Avoid Banfield Pet Hospital at all costs

Reviews
1

Hi guys just seen this on a pets community and I need advise before i consider banfield

"I’m uncertain if this post aligns with the guidelines of this platform, and if moderators deem it necessary to remove, I completely understand.

As a current employee at Banfield Pet Hospital, I feel compelled to share my recent experiences.

If you prioritize the well-being of your pet and seek top-tier medical care for them, I strongly advise against choosing Banfield Pet Hospital.

I intend to leave this position soon, and many of my colleagues are either in the process of resigning, seeking alternative employment, or are deeply dissatisfied. One coworker even expressed a commitment to uphold high medical standards, only to find themselves practicing what they consider subpar medicine here.

This corporation shows little regard for its employees, clients, or the animals in its care. The atmosphere at my current clinic has been consistently poor for years. Staff members are severely underpaid and burdened with numerous responsibilities. It’s astonishing how much is expected from Veterinary Assistants (VAs), particularly considering they often lack prior veterinary experience or training. VAs at Banfield shoulder responsibilities comparable to those of veterinary technicians. Meanwhile, vet techs are overextended, handling their own tasks without additional support. Doctors and surgery VAs rarely get breaks, and we’re all pressured to see a high volume of pets daily, compromising the quality of care. Personally, witnessing the level of medical treatment and care provided by Banfield, I wouldn’t entrust my pet to their care. Everyone is exhausted, and double booking appointments, especially for new pets, is deemed acceptable as they aim to enroll more pets in wellness plans.

Speaking of wellness plans, they’re heavily promoted and praised within the organization. However, I didn’t join this profession to focus solely on selling wellness plans; my passion lies in genuine animal care and compassion. I implore you, if you genuinely cherish your pet, reconsider bringing them to Banfield. MARS, the parent corporation, prioritizes profit over pet welfare and exploits its employees to the fullest."

Who has had experience with them and how are they

1 Like
2

Legal action probably isn’t necessary (and isn’t worth it over $200—you’d spend more than that taking action).

Instead, talk to a manager or the person in charge at Banfield or wherever the billing is handled. Calmly explain the situation and why you are dissatisfied. If you handle it calmly and provide evidence, they will likely work with you. However, if you signed a contract, it will be much harder to break, even with valid reasons. Many contracts are designed to protect the company, so you might still be legally obligated to fulfill it.

If all else fails, just ride out the contract and cancel when you can without penalty. If it’s cheaper to pay the $200 now than to continue paying for the next few months, consider doing that.

3

I haven’t personally used Banfield, but based on this post, it might be worth looking into other vet options in your area. Places with better staff morale and focus on quality care might be a better fit for your pet.

4

Yes don’t take your pet here ! They are incompetent and unprofessional . 30 min to check in because they don’t know how to use the computer! They keep your dog for over 5 hrs for a simple evaluation and everyone seems to have apathy and lack of compassion. They all seem to hate being there . I wish they would leave . If they don’t like their job they should leave ! Please take your baby somewhere else !

5

All of these issues I witnessed today! I agree 100% that everyone should take their dogs somewhere else !

6

Former employee here. I highly recommend staying away from Banfield (corporate medicine) in general. As an employee and as a client for this hospital, when I was faced with an emergency that would either need emergency surgery to save my dogs life or he would need to be euthanized (my dog had a splenic tumor that was previously diagnosed due to it bleeding, we scheduled him for surgery at the TO clinic but the splenic tumor began to bleed again days before surgery), I could not get anyone at this hospital to pick up the phone. I was scheduled to work and was unsure if I should go straight to an emergency clinic or if I bring him to work with me. I decided to show up at work with my pet, when I did arrive and notified the staff of the pet’s sudden onset of symptoms (refused food that morning, lethargic, pale gums) which all pointed to another internal bleed from the tumor, both doctors on staff and the three other technicians did not respond to the patient appropriately. Although we spoke, and the history of his splenic tumor was brought up, the pet was not treated like an emergency in anyway. The pet was not triaged as soon as possible and he was made to wait to be seen by a doctor while she examined two other healthy, stable patients who were dropped off for preventative care services. Luckily, being a technician myself, I began recording the pet’s vital signs, collected blood and began a PCV test then called other associate veterinarians to help assist me interpret the lab results and guide me through the next steps. Eventually one of the associate vets I was consulting with came in to the clinic to assess my pet, and ended up euthanizing him.

There was an instance where I have witnessed a doctor and technicians attempt to place an IV catheter in an elderly dog 12 times - I voiced my concern over how many times they attempted an IV on his collapsed veins but was dismissed. This pet was hospitalized at a local ER the night before and was scheduled to go under anesthesia for a routine dental cleaning as a preventative care service and the pet had barely any build up and did not need extractions. This was for revenue.

I witnessed 5 technicians attempt to forcefully hold down a pit-bull after an ear swab broke off in its ear (shaking during swab) because they couldn’t get it out. It got to the point where the pet began mouthing, almost bite like movements, but he was not outwardly aggressive. He had 5 full grown humans jump on him one by one until it was literally a dog pile, that dog was a saint. It wasn’t until I yelled “Enough” and gave them an earful, took the dog from them and recommended they call the owner for sedation that the overseeing doctor and those 5 technicians stopped how they were treating that pet and changed course.

I witnessed a doctor recommended an owner have us continue with their pet’s routine dental cleaning instead of postponing to run a bile acids test because the pet had abnormally high liver enzymes on its pre-anesthetic bloodwork which resulted in death of that pet due to the liver shunt. This course of action was also revenue driven.

I witnessed Mars Corporation (they own Banfield) degrade the quality of supplies (tape for IV catheters, syringes, vaccines, etc.) in our hospitals all while increasing the costs for clients and then go spend money on ridiculous things like advertisements on NASCARS for the brand.

I witnessed this company try to have us enforce Benadryl injections to all pets prior to vaccines, which is an additional cost to the owner to increase revenue. If you are familiar with their Wellness Plans, I have also witnessed this company require us to charge for exams like neuro exam, extremities/lameness exam, etc. on top of the normal exam fee and do this specifically to wellness plan clients whose office exams are covered for a year by their plan.

Do yourself, your pet and the veterinary community a favor by spending your time and hard-earned money at a veterinary practice that has integrity.