Banfield Pet Hospital

"long review!!! I recently had a bad experience here with my fur baby, which is unfortunate because I have been going to Banfield for awhile for her routine check ups. I took her in last month (January 9, 2024) for her comprehensive exam and expressed a certain concern for her leg as she was having trouble going up the stairs. This lasted maybe a week at the end of December. I brought her in and she was NOT limping or having any issues going up the stairs. The vet suggested X-rays and we agreed to it. X-rays came back fine other than having. little bit of arthritis in her back right leg. I took her in on Jan 9th, completely fine and no issues walking whatsoever, but ever since then, after picking her up from Banfield, she has had issues walking on her back right leg and has been limping EVER SINCE! I believe they did something to her after the x-ray was performed. I noticed after I picked her up and we started to walk out of the store that she was not walking correctly on her back right leg and wouldn't even put it down. She was walking on only three legs then and is still to this day doing so (Feb 9, 2024). I immediately turned around and asked one fo the front desk ladies (who was rude and always looks so mad. this was not someone I talk to usually), she went back and asked and said that my dog was limping like this since before the X-ray and when they took her out of the cage. Which I doubt because if something was majorly wrong, it would've showed up on the xray. It is even stated on her patient notes from when I first brought her in to drop her off that day that "Patient is currently NOT LIMPING". So another red flag. When I came and picked up her up, the vet didn't even come out and talk to me. The assistant did. I called to speak to the vet again once I picked up my dog to explain the notes on the X-ray to both my husband and I so we could understand better and she seemed annoyed that I called to ask and said " I thought we had an understanding of this earlier". I even asked about her limping and even stated on the phone that my dog was not limping prior to coming into her office today, and it is even stated on the patient notes and she said its probably from grading her? Or something and stretching her out (a different answer from what the front desk receptionist had). I called the vet wanting to bring her in again because 4 days had gone by and it was still not better, then decided that maybe we will give it a week to see if she gets better. A week has gone by and STILL HAS NOT gotten better AND this has hindered her from her daily activities like jumping on the couch, walking up the stairs, jumping on the bed, walking, running, etc. I called again to bring her in and check and I didn't even talk to the vet, I talked to the receptionist and she said the vet said to refer her to an orthopedic surgeon. I am very disappointed! Its like they didn't even care to look at her again considering this injury happened UNDER THEIR CARE. I would not recommend Banfield to anyone. Because not only did I have this bad experience, but I hate that they only offer drop off appointments having to leave my dog in a cage FOR HOURS! The Banfield I went to used to let me be in the room during comprehensive exams and I didn't have to drop off my dog. I also caught the vet saying one time that she "didn't have to muzzle my dog" during her exam. Which I'm not okay with. My dog is the sweetest and for them to have to muzzle her, they must have had to do something to her. Not only that, but BOTH of my dogs get the worst anxiety going there and ABSOLUTELY hate it. I took my fur baby to an emergency vet and she was comfortable with them. Save yourself the time and find a different vet!!! WE WILL NOT BE GOING BACK."

"This is all just from my experience and my opinion. I had a corgi named Kitty. She had been going to this Banfield for the past 12 years, ever since she was a puppy. I trusted them. She graduated from the puppy plan to the adult plan and I paid 50-70 dollars for the plans every month religiously. And every year she got her vaccines and shots and exams 1-2 times a year. Now there are studies saying maybe over vaccinating dogs is a problem and it's not necessary to do it that often. I don't know the truth but it weighs on me. My dog started having problems with lameness as she got older. It would come and go. I would take her to Banfield. They would do exams and tell me the suspected a tear, though I don't think they offered to do x-rays. Maybe the first time they might have - if they are even able to do x-rays at this location. And mostly they just assured me that I could wait and see if it would get better on it's own and if not then I could take her to get the surgery. It would get better and come back and get better and come back over the course of several years. Which I was assured multiple times could happen if it would improve and then re-tear especially after initially tearing. I can't tell you how many times I lie awake and night thinking of the Banfield vet assuring me Kitty 'just has old lady knees' and that I could 'wait to see if it got better again' and not advising me to get x-rays. This time it didn't get better. It got worse until she wouldn't even put weight on it. And I took her into a vet that specialized in dog acl tears(whatever they are called in dogs). He did x-rays. Several hundreds of dollars and panic making appointments with IndyVet and having to wait for the appointment several weeks out. It was cancer. An aggressive grade 5 sarcoma. The Banfield plans meant nothing. They couldn't do anything. It's not real insurance and although I knew that and enjoyed 'the convenience' of the plan covering basic check ups and shots. Nothing prepared me. Several thousands and thousands of dollars for an amputation and chemo treatments later, for a cancer that could have been growing for years or a few months (because the vet I trusted never relayed any urgency or alternate possible concerns) - I'm now sitting here alone on Christmas for the first time in 12 years. My poor puppy lost her battle after a year of chemo and even learning to walk on 3 legs. And to add insult to injury I kept receiving reminder emails from Banfield that she was due for her shots. ... Even after I called, the 1-800 number and called this store and begged for them to remove me from the list because my dog was dead and gone. Even after I ended the plan. They kept emailing me and texting me. Please. From a heart broken pet parent. Buy real pet insurance. And go to a real veterinary facility. And always get a second opinion no matter how much you trust your vet or how long your pet has been seeing them."

"Staff is great, docs are wonderful. My only problem is their hours in Carmel/Westfield are terrible. Wr had to switch to a different Banfield that is smaller and I don't like it as much"

"We travel with our dog frequently so it is comforting to know that his records travel with him to any Banfield. We have been seen in three different Banfields in three different states. All are very knowledgeable and professional."

"Do not ever sign up for subscription service ever. We had an emergency with our Great Dane and they refused to even see him! Why? -they have diagnostics and X-rays on site -at least that’s what we always were led to believe. They basically told us to go see an emergency vet. Why do we pay a monthly fee? We tried to get out of our contract as the experience was terrible. They would not let us and we don’t trust them at all. Will not return and we have been forced to continue to pay . Why also are you not allowed to go back with your pet into the room??? No vet has ever practiced this way."