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All My Patients Have Tales: Favorite Stories from a Vet's Practice
All My Patients Have Tales is a heartwarming and funny collection of stories by a dedicated veterinarian featuring wild horses, porcupine-quill-covered dogs, male cats in labor, an extremely ornery pygmy donkey, an enormous hog, as well as many other domestic, and not so “domestic” animals. Wells begins his work as an inexperienced recent college grad and emerges a caring and beloved veterinarian. Affording the reader an inside glimpse into his daily life, he narrates many uplifting, life-altering, lifethreatening, and hilarious episodes.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 8, 2006
102 people are currently reading
1249 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Wells
33 books12 followersJeff Wells, D.V.M is a practicing veterinarian in the foothills of Colorado. A graduate of Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Wells has cared for many types of animals.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
December 14, 2014
This is a collection of stories told by a veterinarian. Jeff Wells also includes chapters on how he became a vet and when he started out as a brand new vet at his first job.
I really enjoyed this. Living in a city with only cats, I often don't think about all the other types of animals that vets care for, including horses, cows, pigs and there is even one story of a yak! The book had a few cute illustrations, and I liked that each chapter had a very small illustration of whichever type of critter would be focused on in that chapter. Definitely an enjoyable book.
I really enjoyed this. Living in a city with only cats, I often don't think about all the other types of animals that vets care for, including horses, cows, pigs and there is even one story of a yak! The book had a few cute illustrations, and I liked that each chapter had a very small illustration of whichever type of critter would be focused on in that chapter. Definitely an enjoyable book.
February 4, 2025
All My Patients Have Tales is an extremely readable collection of stories from a young veterinarian. Wells is likeable and his stories are pleasant in the manner of an American James Herriot. I struggled with this book being 3.75 or 4 stars and ultimately gave it the higher rating due to the heartwarming nature of the content and tone. Recommended for old farm kids who dreamed or toyed with the idea of being a veterinarian or anyone who loves animals.
December 2, 2009
Not the most riveting writing and I guess with a title like that, I shouldn't be too surprised. Some of the animal-vet anecdotes were fun but nothing that screamed "This is a story about a goat that you just have to hear!". There's a better and more heartfelt Vet's tell all written by a vet who works or used to work at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Jamaica Plain called "Tell Me Where it Hurts".
August 1, 2022
I loved this book! Great stories, none of them long, all interesting and many funny moments, right amount of humor and sarcasm. I have his 2nd book too:)
May 6, 2009
Charming stories written by a Colorado veterinarian. Most of the chapters were from his earlier years in practice. Wells writes with a lot of sincerity and tenderness for the animals and their owners and peppers his accounts with quite a bit of humor.
I preferred the more substantiative prose of "Tell Me Where it Hurts" by Nick Trout, but this book is a nice light read that animal lovers should enjoy.
I preferred the more substantiative prose of "Tell Me Where it Hurts" by Nick Trout, but this book is a nice light read that animal lovers should enjoy.
August 9, 2009
Veterinarian Wells tells of his adventures, mostly in Colorado, as a doctor at a mixed animal practice. From cats and dogs, through cows and horses, and on to more exotic species, including tigers (from a visiting circus) and yaks, Wells treats his patients, and deals with their often more difficult owners.
May 12, 2009
Nice tale of veterinary life in Colorado with glimpses of the trials and tribulations that face a neophyte doctor. The tone is somewhat reminiscent of James Herriot's adventures as Dr. Wells recounts some of the characters (both 2- and 4-legged) that he has encountered over the years.
February 16, 2025
Very wholesome and funny! Reminded me why I wanted to be a vet for so many years
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March 17, 2025Short, somewhat funny stories from a rural vet in the United States.
April 18, 2013
I read the book All My Patients Have Tales by Jeff Wells. This book is about Jeff’s life and how he survived being a veterinarian all in a set of hilarious stories. The genre of this book was a Memoir. If I had to rate this book I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. That is how awesome this book is.
The setting takes place in the south west. In the first half of the book he is in Colorado. In the second he’s in Nebraska. The main character is Jeff but there are also Jenny, and Christie. Jenny was his assistant when he worked in Colorado and was with him for some of the funniest moments in the beginning of the book. Christie was with him after he moved to Nebraska for another job. The conflict of the book is dealing with the animals that put up a fight. When he goes to vet school he takes different classes on animal science. On his third year of collage the students had to check if a cow was pregnant. The student that had to check this ahead of him didn’t have fun with it. After vet school he moves to Colorado where he meets Jenny his assistant. The first patient they meet was a few horses. Jeff needed to determine whether or not the horses were pregnant. He did a lot with horses in his career. He also works with smaller animals in the clinic. One of the animals in the clinic was a cat. This cat was named henry. He had a urinary infection. He would not let Jeff treat him and ran around the exam room while knocking glass containers off the counters. Jeff treats the animals with great care.
All My Patients Have Tales by Jeff Wells is a great book. My favorite part was where he gets attacked by guard turkeys. After that visit the clients decided to get a guard dog and got rid of the turkeys. A quote was “she began to thank me for fixing her filly and it was then that I noticed the red marks covering her face and arms. My jaw must have dropped because Mr. King felt he needed to explain. ‘Those darn turkeys got her down in the front yard’”
The setting takes place in the south west. In the first half of the book he is in Colorado. In the second he’s in Nebraska. The main character is Jeff but there are also Jenny, and Christie. Jenny was his assistant when he worked in Colorado and was with him for some of the funniest moments in the beginning of the book. Christie was with him after he moved to Nebraska for another job. The conflict of the book is dealing with the animals that put up a fight. When he goes to vet school he takes different classes on animal science. On his third year of collage the students had to check if a cow was pregnant. The student that had to check this ahead of him didn’t have fun with it. After vet school he moves to Colorado where he meets Jenny his assistant. The first patient they meet was a few horses. Jeff needed to determine whether or not the horses were pregnant. He did a lot with horses in his career. He also works with smaller animals in the clinic. One of the animals in the clinic was a cat. This cat was named henry. He had a urinary infection. He would not let Jeff treat him and ran around the exam room while knocking glass containers off the counters. Jeff treats the animals with great care.
All My Patients Have Tales by Jeff Wells is a great book. My favorite part was where he gets attacked by guard turkeys. After that visit the clients decided to get a guard dog and got rid of the turkeys. A quote was “she began to thank me for fixing her filly and it was then that I noticed the red marks covering her face and arms. My jaw must have dropped because Mr. King felt he needed to explain. ‘Those darn turkeys got her down in the front yard’”
January 28, 2016
All My Patients Have Tales is a marvelous look at the life of a beginning veterinarian. Unlike the urban or suburban image most of us have of the profession, these many stories involve rural Colorado and South Dakota, so not just dogs and cats but everything from the expected horses and cows to yaks, circus elephants, and even a run-in with an African lion.
The book delightfully immerses the reader in the harsh grotesque beauty of the profession – I can’t count the number of times we find Wells’ arm up a birth canal or rectum, or the number of times an animal thanks him for his efforts with an explosive bowel movement. Yet the more entertaining parts of the book involve his dealings with his patients’ owners – whether taciturn farmers who continue to trust older vets over him even when they see the aged docs getting diagnoses wrong, or cruel sorts delighting at his humiliations.
The nature of the book is as a collection of short vignettes, and this is also its one failing – each chapter seems a unit unto itself; while the book covers a decade or more, we don’t really sense Wells’ growth or even much of his personality. While it begins with an open description of his difficulties in studies, and pauses for certain moments like his moving or marriage, this serves far more as a guide (whether warning or advertisement) to what a veterinary practice is like in our modern society. James Herriot’s England this ain’t!
Having said that, it’s hard to imagine a book with this goal doing a better job of it. I fully recommend it to anyone either considering a veterinary career, or (like me) endlessly in awe of these healing angels.
The book delightfully immerses the reader in the harsh grotesque beauty of the profession – I can’t count the number of times we find Wells’ arm up a birth canal or rectum, or the number of times an animal thanks him for his efforts with an explosive bowel movement. Yet the more entertaining parts of the book involve his dealings with his patients’ owners – whether taciturn farmers who continue to trust older vets over him even when they see the aged docs getting diagnoses wrong, or cruel sorts delighting at his humiliations.
The nature of the book is as a collection of short vignettes, and this is also its one failing – each chapter seems a unit unto itself; while the book covers a decade or more, we don’t really sense Wells’ growth or even much of his personality. While it begins with an open description of his difficulties in studies, and pauses for certain moments like his moving or marriage, this serves far more as a guide (whether warning or advertisement) to what a veterinary practice is like in our modern society. James Herriot’s England this ain’t!
Having said that, it’s hard to imagine a book with this goal doing a better job of it. I fully recommend it to anyone either considering a veterinary career, or (like me) endlessly in awe of these healing angels.
