Banfield Pet Hospital, Sunset Valley TX

Don’t go or even bother calling this location they are really not helpful, will just put you on hold if they even bother answering so you can’t get refills.

Zero star if I could. Very unhappy and disappointed at the service at this location after being a customer for 9 years.

DO NOT BRING YOUR PETS HERE.
Wow. I should have read the reviews before coming here.
My dog developed a cough that wasn’t going away after several days so I booked an appointment here. I did NOT book a “drop-off” appointment, but after waiting 15 min for someone to even acknowledge I was there at check in, they told me I would have to come back for her in a couple hours.
After 5 hours went by, I had not heard from them so I called at 4: 30. I was told my dog “was doing great and should be ready for pickup at 5: 30 and the vet will call you for treatment before that. ”
5: 30 comes and I still haven’t heard from them so I get in the car to go there. On my way I get a call from the vet and she just says “so what’s going on with your dog? ”. After over SIX HOURS they had not even seen her yet. The vet said to me “well there are other dogs here that are sicker than her that needed more attention”.
I was furious and when I arrived they kept giving me the run around on her status. No one would give me any information or even tell me if she was okay. I started to worry that something happened to her or if she was even there because they went in the back to get her and came out without her 3 or 4 times.
After losing it on the barley awake front desk staff I raised my voice and my dog heard me and I could hear her crying behind one of the doors.
The front desk girl told me my dog was getting medicine from the doctor but I just said “that is my dog crying because she can hear me”. She was like “oh yeah it might be”.
My dog was there for almost seven hours with no food or water. They did not take her out.
When we left she ran to a grass spot in the parking lot to use the restroom and when we got home she gulped down water for what felt like 5 min straight.
These people are so incompetent and do not care AT ALL.
Their treatment and demeanor are borderline criminal.

Edit: I gave my dog the first dose of the medicine they prescribed today. The instructions say 6ml twice daily for 14 days. But the entire bottle is only 25ml. That’s barely enough for two days worth of doses.

I made an online appointment for my sick pup. Upon arrival they had no record of my appointment even though I had a screenshot of the appointment confirmation. They told me to leave my dog there. What kind of owner leaves their dog in a strange place. The employee at the desk gave zero f$&ks. I would never leave my dog in their care. I found another appointment at an amazing vet nearby. I would not recommend this place to anyone.

I made an appointment here and received an email that I would need to have my pet's records. I called to inquire as to how I could forward the digital records I have to them. The first time I tried, they answered the phone and said "do you mind if we put you in a brief hold". I was on hold for 25 minutes and no one ever picked up. I tried again the next day and when they asked if I could hold, I said no but they put me on hold anyway. I waited about 15 minutes and then hung up. I left a message both times when using the phone prompts and no one ever returned my call. I took my business elsewhere and I advise you to do the same.

Follow up: They posted a response to contact them. I guess they didn't even read that I have already went elsewhere with my business. If you can't contact a business on the phone because they put you on an indefinite hold and won't return your call when you leave a message, they don't deserve or value your business.

Hello,
My name is Anna Taylor, and I'm reaching out about the long string of terrible experiences that I have had as a Banfield customer over the past several years. At one time taking my pets to Banfield and getting them each a wellness plan to cover their needs simplified my job as a pet parent, but increasingly I find myself frustrated with the experience of dealing with Banfield to the point where I think I'm done choosing to keep giving you my business.
Perhaps the biggest problem I have with your services is how impersonal the entire veterinary experience at Banfield has become. Don't misunderstand me: I love our vet, Dr. Paiva at the Austin South Banfield. She is a treasure and I trust her with my dogs more than just about any other vet Iâ€ve ever had the pleasure of getting to work with. That said, the amount of barriers that have been put in the way of me and my pets having the benefit of her services.
Back when COVID started, I accepted that the need to drop off pets was a measure to protect everyone, and so I was willing to accommodate the loss of transparency because there wasn't really any other option. I also expected, however, that we would return to business-as-usual once the pandemic ended, and yet I have found no shortage of difficulty getting into a room with a vet where I can communicate my concerns and get the slightest impression that my pets receive individualized care.
Here's an example. Awhile back my dog Link, a big Bernese-Poodle mix, had a lump appear on his side. We scheduled an appointment, brought him in, and because it was a drop-off we showed the girl at the front counter where the lump could be found, hoping that the information would make it to the vet and allow it to be properly evaluated. Lo and behold, after hours go by without a word from Banfield, we call the front desk ourselves and are told that the vet couldn't find the lump, so my dog sat in a kennel in the back for hours and hours for literally no reason.
This is a common thread, by the way. I will drop off my dog, get an estimate for when he will be ready, hours and hours will go by, I'll call to find out what's going on with my dog, and learn that he has been ready and I guess no one had taken the time to let me know. I think that, when dropping off an animal, the minimum expectation should be that I will be let know when I can pick the animal back up again. This is definitely not an isolated phenomenon either; Iâ€ve taken animals to multiple Banfields in my area and had the same experience.
Anyway, back to my dog Link and his lump. The vets were too busy to come out and see where the lump was when we returned, so we just let it go until the next time that he needed a routine checkup for vaccinations or something of that nature. When he came out we asked if there was any information on the lump, at which point the vet was able to pop out for a moment, feel it momentarily, tell us what it “probably†was, and then let us know to check back in if it changes. This all happened in the span of sixty or so seconds, and did next-to-nothing to assure us that weâ€d received proper consideration of his health and wellness.
That doesn't even come close to how bad of an experience we had with our dog Finn, however. He had a dental cleaning that apparently went horribly wrong - we were told he had a bad reaction to anesthesia, and once again we weren't made aware of this until we called into Banfield ourselves for an update after waiting for many hours to be contacted about his status. At the time there seemed to be a lot of scrambling to explain what had happened and we were never getting a clear story. We recall someone on the Banfield staff saying that this was the second bad reaction of the day, so there had perhaps been something with with the anesthetic itself, but who knows. Needless to say, we haven't bothered attempting to get his teeth cleaned again at Banfield because the situation left us with next-to-no confidence ihinwould be safe.
Our latest supe

