PetSmart Vet Service
 

After looking into all kinds of health insurance for Abby I came across the Petsmart Bansfield Hosp.
It almost seems like it is too good a deal to be true.
For about 25.00 Abby can go whenever I need her to and get shots, bloodwork etc at no cost?

Does anyone use this program?

If something seems like it is too good to be true, chances are that it is.
I look for a vet with AAHA association. You can find an AAHA vet at www.aaha.org.

I have never used Petsmart but i know someone that did, and the program was too good to be true. I think she ended up with a lot of extra charges. Can't remember exactly what it was.

I know I was afraid of that.
I spoke to someone who uses their program and she loves it.
I have to get Abby fixed in another month and I am wondering how much
that will cost.
I want to save where I can since I am a panicker it may pay to have it just so
I can run somewhere besides her vet everytime I think something is wrong with her.

I've always heard terrible things about Banfield. My aunt stopped going there after they quoted her one price, then charged her about double the quoted price for a cat dental. Wouldn't even discuss the price change with her. I would not trust anything that came from Banfield.

I will check with my friend and find out what her problem was with Petsmart.

Just google Banfield reviews to see how many unhappy customers there are out there. Here's just one to start http://www.itchmo.com/comparing-pet-...ess-plans-1542.

Banfield is widely known for over-vaccinating and for creating issues requiring tests or services that aren't covered under their plans - so that they can charge customers for much more $$$ than they would pay at a reputable vet. Their plan that sounds like such a good savings will probably wind up costing you in the long run.

Good luck on your search for a GOOD vet. :)
Bonny

This is the best thing to do. Find a board certified vet. :thumbup:

My friend told me she thinks you have to pay $25.00 a month, this includes routine shots and any other services are discounted. Someone else I know was overcharged for a procedure also. I just like the idea of having my own vet I can see every time. It helps when the vet knows you and your animals

I would not pick a vet practice on cost alone. What's that old saying, "save a penny to lose a pound". A board certified vet is the best way to go, or a reputable one. They will save you $ in the long run. Things will be done right the first time.

If I understand what I have heard correctly. You dont always see the same vet. I have 6 dogs and it is very important to me that my vet is just one person,that he or she is close,that he or she can get me in on a moments notice. I have had to use the vet ER here in FtW once or twice,late at night,but they have communicated with my vet very well and my vet knows my animals and has been able to continue the treatment.

Wanted to share when I went to the site aaha.org my anti-virus blocked a high threat, it brought me to a page that said something about winning a walmart gift card or something, it came up when I tried to search "Vet".

Could that be the wrong site?

I use banfield and let me just say, that YES I DO see the same vet every time. He is VERY good. I have Dolce on the puppy plan right now which is for 1 yr. it is about $22/month. It covers EVERY vaccination, she can go in to see her vet WHENEVER they are open (which is good for me being a new little dog owner having lots of questions and always scared when i hear her sneeze or jump off the couch!), she gets 1 complete physical examination, 3 fecal exams, heartworm meds, and i think its 10% off other services. I did not opt for the plan that includes spaying yet because I wasn't sure if I was going to breed her or not depending on her size, but I will be upgrading to that one now because she is just way too small at 9months and she has stopped growing. I believe that plan is about 5 or 10 dollars more a month and includes everything for the spay (anesthesia, surgery, etc.) The puppy plan does not include a dental cleaning but the plan for adults does include that. Dolce will have to have 3 extractions of her baby teeth and they are 67.00 a tooth before my discount, not bad at all. I have used a local vet clinic in the past for our family dog when I was younger and they were just as good and WAY more expensive. Actually, our vet at Banfield spends more time answering my questions and ALWAYS calls me at least once a month to see how Dolce is doing. They will even answer mhy questions on the phone. I think each Banfield might be different depending on where u are and who the vets are at ur location but here in AZ I absolutely LOVE my vet clinic.

Last time I set foot in Banfield was when Uni was 6 months old. We got examined by a vet STUDENT (same as when I went to Kaiser in the ER) and the actual vet came back and checked his work. Student forgot to check for LP and microchip. They gave me a list of suggested options that came up to over $400 but if I signed onto their "insurance" I would have saved over $300. They wanted me to redo ALL her vax since I didn't bring the paperwork with me that day. They wanted to do all her vax that day as well. They also wanted to sell me flea meds, tick meds, rx food, etc. Made me feel like a bad parent that I didn't say ok to everything. I ended up paying $90 some odd dollars for an office visit and one set of puppy shots.

If you do get their "insurance" it is a DISCOUNTED rate for services, it is not included in your payments. It also does not cover for congenital defects such as lp or ls surgery, only covers routine shots and spay or neuter. However if you enroll your pup after age of 6 months, it is considerably cheaper. But I have talked with a lot of my customers that have the Banfield plan and they are not happy. They feel they can't go anywhere else until the plan is finished otherwise they are paying double.

$67 a tooth??? Wow! My vet is highly respected in CA and he only charged me $15/tooth plus he did a cleaning that I did not ask for and did not charge me and her teeth are still sparkling white 8 months later. In addition clipped Uni's nails while she was till under for her spay. 10% off $67 is not a good deal.

Actually, it is not just a discounted rate for EVERYTHING. Only for the things i didn't list in my last post. All vaccinations, visits, fecal exams, dewormers, and a complete physical ARE included in the monthly payments. When I go in to see the vet I leave and pay NOTHING. The only thing I'm going to have to pay for anytime in the near future is her baby teeth extractions and I get 10% off those, some of the other plans for older furbabies you get 15% and i think even 20% off but not sure about 20%. Oh, the only other thing I've ever had to pay for was some medication for Dolce which i got the 10% off of, it was only like $7.
I don't know if it is different in other states, but I wouldn't think so.

