I wanted to share a terrible experience at your Benfield Veterinary clinic in Parker CO on 5/26/2010. I called the location on 5/25/10 because my kitty cat of 16, almost 17, years was extremely sick and we could not get him into our regular vet until 5/27/10. We brought him in, got checked in, and waited for the vet to come in. When the vet came in she informed me there was nothing she could do until she performed blood tests in the amount of $255 dollars to diagnose him. Now, I can understand if there were no physical symptoms or if the cat was healthy and vibrant that these tests would be required. My cat was extremely old, frail, was losing significant amounts of weight, clearly dehydrated, had basically stopped eating, and I had already been asked multiple times how long he had been lethargic. I explained to the vet that I did not want to make him needlessly suffer and did not feel that these expensive blood tests were going to change the outcome; it was time to let him go. Shockingly, your doctor refused. In fact, she began to explain to me that it was company policy that these tests be performed. She explained she had never seen him before and he wasn’t "comatosed" or anything, she would not euthanize him. I was extremely upset, expressed that we had another appointment the next day and were only there because I felt it was necessary to have him seen so soon. I also stated that I found it unusual that your company policy was to force grieving families to spend unnecessary money in an effort to treat a pet that had lived a long life and clearly had dire medical issues going on. She still declined. Interestingly enough, she offered to send me home with antibiotics for him. I asked how she could prescribe antibiotics when she hadn’t performed the blood tests. Interesting, seems the company policy is only in effect for customers who have been profiled as able to pay the price? Either way, I want you to know we took him to our regular vet yesterday morning where he was humanely put to sleep like he should have been the day before. He was put to sleep because our regular vet could clearly see that there was one of three things wrong. His kidneys were failing, his liver was failing, or he was diabetic and would require lifetime injections. It seems odd to me that your vet could not see what was going on, but another could?
The point of my letter is to let someone know how incredibly in-humane I find this entire experience. We were forced to take a sick kitty in and out, back and forth, to two different doctors to be poked and prodded because your vet continued to do nothing but quote company policy! Company policy is the way products are returned, or why you can’t get cash back without a receipt, NOT why your family member is clearly forced to suffer while the doctor continues down her power trip! I am disgusted, horrified, and don’t think I can continue to spend my money in a store that does not practice humane treatment, even when that means euthanasia. Yesterday, I told my neighbors, co-workers, friends, and family members what happened at Pet Smart and I can assure you they will think twice when faced with a choice of where to take their animals.

I took my pet in for a leg injury, they did an x-ray and told me they didn't know what was wrong, helped others who arrived after me, then improperly bandaged his leg with a little cotton and an ace bandage and it swelled to double it's size. They charged me over $300 dollars. When I called back after I saw the swelling the customer service lady was very rude and defensive and told me she would do nothing to fix the situation. They charge an x-ray set up fee of 40.00 then each x-ray cost 31.00 then there's an x-ray diagnosis fee of 80.00. For a total of $180.00 to tell me they don't know. I called around to other vets and the whole x-ray fee is 75.00. Definately take your pet somewhere else!

After the experiences I have had with Banfield. The ladies at the front desk are very nice and helpful but I have no confidence in trusting my dogs health to the vet. I would say they are adequate for routine shots but nothing more. Long story short they did not catch that my puppy had tape worms even though I told them I thought he did. Apparently the routine dewormer is not enough to kill tapeworms which require a special shot that they did not think to tell me until my poor puppy had suffered from tapeworms for 2 1/2 weeks, despite numerous calls asking when the worms were supposed to be gone.
After bringing him in at 5 months because he was limping they told me he may have something broken and they would need to do an xray-while he was under anesthesia..estimated cost: $550.00 -I felt like they were trying to rip me off when they said they would not recommend doing the xrays while he was under for his neutering to save money and the danger of putting him under twice.
We did end up combing the procedures which saved three hundred dollars. They only took x-rays of his knee which Dr. Studdard said was the problem. She referred us to an orthopedic vet and when I took him there the new vet said his knee was fine and it was his hip. So I had to pay 250 more to have the new place xray his hip (while he was awake, apparently you do not need to put a dog under for a hip xray)

So it is his hip and we are having the new vet do the surgery to fix it.
We cannot get our money back from Banfield for the wasted xrays they performed. I understand she may not be a orthopedic vet but common sense would tell me that if she was unsure of what may be wrong with a dog (while his owners were paying hundreds of dollars to find out) she should probably take xrays of the hip and knee just in case.

Also the fact that nothing is actually wrong with his knee and she "interpreted" (there was a 70.00 interpretation of xray fee) the xray to me as if there were many things wrong with it bothers me.
I would think that a vet would know a little more about general structure of dog bones, even if that is not your specialty.
While I am upset about wasting 250 dollars on these worthless xrays due to the lack of common sense by the vets at Banfield I am more worried about the animals that are taken there for things other than normal shots.

I took my new puppy to Banfield Pet Hospital in Columbia, Maryland for diahrrea. The vet told me he had Giardia, and put him and my other puppy on Panacur for 5 days. He told me to bring the puppy back in 3 days for a recheck. The girl in the front office told me it would cost $32.95, and it would be covered under todays visit. When I came back 3 days later, the same vet kept trying to get me to sign up for the wellness plan, before he even checked the puppy. I asked him why he didn't tell me about the plan before I spent $410.69 on the first visit. He said it was because the puppy was sick. He then told me the puppy was fine, and charged me another $67.11. (Evidently, the girl behind the desk was wrong when she told me that the visit was covered.) The puppy continued to have diahrrea, so I took him to another local vet. This vet diagnosed the problem correctly, and told me that a Giardia test is totally useless. The puppy had Coccidia, and was well within 5 days after being on Albon and Metronidazole tablets. They only charged me $131.42, and fixed the problem the first time. I am still receiving calls from Banfield at home, trying to get me to sign up for the wellness plan. NEVER in a million years!!!

Banfield seems like they offer a great deal of a wellness plan, especially when you have more than one pet, and you want them to have every 6-month exams. But remember the old adage that you get what you pay for. The vets are on a revolving door (4 vets in less than a year of being their client), and I have to ask specifically and forcefully for what I think our pets need to treat their problems. They seem to be very busy pushing the food and the medicated wipes and selling you over-priced over-the counter-meds at prescription strength prices (Benadryl for example). They on the whole are not a caring staff. My cat passed away within two months of joining the plan, and not a single word of condolence, which was a kick in the teeth when you have to keep paying on a monthly basis for the plan, even though the pet is deceased. Another complaint mentioned that there is a lot that goes on behind closed doors, and I am suspicious too. This is the first office I have ever been to, where the vet doesn't give injections, medications nor treatments in front of the pet owner. I wonder how much of what they charge, that they really DO. Don't bother with Banfield. Your pets deserve better.