What do you think?
Rate this book
Mí pacienti a další zvířata: Jak se stát veterinářkou a nezbláznit se z toho
Autorka je veterinářka a spisovatelka. Vyrostla v Anglii a přestěhovala se do Spojených států, kde začala svou kariéru veterinární lékařky specializující se na léčení malých zvířat. V autobiografické knize vypráví veselé i smutné příběhy ze života svých zvířecích pacientů a zaznamenává postupný vývoj od nejisté studentky, která je nervózní z každého složitějšího úkolu, až po sebevědomou lékařku, která je oddaná své práci a snaží se pro své pacienty udělat první poslední.
376 pages, Hardcover
First published April 10, 2018
24 people are currently reading
898 people want to read
About the author
Suzy Fincham-Gray
1 book10 followersSuzy Fincham-Gray is a veterinarian and an author. Her first book, My Patients and Other Animals: A Veterinarian's Stories of Love, Loss and Hope will be released by Spiegel and Grau on April 10,th 2018.
Suzy grew up on the English-Welsh border, and traveled to the US to start her career in veterinary medicine. Seventeen years later she lives and works in San Diego as a board-certified small animal internal medicine specialist.
Outside of the hospital, she has earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Riverside, Palm Desert. And her work has appeared in Palm Springs Life magazine and local veterinary journals.
When she’s not writing or caring for patients she can be found spending time with her husband, daughter, three cats and two dogs.
Suzy grew up on the English-Welsh border, and traveled to the US to start her career in veterinary medicine. Seventeen years later she lives and works in San Diego as a board-certified small animal internal medicine specialist.
Outside of the hospital, she has earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Riverside, Palm Desert. And her work has appeared in Palm Springs Life magazine and local veterinary journals.
When she’s not writing or caring for patients she can be found spending time with her husband, daughter, three cats and two dogs.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
April 8, 2018
This is the memoir of a vet, but it’s not the jolly, feel-good type like James Herriot. It starts with her having to fire a gun at a pony’s forehead by way of euthanasia, as part of her veterinary training. Then she comes to the US to train more at a prestigious teaching clinic, meaning to go into research after attaining her license. But the exposure to the animals while training made her change her mind (she had never had a pet); she decided she wanted to work directly with dogs and cats instead. This, despite the intense hours, the pet owners who were sometimes not terribly agreeable, the sadness of losing a patient, and the basic lack of a life outside the clinic.
Once working for a regular clinic, she finds that it’s not like the university; in the ‘real’ world, there are a lot more financial constraints to deal with. She couldn’t just order up every test available, but had to work within the owner’s budget. She also finds that the staff isn’t ready to do everything she tells them to do the way the university interns did, and she manages to upset more than one technician- they never taught human relations in vet school.
But during these years, she gets her first pet- a senior cat- who is soon joined by a second one. She also meets the man who becomes her husband, who is a dog person. She learns the incredible bond that can form between people and their companion animals. While I felt that when she first started, she was lacking something, she describes as she becomes the complete animal person. I enjoyed the book a lot, even though it’s not a ‘warm fuzzy’ animal book. She’s an internal medicine specialist, so her cases are more complicated than the usual run of spay/neuter, worms, etc vet visits. Four stars.
Once working for a regular clinic, she finds that it’s not like the university; in the ‘real’ world, there are a lot more financial constraints to deal with. She couldn’t just order up every test available, but had to work within the owner’s budget. She also finds that the staff isn’t ready to do everything she tells them to do the way the university interns did, and she manages to upset more than one technician- they never taught human relations in vet school.
But during these years, she gets her first pet- a senior cat- who is soon joined by a second one. She also meets the man who becomes her husband, who is a dog person. She learns the incredible bond that can form between people and their companion animals. While I felt that when she first started, she was lacking something, she describes as she becomes the complete animal person. I enjoyed the book a lot, even though it’s not a ‘warm fuzzy’ animal book. She’s an internal medicine specialist, so her cases are more complicated than the usual run of spay/neuter, worms, etc vet visits. Four stars.
