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

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

• 
  Petra time heals but a week isnt quite long enough

  One day in the life of a veterinary business. There were some interesting stories, but nothing out of the ordinary. What elevated the book for me was that it was a buddy read with my friend
  Sheila who has worked in both the practical and business side of veterinary medicine.
  
  One of my cats, Talullah, suffered an agonising death when the vet couldn't find a vein to pop the 'going to sleep forever' medicine in. I wasn't there but it was so traumatic my son still can't speak of it. So I learned exactly what medication I could give at home to sedate a cat if that awful situation should ever recur. That, and an interesting discussion on why a dog should have special dog food and not raw meat elevated an otherwise 3 star book to 3.5, rounded up.
• 
  Jim

  3.5 stars, but I just can't give it 4 stars. It is an interesting look at a modern vet & his hospital where he specializes in surgery on dogs & cats. There are plenty of references to Herriot & I think he wanted to write in that vein, but the tone was too uneven & he is too callous to carry that off. He didn't get the people the way Herriot did, although he does describe them superficially quite well.
  
  Marg tried reading this, but put it down about a quarter of the way through, about the worst part of the book. He cheerfully tells a resident that it was OK to run hundreds of dollars in unnecessary tests because the dog's owner will be so thrilled that it doesn't have cancer! IOW, his true character really shines through. That turned Marg off completely. I continued on & am glad I did. It never wowed me, but it was worth it.
  
  From a factual standpoint, it was quite interesting, if a bit scattered. Normally, I'd say that would help make the facts easier to digest, but he'd go off on tangents for too long, especially if I could read for only a short time. Still, many interesting facts & opinions came through. While I didn't agree with many the latter he made some wonderful points to ponder.
  
  He is one of the people who is helping Americans spend an unprecedented amount of money on pet health care. He routinely did $5000 operations on animals that didn't have a great chance of recovery nor long to live. He's OK with that & explains his reasons. I didn't find those reasons very compelling, but it is how he makes his living, so I suppose he had to rationalize it. Still, he's against ear & tail docking, his case against it was not only superficial, but wrong in some of the facts & was entirely at odds with his case for multiple surgeries on a dog with mere months to live. I found that rather chilling as his ego overrides his professed compassion.
  
  Overall, I don't like the author nor his type of vet practice. IMO, he's rationalized his hunger for the dollar just as some other vets have. I know the type & will use them. We have one near us & technically, they don't come any better. For tricky surgeries on one of the dogs, we will use them occasionally, high priced as they are. I don't doubt their surgical skills, only their common sense & compassion. For day to day pet care, we will stick with our regular group, a bunch of young vets who really do think their patients come first.
• 
  Matthew

  As I was walking through Borders, during a rare moment of free time from my first year of veterinary school, I stumbled upon this book and bought it without a second thought. A decision I don't regret.
  
  I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is considering a career in veterinary medicine or who is currently in veterinary school and needs their struggles to be put into perspective. Fear not, for those of you who are animal lovers and may not be knowledgeable about medicine, Dr. Trout does not overwhelm the books with medical jargon that is not clearly explained in layman terms.
  
  Like any book that deals with animals, it will make you depressed, it will make you overwhelmed with joy, and it will make you laugh.
• 
  Alaina

  Another dog book down and ugh, I need all the snuggles that I can get guys.
  
  Tell Me Where It Hurts just made me sob like a baby while reading the book. Oh my heart hurt throughout the entire book. I don't think I could ever be a vet because I would be way too busy giving them snuggles, loves, and treats instead of trying to figure out what was wrong.
  
  It's okay, I'll stick to my day job (for now).
  
  Other than that, I was intrigued by some of the stuff that was mentioned in this book. Especially when it came to raw meat vs dog food. With my first dog, we gave him dog food and after he died we got two more dogs. After some discussions with the breeder, she suggested we try raw meat this time around. Of course it has been an expensive adventure but I am happy with our overall choice of feeding our dogs raw meet. They get bones when they need to and all sort of yummy organs has treats.
  
  In the end, I'm glad that I took a chance on this and learned some pretty interesting information.
  
  
• 
  Chris Gordon

  An excellent book all around! Tell Me Where it Hurts had lots of funny anecdotes, heartwarming stories as well as its fair share of heartbreaking moments, and an overall inspirational feel to it.
  