Banfield has a wellness plan. It is NOT insurance. If you have an after hours emergency they do not cover it. Also, if you are out of town and need to go to another Banfield for an emergency visit, they do not cover that as well. There are many poor reviews including mine here on YT. Just do a search and you will see for yourself.

Positive Experiences in Two States
 

We rehomed our little Bella and she came with a "wellness plan" with Banfield already paid for 1 year. We decided to use the plan and found that it worked very well for us as first time dog owners. We could take Bella in for a check anytime with no additional charge. The vets in both NY and AZ were wonderful!
Bella's first dental, extractions, cleaning only came to $115.00. We were amazed. I know everyone has an opionion, but we have had nothing but wonderful service/care from Banfield. We were also impressed when the vet called to check on Bella the next morning after we made a trip to the emergency vet. They had faxed the report to Banfield and the vet called us for follow-up. The emergency vet did not. I think any service is only as good as the people that are it's employees. You have to shop around. I don't think it's good to "lump" any service provider, you can have a "certified" vet that is not the best. You find the vet that you trust, gives good service, is well educated, and most important of all . . . cares about your pet. Just wanted to give a different side to the story.:aimeeyork

I think that you are correct,that the service is only as good as the people. I havent heard much about Banfield except what I put in my post. Nice to hear a different side.

I have used Banfield for 3 of my babies. I used the plan for the first year only. I always pay up front for the year so I do not know what the breakdown is monthly. Since it includes the spaying or neutering and all the shots with the unlimited visits, I found it paid for itself. Esp with Gypsy. She had numerous health issues and had to go for medicated baths for several weeks and there was no cost for the actual office visit. The only reason we did not use them for Harley is because when we got him, he was already 15 months old. There is a vet practice in the next community over where we grew up that does not charge a lot and is very well known. They even let you make payments if needed. I like the fact that Banfield is open on the weekends. There is one vet there that i do not esp like, but the one who we saw when Gypsy was little was great. I hated that she moved to another location. It is worth looking into.

I think with anything you will find good and bad reviews. I think it depends on the location and the Vets that work at the particulair Banfield. I use Banfield for Chloe and we have the wellness plan. It does not cover everything. I have been very happy with the service that I have received with Banfield. They have offered certain vaccines that I did not feel Chloe needed so I declined those and the Vet was very understanding. I got her essential vaccines. Chloe got spayed last Friday. Chloe sleeps with me and the morning on July 4th I rolled over and Chloe was sleeping on her back I noticed her incision looked a bit red and swollen. I called and they immediately took me in on the 4th. They gave her antibiotics and checked her from head to toe. They think she may have had a slight reaction to the sutures. I paid $18 for antibotics and I did not have to pay an emergency visit. I personally like the Vet at our Banfield. I think the most important thing prior to deciding on the wellness plan is to meet the Vet at your location to see if the Vet is right for you and your baby.

It will vary by location, but besides problems with the wellness plan, there are other problems. One location supposedly was using euthasol as an anesthetic which is completely unacceptable. And in their anesthesia manual, they tell their vets not to do two surgeries together (even if that means baby tooth extractions with s/n). Some of their vets may just go ahead and do what they want, etc., but I don't like the company and most of the vets don't seem to be expert... I'd skip it. :)

I have used Banfield for the last 4 years with both of my dogs. I actually have been very pleased with them, except for one vet in particular and I changed locations so I wouldn't have to deal with her. Everything else has been great. The vet that we are seeing now at Banfield is so good with my boys and I trust her with them. I think it really just depends on the vet and the individual practice. Maybe set up one appointment with them and see how it goes. You don't have to buy the plan if you don't want to, but you would just have to pay for that visit. Also, usually on a certain day of the week Banfield will have a "wellness day" or something like that where you can bring your pet in for vaccinations and a free check up. You pay for the price of the shot, that's it, no office visit cost. Call you local banfield to see if they do that and what day/time it is. That would be a good way to get a feel for the vets without spending a lot of money.

I would not take my babies to Banfield even if someone paid me to take them there and made it free :thumbdown JMO!
I do not know one person personally that has had GOOD experiences there

edited to add, 67.00 per tooth seems very high

Hi - which one do you use? The one by the costco is just too far for me to drive my little babies, and the one in Oro Valley does not have a vet yet.

I love my new vet and will go there, but it is always nice to know for emergencies. My vet is closed on Sat after 12:00 and on Sundays.

Thank you! Finally someone else noticed as well. And 10% off $67 is still too high.

That's right, I remember one of our YT members had that exact same experience. Also that was just the feeling I get from Banfield, not expert. Esp being first seen by a vet student, even the docs didn't seem very knowledgeable.

Another thing I forgot about that occurred during Uni's visit when she was 6 mos old. The Dr look a glance at her eyes and suggest she see an opthamologist to get a quote for surgery on her tear ducts. :rolleyes:

Wellness days are basically just a shot clinic. If your dog has an issue or isn't "well" and needs to be seen by the dr the waived wellness office visit fee does not apply. You can go to the humane society or low cost s/n clinic or shot clinic to get the same exact shots for cheaper. Plus they don't push you to get more vax than you need to.

Sorry for all the multiple posts in a row.

Now I'm just thinking out loud... people that think Banfield is a good hospital, have they even been to other vets before? What are you comparing them to that you think they are good?

So what they call you the next day for a follow up. Is it the dr or the receptionist? The times I've been to Banfield it has always been the desk girl. My vet now, it is one of the dr's themselves that calls me. Good news or bad news. If I don't pick up, they call my alternate number and they leave messages on both lines. I love my vet.