Opinions on Banfield??

[stinyexoticvet]

Hi there,

I just went to a presentation on Banfield here at Murdoch and it was quite interesting. They have never come to Australia before so everyone was quite keen on listening. Long ago and far away when they first started I remembered they had some bad things being said about them by some of the local vets I worked with back home in the US. The presentation was of course biased and overwhelmingly positive. The salary alone that a new graduate can earn in just general practice cannot be beat. The program they have for new graduates looks amazing and you can go all over the US because there are so many of the hospitals everywhere.

What I am getting at is...what is the catch? This is definitely too good to be true type of material. But it does seem like a great opportunity for someone who really wants to be a good general practitioner. What are everyone elses thoughts and experiences with this new and improved and massively expanding Banfield? They plan on opening 100 hospitals this year alone.

-Very Curious

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[bailey728]

Hello,

I can only speak from one experience I had with them as a client, in one of their hospitals in Philadelphia. We rescued a stray kitten in the parking lot right near them; he had such a horrible eye infection that his eyeball was bulging out of the eye socket. The techs at this particular hospital were very nice, as was the vet, but I left feeling like they didn't really know what they were doing. They gave me antibiotic ointment for his eye and said to give it for a week to see if the eye would heal. After a day or so of feeling like this would be a fruitless venture (if you saw the eye you would understand - it was like nothing I've ever seen), we took him to our local vet who looked at the kitten for about 5 seconds and said "nope, it's got to come out". He said there was no way at all to salvage the eye. (Long story short - the kitten had an enucleation, we adopted him and he is doing great.)

I felt very uneasy about Banfield after this. It wasn't like they missed a hard diagnosis, or something similar that would be understandable. From the point of view of the local vet, this was not an ambiguous situation. I personally would not feel comfortable entrusting my animals to their care, at least at this particular hospital, again.

I have read of numerous complaints from people who have visited their hospitals in other parts of the US. Consumeraffairs.com has a long list of complaints submitted to them. If you google "banfield reviews" you can find others.

This is not to say that there are not competent vets working at any of their hospitals. I don't know. I am just telling you what I have experienced personally and what I have read. I usually read bad reviews with the awareness that people who are unhappy tend to voice this, while people who are satisfied tend not to. However, when I come across a very large number of complaints about one company, that tends to add more weight.

Perhaps someone on this board can add an alternate view on this company.

 

[irish_pompano]

It boils down to this: Do you want a corporate vet who doesn't control her hours, pay, rates for treatments, and probably doesn't even have a key to the front door of the clinic (they really don't) or do you want to take your pet to a vet who has more say in her practice, more control over the ultimate outcome of her clients, and more responsibility ensuring the return of happy clients? A corporation is a corporation. It's a money farm interested in feeding the pockets of the CEO, etc. not its employees regardless of their dedication. A private vet may be more expensive in the long run, but will have more invested in the quality of care you will receive.

Think about it this way: You go to some chain restaurant that has so many locations it serves millions of customers. Your food comes out rancidly disgusting. You complain. They lose you as a customer. Do they care? Not really, because there are another million customers behind you waiting to be served. If the same situation occurred at a little mom & pop place, you would be taken care of because the success of their business hinges on the few customers they may have.

On the other side, Banfield has implemented a great tool in veterinary care: regulated payment plans. While some private vet clinics offer this, it is still fairly rare.

Sorry to ramble...I feel Banfield has some work to do, but they might be on an interesting path in changing how private vets run their businesses.

 

[Orthonut]

do yourself a favor, or since you're in Oz, favour: sign up for your free student VIN account (VIN.com) using your .edu email address and do a search on "the banfield 7"

 

[Bill59]

do yourself a favor, or since you're in Oz, favour: sign up for your free student VIN account (VIN.com) using your .edu email address and do a search on "the banfield 7"

There you go. Search the VIN archives and you will get plenty of opinions from veterinarians who've worked there.

