Doctor Phillips Schott recalls some of his more interesting cases practicing as a small animal veterinarian. He has treated friendly animals and unfriendly ones, and some rather unusual ones. He recounts how he kind of stumbled into veterinary science. And its easy to see that his patients are lucky that he did. He believes that his practice is really one of dealing with people who happen to have pets rather than the other way around. His well-written essays are entertaining and charming, and readers will undoubtedly learn something from them, like how to pill a cat. Or maybe not. Sigh. ( )

Overall, a charming and easily read book about Schott’s experiences as a veterinarian of 28 years. I was somewhat uncomfortable with what were obviously intended to be amusing anecdotes about some of his “wackier” clients. It struck me that he didn’t always have insight into why they behaved as they did. For example, an elderly lady kept a record of her cat’s completely normal bowel movements (which she then read to him). Indolent intestinal lymphoma is not uncommon in cats, and manifests with changes in the animal’s stool. It is possible that this owner had previously lost a cat to lymphoma and was attempting to be proactive.

Schott also includes advice on pilling a cat, suggesting that if owners have trouble with this, they should check to see if a long-acting injectable is available. The problem with this approach is that if a cat has an untoward reaction, nothing can be done about it. When you’re using pills, you can STOP administering them if the animal sickens. Once an injectable antibiotic like Convenia is in the body, however, it’s in there for the duration. Although generally well tolerated, this drug may cause a pet to “have decreased appetite, vomiting, decreased activity, depression, or anaphylaxis, which is a serious allergic reaction. Convenia® can also cause anemia, a decreased immune system efficiency, a blood platelet problem or a clotting problem.” The European Medicines Agency also warns that “Neurological signs (ataxia, convulsion or seizure) and injection site reactions have been reported in very rare cases after the use of the product.”

I’ve taken my companion animals to a heck of a lot of vets over the years. While it may be true that veterinarians begin as sensitive souls, they often don’t remain that way. I’m aware they’re stressed, overworked and exposed to a lot of suffering, not just that of the animals they care for but also of the people who are bonded with those animals. Some vets appear to burn out very quickly. (The suicide rate in this career field is quite high.) It strikes me that the selection of perfectionist vet school candidates with the highest marks, just like the selection of the most academically successful students for medical school, may not be the best policy. Some of these candidates don’t reason effectively or handle stress well and they aren’t good with people (which Schott says is more important in vet medicine than most people know).

I agree with the author that going after veterinarians or anyone else for that matter on social media is highly problematic. However, I believe judiciously worded, factually based warnings about some practitioners is helpful to others who may be considering taking their pet to a particular clinic or vet professional. Regulatory bodies seldom hold negligent veterinary and medical professionals appropriately accountable. Dispensing “advice” is the most common response. No one checks to see that the advice is actually followed or adhered to. ( )

Not James Herriot but still interesting

Mr. Schott is not James Herriot but then he isn't trying to be. Mr. Schott's book is a series of short – 1 to 2 pages – essays about his life and his veterinary practice in Manitoba. His story begins with the engaging story of how he accidentally became a vet, which rang a bell for me because I similarly chose my profession by accident.

The essays themselves are not especially engaging, although they are informative, science-based, and occasionally quite moving. I think that the book is a collection of collected and edited blog posts. This is a very fast read and, if you can find it in a library, quite nice. I don't think it is worth buying though.

I received a review copy of "The Accidental Veterinarian: Tales from a Pet Practice" by Philipp Schott from ECW Press through LibraryThing.com. ( )

The author is a veterinarian in Manitoba, and this is a memoir of how he became a vet, as well as anecdotes of his practice, including not only the pets/animals he sees, but also the people and behind the scenes, as well. It was originally written as a series of blog posts (or most of the stories, anyway).

I found this really interesting; in addition to the animal stories, he discusses things like costs, diseases, etc. He gives tips on dealing with your vet, as well as dealing with your pet (i.e. giving a pill to your cat!). He also talks about the people he sees. Because it’s written in short “essays”, it moves from one topic to the next quickly, but that didn’t really bother me. I really enjoyed this! ( )

This is a delightful book. I was probably expecting something like the James Herriot books, set in Canada, but in many ways, this was a more complete look at a veterinarian’s practice than the Herriot books. This book was educational, amusing and made me think about what’s involved in taking care of animals. I may have learned more about some subjects than I wanted but I’m glad I did. Philipp Scott is an excellent writer and I hope he goes on to write more books. ( )