Banfield Pet Hospital

We have switched to Banfield a few months ago and really love the staff. I have seen different doctors and both were professional and explained everything I have asked about.

If you have an old pet who really needs diagnosis and treatments, DO NOT BRING YOUR PET HERE! Our dog suffered for a couple months because the doctor did not know the reason that really made our dog very sick and ended up dying in another pet hospital on the day of surgery.
Here is what happened: We started bringing our pet to this Banfield since January 2016, when we renewed our wellness plan. Dr. Morrow seemed to be really nice. Since our dog started whining at night, and losing her appetite, so we brought her there to find out the reason. Dr. Morrow got her bloodwork results, didn’t specifically tell us how high her calcium level and how this could impact our dog’s life. Only mentioned my dog was having arthritis, so she prescribed us was pain medicine. Next thing she tried to sell us on the ultrasound (not included in our plan), to find out if there’s any tumor or cancer in her organs, instead of paying more attention to our dog’s symptoms to find out the cause.
The BIGGEST MISTAKE I did wrong was to trust what the doctor said. I gave her the pain medicine for a couple days, she refused to eat completely so I had to stop the medication. She started eating some food, but gradually losing her weight and strength.
Until March we met Dr. Naqi at Banfield, he told us that my dog was very dehydrated due to hypercalcemia, and he told us to check her parathyroid gland hormone level, which controls the calcium level in the body. This is something that Dr. Morrow NEVER mentioned to us back in Jan. And I found out my dog’s calcium level in Jan was already at VERY HIGH and ALARMING level, but Dr. Morrow did not mention this could have made her so sick. I even asked Dr. Morrow why my dog’s nose was so dry, she simply told me to put Vaseline on her nose (sounded like nothing to worry about). If the doctor pays more attention to her patient she could have known that hypercalcemia has caused my dog dehydrated at that point, and our dog didn’t have to suffer from the dehydration for prolonged period of time.
However, it was already too late when we found out the cause. Since Banfield couldn’t handle the surgery, so I had to find other specialist animal hospital to perform the surgery. Had her ultrasound done and scheduled her the surgery as soon as I could because I didn’t want to see my dog suffer anymore. But she died at the hospital on the day of surgery.
I wish I had met the right doctor earlier and could have saved my dog’s life. She spent her whole life with me, for 12 years. I will use rest of my life to miss her. I’m posting this in hope of other dog owners will find the right doctor when their dogs are in need of diagnosis and treatment. Sadly, some doctors don’t put their patient’s health as the priority.

I have been to this location exactly three times and have had a great experience each time. My first visit was for my dog’s comprehensive exam. Dr. Morrow was fantastic interacting with him and explaining things for me. She showed me how to express his anal glands (which I was afraid to do myself) and at a later visit, showed me how to clean his ears. One thing that struck me the first time I came to this location was that they performed the comprehensive exam with me in the room whereas they had taken him into another room at the previous location I had been visiting. I much prefer being in the room.
The only extras I have paid for here have been for a culture when his ear was infected and the accompanying medication, a series of 2 flu shots, and fish oil to help with the dandruff he has had. In each case I did not feel pressured and had the indication for treatment explained to me. She often prints out information for me as well. Overall it has been a pleasant experience there. It’s true that their waiting room is not as nice as some other locations (Sterling Banfield is located in its own area on the side of the store), but I will trade that for the good care that Dr. Morrow provides. I also have to mention that the vet techs have been great at every visit as well. I have had an appointment at all of my visits and have waited a reasonable amount of time.

If I could give this place zero stars I would !! Don’t bring your pet here. My dog went in for a simple procedure and they began vaccinating him, performing biopsy, and all this additional work that I DID NOT authorize !! The veterinarian was very rude on the phone stating it wasn’t his fault that it was my fault and that I have to pay the bill. This place just wants to find reasons to Bill so the doctor can get paid a higher commission! Absolutely unprofessional and unethical place. Stay AWAY !

I have been bringing both of my dogs to this place since they were little puppies for their routine exams and shots. We got duped into getting the wellness plan for them, fine so be it. While it may be good for some things, it is not good for others. They are quick to call you and remind you that it is time for you to schedule your appointment but don’t really care about helping you out when it comes time to get something major done. My dog needs surgery and its going to cost me so much money even with the wellness plan. Do you think they would say, «well you have been coming here for a long time with your animals, we can offer a payment plan so that your dog can get the care he really needs». Nope not at all. Its a pay at time of service or NO SERVICE. It is so very frustrating. I’ve never seen the same doctor in all the times I have brought my animals. That place is like a revolving door it seems for vet students more than anything. Half the time I feel like they are feeding you a load of bull just to get money out of you. So very very frustrating to say the least. Its unfortunate too because it wouldn’t be a bad place otherwise.

If you love and care about your pet do NOT bring them here. We brought one of our dogs here to get her rabies and 1 other vaccine updated. The ONLY reason we came here is because my boyfriend got tricked into getting the Wellness Plan earlier this year (obviously I wasn’t there or else we wouldn’t have purchased it) and the 2 vaccines were included in the plan. The vet tech asked us on MULTIPLE occasions if we wanted her other vaccines and we said NO each and every time. She then tried to bring our pup back by herself but we insisted that we come back with her. Any vet that tries to separate the owner from the dog during visits is a red flag. After the visit as we were leaving, my boyfriend happened to check the bill as we were walking out the door and noticed the vet gave our dog ADDITIONAL vaccines that we SPECIFICALLY told Banfield NOT TO GIVE. NO ONE ASKED US OR DOUBLE CHECKED WITH US BEFORE ADMINISTERING THE ADDITIONAL VACCINES WE TOLD THEM NOT TO ADMINISTER! When we went back to vet desk, all they said was sorry and that the vaccines they gave our dog WITHOUT OUR PERMISSION were low risk. THAT’S NOT THE POINT!!! What if our dog was allergic to that vaccine!?! We told them, MULTIPLE TIMES, not to give any other vaccines for a reason!!! I WILL NOT BE BACK AT BANFIELD AND if you care about your pet’s well being I advise you NOT to bring them here either!

This morning our little Sophie had surgery (Spay). The staff at this location was so warm, patient and answered all my questions. To name a few, Vicky and Javier (sp). Dr. Jonathan is awesome! I ask for nothing but blessing for this man. He called me before and after the after the surgery. And then you have Dr. Stark (reminds me of Dr. Bailey on Gray’s Anatomy:)); patient/​very calm demeanor, pleasant, knowledgeable.
Keep up the great work and thanks a million for all you do! :)

They staff is great and Dr. Waters is always great with our pup! Scheduling appointments is convenient and emergency visits have always been prompt for us. I highly recommend them.

I have experienced good and bad. It is dependent on what vet you get. Don‘t schedule appointments on the weekends. It is very busy and won‘t receive the quality care you want. I wish their waiting room was more private from the store.

I came in for a last minute appointment (booked 4 hours ahead a time) because my puppy had some red, itchy spots. I was worried, as I hadn’t seen him with hot spots before.
When I brought him in, they said they needed to do a battery of tests — each about $ 50. I hesitantly agreed, because I was just nervous about what it could be. They immediately came back negative (except the test for ringworm, which takes 2 weeks. **They NEVER even called me back to tell me it was negative. I figured after a simple google images search that he couldn’t have ringworm — his patches looked very different, and were not in the area ringworm normally shows up on a dog. I feel like some of the tests were either to add on as many extras as possible to my bill — or it was just an unseasoned vet not sure where to start).
After the tests showed negative, it was still undecided of what could be causing it — so the vet suggested I treat him with medicated shampoo, similar to T-​Sal (that was actually the thing that worked — just some shampoo and he was fine the next day!).
They prescribed me antifungal shampoo, antibiotics and then insisted on fish oil pills. Now, I understood the shampoo and medication ($ 60 together — reasonable) — but I questioned about the fish oil pills. I can’t remember the exact figure but it was in the ball park of $ 40-​$ 60 for month supply of fish oil pills. These were «special» because they were made for dogs… and the vet trusted this brand. I think they are receiving some sort of commission to sell this stuff. I declined the fish oil pills. I just didn’t see the point — I do give him salmon and coconut oil scoops every week — so I figured that was good enough.
I shampooed him and the next day he was cleared up. I ended up spending about $ 210, (this is with the waived $ 50 check up — free for first pet) for an uncertain diagnosis and some shampoo/​antibiotics.
I have nothing against young vets, but I truly think that a more tenured vet would have diagnosed him more accurately and could’ve saved me from paying for so many tests (when I looked at symptoms for each one — I thought, this looks nothing like his spot — why would they think he had this?). But it could be possible that Banfield has some backdoor policies where if a dog has a rash he should be tested for a, b, and c, regardless of appearance.
I worry if my dog had anything seriously wrong with him, that my bill would be outrageous. I think paying a bit more for a more knowledgeable vet would save you time/​costs down the road.
The vet/​vet assistant had positive and warm attitudes, which boosted them from 2 to 3 stars.

I used to make my appointments on Saturday mornings not to early probably about mid morning because I work during the week and it is an absolute nightmare! EVERY SINGLE TIME! The wait time is beyond ridiculous. I understand that I am coming in on a Saturday, I am not called back into the room until 10 minutes after my scheduled appointment. Then once the vet assistant comes in checks out my pup I have always waited a minimum of 20 – 25 minutes to see the vet. Usually the appointments my pup is scheduled for takes less than five minutes with the actually vet.
Well my one pup was due for an appointment and since the last time I was there was a change in my work schedule and I psyched because I thought I could take my dogs mid afternoon and not have to wait WRONG! Today my appointment was at 4:30 was taken back to the room on time vet assistant came in at 4:45 did her thing out by 5:00 the vet who by the way is who I did not request to see (something else that happens constantly) did not come in until 5:25 and all she had to do was give my pup a shot.
My wellness plan is up in a few weeks and I am really debating whether or not renewing it.
That being said the staff is friendly but that is about it.

Being (relatively) new to the area, we have utilized this Banfield Pet Hospital and Petsmart Pets Hotel for your veterinary and boarding needs. That said, the last two times we’ve boarded our dog, she’s come home with pink eye. The first time we took her to Banfield, they (after an hour wait) ran several tests, proclaimed she had an infection and prescribed ointment (clearly cutting edge), charging me $ 150. So you can understand why, when 30 days later, after our dog staying overnight and coming home with an eye infection once again, we thought we could just call the vet at Banfield and have them refill the eye ointment prescription.
Were we WRONG! Of course they want to see her again, run another battery of tests and charge me another $ 150 to give me the same eye cream. Honestly, their short-​sighted, money-​grubbing attitude is ridiculous! The vets who work there are adequate, but based on their product pushing, I have to assume they are measured on sales and not repeat customers. Very, very disappointing!