  I truly love animals and had even once considered becoming a veterinarian myself when I was a little kid, so I hold this book in very high regards due to its subject matter (though, you do not need to have an interest in veterinary sciences to enjoy this book to its fullest extent). I know that anyone who cares for animals or has pets of their own will easily connect with Dr. Trout and his treasure trove of animal "tails" (forgive the pun).
  
  You will find a range of stories included in this memoir involving a variety of animals and their equally interesting owners. Of the stories included, I especially enjoyed reading about how Dr. Trout came around to becoming a veterinarian when he was inspired by following one for a day (as reluctant to do so as he was initially). Throughout this book, I felt like I was with Dr. Trout in the animal hospital meeting the animals, preforming the surgeries, experiencing the accomplishments as well as the losses, and going through the roller coaster ride of emotions that follows suit in such a profession. Definitely a powerful book that will not leave you out of the action.
  
  I think this would be an excellent book to pick up if you want to pursue a career in veterinary science or animal care, but it will just as easily appeal to anyone who loves animals in general. Tell Me Where it Hurts can help prospective veterinarians acclimate themselves to the emotional side of treating animals, whereas a textbook would only prepare someone for the technical side of caring for and operating on animals. In a complex field such as this, knowing what kind of emotional highs and lows await you is just as important as knowing how to perform a complex procedure, in my opinion, so this memoir should not be discounted by those with a serious mind for a future in animal care.
• 
  Melissa

  I disagree with a lot of previous reviews of this book. In 280 some odd pages, Nick Trout has managed to accomplish the seemingly impossible and find words to describe the indescribable relationship between owner and pet. Seldom has an author been able to take something so abstract and create something tangible.
  
  This book is less of a day in the life of a veterinarian than a collection of anecdotes and memories. Nick Trout chose to write it in this manner in order to cleverly convey the normal hectic pace of every day at the hospital. All of these events may not have occurred on the same day in reality, but they are meant to tie together Dr. Trout's most prominent memories to resemble his every day life.
  
  All in all, this book was a good read. Not many veterinarians can write so successfully. I wouldn't compare him to James Herriot, but Dr. Nick Trout is certainly an accomplished author in his own right. I do not recommend this read for anyone that has no interest in animals, but if you have ever looked into your loving dog's eyes or snuggled your kitten by the fireplace, I would say this is a book you would enjoy.
• 
  Melanie Moore

  I know the average reader will go to this book for cutesy animal stories and they are there. For me, the read was therapeutic in a sense. It’s nice to hear that these sort of scenarios go down in other hospitals. There’s emergencies in the middle of the night, surgeries to remove the most disgusting things from intestines, owners who can’t stop trying to find a cure and people who think that veterinary medicine is a waste of the consumer’s money.
  
  Veterinary medicine has challenges by the boatload. We practice on a wide spectrum of species. We meet people who want to do everything for their pet but don’t have the money. There are people with tons of money but would never spend it on a dog or cat. You’ll see cases that you know are doomed from the start, but sometimes you’ll have miracles pull through when you least expect it.
  
  All of this plus being constantly sprayed with some sort of bodily excrement and still being able to smile when people refer to MD’s as real doctors.
  
  I found myself crying during several stories and laughing uncontrollably at others. (The Jack Russler story… hilarious!) All of the stories in the book do not actually take place in the ‘Day Of Humor, Healing And Hope’. As he takes on each new case, he recalls other similar cases. Anyone who has spent time with a veterinary crowd knows that one story leads to another story that leads to another. I saw some reviewers found this sort of story telling awkward. I guess it came naturally to me.
  
  I plan to pass this book around to my coworkers. If you are in the veterinary field, I strongly recommend this book for some R&R reading that still ties in with your occupation. If you are an animal lover, I think you will enjoy it also. If you don’t love animals, then you are just a weirdo.
• 
  Robin

  Having spent hours in veterinary hospitals with various pets over the years, I am always curious about the lives on the other side of the table - the veterinarians. Their diagnoses are made often solely on observation, because their patients obviously can't communicate verbally about their distress (hence the ironic title.) And so Tell Me Where It Hurts revolves loosely on several different cases Trout, an orthopedic surgical specialist, sees in the course of a day.
  
  Unlike many works of nonfiction by those for whom writing is not a primary profession, Trout is actually a talented writer. I enjoyed his wry sense of humor, both in his quirkly observations (a dog peeing in the snow is "a yellow tribute to Jackson Pollack on a frozen canvas") and his stories (a couple's discovery of infidelity when a vet reveals the source of an abdominal obstruction - a black fishnet stocking that most certainly did not belong to the female partner.)
  
  Trout weaves his insight and perspective into the various issues vets must face (such as performing euthanasia, the rising costs of veterinary medicine, the difficult task of introducing poor prognoses to loving owners) in with anecdotes about his life growing up, his work as a student vet, and the case load. Some readers have complained that the effect is disjointed, but it read much like a real vet going through an actual day, where multi-tasking several animals throughout their treatments and recoveries is a must. That, interspersed with rounds and other conversations, is simply how vets work.
  
  Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Anyone who has loved an animal will relate to the cases in the book, and may need a tissue or two!
• 
  Nancy Mills

  Listened to this on cd and found it just charming. A great glimpse into the life of a small animal vet, and into his head and heart as well. He deals with the dilemma of whether to keep pets alive, sometimes at significant costs. as opposed to euthanizing and ending their pain. Of course, there is no hard and fast rule; it's a judgement call, and it's often very tough. In spite of the sometimes very serious subject matter, the book is written with humor and sparkle and is generally upbeat ... a very enjoyable and enlightening read. Not sure if it was read by the author himself, who is British, but the British accent is an added bonus .... what is it about English accents that I find so irresistible?
  
• 
  Jamie Collins

  Some nice animal stories, and not a bad read, but the writing is awkward and the book has no focus. It tries to cover too much territory for a short book and becomes a random collection of largely unsatisfying anecdotes.
  
  The author is a veterinary surgeon who performs expensive procedures on pets, and he does demonstrate the controversy behind this, albeit without an in-depth discussion. For instance, he tells the story of an old man who is willing to spend money he can hardly spare on a complex, risky procedure to save the life of an elderly dog.
  
  There’s much emphasis on how attached people are to their pets, and only one brief mention of the ethical problem of performing extensive medical procedures on an animal who cannot comprehend the trade-off of present suffering for future life and health.
• 
  Tabatha

  Read as an audiobook. The reader does an excellent job bringing this story to life.
  Since I am a veterinarian the information about the cases isn't foreign and I understand how telling the story of one case leads into the other stories Dr. Trout tells. Truly, this is what "a day in the life is like." For example, every time you see a GDV you immediately reflect back to all the failures of your previous similar cases and the only revisit the successes after that. You instantly reflect on what you learned from each case to do better for the next. Also, it is just enjoyable hearing the patient signalment and making a diagnosis before the big reveal in the book.
  I think every pet owner should read this book to understand what an emotionally and intellectually taxing profession this is. Dr. Trout kindly addresses throughout the book the causes of burnout in the veterinary profession. He also passes on all the craziness and chaos we see in a day. He says the things your vet wants to tell you but doesn't have the courage to communicate.
  Ultimately this is a book for animal lovers. If you feel like your pet is "just a dog/cat" then this story isn't for you.
  Many reviewers felt these stories were unbelievable or tragic. Here is the big news, this is exactly what happens all day long in specialty veterinary clinics and teaching hospitals. A surgeon, resident, intern can be managing on a rotation a patient with every single one of these cases all at the same time, have to see to their medical plans, communicate with those owners, be in those surgeries, be in radiology, be in special procedures, write chart, do treatment plans, work on their research, study for boards. To say this book is unrealistic or unbelievable is a great reason for it to have been written. This is exactly what life is like in a referral hospital. Speaking to the tragedy of these cases, surgeons do see all the hardest cases because they are beyond the scope of us general practicioners. They see the highest risk cases, but also get to see the great rewards. They also do it for 1/10 to 1/4 of the cost of human healthcare despite using all the same equipment, greater overhead and more, rather than less doctor patient time!
  
• 
  Sheila

  I was interested to see how realistic this book would be, since I work in the veterinary field, and was happy to find that the veterinarian author pretty much nails the things that would happen in the life of an emergency hospital veterinarian. The author does lump all of his unique and interesting cases into a one-day story, when the odds of seeing all these unique cases on any one day would be limited, but I am sure this was just done to keep the story interesting and to keep from having to tell all the routine and mundane repeat cases that veterinarians see. In the end have to say I enjoyed this one, and the last chapter even left me choked up.
• 
  Eggbeater

  I am conflicted about this book because I enjoyed the stories but found the in the author’s voice a narcissistic and misogynistic flavor complete with fat-shaming--so much so that I found myself yelling out loud at the book. I believe he cares about his furry patients but my guess is he’s not so great with people. Over all, this guy strikes me as the Donald Trump of veterinarians.
• 
  Stephen Wallace

  Great book. I thought about adding it to my 'dogs-favorite-books' category, but it is more about the vet, and while more dogs were center stage with him, there also is plenty of other animals. This book has all the things I look for to put into my favorites; I really loved the book, there were amazing moments and enough moments that made me laugh, great prose, and I would look forward to reading it again someday. I just thought my favorite 'dog' book list should be more dog centered. I would still highly recommend his book and look forward to reading two other books I have of his.
  
  Before you read the book, I would suggest you make a list of all the questions you would want to ask a vet. Then see how many he answers in the book (probably all).
  
  Being a book written by a vet, of course it is dealing with a tough topic, sick animals. Handled well in the book. It definitely isn't like the James Herriot books in that it is more real feeling instead of a dreamlike country stories. I appreciated how he took on all the topics. I learned a lot from the book.
  
  I thought this book would be perfect for someone wanting to be a vet. It just so happens I met some neighbors on my walk with my dog this morning, and they told me their son, recently out of the service, was applying to go to school to be a vet. So when I finished the book I gave it to him. (I will try to find a hardback to replace it in my collection later.)
• 
  Beth

  Difficult language but a very interesting insight of a life of a vet
• 
  Book Concierge

  Book on CD read by Simon Vance
  2**
  
  The subtitle really says it all: A Day of Humor, Healing and Hope in My Life as an Animal Surgeon.
  
  Trout uses a “day-in-the-life” structure to relay various stories from his experience as a veterinary surgeon in Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston Massachusetts. He tells the reader in the introduction that the stories he relates are composites and examples of the cases he has dealt with.
  
  I was expecting something in the way of James Herriott’s memoirs, but Trout isn’t anywhere near so good a writer. I will admit up front that I am not an animal lover. I like animals just fine, but I’m not sentimental about them (and, yes, I grew up with a succession of dogs as beloved family pets). So for me to be really involved in a book about pets and their owners, I need a writer who somehow makes the subject more universal. This book just didn’t do it for me. I didn’t find anything particularly humorous or entertaining. I was mostly bored.
  
  Simon Vance narrated the audio version. I think he did a creditable job, but he really didn’t have great material to work with.
  
• 
  Sandy

  Never judge a book by its cover! I was expecting a warm and fuzzy day-in-the-life-of saga. What I found instead, was a thoughtful, funny and sometimes illuminating look at veterinary medicine, specifically veterinary surgery. Perhaps more importantly though, this was also a book about relationships - between owner and pet, owner and vet, vet and pet.
  To be sure, this book is not without its faults. Dr. Trout's writing style is very tangential in nature which often makes it difficult to figure out where you are in the narrative - breadcrumbs should be required! Occasionally he also provides more information than necessary on a subject and, at least in my case, it tends to bog you down. Those quibbles aside though, I really did enjoy this book very much.
  If you are looking for another James Herriot, you won't find him here. If, however, you are looking for an insightful (and entertaining) view of modern veterinary medicine from someone who clearly loves his job, Dr. Nick Trout is your man.
• 
  Christina

  I was disappointed by this book. When I picked it up I was hoping for more stories about the animals themselves, their struggles and triumphs. Instead the book is more about Dr. Trout himself and what it takes to be a vet. While that is interesting I think it took up more of the book than I wanted.
• 
  JoJo

  I loved this book. I found it hard to put it down.
  
  Not only did you get to read about Dr Trout's experiences with the animals he helps, but he also talks of things like pet insurance, pet obesity, exotic animals and more. I found it very informative.
  
  If anyone owns a pet and/or is animal lover, this book is a must-read!
  
  
• 
  Annie Z.

  Well of course I am gonna love a Veterinary book but this one is exceptional. Dr. Trout has a way with a scalpel and also a way with the written word. I like the way that the entire book spans just one day in the life of a Veterinary surgeon. I also love the fact that he doesn't just share just the successful cases but gives the reader a realistic view of the triumphs and failures in Veterinary medicine. The narrator also does a great job and I love his English accent.
• 
  Kirsten

  I used to think I could become a vet. Blame James Herriot. I loved his book and I absolutely LOVED the program. To me Robert Hardy will always be Siegfried Farnon, and Peter Davison will always be his brother Tristan (not the Doctor).
  
  So, I was thrilled to start reading this. I lucked into this book. It was one of a stack of books my next-door neighbor gave me when I went to ask her for help with one of my dogs. My dog had started going a little lame and I was trying to find out if there was something I could feed her to help her arthritis. You may ask why not give her a pill? Well, that is a longish story and you may send me a note if you would like to know more.
  