 

[stinyexoticvet]

Thank you so much for that idea!!!!!

 

[PAThbrd]

There you go. Search the VIN archives and you will get plenty of opinions from veterinarians who've worked there.

Wow, so I heard Banfield was bad but some of that stuff was pretty crazy! Definately wasted over an hour reading BF horror stories on VIN instead of studying for the test i have coming up...

 

[tiggermoon]

Hello,

I can only speak from one experience I had with them as a client, ...
Perhaps someone on this board can add an alternate view on this company.

When our beloved 15 year old cat went ketoacidoic (at the time i did not know he was diabetic) he was treated at the local banfeild. the doctor there was wonderful. local, private, practices were rude and seemed to have no regard for my cat.

the doctor at banfeild (who's degree from Tx A&M was 30 years old) took us in immediately and allowed me to stay with him for all procedures. she also would open the clinic for us when when they were supposed to be closed just so she could see him until he was fully recovered.

the doctor and the LVT's at that location are all excellent. She and my cat are what inspired me to change careers.

i guess it just depends on who is running the office.

 

[Orthonut]

i guess it just depends on who is running the office.

I'm not saying your particular experience wasn't good, but I STRONGLY encourage you to use your free VIN account and use the search function to search the message board for 'banfield 7/banfield seven/banfield filed a complaint' as titles.

it's not just 'who's running the office' it's WHO IS RUNNING THE CORPORATION.

I'm not against corporate practice in general (there are others that I feel are ok) but there are some things that I just would never go for.

 

[birdvet2006]

I personally have a problem with being forced to perform medicine a certain way and to vaccinate more than I want to. I don't believe in the FIP vaccine or the Giardia vaccine etc...and I certainly wouldn't want to vaccinate any animals with them. From what I hear, you're pretty much forced to give those vaccines if you work for BF. Read about what started the whole "Banfield 7" discussion on VIN.

I work for a corporation, so that's certainly not why I don't like Banfield. We have had many Banfield referrals, so I am thankful and think that the workups done prior to them referring were pretty good. They just can't provide 24 hour care (I wonder if there are any 24 hour Banfields?), like many other practices.

 

[SilviaGTO]

I cant speak for all banfields, but just from the amount of clients that flocked to our clinic from the local banfield in regret were numerous.

I think the biggest that stuck out in my head was a female cat who was presenting with symptoms of an UTI.

almost 800 dollars worth of blood work, x-rays, pain medications, oh and at the end they ran a dipstick. Then they loaded her cat on about 3 different types of antibiotics and then sold her a bag of fluids.

 

[Vet2be2012]

I lost my beloved cat of 10 years at Banfield. He was hardly even looked at by the vet there, just the techs. I don't feel that the vet was a bad vet, but it appeared that the vets there were overworked and didn't have the time to give my cat the care he needed. He was overloaded with IV fluids. Long story, but I am not happy with the corporation and protocols of Banfield.

 

[alonepear]

I began accumulating hands-on veterinary experience as a tech at Banfield (they were the only ones hiring techs without previous experience -- good for me at the time, and good for them because I turned out to be competent, but risky for sure)>

What it really boils down to is your doctor, and there are SO MANY Banfields, some with such high turnover, that I think I would prefer not to take my pet there if I didn't know the doctor well. I worked with two fabulous, wonderful, intelligent doctors there, one who I consider a mentor, and one awful, money-hungry, jerk of a doctor who only went to Banfield to make more money than other vets.

The people at my practice did a great job on the whole, but there were times when I felt like had we been a private clinic with more leeway for specialization, we could have helped more pets.

Also, the Wellness Plans they offer are also good and bad. You educate people about the necessity of vaccines, spay/neuter, heartworm prevention, etc. BUT, you also basically pump every pet that comes through the door with 5-7 types of vaccines a YEAR! Giardia, Lyme disease, Lepto, vaccines that are controversial and currently being regarded by most veterinary groups as unnecessary, and clients pets are receiving them and clients don't really know any better.

I owe a lot to Banfield for opening a door to me into the veterinary field, and I made great veterinary contacts and friends there, but on the whole I just don't think corporate veterinary care will ever be in a pet's best interest.

If you are considering being a doctor for them, I know that the vets I worked for often expressed a lot of frustration at all the restrictions that were imposed, AND even though you think you won't have to worry about financial issues with the practice because you're not running it, it's not true. Corporate produces list after list of production, net profits, etc, week after week after week, and you are penalized for "falling behind" other local practices, and it becomes seriously cut-throat. There are also a ton of inspections by higher-ups, and constant phone quality tests for the front desk and tech staff to make sure they answer the phones following Banfield's pre-written scripts to specific questions.

 

[VeganSoprano]

One thing I don't like about Banfield is that their feline wellness plans include spay/neuter *or* declawing. To me the thought of encouraging clients to declaw without sterilizing in this way is pretty awful.

 

[Vet2be2012]

Not to mention encouraging them to declaw period! Definitely sterilizing an animal, but not declawing! I was told that I would have to do this procedure when I am a vet, but I don't think I will! There are many vets that elect not to do this!

 

[VeganSoprano]

Not to mention encouraging them to declaw period! Definitely sterilizing an animal, but not declawing! I was told that I would have to do this procedure when I am a vet, but I don't think I will! There are many vets that elect not to do this!

I can definitely say that you do not have to declaw - ever. Maybe when you are a student it will be a requirement but when you are practicing you can make your own decisions. I know many general practice vets who refuse to declaw, not to mention all those in specialty practices where declawing just isn't part of the picture.

I'm definitely anti-declawing but I can live with a practice doing declaws. What I can't see is offering it as a covered procedure under a wellness procedure. To me it amounts to encouraging people to declaw which I don't find acceptable. To do it as a last resort if someone is bound and determined to have the procedure done and can't be talked out of it is one thing but to encourage it in people who might just as easily decide not to do it is another thing entirely in my mind.

 

[birdvet2006]

...but on the whole I just don't think corporate veterinary care will ever be in a pet's best interest.

I wouldn't recommend you condemn all corporate practices based on your experiences at Banfield. I have been an employee of VCA for years and worked in 2 hospitals. Both fairly large (one had 9 vets, the one I'm currently at has 21+ vets including myself). I feel we are helping a LOT of pets and offering the highest quality of care. Both these hospitals I worked in were also AAHA accredited. The hospital I work in now is mainly a specialty and emergency/critical care hospital. I wouldn't ask for more for my own pet.

I am not likely going to work for VCA next year, but I am happy with them in general.

 

[Vet2be2012]

I can definitely say that you do not have to declaw - ever. Maybe when you are a student it will be a requirement but when you are practicing you can make your own decisions. I know many general practice vets who refuse to declaw, not to mention all those in specialty practices where declawing just isn't part of the picture.

I'm definitely anti-declawing but I can live with a practice doing declaws. What I can't see is offering it as a covered procedure under a wellness procedure. To me it amounts to encouraging people to declaw which I don't find acceptable. To do it as a last resort if someone is bound and determined to have the procedure done and can't be talked out of it is one thing but to encourage it in people who might just as easily decide not to do it is another thing entirely in my mind.

Well said! I just think that if we don't believe something is best for the animal, even though it will make the veterinary practice more money, that we should encourage it! I felt that the veterinarian I was working with last year was actually encouraging it!

 

[hislightrq]

I've spent 12 weeks working with Banfield in their summer job program for vet students. I worked at two different practices, one corporate and one a charter practice. I got great experience at both with the chance to do tons of blood draws, intubations, a neuter, etc. I would highly recommend their summer job program for experience and it is a good way to see for yourself what Banfield is like and make a bit of money at the same time!

I know there are tons of bad reviews out there about Banfield, but considering how many Drs they have working for them I don't think it’s unreasonable. Also, it’s much easier to complain about Banfield. If you don't like your local vet, what can you do about it? No one online is going to care if you post bad reviews of some small local vet. But Banfield is a big company, so it attracts that kind of thing. Both Banfields I worked at had very good satisfaction ratings in client surveys.

As for working as a vet at Banfield, I think it would really be a personal choice. It has a lot of advantages if you want a good 9-5 job with no out-of-hours work. They also offer tons of support for their vets, especially new graduates. However, many Banfields refer any specialty cases so it can seem a bit boring. I found working at the Charter practice was by far the better option. You have more leeway in how the clinic is run, what products you use, charity work, etc. I never thought I would like corporate vet work, but am now seriously considering a position at this charter clinic.

They have a lot of protocols and such, but if you don't agree with certain vaccines you don't have to give them, if you don't agree with declaws you don't have to do them, etc. They also have amazing anaesthesia results due to their protocols (1 in 10,000 anaesthetic deaths).

My advice - Work for them for 6 weeks one summer and see for yourself. Don't let others influence you in either direction.

 

[sofficat]

Corporate vets leave a bad taste in my mouth. I worked for VCA for 2 years. I loved working there, the people were great and the animal care was wonderful. However, I never did let go of the "big brother' feel. Everything was so closely monitored by the company that we ended up doing what 'looked best' on paper, even if it wasn't necessary for the patient/client. The protocols and paperwork became so unnecessary and such a hassel. If we weren't making enough money, we would have to send home techs and assistants no matter how busy we were. B/c I worked part time- I got the brunt of it all (they always let the full time people leave). Everything was about money and rules and not really about personal client relationships. "You can't afford a $20 (yes- twenty!) ear cleaning for your pet? Too bad, you don't get one then." Sometimes I felt like I was a car salesman instead of a vet tech. When an owner can't afford $175 for an ear infection visit, is it THAT bad to sent them home with JUST ear meds? Plus- I don't know if it was just us, but we had a contract with PetLand... oh boy did that suck! We almost lost a vet just b/c she hated working with a freakin' puppymill pet store.
*I am not putting down VCA. I definitely would trust my pet with them and I think they do wonderful things.... I just don't like corporations.

 

[nsdhfk]

nm

 

[Bill59]

It was basically a disagreement between some veterinarians over a specific situation. I can't remember the details of the discussion accurately enough beyond that and besides, since they were posted on a controlled access resource, it's probably best to not start repeating details here.

In any event, since you visited the place several times I think your personal impressions are going to carry more weight when evaluating a specific hospital (although if it's closed it may not even be an issue anymore.)

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I've heard very mixed reviews. A friend of mine worked at one for quite awhile (and then moved to another one before changing companies), and she didn't have very nice things to say about them, at least about their 'policies'. Just like any office, she had some good people and not so good people there. I think the major rub was how the corporate culture was more about pushing certain services and making it more than a business.

I've only ever dealt with local vets, and there is no way I'd do it any differently. When my family dogs got sick, the local vet really went out of her way to work with us. They ran a great boarding facility too. I think the cost was relatively in line with 'corp' places....but I felt it was more personal.

-t

 

[spikey]

they couldn't pay me enough to work for them. never ever.

private practice forever! :]

 

[PAThbrd]

although their 90+k starting salary for new grads is tempting to pay off student loans, if you want to sell your soul... and im large animal anyway

 

[cyrille104]

90+K?? Excuse me? That IS tempting.

 

[birdvet2006]

90+K?? Excuse me? That IS tempting.

Ethics or money...you choose.

 

[Foofur]

Say you pick money over ethics (not because you are a bad person, but because you are so deep in loans that you NEED the cash!). Would you be looked down upon because you had worked for Banfield? Would it be harder to find work at a private practice later on?

A vet I worked for had a terrible experience with her first job right out of vet school. The head vet basically left her on her own and did not help with the mentoring process. Needless to say, she messed up some stuff- big time!

Does Banfield have good mentoring program?

90k... really?

 

[cyrille104]

Ethics or money...you choose.

That's assuming that I think Banfield is bad. I read the VIN thing, and it seemed to be an isolated incident between a couple of vets. It won't stop me from at least giving the company a chance when I graduate. I don't know how much you had to pay for your vet education abroad, but I'm going to be almost $200k in debt when I graduate. They say money can't buy happiness, but it can certainly buy security and peace of mind.

There's a lot of Banfield badmouthing on SDN and VIN, but you have to take it with a grain of salt. Everyone on these forums is certainly free to sit at their computers and type scathing judgments all all they want. But when it comes down to it I choose not to make my decisions based on hearsay (especially online). When the time comes I will weigh my options and make a decision...and fortunately none of you have a little speaker in my head that won't let me sleep at night if you disagree.

 

[Ban Banfield]

Google the following words, "complaints against Banfield Pet Hospital" and you'll be shocked at the hundreds, if not thousands, of complaints against them. Here's a suggestion that I found online that I thought was interested...

"As a consumer dispute resolution counselor, here's what I advise with regard to Banfield if you want to get resolution and possibly compensation for your Banfield billing and animal care experiences:

• Join in on one of the THREE class action lawsuits that are being considered or in preparation against Banfield Pet Hospitals by going to the law firms' websites and listing your complaints. Definition of a class action can be found at: http://www.claiminformation.com/classactions.htm The more people that sign-up, the greater the resolution and possibility that you'll be compensated for your emotional distress down the road. The law firms are as follows:

http://www.schneiderwallace.com/PracticeAreas/ClassActions.htm
Once there clink on "Inquire About Your Potential Case" and fill out the online form giving specific details of your problems regarding Banfield. Please, make sure that you include either your phone number or send them an email on the link within the "Inquire" link.

http://www.price-law.com/CM/FSDP/PracticeCenter/Personal-Injury/Class-Actions.asp
Complete the online form outlining your experiences.

http://www.barronberry.com/CM/Custom/Contact.asp
Complete the online form outlining your experiences.

Please, make sure that you share your experiences regarding billing issues, pet care (or lack therefore of), names of staff, location of hospitals and if you've ever written to the corporate offices and if so, what was the response if any. Remember, the more people that join the class action lawsuits, the greater the chances of resolution and restitution (financial compensation for your losses and emotional distress).


2.Go to www.ftc.gov (Federal Trade Commission) and file a very quick online complaint. Make sure that you give any contract numbers, names of staff, address of the hospital that you used, leave out unnecessary details and get to the point (short and sweet) and name the CEO as the contact person: Dr. Scott Campbell, CEO, Banfield, The Pet Hospital, 8000 NE Tillamook
Portland, OR 97213. 800-838-6738 Fax 866-477-5120 email: [email protected] The FTC will issue fines if they receive enough complaints.

3.Google your state's Governor's Office or Attorney General's Office of Consumer Affairs and file a complaint. Most will allow you to do this online. It's quick and easy just include specific names, addresses, dates, details of problems (short and to the point) contract numbers, if any, and your contact information. Consumer Affairs will issue fines if they receive enough complaints.

4.Contact the American Association of Veterinary State Boards by calling 1-877-698-8482 or http://www.aavsb.org/ContactUs/ContactUs.aspx and ask them for the website, phone number and/or address for the regulatory board for your state, then file a complaint against Banfield's license in that state.

5.Write directly to the CEO of Banfield(or at least print and copy all of your complaints to all of the agencies above and mail a copy to: Dr. Scott Campbell, CEO, Banfield, The Pet Hospital, 8000 NE Tillamook Portland, OR 97213 Phone 800-838-6738 Fax 866-477-5120 email: [email protected] VP of Operations direct line 503-922-5244 fax 503-922-6244.

6.Post these instructions on every complaint forum and website mentioning Banfield that you can find on Google.

