Banfield Pet Hospital

They used to be a great place but they've changed their  annual checkup policy and wanted me to drop off my pets for 8 hours to do a simple exam that took my new vet a mere 20 minutes to complete! Sound shady to you?! Or perhaps just unbelievably unnecessary. I'm glad I read these other reviews & canceled my wellness plan before leaving my pups in their "care" for 8 unneeded hours.  Not to mention who knows what they would have been exposed to sitting in a kennel at an Animal Hospital! The staff has always been helpful and courteous but corporate policy has laid waste to common sense. It's just alarming that something so incredibly simple would need to take 8 hours. I also won't miss the constant up charging and up selling, and confused rhetoric from every receptionist that's ever worked here. Read Less

Overall dissatisfied. Lots of miscommunication between staff. Poor quality establishment. The only positive to note was that the veterinarian was nice. You will get better care elsewhere. And to put the cap on it, they can't even email pet records, just fax. Felt like I was dealing with ComEd.Read Less

The worst. They gave my dog demodex mange - they misdiagnosed multiple times - I came in there for a skin rash and they put her on prednisone which killed her immune system they did this twice! the rash got worse and worse - which create the demodex mange outbreak. They didn't know what it was and just gave her meds she didn't need. It was so impersonal - they don't care about our pets. There are too many appointments without enough doctors to give the proper attention and care. They place is a rip off and once I called and informed him what they did to my dog they offered me 2 month free of the wellness plan. These vets are not seasoned and they will kill your dog. I went to another Vet and she diagnosed and cured my baby Delilah Immediately! BEWARE OF THEM! TERRIBLE!!! Read Less

I pay for the preventative care plan at Banfield and now I am not sure why. My french bulldog has had two spinal surgeries in the past year and yesterday he displayed symptoms of a sore back. Worried, I brought him in this morning to drop off, which is supposed to be included in the wellness plan, and was turned away due to "at capacity" limits. So I ask, "can I bring him in tomorrow?" Answer: "No, we're at capacity then as well."  As a monthly payer to the plan, this is inexcusable. I am extremely upset with the service I received, or lack there of, and the fact that I had to bring my dog who is in pain back to my apt. I will be removing myself from this "service" that does not seem to serve my dogs urgent needs at all. Time to look elsewhere for a vet. Read Less

The only thing positive about this location is that they're convenient to my home and they have a wellness plan. Other than that, I'd stay away. Most of their staff, especially the gal at the counter during the day is arrogant, condescending and rude. I am going to pursue other locations or move away from Banfield altogether. Read Less

Do not bring your pet here!!! The subscription plan is a rip off. They will refuse to see your dog if he/she is ill. They will tell you that the next available appointment isn't for weeks but that you can "drop your dog off first thing in the morning and if the vet has time they will see your dog." This means that your dog will sit in a cage all day long laying in their urine/poop. This happened to us and they didn't even have to the courtesy of cleaning our dog off. Stay away! Read Less

Ever since this location has been under new management, the service is terrible. I've been bringing my 5 year old girl now to this place since she was a puppy. I have to wait WEEKS for an appointment or let my dog sit in a kennel ALL DAY until they have "time" to see her. The front desk girls are very rude & hostile & short with you. I clearly saw no point in continuing my wellness plan with them when I'm always told to go to the ER for my dogs health needs. When I inquired about canceling my plan the girls were very rude and so was Manny, the "manager". He took concern to everyone in the lobby and gave me a very nasty side eye without even greeting me like he did to everyone else or asking how he could help. Zero disinterest in pets health. The ONLY good thing about this place is DR. WILLIAMS. He's an amazing doctor. It's sad the customer service and lack of interest in your dogs health is terrible here. Don't waste your money. Read Less

Brought my dog in for routine vaccinations and anal gland cleansing. After bringing him home from their drop off service, 9 hrs later, I notice my dog was unable to sit down. Thought it was because of the anal cleanse. Until I took a look.....His scrotum were completely raw in one section and bright red. He was so uncomfortable I had to take him to an emergency facility. The ER Vet couldn't tell us exactly why my baby's personal bits where raw but she was able to make him comfortable and sent him home with antibiotics and pain killers. Left there $150 poorer, but at least he finally got professional services. Never going back to pet smart! Oh and BTW, this evening I also notice that his little nose had a raw spot on it as well. WTH! Read Less

My experience at Banfield has been super awesome! I signed my puppy Lightning up on a wellness plan when he was 2-3months and have done absolutely everything to keep him healthy. But, since he's a cocker spaniel, they informed me he would be getting ear infections often. Thanks to the vet who informed me about this, I have kept his ears super clean and he has not had another ear infection. The vets at Banfield are very informative. They answer all of your questions. Since April/May of 2016, I have brought my dog Lightning in for check ups because I'm a crazy dog mom who wants to know if her dog is healthy or not. The vets at Banfield have congratulated me on how healthy my cocker spaniel is because he is well groomed and not overweight. But that is all because I payed attention to what the vets had informed me about cocker spaniels. I'm a traveler, so what I love the most about Banfield is that they are everywhere! I don't need to worry about what state I'm in when Lightning gets sick because all I have to do is look for the closest Banfield. Banfield is amazing, and definitely NOT a scam. I love you Banfield! Read Less

Sunday morning staff were awful.  Zero interest in accommodating my sick puppy.  There were two young ladies at the desk, one was a bit more helpful then the other, but that is not saying much considering one of them did not look up once to acknowledge my presence my entire time standing at the front desk while the other one went back to ask whether or not they would see my pup.  I stated that my puppy was sneezing and had a brown discharge coming out of his right ear, which she incorrectly messaged to the vet (did not make them aware of the discharge).  My main concern was around the discharge from his ear, but again, was met with a curt response that resulted in zero assistance.  I have no problem with capacity issues, but as a wellness plan member, I expect more helpful responses then continuing to tell me we can't help you.  I took it upon myself to contact another Banfield location, and they were very helpful in letting me know what my options were.  Do yourselves a favor and travel a bit further and visit the Lincoln Park South location, their desk people were actually helpful and interested in helping me take care of my sick buddy. Read Less

If this review helps one family avoid bringing their pet to Banfield, I will consider it a success.Short version - *terrible service from the front desk*very nice & knowledgeable vets*complete disregard for any feedbackLong version -Full disclosure: our dog is treated as a member of our family.  We love him, and want nothing more than for him to be happy and healthy.  My experience with Banfield made me feel like a bad "dad", and I wouldn't want that experience for anyone else.Situation #1: brought him in for an ear cleaning.  I did the 'drop off' service, leaving him in their care at 8am.  They didn't call all day, and finally I called to check in around 2pm.  They told me he'd be ready in the next hour so I headed over.  THEY HADN'T EVEN BEGUN THE EAR CLEANING UNTIL I WAS IN THE LOBBY.  In other words, our dog sat in a crate for 6-7 hours before they performed the cleaning.Situation #2: brought him in for their wellness program check-up, and they found an ear infection (very common for golden retrievers).  They gave me a bottle of medicine/cleaner...only it was the wrong medication.  I didn't find out until the two weeks follow-up, at which point even the vet was shocked that nobody had noticed the error and called us.  OUR DOG HAD A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE EAR INFECTION FOR TWO WEEKS LONGER THAN NECESSARY, bc of their mistake.Situation #3: we had a very scary allergic reaction after our dog was strung by a bee.  His muzzle was incredibly swollen and there was concern his windpipe could be obstructed.  When we called in and alerted Banfield, they showed absolutely no concern and told us there might be another Banfield in town that had availability.  Didn't even recommend a specific emergency animal hospital; zero help.  (He's fine now, but had to spend 48 hours in the hospital for observation and medication)When I expressed my frustration with the front desk staff, they gave me a blank, uninterested stare and offered me the cancellation number for the wellness program.  No apology, no concern, zero regret.Trust me: you can find another vet who will truly care about your pet's health and happiness.(I'm sure that Banfield will respond to this post and say that they're working to improve their process/service/etc, but I've read several similar reviews from over two years ago.  I wish I had checked with Yelp before I signed our dog up for the wellness plan...don't make the same mistake!!) Read Less

I tried this location for the first time for a routine comprehensive exam. My dog was at the vet for 8 hours because of the drop off policy. Despite being assured he was given a blanket to lay on and water to drink, I left pretty upset when I noticed my dog's elbows were rubbed raw. The fur is completely gone on both front elbows. I did not bring him into his appointment this and was appalled by his condition. When we got home, he drank water for a solid 5 minutes, which then made me wonder just why he was so desperately thirsty. I spoke with a manager on the phone today, and was told that they were sorry it happened. You know what, I'm sorry too. Shame on you if this is what happens to dogs left in your care, and your best solution was to tell me you were sorry this happened. Listen to me and the other reviews. I wish I would've. Read Less

Nice people. This is a place for shots and PREVENTION. If there is anything that needs care then I would recommend going else where.$20~ for the monthly thing they offer you.Always call for appointments. They are fairly available.You know your pets the best. Keep that in mind.They will always take blood when something is possibly "wrong" $150~.Cat is throw up a lot? But is happy. Probably hairballs... I found that out $550 dollars later. Like I said they are nice people. Read Less

Their wellness program is borderline fraud. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON IT. I have been there three times and each time I have been turned away and told they do not provide the service that my cat needed € €it€s a wellness program€, which means they do absolutely nothing. They gave my 8 year old cat a €health checkup€ when I first signed on and I was told everything was fine. I had the dental plan and I made arrangements for my cat to have his teeth cleaned shortly after his checkup. When I brought him in for the dental cleaning, I was told he would need to have more blood work done and that if the results came back that there was a problem I would be charged for the blood work. I agreed because he had just had blood work done a few week ago. However, the blood work done in order for him to have his teeth cleaned just happened to show signs of kidney failure and of course this wasn€t covered under my plan. I find it hard to believe that the initial blood work done didn€t show any signs but coincidentally a few weeks later his blood showed signs of kidney failure. I had to pay for the blood work and they tried to talk me into having more ex-rays done which of course wasn€t covered under the plan. I called Banfield headquarters and complained about the program and what had happened. I was told that I couldn€t cancel the insurance unless I paid what it would have cost for the initial checkup that was done on my cat. The price they quoted me was way above what a normal veterinary would charge. I said okay I€ll keep the plan but can I have the dental removed since I was told they couldn€t clean my cat€s teeth without treatment for his kidneys. I was told no that couldn€t be removed because it was set up initially in my plan although I wouldn€t be able to use the dental plan. My cat was having problems breathing and I took him to Banfield. The doctor told me I should take him to an emergency care facility because he needed to be put under an oxygen tent. They didn€t have the equipment there to treat him but they advertise in their brochure that they provide €emergency care and all that lies between€ facility. I took my cat to a vet and he told me that he had a congestion problem and that Banfield should be able to treat that. I called Banfield and the doctor told the receptionist to tell me that was her prognosis and she was sticking by it. I asked them if they could give him ex-rays and they said that wasn€t covered under my plan and it would cost $250. The vet I took him to charged me $90 foe ex-rays. I am now stuck with paying for this plan monthly that is totally useless. Read Less