October 1, 2018
3.5 stars
Narrated by Suzy Fincham-Gray
Narrated by Suzy Fincham-Gray
August 30, 2018
I enjoyed reading the journey of her medical career evolving throughout the years and about the cases. However.. As someone who worked in the medical field around interns and residents, I’m finding it very difficult to read what comes across as her repeated whining about her patients owners and their feelings. No, they don’t teach a class in medical school about how to deal with human counterparts. But... you yourself are a human. How would you feel if your sister or mother had pancreatitis and might die? Not all animal diseases transfer to humans but a lot do. It’s not really that hard to put yourself in their shoes and then translate that emotion. Reading about her difficulty with it over and over and over doesn’t spark any sympathy from me, and in fact it is just aggravating. Her reactions to her coworkers aren’t much better - she comes across as a spoiled, snotty brat when requesting them to immediately drop everything to work on *her* patient. After all the training she has, she should understand that unless it’s a true emergency, that’s not how it works. She doesn’t seem to understand how to work as a team player, and it had me shaking my head in annoyance so many times.
February 9, 2018
Dr. Fincham-Gray is exactly the kind of veterinarian that you want for your fuzzy family members. She's committed to her patients and doesn't give up. At times this book reads like a medical thriller where you are pulling for the patient, but never quite sure how things will turn out. They are not always happy endings, as we have learned to expect when considering the life expectancy of pets, but it never gets any easier when the prognosis isn't good.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy for review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy for review.
February 7, 2018
Princess Fuzzypants here:
As a cat, I hate to go to the vet. My vet is a very nice lady but I still don’t like it but this book gave me a chance to see what things look like from her side of the table. Suzy, believe or not, grew up without a pet. No cat nor dog nor guinea pig. Yet, after helping a country vet in her home county in England, she knew she wanted to be a vet.
She studied on both sides of the Atlantic to become an internist, the vets who treat the animals who are most ill. At first she was very clinical in her outlook- it was the science that interested her but as time went by, she realized there was something very special going on between the humans and the animals that did not boil down to science or money or anything tangible. Then when she adopted her senior kitty, Monty, she had an epiphany. She was able to view the illness and the prognosis and the treatments through the eyes and emotions of the human and the pet. She understood the incredible bond humans have with their fur babies.
She wins some cases. She loses some. There will be smiles and there will be tears. Through it all, it was a touching and sensitive story of one woman’s journey to the true meaning of being a pet parent and a vet.
I give it five purrs and two paws up.
As a cat, I hate to go to the vet. My vet is a very nice lady but I still don’t like it but this book gave me a chance to see what things look like from her side of the table. Suzy, believe or not, grew up without a pet. No cat nor dog nor guinea pig. Yet, after helping a country vet in her home county in England, she knew she wanted to be a vet.
She studied on both sides of the Atlantic to become an internist, the vets who treat the animals who are most ill. At first she was very clinical in her outlook- it was the science that interested her but as time went by, she realized there was something very special going on between the humans and the animals that did not boil down to science or money or anything tangible. Then when she adopted her senior kitty, Monty, she had an epiphany. She was able to view the illness and the prognosis and the treatments through the eyes and emotions of the human and the pet. She understood the incredible bond humans have with their fur babies.
She wins some cases. She loses some. There will be smiles and there will be tears. Through it all, it was a touching and sensitive story of one woman’s journey to the true meaning of being a pet parent and a vet.
I give it five purrs and two paws up.
January 25, 2018
This book is very well written. It brought me to tears, and made me laugh. Don't read it if you don't want to read about the less-than-glamorous aspects of veterinary medicine, as Ms. Fincham-Gray is not shy about making difficult decisions regarding patient care and the difficult choice of euthanasia. I like the way she uses the opportunity to try to educate readers about some of the issues in society as well. I really enjoyed the book. If you want to get a taste of what life is really like in veterinary medicine, this is a great read, but if you are looking for a feel-good, light read, this may not be the book for you.
