Banfield Pet Hospital’s earns a 2.3-star rating from 529 reviews, showing that the majority of pet owners are somewhat dissatisfied with veterinary care.
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numerous complaints about banfield!
Where do I begin. We began our vaccinations with Banfield and we had to go back a few times until they were complete. As the weeks went on I noticed that our dog had extremely bad flatulence and acne, it was laughable at first but I became worried as this was not a good sign for his intestines. I brought this to the attention to the assistant who would come in before and ask us if there were any questions or concerns, I brought up the fact that our dog kept farting and what could we do about this symptom, I also indicated the acne. The assistant thought it was funny and did not even bring this up to the Vet. I then brought this up to the vet and her response was that some dogs just have flatulence and our dog may just have flatulence, the acne was just part of our dog being the color white. I was hoping for advice on how we could help our dog but this was the answer we got, which incidental I did not accept and did my own research on the web.
A week or so later my dog refused to eat his food and I realized that it was his food that was causing his problem. We researched further and found out that this particular breed may be allergic to wheat and or corn. We started cooking our dogs food. The acne went away and so did the flatulence. I felt that my concerns about my dog were not being addressed or even taken seriously.
The second issue with Banfield was when my dog was bitten at a dog park. He was a puppy then and we were worried that he might be in shock or the bite on his hind quarter might get infected, so we rushed him to Banfield. We brought him to our local Banfield which we knew closed at 7pm. The biting incident happened at 5.15pm or there abouts and we brought our dog in before 6pm for attention. I noticed our regular or inhouse vet was not there but another vet was still in attendance and mentioned it to my partner. We showed the puncture wound to the assistant at the desk and he said he would go to the back to check to see if the vet could have a look at him. I watched the assistant go to speak to the vet, the blinds to the rear office was still unshut and so I could see them talking. After a few minutes the assistant came out and said that the Doctor had just cleaned up and all utensils etc had been put away and that we would now have to take our pet to the emergency pet hospital, over 20 minutes away. I asked the assistant why could we not be seen, and pointed to their hours of operation clearly signed and displayed for all to see. The assistant seemed uncomfortable and said it was the Doctor's decision. My partner became agitated, but I was worried for my dog and we abruptly left and took our dog to emergency. It cost us nearly $100.00. I called Banfield Head Office and made a complaint, and only then was an apology given and an offer to have free xrays offered, the Doctor who was on site at the time called and apologized but did not take full responsibility for her actions. By this time Myself and my Partner had grown tired of Banfield and their treatment of us and our pet. On this occasion, we felt that they breached our contract to see our pet, the matter would not have been pushed or an apology would have never been made if I had not complained.
The third incident, our dog suddenly became lame. There could have been a few reasons as to why he started to limp, ie roughhousing with other dogs at the park, uneven ground at the park etc, and so reluctantly we took him to Banfield. We paid for the plan and had no alternative but to use it, if we wanted to get out of the plan it would have cost us more money to get out then to stay in. The vet said we would have to put him on an anti inflammatory, I asked what the side affects were, she told me liver and maybe kidney issues. I informed the doctor that this particular breed is known for such issues and was there another alternative, she said yes just to keep putting hot compresses on the area, but she strongly suggested the anti inflammatory, of which I kept resisting. The vet then suggested we go with the anti inflammatory first, she made us kind of feel we were not good owners as we did not want to put our dog on the anti inflammatory which would take less time to heal and if that did not work then continue with the hot compresses. I wanted to go with the hot compresses, yes it would have taken longer to heal but at least I would not need to worry if a drug was going to kill my dog. Finally we put our dog on the anti inflammatory, which cost us $149.00. I was not happy, Banfield seemed to be all about money. I should have trusted my own judgment, the next day or so, my dog became extremely ill, an allergic reaction to Rymadil. He had acne and vomited blood and bile, not to mention his stools being soft and bloody, our dog became depressed, clingy and weak. I was furious, we took him to emergency. While waiting in emergency our dog began to perk up and the vomiting and listlessness stopped. We took him home and he was well with no symptoms, we kept him on close watch. We reported this to our local Banfield, and to this day, we have heard nothing in regards to that incident. My feelings for Banfield least to say was now, not very good. I again voiced my complaints to Banfield head office. Again, my holistic view on treating my pet was ignored, the vet pushed the anti inflammatory knowing our dogs breed is sensitive to it. I did my research on Rymadil and this drug is lethal to dogs, but some vets still use it. The limping did not stop for sometime, so I researched and found a holistic treatment for him and the limping went in a matter of days.