Today was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
I’ve been taking my puppy to Banfield for about a year. Every time I come here, I would have to wait an extra 40 minutes after my appointment time for a Dr to be available for the exam.
I was told that if I add another puppy to the wellness plan the initial membership fee is waived. Today, I brought in my 2^nd puppy, and the front desk associate (Miss Courtney) wasn’t even sure. It makes me question the competency of the vet assistants to not even know something as simple as basic membership fees. Apparently it is not waived, but you get a discount so instead of paying $ 48.99, I would pay roughly $ 30. Once we were in the exam room, we had to wait for awhile before the Dr came in. We always asked that the vaccines be done in front of us. I think it’s so weird the vet assistant always ask to take the puppies in the back room for the Dr to do the exam. Why can’t you do the exam in front of me? And it happened like that every single time. Or if we request the vaccines to be done on front of us, some vaccine would be done in the back, while others would be done in the room. I don’t understand the inconsistency or the logic behind it. The vet assistant Andrea and Dr Starke were very friendly and courteous. But we’ve decided to take my puppies somewhere that we could see the entire examination process.
When we checked out, I didn’t want to sign up for the wellness plan contract and just wanted to pay for the shots. The total bill was $ 172.52: first pet visit ($ 48.95), Fecal Sample Collection (9.20)-Even though I brought it in for them/​why was I being charged for my puppy’s poop?, Intestinal Parasite Fecal Exam ($ 37.95), Pyrantel /​Pamoate 50mg/​ml ($ 14.52), Bordetella ($ 27.95), Distemper ($ 33.95). We asked Courtney if the first pet visit is FREE since every veterinarian in our area is offering this promotion. She rudely responded «No, it’s not free… do you have a coupon with you? I can’t waive it for you after I’ve already rung up the bill.» Luckily we were able to pull up the coupon on our phone and showed it to her. Then she hesitantly refunded $ 48.95 for the first pet visit. She also asked if we wanted the $ 50 credit on the account or refund it back to the card. Refund it back to the card please! And then proceed to ask me «do you want a copy of the receipt?» Why in the world would I not want a receipt for the refund? (Was that a rhetorical question?)
I hate the terrible customer service at this place! Every single time I come here, she has a rude attitude as if she is too good to be there. Under normal circumstances, if the vet assistant is smart, kind, and courteous, they would gladly offer to waive the first pet visit fee because they know that I will be coming back with my 2 puppies for the rest of their lives. But instead, Courtney is so good at her job that she appeared to be clueless about membership fees/Banfield’s promotions. And was reluctant to even help us waive the first pet visit fee. At this point, I’m sure the feeling is mutual I don’t appreciate her bitchy attitude and I’m never bringing my puppies here again.
I feel so bad for my first puppy because I didn’t know better and have been taking him here. From now on, I will pay a little extra to take them elsewhere with competent, kind, genuine people that will give them the care they deserve. Not everyone at Banfield is incompetent and rude, most of the Dr and vet assistants in the back are extremely nice and helpful. If you are lucky, you will get a good vet assistant so request for the same vet assistant for your pet if it’s possible!

Dr. Kraut and nurse Michelle were awesome. After being seated in the room it took a little while before anyone showed up but it looked a little busy so no issues. Victoria discussed the new issue with me and also followed up on any older issues she saw in my dogs records. When Dr. Kraut entered she explained the skin test required and the timeline for results and what the steps were to complete the test. I was familiar with a skin graft because my dog has had one before. Prior to any test, I really appreciated the fact that Victoria repeated what needed to be done, input it into the computer, gave me a total price and allowed me to decide whether or not I wanted to proceeded with anything. Great visit.

Wait time at this place is absolutely ridiculous and like what other reviewers mentioned, they always seem so understaffed. I’m satisfied with the vet but every time I come in for a simple check up for my dog, it takes 1 hour at a minimum and the check up in itself takes 15 – 20 minutes at most.

Well someone from Banfield called me regarding their treatment of our dog and she told me apparently this is how they treat all of their patients and you don’t have a choice on treatment! She was very undermining! I also wanted to add that this beautiful, perfectly behaved and loving dog snapped at my daughter this morning when she touched his belly (Banfields employee also found this normal and was very uninterested! She tried to say it’s because he’s in pain. Um he went in for an upset stomach (no pain involved) and is definitely feeling better! If anything he’s in pain from being held down and assaulted! Please, please don’t go here. they really don’t care about you and certainly not your dog! How do things go from bad to worse? Put me in contact with someone condescending and defensive when they are clearly so so wrong! I never should have answered!!!

I have been going to this place for about seven years now. I feel that every time I come, they are understaffed. They schedule a lot of comprehensive exams in one time slot which makes you end up waiting for the doctor.
I have found that making appointments early Saturday mornings work best. The nurses are all very friendly and the doctors seem to be knowledgeable. I continue to come here because it’s convenient and they have a wellness plan for my dog. I’m sure there are better vets out there, but the payment plan allows me to budget for my dog’s care.

We signed up for the puppy wellness plan because it seemed like a good deal and included the neuter surgery.
Our first visit took 2.5 hour for just a check up and a few vaccinations. Most of that time was spent waiting. However Dr. Truesdell was great and her vet tech was also very nice and helpful.
My second visit was rather disappointing as we had to wait around for another hour just to get a few booster vaccines. We saw a different vet that time who did not seem like she liked her job very much. When I asked about a behavioral problem my dog was having she actually said: «ask a dog trainer, they don’t teach us that.»
Scheduling appointments and handling things over the phone with them are a pain. Twice they called to cancel and appointments because they were understaffed and when I asked why this kept happening the vet assistant actually told me that their vets never stay long enough to plan ahead and that they are always understaffed.
When trying to get a prescription filled through a website it took them 3 days to approve the fax and my medication arrived 3 days too late. When talking to them over the phone the only answer I got was: we will get to it.
Overall I am pretty disappointed. While the vet techs mostly are very nice and attentive to my dog I would not recommend this place for anything other than routine visits and vaccinations. DO NOT take your pet here if they are experiencing health issues — go to a real vet instead.

We got our first puppy, Lucki, and we’ve been bringing him to Banfield his whole life. We got the Wellness plan and everything. I don’t like Banfield for a couple reasons: I don’t see the same vet each time which I would like because I have to explain my dog’s condition over and over again to each different we see every time we go and I would like to feel like my vet actually knows my dog and myself. When I’m asked for a name of my vet, I don’t have a name, it’s just Banfield, the entire hospital. I do t like that. If there was a way to request the same vet for every appointment, that would be nice. I’ve also found that their vets didn’t really know their stuff when something serious came along. For example, Lucki’s pancreas waa inflammed when he was about 3 years old. We brought him in and the vets seemed unsure of what to do. We asked if there was a plan of treatment and they didn’t give us a straight answer. We took lucki to another vet and that’s when he got better. This situation was about 4 years ago. Their vets seem more knowledgeable today but still. The only reason we went back was because we were still paying for the insurance plan. Also, they’ve started an online thing where you can make an account and view upcoming appointments, shot records, etc. which is nice and all but the phone numbers that they give for you to call if you are having trouble with your account are unavailable and I have yet to be able to get through to someone about logging into my account.
They do have some good things going for them though. They are conveniently in PetsMart which I like because after going to the vet, I can do a little shopping, drop him off at the groomers, etc. Also if the pet hotel needs records, I can just quickly run across the store and get them. I can also always get an appointment time and the front desk staff is friendly and helpful. I like that they can take walk-​ins and am happy that they are also open on the weekends.
Banfield is okay of you’re pet is in great health or has something minor, but if your pet has some sort of major health problem or incident, I feel that you are better off going to another vet office.

I have been to many banfields’ over the last few years with my three dogs, but I was most disappointed with my visit at this Banfield location. My little dog has a chronic eye disorder and he has been seen by many vets because of it, so this visit was supposed to be another check up for refills. Generally, I have three prescriptions, one that I use twice daily and two in case his eyes start acting up. Not only would Dr. Abraham not prescribe me the two of three, but only gave me a few refills for the one, enough to last me a few months. She said that I would have to come back for the other two when his eye starts to act up because prescribing it could lead to more severe eye problems. So basically she wants me to keep returning for medications that I already use.
In addition to that, she told me that my dog has a heart murmur and lead me to think that it could lead to sudden death of my dog. This is the first time I had ever heard of him having one. After scaring me rotten with the possibility of heart enlargement, other worst case scenarios and the immediate need for 300 hundred dollar x-​rays, she came back to say his heart was fine and all tests came out great.
I will not return to this vet again for any reason at all and I regret not reading the other awful reviews before making my appointment.