Banfield Pet Hospital

They seem to know what they’re doing. I was told my cat had a small tumor on her stomach, but that it might not be anything to worry about. The vet said to check back with them on her next visit in 6 months, or if it progresses in any way. Hopefully she’ll be ok. She’s 15 years old going on 16 in May.

## ⭐ 1 Star - Dangerous Veterinary Negligence Re: Dr Cara Drane DVM:14222901-2802 **WARNING: This location put my elderly dog's life at risk through grossly negligent medical practices.** This is the SECOND time our family has experienced dangerous medical negligence from a Banfield location. The previous Banfield we used (on the Eastside near 33rd South) vaccinated one of our animals, causing severe adverse reactions—that location has since been SHUT DOWN. You'd think we would have learned our lesson, but desperation led us back to Banfield, and we deeply regret it. ## What Happened to Our 16-Year-Old Dog: We brought our mom's 16-year-old Chihuahua/Pug/Pomeranian mix to this Banfield inside PetSmart when we finally scraped together enough money for a vet visit. He was elderly, blind, deaf, had been coughing for a year, and was already showing signs of cognitive decline (staring into space, loss of house training, personality changes). **The vet diagnosed him with:** - Heart disease - Dementia - Arthritis - Multiple other unnamed conditions They rattled off these diagnoses WITHOUT explaining how they determined any of them or what tests they performed. Then, despite diagnosing him with these serious, life-threatening conditions, **they vaccinated him with a rabies shot anyway.** ## The Devastating Aftermath: Within ONE WEEK of that rabies vaccine, our sweet boy who still had some spark left in him completely deteriorated: - His balance became so poor he can barely stand - He circles constantly until he hits something - He gets stuck in corners and can't figure out how to get out - The personality we knew and loved completely vanished like a switch was flipped off - He no longer seeks out food or water on his own - We now have to keep him in a laundry basket for his own safety - He's essentially lost to us while still being alive ## Why This is Medical Malpractice: After extensive research, we learned that **vaccinating a dog with diagnosed heart disease and dementia is explicitly contraindicated.** Veterinary guidelines clearly state that vaccines should ONLY be given to healthy animals. Dogs with systemic illnesses like heart disease and cognitive dysfunction should NOT receive vaccinations unless absolutely medically necessary, and even then, medical waivers exist for exactly this reason. This vet had the option to: 1. Apply for a medical exemption/waiver (which our dog clearly qualified for) 2. Perform titer testing to check existing antibodies 3. Have an honest conversation about the risks to an already-compromised elderly dog Instead, they vaccinated him anyway, and it may have accelerated his decline from "struggling but still with us" to "rapid neurological deterioration." ## The Pattern at Banfield: This is now TWO separate Banfield locations where our animals have suffered adverse reactions from vaccinations. The first location was shut down. How many animals have to be harmed before Banfield implements better medical protocols and oversight? ## To PetSmart and Banfield Corporate: Your vets are putting profit over proper medical care. An elderly dog with multiple diagnosed systemic conditions should NEVER have received that vaccine. This was either incompetence or willful negligence, and either one is unacceptable. Our family is heartbroken watching our boy exist in this state, knowing he was still THERE just days before that vaccine. We trusted you with his care and you failed him catastrophically. **DO NOT TAKE YOUR ELDERLY OR SICK PETS TO THIS BANFIELD LOCATION.** Find a vet who actually cares about animal welfare over their bottom line. --- *If your pet has been harmed by negligent veterinary care, I urge you to file complaints with:* - *Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) Veterinary Board* - *Better Business Bureau* - *Your pet's story matters and could prevent this from happening to others.*

Please read!! - Unfortunately, we had scheduled an appointment with our vet here at the Salt Lake location due to concern about a growing lump on my pups gums. The vet was unable to check out my dog because she was busy in the back. It’s already hard enough to get an appointment scheduled with this location as they randomly close and hardly ever answer the phone. Anyway, since it was so urgent we saw another vet else where and they did a biopsy that came back cancerous. So thankful for East Valley Vet stepping up and treating us with love and respect. Will never be returning to Banfield and sadly cannot recommend them at all. They are highly commercialized and do not care aside from a couple of the sweet vet techs who would thrive at other veterinary offices! Also, have shared feedback of this situation with the ‘customer care’ team and they never have gotten back with me in over many months. With proof of all emails sent. Very much shows their lack of care as well. I canceled my pet insurance through them so it should no longer charge me. We did this in the past for our cat and they continued to charge us. Then had no idea about the bill as they never reached out and sent us to collections. It was a nightmare. Save yourself the heartbreak and trouble and go any where else! Just waiting for the copy and paste response they say to every person who shares their nightmare of an experience to email them. Which we have MULTIPLE times with no reply or resolution at all. And to your reply since you won’t allow me to reply to your comment - I have. Multiple times and heard nothing back. Might want to try actually addressing issues instead of copy and pasting your response to every disappointed client. 🙃

Disappointing Experience – Misleading Service and Poor Care. I scheduled a 9:00 AM appointment at Banfield Vet Hospital for a simple travel health certificate. I arrived early, spent over 30 minutes with the technician, and provided everything they needed — vaccination records, rabies certificate, and documentation showing my dog was healthy and up to date. Despite Banfield’s own website advertising that they provide travel certificates (“If you need health certificates, we can help!”), I was told my dog would have to stay there all day because the vet was in surgery and they didn’t know when they’d be available just to sign the form. No vaccines or medical care were performed — only a “fit for travel” sign-off was needed. At 3:00 PM, I finally got a call from the vet, who didn’t seem familiar with actual travel health requirements. When I picked my dog up at 3:30 PM, she was drooling excessively, stressed, and extremely thirsty, suggesting she had been kenneled for six hours with no water or breaks. The cost was $160 — just for one piece of paper — which is more than her previous visit that included multiple vaccines and the vet’s time. Other clinics typically charge around $100–$120 total for a health certificate with exam, according to online veterinary averages. Banfield advertises transparency and pet wellness, but this experience showed neither. The lack of communication, care, and basic compassion was unacceptable. I will not be returning and do not recommend this location for anyone needing travel paperwork or humane treatment of their pet.

I am so grateful to have found this group of lovely people. Dr. Jackson is THE BEST veterinarian I have ever met. She loves and cares for my Shitzus like they were her own. She eases my worries and answers all of my questions. I can't tell you how much I appreciate her. Simply the best. They also have great staff members including a wonderful lady named Naomi. She welcomes me and my girls with open arms. She always puts a smile on my face and brightens my day with her love that she gives my girls. Look, no one wants to go to the vet, BUT if you have to, this where I love to go.