Finally, we took our dog in for neutering, I asked my partner to take our dog as I just did not want to go into Banfield any longer, I just could not hide my disgust at that place and the vet. My partner dropped our pet off in the AM and we would collect our dog in the PM. Myself and my partner went to pick up our dog, he came out of the office, looking very shy and listless and a little depressed, similar to how he looked when he was on Rymadil. The assistant said that the surgery was a success and the Vet, (again the inhouse vet was not on site and did not perform the surgery) had given him Rymadil for the swelling and another drug for infection purposes. She then proceeded to tell us how much the drugs would cost, she then proceeded to tell me the drug they were sending us home with Rymadil and another drug for to ward off infection. I became agitated, and asked her why was my dog given Rymadil, and why was she sending us home with Rymadil... The assistant gave me a blank look and then went back into the office. My partner and I became agitated at the fact they did not look at my dog's file and see that Rymadil must not be administered under any circumstances. They did not check for allergic reactions. The assistance came out and apologized and I told her sternly that Rymadil is not for my dog and this should be in his file, did the vet not read the notes? She had no answer. I complained again to Banfield. This time the inhouse doctor called me. I told her I was disgusted at the fact that my dog was given Rymadil and when I brought him home that night his stool was blood filled. She then explained that blood in the stool is due to the surgery, and that my dog was not given Rymadil, I told her that the information I was given on the night of collection by her assistant contradicts her statement. She did not reply, but yet proceeded to tell me that I was responsible for making sure that the vet knows what my dog is allergic too. I promptly told her I did and was told this was in his file by none other than herself. Again the vet did not take responsibility for her actions. We decided we wanted to take our dog and now our cat to a different Banfield, and so we did, as soon as our contract is up we will never use this service again. I would not recommend this place, they seem to want money and the welfare of the animals is secondary.
My experience is actual and factual. Those who have their opinion are welcome to it. I know what myself and dog experienced with Rimadyl...I am okay with truth...and will stand by it at all times.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
warning! stay away from this place!
I took my puppy several days ago to this place because my vet was on vacation... I go sign up and wait 1 hr to see this so called vet... Her & her assistant go in and look @ my puppy... I tell them was wrong ... She tells me all these test they have to do to find out was wrong ... I'm like ok... Sure but y ? Whats wrong with my dog? She give me this attitude and tells me to shut up and let her finish ... I was like wow... She gives me a list of foods to buy my dog because she thinks my dogs food is causing him the blood on his stool... She wrote... Royal canin... Eku something and puppy chow... I was amazed =o i said no thxs my dog is allergic to ### so this so called vet gave my puppy the wrong medication .. Did not give me information of any kind letting me know what my puppy had... I took my puppy to his normal vet he told me that was the wrong medication ... And my dog almost died ... I dont recommend this place! I rate this a zero. They are plain rude, expensive they had the nerves to call the cops? I have rights! See u in court :)
Tonight my dog had an ear infection. I've have 3 golden retrievers and have gone to Sturbridge veterinary hospital for over twenty years. Today when I called around 3, they refused to even take a look and said aspirin was the best I could do. Well, I then called petsmart and they said they would absolutely take a look. I was in and out within half an hour. The receptionists were incredibly friendly and helpful, and the doctor confirmed a yeast infection in my dogs ear immediately. He Brought the needed medication into the room and explained in great detail exactly what to do and why they would work. As of now my dog is resting comfortably and not suffering through the night the way he would have if we hadn't gone here. I will definitely be coming back!
my cat was sick i brought them there and they told me there was nothing they could do that he had to be put down i took him to another vet the next day and they told me that he was just dehydrated. they wanted to kill my cat instead of doing the right work!
I have had nothing but great experiences in my dealings with Banfield Millbury and I have brought 2 cats there for the past year. My first cat was 19 y/o and I did not have her on a banfield plan but was in and out so much that they treated me as if she was. She was finally failing dramatically so I brought her in to be euthanized and was treated respectfully and kindly at this tough time. My second cat is a stray I have taken from my daughter and she is on a plan and I have had no problems with staff or treatment plans. She is an older cat (approx 10) but very lively ... I am not unhappy at all with how she or I are being dealt with at Banfield Millbury. I would think twice before believing everything that is posted especially since these posters really do not make any sense. Sue
This complaint is ridiculous. It doesn't make any sense that a vet would tell a client to shut-up and you would just continue with the visit. A vet can't diagnose what is wrong with your dog by just doing a physical exam. Lots of different things can cause a dog to have blood in their stool. So, when they want to do a test to find out what is going on with your pet, why would you ask them what is wrong when they obviously don't know yet?
By the way...I just checked with the Mass Better Business Bureau and Banfields is not an accredited business in Massachusetts by the BBB. Enough said. Nice is great, but nice shouldn't cost that much with no results.
I agree thatBanfields is a successful business. A qualified, caring pet hospital? Hardly. I suspect the vets such as "doctor Patti", are friendly enough but really not quite sure how to diagnose a problem. There seems to be a standardized routine of expensive lab work w hen clearly at times symptoms suggest something different, like an xray. I say business, because it is impersonal and if you want your animal to get the best care, take it to a vet who w ill manage his/her care..;not treat him/her like part of an hmo.
I took Buddy in to Pet Smart Millbury in November with what I suspected had been an episode from cardiomyopathty. Blood tests done...antibiotic...$300.+.
Now, May, I take him back in for not eating and looking like he's giving up on living. They want to take more blood tests. They are very concerned about telling me how much it will cost; more so than listening to me as to if those tests will tell us anything. I was sent home saying he has "some sort of infection". I was given a script for food "no cat can resist".
Two days later I call to say he's not eating anything. He's failing. I think he needs to be seen and probably euthanized. Very politely I'm told the first available appointment is 6 days from now. I can come in and wait, but be prepared to wait all day.
I called someone else's vet...who is coming in on Sunday morning to see Buddy for me.
I don't want a money-hungry business as a vet. I want a caring, knowledgeable doctor.
I have been taking my dog to Banfield for over 5 years and I have never had a problem. They are always very professional, they remind me of my appointments and call the next day to make sure my baby is doing ok. I love them and can't imagine going anywhere else.
I had brought my Ball Python into the Banfield in Millbury for some burns from an undertank heater due to the inexperience of the person watching her while i was on vacation. I was seen right away by the staff, they showed me how to clean and medicate the wounds, explained the meds to me, and were friendly and informative the whole time I was there. I didn't know what to expect since I had never been there before, and I was more that satisfied. The treatment was great and the cost was more than fair in my opinion. If I ever have and more problems, this is where i will be going from now on.
Saying all Banfield offices are bad is like saying all PetSmart stores are bad. It might be true for a lot, but definitely not all. I work at PetSmart now and have had friends who worked there in the past. This store has even been given awards from local humane societies for helping the local pet charities out, as well as taking such good care of their animals (at least at this store... my manager said that she's seen PetSmart pay $300 for a hamster's vet bill!)The Banfield in the store I work in is new, but seems GREAT. From the little interaction I've had with employees there, they seem polite enough.
Paul Donohue: You're taking advice from someone who can't use the English language properly? The complaint was so ambiguous and badly written it's impossible to discern what really happened.
I work for a Banfield and can tell you we definitely do not take a fast-food approach to pets' healthcare. I've work in other vet offices (privately owned) so am able to compare accurately. Banfield provide the same level of professional service and the vets are "traditional" vets. The difference is Banfield is large enough that the company can do things like the Wellness Plans. A vet owning his own practice is not going to have the time or money to offer those sorts of plans.
I highly doubt that neither the vet or nurse explained why certain tests where necessary. How could you offer the tests without doing so? We've had people come in from traditional vets and seeing that their pet was on the wrong medication or had a shoddy job done on a dental.
I'm not saying all Banfields are perfect. I'm sure there are some poor offices out there, just like I'm sure there are plenty poor "traditional" vets out there.
It's absolutely silly to discount an entire company based on the actions of one.
unprofessional, rude behavior of manager
I originally signed-up for the Wellness Plan through the Ventura hospital. When the veterinarian left Ventura, I was transferred to Oxnard, wherein I have spent many days waiting an average of two hours for appointments. This time spent allowed me to observe, on every occasion, the manager treating clients rudely and dismissively. She displays a continued lack of respect for the Hispanic community at large. When I commented on this to another employee, I was told that the manager had "health issues", which caused her to behave in this intolerable manner.
I believe that there is no excuse for Banfield allowing her continued employment. In addition, I have continually had problems with my Wellness account being appropriately managed.
Some people need to take a look at themselves. I went to school with the woman making this complaint. Banfield and its employee's are not the first to feel her wrath. She has a long history of making unfounded complaints if she doesn't get her way. Keep up the great pet care Banfield. Many people love what you do.
I love Banfield in Oxnard, been going there for years. Have 3 dogs, they love the staff. They have several new vets who seem nice. Our favorite is Doctor Snider she's been there for years she's great. The office staff is always very professional and the techs are very knowledgable. There's been a couple of managers over the years, never had a problem, they always seem to be interacting well with customers and pets. Keep up the great work, don't worry about complaints, some people have nothing else better to do.
I had been to this place many atimes and I is of Hispanic desent. Lady manager always very nice to me and wife and give us good help allthe times. Some never happy becase they really the problems.
ringworms and mange
My children and I shopped at a Lowe's store in Houston, TX and a what appeared to be a kitten kept coming up to us and rubbing our legs. Being gaunt from malnourishment and dehydration, we elected to bring the kitty home. That evening, the kitten had diarrhea and we knew to take her in right away for a sick appointment instead of waiting for the Banfield near us to get her in for a check-up and shots. We new she probably would have lots of stray-cat illnesses. We also noted a patch of fur missing on her front paw. We took her to Banfield at the given appointment time and waited for three hours. We asked how much longer and they informed us we couldn't be seen that day and would need to reschedule due to an emergency with another patient. I asked them to call another location and they found one that could see us after lunch. We drove across town and were told that they could NOT see us. I had them call the previous location back to determine what happened. I then suggested calling another location. There was another location that could see us, but it was about thirty minutes away. We went there and were seen. The vet did an exam and a stool sample. He also looked at her foot to determine the cause. She had worms and needed her shots. Nothing wrong with her foot; just probably caught it in something or got in a fight. We informed him that she was a stray and he still insisted this was all that was needed. A couple of months, $300 more and kittens later, everyone has ringworms (including my son and I)! I took the mother and kittens to the vet to determine cause of patches with hairloss and crusty, red skin. He agreed this was ringworm, did a test for mange and sent us home with lots of medicine and a dyp. I followed-up on the test and they dais everything was negative after about 2 weeks and that they will wait a few more days to see what comes of the culture. The vet feels there may be something else wrong and says to bring them all back. NOT A CHANCE. I have seen pictures of ringworm on the internet and this is definately what they have. They look so terrible and all of this could have been avoided if the first vet did his due diligence. Not to mention that this vet either confused the test with another animal or made some kind of mistake. We went to our doctor yesterday to find that in fact we did have ringworm and need to treat w/ an anti-fungal for 10 days.
DO NOT go to Banfield if you can help it. I looked on the website www.bbb.com to see if there are others and they have alot of complaints. You need to scan through some of the listings because they are all different registries and a few don't have any negative info.
Their corporate office was uncooperative and would not help me deal with the issue after they agreed to look into it and talk with the vets to see what went wrong. Also, the vets will not speak to me about this as they say their policy is no refunds for medications or services. They also charged me for the kittens after they said that they would not during the exam. You would think PetsMart would not want to deal with a company like this. Right? Wrong. In fact, PetsMart has a number of issues listed as well as their PetsMart Charity Program that the Better Business Bureau does not recommend.
I also bought a Guinea Pig from PetsMart and it was ill. They sent it to the Banfield in their store and we had a very difficult time getting it on the right antibiotics to get it well. They DO NOT guarantee their services and in fact you nearly sign away your rights that protect you if the unthinkable happens.
Also, when we checked in at Banfield, they printed another customer's information on the release to treat because the receptionist just typed in our last name too quickly and did not enter our first name in the information search. I noticed it when the signature line was incorrect. They had to check out that patient and check our kitty in. This caused much trouble during the exam and upon check-out.
Please check these people out first so that you can make an informed decision. I would like to think that as large a corporation as they are, there are still a few good vets around.
This issue was not getting resolved and I needed to see another vet for the kittens because their course of treatment was not working and I think that the medicine might actually be making to kitties more sickly. I contact Bank of America who guarantees my debit card purchases w/ a dispute resolution process. The refunded the money to my account temporarily until their process is completed in investigating the information provided. They said that it takes no more than 10 days and that as soon as the verify the information provided and notify the merchant, there will be a permanent credit back to the account pending the bank receive a signed statement from my husband and me.
Good luck to ya'll who have gotten the shoe from Banfield.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
A family came and bought 2 pups from me 3 weeks ago...healthy happy pups...I still have 4 litter mates here at home. This week she calls crying that they have mange...and it came from me! NONE of my dogs have mange and it would have showed before 3 weeks! She had taken the pups to Banfield to get the nails clipped...they REVACCINATED the pups which is dangerous and screws their immune system, and then diagnosed MANGE! She spent $700 with them telling her that her pups would die... by the way mange cost 6 bucks to cure! And then blamed me when the pups had been out of my home for 3 weeks! She sent animal control over here to check my other pups...all of them are fine. I researched everything for her and she still believed petsmart over me her breeder!
ruin my perfect credit history!
I had been a Wellness Plan client at Banfield Pet Hospital in Oxnard, CA for over two years when I decided to cancel the plan. I was told to come into the Banfield to pay the last two months and that vaccinations were due for my dog at which time I could cancel the plan. I paid the last months fee and was told that my plan was canceled. Two months later I...
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Banfield Pet Hospital emailsinternet.inquiries@banfield.net100%Confidence score: 100%Support
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Banfield Pet Hospital address18101 SE 6th Way, Vancouver, Washington, 98683, United States
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Most discussed Banfield Pet Hospital complaints
Suffering and death of my cat that could have been avoided with a proper diagnosis concerning my cat’s condition.Recent comments about Banfield Pet Hospital company
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Do you folks know that Banfield has over 700 hospitals and is owned by Mars? Yes, the same company that makes M&M's and Royal Canin pet food? The same company that earns 27 billions dollars every year?
Do you know that the only pet food that Banfield sells is Royal Canine? This is a quote taken directly from their website: "Many years of experience have led us to select Royal Canin as our preferred dog food."
After reading these few facts, do you think that Banfield cares more about giving great medical care or making money?
That said, yes veterinary fees can be expensive, just like human medical fees. It doesn't mean that vets are all greedy and don't give a darn about animals, it just means they want to be out of debt by the time they retire.
