Banfield Pet Hospital

Every single time I come here I have an issue at the front desk. I don't know if they need more staff or just more competent staff. I drive 30 minutes from home to see DR Cotter but it's to the point where it isn't worth it anymore due to the front desk people. I refilled a prescription today with Heather (I think was her name) I drove the 30 min with a cold to pick it up, paid for it, waited for her to cut them...only to find out she filled the wrong prescription and they are out of stock in what I need. What a waste of both of our time. Get it together Banfield. Read Less

We have a pet plan through Banfield which we have been paying for every month for the last three years. Our hungry lab decided to eat a bag of bagels, plastic and all. He was making such an awful noise we were concerned he had something lodged in his throat so zipped him up to Banfield to have him looked at. Needless to say they were less than understanding and refused to see him at all initially. This was on a Sunday but there were vet techs available to look at him even though the veterinarian was in surgery. After pushing for someone to look at him,They told me it would take four hours to be seen. We’re talking about a member of our family potentially Choking to death! I insisted that I would be Seen and even though my dog was choking and gagging and nobody thought it would be a good idea to take him back to a private room. Banfield is absolutely worthless in my opinion. I ended up going to an emergency vet, All in all it cost me almost $700 so far... I feel like maybe they could have tried a little harder to at least given me some sense of customer service instead of just shooing me away because it was inconvenient. Makes me wonder why I pay for a Banfield plan at all. Cannot recommend for your family member Read Less

I was very disappointed in Banfield's customer service for my dog's teeth cleaning. We pay over $40/month for pet insurance which includes a free dental cleaning. I made an appointment a month ago, but when I brought my dog in for his cleaning (after taking the morning off of work), they told me they had no record of his appointment and that I would have to wait a month for another appointment. I asked to speak with a manager and I am still awaiting the call. Because of their poor customer service, I would definitely not recommend either their health insurance or working with this particular Banfield location. Read Less

We've been coming here for about a year now to this location or since we rescued our puppy from a AZ Shelter. The doctors/staff are amazingly sweet, nice, real fun to be around with. Our Pohu loves seeing them, although he can get super crazy by wanting to jump all over them and lick them all up. I sometimes have a hard time controlling him when he sees people that he loves so much.The staff are great, easy to schedule appointments and we love how they follow up with you before and after your visit to see how our baby is doing! Although, we do not live in this area anymore and had ventured to another Banfield hospital, we actually got super spoiled from this location that on his next annual check up we don't mind making that 30 minute drive that used to be only 5 minutes to book his next appointment. The staff here are amazing and yes, it is in the Pet Smart store which they are super nice...On a side note because our dog is an american bulldog mix - I had no idea there was a policy that Pet Smart discriminates those breeds. This location did not once made us feel uncomfortable at all and in fact, are always, always friendly! Read Less

Dr Gross is AWESOME!!! You can tell she loves animals. When we move we will keep coming to here even though there are a lot of other vets near us!!! I cant say enough about her and her bedside manner!! I would give her more stars if it was possible. Thank you for caring about our dogs as much as we do!!! Read Less

Don't do it! It's a total scam. I bought the plan because it "included" dental cleanings so I thought it would pay for itself. They nickel and dime you. They "find" things when they do the blood work prior to the cleaning. Of course their findings will cost you hundreds of dollars. I took my dog in to get her 2nd cleaning this am and was told by 1 doctor that if her liver numbers decrease (from her visit 1 month ago where she was prescribed a very expensive liver supplement), they could clean her teeth. Well it went down but not enough according to this doctor today. So I left with a $100 bill for lab work and no teeth cleaning. I tried to cancel my membership since they won't clean her teeth but they told me I would owe them $301 to cancel! Don't buy their plans! They are out to rip you off and you will not get the services you think you are paying for. Read Less

Didn't go to the hospital portion but used their grooming facilities, make sure you are VERY specific about the type of cut you want, they are very clipper happy. The first time was a perfect scissor cut, I asked for a repeat and they took the clippers to him - horrible. Same groomer both times. Read Less

