I've been bringing my cat to this Banfield location for over a year for his regular checkups and exams, and until recently, I trusted them with his care. However, my recent visit was extremely upsetting and disappointing. I brought my cat in on Thursday after noticing his stomach moving rapidly for about a week. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The staff member who checked me in was polite, and since it was a drop-off appointment, I left my cat in their care.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Later, I was called back in and met with Dr. Hudak, who seemed visibly distressed. She told me I needed to take my cat to an emergency hospital. When I asked what was wrong and if there was anything they could do at Banfield, she mentioned they could run an X-ray and bloodwork for about $300. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I asked if there was any way to get the bill handled differently or set up a payment option, and her exact response was: "If you're having money issues, then it's best to put your pet to sleep."[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Hearing that made me panic and break down -- I was in shock. [[HIGHLIGHT]]There was no empathy or compassion in how it was said, and it felt like my pet's life only mattered if I could pay upfront.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] After doing the X-ray, they told me to go immediately to the emergency hospital. I paid $387 before leaving, but when I asked for printed records to bring to the ER, they refused, saying I just needed to go. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I felt completely dismissed and unheard during one of the scariest moments for my cat and me.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]This experience left me heartbroken and deeply disappointed. I hope Banfield addresses how their staff communicate with pet owners in crisis, especially when emotions and fear are already so high. Compassion should always come first.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Banfield Pet Hospital - Veterinarians Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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I took my cat in today to get a second opinion on some tooth extractions that he needs as soon as possible as he is in extreme pain. [[HIGHLIGHT]]In the exam room, we first met with a sales lady who was hard core trying to sell us on an expensive wellness insurance plan for our cat.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] She said that the insurance plan, if we committed to buying it would save us a ton of money toward my cat's upcoming dental surgery, it would cover dental x-rays, bloodwork, office visits, etc etc. The only thing it wouldn't cover would be the actual extractions he needs. The estimate Banfield gave me for my cat to have extractions was inflated about three times the cost of an estimate I received recently at another vet plus they wanted me to pay for this ridiculous wellness plan ( it was supposed to save us a ton of money) on top of it. In summary, I left extremely disappointed, very frustrated and felt like I basically paid a $64 exam fee to listen to a high pressure sales pitch. I felt like all they cared about was money and not my poor cat at all. They did absolutely nothing for my cat who is in extreme pain and distress. They wasted my time completely and my poor cat got absolutely no resolution. We will be going elsewhere for his surgery. read more

Banfield Pet Hospital - Veterinarians Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

My Cat Katie's money was spent @ Banfield time and time again for them to send her home with her diabetes level over 400 without doing much about it, while my poor Cat Katie suffered from what looked like dehydration too, since she was at her water bowl 24/7, along with her extremely high insulin level. After doing my own research, I found out how extremely high diabetes levels can cause acute kidney failure, especially along with dehydration. With Banfield, for over a year, they continued to just test; send my Katie back home without increasing her insulin over and over again. The last time I went to Banfield, Katie was so sick, but instead of telling me that she needed to go to the ER, they told me to drop her insulin from 1 1/2 units to 1 unit and to come back in two weeks. @ the same time, three days later, I did have to take Cat Katie to the ER where they told me she needed "three" units of insulin. This is how much Katie was suffering visit after visit; needing help that I thought she was given: How so wrong I was. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Please do your own research, because I waited until it was too late for my loving Cat Katie, because I say, through experience with Banfield, if you wait for them to really sit you down to be informed, regarding what is or will be in the future, I think a loving pet can be getting or suffering from within for sure.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Another time @ Banfield, Katie was to be there for a whole day of blood level testing, but they did not say if I should take her insulin with me, as before, or to give it to her beforehand.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Upon arriving @ Banfield, the Vet told me that Cat Katie should already have had her insulin, so now she is late for the day and that now I must reschedule. Really? This is for a cat with always extremely high diabetes levels. Plus, that was the last free office visit on Katie's wellness plan too. I finally complained the next day, even though I still had to reschedule Katie, it was still appalling, especially with a cat with uncontrolled diabetes. Another time @ Banfield, Katie, with diabetes, was so dehydrated; at her water bowl, 24/7, all the water was going down her mouth onto her neck; then, all the hair on her neck came off, when I was brushing her, so I rushed her to Banfield. So, all they did was to give me some spray; then, I had to immediately take her back to them after a few days for them to then tell me that she needed to go to the ER, after Katie was truly suffering all that time. Another time, after her original payment, they told me they did not have all the supplies that day; I needed to pay more money for her test to be ready by sending it out. I mean really, as if we didn't need to know beforehand? I say, we rely on Vets, who have the knowledge, to help and support our loved ones through preventative measures, medication, hydration, and therapy foods, not just test. Between my cats and their wellness plans at Banfield, I have spent over 17,000. But, to have Katie continue to suffer with uncontrolled diabetes is unacceptable. [[HIGHLIGHT]]When you call them, their voice box starts with how compassionate and concern they are for our pets; however, the last time I had a question, I was told by a Banfield Vet that she had more than one parent, as if her mouth was moving but her heart was really unconcerned for me, or my pet.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] With them, I have another cat named Teddie who had thyroid disease; instead of telling me that there's a radiative I-131 injection that can be performed at the Institute of Veterinary on Archer Rd that can get rid of this disease, but no, which I find again totally unacceptable. Plus, after my own research on thyroids, I personally and initially asked Banfield to test Teddie's thyroid, and this is when he first was diagnosed with Thyroid disease, including what diet support food he now needed. However, when did they tell me Teddie had kidney issues? FYI: I just found out that a few months ago. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I think their communication skills are utterly poor @ best without a doubt.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Moreover, I recently found out that Cat Teddie has stage three kidney disease. What? I mean really. That is, when did Banfield sit me down to discuss that there were even stages in kidney disease. Not![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Oh yes, about three months ago when I was told Teddie had a kidney disease. After Katie's prolonged battle with uncontrolled diabetes, the ER diagnosed her with a large stomach tumor and extremely dehydrated; then, she suffered a painful acute kidney disease, which research states can come from uncontrolled diabetes and extreme dehydration. Katie was fourteen-years-old; this was her home with me for all those years, and for someone at Banfield to tell me that she was "simply" old, is appalling; I agree is unacceptable, especially when I think they sat on my poor Katie's health, along with doing little to help her discomfort, quality of life or me. My cat Katie has been gone for six months now, but she did not deserve the suffering; she loved to have a good quality of life, just like humans. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]I recently had a bad experience with specifically Dr. Kimberly McFarlane.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] She failed to diagnose my less than a year old kitten with FIP. [[HIGHLIGHT]]She dismissed my concerns and a month later I found out about the FIP.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] It is an incredibly time sensitive illness and every second counts when it comes to treatment and survival. Thank god I got a second opinion or my cat would be dead. read more

