Banfield Pet Hospitals Continued FROM page 126
and risk of infection; and lower cost to the owner. Does Banfield have lasers to perform surgeries such as spay/neuter, abnormal growth removal, and entropion/ectropion correction? Zabell: No. There is still a great deal of research underway to determine the best way to use lasers in veterinary medicine, both surgically as well as in physical therapy. What about lasers for pain management? Zabell: Depending upon the cause of the pain, we have a number of different opiates and anti-inflammatories we use in different situations. We do not use laser therapy for pain control. Typically, it works best when done in conjunction with a number of other physical therapy modalities, which are not something we can cover consistently at the majority of our locations. What are your capabilities for performing bloodwork? Zabell: Bloodwork is done both in house and sent out. Comprehensive panels are recommended at least annually and, depending upon the individual patient, more often than that in some cases as part of our comprehensive Wellness Plans. All of our hospitals have the ability to perform a complete blood cell count, internal organ function screening, electrolytes, thyroid testing, pancreatitis evaluation, and a number of specific disease screening tests including heartworm. Do you require bloodwork before performing any procedure that requires anesthesia? Zabell: Yes. In fact, we were the first practice nationwide to mandate that all of our anesthesia patients receive full blood work as well as an intravenous catheter prior to being given anesthesia at all of our hospitals. We published our anesthesia protocols and presented them at conferences both nationally and internationally. In terms of surgical capability, could a 12-year-old dog that’s bloated be treated at a Banfield Pet Hospital? Zabell: Yes. We do bloat surgeries in our
hospitals. We also perform prophylactic gastropexy to prevent gastric volvulus far more commonly. With our focus on preventive care, it’s one of the surgeries we recommend for breeds more prone to bloating. What care do you provide for patients suffering from allergies? Zabell: Our allergy therapies vary based on the specific needs of our clients and patients. We treat allergies with antihistamines, and specific anti-itch medications like Atopica. We also do immune testing for allergies and provide immuno-modulation therapy. How are food allergies treated? Zabell: Treatment usually involves avoiding exposure to food allergens that trigger reactions by providing therapeutic diets. In order to determine if a food allergy/Inflammatory Bowel Disease [IBD] is the cause of chronic gastrointestinal symptoms, do you perform biopsies? Zabell: We do perform biopsies for gastrointestinal issues like IBD. But rather than being done endoscopically, we do them surgically [i.e., the dog is opened up with an incision and exploratory surgery performed]. Depending upon the specific situation, a lot of times we can diagnose IBD through alternative diagnostics, including ultrasound. When ultrasound is indicated, the patient might need to be referred to another Banfield Pet Hospital since not all have ultrasound equipment. What about liver and urological issues? How are they diagnosed? Zabell: Many hepatic (liver) and urologic issues can be diagnosed with bloodwork and radiographs. In terms of more advanced diagnostics, some of our hospitals do have ultrasound that can be used to evaluate livers and kidneys. We can do ultrasound guided biopsies during an ultrasound exam and we do perform surgery and other procedures to remove blockages such as bladder stones. Do you offer any services specifically for breeders? Zabell: We can perform the genetic tests listed with OFA [Orthopedic Foundation for Animals] through our external laboratory. We can and do also submit screening radiographs to evaluate our patients for orthopedic abnormalities. Does Banfield offer artificial insemination and pregnancy evaluation? Zabell: Some of our hospitals do artificial insemination but most don’t. Pregnancy evaluation is available at Banfield Pet Hospitals especially when ultrasound
Banfield Wellness Plans Services
Essential Wellness
Active Prevention
Comprehensive Physical Exam (2x/year) XXX XXX Vaccinations XXX XXX Diagnostic Testing XXX XXX Fecal Exams (2x) XXX XXX Deworming (2x) XXX XXX Dental Cleaning XXX XXX Urine Testing Preventive X-rays (3 views) Eye Pressure Test Electrocardiograms Unlimited Free Office Visits XXX XXX Discount on Nearly All Other 10% 15% Banfield Services and Products 130 Dog News
Special Care XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 2x/year XXX 2x/year 2x/year XXX 20%
equipment is available. Providing assistance with whelping in the form of performing C-sections is pretty commonly done at Banfield Pet Hospitals. However, whelping assistance is limited by the fact we are not open 24 hours a day. What are your hours of operation? Zabell: While there is some variance, generally, our hospitals are open from 7 am to 7 pm Monday through Saturday and from 10 am until 5 pm on Sunday. Given that do you provide any emergency after hours care? Zabell: We do not provide afterhours care. At all of our locations, we partner with other animal hospitals that provide emergency and critical care services with 24 hour supervision. Are the prices for the services location dependent, or is there a standard schedule of fees for all Banfield Pet Hospitals? Zabell: Our prices vary from market to market because the cost of doing business varies from region to region. Although we don’t have a way to provide an approximate price range given the regional variance, there is a pricing calculator at www.Banfield.com that can give a rough estimate of cost by location based on a pet’s age, health and whether it was spayed or neutered. The majority of our clients get the vast majority of their pet care through our Wellness Plans. For those clients, the bulk of the preventive care based services that their pets receive are included in the cost of the Wellness Plans. At most animal hospitals, payment is due at the time services are provided. Does Banfield make any other payment arrangements? Zabell: We do make some different arrangements. For example, clients make monthly payments to cover the costs of preventive care with our Wellness Plans. We also work with CareCredit™ so our clients may get financing through it. We partner with all of the veterinary health care insurance providers as well. Does Banfield offer any new client incentives or discounts for the treatment of multiple pets owned by individual clients? What about senior citizen discounts? Zabell: We don’t offer multiple pet discounts but all seniors, 65 and older, receive a 5% discount on all goods and services received at a Banfield Pet Hospital. We also offer a free exam to all new clients. Do you offer any incentives to breeders? Zabell: We have a Pet Adoption Rewards Program [PARP]. Breeders who register for PARP receive free exams for all puppies waiting to be adopted. PARP also gives breeders a 15% discount on all services Banfield Pet Hospitals provide. When you say “puppies waiting to be adopted,” do you mean breeders who register their litter with PARP would have their puppies put up for adoption at PetSmart™ Stores in the same way rescue dogs are? Zabell: No. Breeders participating in PARP still retrain ownership of their litters and are free to sell their puppies to whomever they wish. Does PARP include any other incentives? Zabell: Breeders are given a supply of coupons enabling the purchasers of their puppies to have their new puppy examined at no charge at a Banfield Pet Hospital. For every coupon that’s redeemed, we send a $20 voucher to our pet adoption partner [the breeder].