April 5, 2018
Engaging first-hand account of internship and veterinary practice years of specialist in first England and then California. Although the author first works with large animals, she ultimately works primarily with smaller ones that are household pets. Her capacity for caring really grows once she includes cats and ultimately, a dog, in her own household. While the book includes humor, the most impressive tales are those that share the resilience of animal and human health and behavior. A fascinating book for those with pets or considering a career in veterinary work. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
July 20, 2018
I appreciated the insight into how veterinarians (one, at least) see their patients' owners, but I was glad that the veterinarian-author became much more empathetic and less judgmental about pet owners when she became one herself.
The book highlighted the occasional conflict between people acknowledging their animals' suffering and refusing to consider that euthanasia might be appropriate.
The book highlighted the occasional conflict between people acknowledging their animals' suffering and refusing to consider that euthanasia might be appropriate.
December 17, 2019
Right at the beginning of the book, there’s a brief story about how she had to shoot a sick horse in the head. So very upsetting that I almost put the book down and didn’t pick it back up. I’m glad I did because it was filled with great stories and medical information.
March 28, 2024
2.5
Meh
Meh
September 13, 2018
If you read this book hoping that it is along the lines of "All Creatures Great and Small," you might be disappointed. The author sounds like she is one hell of a veterinarian but her writing is clinical and lacks warmth.
March 25, 2024
This is a tough one to rate, mainly because I absolutely did not vibe with Suzy Fincham-Gray for the vast majority of her memoir. She's that standoffish vet that you can feel judging you for your choice of expensive vet recommended dog food. I was annoyed by her, even when I agreed with her!
Despite Suzy slowly learning over the course of her career that she's not the world's best pet owner either and it's actually hard to make medical decisions for someone you love... she doesn't do a lot of reflection. She does become a lot more bearable and even relatable but I found myself wondering if she got the most out of writing this memoir.
The depictions of veterinary practice were interesting and I loved some of the stories of pets and their owners, even if I'm not the storyteller's biggest fan. I also thought the authors frank discussion of the realities of rescue animals, particularly the interest in rescuing pets from other countries when the rescues close by are over flowing, was strong and convincing. I found that she wrote that bit without so much judgement.
Despite Suzy slowly learning over the course of her career that she's not the world's best pet owner either and it's actually hard to make medical decisions for someone you love... she doesn't do a lot of reflection. She does become a lot more bearable and even relatable but I found myself wondering if she got the most out of writing this memoir.
The depictions of veterinary practice were interesting and I loved some of the stories of pets and their owners, even if I'm not the storyteller's biggest fan. I also thought the authors frank discussion of the realities of rescue animals, particularly the interest in rescuing pets from other countries when the rescues close by are over flowing, was strong and convincing. I found that she wrote that bit without so much judgement.
April 23, 2018
Vet books - James Herriot's "All creatures great and small" series is still the gold standard for pure pleasure. This book is interesting in a different way. Fincham-Gray studied in Britain but practiced in the USA. So I enjoyed the tidbits about the transition and some factual information about the treatment of animals in different countries as well as the info about rescue organizations. I also liked the fact that the author was honest about her personality style and interacting with her co-workers, which did not always mean putting herself in a favourable light. There were fewer animal stories than in other vet books so if you're looking for pure entertainment try Herriot or Nick Trout as this one is more memoir than cute animal stories.
January 26, 2018
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher. and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. Warm and humorous, Suzy Fincham-Gray is a rare breed—a clinician with an intimate, elegant literary style. She writes with the same tenderness she brings to her patients, whose needs she must meet with her mind, her hands, and her heart.
April 11, 2023
I cheered when she figured out a diagnosis and set her patient on the road to recovery, and I cried for all the "final appointments".
Excellent book, excellent writing.
Excellent book, excellent writing.
