While You're Here, Doc: Farmyard Adventures of a Maine Veterinarian

by Bradford B. Brown

Veterinarian Brad Brown never knew what to expect when he was called out to a farm to deal with a sick cow or an injured horse. Invariably the cash-strapped farmer would say, "While you're here, Doc" and rattle off a list of surprise medical chores that weren't part of the original call. But whether he was trying to geld a spooked stallion in a blizzard or found himself in the middle of an all-out fracas involving a monkey's abscessed tooth and a shotgun, Dr. Brown took it in stride, with great affection for his four-legged patients as well as his two-legged clients. James Herriot, Baxter Black, and E. B. White rolled into one and wearing rubber boots, Brad Brown gives us a wonderful set of stories from the life of a country vet.

Genres: Animals, Nonfiction, Memoir, History, Short Stories, Nature

174 pages, Library Binding

First published April 1, 2006

Reviews

[Jamie Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice collection of animal stories. Brown was a veterinarian in rural Maine in the 1950’s-70’s, and these are stories of him trekking through a snowstorm in the middle of the night to treat a colicky horse, or putting a prolapsed uterus back into a cow, or castrating a feisty bull - all procedures familiar to readers of James Herriot.

The book lacks the magic of Herriot, but it’s an interesting read. The first couple of stories are awkward, but I gradually warmed up to the author. He has little to say about his personal life except for a rather gloomy introduction about how the job took its toll.

The title comes from the propensity of farmers to come up with extra unscheduled jobs when he visits: "While you're here, doc, can you take a look at my goat?"

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look into the challenging life of a country vet and memorable animals and people.

Large animal practice combines the best in diagnosis with the toughest physical challenges as patients are frequently in agony and far faster and stronger than a mere human being. It often takes a rare ingenuity to calm and subdue these huge beasts to the point where a sedative or some type of anesthetic can be administered and allow treatment. These stories of “days in the life of” are an outstanding tribute to the man and a great appreciation for his skill and knowledge and courage during a lifetime of dealing with animals, owners and even weather. Well worth the time.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is much better to be reading along than riding along as Maine’s Doc Brown races to get to sick animals. There seems to be some impulsive uncontrollable need by customers to fit as much as possible into a house call. Some comments and interactions between vet and client are not considered politically correct today but accurately reflected veterinary practices in the 1960s and 1970s. Readers will chuckle at some stories and wonder what they were thinking in others.

[Kay Jarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally Enjoyable

I have read many books about veterinary life and this one is right up at the front. Honest with some humor and a good explanation of the lifestyle of a country vet. I recommend it for any animal lover.

[Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was highly enjoyable - I’ve read the James Herriot trilogy and loved that beyond words. This is a nicely done collection of stories cases in Maine. As someone who hails from Skowhegan, this speaks to my love of veterinary medicine and this great state. Highly recommended

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

You have to be a certain person to appreciate this book! It's about a Maine veterinarian in the 1960's and all the characters he met, two legged and four legged. You have to love animals to appreciate it!

[A.M. Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful snapshot of a time when vets were paid in chickens or trade, in a rural setting most of us probably aren't familiar with. The humor was fantastic, the stories chosen to tell hugely entertaining. This was just a fun read and look into the past.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Herriot in rural Maine! Bradford Brown is an exceptional writer, able to recreate the humor and pathos in various situations he encountered during his years of practice as a large and small animal vet in Belfast, Maine. Seriously, it was like reading the beloved books of James Herriot.

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely short stories. Wow! Treacherous winter roads and challenging patients that can take your life. Being a large animal vet is a tough business. Enjoyable read with lots of information and good descriptions of the interesting customers Brad worked for.

[Tommy Carbone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a collection of vet stories, Mainely funny (pun intended, not a typo).

[Robert A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. Life in Maine sounded harsh back in the early mid 20th century but much simpler

[Suz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laugh out loud funny. Couldn't put it down.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good stories, but the writing is a bit bland.

[Sarah Gallini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun stories in the same line as All Creatures Great and Small. Decided to read it as I was taking a trip to Maine and thought it would be interesting to read a book based there.

[Kate McGann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice read! His experiences were quite cool to read about.

[Katie Currier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently read the book, “While You’re Here, Doc: Farmyard Adventures of a Maine Veterinarian” by Bradford B. Brown DVM. The book is a collection of short stories surrounding the many different farm calls that Dr. Brown had to attend to. From castrating a horse inside a shop in town to delivering lamb triplets, Dr. Brown got it done. He never gave up on a challenge and always did everything in his power to save the animal. If Dr. Brown got injured on the job, he would always put the animal first and fix him before he tends to himself. For example, on one of his jobs, he started to get dragged across a field by a cow and ended up getting bruised all over. When he finally got the bull to stop, “relief flooded in, and so did the pain” (92). When Dr. Brown was finally able to stand, he walked over to the cow and was able to finish the job. He finished the job before taking care of himself.
I truly enjoyed this book. I think that it was very good and the stories that the book was comprised of were fantastic. They weren’t your average stories about farm calls. There were some extraordinary stories about a horse ending up in a store in the town, getting dragged through a field by a bull, and trying to extract a tooth from a very unhappy monkey. I also liked how the title, “while you’re here, Doc” (89) was repeated many times throughout the book. It is a very true statement as a lot of the time when a vet comes to the barn, you always have him look at more animals. This way, the vet won’t have to get called out again and you only have to pay one barn call, rather than multiple barn calls. Overall, the stories were very interesting and the book was definitely a good read.
This is a book that I would definitely recommend to other people. I would recommend it specifically to people who love animals, or people that are dreaming of being a vet themselves (especially a large-animal vet). Considering this book is about a veterinarian who makes farm calls, these kinds of people are who the book is best suited for and who would enjoy it the most. The book covers all sorts of livestock veterinary emergencies. It also has some small-animal stories. People who are interested in becoming veterinarians and people who have a strong love for animals are the ones who would really enjoy this book and whom I would recommend it to.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, being a farm animal vet is very physical. Dr Brown is frequently knee deep in mud, excrement or snow (he practiced in Maine) and is also frequently injured by his uncooperative patients. He seems to never say no when he is needed and doesn't let much slow him down. This book was a totally enjoyable read.

[Blueberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book ---- anyone who enjoys the Maine persona (and animals) will appreciate the stories in this book and how they are told. It reminded me of my childhood and growing up on a horse farm in Maine.

[The Mad Mad Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book- a really easy read for the animal obsessed. I thought it would be humorous to read before I started college as a pre-veterinary major, and I was right! One of my personal favorites.

[Patricia Hyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Animal lover

This is a really great book about the life of, mainly, a farm vet. The incredible weather and working conditions of this humble, intelligent man who goes about his job with few complaints, should be an inspiration for any modern vet student.

[McArthur Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fun, funny, and sometimes gross tales of a vet practice up Maine, where the vets travel by chopper when need be! Doc Brown's narrative is so "Maine" you can almost picture him as your uncle or next door neighbor. A good one!

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author was a large animal vet in rural Maine. From his stories, it's amazing that he's still alive! He had so many near misses and injuries caused by cows, pigs or horses. I'm not at all surprised that he had to retire early due to health problems.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great writing style - I even laughed out loud from time to time. My new favorite vet!

[Lea Murack · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a fun read.

[Leeann Gudzinowicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just super fun and humorous. The stories are short, and at times unbelievable. This guy has more patience than I could ever dream of having!

[Gene Cummins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific collection of stories!

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and factual.