Hi, I use Banfield and overall I am happy with them. I have heard some not so great comments made about them, so I do think it depends on individual clinics. My 10 month old is on the early care plus, it's saved us a lot of money. We've had countless vet visits, some even being emergency situations and they have ALWAYS accommodated me. In fact, I called up yesterday around 7:45am to schedule an appointment for my dog because he seemed as if he had some slight irritation in his throat (very mild, not an emergency situation) and they saw me at 9:20am yesterday.
They have been very thorough. They print out all of the paper work that outlines every thing we did that day, any type of treatment or medication that was prescribed (along with a description of it and why it should be beneficial in the situation) along with his stats (weight, vitals etc) which is an awesome way for the owner to keep track. They give reminder calls the day before your appointment, and follow up calls the day after to make sure everything is okay with your pet - regardless of the situation (it could be a routine visit or an emergency, they call the day after). Above all of that, they've been very nice. Always willing to answer my questions, open minded and not pushy. They definitely aren't out to get anyone's money, there have been times where I've had to push to do tests that they didn't feel were necessary (but were still on board to do, of course)
My pup gets diarrhea when he's stressed, which our vet knows, so we were offered the option for me to stay in the room with him during his comprehensive exam (1.5 to 2 hours long), as opposed to dropping him off for 4-6 hours which is the standard procedure. I had no idea this was an option, never asked for it, and was really pleased to know they cared enough to not only allow it, but to suggest it.
They give you discounts on items and never charge a fee for vet visits, which are unlimited. Vaccines, fecal, dewormings, neuter, and full body comprehensive exams included. I don't know exactly how much money I've saved, because the last time I had a puppy before my current was nearly 9 years ago, but I can tell you I've saved a lot. Before I switched to Banfield I was paying almost $50 just to get my dogs IN to see the vet.
I put my pup on the early care plus plan because I had originally intended to have him neutered. After doing some more research, I decided not to and explained this to my vet. Because I was already locked into my price ($30-ish? a month) I still have to pay that price for the year, however my vet allowed me to still take advantage of the pre-op blood work that typically comes with the neuter which I really appreciated.
My senior dog is on the special care plan, (which for a slight amount more a month) includes full body X-rays, teeth cleaning, two comprehensive exams, fecal testings and two urinalysis, deworming, all of his shots, and comprehensive physical exams. When my pup's plan expires, I will add him to this plan because I think it's a great deal. I am definitely getting my money's worth.
One more thing I wanted to mention is that although there are multiple vets in each clinic, you're able to meet with each of them and decide on a permanent vet (or if you don't have a preference that works too).
They have a consultation that you can go to before signing up. I highly suggest that, you'll be able to get all of your questions there and get a feel for the Banfield clinic in your area.
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