Banfield Pet Hospital Woodbridge, Virginia

Every time I try to make appointments for my pet I get a million and one excuses for why they can't do something with no effort made to actually resolve said concern. But they are very efficient when it comes to taking my money, no excuses then.

My cat was undergoing a lot of allergies and I was away for months as a college student, my older sister brought our cat into this clinic as it was practically our only option, and it’s probably our biggest regret to this day. I’m writing this honest review to warn anybody to not go to this vet, specifically “doctor” Tran. Some of the most rude, unprofessional, staff i’ve ever encountered. They don’t listen and will go to any length to gaslight you into thinking you’re the reason your animal is sick. In my case, my cat on RECORD has had a heart murmurs since he was relatively young, this clinic decided to give my cat strong doses of steroids to help with his severe allergies. However, anyone with any understanding of the bare minimum of heart complications would know to not put an animal with such complications on strong doses of steroids. In that same night after he was given steroids, he underwent some of the most traumatic heart failure and fluid build up my family had ever seen. We immediately took him to an urgent/emergency pet care service and they had to empty a lot of fluid from his heart and really just try to keep him alive. Every professional we have seen since banfield has told us that no doctor should’ve given him any type of steroid especially given his record of heart murmurs. My cat now has to be on medication for the rest of his life and likely won’t make it til the new year. I hope this won’t be the case and he will live, but i want to put this out there that this pet hospital gave no concern or regard to our animal, and clearly only cares about money. They have refused to compensate us, often hang up when we call to speak to them, and it just honestly disgusts me how you can go to sleep at night knowing you put animals at harm as a “vet.” Im not the only one to have horrible experiences at this location, just look at the plentiful 1 and 2 star reviews, they’re definitely accurate and again if want your animal to be in proper care and live, I would strongly recommend avoiding this facility at all costs.

*DETAILED REVIEW* This is my first negative business review as I tend spread positivity but I am sincerely concerned about the unethical practices of this Banfield location. My puppy is at the recommended age for neutering. However, I was undecided about the procedure but the front desk staff suggested I make an appointment as the availability for surgery was limited. I made an appointment a month away and asked that a doctor call me asap possible to discuss the procedure. Front desk staff asked for my best contact number and ensured me I would received a call from Dr. Tran. I never received a call so I reached out to follow up and was told that I should speak with Dr. Alvarez as she would be performing my puppy's surgery. After following up several additional times, I finally received a call from Dr. Alvarez the day before the scheduled procedure. I decided to move forward with the procedure based on her information and recommendation. The following day I dropped my puppy off at 7:00 am and was told his procedure would be done by midday. Unfortunately, his procedure was not started until about 2:30p. I was disappointed as he had been there all day and no one contacted me to mention a change in schedule (I had to call them). Also, I was told that my puppy would need to remain at the hospital 3 hours following surgery for monitoring. This location closes at 6p so I was a bit confused by how this would be possible. I asked to speak with a manager to express my frustration and gain clarity. The manager, Nicole Salas, was astoundingly unprofessional. She informed me that Banfield does not usually call to educate dog owners about neutering/spaying procedures as they are so simple. She made multiple excuses to explain the reason I did not receive a call from a doctor for a month. She never apologized for any of my inconveniences and spoke in fairly condescending tone. When I arrived to pick up my puppy, he was groggy so I ultimately carried him to my car. Prior to this, I asked to speak with Ms. Salas (the manager) and was told that she was no longer there. A nurse tech came out to share post procedure directions to a couple picking up their puppy who has been spayed. Following this conversation, the tech walked to the back and the front desk staff brought my puppy out and began explaining post surgery procedures. After I asked about his medicine, she also tried to answer to the best of her ability. I also asked that she show me his incision and give me an idea of how it should look as it heals. Although I had a phone conversation with Dr. Alvarez immediately following surgery (which I appreciated), I imagine someone other than the front desk staff should be available to answer medical questions at pick up.

