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Updated by user Apr 28, 2016

Hawkeye never had heartworms, dead, alive or damage in his heart to show that Heartworms ever existed!!!

Original review posted by user Apr 18, 2016

Hawkeye was a very special friend to me! When we first got him in Aug 2013, we took him to a Banfield Pet Hospital in San Diego, California. We have used the company for several years, but due to being a Marine we moved all the time. We always had both our huskys on the same plans, same heartworn prevention. Since life with our dogs were going great, we never had anything to worry about.

Jan 2016, we were living in Middleburg, Fl and took our two Huskies to Banfield on wells rd to get heartworm prevention renewed. Our female came bach negative, but Hawkeye came back positive! I was already upset because this would be our second husky who had Heartworms. In 2011, we had a male Husky named Javachip. He was seen at Banfield and had worms so bad he needed surgery. He passed away from the treatment but was never on a prevention. So we were to blame and had learned about heartworms and the seriousness that can be caused.

My heart about died when I heard this is happening to us again. My husband wanted to just verify that Hawkeye did infact have heartworms by redoing the test. The veterinarian at the Banfield pet hospital on wells rd. Told us it was not require. This was done Jan 2016, we started his treatment feb 2016. They switched his prevention treatment from Trifexis to Tri-hard plus. The did the fast kill treatment. 30 days of Doxycycline, then one shot of treatment, then in 30 days two shots of treatment 24 hours apart.

His last dose was given April 3 and April 4th 2016. As usual, from the description from Banfields, Hawkeye came home drowsy, he was left sleep in his create for the first two days. As it was explained that this treatment can take alot out of them and the killing of the worms could hurt their system if not properly rested. We only let Hawkeye out to *** and Allowed him full access to water because his pain medication made him thirsty.

April 7th, 2016 I noticed Hawkeye licking his fur, so I went to have him come out of his cage to inspect him. I learned a few things from going to San Diego Community college Animal Health corse. Hawkeye did not want to come out, so I went to move his arm to look and he bit my right hand bad! Hawkeye is a trained service dog, and since that was very very uncommon behavior, I called Banfield right then.

Being stressed out and extremely mad! I asked them if this was normal, should he come in? I am a veteran who can not drive herself to the hospital, so I asked how serious this was if I needed to find a driver NOW, is this normal??? What to do. They said they were closing soon but if I wanted to bring him in I should, but it wasn't anything that sounded serious. I again asked why he bit me and are they sure, they explained that heartworm treatment is hard on the dogs and that I should leave him alone!

I kept doing what we were doing as told by Banfield. I noticed slowly more areas by day were turning into this hair loss rash that Hawkeye was messing with! By Sunday we went to go back to Banfield, trying not to freakout because they said it was "normal". They were closed. We took him first thing Monday April 11th 2016 to be seen. They wanted to keep him. So I called every two hours to figure out the deal because they told up he woukd be done by 2pm, by 4pm... they didn't let him go until 6:30pm so getting a ride again for me was hard so my husband left work to get him. They told him it was just a skin rash and sent him home with spray and shampoo. They never put a cone around his head to kerp him from licking so he came home smelling like dog *** and looked twice as bad. He had lost hair around his Head, check, stomach, all areas. One other reason they told me his arm was "normal" was because the dogs sometimes bit at the areas where injections go into their skin. This in fact could been the issue because the injections went into gis back by the spin. That area was not red at the time. So I gave Hawkeye a bath because they did not and we removed his collar and put a cone on his head. They said the cone we bought wasn't acceptable, but he was in pain and already having issues eating and drinking. He wasn't licking much anymore but I kepted in touch evetyday since that Monday with my displeasing dog that was returned home. Also they did not give any discharge papers what so ever!!!

Tuesday, I called about nothing looking better, why he came home like *** and the lack of papers. They first said, they are not like a human clinic and that they did not give out mefical records. I would need to request them. Then, they didn't know at 8am and someone would be calling us back. I know they like to close so I called them at 2pm. I talked to Kelly, who became my ONLY go to person from that day! She said the nurses did not see Hawkeye *** and that it was infection smell. Hawkeye has *** on him because it wasn't dry blood, or infection. It was Diarra brown all over hus legs and paws. They said maybe he had an accident in the car, I think that would have been noticeable. So tuesday they said the scrapping test was sent out, takes 5 days. I started asking what thoughts and ideas were, no one had any, the vet said this was rare. They said no to radiation poisoning, cushings, mites, mange, etc... I was upset about no answers. Many people start to tell me to get a second opinon. I set up an appointment to go back in sooner then his follow up from Monday. Wednesday April 13 I went to a clinic to be seen a Veterinarian named Dr. Miller. He said Hawkeye looked like it was a skin reaction to the medication. This was the first doctor to say this. When I called Kelly at Banfield to ask if they had thought of that and where my idea came from, they stopped talking to me about Hawkeye and said Dr. Miller would need to contact Dr. Ross or Dr. Martin. So they stopped communication with me. Dr. Miller said he wouldn't talk to a Nurse so it got frustrating that the Dr.s were playing games when my dog was dying. By the time Banfield sent paper work to help with my second opinon case, we had to leave. They also were not a 24-7 clinic, Hawkeye needed to be watched with someone 24-7. We went home to follow treatment with Banfield since Dr. Miller couldn't help us, not even get him on anything. So we were going to go back to Banfield April 15th, because that is how they set up the game.

