To whom it may concern,
I am a regular customer at PetSmart…read moreand I pay for several services, including using Banfield insurance for 6+ years. Recently, my dog, Marley, was diagnosed with irritable bowel disease and was placed on Hill prescription diet. She can only eat the hypoallergenic canned food and can't have any other food due to her illness. Because of this, she has lost a significant amount of weight. I am in contact with her vet, Dr. Eisele, who is wonderful and very sympathetic about her illness and her treatment plan. However, this is a lifelong illness and because of the nature, she will not live a long life.
Today, Sunday 9/13/2026, I took Marley to my local PetSmart (4621 Chippewa St. Saint Louis, MO 63116) to have her nails trimmed. This is something I try to do every two months. This was her first time going after losing a lot of weight due to her illness. I was a walk-in, and so the bather was going to provide the service. I made him aware of her diagnosis and that she was very thin, but was on a prescription diet. He trimmed her nails while I paid for the service. When I went to pick her up from the Salon, a groomer named Lori, berated me for how Marley looks and her weight. She said, "Go get her a rotisserie chicken and feed her now." I informed her of Marley's illness and prescription diet and she told me to get a second opinion and continued to berate me. I also happen to be 6 months pregnant, so I started crying because Marley's health has been a major concern for me since her bloodwork in May when they found her to be in kidney failure, her ultrasound in June, and her week long visit to her vet's office in the middle of June, and finally her diagnosis in July. This has been quite the journey for my family, while navigating a pregnancy. Lori made me explain the diagnosis, my second opinion, the treatment plan, and symptoms when Marley eats food that is not her prescribed diet. Lori's treatment of me and my dog was highly inappropriate considering the fact that she doesn't know my dog, or her health journey. I would also assume that Lori has no medical training in her background. I am extremely upset over this, and will never go to PetSmart again for any sort of service. Because Marley has established care with Dr. Eisele, I will continue to use Banfield, but rest assured I will never recommend any service from PetSmart ever again. This was very unprofessional, aggressive, and inappropriate. I need someone to contact me regarding this issue and how this will be handled.
Sincerely,
Meghan Watkins