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2.3

Bought a preventive health plan for my dog thru Banfield. At first it seemed like they were O.K.

but now the honeymoon is over , every time I take my dog in there is some additional charge , for services rendered . They sold me first shield trio , only to have ticks latch onto him . The advantix that we used before worked great , but they told me it is to harmful for the dog. They told me since he was bitten by a tick he would have to get his heartworm test redone at my cost & I would have to deal with first shield my self to get reimbursed .

They are the ones that promoted first shield & I also found out since then that first shield has a bad reputation .

Look on line it's horrific . And for Banfield to keep promoting this product is WRONG.

Reason of review: Not correcting a problem they realize they have with a product they promote & sell.

Monetary Loss: $125.

Preferred solution: Full refund.

Banfield Pet Hospital Cons: Lying and theft.

Location: San Diego, California

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Guest

Advantix and Bio Spot are both excellent products, as well as several others on the market. There is no need to purchase all these flea/tick, heartworm and RX medications from a vet.

You'll save a lot more money requesting a prescription for medications and getting them filled from another supplier. i.e.

Fosters/Smith, PetMeds & KV Pet supplies. For many other RX prescription med icationss, these can be filled by any local pharmacy at far less costs then what a vet charges for their in stock/ in house pharmacy prescription's.

Guest

Reply: Ticks do not spread or cause heartworm. Ticks can cause Lyme disease.

So to rerun a blood test for heartworm is a waste of money.

Lyme disease testing is specific and a totally different type of blood test. Each test has its own specific results directly associated with the blood sample being tested.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1150266

Banfield uses the 4dx test. It tests for heartworms, Lyme, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichia

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1150266

Most clinics use a test called a 4Dx SNAP. This tests for three tick borne diseases (including lyme) and heartworm.

Most people just call it a SNAP test or heartworm test, even though it tests for four diseases. It is often cheaper than sending a blood sample out to a lab for specific lyme testing.

I don't know of any clinics that do in house lyme antigen testing. Your vet should have explained this better.

Guest

If you used Advantix previously and it worked, you should have continued using Advantix as opposed to purchasing the First Sheild from Banfield. Banfield is a business and Banfield will suggest clients purchase medications directly from Banfield.

As for the heartworm retesting, If the dog has had a recent heartworm test within the past 6 months and is current on his heartworm medication.

There is no reason to repeat a heartworm test, other then Banfield making additional money for a repeat test. Now lyme disease on the other hand may be of some concern given the fact your dog has been and continues to be exposed to ticks.

As for the Hartz flea and tick products. Hartz flea and tick products have been on the market since the 1960's if not earlier and I've never seen nor have I read any adverse comments regarding Hartz products.

Consumes/pet owners however do seem to be having allergic/skin irritation reaction issues with several of the newer more expensive flea and tick products currently being manufactured. Banfield's First Shield seems to have the highest amount of pet owner complaints for causing skin irritation/rash and allergic reactions.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1150102

They suggested a heartworms test because most of those test for tick borne diseases too

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1150102

Hartz is WELL KNOWN for causing bad, sometimes fatal reactions. Do a little research into it & you will easily find many reviews about how bad this product is. Other products such as Advantix, Frontline, Sentinal, Bravecto, Nexguard etc are all much more well respected in the Veterinary profession.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1150102

Banfield uses the 4dx snap tests. It does not only does test for heartworm.

It also tests for lyme disease, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis which are all tick borne diseases.

So no, they did not mention testing just to make money on a repeat test.

Guest

A pet can have a reaction to anything, even natural products. Doesn't mean that it's a bad product, just means that specific pet can't have it.

Flea and heartworm preventions in general have a bad rap.

Honestly tho, if you look up ANY prevention there will be horror stories. There are alot of complaints, but there are also a ton of those stories that are fabricated.

For example. If they bought the prevention online (not first shield as its only sold at banfield.

However it's sold at other hospitals with a diff name) it likely didn't come from the manufacterer so it's a counterfeit product. I've actually seen that quite a few times. There's alot of variables and important info left out of alot of the had reviews. So please, don't believe everything & every horror story you read online.

The one brand tho that is KNOWN for making pets extremely sick and killing them is the HARTZ brand sold at Walmart and grocery stores. Steer clear of that one. I have no clue how it's still on the market.

I can honestly say that in the 6yrs I've been there, I have only seen 2 or 3 reactions to first shield trio. Ive seen more reactions to natural things, such as tea tree oil.

Unfortunately, there I absolutely no way to forsee a reaction. I wish there was. As for the heartworm test. The snap test that is used for heartworm (transmitted by mosquitoes) also tests for lyme disease, earlichiosis, and anaplasmosis.

All 3 of those are transmitted by ticks. It definitely would be a good idea to retest him in a few months. It wouldn't show up right away. As for him getting ticks while on the prevention.

If you don't treat your yard and your house, and there is an infestation, no flea/tick prevention will help. If the prevention was applied directly after bathing or directly before bathing, then it won't work as well. All topical shouldn't be applied until it's been 48hrs post bath. They need the natural oils on their skin to absorb it.

Also, if you have a tick problem/infestation, then it can take 2-3 applications to fully get rid of the problem. If none of that applies to you lol then it definitely needs to be reported to the manufacterer so they are aware. I'm sincerely sorry that you had such a had experience. I urge you to contact the manager at that location and speak with them.

Calmly voice your concerns. If there isn't a resolution, please contact the client advocate team, the hospital should have the number.

I always tell people to find something that works for their pet and stick with it. I say the same thing about a pets food.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1150047

Thank you for your advice .

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