Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing and Hope in My Life as an Animal Surgeon

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 304 pages
• Published by: Broadway March 11, 2008
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0767926439
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0767926430
• Book Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Weighs: 1.2 pounds

From Publishers Weekly
This is the perfect gift for anyone considering becoming a veterinarian. Trout, a staff surgeon at Boston's Angell Animal Medical Center, has exactly the traits that any pet owner would wish to find in a vet: he's smart, sensitive, experienced, empathic and has an great sense of humor. He also happens to be an great writer, and his personality suffuses the many stories sifted from recollections of thousands of animal encounters during his 25 years of practice and compressed in this account into one day. Trout shows how the daily life of a veterinarian requires the ability to be a social worker, a psychologist, a grief counselor, mentor, carpenter, plumber, cosmetologist, athletic coach, magician, grim reaper, and occasionally, guardian angel. And in some of the more heart rending stories, such as that of an older widowed man dealing with the potential loss of his shepherd companion, Sage, Trout shows his sensitivity to the fact that in each case, The rewards and strength of the bonds with the animals in their lives proved irresistible, irrepressible, and more than worth the risk. (Mar. 11)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From AudioFile
A day in the life of Boston veterinary surgeon Nick Trout is one thing after another. His memoir squeezes some of his most dramatic and unusual cases into one day, starting at 2:47 a.m. with an emergency call for a dog with a bloated stomach. Within that framework, Trout leaves room for flashbacks to his early career and reflections on what life is like for a modern vet. Simon Vance adeptly captures the mixture of pulse-pounding drama, heartfelt emotion, and sarcastic humor in Trout's lively writing and balances it with the facts and background that flesh out the portrait. Even if his life is more Jack Bauer than James Herriot in its urban demands, Trout's dedication and love of animals come through. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Reader Reviews
I grew up in the Boston area and actually remember my parents using Angell Hospital for a dog we owned that had been hit by a car. That was back in the mid 1960s and it was the place to go then, and apparently it is still the place to go if you need care that exceeds that of a local veterinarian. Dr. Trout takes the reader on not only a tour of the hospital, by way of rounds and consultations, but also a tour of the owners of the pets involved and the feelings generated by pet lovers for their pets. During his examination he places, front and center, many of the issues in the industry today. How much are you willing to pay, how much are you able to pay, and what is really best for the animal? All three are distinct and separate questions that Trout feels people in the veterinary profession have to be aware of. And these are only three of the many he poses. Dr. Trout exemplifies the type of surgeon you would want working to save your pets life and comes across as caring and involved. The book is emotional and I was laughing one moment and crying the next. I could and did sympathize with owners as well as with the pets and with the doctors involved. Whatever else this book does, it will make you think about a lot of things that need to be thought about. And it will entertain you along the way.