I don't normally write these kind of reviews; however, I feel compelled to write one in this…read moreinstance as the only other review is completely contrary to my experience.
My best friend, my dog, was losing weight and not quite herself. I had not been to a vet in Bangor before, so I did a bit of a search and decided to go with Mr Barbour-Hill as my intuition told me it was the right place to go. I could tell right away I was in good hands with Mr Barbour-Hill as one look in his eyes revealed to me that he was both compassionate and caring. After a brief physical examination he said he could feel a mass in her abdomen and recommended we do a blood test to get a better idea of what it was and that she needed to be booked in for exploratory surgery.
Naturally, I was full of questions and concern, and he took the time (well beyond the normal consultation time) to answer all of my questions and was very open and honest with me about how serious this could be. This was on a Thursday evening and he told me to call back on Saturday (long after normal office hours) to get the results and scheduled her in for surgery the following Tuesday. Sadly, the results that I was dreading were more or less confirmed by the bloods: my baby had cancer. Again, he took the time on the phone to answer all of my questions and explain my options. That weekend was the most painful weekend of my life. My girl is my whole world and I was devastated by the news.
On Tuesday morning I was a bit of a wreck, but Mr Barbour-Hill took the time to walk me through the process and addressed my concerns. I was really worried about the risk of her not waking up from the surgery, but, after talking it through, I realised it was a risk I had to take. I said goodbye to my girl and left her in his hands, praying that she would pull through. I was in no state to leave, so they were kind enough to let me sit in the waiting room while she was having her surgery.
I am so glad I trusted my instincts as she came through the surgery really well and he was able to successfully remove her spleen (which contained the cancer) and was not able to see any signs it had spread. He said it would help her a lot to receive a blood transfusion and advised me how I may find some by ringing around other vets. Thankfully, a lovely nurse at the vets in Colwyn Bay offered her dog as a blood donor. That all went well and he said he wanted to observe her but I should call back at 10 pm (yes, 10 o'clock at night) to see how she was and if I could take her home that night as he thinks dogs recover better at home. When I rang, he said she was doing well and I could come and get her. I have never experienced a vet that would take so much time and care with both the animal and their master, and so long after closing hours. Mr Barbour-Hill easily worked 14 hours that day. There is no doubting his dedication, passion and breadth of knowledge and wisdom.
It is now two weeks since her surgery and she is doing great. We had a brief check-up a few days ago to remove her stitches. Again, he was wonderful with me and answered all of my questions (and I had a lot). What's more, when we were leaving I asked what I owed and he said nothing as the follow-up was included. Have you ever been to vet for anything, no matter how simple, that didn't cost you money, at the very least a consultation fee? This was just another sign that he is there out of love and commitment to the care of animals above all else. Yes, he may not have some of the advanced equipment found in other practices (such as ultrasound), but that is more than made up by his treasure trove of knowledge accumulated through many years of experience.
In regards to the other review, while I wholeheartedly appreciate how traumatic an experience it must have been, I did a bit of research and, from what I can tell, it is actually the sedative injection before the euthanasia drug that can cause pain as it can sting some animals when injected. This is, of course, very distressing to the owner, but it is not the fault of the vet. Also, the review itself is from somebody who wasn't there and the person who told them the story were themselves not in the room. That said, I don't want to speak too much on their experience as, of course, I also was not there. My point is that it is just so completely opposite to my experience of the compassion and care of Mr Barbour-Hill.
In what has been the hardest few weeks of my life, the time and care which Mr Barbour-Hill gave to both my dog and to me has made it so much more bearable. I know that I more than likely have a limited amount of time left with my girl, but Mr Barbour-Hill has given me precious time with my baby. Time to cherish every second with her and to come to terms with what lies ahead. Time for which I shall be eternally grateful to him and everyone at the surgery. I really can't express just how grateful to him I am.
I wouldn't hesitate for a second to recommend Mr Barbour-Hill.
