All My Patients Have Tales [Paperback]

Jeff Wells (Author), Mary Anne Mier (Editor), June Camerer (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 8, 2006

All My Patients have Tales is Dr. Wells second book recalling his life as a veterinarian. His chapters recount the life altering and sometimes life threatening experiences of daily practice. For those who ever thought about or are now interested in becoming a veterinarian, he recalls the humbling life of a veterinary student. However, most uplifting and amusing are his descriptions of helping people help their pets. Let Dr. Wells take you on this journey.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–Wells recounts his rigorous education and on-the-job training as a vet in rural South Dakota and then in a Rocky Mountain community in Colorado. As the junior member of a practice, it was Wells who had to answer the late-night emergency calls. His 36 stories range from treating circus animals to miniature pigs to yaks, along with a host of cat, dog, and horse anecdotes. Wells writes with compassion, humor, and wonder, and does a compelling job of engaging readers. No amount of education prepared him for the kinds of situations he faced, many of which were challenging, frightening, and often dangerous. Difficult situations that include euthanasia are included and yet, throughout his memoir, Wells's love of animals and the personal satisfaction he feels shine through. Because mixed-animal practices are hard to find, readers learn of an almost lost profession. Teens who love animals or have enjoyed James Herriot's books are the obvious candidates for this one. The short, down-home stories filled with heartfelt emotion and laugh-out-loud incidents will resonate with reluctant readers as well.–Jane Ritter, Mill Valley School District, CA END --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Newly minted veterinarian Wells is on one of his first calls—a cow trying to deliver a dead calf—when after two hours of unceasing labor, he decides to try another approach, and one of the onlooking farmers says, “That’s what you should have done to begin with!” So begins the education of a young vet, the on-the-job training that no amount of schooling can provide. Chasing a calving cow around a pasture with no assistance from his technician (she was embarrassed to move—she’d laughed so hard she’d wet her pants), fending off the attacks of three “watch turkeys,” frightening truckers with his blood-soaked hands after stitching up a horse, or easing the passing of a cancer-ridden cat, Wells began to hone his skills. A move to Colorado didn’t immediately improve his finances but did improve his buffalo-wrangling skills and his ability to remove porcupine quills from overzealous dogs and donkeys. Another winning veterinary memoir deserving of space next to the immortal James Herriot and his heirs. --Nancy Bent --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: Hadley Inc.; 1st edition (October 8, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978716906
• ISBN-13: 978-0978716905
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,611,261 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Wells is a practicing veterinarian in the foothills of Colorado. A 1988 graduate of Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Wells has cared for my types of domestic species and some not so domestic species during his career.

He has written "All My Patients Have Tales" and "A Veterinarian's Handbook for Horse Husbands"

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for Animal Lovers, March 29, 2007

By 

M J Segelke (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All My Patients Have Tales (Paperback)

Dr. Wells has brought the world and challenges of being a Veterinarian into your home in this wonderful and well written book about his experiences. I bought the book for my niece, but had to read it before she ever got it. She is in Vet school and bought more for her friends. My brother, a M.D., enjoyed it immensely. We ordered more for other members of the family and friends. It is not only stories about dogs (as the cover indicates) but animals - large and small - that Dr. Wells has helped. It is touching, warm, educational, interesting, intriguing and a most enjoyable read! Any Vet wannabes or just people loving animals will enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, February 4, 2008

By 

Jennifer Hancey (Pine, Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All My Patients Have Tales (Paperback)

This book is so well written, and truly IS a modern-day James Herriot book, like I read in the other review. If you love animals, this is a MUST read. You will have a new appreciation for what veterinarians do on a daily basis, and the people that they come across, too. I highly recommend this book!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delight from beginning to end - a wonderful mix of belly laughs and touching moments, November 16, 2007

By 

Kelly S. Johnson (Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All My Patients Have Tales (Paperback)

The title of this book is what first caught my attention; I loved the "play on words" with tales and the picture of those wagging tails on the cover!

Being an animal lover, I enjoy reading stories of people sharing their experiences with pets. My husband and I joke that our two cats are cheap entertainment as we watch them slide across our floor to bat at a toy, chase their tails or chirp at the birds outside. When I began reading Jeff's stories about his experiences with animals and their owners, I found I could not put the book down until I reached the last tale. Jeff is a wonderful story-teller; one moment, you experience the emotional heartache of owners and Jeff as a vet tending to a sick or injured pet, and the next, you are roaring with laughter at the antics of the pets - and owners!

A great read and wonderful book to take with you when traveling.

Kelly Johnson
Cornerstone Virtual Assistance, LLC