It’s 2:47 a.m. when Dr. Nick Trout takes the phone call that starts another hectic day at the Angell Animal Medical Center. Sage, a ten-year old German shepherd, will die without emergency surgery for a serious stomach condition. Over the next twenty-four hours Dr. Trout fights for Sage’s life, battles disease in the operating room, unravels tricky diagnoses, reassures frantic pet parents, and reflects on the humor, heartache, and inspiration in his life as an animal surgeon. And he wants to take you along for the ride.…
From the front lines of modern medicine, Tell Me Where It Hurts is a fascinating insider portrait of a veterinarian, his furry patients, and the blend of old-fashioned instincts and cutting-edge technology that defines pet care in the twenty-first century. For anyone who’s ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at your veterinarian’s office, Tell Me Where It Hurts offers a vicarious journey through twenty-four intimate, eye-opening, heartrending hours at the premier Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston.
You’ll learn about the amazing progress of modern animal medicine, where organ transplants, joint replacements, and state-of-the-art cancer treatments have become more and more common. With these technological advances come controversies and complexities that Dr. Trout thoughtfully explores, such as how long (and at what cost) treatments should be given, how the Internet has changed pet care, and the rise in cosmetic surgery.
You’ll also be inspired by the heartwarming stories of struggle and survival filling these pages. With a wry and winning tone, Dr. Trout offers up hilarious and delightful anecdotes about cuddly (or not-so-cuddly) pets and their variously zany, desperate, and demanding owners. In total, Tell Me Where It Hurts offers a fascinating portrait of the comedy and drama, complexities and rewards involved with loving and healing animals.
Part ER, part Dog Whisperer, and part House, this heartfelt and candid book shows that while the technology has changed since James Herriot’s day, the humanity and compassion remains unchanged. If you’ve ever had a pet or special place in your heart for furry friends, Dr. Trout’s irresistible book is for you.
Tell Me Where It Hurts
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From Publishers Weekly
This is the perfect gift for anyone considering becoming a veterinarian. Trout, a staff surgeon at Boston's Angell Animal Medical Center, has exactly the traits that any pet owner would wish to find in a vet: he's smart, sensitive, experienced, empathic and has an excellent sense of humor. He also happens to be an excellent writer, and his personality suffuses the many stories sifted from recollections of thousands of animal encounters during his 25 years of practice and compressed in this account into one day. Trout shows how the daily life of a veterinarian requires the ability to be a social worker, a psychologist, a grief counselor, mentor, carpenter, plumber, cosmetologist, athletic coach, magician, grim reaper, and occasionally, guardian angel. And in some of the more heart rending stories, such as that of an older widowed man dealing with the potential loss of his shepherd companion, Sage, Trout shows his sensitivity to the fact that in each case, The rewards and strength of the bonds with the animals in their lives proved irresistible, irrepressible, and more than worth the risk. (Mar. 11)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
“It’s 12:00 a.m., and I have just finished Nick Trout’s book—I could not put it down. Nick has real insight into animals in trouble and their caretaker owners. The human-animal bond is alive and well. Read this book!”
—Dr. Robert Taylor, star of E-Vets on Animal Planet
“Dr. Trout has given us a lifetime in one day as he takes us on his rounds as a veterinary surgeon. With equal parts, wit, wisdom, and great kindness, he offers a rare look into the mind and heart of a remarkable man. He is the vet every animal owner wants and the advocate every animal deserves when it comes to facing the complexities and often expensive options of diagnostics and treatment. This is a man who loves his job, and everyone benefits: the animals in his care, their often lovable but sometimes infuriating owners, and, lastly, the reader, who is lucky enough to go along for the literary ride.”
—Susan Richards, author of Chosen by a Horse
“I laughed, I worried, I laughed some more, I teared with a lump in my throat, and I came to think of Nick Trout as a guy I’d like to have a beer with. This book is wonderful, and, oh yes, I also learned a lot about veterinary medicine and veterinarians. They are as necessary as a dog’s hug. If you love dogs, you’ll love this book.”
—Mordecai Siegal, author of Dog Spelled Backwards
“Join Dr. Trout, a top veterinary surgeon at one of the best animal hospitals in the United States, on an intimate journey filled with humor and great insight into the care of our kindred spirits and their humans. Dr. Trout illuminates the intricate bond between people and their animal companions in a manner that you’ll find as interesting as you do touching.”
—Allen M. Schoen, MS, DVM, author of Kindred Spirits: How the Remarkable Bond Between Humans and Animals Can Change the Way We Live
“Tell Me Where It Hurts is a wonderful behind-the-scenes story about a day in the lives of individual animals and the dedicated humans who selflessly care for them. This book is a must-read because it shows clearly how incredibly difficult and heart-wrenching decisions need to be made “on the run”; but when hope, humility, heart, compassion, and love predominate, we’re right far more often than we’re wrong. Read this book, laugh, cry, and share widely. It’s that enlightening and important.”
—Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals and Animals Matter, and editor of the Encyclopedia of Human-Animal Relationships
—Dr. Robert Taylor, star of E-Vets on Animal Planet
“Dr. Trout has given us a lifetime in one day as he takes us on his rounds as a veterinary surgeon. With equal parts, wit, wisdom, and great kindness, he offers a rare look into the mind and heart of a remarkable man. He is the vet every animal owner wants and the advocate every animal deserves when it comes to facing the complexities and often expensive options of diagnostics and treatment. This is a man who loves his job, and everyone benefits: the animals in his care, their often lovable but sometimes infuriating owners, and, lastly, the reader, who is lucky enough to go along for the literary ride.”
—Susan Richards, author of Chosen by a Horse
“I laughed, I worried, I laughed some more, I teared with a lump in my throat, and I came to think of Nick Trout as a guy I’d like to have a beer with. This book is wonderful, and, oh yes, I also learned a lot about veterinary medicine and veterinarians. They are as necessary as a dog’s hug. If you love dogs, you’ll love this book.”
—Mordecai Siegal, author of Dog Spelled Backwards
“Join Dr. Trout, a top veterinary surgeon at one of the best animal hospitals in the United States, on an intimate journey filled with humor and great insight into the care of our kindred spirits and their humans. Dr. Trout illuminates the intricate bond between people and their animal companions in a manner that you’ll find as interesting as you do touching.”
—Allen M. Schoen, MS, DVM, author of Kindred Spirits: How the Remarkable Bond Between Humans and Animals Can Change the Way We Live
“Tell Me Where It Hurts is a wonderful behind-the-scenes story about a day in the lives of individual animals and the dedicated humans who selflessly care for them. This book is a must-read because it shows clearly how incredibly difficult and heart-wrenching decisions need to be made “on the run”; but when hope, humility, heart, compassion, and love predominate, we’re right far more often than we’re wrong. Read this book, laugh, cry, and share widely. It’s that enlightening and important.”
—Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals and Animals Matter, and editor of the Encyclopedia of Human-Animal Relationships
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a must read for any veterinarian, vet student or animal lover. I read the book very slowly because I didn't want it to end. Now that I have finally finished the book I can't wait to read it again!!
By k
Format:Paperback
I think this book is for people who have a depreciating sense of humour, who prefer to laugh at than with someone.
Most of Trout's jokes are either poking fun at clients' appearances, extremely exaggerated metaphors or barefaced attempts at self-depreciating humour that is intended to ingratiate himself to his reader.
It reads like a conversation with a rambling grandparent; disjointed monologues flowing partway into one anecdote, getting sidetracked by another memory, and then another. Each chapter should begin with "Now, where was I?"
If Simon Cowell had become a veterinarian, this is the book he would write. What an ego on this guy! Ironically, towards the end of the book, he writes about his own lack of the surgeon's "God Complex". At least Cowell *knows* he makes an arrogant impression.
He does eventually get around to finishing the stories he hooked us into, although the ending feels anti-climactic. It was a relief to learn the fate of the dogs in whom I'd become emotionally invested.
What is apparent is that Dr. Trout is absolutely passionate about animals, and is extremely dedicated. His clients and patients are lucky to have him. I'm sure he's a wonderful veterinarian and a brilliant surgeon... but I won't buy another one of his books.
Most of Trout's jokes are either poking fun at clients' appearances, extremely exaggerated metaphors or barefaced attempts at self-depreciating humour that is intended to ingratiate himself to his reader.
It reads like a conversation with a rambling grandparent; disjointed monologues flowing partway into one anecdote, getting sidetracked by another memory, and then another. Each chapter should begin with "Now, where was I?"
If Simon Cowell had become a veterinarian, this is the book he would write. What an ego on this guy! Ironically, towards the end of the book, he writes about his own lack of the surgeon's "God Complex". At least Cowell *knows* he makes an arrogant impression.
He does eventually get around to finishing the stories he hooked us into, although the ending feels anti-climactic. It was a relief to learn the fate of the dogs in whom I'd become emotionally invested.
What is apparent is that Dr. Trout is absolutely passionate about animals, and is extremely dedicated. His clients and patients are lucky to have him. I'm sure he's a wonderful veterinarian and a brilliant surgeon... but I won't buy another one of his books.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.2 out of 5 stars
84 reviews
60 of 61 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
WOW! What a book!
Mar 18 2008
By Baxtermom
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
This book was amazing...I started reading it, standing in Barnes and Nobel with a cup of coffee....I couldn't put it down and ended up buying it before the store closed....I laughed, I cried, but mostly some of the tales of profound love between humans and animals, gave me chills. Although there are many good animal books out there, this one was exceptional. It was incredibly well-written. If this author ever decides to become an award-winning novelist, he could do that...and perhaps he will, with this book! He captures the humor, pathos and all in-between of the human-animal bond. And, I might add, I usually avoid these books, because I hate the part where the pet dies etc. etc. but really, although there are sad passages in this, as would be expected in a vet hospital story, the main ingredient is the total celebration, awesome really, of the bond and great love between humans and their pets. Although there were many, one story that captured me was the man who loved his dog so much, that when the dog died the inevitable death of old age, the man took a photo of the dog, cut it out and wore it on a chain around his neck for a whole year, to keep the flame of love alive for his beloved dog. There are unforgettable characters in this book, human and animal.....and the writing is truly excellent. Wow, what a book!
