Call the Vet: My Life as a Young Vet in the 1970s

Nothing to dislike and a great deal to admire and a beautifully written .I was attracted to the book , initially , because it was written by Ben Fogle's father and being very fond of all of Ben's adventures on his television programmes as well as his appealing nature , I thought it would be interesting to learn about one of his closest relatives .The book is very honest and charming as well as showing the development over the years , of Bruce Fogle's understanding of the animals he treats as well as their owners .Having owned ; not a good description , because you never really own a cat , they are far too independent for that,and also grieved over their demise even after many years , it was so good to realize that Bruce Fogle valued thewonderful relationship that can happen between animals and their owners and also to acknowledge what he learned from other people in the Practice .The author also gives an insight into other relationships in his own personal life too .I thoroughly enjoyed the book , on many levels , and as a very keen reader , from childhood and as an ex-schoolteacher , I would think that this book would be an excellent gift for anyone to enjoy .

Young Canadian newbie vet, Bruce Fogle, arrived in Britain in 1970 on a scholarship at London's Regent Park Zoo and becomes assistant vet at the exclusive Knightsbridge Woodrow and Singleton veterinary practice, with its aristocratic upper class, film star and other wealthy clients. He harboured the delusion that he was British only to find he really wasn't, they were different, as he sees its addled class divisions, the prominence of the stiff upper lip, as when a man, with his nanny, displays no emotion when his labrador is put down. However, he is to find himself turning native through time, appreciating the British habit of understatement and use of irony. Fogle immerses himself in London and its different communities, the politics, such as the EEC referendum, getting over his horse allergy by riding Euripides, a horse, on the city streets, engaging with the culture of the period, going to the theatre and concerts.His boss, Brian Singleton, is ethical, with a great reputation in the profession, conventional and frankly, scary, to a Fogle who is to find he has a tremendous amount to learn, about himself, animals, their owners, London and its different communities, and that it is actually the veterinary nurses who really know and understand pets, clients, and the relevant clinical procedures. He goes on home visits, and weekly rounds at Harrod's pet department, which had skunks and even, surprisingly, a puma, for whom tragedy lies in the future. It will not take long before exotic animals no longer featured in their department, although the pet department does not close until 2014. Fogle eventually finds an American girlfriend, Rose, at Speaker's Corner, and on her return home, meets and within 2 years marries actress Julia, who has a daughter, Emily, and sets up his own practice near Marble Arch.The 1970s had the veterinary profession operating in the dark ages, with huge improvements and developments to come in the future, moving from practical utilitarian practices towards the more necessary shifts to take account of animal welfare, coming with the increasing number of women joining the profession and their more empathetic approaches. Fogle admits he had a big learning curving when it came to taking care of animals, and he would never have thought about a number of issues, such as pain management, if it hadn't been for the nurses. There is much that made my blood boil when it came to the treatment of animals, particularly how they were treated when Fogle was training in Canada. There is much about the 1970s that made me feel grateful that those times are over, the sexist norms, such as nurses being fired if they got pregnant and the greater prevalence of sexual harrassment, the class divisions, to the dreadful ways animals were treated.This is an interesting and fascinating memoir that highlights the Britain of the 1970s and the state of veterinary science and practice in London from the perspective of a Canadian vet. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.

A truly wonderful book to read, through the eyes of a likeable interesting young vet starting his career in the 1970’s in the heart of London his challenges and triumphs tell his story beautifully.

Brilliantly written exploits of a young vet in London. I worked as an animal nurse at this same practice so the descriptions of the running of the practice are truly accurate. Well recommended ❤️

A book, to read, nostalgic to remember being a vet in the seventies, interesting to read about young handsome Canadian vet in Knightsbridge in 1970 and his many interesting experiences.

I loved reading the James Herriot books when I was young (sadly many years ago) and I enjoyed reading the opening chapters of this book on the Readers First website, so I was pleased to receive a copy to read and review.However, I then struggled to continue with the book and popped it on my book trolley to try again in a couple of weeks. However the book was then left for a few months before being picked up during our October half term.As a dog adopter, I was fascinated by how much animal care has changed since Bruce Fogle began his veterinary career. There have been huge changes in the treatment of animals and this book provides details of some of those changes.However my favourite part of the book is the stories about the pets and their companions. Some of the stories are funny and some of them are heartbreaking as the humans had to say goodbye to their loved ones.The book also describes life in London in the 1970’s, providing a social commentary about how a Canadian viewed life in the UK. An interesting mix of memories that I’m happy I finally got to finish reading. Happy to recommend.

great book in every way

A bit of a dry read to be honest but I persevered until the end. This was more of an autobiography, told from life as a vet in the 1970's. An interesting insight into different times from a vet's point of view. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Just loved this well written book. Being an animal lover and an expatriate brought back many memories of living in the UK. Bruce Fogle has an empathetic way of dealing with the emotions of animal owners and their charges. I truly understand why he stayed in London!

The author details his life as a newly graduated veterinary after moving to London from Ontario, Canada. He marvels at the differences in language usage between his home in Canada and in the UK. He meets lots of people and their pets and along the way he gains insight into the attraction people have for their animal companions. He grows in his practice, loses some of his naivety and becomes a success! That is it!Anyone expecting to read a book. along the lines of Herriot's very entertaining stories is not going to find it in this book.I read it from cover to cover in one sitting, but I would hesitate to recommend it to someone else.

I enjoyed reading this book about the author’s experiences. We got a look into his persona. His experiences were interesting and well presented. I would read more of his stories.

The story of a young vet in a foreign country. A book to read if you have nothing else to read.

Had some funny moments and relates well with readers who are familiar with the author's country of origin and where he practiced abroad.