We had a coupon for free visit. We set it up under two person. We had two dogs. One for my husband with one of our dog and one for me with one of our other dog. We set up our appointment online, setting up our appt back to back with the same doctor. We got a call this morning (4/9/24) saying that the appointment for mine will be a drop off because the doctor will be in surgery. We call them back and explained that we booked back to back appointment for the visit with the coupon. The coupon said "This coupon is good for one canine or feline office visit and general physical exam. No purchase required. Fees will apply for any additional services, including diagnostic tests, vaccinations, medications, and treatment. Cannot be applied toward wellness plan membership fee or any other charges. Valid for new clients only and for one pet only." That's why we booked two different appointment. One for him and one for me. They said oh no it's for per household. In no where did the coupon say that. They proceeded to be really rude over the phone so we said, forget it. We would never go to a vet place that has really rude receptionist or rude manners over the phone. Who the heck knows what they'll do to your dog when you drop them off. I don't believe in dropping dogs off. I have to be with the dogs all the way through during vet visits. read more

Banfield Pet Hospital - Complimentary first office visit for new clients. - Veterinarians Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

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We drove over six hours to bring our dog to the Banfield pet hospital on archer Road in Gainesville. [[HIGHLIGHT]]This appointment was scheduled after months of preparation and repeated rescheduling mostly due to Dr. Calvin Leclear availability and the difficulty of properly medicating our dog for her temperament.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Unfortunately, due to heavy traffic and bad weather, we arrived 25 minutes late. We immediately explained the situation to the staff.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]With the exception of Hannah, who is the only staff member with common sense, compassion, and willingness to help, the rest of the team showed little interest in assisting us.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Dr. Leclear refused to see our dog and instead attempted to push the appointment to a much later time. By the time they would have taken us our dogs sedation would have worn off, making it unsafe and impossible to complete the visit. [[HIGHLIGHT]]This lack of flexibility, understanding and basic customer care was beyond disappointing, considering the months of preparation, the long distance travel, and the medication timing involved.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] This experience showed a serious disregard for both the patient and the owner. If you value professionalism, empathy, and competent care for your pet I recommend looking elsewhere. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We have been faithful Banfield customers for 11 years and I have never experienced such disappointed until now.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Just cancelled plan!!!! read more

I took my cat in because he was sick. Many tests were ordered and he was diagnosed with pancreatitis and given a prescription diet. That seemed to help temporarily until it started all over again. I must have brought my cat in 5 times and saw 3 different vets. It is very frustrating, difficult and expensive to have varying opinions and medications (that are so difficult to administer). These vets are probably fine for routine exams and vaccinations but anything beyond that they are incompetent and unable to care for or properly diagnose. The last straw was an X-ray they took and told me they may not be able to read it properly and that they would hire outside counsel. I finally took the X-rays and all of his charts to a well reviewed vet office nearby. They easily read the X-ray and determined he had a massive tumor in his abdomen. I had a little bit more time with him but soon after had to euthanize him. I wouldn't waste my time or put myself or a pet through that horrible, stressful treatment again. I also on more than one occasion waited for over 3 hours to receive care. read more

I had a great experience at Banfield. I went in to get a health certificate for my dog, the process up til this point was stressful and confusing. I dealt with multiple vets who unfortunately were not helpful. Dr LeClear and his team did the exam and submitted the paperwork for me and just made the process easy. They were all very friendly and provided tips on caring for my pet. You can tell they really care about your pet. My dog did not want to leave! Lol. I wish I could stay out here just so I could have Dr LeClear as my vet. Can't recommend this place enough! read more

