The Accidental Veterinarian: Tales from a Pet Practice

The Accidental Veterinarian is a non-fiction book by Canadian veterinarian and author, Philipp Schott. It comes in the format of essays, many with intriguing titles like The Wild Arctic Chihuahua, The Ballad Of The Prairie Flea, Consider The Ostrich and The Cats Who Might Be Canaries. Schott divides his book into four broad sections and includes anecdotes about patients he has seen over his (at the time) twenty-eight-year career as well as opinions, a great deal of information in easily-assimilated form, and lots of good general advice. He does issue warnings for squeamish readers when necessary. The text is enhanced with amusing illustrations by Brian Gable and in one anecdote, readers familiar with the preview of the author’s second novel may spot the seeds of an idea. As well as explaining his choice of occupation, Schott describes the wide and shallow nature of practicing veterinary medicine. He takes the opportunity to expound on costs and charges, and a myriad of aspects of veterinary practice. He shares his pet hates, what not to do as a client, and how important feedback is for the practice. He notes some occupational hazards, theorises on the high veterinarian suicide rate, the emotional cost of frequent euthanising, and the perils, for clients, of relying on Dr Google DVM. In these essays, he describes the whacky people, talks about poo and anal glands, pee, tick and fleas. He tells of encounters with the avian extremes of an ostrich and a hummingbird; of the ethical and moral quandary involved in treating captive non-domestic species (in this case an Australian sugar glider); an encounter with a lion fish; bizarre dog appetites and their ingenuity in satisfying them; diagnosing the cause of a rabbit’s crazy behaviour; witnessing the cleverness of a certain seeing-eye dog; and the best way to give the cat a pill. Even when he mounts his soapbox on something about which he feels strongly, such as vaccination, or “natural” products (on both of which any responsible pharmacist would wholeheartedly agree), he’s never preachy; rather his explanations are redolent with expertise and common sense. The tone is conversational and this makes the book very readable. It is often moving and, at times, thought-provoking. You don’t have to be a pet owner to enjoy this informative, entertaining and frequently laugh-out-loud funny book.