39 of 39 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Empathetic and fascinating
Mar 21 2008
By Julie Neal
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Dr. Nick Trout is the vet you wish you had, calling your pet "sweetheart" and working with skill and compassion to keep your animal friend happy and healthy. He understands the intense depth of feeling that people can have for their pets. In Tell Me Where It Hurts, Trout tells fascinating stories from his quarter century of being an animal surgeon. The empathy he has for both animals and people spills from every page.
I'm a sucker for books about animals, especially from a veterinary point of view. I grew up devouring James Herriot's wonderful books (All Creatures Great and Small, All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Things Wise and Wonderful, The Lord God Made Them All and Every Living Thing).
Tell Me Where It Hurts is just as well-written and addictive as these classics. I forgot I was reading a book and felt immersed in the life of this caring doctor and the noble, funny animals he treats.
Along the way, Trout describes the amazing progress made in the past couple of decades in veterinary science. Procedures that used to be only for humans -- organ transplants, joint-replacements, chemotherapy, MRIs -- are now available options for animals. The costs can be incredible, and pet owners sometimes have hard choices on whether to proceed or not. Dr. Trout says he is ultimately always asked the same question: "And if she were your dog? What would you do?"
In the book Dr. Trout condenses his 25 years of veterinary practice into a single very busy day, which starts at 2:47 a.m. with an emergency wake-up call. A 10-year-old German Shepherd with a life-threatening stomach problem requires emergency surgery. Even with a stomach about to burst, the old dog wags her tail when they meet. The book ends late at night, at 10:02 p.m., with this same old dog.
What a journey in between.
I'm a sucker for books about animals, especially from a veterinary point of view. I grew up devouring James Herriot's wonderful books (All Creatures Great and Small, All Things Bright and Beautiful, All Things Wise and Wonderful, The Lord God Made Them All and Every Living Thing).
Tell Me Where It Hurts is just as well-written and addictive as these classics. I forgot I was reading a book and felt immersed in the life of this caring doctor and the noble, funny animals he treats.
Along the way, Trout describes the amazing progress made in the past couple of decades in veterinary science. Procedures that used to be only for humans -- organ transplants, joint-replacements, chemotherapy, MRIs -- are now available options for animals. The costs can be incredible, and pet owners sometimes have hard choices on whether to proceed or not. Dr. Trout says he is ultimately always asked the same question: "And if she were your dog? What would you do?"
In the book Dr. Trout condenses his 25 years of veterinary practice into a single very busy day, which starts at 2:47 a.m. with an emergency wake-up call. A 10-year-old German Shepherd with a life-threatening stomach problem requires emergency surgery. Even with a stomach about to burst, the old dog wags her tail when they meet. The book ends late at night, at 10:02 p.m., with this same old dog.
What a journey in between.
35 of 37 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Part Memoir; Part Critique of Veterinary Science and Completely Enjoyable
Mar 30 2008
By Frederick S. Goethel
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I grew up in the Boston area and actually remember my parents using Angell Hospital for a dog we owned that had been hit by a car. That was back in the mid 1960s and it was the place to go then, and apparently it is still the place to go if you need care that exceeds that of a local veterinarian.
Dr. Trout takes the reader on not only a tour of the hospital, by way of rounds and consultations, but also a tour of the owners of the pets involved and the feelings generated by pet lovers for their pets. During his examination he places, front and center, many of the issues in the industry today. How much are you willing to pay, how much are you able to pay, and what is really best for the animal? All three are distinct and separate questions that Trout feels people in the veterinary profession have to be aware of. And these are only three of the many he poses.
Dr. Trout exemplifies the type of surgeon you would want working to save your pets life and comes across as caring and involved. The book is emotional and I was laughing one moment and crying the next. I could and did sympathize with owners as well as with the pets and with the doctors involved. Whatever else this book does, it will make you think about a lot of things that need to be thought about. And it will entertain you along the way.
Dr. Trout takes the reader on not only a tour of the hospital, by way of rounds and consultations, but also a tour of the owners of the pets involved and the feelings generated by pet lovers for their pets. During his examination he places, front and center, many of the issues in the industry today. How much are you willing to pay, how much are you able to pay, and what is really best for the animal? All three are distinct and separate questions that Trout feels people in the veterinary profession have to be aware of. And these are only three of the many he poses.
Dr. Trout exemplifies the type of surgeon you would want working to save your pets life and comes across as caring and involved. The book is emotional and I was laughing one moment and crying the next. I could and did sympathize with owners as well as with the pets and with the doctors involved. Whatever else this book does, it will make you think about a lot of things that need to be thought about. And it will entertain you along the way.
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4.2 out of 5 stars
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