Hi! This is my first post, my husband and I are getting our first Dane puppy, Lexi, next week when I get home from my military assignment! I wanted to know if anyone has any experience with the Banfield pet hospitals in either Raleigh or Greenville? We're stationed in Goldsboro at the Air Force base and there is almost NO options nearby. I don't want to do the SNAP spay like we did with our lab rescue Nina....
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I would be very careful of Banfield vets.. Most are not experienced with giant breeds and also tend to not be the best.. In regards to spay/neuter it is advisable to not spay/neuter under the age of 12 months and 18 months or older is best.sigpic
Dale AKC CGC Evaluator
Associate Member GDCNE
Member GSPCA
Member NAVHDA
Member Central Maine Kennel Club
High Hopes Great Danes & German Shorthairs -
I think Banfield varies.No experience with those locations but I can tell you not all Banfield vets are bad. We have a relief vet that works at our hospital when our doctor is away. He is an amazing vet, just likes the flexibility of not having his own practice (or being tied to a practice every day). He actually works at Banfield a couple times a week but does not want anyone to know, lol, because it is considered sub-par. He is however a wonderful vet and I would go to Banfield in a second to see him. So, some may have total hidden gems!sigpicComment
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Thank you! I appreciate a more personal experience, instead of just a super negative generalization. A good friend of mine recommended it, she has two rat terriers that she's been taking to Banfield's in PA for like 6+ years. I'd think if it were terrible then she wouldn't keep going? I was mostly just wondering if anyone had personal experience at any of the NC/Eastern NC locations...
The good news, as you mentioned, is that they are all not all the same, and there are quite a few in Raleigh to try out if the one in Greenville proves unsatisfactory.
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I really did not enjoy the two separate Banfield locations I went to. I found them to be far more concerned with selling me things and far less concerned with the issues I had brought my dogs in for.
It was a Banfield vet who recommended that I neuter my Dane mix at 7 months of age, which was advice that I took. At 6.5 years of age, I lost him to osteosarcoma. While it can never be proven that those two things are linked, multiple scientific surveys suggest that me neutering my dog at such a young age directly positively influenced his risk for osteo.
My other problems with Banfield is that it's in a pet store. Pet stores are dirty and loud and stressful. The waiting rooms are usually quite small. It's nowhere I'd take a young puppy who is not fully vaccinated, as you never know who has brought what dogs, and what illnesses they may or may not carry, in and out of a Petsmart. While a vet's office isn't exactly 'clean', you can assume that they wipe down their facilities every day. There's no way a Petsmart gets wiped down every day. I can say this for a fact, because I used to work in one.
Overall, Banfield is not where you're going to get top care for your dog. Decent care? Maybe. Maybe not. Depends on the luck of the draw and whether you find a "hidden gem" vet or not.sigpicComment
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