February 16, 2018
I received copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
When I entered to win this book, the description led me to believe I'd be reading warm, fuzzy stories of hope from a vet's office. Maybe those come into play eventually, but what I read instead in the first two chapters was a bleak, painfully boring account of dissecting animals in school and the author's first encounter with shooting a sick horse. I understand that those things are reality, but that doesn't mean I need or want to read about them, and it completely put me off wanting to finish the book. If you're looking for something that reads like a veterinary science textbook that was written by an old curmudgeon with a penchant for the negative, by all means, pick this up. Otherwise, I'd advise you to stay clear of it.
When I entered to win this book, the description led me to believe I'd be reading warm, fuzzy stories of hope from a vet's office. Maybe those come into play eventually, but what I read instead in the first two chapters was a bleak, painfully boring account of dissecting animals in school and the author's first encounter with shooting a sick horse. I understand that those things are reality, but that doesn't mean I need or want to read about them, and it completely put me off wanting to finish the book. If you're looking for something that reads like a veterinary science textbook that was written by an old curmudgeon with a penchant for the negative, by all means, pick this up. Otherwise, I'd advise you to stay clear of it.
April 12, 2018
My Patients and Other Animals: A Veterinarian's Stories of Love, Loss, and Hope, is a great read and it really made me zone in on the life of a veterinarian, and how it affected the animals she took care of, the relationship between her and the patient's owners and how her being a vet affected her relationships with her own pets.
Suzy Fincham-Gray lived in England and decided to become a veterinarian. When she started out in college she lived in England, and she had to work on horses and other big animals, her first experience, euthanizing a horse was very hard for her. She then decides to complete her internship at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School in Philadelphia, where her first patient was a doberman with a gunshot wound.
Suzy had culture shock of a sort when she first came to the USA and she is very lonely separated from her family for the first time. However she does her residency in internal medicine for animals and ultimately winds up with three cats, a dog and a husband! They move to San Diego and she learns a lot about herself, her pets, how to talk to other clients about their pets and how she handles all of her cases.
She devotes a chapter to each of the cases she writes about and through this we get to see how the life of a vet is, the lessons she learns, the lives she saves and has to end, and then ultimately her own personal life with her pets.
I really enjoyed her book and hopes she writes more about her life as a veterinarian. I gave this book 5 stars.
Suzy Fincham-Gray lived in England and decided to become a veterinarian. When she started out in college she lived in England, and she had to work on horses and other big animals, her first experience, euthanizing a horse was very hard for her. She then decides to complete her internship at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School in Philadelphia, where her first patient was a doberman with a gunshot wound.
Suzy had culture shock of a sort when she first came to the USA and she is very lonely separated from her family for the first time. However she does her residency in internal medicine for animals and ultimately winds up with three cats, a dog and a husband! They move to San Diego and she learns a lot about herself, her pets, how to talk to other clients about their pets and how she handles all of her cases.
She devotes a chapter to each of the cases she writes about and through this we get to see how the life of a vet is, the lessons she learns, the lives she saves and has to end, and then ultimately her own personal life with her pets.
I really enjoyed her book and hopes she writes more about her life as a veterinarian. I gave this book 5 stars.
April 27, 2023
Going into this, I thought it unlikely that I was going to like it, but Fincham-Gray surprised me. I am not entirely sure why I didn't dislike it. Usually with these "medical memoirs", I find that I'm usually interested in the stories of day-to-day life as a medical professional, but the authors tend to bury that in cheesily florid prose about life and illness, shallow philosophical musings and stock-standard political griping. Weirdly, this book wasn't that much different, but for some reason that stuff didn't bother me as much. I think it's because she didn't engage in the standard cliches as much as other books did.
Additionally, I think I was able to accept this book as it was a lot more because it did not seem like a book about animals with weird illnesses, more just about her day-to-day life as a UK expatriate veterinarian at an emergency vet clinic. The fact that she worked at a veterinary hospital and not in a small veterinary practice also was interesting, since hopefully most people don't interact with veterinary hospitals nearly as much as they do standard vets or human hospitals.