For those who got lucky with Banfield, I am happy for you. However, not everyone gets lucky. I almost lost my cat and had that happened I would’ve never been able to forgive myself. I don't wish this upon any pet or any pet owner. I brought her in for a routine vaccination. She had a TERRIBLE allergic reaction, and for over six heartbreaking hours, not a single member of Banfield staff even checked on her! No one noticed! It wasn’t until I picked her up, left the building, and removed her from her crate that I realized her face was TERRIBLY swollen. Look at that picture! Banfield refuses to engage with me on this matter and they have stopped responding to my messages.

I tried for almost a year to not make this public, but it’s time I stood up for my cat and what she was put through. No animal deserves to go through this.

How about ZERO stars? I had an appalling experience on 9/11/23 at the Banfield Pet Hospital on Brodie Lane in Austin, Texas. We travel full time in an RV which is why we transferred everything to Banfield since their locations are national. I made an appointment 2 days in advance to check my dog’s lame foot. The appointment was confirmed by text but later changed to a walk-in. They wanted me to drop the dog off and they would get to her when they could. I was told I couldn’t speak to the vet; they would have to convey whatever details I had via 3rd party. Then I was told it would be several hours before they could get to her. When I complained they changed it to 1-2 hours minimum because of tests and x-rays. NO! No tests or x-rays before the vet examined the dog to determine whether or not they were needed. Even then, I would want a consultation and the option to approve them. The receptionist went into the back to talk to the vet who wasn’t even back from lunch (now 1: 20). They close from Noon to 1 pm for lunch – but with hours of backed up appointments and surgeries, you’d think they’d be back on time! The time frame changed again to over 3 hours because of.you guessed it.the time to take tests and x-rays! HELLO? Didn’t we just cover that!?

At this point, they were not honoring the appointment they made AND confirmed; they were not allowing me to explain to a medical professional the issues that led up the injury; and they were not listening when I said NO tests or x-rays without my approval. This place is a hot mess. And because of their total lack of organization and professionalism, I no longer trusted my dog in their care, so I canceled the appointment. When I turned to walk away, an older women with a small dog, who’d been listening to this exchange, started screaming at the receptionist for some other issue she couldn’t get resolved.

No apologies were offered. The receptionist was woefully under-trained, and didn’t call for assistance. This situation was unacceptable and I question the value in relying on Banfield for national support. My dog needs a real vet, not some cookie-cutter conveyor belt. It’s been several hours and I’m still fuming over this. My dog deserved better.

I dropped my puppy off at 9: 30 with a fecal sample they have kept her all day and telling me she might be ready by closing MIGHT Be. This is unacceptable. We will not be going back to this place. I will be picking her up regardless.

I would not recommend this place I was charged for services not provided to my dog after contacting their billing office I was refunded but my dog spent the day trapped in a kennel and was not given the medical attention that I took him in for.

Shutout to Liss! I went to the South Park meadows location with my little chihuahua. He’s sick, he hasn’t been drinking water or eating for more that a day and one can get worried. The attention was denied and wife called this location to see if they had some availability. Liss took care of everything, she got me an open spot for Benito at his clinic and he’s taking care of. I really appreciate the fact that we still count on people who loves what they do.
If you ever go to South Park Meadows, avoid talking with Patricia, please.