  Well, as I was saying, she had this book in the pile. Why? I don't know. It's a memoir. The author is an animal surgeon at an animal hospital in Boston. The book is just a day in the life sort of thing. And what a very long day he has too. The book is full of wonderful stories and lessons learned and lots and lots of humor. It's actually a better book to read before embarking on a career of veterinary medicine. It doesn't have that certain romance that Herriot's books had. I really enjoyed it and thought it was well written, but it was no Herriot. It didn't wring my heart out. But that's not to say it didn't touch it.
• 
  RunRachelRun

  I picked this book out for my stepdaughter who just had her first baby (I assume it will be her first...) last Thursday. She's a vet tech and I'm proud to say that I introduced her to the legendary James Herriott when I first started dating her dad those long years ago. Nick Trout is no James Herriott but he's not bad either. I don't think anyone could ever scale the summit to stand beside Herriott. What a wonderful, wonderful man was James. I still cry a little when I go back to his books - they're just too wonderful. I think that now, the problem is, that life is too sharp, too confrontational, just too too. There's no lyricism anymore.
• 
  Ellis

  Second cutest dog ever on the cover.
• 
  J L's Bibliomania

  My middle-school non-fiction reader loved it. I thought it was OK. Definitely not up to the standard set by James Herriot for veterinary memoirs, but few are.
• 
  Steven Meyers

  There’s something dead inside you if ‘Tell Me Where It Hurts’ does not make you appreciate the challenges of being a veterinarian. Dr. Trout has the same inviting writing style associated with the late James Herriot of ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ fame. While Dr. Herriot described being a rural veterinarian, Dr. Trout gives the reader a view of being an attending at a Boston animal hospital.
  
  The book was published in 2008. Most of the stories involve dog patients and an occasional cat episode. It includes a short chapter on exotic pets. Many of the stories are used to clarify the challenges for people in their profession, especially interns just getting their feet wet. There is mild profanity in the book and the sexually-tinged events are handled in a delicate manner. Dr. Trout does not shy away in addressing his past mistakes and shows that veterinarians struggle and continue to learn like the rest of us. The author addresses such topics as the proliferation of female vets, euthanasia, the strong bonds between owners and their pets, obesity, amputations, cosmetic surgical procedures, and the benefits as well as pitfalls of pet owners doing research on the Internet. You come to understand the moral grey areas intrinsic to many of their cases.
  
  ‘Tell Me Where It Hurts’ is an entertaining, introspective, and educational memoir. I would be genuinely surprised if anyone who loves animals hated the book. Dr. Trout comes across as humane, fallible, and empathetic towards the animals and their owners. He has a great deal of respect for people that enter his demanding profession. The author’s story about his 13-year-old German shepherd, Patch, echoed close to our own experiences with our family’s first dog, TJ. Hell, it hit so close to home I found my eyes welling up with tears, despite TJ having died thirteen years ago in June of 2006. The tender memoir kept me engrossed right to the very last sentence. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go touch TJ’s urn.
• 
  Carrie Daws

  This book pulled me in and kept me coming back for just a little more even though I’m not what anyone would label as suitable for the medical field. Dr. Trout’s stories kept me engaged and wanting to know more, offering enough detail so I could understand without drowning me in medical jargon. He dives into the heart and mind of veterinary surgeons, sharing about some of the more complex issues with their field. And he shares about his patients and their owners in such a caring way that he took me on an emotional roller coaster as I worried about their health like I was vested in their recovery. After reading this book, I have a much deeper respect for those who care for my pets.
• 
  Dylan

  This book has heart, humor, and drama. Dr. Trout is a fantastic author. He is hilarious and insightful all at the same time, and you definitely get roped into the story of his "day" (even though it's a bunch of different anecdotes combined to seem like a day, but whatever).
  
  Some negative reviews said this book was underwhelming and predictable. I have to respectfully disagree. One thing I learned from this book is that veterinary medicine is anything but predictable. I absolutely loved this book!
• 
  Dora

  sex jokes, sexist jokes and fat-shaming in a book (mostly) about dogs and being a vet
  wow
• 
  Sara

  This book had the usual animal and human bond stories. This vet is a surgeon, but still has interactions with owners. Not just pet stories but also insights as to why someone wants to be a vet, the stress of being a vet, and the info that more and more vets are women.