St Helens Veterinary Clinic

Took my beloved 12 year old retriever to Dr. Horton because of her rapidly declining health. We thought the end was near and were heart broken. The vet said "we aren't done here, she's not done, lets see what a blood test will show us", but she didn't examine my dog. She sent us home with pain meds (receptionist didn't know how to administer) and said she'd call. Later that day we got the call that went exactly like this: she needs iron, we can fix that... low white count, we can fix that . . .low electrolytes, we can fix that . . .good liver and kidneys . . .high calcium, that could be cancer of the anal glands. Who leads with hope and ends with cancer? The vet said to wait a day, see how she does and check back in to see what we do next. I called early on the check in day and left the message that she was vomiting and wouldn't eat. Three hours later I still had not heard from Dr. Horton, so I called back. I had to retell the morning message. She put me on hold to talk to the vet who was in surgery.
Dr. Horton's response through her receptionist: "Sorry I didn't call, but there is nothing else we can do for her. You'll have to call another vet/specialist."
When I asked about what we were going to do to end her suffering I was told we could drop her off and the doctor would do it at the end of the day, but we couldn't be there. If we wanted to be with her, we would have to wait 4 days for an appointment. Or we could go to another vet.
Dr. Horton's indifference reflected her lack of both compassion and professionalism. We will not trust her with our other pets, but will take her advise to "go to a another vet".
BTW The next vet said she saw no indication of anal gland cancer, but the blood work and my dog's failing health were indicative of some kind of cancer. She actually examined my dog and she wasn't a specialist. She gave me the assurance I'd been seeking . . . it was time for our loving companion to be relieved of her pain and suffering.