3.5 of 5 stars
Additionally, I think I was able to accept this book as it was a lot more because it did not seem like a book about animals with weird illnesses, more just about her day-to-day life as a UK expatriate veterinarian at an emergency vet clinic. The fact that she worked at a veterinary hospital and not in a small veterinary practice also was interesting, since hopefully most people don't interact with veterinary hospitals nearly as much as they do standard vets or human hospitals.
3.5 of 5 stars
April 11, 2018
I loved this book- but beware that there aren't always happy endings. Fincham-Gray is an internist, a specialist, not the vet you see when your dog or cat needs vaccinations so because she sees the sickest animals, it's not an easy read in spots. However, she knows this and she also acknowledges that she sometimes sees the animals as a collection of symptoms or problems and not as someone's pet. You don't get a lot about her personal life (what does her husband do? when did she have the daughter she refers to in acknowledgements?) but that's not why you read this sort of book anyway. There's interesting data about domestic animals but the animals themselves are the stars here. Little Fritz, Tiger the cat, Hercules the doberman, Grayling the Irish wolfhound, and so on are the ones you feel for. She also acknowledges that in her experience vets are not taught how to deal with families- it's not part of the curriculum- but her own pets, especially Monty, help her make that leap. Thanks to edelweiss for the ARC. This was a terrific read.
July 10, 2018
I'm often intimidated by veterinarians, by their amass of knowledge and their courage to work in a difficult field. This was a great read for me, and allowed me to get a glance behind the curtain and see what it's like from a veterinarian's point of view.
I loved that the author was not afraid to paint herself in a negative light, sharing when she'd get judgmental or impatient, and how she learned from those moments. It was interesting to see her growth from student to specialist.
It gave me so much confidence as a patient for the next time I have to bring in one of my pets, and also gave me a newfound appreciation for those in the veterinary field.
I loved that the author was not afraid to paint herself in a negative light, sharing when she'd get judgmental or impatient, and how she learned from those moments. It was interesting to see her growth from student to specialist.
It gave me so much confidence as a patient for the next time I have to bring in one of my pets, and also gave me a newfound appreciation for those in the veterinary field.
September 7, 2018
This is a good book, but in spite of the playful title, not humorous. The author is what you might call a veterinary medicine nerd and gets very excited about all sorts of interesting pet diseases, justifiably. There are also interesting passages about disease differences between Mexico and the US, the hoof and mouth disease epidemic in England, and the tragedy of purebred dogs. The book also follows her personal journey of becoming a vet up to the present day, including her personal milestones of residency, marriage, pet ownership, first clinical job and more. Be warned: this book will make you cry.
May 31, 2018
If, like me, you were enamored by the James Herriot books, you are likely to enjoy Suzy Fincham-Gray's memoir about her time both training and practicing as a veterinary internal medicine specialist. Fincham-Gray not only deals with her experiences as a vet but also as a pet owner, and how she has to learn how to have bedside manner with humans as well as their pets.
There are both laughter and tears to be found in abundance between these pages. Fincham-Gray is a charming narrator, and doesn't pull punches on her own shortcomings. Highly recommended.
There are both laughter and tears to be found in abundance between these pages. Fincham-Gray is a charming narrator, and doesn't pull punches on her own shortcomings. Highly recommended.
December 11, 2018
This was a book I couldn't sit down and read in one sitting, I needed a little bit of separation between each story. The funny stories all hit for me and the more emotional and sad ones were all well told, including the ending which knocked me over completely. I think if I had tried to power through it all at once the impact might have been blunted a little bit.
I come away from this book with a better appreciation of what a vet has to go through and how I could never do what these people do for our pets or for us as owners, for that matter. Strongly recommend this book.
