Wednesday 9 June 2021

Book ~ "How to Examine a Wolverine: More Tales from the Accidental Veterinarian" (2021) Philipp Schott

From Goodreads ~ Crammed with useful info, funny recollections, heartfelt anecdotes, and lots of cute furry creatures, a collection for all animal lovers! 

This collection of over 60 stories and essays, drawn from Dr. Schott's 30 years in small animal practice, covers an astonishing breadth of experiences, emotions, and species. 

Schott has tales of creatures ranging from tiny honeybees to massive Burmese pythons, although the emphasis is on dogs and cats and the interesting, often quirky, people who love them. He also doles out advice on current topics such as CBD oil, raw diets, and COVID-19, as well as the mysteries of catnip, dog flatulence, and duck erectile dysfunction. 

Schott's candor gives the reader a behind-the-scenes look at a profession that is much admired but often misunderstood. What is it really like to be a veterinarian? More to the point, what is it really like to be a veterinarian when confused pet parents call at 2:00 a.m.? Or when your patient bolts for the road? Or when you're asked to spay a dog on a resort's kitchen table? Readers will also learn how to make a sheep sit on its bum and, yes, how to examine a wolverine. 

I like reading books about animals and that's why this one caught my eye.

Dr. Schott is a veterinarian in Winnipeg, MB.  He has advanced training in diagnostic ultrasound and for the last fifteen years has had the largest ultrasound referral practice in Manitoba.  His other special interests in practice are cardiology, oncology and internal medicine. He has also been the chair of the provincial Peer Review Committee (professional discipline) for a number of years.  Dr. Schott was named Manitoba Veterinarian of the Year in 2009 and was presented the Award of Merit by the Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association in 2015.

After reading all his qualifications, you would think that the writing in this book would be stilted and super professional.  Actually it was quite the opposite ... I enjoyed his writing style as it was amusing and casual, sometimes a bit too sarcastic.  As a head's up, there are a couple swear words.  When he did get technical or not for the faint of heart, he gave a head's up and tried to make it as interesting and fun as possible.

The chapters are:
  1. Dogs
  2. Cats
  3. Vets
  4. Other beast

The book is full of stories of his experiences, some sad, most funny, of being a vet and treating cats and dogs and even a duck, a python and a wolverine.  He also describes the serious side of being a vet like euthanasia of pets, etc.  It was entertaining to read the stories about the animals he's helped but it was also interesting to get the scoop on what it's like to be a vet.

No comments: