Customer Reviews

Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humour, Healing and Hope in My Life as a Vet

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Nick Trout is British, living and practicing veterinary medicine in Boston in a state of the art animal hospital. This true to life account takes you through a typical day in his working life, and this typical working day happens to be 24 hours long. Don't be put off by the fact it is set in the US as Trout has considerately changed certain language for his UK audience. i.e. pounds(lbs) becomes stones and he has even included lots of up to date statistics on UK veterinary data.

Each case is a story written with warmth and sometimes frustration. His accomplished prose makes for a fascinating and enjoyable account of a vet's viewpoint about his job, his patients and their sometimes incorrigible owners.

The structure allows for the recounting of a case at regular intervals, thus building up an entire days practice but also invites the reader to share the more technical and medical aspects of treatment without it ever becoming dull.

His candid approach even lifts the lid on issues which may never have crossed our minds before; How does the act of euthanising a patient affect a vet? How many vets are actually happy in their jobs? Can vets truly practice ethically when a client's ability to pay becomes a problem?

This book is by no means dry. Dr Trout is aware that comparisons will be drawn between himself and James Herriot. Unlike Herriot, Tell Me Where It Hurts is funny and educational, offering hope and humility, humour and heartache. It is James Herriot for a more sophisticated audience.

This is an excellent book for anyone (young teenagers and above) who might be considering a career in veterinary medicine. Alternatively, if you have ever visited a vet with your pet and harboured inappropriate questions regarding their lifestyle, ethics or how they see their clients, then I think you might be pleasantly surprised.

I am a 3rd vet student and found this book an inspirational and educational read. It gives a fantastic insight into life as a small animal vet and highlights the ups and downs that are experienced in this challenging career. I read it while studying for my last lot of exams and it helped to remind me why it will all be worth it in the end! I felt myself thinking while reading it that it may be a little technical in places for people who are not medically minded, but I enjoyed the detail he gave on each case. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in studying veterinary.

Tell me where it Hurts by Nick Trout is a great read.
I've worked in animal shelters most of my life, been a vet
nurse for several years, and had (and still have) multiple
dogs that I train and have as pets.

Nick Trouts tales are real. Funny, sad, descriptive and
tells the reader what it is really like to be a vet who truly
loves animals, and doesn't just treat them as case numbers with
a large profit margin.
I sincerely hope he writes another book, and another, and another.
I couldn't put the book down.
It is very well written.

Having sat and read this book in two days, I found it to be funny, sad, and believeable. Anybody who has pets would understand the stories told in this book.
Its is well worth buying and i hope like me you cant put it down.

Nick Trout appears a conscientious vet. However, until he reveals why he choose to become a vet, the book is sarcastic and dreary. The second half is more upbeat. I was looking forward to reading this book, but it did not deliver.