I come away from this book with a better appreciation of what a vet has to go through and how I could never do what these people do for our pets or for us as owners, for that matter. Strongly recommend this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2018
It was OK. Seemed a bit shallow although maybe my expectations were higher than they should have been.
November 25, 2017
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway.
A wonderful book. I can hope my dog's Veterinarian is this caring. She gives a glimpse of the other side of the exam table ( well the floor of the exam room in my case) and makes me realize there is always more than a clinician giving the good or bad news.
A wonderful book. I can hope my dog's Veterinarian is this caring. She gives a glimpse of the other side of the exam table ( well the floor of the exam room in my case) and makes me realize there is always more than a clinician giving the good or bad news.
May 29, 2019
Heartfelt and mostly well written, but lacking for interesting material
April 18, 2018
Stumbled upon this book while looking in the nature and science section in Barnes and Noble and I am so glad I did. I was actually surprised to find it was a new release and yet I had not heard anything about it nor was it displayed in such a way. The only way to find it was looking at each book spine because the front cover wasn’t even displayed like some are. But after I read the title on the spine, I became intrigued.
I used to live in the vet world and a part of my heart is still there so whenever I come across a book in that field I can’t help but look further into it and decide whether I should read it. I am so glad I chose this book!!
Each chapter is mostly about a specific case but she does a great job of incorporating other aspects of her life, of her training, of her other challenges, of veterinary medicine, of science into the story. I was very much pleased when I brought it home to read and discovered she is also from the UK! Veterinary medicine and the UK in one book? How did I get so lucky! Yes, I am an anglophile so I very much appreciated reading of the differences of veterinary practice in the UK versus the US. It was another aspect of this book that kept my attention and made it enjoyable.
I enjoyed sharing her journey as she travels from vet student to intern to resident to her current practice and how she has developed not only as a veterinarian but more importantly as a person. She openly and honestly shares how coming out of vet school you feel that you are smart enough because you have the knowledge go do your job but then shockingly realize knowledge was not the main tool needed to do the job. Veterinary school forgot about the heart and how that is an important part in making decisions, communicating with clients, and what this job is all about.
I had read a review when deciding to read this book that the reader thought the author seemed to insensitive or arrogant but I disagree. I actually appreciate her writing, her perspectives she shared, and her openness. I also loved the cases! I felt like I was back in my veterinary hospital and it was wonderful! I could relate to procedures, to cases, to the day to day routines of the treatment room. It was good to be back.
Overall, this was an excellent book! I enjoyed reading one chapter a day and found me looking forward to my reading time so I could see what case would come in next. I appreciated all the information she shared and this book is definitely a read again when I need to be back in the clinic.
Recommend for:
Ages 13+
Anyone interested in the veterinary field
Pet owners
Animal lovers
Anyone interested in medical science
I used to live in the vet world and a part of my heart is still there so whenever I come across a book in that field I can’t help but look further into it and decide whether I should read it. I am so glad I chose this book!!
Each chapter is mostly about a specific case but she does a great job of incorporating other aspects of her life, of her training, of her other challenges, of veterinary medicine, of science into the story. I was very much pleased when I brought it home to read and discovered she is also from the UK! Veterinary medicine and the UK in one book? How did I get so lucky! Yes, I am an anglophile so I very much appreciated reading of the differences of veterinary practice in the UK versus the US. It was another aspect of this book that kept my attention and made it enjoyable.
I enjoyed sharing her journey as she travels from vet student to intern to resident to her current practice and how she has developed not only as a veterinarian but more importantly as a person. She openly and honestly shares how coming out of vet school you feel that you are smart enough because you have the knowledge go do your job but then shockingly realize knowledge was not the main tool needed to do the job. Veterinary school forgot about the heart and how that is an important part in making decisions, communicating with clients, and what this job is all about.
I had read a review when deciding to read this book that the reader thought the author seemed to insensitive or arrogant but I disagree. I actually appreciate her writing, her perspectives she shared, and her openness. I also loved the cases! I felt like I was back in my veterinary hospital and it was wonderful! I could relate to procedures, to cases, to the day to day routines of the treatment room. It was good to be back.
