Banfield Pet Hospital

Reviews 6

YA

YaYa J

To be fair, Banfield is a good place to go if your pet simply needs basic care, wellness check ups, microchip, vaccines and the like. But if youre pet is having any serious issues or something that requires a little more than average attention, banfield does not have the bandwidth to deal with it. When one of my cats had an ear infection that just didnt seem to subside, banfield kept trying the same medicine over and over and at one point the vet tried to convince me that my cat was fine, when every indication/observation on my part was that he was not yet ok, despite the treatment. Took him to another vet at west end and they tried several different medicines and regimens, made sure he didnt have allergies, made sure he didnt have any obstructions and worked with me on several treatment plans until we found something that actually cleared the ear infection once and for all - turns out infections can be yeast based, bacterial etc. and different meds/cleaners are needed based on the type of infection. As I said, banfield seems limited in what they can do and the options they offer pet owners when it comes to pet health issues that may require more than 1 approach or requires more time/effort to get to a solution. I find that although the staff are very polite, the overall place/practice is one where they are rushed and more concerned with saving/cutting costs. If you have a wellness plan and actually dare to use it by coming in for an unscheduled visit because your pet seems ill or off, they tend to make a lot of comments about getting "back on schedule" - which is in reference to the 6 month, 2 times a yr visits that the wellness plan emphasizes. If for some reason you have to come in more often, this seems to unnerve them a little. Again, I think they are worth using for basic care, a first pass/first look at an issue and if you are in a jam financially and are trying to save a few dollars where you can but still want to get care for your pet. Otherwise, there are 50 other vet places in the area that dont overbook, dont disappear for 2 hours on a lunch break, can actually take walk ins because they dont overbook appointments and who have the resources, time, knowledge and treatment options available to get the job done without having to go behind them looking for a 2nd, 3rd and 4th opinion bc they failed to be thorough.

---

JO

John W

I bought a pet rat from the PetSmart this hospital is located in. The rat was sick so I returned it to the store and they told me they would keep it overnight and that Banfield would look at the rat the next morning and call when the exam was completed. I didnt hear anything by noon the next day so I called the vet office to check up and was told nobody had looked at her yet and to just wait for the call, basically telling me "dont call us, well call you". The day came and went and no call. If this were a dog or cat Ill bet it would not have stayed the whole day without anybody looking at it or calling me at the end of the day to explain why. This is inexcusable. I wouldnt even take a pet rock to this location! ** UPDATE : 2nd full day at vet without any word back - unbelievable. ** UPDATE: Has been 3 full days without any word. ** UPDATE: 3rd day called Banfield vet office to get update. Was told they dont have the rat any longer and couldnt tell me what the results were as it was turned over to PetSmart. Makes no sense they dont have a record of what, if any, treatment was done. Gave no explanation as to why I wasnt notified and seemed to get irritated with my questions as they were busy with other customers. Again, this is a horrible place all around and would caution anyone to seek help elsewhere.

---

MA

Maggie Crumbo

Ive been taking my beagle here for a couple years after transferring from another Banfield hospital in North Raleigh. At first I wasnt too impressed, but after working with different vets there I was able to find a great doctor who I really like and trust - Dr. Hopson. Recently, my baby beagle (whos actually 10, but a baby to me) developed recurring infections in her eyes and her being a beagle - she was not having it. Dr. Hopson GOT DOWN ON THE FLOOR with my dog because the exam table freaks her out after a little bit. She conducted the entire exam from there. She is also very empathetic and caring when it comes to not only how my dog was feeling, but how I was feeling as her mom. Another doctor I really like there is Dr. Baines - she is very sweet and understanding and when I cant get Dr. Hopson I request her. The Chief of Staff - Dr. Bakal is great, too. Hes incredibly knowledgeable and has a great sense of humor. Overall, I am very happy with the service both my dog and I receive here. The vet techs are great and love on my dog as if shes their own - which for people who dont understand how loud and crazy beagles can be, thats huge.

---

CH

Charity Smith

I will never take my dog to a Banfield Hospital ever again. I moved here from Georgia where my dog was receiving excellent medical care from GVS. I gave Banfield all of my dogs medical records and history to be sure that they were aware of all his pre-existing conditions. My first appointment at Banfield was terrible. The vet was not knowledgeable at all and gave me and my dog terrible service. I switched locations and began going to the Banfield by Southpoint. This location seemed to be great until I recently went to visit family in Georgia. My brother in law, who is a vet tech at GVS, noticed that my dog has an ulcer on his cornea. Untreated ulcers can cause blindness in dogs. I was outraged! I pay 46.00 dollars monthly and my dog has had several comprehensive exams at Banfield and no one noticed that he has an ulcer. How is that possible? How could my brother who used no medical equipment notice an ulcer within minutes of examining my dog while we were visiting. Thank god for my brother in law. I have cancelled my wellness plan at Banfield and will be taking my business some where else.

---

KA

Karlo de Guzman

Ive been a Banfield customer for many years now. I recently brought my 15 year old furbaby to Banfield at Northpointe in Durham to be seen because hes lost a lot of weight and wasnt eating. They took a blood sample and found out his liver enzymes were elevated. The male vet from India recommended that my pet be euthanized. This vet did not show any compassion at all. He was cold and uncaring. He did not even give my pet medication like Acetylcysteine to help lower his liver enzymes. My pet recently crossed the rainbow bridge, at least he died in my arms and in a loving and caring home. I would never recommend this sorry excuse for a pet hospital to anybody. The male vet from India is the worst and incompetent vet I have ever seen.

---

A

A Private User

Banfield is a BUSINESS - not a vet clinic. I have been a customer there for years because the regular vet care is relatively cheap when you get the basic wellness plan. But you rarely get to see a vet when you take your pets for their checkup, and when you do, they are very business-like. As if theyve never set eyes on your pet before and dont care if they ever do again. Every time I go there, there is a different vet working there. I have never had a good feeling after leaving there. But I stupidly kept going there because it was cheap. It was fine as long as there was nothing out of the ordinary going on with my pets, but if/when there was - I went elsewhere (to a REAL vet). Banfield is better than nothing...but beware.

---

---