Banfield Pet Hospital

After almost 9 years and several moves with pets, ‘vetting vets for the best’ has been a necessary process more than once. Of my beloved favorites, Dr. Susan Duran takes the ranks; if ever she relocated within even 100 miles — I’d make the trip! If ever distance was a vital factor, I know that the front-​desk & intake doctors at this Petsmart Banfield location have always been responsive and attuned to my pets’ needs.

My dog was really sick Easter weekend. This is the only vet that would see him. I wish I could give them 20 stars! Dr. Lawrence was kind, patient and spot on with his diagnosis.
I had to bring Bear back this weekend and he was the same. Office staff great. I have nothing negative to say!

Absolutely the worst customer service I’ve ever received. It all started with the girl in the front named Brooklyn. She threatened to keep my dog if I didn’t pay her upfront. Secondly, they had called to inform me it was time for my dogs dental cleaning under my current wellness plan. After the cleaning, they processed to tell me it was time for a renewal and the dental cleaning wasn’t going to be covered. I explained at that time, we would no longer be doing business with Banfield due to lack of communication. They stated, it would be $ 400 if I didn’t renew my wellness plan. I explained the situation with Kelsey (manager at 100 oaks location) and nothing was accomplished. The next week I received a letter where they had sent me to collections. It wasn’t even 30 days from the date of the dental cleaning. I’ve contacted corporate to explain my experiance and they explained each store is required to handle their customers complaints. I’ve now paid out of pocket $ 300 to settle with collection agency. Thinking my experience couldn’t get worse, they have been deducting $ 32.95 out of our account without authorization since December 2015 for the wellness plan that we were sent to collections for! I’ve attempted to reach Kelsey by phone and shown up to speak with her but NO luck. Beware!!! Stay away from this company!

Do not go here. They are money hungry, it’s actually quite annoying how much they care about making a buck and how little they care about your pet. I spent over $ 400 in exams/​tests/​prescriptions and they STILL didn’t know what was wrong with my pup! What a waste of money. It hurts to think about because I never even got an answer. The poor nurses are sweet, but would only tell me verbatim what the doctor had told them so when I asked what that meant in people terms, they had no clue. I stopped giving my dog medicine for an infection «he could have» and that «might clear up». That’s nuts to me! How could you prescribe a pill for my dog & not know why I’m giving it to him? Oh but don’t worry. One thing they do know about — their wellness plan. They will remind you about it 16x while you’re there. You’ll see… I don’t care about the wellness plan, I just want to know what’s going on with my dog! Not to mention any doctor who brings me back to the surgery room while he’s operating on another dog, guts open for the contaminated world to see, is not okay in my book. I will never go back there.

Won’t take our timid mastiff any where else, but here. Have had a great experience with all the vets and the vet techs at this location. They will answer all your questions and never make you feel just like the next customer, they will spend 20min or an hour with you until you have all your questions answered. They are very patient and understanding with our timid mastiff as well. I highly recommend the wellness plan, you save hundreds in the end.

Dr. Dobson is absolutely phenomenal. He knows what he’s talking about, and I trust him with my lab. I won’t go anywhere else! Their wellness plan is such a great value and includes unlimited visits.

Everyone on staff has always been so accommodating. They really try to offer you the best deal, for your pet and for your wallet. I’m so happy we found this place!
Recently, our dog had a hurt paw and they fit us in on a busy Friday afternoon, without an appointment. They gave us peace of mind, the meds we needed and we were out of there in about 30 minutes. It’s just a great place with a knowledgeable and friendly staff!

Our first visit here was pleasant, the biggest pro is that in a pinch I know I can always get in here if something is wrong and I call in the morning. Second visit for an ear infection however was a bit frustrating, $ 38 for visit, $ 20 to check his ears, $ 18 for ear cleaning, they wanted me to pay $ 20 to test the ear swab, come back again in a week to test it again, and then whatever medication in top of that — but they were out of the packing medication my dog usually gets… they’d just ordered it. I was also a bit concerned that I had to explain to the doctor why I didn’t want his ears cleaned with anything containing alcohol or any type of acid because they were so inflamed. The vet tech though who helped us was excellent and very knowledgeable!
Second visit summary: got checked up and ears cleaned, it’s going to be less expensive and they’ll have the correct medicine to go to his other vet tomorrow.

I love the staff at Banfield Music City. I followed Dr. Durand from the Franklin location to the Nashville location. All 3 doctors show that they really care for your 4 legged family member. I have a rescue, and skittish, American Eskimo that doesn’t do too well with males, but he will eventually warm up to the males that are patient with him. Dr. Durand was running behind and the techs suggested I see the other doctor. I mentioned the «special» needs of my Eskie, and the male doctor (I forgot his name) asked how did my Eskie ever get along with the other male doctors in Franklin?! I told him they spoke with excited voices until my Eskie got used to them, or they were extremely patient with him, or they bribed him with treats to show him they weren’t a threat to him or his mom. Unfortunately, they were fresh out of cookies. However, the male doctor and the male tech didn’t hesitate to speak with «excited» voices throughout the entire exam ;D It sounded like everyone inhaled helium versus being excited, but it was non-​stop laughter in the exam room. After that episode, everyone remembered my Eskie: P I wish I could go back to the Music City location, but my relocation has forced me to go back to the Franklin location. The Franklin location doesn’t disappoint either! Everyone is great at these two locations :) I also forgot to mention that I moved to TN in 2010, so I’ve been bouncing between these two locations for a while ;)

I WILL NEVER go to Banfield ever again! I had my female Australian Shepherd spayed at Banfield. Despite giving them her MDR1 status (mutant/​normal) and reminding them before she was spayed that she should not be given acepromazine and being assured that this would not happen, they went with their «hospital formula» that included preanesthetic acepromazine. She was drugged for 2 – 3 days after her spay. Only after I complained when they called do check on her did I find out (from her records) that they gave her acepromazine. I am a former vet tech, a breeder and trainer of Australian Shepherds and even teach animal science classes. I will never recommend anyone I know to use Banfield! They are too stuck on the hospital policies to get their heads out of their a$$es and do what is best for the dog!

I have been taking both my cat and dog to this vet for eight years now. The vet techs have always been so welcoming and sweet to me and my pets. In fact, when I call in with a question most likely I get someone who knows my pets and express sincere concern.
The doctors are great! I have never had an issue with the way that my animals have been treated even when I have had to leave one of them there all day to have a procedure done.
One year, I had just been laid off from my job and my cat was attacked by a pack of dogs. I couldn’t afford the cost of all the tests, fluids, x-​rays, etc they had to do to save his life. They were willing to work with me to keep the cost as low as possible while still managing to take care of the poor little guy. He is as healthy as can be and he stays pretty close to home now. :)
I highly recommend signing up for the wellness plan. I do it for my dog as she is older and has fatty tumors and tends to get ear infections every so often. The plan includes a teeth cleaning and comprehensive exam once a year, any necessary shots, no office fee anytime you come in, 15% off major surgeries, x-​rays, etc. It also gives you discounts off of heartworm and flea/​tick treatment. My dog gets the heartworm shot once every 6 months. It’s like health insurance for your pets and can be used at any Banfield across the country. I often joke about how my dog’s health insurance is better than mine. I truly believe she is as healthy as she is at age 10 because she is taken such good care of at Banfield.

This is one of the best veterinary hospitals I’ve ever taken my animals to, and my new go-​to place in Nashville. I had to take in my 10 year old tabby cat because she was having a skin flare-​up where she broke out in a scabby rash. :(Justin the vet-​tech was very sweet and figured out she had fleas, and the rashes were an allergic reaction to the flea bites, something that is pretty common in cats. Dr. Lawrence is amazing and hilarious, and gave my kitty a couple shots to take care of the itching and rashes. I also got some serious flea medication for my fur-​baby. The total cost was around $ 200, but most of it was the flea meds. The actual visit itself was only around $ 40, which is completely reasonable.
Do be prepared for them to push the «wellness plan,» which is a pretty pricy health package for pets who are already healthy. I only have to take my cats once a year for check-​ups since they are in perfect health, but the plan would probably be beneficial to animals who have a lot of issues.

Dr. Lawrence is the greatest!
After her last visit, I thought we had my pup’s skin irritation issues nipped in the bud. Well, whatever has been plaguing her came back with a vengeance. I called Banfield in a state of panic, and was surprised to find that after I described her condition on the phone, Dr. Lawrence was genuinely worried, too, and wanted to get her feeling better ASAP.
Little Penny was in the waiting room first thing in the morning, and we were given the option to treat her condition with some daily medication & a shampoo that SHOULD take care of everything, or run some pretty comprehensive tests to catch ANYTHING that could be causing her discomfort. With the $ 30/​month Wellness Plan she’s enrolled in (fur-​baby insurance, basically) all of her testing was a good 65% less than it would be at pretty much any other vet I have looked into.
The vet technicians that helped with Penny’s last visit stopped in to check on her, love on her & make her feel at home. Sweethearts!
I am happy to say that about a week and a half later, she is much happier and more playful than I have seen her be in quite some time. It’s obvious that she’s feeling super-​healthy these days, and for that I have Dr. Lawrence & crew to thank :)

I’m a big Banfield fan! I’ve been taking my dog here for about a year and a half and have had a great experience. The staff members are all really friendly. I’ve had no problem getting an appointment. The wellness plan has been working out great for me so far. I have the adult basic plan for my dog. $ 24 per month and covers two complete checkups each year, ~10% off medicines /​services /​shots and free unlimited office visits. At each of the biannual checkups they give you a little packet describing the health status of your pet (blood work, eye/​teeth/​skin/​body check). I also like that they call the next day to check to make sure your pet is OK.
This morning (around 10am) I called Banfield because my dog had a strange red bump on her lip. I figured I might as well take Pepper to see a vet because of the aforementioned free office visits. I was able to get an appointment for 11:30am! I brought her in and was greeted immediately. It took about 5 minutes to get into the exam room where a technician did a once-​over then I waited about 10 minutes to see the vet. He examined her, gave me some medicine (turned out to be an infected bug bite — gross) and sent us on our way! Took less than an hour in all. Not bad for a last-​minute appointment!

I’m doing another update and giving Banfield 5 stars again. Shocking, right?
Don’t be wary of all Banfield locations if you have had a bad experience elsewhere as they are all privately owned. The Music City location in 100 Oaks Mall is fantastic!
I took in mu little Chico again today for his comprehensive exam and the staff at Banfield shined brightly again. From the friendly appointment reminder phone call to the adoring staff when Chico and I showed up, everything was so personable and made me elated that my little furry children have the best care available. I even received a phone call an hour before his pickup time to let me know updates in his status and a suggested product to help with his dental care.
Icing on the cake was when I showed up, they showed me pictures they took of him while they were taking care of him all wrapped up in a blanket and they all kissed him and gushed about how much they adored him.
They always take the time to discuss his health at length with me.
Some of the services offered at this location include:
* Cardiology
* Dentistry
* Early Morning Drop-​Off Service
* Emergency Care
* Geriatrics
* Internal Medicine
* Microchipping
* Nutritional Counseling
* Parasite Control
* Radiology
* Skin Care
* Spays & Neuters
* Vaccinations

Here’s to hoping our sweet boy never needs to overly utilize his health plan but here goes spending $ 25 a month on a «wellness plan» which by the way is more deducted from my bank account every month than my own health plan. I guess so goes the saying of «if we took as good care of ourselves as we did our pets…»
We adopted our dog and had to get him a rabies shot (the dog not my boyfriend) in order to be registered to the state. They were more than accommodation but we immediately got the wellness plan pitch. The front desk assistant was more than sweet to our dog who was obviously a little freaked out going from humane society after 2 months to petsmart.
The techs were easily the sweetest people ever. They gave really unbiased and honest opinions on better food and what a dog like ours really needed. They were very aware of how skiddish he was and weren’t rough with him.
The only thing I found a little uncomfortable was the full physical appointment system. They ask you to drop off your dog on a specific day no later than 9a and pick up your dog after 4 or 5p. I suppose if it doesn’t matter to you it’s convenient but our dog is a little bit of the nervous type and the whole cattle call dog check up thing wasn’t viable for us, especially since the whole thing would have been unsupervised by the owner. My boyfriend called and asked and they said that if was just to be efficient but that we could bring him in for a «normal» check up appointment.
It was just all a little too «production line» for us with that whole drop off pick up and made us kind of question what happens unsupervised and if our dog is getting the optimal care. The whole thing felt like the doggy version of a HMO/​PPO service at Kaiser. While it’s convenient to have a vet wherever there’s a petsmart and the wellness plan is indeed a good idea for older dogs, we’ll probably be looking for a more personal vet and take the cost risk.

We’ve been taking our pup, Piper, to Banfield since she was a 4 week old rescue and every time we go it’s an enjoyable experience. Our most recent trip was unexpected. Poor Piper had terrible intestinal distress. Banfield took exceptional care of her, observed her the entire day, were very patient and informative with me.
Their wellness plans have saved us $ 1400 in the year we’ve had Piper and today saved us $ 300. I would highly recommend Banfield to any pet owner!