Go somewhere else! I am very unhappy with the visit I had today and will cancel my plan after being a customer for 5 years due to the following circumstances. Today was my dog’s first visit at the Brodie Ln location after moving from Louisiana where she loved her vet at Banfield in Bossier City, LA. Just one visit at the sunset valley location that ends my loyalty to this company. I dropped my dog Pancake off around noon and the staff were not friendly. She stayed for 4 hours for what was supposed to be a comprehensive exam because she has the wellness plan but no exam was done. Dr. Paiva called to let me know when to pick up Pancake and she was referring to my dog as a “he” when Pancake is a female. I don’t understand how the vet that’s working with my dog doesn’t even know her gender. That’s unacceptable. The front desk staff saw me arrive when I wanted to pick Pancake up but they finished helping another customer and went back to the back without saying a single word to me. The trainees at the front had to go get someone after standing there for 10 minutes. And when a staff member arrived, they helped someone who arrived after I did first. They didn’t tell me about Pancake’s visit, which I realize now is because they didn’t even examine her. I am ending my plan because I can’t imagine how they treated my dog in the back if this was the treatment I received. I never dealt with anything like this at Banfield in Bossier City. I will never recommend anyone to go to any locations in Austin, TX.

Dr. Geruza Paiva is the worst. She boarded my dog for hours for vaccinations. Dr. Paiva called me personally to explain why my dogs nose was cut open. She lied to me and told me she had to put a cone on my dog because she was being aggressive and to keep her from rubbing her nose on the cage. My dog is not aggressive whatsoever. When my girlfriend picked up my dog the vet tech told her that they put a muzzle on my dog. So why would Dr. Paiva lie to me? That was the worst experience I’ve ever had. My dog was traumatized from the experience. Dr. Geruza Paiva should be let go for the sake of every dog.

They never answer their phones and when they do they put you on a half hour hold and then it goes to an answering machine. Don’t waste your time with these people.

I'm losing trust in Banfield, after being a client for almost ten years. This location does not answer the phone, hangs up on you, puts you on hold for over 20 mins (probably longer but I can't stand the hold music so I leave), and they don't even follow up with you at all regarding the services you need. Last visit in April, the front desk said, "Don't worry, you can schedule the teeth cleaning next month. " Well here I am calling for the second day and they can't answer, just for me to schedule an appointment that will take one minute. I am looking into other vet care options because this is getting ridiculous.

Save yourself the time and frustration. Horrible vet, wrong and bad procedures and still charge you, don’t stand by their work, neglectful, unapologetic. Madison is a dysregulated nightmare. Total racket charging way more than any other vet and they’re horrible.

They have always given our dogs good care but I’m leaving a negative review for the dreadful customer service. To schedule check ups we have to call multiple Banfields and sit on hold for a long time just to find an appointment. Our most recent visit was the worst. I was just picking up some prescriptions but the desk attendant charged my card before I had the medicine in-hand. It turned out that two of three medicines were wrong and had to be refunded. Because of this weird card activity our debit card got frozen and our plan missed a payment. Two months later we’re still trying to resolve the issue, which isn’t helped by the fact that their customer service, again, is TERRIBLE. Please stop understaffing your desk and phones. Basic service items like this should NOT be this difficult. Also - online booking system. It’s 2023. Let’s get on it.

Really unfortunate experience at this location. Brought my dog in who tested positive for a parasite and put on two medications. When I picked him up they handed me the bag, gave no explanation of how to dose him, so I asked the receptionist who took the bottles out of the bag, read them, and explained how to give him the meds. So I proceeded to do that, only to realize that I had now TWICE dosed my 6lb dog with a 75mg painkiller…they had given me someone else’s script…. And the receptionist supposedly read these bottles but did not catch it. I spoke with someone there who told me not to worry and to come in and get his correct medicine and that they’ll comp me for it, they’re sorry. I appreciated that call and hoped for a thoughtful resolution, but…I showed up and received not one apology, no explanation, and on top of that…when they looked me up in their system, they tried confirming, again, a DIFFERENT medication than the one he was prescribed! My dog just barely overdosed on the mg to kg scale and not one person even seemed to think it was a big deal. I’m shocked. Coming from a VTS medicine family, I rarely see this kind of apathy and lack of regard to the fact that my dog would have fall incredibly ill if I didn’t catch this, and I worry about dog owners who rely heavily on explanation from their vet who could potentially miss this misstep and lose their dog. Considering I pay them for an extended package each month too, it’s disturbing how little accountability they took.

The entire team here worked gently and diligently to get my pup, Hiker, feeling better after being hit by a car. I will forever be grateful for the love, support, and dedication this team gave while treating my baby. Rest assured they'll treat your fur baby like their very own:)