Do not take your pets to Banfield. They are irresponsible and do not care if they kill your pet. I brought my cat in for allergy treatment for several years. He received steroid shots at first, but stopped for years after he developed a heart murmur due to the steroids. After I switched from the Springfield location to the Woodbridge location due to Springfield's appointments being booked, Dr. Tran recommended steroid treatments. I raised concerns over my cat's heart and she assured me it would be fine. It was absolutely not fine. The day after my cat's second steroid shot at Dr. Tran's behest, he went into congestive heart failure. He made it through that night, but he has a significantly shortened life span; I have six months to a year left with him. Dr. Tran and the other doctor working at this location--I've forgotten her name, but rest assured that there are no competent or compassionate doctors here--have refused to even admit that the steroid shots could've contributed to my cat's congestive heart failure. They are cold, uncaring, and incompetent. I have been asking for compensation for the treatments that caused my cat's heart to fail and they have denied that it could even be heart failure. These people will kill your pet, take your money, and deny all responsibility. As a franchise, Banfield is affordable because you get what you pay for, which is third-rate care. The pet wellness plan is not real insurance, it is a scam with a whole lot of fine print that makes cancelling it a huge hassle. Do yourself and your pet a favor: get a real healthcare plan and see a real vet.

Improved service and staff friendliness, keep up with it now, don't hire negative and antisocial people anymore please

I have my complaints, but in all they are fairly good. I love that I pay monthly instead of all at once to care for my animals.

I have used Banfield services since 2015 and services have progressively worsened. I was very satisfied until this past year. This past year, I enrolled my puppy in a puppy care plan. The year is up and they did not provide the DNA test that was offered with the plan. I spoke directly to the manager in April and was told she had me on a list and would call me personally when the test kits came in. It is now the end of August. I have twice called for services related to my dog vomiting and been told nothing was available for over 2 weeks and to call another Banfield. Today I requested a refill for heartworm medication and without asking, the woman assumed I had not given it to my pet for 6 months while my pet has received it monthly and last received a 6 month prescription from Banfield. She put me on terminal hold without saying she was doing so and I am without a time to pickup my dogs medicine. This leads me to additional concern that the record has not been updated. At any rate, over 50% of the staff that answer the phone are impatient or rude and do not provide the services requested during the telephone call. Often no one actually answers the phone and I’ve not received return calls when I’ve left voice mail. None of these concerns are a testament to the quality of the medical professionals but all due to the lack of customer service and Banfield taking too many patients on wellness plans. Money over customer care.

Don't waste your time. They will schedule you for your next appointment but then call you back to reschedule because they " Don't have a DR in at the time they originally booked your appointment." How does that make any sense at all? I scheduled an appointment for my puppy weeks in advance. Then, the past two days I get 2 voicemails saying that I need to call back to reschedule an hour later than my original time slot. I'm thinking, ok that's fine it's just an hour right. But every time I tried calling back they NEVER answered. I work Monday-friday and cannot pick up the phone instantly. Today I finally was able to answer. Then they tell me they have to reschedule a different day. I asked what happened to the last 2 voicemails you guys left about just changing it the same day an hour later? First they said, "oh, because my dog is a puppy she is too small for a drop off." (Which makes NO SENSE, I have always done drop offs for my puppy, if anything they are recommending them bc of covid) Then they ended up saying they gave the appointment to someone else.Then they said I have to figure it out when I can come back and call them back? I cannot tell you how frustrating/upset this is. I have caught them in too many lies. and for that reason, I am giving them one star.

They all really care about animals Very professional!

very good experience..in and out in only 4 hrs.Good exam.

