and an environment full of sick dogs, which will just cost you more in vets bills and be a a huge nuisance and risk to your dogs health.

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Shelby
,
Jun 09, 2008 7:51 pm EDT

The PetsMart PetHotel does not require you to re-vaccinate your dog every 6 months...we require you to get your dog a booster for the Bortadella vaccine, which protects your dog against Kennel cough. It's very similar to giving a child a booster shot for the MMR vaccine. Kennel cough can be very mild... like the common cold for humans. But left untreated, kennel cough can be deadly... so why not take the advice of people who make caring for dogs their living? You can get the booster at any vet...PetsMart does not offer any form of vaccine or other injectable, so PetsMart will make no money off of the booster shot. It is simply for your dog's protection.

Shelby
PetsMart PetsHotel Manager-Houston, TX

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Jessica
,
Mar 17, 2008 12:33 am EDT

UC Davis recommends that the Kennel Cough Vaccine (bordatella) be given every 6 months because that's how long it's effective lasts.

Banfield Pet Hospital In-depth Review

Location and Accessibility:

Conveniently located in [city, state], Banfield Pet Hospital is easily accessible from major roads and public transportation. Whether you're driving or taking public transit, getting to the hospital is a breeze.

Services Offered:

Banfield Pet Hospital offers comprehensive veterinary care for pets. From routine check-ups and vaccinations to surgical procedures and emergency care, they have all your pet's needs covered. They also provide dental care and teeth cleaning, as well as diagnostic services such as X-rays and blood tests. Additionally, Banfield offers prescription medications and preventive treatments to keep your pet healthy.

Staff Expertise and Qualifications:

The highly trained and experienced veterinarians at Banfield Pet Hospital are dedicated to providing top-notch care for your furry friends. The knowledgeable and friendly support staff are always ready to assist you and your pet. Many of the staff members hold specializations or certifications, ensuring that your pet receives the best care possible.

Facilities and Equipment:

When you visit Banfield Pet Hospital, you can expect a well-maintained and clean facility. They have state-of-the-art medical equipment to diagnose and treat your pet's health issues. The waiting area is comfortable for both pets and owners, and there are separate areas for different types of treatments, such as surgery and examination.

Appointment Process:

Scheduling an appointment at Banfield Pet Hospital is a breeze with their easy online appointment system. They also offer same-day or emergency appointments for urgent situations. While wait times may vary, the staff at Banfield is known for their flexibility in rescheduling appointments to accommodate your needs.

Pricing and Insurance:

Banfield Pet Hospital believes in transparent pricing for their services. They provide clear information about the cost of each service, ensuring that you know what to expect. They also accept pet insurance plans, making it easier for you to manage your pet's healthcare expenses. Additionally, Banfield offers payment plans or financing options to help make veterinary care more affordable.

Customer Service and Communication:

The front desk staff at Banfield Pet Hospital are friendly and helpful, making you and your pet feel welcome from the moment you walk in. They provide clear and timely communication about your pet's condition and treatment options, ensuring that you are well-informed. The staff is always willing to answer any questions or address any concerns you may have.

Client Reviews and Testimonials:

Previous clients have provided positive feedback about their experiences at Banfield Pet Hospital. Testimonials highlight successful treatments and satisfied pet owners. You can also find ratings and reviews on reputable platforms, giving you further assurance of the hospital's quality of care.

Community Involvement and Outreach:

Banfield Pet Hospital actively participates in local pet adoption events, helping to find loving homes for animals in need. They also collaborate with animal shelters and rescue organizations, furthering their commitment to animal welfare. Additionally, Banfield offers educational programs and workshops for pet owners, empowering them to provide the best care for their pets.

Overall Experience and Recommendation:

Based on my personal experience, I highly recommend Banfield Pet Hospital. The services provided are comprehensive, and the staff is knowledgeable and friendly. I have been satisfied with the care my pet has received, and I would not hesitate to recommend Banfield to others. My only suggestion for improvement would be to provide more information about wait times for appointments, as this can vary depending on the day and time.

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Phone numbers

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Website

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