7.Remember there's strength in numbers. If you're not going to take the time to file a complaint then don't take the time to post a complaint. Change only comes through efforts to make change.

Contact the CEO of PetSmart and let them know that you'll NOT shop PetSmart until they kick Banfield to the curb. They are separate companies but who would want to support a store that allows another business to operate using such bad business practices while being inside their stores? Contact: Philip L. Francis, CEO, PetSmart, Inc., 19601 N. 27th Ave, Phoenix AZ 85027, phone 623-580-6100."

 

[CookieBear]

Corporate vets leave a bad taste in my mouth. I worked for VCA for 2 years. I loved working there, the people were great and the animal care was wonderful. However, I never did let go of the "big brother' feel. Everything was so closely monitored by the company that we ended up doing what 'looked best' on paper, even if it wasn't necessary for the patient/client. The protocols and paperwork became so unnecessary and such a hassel. If we weren't making enough money, we would have to send home techs and assistants no matter how busy we were. B/c I worked part time- I got the brunt of it all (they always let the full time people leave). Everything was about money and rules and not really about personal client relationships. "You can't afford a $20 (yes- twenty!) ear cleaning for your pet? Too bad, you don't get one then." Sometimes I felt like I was a car salesman instead of a vet tech. When an owner can't afford $175 for an ear infection visit, is it THAT bad to sent them home with JUST ear meds? Plus- I don't know if it was just us, but we had a contract with PetLand... oh boy did that suck! We almost lost a vet just b/c she hated working with a freakin' puppymill pet store.
*I am not putting down VCA. I definitely would trust my pet with them and I think they do wonderful things.... I just don't like corporations.

I just wanted to comment on this, as a former VCA employee myself. I was with them for a long time, so I know the good, and the bad. I know this thread isn't about VCA, so I'll try to be really short.

Paperwork: yes, lots, but IMO, the managers definitely won the lotto on that. Good record-keeping is vital, and VCA is all about that. So, medically, yes, also paperwork... but someday we'll all be paperless, right?

Payroll budget and sending people home: Yes, I had to do it, but it was when, at least in my hospital, we were slow. Balancing people to business was a tough skill to hone. I wasn't told, as a manager, who to send, so yes, I catered to my full-timers. At my place, if we were busy (making money) I didn't have to send people home. I'd imagine that in private practice, if it's a slow day, you either have to send people home, or it's time to do a scrub-down and clean. Or do something productive with your staff... I became very creative in this regard.

Re: money, owners who can't afford the golden-standard? Offer a Plan B. In my experience, it was doctors who weren't experienced in offering a Plan B to those who couldn't afford Plan A, that could've done better. And I know I'm in school so I can learn Plan A, but if that owner has $20 and you have a sick ear, well, you make a Plan B and you do the best you can with their $. VCA never told us to only offer Plan A. You offered it first, yes, but we never sent clients out the door with nothing. Another issue of creativity and resourcefullness. But I met many doctors who were only willing, or capable, of offering one treatment plan -- and didn't know how to improvise or deviate from the gold-standard. I know we shouldn't compromise patient care, but you gotta do the best with what you've got, and make it crystal clear that it's Plan B.

I'll stumble off the soap-box now. I just wanted to give my perspective, because I did learn that every hospital is different, corporate or not.

I don't have any Banfield experience, save for the clients who would switch to us from them. I imagine that, as others said, there's the good, and the bad, and the ugly.

 

[david594]

Sometimes I felt like I was a car salesman instead of a vet tech. When an owner can't afford $175 for an ear infection visit, is it THAT bad to sent them home with JUST ear meds? Plus- I don't know if it was just us, but we had a contract with PetLand... oh boy did that suck! We almost lost a vet just b/c she hated working with a freakin' puppymill pet store.
*I am not putting down VCA. I definitely would trust my pet with them and I think they do wonderful things.... I just don't like corporations.