If I could give 0 stars I would. I've never met such incompetent "professionals" in my life. Dr. Jennifer Spencer, specifically, will tell you one thing, then the next day call and say something completely different. She told me she could do a procedure, then the day of all of a sudden said they don't do that procedure. Then, she said she referred me to UF, when she really did not and this caused me to be unable to have an appointment. Now my cat is in critical condition because of the time I wasted under her care instead of seeing someone who knew what they were doing. I'm now stuck paying thousands for what started as a simple issue that should have been resolved with them for $100. read more

If I could rate zero stars I would. I took my cat here a a week ago for an irritated eye. Keep in mind I am a broke college student supporting myself. Based on the first few conversations I was under the impression the entire visit would not cost more then $300. Imagine my surprise when I went to pay and it came up to $600. Even worse when I picked up my cat no one explained what could possibly be going on with him. I didn't talk to a single doctor or nurse. They never explained how to use the medication until after I had asked multiple questions showing that I had no idea what was going on. I called again to see what happened with tests or what was going on because my cat was not getting better. During this call I was told there were no notes on file for my animal. read more

My cat went in for his first checkup (just adopted a week ago). Place was super disorganized and couldn't understand the medical records I had on file. It took them over an hour and a half to do a simple checkup and administer 1 shot. They also didn't let me in the room with him (this may be COVID related but still) and didn't address my concerns or give me very conclusive records (with weight, etc.) Also they wanted to try to charge me for different things I didn't want to have done, which was quite ridiculous. Even with the first visit free coupon I still ended up paying tons for this. Super disappointing and badly run. read more

Staff was amazing and so helpful during our visit. I was more nervous than my cat was and they were very informative and kept me calm. I felt confident my cat was receiving the care he needed. I did not feel like they were pushing me to spend money at all. Amazing and we will be back. read more

Dr. Leclear is an amazing veterinarian. He is truly one of a kind. My dog was seen in an emergent capacity today and all of the staff was amazing. They explained my options. I can't thank them enough for being wonderful. I always have a good experience with them. Dr. Leclear is amazing! I'll follow him anywhere read more

this is my first time ever posting a review for anything . I don't ever get involved in reviews because most of the time reviews are just complaints from people not understanding guidelines in a specific place and just decide to trash the workers. I absolutely love my Gainesville banfield . I rescued my very first dog in October and since my family had previous experience with banfield I felt comfortable taking him there. He absolutely loves the staff , he gets so excited every single time I bring him in and they take amazing care of him. I'm so thankfully to have people that I know will take care of him and help me keep him healthy . The front desk staff is always so sweet to me when I come in and I'm forever thankful for that because I know he's in great hands Diesel loves Gainesville Banfield read more

Banfield is PetSmart's on-site small-animal veterinary practice. In theory, having a vet clinic at a pet superstore made sound good, but Banfield has been problematic and I've yet to hear of any customer who has been pleased nor of any DVM who would actually recommend Banfield. Because of Banfield's corporate structure, it attracts (especially in Gainesville, home of the state's only college of veterinary medicine) recent DVM graduates and then fails to retain them: in other words, recently-graduated vets work here before moving to greener gardens. That means you have a constant turn-over and it's hard to build up a relationship with "your" veterinarian. Also, as others have stated, Banfield has a nearly-legendary repute for its desire to run every possible test and otherwise try to charge the customer as much as possible. Gainesville, if anything, has a surplus of small-animal vets: we probably have about 20% more practicing DVMs in clinical work (not counting UF faculty or researchers) than the area should be able to support, yet most of them seem to do alright. ANY local practice which is locally-owned and independent is a better choice than Banfield because you're able to get personal care and have a fairly certain chance of seeing the same doctor time and again. From my own experience and the recommendations of friends--including other vets--I would suggest Suburban Animal Hospital, Timberview Pet Clinic, or Millhopper Animal Hospital. The principle owner/vets at both Suburban and Timberview (Drs. Mark Coleman and Cynthia Ice, respectively) have each been in Gainesville for over twenty years; in contrast, the DVM you see at Banfield likely may have graduated UF last year and be gone to Orlando next year. Think about where you wish to entrust your pet's care. read more

Every time i've taken my dog in for any kind of care, they have always responded with efficient help, but most importantly with compassion. I've been going to this location for close to 3 years now and i definitely recommend taking your animals here. From the front desk all the way to the doctors. Thank you Banfield! read more

Banfield is not above lying to you directly, or giving away pet records without your consent, save your time, money, and trouble and go to a much greater vet like Affordable Vet Clinic. I've been struggling to contact the practice manager, dealing with their corporate, and their client advocate team for almost a month. It's not worth the trouble. Even after I had them turn off the auto billing and paying what they claimed I owed they're still charging me. read more

Absolutely best place in Gainesville! They're always available to help me with my doggo! read more

Banfield Pet Hospital - My doggo. She's a Banfield puppy! - Veterinarians Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Once again, Banfield pet hospital provides horrible service. My cat appointment was at 10, he was supposed to be ready in two hours, but after six hours they call us back telling me that they could not do any examination because the cat was very stressed! Of course he is stressed, he spent the last six hours in a kennel with a room full of strangers that don't provide a suitable environment for pets. I pick him up at 4:45 pm, a waste of time for me, and my cat just stressed with no examination whatsoever. read more