Dr. Cotter is THE best vet we've ever had, hands down. We've been with her and her staff for over 15 years. She's kind and very pet-centric. Plus, she's so knowledgeable on everything and keeps current on latest meds. We've moved a couple times in and out of AZ and have never found anyone quite like her. She sits down on the floor to talk to the dog, for cryin' out loud - how much more genuine can you get?! Sara has also been there for eons, and we appreciate her knowledge and humor. Great team. Wish I could find a human physician this good, lol. Read Less

I am a physician and if I charged my patients what this place charges for "veterinary" care I would be sued and have my license revoked for price gouging.  Benadryl (you know the stuff you can get at the dollar store) was $50 for one shot,  triple antibiotic ointment (yup, the stuff you can get a 5gm tube for at the dollar store  for a dollar) was $50.  After an almost $400 dollar visit for a very simple allergy causing swollen eyes we forgot to grab the cheap ass plastic collar to keep him from scratching his eyes for 2 days. We went back and they wanted an additional 25$!Unbelievable. Purely taking advantage of people's affinity (and ignorance) regarding their pets and their health.Would not recommend going here. Look for a private vet and tell them you are not ignorant as to the cost of treatment.Will NOT be coming back here. They lost us and anyone else I can tell about this travesty as a customer.Seriously, a quick GOOGLE search provided all the information I would have needed and the cost would have been under $20.00. Read Less

My name is Kerry Simon, but writing this under my aunt's name. I wanted to RAVE about my experience on Saturday(1/23), particularly with the female vet that helped me. Unfortunately I cannot remember her name, but I know she is somewhat new to the hospital. I was there to put my dog Maggie down and it was my first time having to go through this. As you can imagine, it was devastating but the vet that helped me through the process was absolutely fantastic!! I was so grateful that I chose this location. She was so genuinely sweet and empathetic. I wish I could give her another hug and thank her again. She is the reason I felt better about the situation. I knew my sweet Maggie was being left in loving hands. The vet and her male assistant were patient and very understanding. I could go on and on! Thank you again, but I hope to not see you anytime soon! Haha (I have another dog) :) Read Less

I absolutely adore the vets and techs at this location, and they're so good to our little old dog. While they don't recognize us all the time, they certainly recognize our pup and call out his name when they see him. While our "monster" hates going to the vet clinic, he can't help but get excited when he sees his favorite people.  Here is my review:I have a small Yorkshire terrier with a chronic disease that causes his intestines to bleed if he gets stressed or consumes even the smallest bit of non-prescription food. We've almost lost him a few years ago when he had his first "episode," and we needed an experienced and gentle vet to monitor his meds and progress. To be honest, I looked into every Banfield within 20 miles of this location, as well as private clinics. This location is by far the best. All the vets are amazing and kind. It's obvious that the vets review our pup's chart and history before seeing us (we try to schedule appointments with the same vet every time, but sometimes that doesn't work out). This is extremely important to us, and saves us a ton of time. Each tech and vet takes her/his time with our little guy to make sure he's as comfortable as possible. Unlike other clinics, the staff doesn't pressure you to buy into unnecessary testing or excessive wellness plans. And their schedule is flexible -- they do take walk-ins, and the wait isn't too horrendous (they triage patients, so if your concern is "small" then it will certainly take a backseat to emergencies and scheduled appointments). On a side note: One thing I have learned is that your own attitude can greatly impact the communication between you and a service provider. If you're looking for greater explanations or in depth answers to your questions, treat your provider with kindness! I can promise that the service for your pet will never be impacted, but I've seen/heard a lot of pet owners act aggressive and rude from the start and then get more flustered when their provider isn't as accommodating to their attitude. Read Less

Always have good experiences going here, don't always see the same faces but we take our 3Cats and dog here for all their check ups. They have always been friendly and let us know when it's times to bring one of them in for a check up. I love the pet insurance they over it comes in handy. Read Less

Awful customer service. I went in a week before and asked to make an appointment. The vet said I didn't need one and would be able to walk right in. So I returned later in the week and waited 2 1/2 hours for them to still not take care of my poor puppy! Then it took an additional 30 minutes just to get my dog back. I tried to make another appointment and they were booked up 2+ weeks! Read Less

