Banfield The Pet Hospital

We live in Pasadena and I used to drag my dogs all the way to the Westside for our old vet. When he retired I had no idea who I'd trust. I went to Foothill Veterinary Clinic for a while, but hated that I had no idea who any of the dr.s were and even worse, that they had no idea who my dogs were.

When I bought my 3rd dog, upon AKC registration, they gave me a coupon for a free vet visit at Banfield. I had seen them before, inside of the PetSmart and thought it was kind of kitschy and how good could their care be when they're linked up with a chain pet supply store? But a free office visit is worth like $45, so I thought, "I might as well save that and go see. What do I have to lose if it's free?"

Well I went and was so pleasantly surprised. The staff was very nice, their exam rooms were immaculate and what I liked most was that they had computers in all of them. They could access your pet's records and have everything linked with past blood tests, xrays, know exactly when and why they were in on previous visits, track your dogs weight over time, know precisely when vaccines were given and next due and more.

That was one of the things I disliked most about other places, they had no idea about any past history and didn't have the information at their fingertips. Such better quality of medical care can be given when they know your pet! The other fantastic thing about Banfield is their Wellness Plan. Mind you, it's not insurance, but more about maintenance. I'd walk out of a vet visit at other places and be socked with a $300 bill -- for just that ONE visit!

How many of you can relate? Well, for about that much, perhaps just a little bit more, you can sign up for one of their Wellness Plan's that includes ALL office visits for free, ALL vaccines, routine de-worming, annual teeth cleaning, annual physical and percentage discounts on things that are not included in the plan. If you have a puppy, the Puppy Wellness plan includes ALL vaccinations and the spay/neuter in the price!

Keep in mind, the plan is all about maintenance. It's not insurance. So if your dog comes down with cancer or gets hit by a car, there's nothing the plan covers in terms of treatment (with the exception that your percentage discount will still apply). I know many people have written negative things about the plan, but it's really because they didn't know what they were buying.

All of our animals are on a Wellness Plan. It's invaluable. In fact we're thinking of moving out of the Pasadena area, but one of the things that gives me pause is that I don't want lose access to Banfield! Dr. Susan Stewart is fantastic and she's our primary vet, but I've seen all of the other Dr.s and have confidence in each of them.

I'd highly recommend seeing for yourself.

Posted 09/08/08 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?