I liked this place for a while but then our dog began having problems the vets here did not take care of. I had to go to another vet and got her problem taken care of. So I tried to switch from Banfield to the new vet and that is when my problems started. I learned one thing for sure, do not subscribe to their "monthly" payment plan. There must be fine print that you can't just get out of the plan. There is legal action ongoing for deceptive practices about this in California, go ahead and look it up. Very interesting. I tried to get out and got referred to a Banfield help line where I was yelled at and threatened that if I tried to terminate I would be presented with an 800 dollar bill. How this was arrived at, no one could explain. In fact, no one was available to be nice and explain this. On the plus side, the new vet I am going to has a nice increase in patients, many from Banfield, just like me. read more

I took my two cats here for vaccines. I've previously taken them to a very unique veterinarian in San Antonio and to vaccines day at Tractor Supply. Parking lot: With multiple cats, I had to make multiple trips. The parking lot is separated from the building by a wide two lane driving area. Then, parking can be fullish, so you may have to park away from the building even farther. You can't leave a cat shut up in the car, so it's kind of a leave the car open, scurry with one cat to the waiting room, leave the cat alone, then hurry and grab the other cat. It's a better set up for a single animal because of the crowd, distance, and heat. The parking lot is always busy. There's a separate entrance for the vet office from Pet Smart, so it is safe to drop a cat in a carrier just inside that entrance and leave them for a few minutes, if you have to shuttle multiple animals. The vet waiting room is not super busy. For leaving to go back to the car, they have shopping carts that are the pallet style like at Home Depot, and you can put all the cat carriers on one and take them out together for one trip out. I went on a Sunday. Banfield is in Pet Smart, and Saturday is pet adoption day, so there are tons of dogs, which would not be good with cats. On a Sunday it was fine. The vet entrance is way less busy than the Pet Smart store entrance, and rowdy/cat-curious dogs were more a side walk in front of the store and main entrance thing. The vet waiting room was big enough to find a quiet area and wasn't busy. So, good for cats not to get nervous. The vet seemed fine with cats. For the more universally friendly cat, she had good "bed side manner". For the more one-person-cat that doesn't like strangers, she was just like it looks fine, let's not take temperature in the butt and we'll say it's healthy. I'm kind of bummed to get charged for physical exams for both cats, because the one cat didn't get one (she really hasn't ever because she gets tense) and because the website for making the reservation said that the exam fee was waived for the first visit for an animal. But overall prices were fine. For rabies and distemper vaccines and exam, prices were roughly comparable to the Tractor Supply vaccines day rabies and distemper and the Pet Smart setup was much better for cats. Exams and vaccines are done in small exam rooms, so it's a secure setup for cats. I will probably do vaccines here next year. Price, setup, and hours were fine. read more

I am not seeing many current reviews on Banfield, so I'll leave mine. I went to Banfield after adopting my cat and initially taking her to Lake City Animal Hospital, where I reside, and being concerned that they did not properly diagnose her, or care about my concerns for her since I adopted her. I see a lot of reviews where Banfield pushes unnecessary tests, but I did not have that experience at all. They did the fecal test, which came back clear, the feline SNAP test, which was also clear, and they listened to her and checked her skin, coat, teeth, eyes, mouth, and ears, which LC Animal Hospital did not do. She found an ear infection, which presented in both of her ears, and was so severe (and neglected by LC Animal Hospital) that I was able to physically see the crusting and inflammation, my poor baby! They also have wellness programs which I think is awesome, to pay a monthly fee to have your cat, or dog, covered for office visits, vaccines, full physical exams, and more. It beats coughing up expensive vet bills! Of course, you still have to pay for the treatment and excessive testing that they deem necessary, but all the basics are included, and so is diagnostic testing. The only gripe I have is that I was not aware there was a $45 member sign-up fee since that was not presented online when I did my research, but the monthly cost of $20 is not a bad price, and I paid for it anyway. Given that my first bill (with first month, membership fee, and medical for her ears) was $114 instead of upwards of $200. Also, I had a pretty lengthy wait as I waited for test results back from the fecal and feline SNAP test I felt like Banfield truly cared about my cat and wanted to make sure she healthy, and they also listened to my concerns as a first-time true pet owner. I will absolutely (I mean I paid the membership fee lol) be coming back for all of my concerns with my kitten, and I am very comfortable with trusting the staff to find out what the problem is and to solve it! read more

Ever since selling to Benfield this has been a disappointing experience (43rd street location, I cannot speak to the Archer road location). Every vet visit the vets and staff were very much focused on upselling. I am an educated pet owner and was able to navigate this without paying for unnecessary services and treatments. I continued to go as I did not want the hassle of starting over at a new vet and transferring records etc., this was actually an easy process and I should have done it years ago. A less educated pet owner could be easily taken advantage of financially by this practice. We loved Millhopper Vet, but this is not the same place at all after the sale. The final straw was when my elderly pet passed away and I called to advise of this and the person at the desk simply said she would update the records, no words of sympathy at all. We were with this practice for 18 years and have now left the practice to go to a small, local, private practice with a warm and happy atmosphere that is very pet and owner focused. read more

I wish it were possible to give this place zero stars. The staff is friendly but the hospital is run like any other corporation - it's designed to care as little about you and your pet as possible and to bleed you dry. I have two cats and have been taking them here for six years. I stayed at Banfield for this long merely out of cost and convenience, but I have finally decided it's not worth it. Their philosophy is to over-medicate your pet and sell you as many procedures and products as possible, whether they are necessary or not. I decided to leave Banfield after a recent experience. One of my cats started pulling out the fur on his belly and hind legs. I took him in multiple times for examinations. They put him on 4 different drug treatments, one after another after another. Nothing was helping and I felt he was being over-medicated. Around this time, my other cat experienced a day where she could not hold any food down. I was concerned because I could not find a reason for her vomiting. So I took her in. They presented me with a $200 treatment plan which included injections, take home medicines, long term antibiotics, special food and x-rays. I thought it was absolutely ridiculous and told them to hold off on treatment for both of my cats. I then went to EarthPets and talked with someone there. They suggested my male cat may have developed a sensitivity to grain, which many adult cats get. They also suggested my female cat may be vomiting from eating too quickly. So, I went ahead and tried the least invasive approach. I put both my cats on grain free food and started serving my girl smaller portions in a larger bowl (spread out). My female cat immediately stopped vomiting and my male cat is no longer pulling out his fur. Problem solved. They're both healthy, happy and haven't had any issues in over a month! I immediately called Banfield to cancel the health plans for both my cats (they sucker you into those pretty quick!) I was informed that both my plans had already renewed and that If i wanted to cancel, I would have to pay $300 each for the treatments they already received. I had no choice but to keep them on the plan. When I hung up, I referenced my paperwork and saw only one plan had renewed and the other did not renew until the following week! I called back and immediately cancelled the second plan. A month later, I discover they're still charging me for both plans. I call again to complain. They had a record of my cancellation but didn't put it through. I was then informed that if I wanted to cancel, I would have to pay an extra $300 because when I took my cat in the month prior, they utilized services which renewed my plan "early." The operator stated I should have been informed of the early renewal at the time of service. When I told her they had not informed me and I did not give authority to renew my plan early, she replied, "sorry, they should have." That was it. Yet again, I was presented with the option of keeping both plans or paying $300 each to cancel. Needless to say, I'm stuck with both plans for another year. If you truly care about the health and well being of your pet, TAKE THEM ELSEWHERE. For the sake of your sanity and your pet's health, it's worth paying a little more for an honest and reliable veterinarian. read more

These people really put you through the ringer! The first person to come into the room is vet tech. She starts entering things into the computer and is mainly focused on running up a very large bill. They enter all sorts of vaccines (some of which are not even necessary), exams and tests. She even had the nerve to say, "She (referring to my cat) must have a rabies vaccine before we can treat her". I'm thinking: Who do you think you are? A rabies vaccine? This is an in-door cat, she never goes outdoors at anytime and never comes in contact with outside animals. A rabies vaccine is waste of time and money and exposes the cat to unneccessary side effects (some cats can become ill as a side effect of the rabies vaccine). The estimated total for this visit is now $170! Then comes to the hard sell, where they try to ram an over priced "wellness plan" down your throat. The plan she was pushing costs $24 a month or $288 a year, plus a $69.95 enrollment fee. Then they offer to discount $30 off the enrollment fee, but only if you sign up right then and there. Big deal! It's not insurance and it does not cover procedures, injuries or illnesses. It gives you two physical exams a year, some other peripheral things (like during a urine test, the urine collection (not the test) is free), office visits and a 10% discount on anything else. There are real insurance plans available from actual insurance companies, if you're so inclined, that cost about $30 a month and cover most everything you could encounter. So the wellness plan is a total rip-off. I took my cat in because she had a UTI (urinary infection). The cost of the visit (Urine test and anti-biotics) was $117. With their "wellness plan" it would have been $43. By comparison, when I lived in PA and I had the exact same problem with my other cat. That vet charged me $65 for the exact same services and the exact same medication. That vet was located in a very well to do area. As a side note to the "wellness plan": After I got home, I read the small print, just to see how nasty it really was. Get this: You're responsible for the entire year's payments, even if the animal dies or is given to someone else and the plan can't be transferred to someone else. So, if your animal dies, you still have to pay for the rest of the year's wellness plan, or retract it entirely and pay retail rates for all the services you'd received under the plan! So, after I refused to agree to their prices, she said, "Do you want a couple minutes to think about it?", then poked a few buttons on the computer and leaves the room. Next, in comes the vet. The vet does not discuss money at all. She asks about what problems there may be, a few questions about the cats habits, food, symptoms, etc. She then does the exam and explains why the urine test needs to be done (this part was true and accurate). Then asks, did the vet tech discuss the pricing with you? I answer, "Yes and it's way too much". The vet goes over to the computer and low and behold -- all the unncessary crap was gone and all that was left on the estimate was the urine testing, for a total of $87 (still a rip-off). Having no alternatives at this point, I agree to the $87. They then do the testing and confirm the UTI. Now comes the anti-biotic. $30 for a 14 day supply of Clavamox! When I went through this in PA, that vet wrote me a written prescription (for the same medication) that I filled at Rite Aid and it cost $14. These guys? They don't write prescriptions, you HAVE to buy the anti-biotic from them or go somewhere else (meaning you'd have to go through testing all over again at a different vets office). So, in the end -- the cost for a urine test and 14-days of Clavamox was $117. Then they squirrel you into a "follow-up" appt in two weeks and said, "We can take care of the vaccinations then". Yeah, right! Like I'm going back... I think not. So yourself a favor and take your precious little family member to the Small Animal Hispital at UF. It cheaper and the people there actually care about the animals and interested in helping them, not just in draining money out of you. Note: The only reason I went to Banfield in the first place was because I could go in at 7 PM, after work. At UF, the lastest general practice appointment is at 3 PM. If I had it to do all over again, I'd take the 2 hrs off from work and go to UF. read more

Today was my second visit to Banefield in Gainesville . Same doctor ,Dr. Price and her assistant Amanda are both fantastic to say the least. Gave Katy (my cat) a thorough follow-up exam. Gave me all my options. Very sage and honest advice. They both spent a total of close to 30 minutes with me. My bill? $30. I added a comfortis pill and paid a total of $45 for all that they did. Checked her heart, her skin allergy , her ears, eyes , teeth, throat. Checked a growth on her neck. And more. Tests are expensive no matter where you go and I don't expect Banefield to be that much less. The people that work there have to get paid like anyone else . So it's a business like everything else. I'm surprised at the reviews here. I've had high priced vets in the past and I consider the treatment that we got today a gift. Last visit was also 5 stars or I would not have returned. I like the people that are there. I think they really love the animals they treat and I believe they try to help to do the best to fit your budget. read more

This place is awful--don't waste your time. Booked online for a very sick cat to have appointment on Saturday when our normal vet isn't open. Filled out forms and had confirmation of appointment in email. Wrangled a very distressed cat to appointment but when we got there, they claimed there was no record, shrugged at confirmation email and said sometimes online reservation system on their website was unreliable so wasnt their problem and were we sure we didn't book at another location(but wouldn't help us check and couldn't explain why confirmation was for their place...Also never got a call despite putting contact info on form.) Left us waiting with panicking cat for half hour before coming back and telling us we'd have to wait four hours for next appointment. Seriously don't waste your time or money. read more

Normally when I bring my fur baby here I have a amazing experience And I know she's in good hands. But today I didn't feel to sure about that. read more

THE PAIN IS STILL VERY REAL! After coming to Gainesville, FL's Banfield for routine vaccines many years ago, one dog immediately was hospitalized, suffered in the hospital, died and the other one suffered having to be euthanized. We immediately rushed our dog to Banfield for help to see the Veterinarian who administered the vaccines.  She would not come out from the back to help our dog. She told the front desk agent to tell us she was very busy and for us to go to the UF emergency room.  She turned him away when he was in urgent need of care. These critical moments might have made a difference in his survival and/or lessened his suffering. After his death, we did hear from Dr. Calvin LeClear, Chief of Staff who offered us a few hundred dollars because of what happened.  We asked him "to make changes within Banfield regarding these vaccines because it's not about the money.  In our opinion, our pet's needlessly suffered and other's will too because of your practices.  This could easily be prevented in the future." His answer was "I am only one man and I cannot change what others do".  We heard from him and not the Veterinarian who treated our dogs. Reviewing medical records provided by Banfield showed inaccuracies. When a loved one including our family pet dies that in our opinion could have been prevented if Banfield's Veterinarian advised us correctly, the pain we witnessed our pets go through including the pain we experienced and continue to experience is very real. Looking back, that day they were both very nervous unlike other visits. Did they know something? We trust a Veterinarian because we are groomed to think a Veterinarian is in business to protect our animals and to make the right decision for their care. After this experience with Banfield's Gainesville, FL location, this thought has forcibly been changed.  We are our pet's voice. If we had a do over in our opinion, we can guarantee you we would do our adverse pet vaccine reaction death and Titer Antibody research then find the right Veterinarian who cares about our pets health and not what keeps them in business because the pet suffers horribly and then we do to. We hired a Veterinarian licensed for 50+ years for both dogs who specializes in Vaccine Research. Be careful relying on great reviews because that's what we did and obviously after these horrible, tragic events it makes you question the validity of them.  If we could do this over again, I guarantee you we would have never taken our dogs to this Banfield Pet Hospital, 3736 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32608 or any Banfield since in our opinion a simple change could save a pet and/or prevent their suffering. read more

Dr. Hudak at this office is amazing!!! She is so caring with my dog Gracie and incredibly patient! She is very knowledgeable, understanding and takes the time to explain every detail. She is honest about what's best for my pet without prescribing unnecessary treatments and procedures. This is my first puppy and I am SO happy she is under her care! I would recommend her to anyone! read more

I don't know what all the gaff is about, I have had nothing but excellent care at the clinic. All fees were discussed ahead of time, reasons were fully explained as to the charges and all the personnel including the vets, were professional and helpful. I am on my third contract with Banfield and I couldn't be more pleased. C.D. Bartholomew, M.D. read more

I agree with the above reviewers - I would definitely NOT recommend this place. I had almost the exact same experience as Thomas - all I wanted was to get my kitten's ears checked for a possible infection, and before I knew it I get handed a list of procedures totaling over $200. The vet nurse and doctor told me that her vaccines "didn't count" because I hadn't gotten boosters, but I had the vaccine schedule that showed otherwise. Overall, they made me feel like I was a irresponsible pet owner because I hadn't given her a litany of procedures. They also go for the VERY hard sell-pressuring me excessively to sign up for their wellness program, even telling me that the kitten would be "too old" in just a few days to be eligible. They're really going about things in the wrong way, I would have probably given them business if they''d been upfront and didn't pressure me to spend. Never going back. read more

I have been taking Leia to this Banfield location for years now. She has always had issues with her ears so having a Wellness plan made sense for her. I signed her up a long time ago and have been OK with my choice. In the past, I have been less then thrilled with my experiences. They always gave her the same medications, even though the didn't solve the problem, and seemed offended when I asked if there were other options. They obviously didn't think I was using the medication correctly and that was why it wasn't working. I came out of that appointment and attempted to cancel my Wellness plan, only to find out it had renewed the month prior. Leia's most recent appointment was a totally different experience. The tech was super nice, and helpful. She walked us through the prices for everything and gave us all of our options and what their costs would be. I advised her that my pup does better for the exam if she is in the back, and not in the room with me or my boyfriend (she is a wuss and wants us to rescue her) and she took her to the back, did the exam and vaccines, and brought her right back. Dr. Price came in a few minutes later, talked to us about Leia, explained why she thinks her ears are a constant problem and gave us some NEW meds to try as well as recommending we try to tackle what is probably an underlying allergy. It was the first time I felt like someone was looking at MY dog and considering her specific situation instead of just prescribing the standard medication that had not worked so many times before. She also had us schedule I follow up for 10 days in the future, so they could take another look and make sure the meds are working. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. Usually, they charge us for the meds, hand us some vague instructions and send us away. This definitely made me feel like Dr. Price wanted to help Leia get better, and not just sell medications. Dr. Price also suggested we get Leia's teeth cleaned in the near future. Every other vet we have seen has suggested we schedule her cleaning ASAP and made it sound like she would be very sick if it didn't happen in the next 2 weeks. I know this is not true, so I never scheduled her cleaning (they are expensive). This time, it was suggested that when her plan renews in a few months, I move her up to the next tier, save some money on the procedure and schedule it then. I appreciated that the staff considered the financial side of owning a pet and understands that it can get very expensive very quick. Additionally, upon checking out, they asked if we wanted to schedule again with the same vet. YES! Previously, we would schedule and get whatever vet was there that day, meaning that it was never the same vet twice. I love the option of having Leia have one vet that knows her and her situation. It really seems like the people from Banfield have been reading their negative reviews and taking into consideration their not-so-great reputation and trying to make some real changes. I really hope my excellent experience this time was not a fluke, and they continue to show such care in the future. Side note on Wellness plans: When you sign up for a plan, you pay a standard fee up front, then a monthly fee. If you are on a plan, use Banfield services, then decide to cancel the plan, you are expected to pay for the services that you previously had not paid for because of the plan. They are not charging you $300 to cancel the plan, they are charging you $300, because that is the cost of the services you already used. Example: I sign up for the plan in January. Pay the $100 initial set up, and $25 a month. Then have $425 worth of tests and vaccines done on my dog. I decide to cancel in February. They are going the charge you the $300 when you try to end your plan, since you used $300 in services you had not yet paid for (and would have if you stayed on the plan for the year). Basically, the Wellness plans help you pay for the services incrementally throughout the year instead of paying hundreds at a time. read more

I have always had a wonderful experience with the care team at Banfield Pet Hospital in Gainesville Florida. They are prompt and efficient and deliver excellent care. The optimal care plan has saved me thousands in vet bills. read more

I have my pet on their wellness plan and I love it. It allows me to pay for her visits with small payments over the year. I had my pet on the basic plan which covers all her shots, office visits, and preventative tests. When she got injured and needed X-rays I was able upgrade to the premium plan which covers X-rays that day without any extra charge other than the increased monthly payments. So I walked out without any money due at the end of the visit. It is a great feeling knowing that if I have to take my pet to the vet I don't have to worry about having $300 on hand just in case. The staff are wonderful and plus, it is very conveniently located in Petsmart. read more

My dog badly damaged a dewclaw over a weekend. Thankfully Banfield was open on Sunday. Even though we were a "walk-in" and had never been there before, we were treated extremely well. My dog was comfortable and relaxed with the staff and vet. They stopped the pain, removed her claw, and provided the appropriate pain meds and antibiotics in a caring and timely fashion at a very fair price. They even waived the office visit fee. I couldn't be happier with the care my dog received. read more

They are awful. So Alachua County Animal Shelter has a list of approved vets for first time wellness exams and Banfield made an agreement to serve as one of these vets. I went in to there saying "Hello I just adopted and I am here for the Wellness exam I believe my new puppy has kennel cough" which is doggy flu and I presented the folder with the information of the wellness exam which the receptionist read over. Once the vet examined the dog they tried to charge us $600 to do an X-ray, blood work, and then the vet tech started spitting out acronyms for exams knowing very well that we are not medical experts and trying to sound like she knows what she is talking about. Unfortunately for her we are pre-med and knew exactly how unnecessary this overcharge was. They then tried to not honor the free initial wellness exam and I had to call the animal shelter right in front of them telling the animal shelter they should call in Banfield for not honoring their agreement to take them off the list and remove all Banfield ads from the shelter. Suddenly the receptionist started listening apparently because she had been there the whole time and reacted by speaking to the vet tech and telling her we do honor those exams. They then tried to take a coupon I brought up for my following visit saying the coupon was only for first time visits, but when I told them that's not true at all and they better honor the animal shelter free wellness exam and leave me with my coupon for the follow-on visit she tried to read the small print. She was proven wrong, the coupon applied for a free exam, any exam at anytime, full stop, period, and not "first exams". She then told the vet tech to put the exam under a coupon exam, and when I said she better not since it is not a coupon exam it is a waived wellness exam they said they could not guarantee the coupon would be honored on our follow-on exam because a follow-up is a "less expensive exam". So essentially they are saying the coupon applies for a full physical and a follow-up is not a full-physical which is again a lie according to the coupon again it applies to ANY exams. So, I again got irritated and told them "so you are going to charge me instead of taking my coupon on a follow-up exam because the exam is cheaper than the exam the coupon applies for which is ANY exam?" At which point another pet owner told them they are being ridiculous and she really hopes Banfield doesn't treat everyone like this, at which point they started apologizing and saying the coupon could be honored and they would put this first exam as a wellness exam as it should be. WORST VET EXPERIENCE EVER. Impersonal and greedy. read more

I took my dog to Banfield Pet Hospital in Acworth, GA on a recent Sunday because he had a severe ear infection and I was afraid to wait until Monday when my own vet was open. Unfortunately, going to Banfield was the worse decision ever. The girl at the counter was surly and wouldn't check me in until my appointment time. I was 15 minutes early, no other pet owners were there and the waiting "room" was empty. Nonetheless, she made me wait the full 15 minutes, at which time, 2 more customers arrived late for their appointments. I then had to wait another ten minutes while she checked the latecomers in ahead of me. When we finally got into the exam room, an unpleasant man walked over to my dog and started to take my dog's temperature and other vitals without ever introducing himself to me or asking me any questions. I learned from his name tag that he was a vet assistant. Afterwards, the vet then came in, introduced herself and proceeded to examine my dog. While she remained professional during the exam, her demeanor quickly changed when I declined the multiple, highly priced medications she was peddling. It was evident Banfield's only purpose is to sell, sell, sell. If I had purchased everything, the total bill would have been $280, which included the coupon I had for a "free" office visit. I only bought the medicated ear drops to get us through the night. However, to my utter disbelief, the vet would not put them in my dog's ears because I hadn't purchased the ear wash to go with it. She told me to go home and drop them in my dog's ear myself. It's hard to wrestle an 80 lb dog, alone... Today I took my dog to our vet of 22 years, who provided first class treatment: he shaved the hair inside both of my dog's ears, flushed both of them, administered the drops I purchased at Banfield, gave him a steroid shot and provided me with a bottle of antibiotics. Total cost: $78. I totally agree with the other reviewers. Banfield rates a zero. It's only purpose is to bleed people dry. read more

HORRIBLE customer care. First and foremost Banfield cares mostly about taking your money. Most of the vets here are straight out of vet school. It seems like Banfield trains these fresh out of school vets to pull as much money out of their clients as possible. Instead of taking the time to diagnose the symptoms, they wanted to run like 8 tests that could or could not have anything to do with what was going on and they knew it. They even brought up flea medication while I was trying to explain the threatening problems that my dog was having (flea meds had absolutely nothing to do with the immediate needs in which I was trying to have diagnosed) It's really sleazy and will rub you the wrong way. With gobbling up your money as their top priority, they hardly focused on my pet's real illness at all. I actually had to repeat myself about my dogs TWO symptoms about 8 times. They weren't even listening. More focused on their prepared way of scheming my out of as much money as possible. It really is as if they don't give a damn about your pet at all. Just your money. I HATE this place for that. What a crappy way of being a professional. It makes me not even want to shop at Petsmart for being associated with such un-compassionate people. AVOID THIS PLACE! I am being very sincere and honest. There are way better places to take your pet. I'm sure that just about any other vet in town would do a better job. I feel sick from all of this. Horrible people who's priorities are backward. Sad to see. read more

I could not agree more with all of the other reviews. This is a money hungry corporation, nothing more. When I first took one of my pets there, the first thing they had me look at was the wellness plan. I have 3 dogs and 2 cats, so something is always going on with someone, so of course I bit. However, when I told the tech that I was hesitant because being a college student and having a seasonal job, money wasn't always guaranteed, she told me that it wasn't a problem and I could CANCEL AT ANY TIME. What she forgot to mention was that even if I canceled, I would still have to pay the remaining payments. Thanks a lot Banfield for taking advantage of people through their pets. read more