Very nice, helpful and prompt front desk and veternarians that treated my dog

Banfield hospital - I have been a client and advocate of Banfield for more than 20 years but in the past few months I have really been let down and believe there was a potential missed diagnosis of cancer with Logan back in December as well as huge staff turnover at my normal pet hospital has resulted in us being treated like numbers to the point that the front desk staff cannot even find my account with my phone number. They refuse to see Allie in a timely manner at a different hospital because she doesn't have an established relationship with the doctor and all she needs is a cytopoint injection. I have canceled Allie's plan and set Rocky's to not renew and the customer service team went to great lengths to remind me that I will still have to pay out my deceased Logan's plan as well as Rocky's. Keep in mind that when my Logan got sick, they refused to see me because they "were closing in 3 hours" and it would be best to take him to an emergency hospital. That ended up costing over $1,000 and only then did I find out about his cancer though blood work had supposedly been done just 2 months earlier and they said everything looked good. We had to put our beloved Logan down 2 days later. I highly recommend you NOT use Banfield if you are considering. Despite their reply saying they would like to discuss I would like to add that I have already called their customer advocate team and did not receive a call back and I also sent them an email and did not receive a reply to my email.

I would’ve given 5 stars if the customer service were better. Every time I call I’m asked if I mind being put on a BRIEF hold. It’s never brief! I always end up having to hang up. Once I hung up and called back only to be put on hold immediately! I’m furious and will be looking elsewhere.

Great veterinary care for your pets. Having a health care plan for them ensures that you can keep them healthy.

I took my cat here back in December for a couple vaccines and to get his ears looked at. $400 later I was sent home with an antibiotic and directions for treating the ear infection. I followed the directions to the letter. Fast forward to today, and I’m bringing my pet back in because he has been scratching at his ears again. $200 later and I’m given the exact same bottle of medication and the staff looks at me and goes, “just want to let you know this needs to be refrigerated. Sometimes we forget to put that on the bottle haha.” Well as it turns out I was NOT TOLD THIS the first time around. Apparently I initially treated him with ineffective medication because of an error with this offices staff - I have no doubt this lead to reinfection, the discomfort of my pet, and me having to give this office ANOTHER $200. Not pleased. Probably not returning. If anything I feel I’m owed money from this place for jeopardizing my cats health with poor communication such that he had a reinfection (which was probably NEVER CURED IN THE FIRST PLACE) and I had to PAY FOR AN ENTIRE ADDITIONAL VISIT.

I recently called banfield to help get proof of ownership of my 2 dogs that got loose and were picked up and brought to the pound. During the summer I brought my dogs there for rabies shots and other needs. They said they had no record of it . 1 of my dogs sat there for a few days at $45 a day till I was able to get the proof. I will not bring my animals back.

I have been taking my Nay Nay here since 2016, the staff (especially Ingrid) is amazing and very caring towards us every time we come. If I have any questions or need paperwork they are quick to help me out. I would recommend Banfield to anyone living here in Lake Ridge

My Boxer girl had her spay surgery this week! Cone to keep her from licking her incision!

So I took my pup to Banfield after many recommendations from my friends. I was not disappointed. Dr. McGrath and the nurse Oscar were amazing and provided me excellent client services. Due to Covid, you are not allowed in with your animal which was a concern for me, as this was my pups first time. Dr. McGrath came out as well as Oscar and I was able to meet them and build trust with them before releasing my pup into their care. I could not recommend them more, they did a great job with my dog who was due for shots, vaccinations, and physical. Given amazing treatment and actionable information to better improve my dog's life. Can't thank them enough.

Love the service they give with our puppies

I love Banfield and I usually go to one Stafford. This one does not compare to it at all. We moved recently so I decided to bring my furbaby here. I did not get any reminders like I usually get for my appointment. We got stuck in traffic and I tried to call multiple times before our appointment time. They did not answer once. We ended up being ten minutes late. They didn’t try to contact us for our appointment at all. The vet already took someone else and the front desk tried to use excuse we have been busy for an hour. There was only few people there so I don’t see how within the times I called you couldn’t pick up once. The Stafford one is smaller but when our car broke down once, they still managed to answer the phone. They immediately try to see if we can get there soon, another slot available or if we need to reschedule for another day. They are usually are packed but they remain responsive, and do reminders and calls. They are actually helpful at Stafford and I rather deal with the distance than deal with this Banfield.