Vets are blood suckers? I have never heard anything more ridiculous. Most of my classmates are in debt for over $200, 000. Our starting salaries (for those of us planning to do internships) will be about $30, 000 a year. Most vets are in debt well into their 40s. To suggest that they do any of this out of a desire for money is ridiculous. The only reason anyone is willing to suffer through this much debt, time, stress, and effort is because of a love for animals and desire to make the world a better place through helping them.
Most all vets are blood suckers, I have to double check my price before I even pay the bill. Ahead of time I ask what they are going to do and refuse to pay more. What happen to the love for animals.
I am also in practice as a veterinarian and resent comments that we are blood suckers that do not care about animals. As for the care at Banfield compared to other clinics, you can have good and bad experiences at both. If the commenter cares about her pets as much as she does, she should have cut her losses and run but money was more important than her pet if she kept taking it back.
K Allison, I am so glad you came out and said this. I agree with every word you said, and totally don't believe in anything said in this comment. If you had a bad experience, it was because of the dr's choices or words said to client, not because of banfield itself. banfield does a great job in seeing and treating dogs and cats. they are very proffesional and committed. they are supposed to close at 7 on weekdays and 5 on weekends, but I always see the lights on and clients in the clinic til 3 hours after normal business hours. If you have complaints about them, then it's pretty much something you did wrong or didn't do at all.
I have used Rimadyl in my dogs and in well over 4000 others in the course of 4 years as a tech during college, 4 years in vet school and then 7.5 yrs of being a vet. All NSAIDS carry risks, even in humans. And Rimadyl is not over $40/bottle.
All vets are not greedy blood suckers. It costs between $150-250, 000 to become a vet and newly minted vets get paid between $21, 000 to 65, 000. If we wanted to make the big bucks, we would have gone to school to be an MD...just as long for school, just as much $$ to go there, and literally triple the pay. Most vet clinics are barely in the black, if at all. What you don't realize is that vet hospitals have to be EVERYTHING...radiology, labs, ICU, wellness. Our operating costs each month are close to $38K for a 1.5 doctor practice.
That being said, Banfield, as a company, is more mercenary. I have worked as a relief vet for both a Banfield owned by the main office and one that is a franchise. They do not treat their vets well. And they vaccinate for just about everything under the sun. Our rabies vaccine at our clinic is $5.50 per dose...wonder what theirs is.
Rimadyl is a lethal medicine. I gave it to my 13 1/2 year-old Airedale back in 1997, the year it first came out. I gave him 2 doses and he started vomiting and bleeding out. I rushed him down to Angell Memorial Hospital in Boston. His creatinin levels were over the top. I had to put him to sleep the next day. The vet who prescribed it to him never mentioned it could cause kidney failure. Pfizer paid the bill and it had to be reported to the FDA. I can't believe the drug is still out there after all these years. Pfizer had to pull their ad off the television because they refused to say it could cause death. There is an excellent article on it in the March 2000 Wall Street Journal, titled "Most Arthritic Dogs do Great on this Pill, Except thos that Die." What a horrible feeling it is to know that you gave these pills to help your dog and it killed them.
It is spelled rimadyl and it would not have caused any of the issues you have written about. It costs about 14.00 not 149.00 and there is no way i believe that you were charged that much forr it because their ordering is through a computer with corporate designed pricing, all banfields charge the same amount or near to the same amount and mine costs $14.30
banfield is a joke, most vets just want money. if one ever hurts our dog based on money and not their true health they'd better watch their back because our dog is our child and the kind of greed we see at vet clinics disgusts us. you'd think vets would go to school because they love animals and though many probably do it's sad when they start their own practice or start working for corporate clinics that they get jaded and only think of the bottom line. vets need to know that some people value their pet more than them and that their are serious consequences to abuse that some people will have no trouble inflicting on them. just a warning greedy f offs, you hurt my dog, i hurt you, no exceptions! or at least my husband will, this i can guarantee!
I love my the way i was help and they are nice to.