January 31, 2011
This book is for all animal lovers, Veterinarians, and especially those that are aspiring to be Veterinarians.
Jeff Wells grew up in a small community in southeastern Iowa. He was active in 4-H and lived on a "hobby" farm that had a horse, dogs, cats, and various other animals. He had a love for animals and decided to become a Veterinarian.
He explains what it takes to get into Veterinary School, what one must study, how long it takes, and how money it will cost. There is on chapter that is almost exclusively channeled towards those who are thinking of going to Vet School.
The rest of the book tells about his first job in South Dakota. He was low man on the totem pole and was given the assignments nobody else wanted. This includes not only ornery critters, and ornery owners, but also included going to secluded places in the dead of winter.
It is a marvelous journey that has Jeff treating, not only the tradition family pets, but also elephants, yaks, and bison. Most the tales are light and funny but show the seriousness of the Veterinary profession. He tells of the many call outs in the middle of the nightand how, although he did not want to go, knew that some animal and it's owner were depending on him.
This is absolutely a marvelous book that will stand up against such books as, "Marley and Me", "Tell Me Where It Hurts", and "The Art of Racing in the Rain."
I would consider this a must for those who are thinking about Veterinary Medicine as a career.
Jeff Wells grew up in a small community in southeastern Iowa. He was active in 4-H and lived on a "hobby" farm that had a horse, dogs, cats, and various other animals. He had a love for animals and decided to become a Veterinarian.
He explains what it takes to get into Veterinary School, what one must study, how long it takes, and how money it will cost. There is on chapter that is almost exclusively channeled towards those who are thinking of going to Vet School.
The rest of the book tells about his first job in South Dakota. He was low man on the totem pole and was given the assignments nobody else wanted. This includes not only ornery critters, and ornery owners, but also included going to secluded places in the dead of winter.
It is a marvelous journey that has Jeff treating, not only the tradition family pets, but also elephants, yaks, and bison. Most the tales are light and funny but show the seriousness of the Veterinary profession. He tells of the many call outs in the middle of the nightand how, although he did not want to go, knew that some animal and it's owner were depending on him.
This is absolutely a marvelous book that will stand up against such books as, "Marley and Me", "Tell Me Where It Hurts", and "The Art of Racing in the Rain."
I would consider this a must for those who are thinking about Veterinary Medicine as a career.
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April 13, 2011 This book is a biography by Jeff Wells, a SD vet. In "All My Patients Have Tails" Jeff tells you about his favorite times when he was a vet, funny and sad.
In one of his stories he tells you about a cat named Fred who was old and had been having some problems. Fred hated going to the clinic so one day her owner called Jeff and told him what was wrong with Fred. She new her cat hated going to the clinic so they both decided it would be best if the vet and his assistent came to there house to give Fred the vaccinations. The part in this story that made me laugh was when they decided to scoot Fred across the counter top to destract her when giving her the vaccinations thet she didnt even notice seh was getting vaccinated.
This is a very good book in my opinion. I would really recomend this book to people who are thinking of going into veterinarian medicine. I picked this book to read because i love animals and have wanted to be a vet since i was 8 years old.
In one of his stories he tells you about a cat named Fred who was old and had been having some problems. Fred hated going to the clinic so one day her owner called Jeff and told him what was wrong with Fred. She new her cat hated going to the clinic so they both decided it would be best if the vet and his assistent came to there house to give Fred the vaccinations. The part in this story that made me laugh was when they decided to scoot Fred across the counter top to destract her when giving her the vaccinations thet she didnt even notice seh was getting vaccinated.
This is a very good book in my opinion. I would really recomend this book to people who are thinking of going into veterinarian medicine. I picked this book to read because i love animals and have wanted to be a vet since i was 8 years old.
June 3, 2011
Just a couple of weeks ago, I read a book called Every Patient Tells a Story by Lisa Sanders. I was tickled when I found this book because of the similarities in the titles, and also because I was sure that a book about animals as patients would be really fun and amusing to read.
Well, it wasn’t a bad book, there are a couple of funny stories, but somehow it just left me feeling somewhat indifferent to it.
It’s probably not so much the stories as it is the writing style and the presentation of the stories, so in all fairness, I’m not criticizing his experiences or expertise in his practice, but the book itself.
With many of the stories, I found myself wondering what his point was. These are amusing anecdotes, sure, but they don’t seem to be worth spending money on to buy the book. It was a little disappointing as I expected more from it.
Well, it wasn’t a bad book, there are a couple of funny stories, but somehow it just left me feeling somewhat indifferent to it.
It’s probably not so much the stories as it is the writing style and the presentation of the stories, so in all fairness, I’m not criticizing his experiences or expertise in his practice, but the book itself.
With many of the stories, I found myself wondering what his point was. These are amusing anecdotes, sure, but they don’t seem to be worth spending money on to buy the book. It was a little disappointing as I expected more from it.
June 10, 2019
This vet isn’t the best writer. There were so many grammar and spelling mistakes, it was a little embarrassing. But scientists aren’t really known for being amazing writers. This book has many cute vet stories that any age would love.
I’ve shadowed many vets and can relate to and have heard firsthand of many experiences here, but it’s so fun just seeing how wild veterinary practice is. Wells also does a great job of explaining the medical issues and treatments so that anyone can enjoy and understand what’s going on, even people who have never heard of these ailments and medicines.
I’ve shadowed many vets and can relate to and have heard firsthand of many experiences here, but it’s so fun just seeing how wild veterinary practice is. Wells also does a great job of explaining the medical issues and treatments so that anyone can enjoy and understand what’s going on, even people who have never heard of these ailments and medicines.
March 10, 2018
Collection of short stories about the life of a new veterinarian. Great book to have on hand when you want to relax for a short while with an entertaining book. I like to read a chapter to two while sitting in waiting rooms for medical appointments and this helps time go by. The stories are entertaining and the author shares his insight about his patients and their owners in a gentle, humorous manner.
December 21, 2017
Pretty good memoir of a young vet's early years, finishing school and going to work. You won't mistake Dr. Wells for James Herriot, but I enjoyed his stories. The book got buried in the bedside table pile and then came due, and I have no real plans to check it out again. Still, if you come across it, worth a shot. 2.5 stars.
March 10, 2017
Get this book. IMHO you will enjoy it!
I read this book and immediately followed it with Dr. Well's second book. He is a very good writer and tells wonderful short essays about his adventures as a large and small animal veterinarian. A wonderful person who has shared a wonderful life with his readers. You will get to feel as if you know him and his patients. Great read.
I read this book and immediately followed it with Dr. Well's second book. He is a very good writer and tells wonderful short essays about his adventures as a large and small animal veterinarian. A wonderful person who has shared a wonderful life with his readers. You will get to feel as if you know him and his patients. Great read.
October 5, 2017
I loved this book it got me more into becoming a vet and it makes me excited to start my career. and all the story's are funny and entertaining to read I could not put the book down. I also liked his style of writing. It was simple to understand. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to become a vet.
March 7, 2019
Fun stories, but no unifying theme and not enough information. More like stories told at a party than in a book. I think this would have done better for me as an audio book with a couple of stories to listen to during my commute. Never really got a sense of character or connection with the author, the humans, or the patients.
June 13, 2019
My daughter saw this at the library at wanted me to read it. Not to her, just on my own. 😄 But I really enjoyed the funny stories and got quite a better understanding of what vets do. She wants to be a vet when she grows up, so I'll have her read this in ten years or so to give her an idea of what she's in for
February 1, 2020
Funny and humble! You will cry, too, as the book touches on the death of beloved pets. It was a well rounded book and I found myself imagining the author keeping a journal through his early vet years in order to write it. I just started working with rehabbing wildlife and I am doing the same.
Read if you love animals, especially if you are thinking of going into the veterinary field.
Read if you love animals, especially if you are thinking of going into the veterinary field.
July 12, 2018
I learned a lot about what a job a veterinarian has, especially in the mountains of Colorado. Some stories are funny. Some are sad. Some are gross. I guess I learned about people and their pets, too.
September 12, 2019
It wasn't *as* engaging as the other veterinary book I was reading, but that's just my opinion. I love these books nonetheless, stories about animals to always put a smile on your face, and wisdom with them that you can always learn a little something from them.
October 18, 2020
A fun romp through the challenges and rewards of being a mixed animal vet.
July 10, 2017
Funny stories about the start of a vet's career. Some descriptions and cures got repetitive though. Not bad overall, but not my favorite.
August 7, 2017
It was a blast! I have also Read his first book. Hope he continues to tell his tales!
March 28, 2018
This was a quick, funny, heartwarming read.
April 1, 2018
Interesting to hear client challenges.
April 24, 2019
Nice stories.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews