Banfield Pet Hospital

I’ll be honest—I was skeptical at first about Banfield because it’s located inside PetSmart which is.. not my favorite pet supply store, and because their prices (for the wellness plan specifically, I got the highest tier for my pup) seemed a little too good to be true. Regardless, I decided to give them a shot as I recently moved away from my previous vet and needed a new one in the area. I have only visited this location, but so far they have significantly exceeded my (obnoxiously high) expectations in every way. My dog had his first dental cleaning here, he’s 6 years old and had only ever gone under anesthesia once before for his neuter at 18 months, and his breed is very prone to MVD (a heart condition that develops with age) so I was very nervous ahead of the procedure. When I expressed my concerns to the team at Banfield, they went above and beyond to ensure that he received the best possible care. The doctor spoke to me ahead of the procedure and although my dog has yet to exhibit any signs of MVD, she opted for the cardiac safe anesthesia protocol for him at no additional charge. When I picked him up after the cleaning, they gave me detailed instructions for aftercare and informed me of potential side effects to monitor him for. Unfortunately, my dog had a very upset stomach for about a week after the procedure (not the vet’s fault in any way, he has always had a very sensitive stomach) and when this issue didn’t resolve for a couple days, I contacted Banfield for help. The woman who answered the phone was so helpful, she immediately brought the issue to the attention of the doctor, who opted to prescribe a chewable probiotic tablet to be given 3x/day for 5 days and recommended feeding a bland diet until the symptoms stopped. She also took the time to reassure me that GI upset was unfortunately relatively common after anesthesia and not necessarily a cause for alarm which greatly eased my anxiety. I called again about 24 hours later because my poor little guy was still very symptomatic even after 3 doses of the probiotic, and rather than brushing me off or dismissing my concerns (which would have been understandable after only 24 hours of treatment) the woman on the phone again spoke to the doctor who offered to prescribe a more potent medication to address my dog’s symptoms. When I came in to pick up this prescription later that day, the vet actually took the time to speak to me directly for about 15 minutes (this meant a lot to me as she is obviously very busy and I did not have an appointment). She listened patiently as I voiced my concerns and then explained my treatment options to me in detail, which was very reassuring. Ultimately I decided to hold off on the second medication she prescribed as I wanted to give the probiotic another day or so to work, so she left the prescription on file for me so that I would be able to easily come in at any time and pick it up in case I did decide it was needed. Luckily, my dog’s condition began to slowly improve the next day so I didn’t end up getting the second prescription. Then, a week or so after I came in and spoke to the vet, she actually called me personally just to follow up and make sure my dog was feeling better and I had no additional concerns. She also noted this reaction to the anesthesia in my dog’s records so that in the future preemptive measures can be taken before any anesthesia to lessen his risk of similar discomfort after the fact. Honestly, I was blown away by the quality of care provided to my dog by the entire team at Banfield. Every single Banfield employee I interacted with went above and beyond to ensure my dog’s health, safety, and comfort. I’m so grateful to the entire Banfield team, and so glad I gave them a chance despite my initial (completely unfounded) misgivings! Whenever I need veterinary services in the future, Banfield will always be my first choice. Thank you Banfield team!!!

One star to post. This place deserves no stars. Do not take your pets here. We had to put our 17-year-old dog to sleep, and it was the most heartbreaking and traumatic experience of my life. The veterinarian wouldn’t even come into the room—instead, they administered the injection from behind a door. It was anything but peaceful. My dog didn’t gently fall asleep; he fought the medication, struggling in my arms before passing. It was devastating. Afterward, when I asked to speak with the vet to understand what had happened, they refused to face me, citing COVID regulations—even though it was 2023. To this day, I can’t even drive past the PetSmart without feeling overwhelmed. This was the worst decision I’ve ever made, and I regret it deeply. No one should have to go through what we did.

I love this vet! The Vernon Hills location is home, even though it's a further drive than other locations, my dog is best cared for by VH so we make the drive. Denise at the front desk is phenomenal, so helpful, knowledgeable, and takes the time to listen. Dr. Danna is kind, patient in explaining things, and gentle with my furbaby. I tried some other vet offices when my dog was a puppy and Banfield is superior cost wise, shares all potential costs upfront and gives honest answers on which thinhs are optional. The Wellness plans they offer are well worth it, instead of needing to come up with a lump sum for vaccines and dental, I pay a set monthly cost so it's in the budget. Highly recommend!!!

I score a 1 because they do not have zero! With that said, I scheduled an appt online for a Saturday at 4 pm. I received a call, and the representative was asking me if I was going to enroll my new pup for their wellness plan. I was unsure at the moment, and I didn't have time to review the plans just yet as I'm new to Banfield. I felt a bit uncomfortable when she proceeded to tell me that the rooms were reserved only for Wellness members and that I would have to drop off my 8 week old pup with them. I tried enrolling online, but the website was having its issues and wouldn't proceed after selecting the location. On the day of the appt., I received a call at 10 am requesting me to come in earlier if I was able to. I agreed to be there at 12 pm. Upon my arrival, I waited for the couple and their pup, getting their meds and instructions. My puppy was a previous Banfield patient from the owner selling them. So I thought this would be great her history will all be in the same place. I felt that as a new person there, setting expectations on how your visit will go is important. My visit there was so impersonal. They just took my pup to the back and gave her the same shots she had already received 3.5 weeks ago (they had her file), when they brought her back, I'm assuming it was a nurse just did a quick rundown on what they did without confirming if I was understand what she was saying, proceeding to tell me that the doctor is calling you right now, and when he calls me know he was in the back, I didnt want to do business with them anymore. They left me out there for 5 to 10 mins waiting for someone to check me out. When they asked me to set the next appt, I told them I would not go there and I would be trying out Gurnee office. She asked me if I would be using the card on file. Remember when I said the owner of my new pup is a Banfield member. Oh, yes, they moved all of her profile to me with dogs and all. And my new wellness plan under her account card. It gets better. They didn't even know what they did wrong. My friend, my new pups previous owner, couldn't check in that same day because her acct was under me and they couldn't check her in. Also, Vernon Hills gave me Sandra's paperwork when I thought I had mine for my new pups. WHAT A MESS! I was promised a refund because they can not undue the profile mix-up. I didn't get a call from Vernon Hills yet to extend an apology and the next steps of my refund.

My cat has been coming here to see Dr. Danna for 3 years now. My cat is 12 yr old and has some minor issues once a while. Dr. Danna has always been so nice to us and explains everything in details so we understand how to take care of our cat at home. We have the wellness plan, so they usually call us to schedule appointments. So far, it has been a good service that we know we don't have to worry.