Overall, this was an excellent book! I enjoyed reading one chapter a day and found me looking forward to my reading time so I could see what case would come in next. I appreciated all the information she shared and this book is definitely a read again when I need to be back in the clinic.
Recommend for:
Ages 13+
Anyone interested in the veterinary field
Pet owners
Animal lovers
Anyone interested in medical science
May 9, 2018
As a failed veterinarian reminds me again of why the profession doesn’t match me well.
- All cases eventually end in failure. Animals are collapsing entropic biological systems, not malfunctioning dishwashers.
- The education is wildly insufficient for day one competency despite its high cost.
- I love animals and helping them feel better but I’m not a people person and am not good balancing money versus helping an animal stay alive. Some of the clients’ criticisms are more than just simple frustration or grief. It’s downright bullying.
- The fellow vets and vet techs can be snooty, uncooperative, competitive.
Thus I drive Uber and volunteer at shelter and walk my dog and read books and take life easy and don’t take years off my life with unnecessary stress.
Good primer for non-vets who want to see what goes on in the brain of your vet. (It’s not always “how much money can I extract from this sucker?”)
A critique for the author- She voluntarily moved to the USA and stayed yet she takes jabs at our society (guns, obesity, no national health care system, capital punishment). The USA is a vastly diverse country with a mind-boggling aray of lifestyles and political opinions which is one reason things are so slow to progress politically. I don’t mind non-fiction observations like “Uk has no gun violence and USA has lots of gun violence and that surprised and scared me when I found that out.” But the author’s observations come across as more mean-spirited than that. And people always say Americans go overseas and are the obnoxious ones.
I myself did my vet training overseas (Australia) but as a voluntary guest I just kept my mouth shut about their admittedly few social problems (Overt racism towards Indigenous people even from highly educated veterinarians, high cost of living, alcoholism as a way of life (drinking in clinics), can’t get a decent slice of pizza for all the money in the world).
- All cases eventually end in failure. Animals are collapsing entropic biological systems, not malfunctioning dishwashers.
- The education is wildly insufficient for day one competency despite its high cost.
- I love animals and helping them feel better but I’m not a people person and am not good balancing money versus helping an animal stay alive. Some of the clients’ criticisms are more than just simple frustration or grief. It’s downright bullying.
- The fellow vets and vet techs can be snooty, uncooperative, competitive.
Thus I drive Uber and volunteer at shelter and walk my dog and read books and take life easy and don’t take years off my life with unnecessary stress.
Good primer for non-vets who want to see what goes on in the brain of your vet. (It’s not always “how much money can I extract from this sucker?”)
A critique for the author- She voluntarily moved to the USA and stayed yet she takes jabs at our society (guns, obesity, no national health care system, capital punishment). The USA is a vastly diverse country with a mind-boggling aray of lifestyles and political opinions which is one reason things are so slow to progress politically. I don’t mind non-fiction observations like “Uk has no gun violence and USA has lots of gun violence and that surprised and scared me when I found that out.” But the author’s observations come across as more mean-spirited than that. And people always say Americans go overseas and are the obnoxious ones.
I myself did my vet training overseas (Australia) but as a voluntary guest I just kept my mouth shut about their admittedly few social problems (Overt racism towards Indigenous people even from highly educated veterinarians, high cost of living, alcoholism as a way of life (drinking in clinics), can’t get a decent slice of pizza for all the money in the world).
November 17, 2018
I liked this book. Dr. Fincham-Gray is a British-educated vet, who came to America, first to do an internship, and then stayed to practice veterinary medicine. She wasn't your neighborhood vet, but rather one who specialized in internal medicine, and received referrals of cases that puzzled your ordinary practitioner. Each chapter introduced a different animal (dog or cat), and their puzzling symptoms. Not all the chapters ended well. Such was the case of Fritz the dog who developed pancreatitis (from her owner feeding her inappropriate table food). This owner wanted no expense spared in Fritz's treatment, including time spent in the ICU when he took a turn for the worse. Horribly, she didn't have the 'heart' to humanely end his suffering, and let him suffocate in the end. Fincham-Gray did not have kind words for this owner, which were left unsaid.
Another chapter dealt with a dog, Sweetie, who was suffering from low-platelets in his system, caused by an autoimmune condition. The owners were students who were ill-equipment to handle the costly treatment plan. She described how some vets kept cats and dogs at their practices to sometimes acts as blood donors. Given that wasn't the case, she made the decision to allow her own dog, Emma, act as a blood donor for Sweetie. Hers was one of the happier endings.
Another story hit home for me regarding a cat that was elderly and had kidney disease. I have been there... It caused her to closely examine her own relationship with her cat Monty, who was of the same age.
Questions throughout the book looked at quality of life for our pets, and when it is time to make that awful decision. Sadly, some owners look inward, rather than doing what is best for their companion animal. Beware, tissues may be needed...
Another chapter dealt with a dog, Sweetie, who was suffering from low-platelets in his system, caused by an autoimmune condition. The owners were students who were ill-equipment to handle the costly treatment plan. She described how some vets kept cats and dogs at their practices to sometimes acts as blood donors. Given that wasn't the case, she made the decision to allow her own dog, Emma, act as a blood donor for Sweetie. Hers was one of the happier endings.
Another story hit home for me regarding a cat that was elderly and had kidney disease. I have been there... It caused her to closely examine her own relationship with her cat Monty, who was of the same age.
Questions throughout the book looked at quality of life for our pets, and when it is time to make that awful decision. Sadly, some owners look inward, rather than doing what is best for their companion animal. Beware, tissues may be needed...
May 8, 2018
If you are looking for a warm-hearted, James Herriot type of read, this is not it. I think James Herriot was one-of-a-kind. This is a memoir of a veterinarian that focuses on the first years of her career. It is told from a professional perspective - more focused on science and the clinical practice of veterinary medicine, diagnosing and treating disease, rather than the human stories that Herriot told, but it is an excellent read for animal lovers nevertheless. Dr. Fincham-Gray grew up and trained as a veterinarian in England, then came to the U.S. for an internship and stayed here, practicing first on the East Coast and then moving to California. The book focuses on her professional life – she only briefly discusses her personal life.
At first, she came off to me as cold and clinical. She explains that she never had a pet as a child and didn’t have a lot of friends, so this could explain her lack of warmth towards her patients and their humans. She adopted her first pet, a cat, while an intern at an animal hospital in Philadelphia. Over time, she learned warmth and love through her relationship with her cat and her experience and interaction with her patients and their people.
Each chapter focuses on one patient of hers while also discussing similar cases and her background to prepare her for diagnosing and treating the disease or illness that is discussed. She ends the book with the death of her first pet, her cat Monty, which is fitting since her relationship with him helped her to gain empathy as a vet.
Some of the stories will make you cry (not all have happy endings), but there are also stories of triumph over illness. The book especially conveys the tender love between human and canine or feline.
At first, she came off to me as cold and clinical. She explains that she never had a pet as a child and didn’t have a lot of friends, so this could explain her lack of warmth towards her patients and their humans. She adopted her first pet, a cat, while an intern at an animal hospital in Philadelphia. Over time, she learned warmth and love through her relationship with her cat and her experience and interaction with her patients and their people.
Each chapter focuses on one patient of hers while also discussing similar cases and her background to prepare her for diagnosing and treating the disease or illness that is discussed. She ends the book with the death of her first pet, her cat Monty, which is fitting since her relationship with him helped her to gain empathy as a vet.
Some of the stories will make you cry (not all have happy endings), but there are also stories of triumph over illness. The book especially conveys the tender love between human and canine or feline.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews