Banfield Pet Hospital
Reviews and Complaints
More FAQ Regarding Banfield (And OUR thoughts)
BEFORE YOU READ THIS: I understand that some people are so very upset with their experience with Banfield, that you could care less what I have to say. Then don't waste your time. I feel that if you hate Banfield, dont go back and dont have anything to do with the company as a whole. Drop it, and move on. In the text to follow, I will provide answers to commonly asked questions, not just with Banfield, with all vets. The following statements are out of experience as I deal with Clients all day long and have multiple answers to very real concerns.
I posted the Concerns Regarding the Wellness Plans FAQ, and I would like to address some concerns regarding Banfield. I can't help but feel slightly sarcastic since some of these answers are very simple.
1.Why does Banfield push drop off appointments?The way drop off appointments are SUPPOSED to be: Drop off "Muffy" for routine vaccines and bloodwork, come back in thirty minutes and get him with everything done and a future appointment scheduled for 6 months.The Way They Really Are:Drop "Muffy" off for routine vaccines and blood work. The vet needs to see 40 patients a day and he/she had 7 dentals and 4 cutting surgeries to do, not to mention the 29 appointments scheduled for him/her only. Instead, he/she puts "Muffy" aside until he/she can get enough staff to help hold and compile the necessary vaccines, run a full exam and get blood work results. In between appointments (which are sick AND healthy pets) he/she sees Muffy, but oh my an owner ran in and his dog got hit by a car! "Muffy" is the least of his/her worries at the moment. Exhausted at the end of the day, they FINALLY vaccinate "Muffy" and call you to pick up.See the difference? SOME hospitals (cough cough Franklin Lakes,FL) can run Drop off Appointments the way they are supposed to be, but most just cannot handle the sheer volume. (And in case anyone didn't know, there's a nationwide shortage of veterinarians.) If you don't feel safe leaving muffy for a drop off appointment, then don't. Take the time out of your schedule and wait to see a vet.
2. Why does my vet hesitate/refuse to write me a prescription for Blah blah medication when I can get it cheaper from blah blah.com?For NUMEROUS REASONS!!!! PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!!!A. One, plainly stated, said vet needs to sell the medication on the shelf they already have. Remember, though a vet is providing care, they are making a living as well.B. A Major concern is that the medication sold online may be faulty or expired. Now I do not bad mouth any company, I have had this happen to a client of mine already, but I understand the cost of medication is high. If these companies are in business, they obviously are doing something right. The issue is that these online companies contact a vet who has a surplus of medication and buys it at just above cost (Remember standard markup is 250-400% cost). The vet hands the medication to the company, and the company sells it as they see fit. The issue: they hand out medication without written prescriptions or necessary diagnostics. These online companies call me everyday for authorization to sell medication when the pet doesn't even need it. There are pet owners who have a years supply of certain medications, but there pet doesn't need it. E.G: Muffy is acting lethargic, is not eating/drinking well, vomiting/diarrhea, and to top it off, is limping on his back leg. Owner A would like to stop the limping because they are going hiking and would like to take Muffy along. "He's just got a bug" they say. So owner A goes to blahblah.com and places an order for Deramax or Rimadyl and gets a few months supply until they can afford to have diagnostics ran. Owner A gives Muffy the pain medication to stop the limping and a few weeks later Muffy passes away. Why? Because blahblah.com didn't know that Muffy had a renal insufficiency and the NSAIDS made it even worse. Muffy died of Renal Failure. See?(This is just an example, simple medications like HeartGard are sold all the time, and they don't even make sure the pet had a routine Heart worm test!! In case you didn't know, if a pet has heart worm already and they take the preventatives, they may die.)C. The vet does not want to be responsible for any reactions or injuries if you receive medication elsewhere, and though they aren't, your not going to get far with the company you bought it from. You're going to attack the doctor who suggested the medication aren't you? See?
3.Why is it that every time I go to Banfield, my pet seems to have something ELSE wrong with him?Well, on our part, every exam is thorough. We check EVERYTHING. So if Muffy has a weird growth that you weren't concerned about, we run a protocol to improve your pet's well being. Now you may decline whatever you want, but the Vet has certainly done their job in educating you of the possibilities this growth may run into later, and how to take care of it. If you paid when you didnt want to, then who's really to blame? You only pay what you agree to pay.
4. Why is my pet's health care so much more expensive then my own?Well, for starters, pet insurance, though on the rise, is not widely trusted by veterinarians at this time. In the future, your pet's will have insurance and it will be very comparable to your own (if you have a pet but you can't afford insurance for yourself then your not very responsible to begin with). Right now, however, you will either have to pay in full or in installments depending on which veterinary facility you frequent.Let's get this out in the open: Human health care is SOOO Much more expensive then pets.A standard XRay view is 30-60 dollars, where humans it is substantially larger. You may pay a copay of 20 dollars and get away with an MRI or ultrasound, but without it it would have been around 1k. So squash that one uneducated pet owner. Do your research before you start yelling at the vet.
5. Why is it I have an appointment but I sit here for blah blah amount of time before I am seen?A. Some people dont want to drop off their sick pet, and although they have every right to do so, they DO hold up the rest of the appointments.B. Some clients only want to see certain doctors and they will need to wait, but also hold up the rest of the appointments.C. Sick and healthy patients are seen at the same time. So naturally, sick patients take longer than non sick right? D. Again, Banfield doctors do not create their own prices, appointment times or amount of people they see within a day, so excuse them if they start to run a little behind under the stress.
The Main issue with the vet-client relationship:Vets are trying to make money by providing care for you pet. You know they need to make money, so you forget that they are still providing care for your pet. You dont respect vets as you would your own doctor do you? NO, because its not you recieving the vaccine/other care that your pet needs. You own the pet so naturally you understand everything about the veterinary world dont you? NO, you dont have a degree, so how do you stand there arguing with a board certified veterinarian? Leave as comments as needed
My English Springer Spaniel was made to wait for 2 hr. with me telling them he was bleeding .
Veterinary Doctor review about Banfield.
Banfield Wellness Plan
Cat went in with eye infection,came home anorexic and deaf
Banfield in Montgomery, AL is rude and incosiderate!
Banfield, vaccines and a swollen pup
Dr., Nurse, Employees All Gave Poor Treatment and Very Rude!
Renewed without my consent
I was scheduled to take my dog in for the third time within 3 months this year because they said they wanted to be up to date. When my husband took him in they renewed my yearly contract without even asking. Me and my husband have been planning to cancel Banfield as soon as the contract was done. When I called to cancel they told me my vet renewed for another year.
The reason I wanted to cancel was because the staff and the vet are so not interested on pets and so careless. My pet came back diagnosed with hip dysplasia. I know that he didnt get it AT the hospital but I could tell how he was being treated by the way he came back home in pain. He couldnt walk for weeks after every visit there.
I also told them in every visit to check for any type of allergy because he kept scratching but they never did. I still dont know why he scratches. I tried changing his diet, v3-omega pills, oatmeal and aloe vera shampoo, hot spot reliever, nothing works. Once, I told them to clip his nails which I paid for but they didnt and when I called they said they did.
There is no one at the front desk. Short on staff. They don't take emergencies. They are closed 2 days out of the week and I believe is self-owned vet. One doctor to my knowledge.
I hate them so much. I called the Banfield corporate many many times but they're all the same pieces of &*%$ type of people. I am bringing a lawsuit against them.
By the way, the Banfield Hospital Im talking about is the one in La Jolla, San Diego CA. The lady that keeps saying we authorized the renewal is Marta. It will come back to you for lying.
Beware of Dr. Sanchez at Humble, TX Banfield
Ex Employee
Banfield is absolutely terrible!
Animals nor humans have rights to affordable health care
Consumer's remarks here reflect indifference
Banfield pet hospital did not provide client service.
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WOW! This person sounds bitter and angry - just like the vibe I always get from the vets at the Banfield I go to...
no matter how nice and respectful we are to them.
Maybe there should be more vets on staff to handle the volume of patients they agree to take on instead of making the pets, their owners, and themselves SO miserable. Yes, I am currently looking for alternative healthcare for my pets.
Great points. So many people just LOVE to complain about the cost of things and feel it is OK to take it out on professionals trying to do their jobs.
It's the same in auto-repair facilities. Sucks to pay out hard-earned money, but every pet (and car!) owner need to take that into account when you agree to take on responsibility as an owner
Yes Vets are there to make money too just as physicians. The diference is that I give a patient a prescription and they may have it filled anywhere.
I do not charge extra if they do not buy from my pharmacy. Banfield on the otherhand charges extra for the prescription if you have it filled elsewhere. As far as Heartgard, if you have aclient that is consistently going to your clinic and the records indicate that the pet had a negative heartworm test last year, there is really no need to retest the pet every single year. Even if a pet goes 2 to 3 months without the heartworm medication, it can still be given as long as it does not go into the 4rth month.
I understand you are a company person, and I also understand that some people here are ewxaggerating the story, but all in all one must say, that if you don't do your research, on diseases and diagnosing Banfield will get your money and play on your vulnerability at the time. There is no need for any veterinarian to have such a caseload as you desribe on any given day umless they are money hunngry or asre being pushed by corporate.
Your forgetting to state that banfield is traning people who are not techs and has no experinced techs working on the pets ... which slows things down.
I have my RVT degree and went to work for them..... They made me train there employees who had been doing this for 5 months while i was trying to do my job.
Thats just wrong.