Banfield Veterinary Clinic (located In PETSMART) Rough, careless Banfield Vet Exam sends Poodle to Emergency Clinic Fairless Hills Pennsylvania
As of 5/29 Banfield has not responded to our complaint. And Petsmart has bumped it into Corporate limbo.
On 5/22/08, we took our 2 year old Poodle, Bobby to your clinic for a physical examination. As a part of this examination, the Vet took Bobbys temperature with a rectal thermometer. His procedure, I thought at the time, was unnecessarily rough and Bobby reacted with severe pain when the thermometer was jammed into his rectum.
Bobby began having diarrhea by that afternoon, became listless and then started having blood in his stool by the next day. On Sunday 5/26, it was apparent our dog was ill and needed emergency intervention. (See paperwork). The diagnosis was an abscessed anal gland that had ruptured and he was treated for this. He now is on medication and has to wear a collar to keep him from aggravating the injury. The cost of the emergency visit was $180.
When we brought Bobby in this condition was present, but unnoticed by your vet. This gland was aggravated by the rough rectal examination. I note on your paper work that the Banfield vet inaccurately stated normal, empty anal glands and didnt see this existing condition. I am told it would have been quite visible in a careful examination, even by a non-professional.
I believe the emergency treatment and the follow-up check we had to seek for charges of $180 + $65 should be paid by Banfield because of the rough and negligent examination.
SUMMARY
The failure of your vet to see and routinely treat the anal abscess in a reasonable manner is unprofessional. His own rough insertion anal thermometer exacerbated the condition. ***Banfield's own examination paperwork notes erroneously the poodle had normal and empty anal gland(s?).
Banfield's failure to even acknowledge this complaint is a clear sign their customers are not too important as no response mechanism seems to be in place. As for the Sponsor, Petsmart, they should be ashamed to be associated with this service.
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Donk
Ewing, New Jersey
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
spc3rd
Williamsburg,Virginia,
USA
Suggestion for Lisa...
#3Consumer Comment
Wed, May 19, 2010
You make the statement at the end of your posting the original complaint poster should not be defaming Banfield when the person does not wholly understand the situation. May I suggest you enter the following words on your Internet browser's search line: "Banfield, complaints against."
There may be some question or even doubt when only a single complaint or even just a few complaints are lodged against a specific veterinary facility or veterinary chain such as Banfield. It is quite another when there exist massive numbers of complaints across the U.S against a particular entity and many attesting repeatedly to the same things.
I myself developed serious concerns regarding my own pet's treatment at a Banfield facility. Fortunately, I made the decision to change veterinary facilities after my pet's first and only visit to Banfield.
Lisa
Columbia,South Carolina,
U.S.A.
Temperature causes anal gland abscess??
#3UPDATE Employee
Fri, July 04, 2008
I am a vet tech and it sounds to me that you are very worried about your dog having his temperature taken rectally. This is very common in vet medicine as we cannot exactly ask the pet to hold the thermometer under his tongue for 30 sec. Many dogs react (squirm, cry, totally freak out) just when they are held by us. It's not that they are being hurt, they are just nervous/uncomfortable with strange situations, or possibly ones they remember (shots!) and don't particularly like. Often they are reacting to the negative reactions of their owners. Now only you can judge if the vet handled your pet roughly, but you CANNOT blame an anal gland abscess on a rectal temperature! Unless the anal glands were very full or already abscessed it would not have been noticeable without a rectal exam which I'm guessing from your report was not done (and is not done in a typical physical exam by most vets). And from the report the original visit was 5/22, then he was brought to the emergency vet 4 days later. A lot can change in four days! Vets definitely can make mistakes, they're human. But in my opinion, you shouldn't be defaming people when you are not wholly understanding the situation.