I just took my 11year old mini longhair dachshund to see Dr. Gross. She was lovely and went over all my concerns. The staff was very attentive and friendly. I saw some comments from other yelpers below about banfield being overpriced and it being a pushy "corporate" like structure. I really thought the opposite. There were a few procedures that I asked for and some that were recommended that I had concerns about, and I never felt forced to have them done. I felt that they were a very caring staff and wanted me to have all the facts (including associated costs) before deciding anything. They put together a little packet with all my questions and info about the procedures with pricing so I had everything I needed to make a good decision. I have a dental cleaning for my dog scheduled in a couple weeks with Dr. Gross and the gal (Laurie) who scheduled me even asked if I'd like to see Dr. Gross or if I wanted to see one of the other Vets on their team to get in sooner. I saw a yelper below mention that you never have the same vet but if you are flexible with your dates it seems like you could see the same vet. I thought the staff was wonderful. Read Less

My very fragile Yorkshire terrier has been under Dr Cotters care for six years.  Dr Cotter, Linda, Sara The Vet Tech have all provided excellent care for my pet. They are knowledgeable, caring and go above and beyond to care for the pet. They ALWAYS call the next day to check on how she is doing. Dr Cotter calls herself it is a serious illness, ( as Many have been.)I have had many vets and been to several Ban field clinics. Without a doubt this is the best group of pet care professionals.  Yes, sometimes when you call there is a wait. That is because they are very busy. I have been there when an animal was critically ill. No one could ever say that Dr Cotter and staff do not care. They have saved my little dogs life several times. I have seen the sadness when they cant save an animal.Their caring is from the heart. I Thank God that they are there to care for my Yorkie. Read Less

Absolutely awesome!!!!! Dr. Gross is phenomenal! She helped our then 2lbs baby get back to health from seizures. She is now 3.4 lbs, vaccinated, seizure-free, fixed and so healthy. The entire staff is so thoughtful and overflowing with love and kisses for our puppy. Thank you so much for all your wonderful support for baby Xuxa. We are so grateful! - Hilary and Matthew Read Less

They will pretend they care for your animal so they can give you false hope and milk you for every penny they can get out of you. I brought my dog in because she could barely walk. She had two torn meniscuses. They saw this and could feel it, but they STILL wanted us to pay for x-rays. We asked about euthabization, and they said they didn't want to until they've exhausted all possibilities (so selfish). I ended up putting her down at a vet that cared. Another case is when I brought the same dog in with a dog-bitten eye. It was swollen and had gunk oozing out. They said, "Yup. That's infected," but insisted they do the blood work for it. One more scenario. They gave us medication for the eye. A couple days later, we came in for her legs. They wanted us to perform blood tests to test her liver and how it's doing with the medication. You only gave us the meds three days ago! Do not trust these people with your loved ones! Read Less

I noticed some of the reviews were not so great. Fortunately, we have only had good experiences with Banfield at the Desert Ridge location. The vet is always very kind to our dog and they always call within a week to see how she is doing. Read Less

I have taken my 4 cats to this hospital and never had any problems/ issues. The staff is always friendly, caring and patient. From the front desk to the vet- everyone truly cares for my animals. The vet takes time to explain whats going on with my pet and discuss the treatment options. We've done surgeries at this hospital on two of the strays and the care was wonderful! I was worried all day and the staff let me go back and check on the kittens to ease my anxiety as they were recovering from surgery. A couple of times we've had emergencies and they were able to fit us in right away. The only reason I'm not giving a "five star".. is the cost. I don't have the insurance, we pay as we go, and it gets to be a bit pricey-meds, tests.  I would totally recommend this hospital. Read Less

We use Banfield as our Vet and have been very disappointed in this location. The computers are synced to the other Banfield locations, but they refused to sell me heartworm preventative even though I was current on the tests for my dog because I didnt have the test performed at this location. They could see I was current and even stated that. I had to drive over to the Banfield location I use regularly and they explained that is not a policy and the staff just must not have wanted to deal with it. Prior to this experience I used the Vet here once and he didnt give me much time and seemed annoyed with my visit although it was a routine check up. I would rather drive a little further than ever go back to this location. Read Less

After calling several other animal hospitals, receiving NO help (they would not help unless we prepaid a $45 fee for a phone conversation) I called Desert Ridge Banfield Hospital; they were extremely friendly & helpful. They provided me with the information I needed about my emergency in regards to my dog. I will forever be a patient with them after this. 5 stars! Read Less

We have two dogs and joined the Banfield plan, with the full intention of getting fantastic service while saving money. (Banfield offers a plan where you pay monthly per pet and get free office visits with basic vaccinations included, and discounts on services/medications outside of your plan. We pay $25 per dog monthly). We have been incredibly disappointed, and here's why:- Our office visits are never free, the doctors always find a way to charge you for something. One time one of their vets tried to talk us into a $150 test to see if she licked a poisonous toad.. seriously?!? - I never feel like we are taking the dogs ta good, honest vet - Banfield feels more like a corporation that needs to hit a certain number every month - hence why they are always billing you for things you don't need and overcharging you.- With our plan, we're supposed to save money. However, I've researched local vets and their services are nearly half the price than my "discounted ones"- Every time a Banfield vet prescribes our dogs medicine, our "discounted savings" are nearly TWICE what the medicine is priced at online.- They are VERY sneaky with their plan. They do not tell you when they are renewing your annual contract. Once it's renewed, you cannot get out of it for a full year (we have tried SO many times). Of course this was never discussed when we initially signed up for it. Only in the fine print of our numerous page contract.- I'm disappointed with the quality of healthcare the dogs have received. Nobody seems to know the answer to health problems when I take them in there. I'm still waiting to hear back from a fungal culture they took 11 days ago, our poor dog is still covered in a rash. Overall, I'm convinced Banfield and their animal plans are a scam. Support local businesses, save money and take your pets to a local pet hospital. Our contract is up next June thank goodness - that cannot come soon enough!! Read Less

I've already posted this review for the location at Bell and 7th Ave, but thought I needed to post it again since we took our dog here, too.This "pet hospital" is a scam and a total waste of money. Their vets seem like they barely passed vet school. We took our wonderful dog, Duke, into them when he developed a lump on his side. After taking x-rays, blood tests, etc., the vet told us that the lump was "a medical mystery". Prior to this, we had signed up for their pet wellness plan. In short, we took our dog to a reliable, trustworthy vet (Dr. Ryan at Blue Cross Vet Clinic) and it turned out he had bone cancer :-(. He ended up passing away this summer, yet my husband and I are still being forced to pay for our Banfield pet wellness plan each month, even though our dog is dead. Thanks, Banfield. Read Less

If it's an emergency, they will generally see you asap.  When we used to live in Desert Ridge, we had 2 dogs, 2 cats, there were times when I needed a vet immediately, and generally they will accommodate you in such a demise.  They see you pretty efficiently, but of course they will suggest things that I feel are not merited to add onto a bill, but it's your right to question their additions and refuse, of course.  I've never found them to be arrogant or pushy, they will easily offer other options, or be ok with your decision.During 1 extremely difficult period with our beloved Rottie/Sheppard Mix, they were very understanding to the emotional distress we were experiencing with regards to his advancing old age - he was 17.  They were happy to provided us with care during his aging.  Sadly, it came to a point that his quality of life was no longer conducive to allowing him to continue in the state he was, and it when it came to making the horrible and very sad decision to allow them to put him down, the entire staff were so understanding, caring, and totally sympathetic to our demise.  They allowed us to hold him, cradle him and pet him the whole time.  We were allowed as much time as we wanted before, during and after the whole life-altering circumstance.  They even sent us a sympathy card, signed by all the staff, after the terrible ordeal we went through.During another trying experience we had to endure, our boxer mix was attacked by another dog and needed emergency care.  We were now closer, and under the care of the Tatum/Shea location, but they were unable to see us.  This location was able to open up their schedule to see us under this distressing circumstance.  They provided expert care and glad to say that he mended just fine, with no lasting ill-effects. Read Less