The next Morning, Hawkeye stopped excepting food from my syringe, he wouldn't take water either. I removed his cone and his head feel side to the floor. We rushed him to an ER, the ones that Banfield told us to go too. It was hard to find, we went to 2 different buildings until we go to the correct place.

April 15th they said Hawkeye was in critical condition, I told them everything and the veterinarian said Hawkeye should have been brought in Monday. Hawkeye stopped breathing on his own and got fluids into his system. The ER said they couldn't do more until we came up with $2600.00. Care credit was maxed out from Banfields mefical service and all the things we been doing trying to get him better.

I called Banfield to see if they could help, do anything and they said no! So we were worried, calling banks! The veterinarian came out to said he looked 80% better and was breathing again. We had hope he would live, but she had never seen this type of reaction to heartworm treatment. This was being the 3rd doctor to explain this to us, but with the hope of him coming home with us and in way would Hawkeye, my dog, my Service dog ever really leave me... we still called banks, did a gofundme, called family and friends for money. At around 2pm on April 15, Hawkeye passed away after attempts of CPR.

I called Banfield right away to report his death, they sent over a representative, Kelly to see us. Kelly said she was sorry, hugged me and then stayed while the ER nurses spoke with us. Kelly invited herself into this conversation about what Banfield can and can't be held accountable for, make the conversation after death awkward.

My husband and I agreed to have Hawkeye Biopsied and took him that day to the University of Florida that night.

They had called us April 18th to tell us, there were no Heartworms in his system the time of death, but there was damage to the heart. He had furballs in the stomach that caused problems eating and drinking. He had blood in his lungs but because CPR was performed, they could not tell when it got in to the lungs.

The cause of death isn't official so they have sent off for more testing. His skin and inside organs looked affected by this cause.

Shampoo and conditioner spray could not fix this...which was what he was sent home with monday April 11th.

The next day, after depression kicked in for me, Banfield sent 3 notification about Hawkeyes missed appointment Saturday.

Then let us know Monday April 18th that we are still required to pay for the wellness plan in full or still make monthly payments.

Banfield your a heartless company and I hate you.

Reason of review: My dog died.

Location: Orange Park, Florida

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Niamh Umc

The makers of the treatment agreed to pay us back for $500.00 worth of a biopsy. Banfield is still saying their doctors are "justified" in their actions.

My dog had no heartworms or a sign of them at his time of death. His official cause of death is bacteria, that got so bad it made his blood basically poison and lined his brand and destroyed his organs. He died a suffering death and from Monday April 11th to Friday April 15th, Banfield couldn't tell me he had this, instead their culture scraping just came back (and it's April 28th) sating he had a different kind of bacteria then on his biopsy report.

Banfield claim their antibiotic shot would have killed this bacteria but obviously it didn't.

Banfield let my dog die!

Guest

First of all, You have every legal right to get copies of your dog's medical history as well as any medical procedures, medications and diagnostic results documented by the vet(s) who treated your dog at Banfield

Secondly, Under no circumstances should an employee of Banfield be telling you what Banfield is or is not legally accountable for when it comes to medical treatment of your pet, unless the individual is a Florida licensed attorney employed by and representing Banfield. So, this Kelly person has no legal right to tell you what Banfield is or is not legally accountable for.

My suggestion is that you contact an attorney and explain the circumstances to him/her and allow the attorney to avail you as to how you should proceed. It might be worth spending a few more dollars on legal advise and you just may be able to get some of your money refunded, if not even more thru civil litigation proceedings.

Guest

So Banfield medically treated your dog with toxic heartworm treatment medications, and the nercropsy performed showed no heartworm's were present? That's called medical malpractice.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1147265

No, they treated the dog for heartworm. Upon necropsy, no heartworm was found because treatment worked.

Duh.

Heartworm is deadly.

Even if treatment works, there can still be left over damage from treatment and from the heartworm themselves. Heartworm treatment is not something easy and can have lasting effects on a pet.

It's obvious the pet most likely passed away due to the damage in the heart from either the treatment or the heartworm or a combination.

Niamh Umc
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1147265

Just an updaye to verify.

The report came back to claim Hawkeye never had heartworms because the damage in his heart was not the typical damage left by a dog having heartworms and Banfields reason behind this was the worms just disappear in the blood stream.

Niamh Umc

I wrote *** where it was changed to ***

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