Generally a good read all round.

The author doesn't waste any time telling us about joyous types of vet practice with many stories about animals which I did enjoy. There was a nice variety of animals from general to farmyard and that didn't disappoint,

I have to admit there was some bits in the book that I felt could have been trimmed down a tad, nobody really wants to read about puppy farms in massive detail or ranty subjects, (I felt there was a few random tangents going about when they could have been short and snappy), it's not really a topic that we haven't heard about but equally not one that should cause the read to skip or feel the need to.. I don't doubt it's a tough job being a vet and there are some not so glamorous roles in vet practice but I felt a bit bombarded. Some of the names of the treatments were a bit mind boggling and skimmed straight through those parts. BUT OVERALL a fascinating insight into the memories of a vet.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this free ARC in return for my review. .

I really enjoyed This is Going to Hurt and working in the veterinary field myself I jumped at the chance to read this one.

This book was pleasantly easy to read (not necessarily easy when it comes to non-fiction) with a similar sense of light hearted but dark humour that just really works for this genre.

The life of a junior (or indeed senior) vet is not an easy one. This is made very clear in the book and yet Gareth's true passion and love of his job still shines through.

Fair warning though, there's some pretty grim and gory situations including a detailed cow caesarean that even made me feel a bit queasy!

I really enjoyed the chapters that were really about being a vet, less so the ones about random expeditions and hiking trips and somewhat ranty chapters about controversial topics including vegetarianism and Covid. I feel like there could have maybe been a little more about being a vet, the training and the other people involved (nurses and VCAs especially!)

Overall, this was highly enjoyable and informative and well worth a read!

Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review

Unfortunately, I gave up about half way through this book. I have read a few medical memoirs (veterinary and human) but this one didn’t grip me and I lost interest.

I felt this author hadn't really decided what audience he was aiming at. If you were wanting to hear tales of a vet looking after animals, a la Herriot, you would be pretty disappointed, although there are a few. Possibly his audience was would-be vets, or maybe colleagues in the profession. It was all unclear as the chapters ranged from tales of derring do to diatribes about owners not having insurance, vets pricing policies and battery farming hens or the reasons for destroying old/ill/unwanted animals.

Parts were extremely interesting and well written, parts were very preachy and some were just blue-skying, dreaming of a world where we don't eat animals or keep animals in anything other than perfect conditions, and vets do not have to think of any economic considerations when choosing treatment. He made some valid points, but made them with little finesse. Some of his stories dwelt heavily on the drugs and treatments he used, which went very much over my non-specialist head.

I think the book would mainly appeal to anyone thinking of becoming a vet - for the rest of us there was too much superfluous material. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love animals and this was right up my street.

This is a memoir of vet Gareth Steel.

It was interesting, and eye opening in parts.

loved the book

Wow! What a book!

This is a memoir about life as a vet. Having never met a vet outside of visiting the surgery with my dog, I didn't know what to expect. This book is filled with an abundance of stories. It's raw, it's honest and it's absolutely brilliant.

I have always had an appreciation for those in the medical profession. Vets and veterinary nurses just climbed the list. A really good book that everyone will enjoy.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book for an honest review. I loved it.

Gareth Steel is a very kind man who has thought an awful lot.
As a locum vet he's seen people at their best and also their worst. But if this sounds heavy - he's also extremely funny.
As one who had spent a great deal of time at vets surgeries with either a sick cat or for preventative medicine for one I found it fascinating.
Having lived through urinary tract problems, eye ulcer and kidney disease but not much on bone problems or giving birth it was pitched at just the right level of explanation. And by assuming the reader has a bit of knowledge it was pitched perfectly to both inform and entertain.
His schemes to improve both animal welfare and preserve the planet are extremely well thought out. The pity is he's not a government advisor. It isn't perfect but the present world isn't either and this would certainly reduce animal suffering whilst taking a pragmatic view.
I knew the angle that vets make themselves rich was a slewed one, and that nights on call to cover both in-practice and emergencies elsewhere asks for super human abilities but I hadn't realised in some cases the vet pays the cost of a text book so he can st least give his patient a better chance of survival. Nor did I realise large companies owning practices expect vets to upsell and pile on the treatment. Thereby reducing the remaining insurance an owner can claim afterwards.
He'd be the very last person to express it as such but he really is a very "nice person!"

Some interesting stories with lots of technical knowledge.

Gareth Steel has authored an interesting book, covering his years as a veterinarian, working as a locum throughout England and Wales. I found my interest waning when he went into depth on how operations were performed, his thoughts on homoeopathy among other insights. My expectations when I started the book was that it would be a fun read full of amusing stories.

The autobiography is very professionally written. I’m sure that fellow veterinarians, farmers, and people wanting a deeper look at cases, will love this book.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

I like stories written by vets and liked this one. There's humour, there's the real life of a vet with the up and down, customers who don't want to pay included.
I liked the style of writing and thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

If you want to learn the reality of working as a vet (especially in the UK), this is the book for you. Gareth Steel takes us through various incidents and experiences of his career as a veterinarian. It's a, at times, graphic portrayal of the job, of taking care of animals, or working with farmers, of life and death, economics and illnesses.

I thought it would be more like a diary or autobiography, but these were more like essays, often not really related from one chapter to the next. So I would approach it more as a collection of different chapters telling different stories and approaching different topics - all relating to being a vet.

From the start of Steel's career to his work with farm or domestic animals, to his belief on the treatment of animals, on insurance, and on why he does this job, you get a mixture of his personal life experience and greater lessons about the field of veterinary science.

The only con of this book is how extensively it falls into science jargon. My eyes would glaze over his description of surgeries or what meds he used. But those in the field or interested in the field might take more from that.

So many amazing lessons that you could take from this book, whether you're interested in becoming a vet or just learning about their work, but also just as a pet owner. I think it's a great read.

I love reading books about animals, books about people living with animals, books about people working with animals, so I was looking forward to reading this book.

I liked that he bought the personal element to the book - the exhaustion from the hours vets work, the emotions from working with animals and dealing with people (not all of them good or well-intentioned). I just found I didn’t fully engage with the book, I found myself getting bored and skim-reading parts of it.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC.

Gareth Steel has been a vet for nearly twenty years and has worked all over the UK, across both rural and city practices, dealing with all manner of household pets and farm animals. This is his fascinating raw account of just how involved the job is and the toll the extreme emotions that come with it Fantastic, when i read a book i like a book to keep me gripped from the beginning and this book certainly does that!

Anybody who has a pet or add a pet will love this book. Funny, witty and observant; I loved every second. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for a pre publication copy. In return for an honest review! #neverworkwithanims #netgalley

Gareth Steel's memoirs about life as a vet on qualifying as well as modern day veterinary practice. Not only does he provide memoirs he gives some food for thought about current practices in UK animal welfare and food production.

Anyone who can resist this beautiful cover of the chocolate lab chewing the stethoscope has more self restraint than me!

This book is an emotional read at times. It brings important topics of animal husbandry to the forefront of your mind. Such as economic constraints, being a jack of all trades and a master of none as well as many more things. I really enjoyed learning more about these and challenging my own thoughts and beliefs. As well as showing me ideology from other animal owners in the UK.

The use of analogies and memoirs to illustrate Gareths points. Are a lovely touch and stop the points from being lost in translation for the lay person.

Also he has included a nice balance between livestock and small animal memoirs. Although some more memoirs would be a lovely touch to this book. At times there were more food for thought points than memoirs which could put some off.

As an animal lover and pet owner I love any books about vets, animals, dogs etc and this did not disappoint! Gareth takes us through the journey from large livestock to household pets, there are some hair raising and scary tales and some very interesting takes on their humans and also fascinating detail about issues such as costings, Gold Standard Care, treatment plans etc, a fascinating, enjoyable and well written book.

When my mother was set on sending me off to university she thought architecture would suit my skill set. Silly woman, I was a scientist.I
I had no desire to be a doctor, even less a dentist and, after reading Gareth Steel's book I am pleased that veterinary medicine did not even reach my list.
My main contact with vets has been social except for vaccinations, spaying, hysterectomy (a guinea pig) and the ultimate final moments of four beloved dogs.
The only one to give a less than sterling service complained about having to charge less for the guinea pig than an alsation even though the operation was more complicated in the smaller animal.
Gareth may feel the same but he has the sense not to complain about it in front of the customers.
The individual chapters on horses, cows, cats, dogs and sticky the stick insect had me occasionally laughing but mainly thanking my lucky stars that pharmacy is an inside job. Although I share Gareth's country of origin I don't envisage myself kneeling in the muck wearing a head torch trying to push a cow's uterus back in place. Even doctors get to do this on a trolley using only one hand and a ring pessary!
I found myself getting involved with his many procedures; and I was ready to smack some sense into many of his human customers - particularly the lady with the rabbit. I'm not sure why but she seriously irritated me.
The book reminds me a bit of Adam Kay's This is going to hurt. Real people, real situations. Damn good reading.

I struggled with this book. I enjoyed the bits about animals and the cases Steel has worked on but there wasn't as much about that as I had expected. There was more about the authors opinion than actual cases so you get to read a lot about ethics and the technical side. This often turns into a bit of a long winded rant which made the chapter drag and I ended up skimming it.

Gareth Steel has been a vet for the best part of 20 years and he has seen it all. From intricate operations, bringing new life into the world and the sad task of putting beloved pets to sleep. Mr Steel writes with great insight into all of this, the sadness and the comedic moments makes Never Work With Animals a real joy to read.

I really enjoy books about professions and have enjoyed This Is Going to Hurt, The Prison Doctor and Unnatural Causes amongst others but hadn't read a vet one so when I saw this book available on Netgalley I thought I would give it a try.

I really enjoyed all the stories about the animals. It is so amazing how vets can bring animals back from the brink of death like that. I also found some of the stories quite amusing and was very interested in Gareth's lifestyle too as it certainly sounds like the job was very full on, especially when working night shifts.

However, there were certain parts of the book where Gareth talks about different issues such as veganism, puppy farms and gold star treatment. Though I was somewhat interested in these topics, I felt like these chapters really dragged and I skipped a few bits.

Overall, a good read but it won't be the This is Going to Hurt of the vet world!

This is definitely *not* James Herriot and it‘s certainly the unfiltered truth, as the tagline claims.

Covering subjects such as bovine TB, euthanasia, vaccinations, pet insurance and various horrible diseases, it wasn‘t an easy read but I learned a lot. The author comes across as a thoroughly decent (and funny) guy, which helps.

I have to say I skipped some of the more technical / medical explanations but still a great read.