My Patients and Other Animals

January 29, 2018
Veterinarian Fincham-Gray explores in her candid debut the intricacies of her profession from inside the medical exam room, where she has worked for 26 years, diagnosing some of the most inscrutable animal illnesses. She describes the shock of encountering her first canine gunshot victim as an intern at an animal hospital in Philadelphia and recounts the frantic efforts to save a young dachshund suffering from pancreatitis after eating a hot dog. When a pit bull arrives in her office desperately needing a blood transfusion, Fincham-Gray makes the difficult decision to draw blood from her own dog to save its life. She recounts sleepless nights worrying about her charges (and how she will deal with her own pets’ inevitable mortality) and the challenge of balancing an animal’s needs with what its owners can afford. Fincham-Gray explains the diagnostic practices, the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and the history of rabies, and outlines genetic disorders of purebred dogs (without sermonizing), all in accessible language. The medical aspects of the narrative will likely draw future veterinarians to the book, but it’s the tales of Fincham-Gray’s patients that will keep general readers hooked.

February 15, 2018
Affecting dispatches from the life of an animal doctor.Fincham-Gray, who has had a successful career in both Europe and the United States, recalls growing up just walking distance from an animal clinic on the Welsh border where she volunteered and groomed her career aspirations. Despite a childhood spent without a family pet, her love of animals flourished thanks in part to her father, a veterinary lab microbiologist who generously shared an appreciation for science with her. Overcoming an allergy to horses, insecurities at university, and demanding anatomy classes, she excelled at veterinary school and realized her dream. In this affably written amalgam of pedagogic and heartwarming material, the author chronicles her early years as a medical professional, particularly the culture shock of learning American vet medicine throughout her internship and the unique animals she encountered along the way. Readers meet emergency room patients like Missy, the tortoiseshell cat who was impaled by an arrow, and Tiger, who was saddled with a severe bladder blockage but managed to recover and thrive. Fincham-Gray also writes about how she endured the crushing heartbreak of euthanizing a dog with terminal pancreatitis and bidding farewell to her own aging cat. Once separated from the "protective custody of academia," the author worked in private practices on both the East and West coasts. She discusses how she cured a septic Irish wolfhound named Grayling, a Mexican-born canine who'd contracted "the oldest continuously surviving cancer in nature," and Sweetie, a young pit bull terrier whose diagnosis and patient care are the most complicated in the book, medically, financially, and emotionally. Fincham-Gray also imparts cautionary information on the medical consequences of obese pets. Pet fanatics and animal lovers in general will savor these bittersweet stories exploring the enduring human-animal bond.A fervent, anecdotal memoir infused with heart, compassion, and a natural love for animals on every page.

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March 1, 2018

The term chasing zebras refers to the inclination of medical practitioners to diagnose something as a rare affliction when the real diagnosis is more common. This is just one of the pitfalls first-time author Fincham-Gray succumbs to in this collection of vignettes about different veterinarian cases she has encountered. Working in various locations, from the English countryside to Philadelphia, Baltimore, and San Diego, the author demonstrates the commonality of challenges that veterinarians face when communicating with individuals about their pets; including expensive treatments that have no guarantees, inevitable end-of-life decisions, and grappling with owners whose decisions regarding care don't align with those of the treating veterinarian. Readers witness Fincham-Gray's developing ethos, as she learns how to apply textbook knowledge to real-life situations. Written with candor, humility, and humor, this memoir tells of the professional evolution of a veterinary medicine graduate to a more seasoned internal medicine practitioner. VERDICT This compelling read is highly recommended for anyone interested in veterinary medicine or who has a love of animals.--Diana Hartle, Univ. of Georgia Science Lib., Athens

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 15, 2018
Newly minted veterinarian Fincham-Gray arrived in the U.S. from London, about to take up an internship in small-animal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. One of her first patients was Hercules, a Doberman with a gunshot wound in his chest, and we are off and running with a beautifully written look at modern veterinary medicine. As Fincham-Gray relates the steps she and the clinic take to save the dog, clearly explaining the medical terminology, she shares her realization of an emotional attachment to her animal patients that she hadn't anticipated. These two themes?the ever-evolving state of veterinary medicine and the bond between humans and animals?are explored in a series of chapters, each centering around a single case. The author also weaves in tales of her personal life, such as how adopting a cat gave her a new insight into feline medicine, or the fact that moving in with her boyfriend forced her to balance her constant drive for working with the needs of a new relationship. Fincham-Gray, who also has an MFA in creative writing, has created a wonderfully introspective look at the role of the veterinarian.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)