Banfield Pet Hospital

Reviews 3

VI

Viki Hersh

A few weekends ago, my little Ziggy was attacked by another dog. My husband and daughter rushed her to Banfield (where we have ALWAYS gone and where we spend a LOT of money on their pet plans for all 3 of our dogs). My husband arrived and told the front desk what had happened and they began the process of checking her in. This was OBVIOUSLY an emergency - part of her leg had been torn very badly and there was a lot of blood (not to mention she was crying). The staff at the front desk was very helpful and wonderful, as always, but then Dr. Kellerman came out to tell my husband that they were too busy to see our dog (after my husband had just been told that one of the vets was about to head to lunch) - that we needed to pick her back up, put her back in the car and drive her to the local emergency vet. (Ziggy ended up with 12 staples in her leg and the need for not only sedation but also many pain meds and anti-biotics). This is not the first disappointing experience Ive had with Dr. Kellerman, but certainly the most severe. In the past, we have even requested specifically to see another vet, unless shes the only one in the office. In the past, we have frequently been put in a waiting room for long periods of time because an emergency came in and we have always understood. The people in the waiting room would have been understanding that Ziggy very obviously needed to be seen. What is absolutely disgusting to me was the complete lack of regard for my dogs health last Saturday. But to top that off, we pay pet plans for 3 dogs each month and ended up spending an additional $630 at an emergency vet. Im as disappointed as I can possibly be and we have already started the process of moving our 3 dogs to another vet. We will be canceling our pet plans and we will find a vet who takes emergent cases a bit more seriously than Dr. Kellerman did on Saturday. UPDATE: I just got off the phone with Justin, the manager at the local Banfield, who was "checking to see how Ziggy is doing". You didnt care 3 weeks ago (by the way - not last week, as you stated) when you told us you were "too busy" to see our dog (after we had just been told that the vet was headed to lunch by the staff in the front area - and AFTER our dog was checked in and put in a room). You havent cared one iota in the 3 weeks since the incident. Justin then informed me that they are not "an emergency vet hospital", despite the fact that we have taken Ziggy to their location 3 other times (I believe its 3) with emergencies, and this is why they could not see her. They were "too busy" to see her, so we were to pick her back up, howling in pain, put her back in the car and give her another jostling ride. But, as Justin says, they were doing "what was best for Ziggy". So lets just play devils advocate - lets say that they were indeed too busy to see her. Are you honestly telling me they couldnt have taken the time to at least give her a quick pain medication and wrap her leg so that her pain wouldnt be so severe when we had to put her back in the car? We will be canceling our plans, we will be posting anywhere and everywhere to warn people about the poor service. We have received a lot of placating, but not ONE sincere apology from anyone at the local Banfield office (and the one from the Banfield home office doesnt seem to be much more severe since they havent even bothered to contact us in any way, outside of them responding to my Yelp review publicly with ZERO follow-up). Banfield doesnt care about your pets - some of the people who work for Banfield do, but Banfield has made clear they do not care. Period.

RY

Ryan Brock

Our experience at the Banfield Hospital in Petsmart on the Carlisle Pike was nothing short of atrocious. We signed up for the Puppy Plan, thinking it was a great deal. Honestly it is, but the savings just dont matter when it comes to the wellness of your pet. We took our puppy in to get his eyes looked at, they were irritated and gunky. This led to all sorts of nonsense that was required for the Puppy Plan. They ended up giving him a Leptospirosis vaccine without our permission, and failed to mention the long list of side effects it might have. Upon arriving home that night the puppy vomited and then continued to do so for the next 12 hours, retching and hacking when he had completely emptied his stomach. In the morning he was shaking violently and continuing to retch. We decided to take him back to Banfield. They told us he was fine, stressed out from the day before and to take him home and give him Benadryl and Pepcid. We tried, but why would you give a dog that is continually vomiting an oral medication? He threw everything we gave him right back up. After an hour of this we decided to go to the vet we had been seeing previously. They were much more expensive, but it turns out you get what you pay for and well be sticking with them from now on. The vet we went to see instantly diagnosed the problem, telling us the puppy did indeed have a fever, and that the Leptospirosis vaccine was notorious for bad reactions and that was why he didnt often give it to dogs that didnt necessarily need it. He gave the puppy Cerenia and Dexamethasone injections for nausea and to combat his reaction to the Leptospirosis. The puppy seemed better within the hour. It was like the vet at Banfield had no idea about the Leptospirosis vaccine giving terrible reactions, or worse, that she indeed knew and tried to hide it because they had given the vaccine without our permission. We had approximately $1000 worth of surgery scheduled there but have decided to cancel it all because we simply dont trust them. Im also very suspicious of their practice of taking a dog into another room if it wont behave. Youre a vet, deal with it. Its your job. Our puppy began showing signs of aggression towards any vet after they insisted on taking him into the back. I worry they are too heavy handed, and poorly trained in animal behavior, choosing to strong arm an animal instead of going about it intelligently. All in all our experience was a complete joke. I would not recommend the place to anyone, not for shots, not for basic checkups, nothing. It was incredibly unprofessional all across the board. Run the other directions. There are plenty of good vets in the area. They may cost more, significantly more in some cases, but when it comes to my pets Ill never try to save a buck again

RA

Racheal Minnick

I brought my dog in for a drop off appointment. I was very specific when I dropped him off of the services that I wanted done - exam,rabies vax, & ear swab. Those 3 things I was told would be $116 and then meds for the ears that would be more. They called me to let me know my dog was done and told me a price of roughly $200+. Apparently without my consent or knowledge they cleaned by dogs ears for an extra fee of $30.00. You should NOT be allowed to do ANYTHING do anyones pets with out consent. For $30.00 I would of cleaned his ears myself. When I came to pick him up, they took me into a room with the vet tech and she proceeded to tell me that they would have to charge me the $30.00 for the cleaning, and then because they cleaned them already I would not have to clean them for 3-4 days. I told her I WOULD NOT pay because no one called me to okay that to be done to my dog. So then she left and the doctor came in can once again told me that they would be charging me for the cleaning fee. I told her once again I would not be paying. I was very specific with what I wanted done to my dog when I dropped him off for a reason. You should not go against what an owner has requested for their pet. It was not a life or death situation. The doctor said as a courtesy they would not charge me this time, but next time they would. No one once explained the findings of the ear swab, how to use the medication they sent me home with or anything. They were to busy trying to collect the cleaning fee. I also dont think the the whole time my dog was there (from around 10:30-4pm) that they took him out to the bathroom. He almost didnt make it out of the car before he was peeing and pooping all over the place. They next day we went to put the meds in his ears & the left one was filthy. I get that he has an ear infections and gunk in there is normal, but just getting them supposed clean (so clean that I wouldnt have to clean them for 3-4 days) I should not be cleaning out chunks and chunks of goop. Now I am supposed to go back for a recheck exam (but they are going to charge me a whole exam fee for ) but I dont think I will go back here. I dont trust them with my dog! All they want is the money!