I've been going to this banfield since 2016, I use to live in Woodbridge but moved to Alexandria and I refuse to switch to another banfield hospital when I say I refuse to switch I take my dogs and drop them off in the morning and then go and walk around the Potomac Mills mall till I get there call saying there ready instead of driving 40 minutes plus to go back home, Dr. Murphy is awesome!!!! Not to mention all the nurses are great as well including the front end staff, Dr. A is great too! I couldnt ask for a better set of Dr's and nurses taking care of my two bulldogges! Definitely recommend to anyone and everyone!

Excelent! Staff very cordial and Vet Doctors great!

They NEVER ANSWER THE PHONE. They also always have attitudes when you actually get them on the phone. They never do stuff when asked ie sending records or follow up calls. Like what is really going on. How are you an animal hospital and it goes straight to voicemail it makes no sense.

Not professional, poor quality, not responsive , poor value , treat them like things or worst ????????????????????, i think it’s every where ,they don’t care about my love ones , they care about my money

Good service and good care for my cat Sam.

Our dog is sick with a cough, breathlessness, and very bad diarrhea for two days straight. We called this Banfield letting them know we'd like our dog to be seen to see what he has and they said their earliest appointment was 8 days from today. Really.. 8 days? For a suffering dog? They told us to call the Annandale location and guess what.. the Annandale location said that their earliest appointment was this Friday but that SINCE HE IS SICK to drop him off at 8AM tomorrow morning so they can monitor him and see what is wrong. Also, I'm not only leaving this review because of this incident. Other than the friendly Filipino lady, everyone else has been rude, confused, or unhelpful. Once they asked me if I needed to schedule our dog's neuter when he is already neutered. Another time the medication provided was incorrect for his size. Whenever he's been dropped off they never call to tell us when he is done or ready to be picked up. They don't tell you what your dog needs or when their next appointment should be. Obviously this is just a bad location/employees since the Annandale one has been so helpful. I only signed up for the membership because I've had good experiences prior with Banfield prior to moving to this area, but for this location, it's been a waste.

Very good staff, great explanation of pets health, and a safe and efficient system of operating during the COVID-19 regulations.

Please save yourself from this location. I literally rather drive an hour to go to another one. I’ve always gone to this location up until the last 2 years bcus they have changed so much from customer service to how they “charge” for certain things. They went from charging 90-100$ to 230$+ for a service we ALWAYS get. And I called the other locations and the price hadn’t changed. So I’m not sure what’s going on this location. But the last two years have been horrible dealing with them. And the people that answer the phone now are cordial up until you catch them with a lie. Like I said they need their old employees back. Definitely not going to this location ever again.

I was not happy with the fact that the Dr was rather terse and unpleasant in our conversation post-op after my dog had her OHE (spay). She seemed quite perturbed that I had questions about a skin condition on her chin (diagnosed as acne?) and that my 1 YO Silver Lab had lost interest in her food back in August and I had to become rather creative in ways to get her to eat her dog food. Some of her advice regarding the decreased appetite was down right presumptuous and ridiculous, focusing on how much I am exercising her as the main cause of a sudden loss of interest in her food. I exercise her as much if not more than most other dog owners I know. It really upset me to be lectured that she's not getting enough physical exercise (or even psychological stimulation). Banfield is fine for general non-specialized veterinary medical care at an affordable price, but I would not renew our OWP with them after the 1st year puppy plan plus because of interactions and medical advice such as this. I didn't even get a reminder pre-operative phone call going over protocol the night before surgery. Its a good thing I have prior veterinary medical experience and training to fill in the gaps in Banfields mediocre health care and customer service.