I 100% agree with you on this one. My understanding of the PetLand animals is that the bad part is all treatment needs to go through some approval hierarchy before anything would actually be paid for(at a reduced rate which then cuts into the vets productivity pay).

 

[sofficat]

thanks for the replies on vca. it was nice to hear other opinions and experiences.

as for banfield... look up "AWESOME VIN thread from a few years back.... more Banfield fun!" I spent a while getting permission to post it and it is worth the long read.

 

[momoftwosons]

I am currently a Banfield doctor. There are good and bad things about working ANYWHERE. I worked in gov't (ok pay, good benefits..but they OWN you), private (good pay, good benefits...treated me like CRAP), private (HORRIBLE pay, no benefits, treated my nice) and now Banfield (good pay, good benefits...depends on the day about their treatment of their team members). A couple of points...
1. First, we are a corporation so it is easy for people to post all of their bullsh*t. This includes disgruntled employees and clients.
2. With over 500 hospitals and at least 1-2 doctors (if not 4-5) per hospital there is going to be at least 1 bad one...we know how to do stastics folks.
3. Wellness plans can be tailored to what the doctor feels necessary. I have patients from up North that have not had the Lyme's vax. Do I agree...no, cause I have truckers come here all the time. I also have had clients move away and then come back. So diseases can be transported East to West and North to South. But, that is that doctors choice.
4. Spay/neuter or declaw. There is this option because some animals are already spayed or neutered when adopted! If you do not like to declaw...then don't. Save your pulpit for your own privately owned clinic. I have no problems with it cause if it is the cat or its claws, I am sure you would rather they declaw than toss the cat! There is a doctor in my clinic who does not do it and we don't have a problem with that. And if you are the only doc...REFER!
5. Cost of care...ARE YA SERIOUS??? Question...do you like to eat? Do you like your lights on? Do you want to be able to do for your kids? Do you want to be able to pay off them LARGE amounts of student loans some day? Then why in the world are you complaining about charging clients for the care of their pets. THEY ARE A LUXURY PEOPLE! I had to go the ER three nights ago. When I get that bill do you think they are going to care that my husband isn't currently working and only my income is sustaining us???? Most of the time people claim they only have $20 when they have a Gucci purse, Dolci shades and their dog has had an $80 groom!!!! To me it doesn't show how horrible the "bleeding heart of the vet" is, it shows how much they value their pet (they are only worth $20 to them).
* you now how tired I am of pets coming in looking like WHAT THE HELL, WHO DONE IT and WHY COME and the client says..."can you just give them an antibiotic shot"
6. Yes, there is a lot of paperwork, write-ups and follow-ups. But, WE HAVE LAWYERS THAT WE DON'T PAY FOR! Banfield has many people over your shoulder (though that can be annoying sometimes) but they are just trying to prevent unnecessary preventable lawsuits. Most private practitioners could not afford an attorney that Banfield has.
* now this also a problem I have with Banfield because I have encountered NUMEROUS times were the client did not do what was explained to them to regarding the care of their pet. Their pet didn't do so well...they blame the doctor (though we have GREAT record system) and banfield wants to just give them money and tell them to the to go the hell away. I don't like this because it underminds me as doctor who did the work, did proper care and education and now my hospital suffers financially.

I do feel Banfield sometimes forgets that we are a VETERINARY clinic. All these business people trying to tell us how to run one is actually laughable. We are owned by Mars the candy company (go figure). So a lot of times I don't feel respected, but that could happen in a private clinic too).

Lasty, the costs may be a little higher due to us not having boarding or grooming as financial options. And heck no we are not 24 hours...that's what emergency clinics are for people. Why do we insist on giving our entire lives to this? MD's, dentist, chiropractors, etc. go home and will catch you Monday AM. We want to be up in there all day, all night, all weekend. What about our families??? We unfortunately are a "desperate" medical community...desperate for clients, money and freedom.

 

[Orthonut]

Anyone who is an AVMA member has lawyers they don't pay for.

 

[CookieBear]

Anyone who is an AVMA member has lawyers they don't pay for.

Do you mean AVMA PLIT subscribers, or AVMA members in general?

 

[Orthonut]

It depends. You can get it both ways, but if you don't have the defend your license coverage (which is only a tiny amt per year, like the disability-and everyone should have both) with PLIT as an add-on then you may have some trouble.

Also, never EVER depend on lawyers hired by someone else-if it benefits your employer to settle and "admit guilt" the lawyer will go with whomever pays his or her paycheck, and that may not be in YOUR best interests. Always go with someone you hire or someone from a neutral party (like the AVMA)

 

[momoftwosons]

If it comes down to the practice losing out...so be it. I will never partner or charter, so it matters not to me. I of course have my own personal attorney (I would surely hope everyone does if it is financially possible). If I feel my personal license was being attacked, I would already have a back up. The point I was making is because we have those attorneys on staff, we are required to do so much more to cover our behinds. But, to others it looks like a whole bunch of unnecessary stuff. I would rather do unnecessary stuff and make sure I am covered, then to not do enough and have me caught in a sling.

 

[charismarl]

I went to a presentation similar to what the OP had done and Banfield def put their best foot forward, trying to woo people with hopes of huge salaries, fancy toys, and bells and whistles. I have no personal experience with Banfield and I have heard both positive and negative from people who have been vets there, worked there as 'pet nurses', taken their animals their, etc., and I can't say that I wouldn't feel like I was selling my soul to pay off my loans if I went to work there...and for the money they tal kabout...you can have my soul, and my right arm too! Banfield seems to want to make vet med so much like human medicine and although human medicine is something that all people can relate to...vet med is not human medicine and I don't want it to be. I don't want to drive my profits down by competing in a market where the lowest bidder wins in an insurance war, I don't want to have to consult a 'medical director' every time I want to make a change in protocol, I don't want a corporation breathing down my neck to 'make the numbers.'

I totally appreciate momoftwosons for posting and completely agree with her frusteration and of course I want to make money just like everyone else...I want to squeeze every last penny out of clients for what their pet needs and what services I provide- our educations are what people are paying for. And yeah a 3 day work week sounds fabulous but it just seems too good to be true (definitely warrants further investigation)...I don't want to hate on Banfield, I just feel like the more we move towards this human medicine standard of care overrun by a huge corporation, the more we are going to wish we hadn't 10 years from now.

 

[zpinkpanther]

I'm not gonna mince words with this: I hate Banfield. I don't use that word lightly, but here it definitely pertains. I was going to do a summer internship there this past summer, but I went through one shift and decided I couldn't do it. Here's why.

I don't know if this is just the one where I was, but the personnel staff was very unprofessional. I wanted to work there as a second job; I only had 2-3 days a week at my other clinic, and actually decreased it to 1-2 days per week to make it easier for them to schedule me. Well, apparently that wasn't enough for them; they told me that I had to quit my other job that day (it was a Tuesday, I was scheduled for the other job on Wednesday, and Banfield wanted me to work on Wednesday. The girl who was supposed to be doing the schedule told me that if I didn't quit immediately, I couldn't be in the internship program. But I spoke with a guy from the corporate office (he was very nice, I didn't have any problems with him), and he basically told her she couldn't make me quit my other job without notice. So I agreed to give notice, and that was the plan, but my first shift there was just so awful, I couldn't go back. Everyone was very unprofessional, talking about each other behind their backs (even the docs! ). One doctor told me that he was giving a dog a vaccine not because he thought the dog should have it, but to make money for the company (personally, I don't believe in overvaccination, but that's another story...). Then that same doctor proceeded to yell at the dog fairly unnecessarily, and that's not cool.

Anyway, from what I've seen, at least the one I worked in, it is a corporation that cares more about making a buck from the clients than about the animals' welfare. This may not apply to all Banfields, but that is what I saw. I wouldn't work in one if you paid me the highest salary imaginable.

*end of rant*