Animal ER: Extraordinary Stories of Hope and Healing from one of the world's leading veterinary hospitals [Paperback]

Vicki Croke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2000

Written in collaboration with the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine by a Boston Globe reporter and author who was granted rare access to their emergency ward, Animal ER takes us into the day-to-day drama of life on the front lines of veterinary medicine. In this premier animal facility, experts in the fields of surgery, internal medicine, cardiology, ophthalmology, and oncology provide care for patients of all shapes, sizes, and breeds. Here, operations using state-of-the-art technology go hand in hand with personal counseling for owners and pets in crisis. From a pygmy hedgehog with mites to an elephant with an eye problem to the Dalmatian who must undergo disc surgery for his back...from the close calls to the split-second decisions that can save a life, Animal ER is a moving testament to the healing powers of love and medicine-and to the timeless bond between people and their pets.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Foster Hospital for Small Animals at Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine represents the ultimate in high-tech treatment for animals and the last hope of pet owners; it also has the largest emergency veterinary training program in the country. Small wonder, then, that stories about its intensive care unit and its dedicated staff should prove fascinating. Croke, a columnist for the Boston Globe and author of The Modern Ark, takes us behind the scenes to observe the hospital's daily triumphs and tragedies. The doctors face tough decisions about when to end suffering and when to keep trying to save their patients, which may be conventional pets or exotic animals. Clients must decide whether to put a beloved pet down or to incur potentially great expense ($2000 to $10,000). Croke describes an endoscopy on an anorexic anaconda and eye surgery on a zebra. She peppers her descriptions with interesting facts: one study suggests that "their dogs will be of more comfort to people in a stressful situation than their spouses," while another study found that "the blood pressure of children drops if a dog so much as enters the room." In straightforward prose, Croke relays her stories with emotional impact but little excessive sentimentality, and her descriptions of advanced medical techniques are simple enough to be understood by the lay reader. 6-city author tour. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA-In order to prepare for this look at life in a busy veterinary hospital, Croke was allowed to watch, to absorb, and to interview the staff at the emergency room of Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine. Thematically arranged by such topics as the ailments, decisions, and unusual or exotic animals, the chapters have creative, attention-getting titles. Through the dialogue of the caring staff, the author makes readers feel as if they were personally involved with the doctors evaluating patients such as a three-legged cat with seizures, a dog that ate underwear, or a Lab that was nearly torn apart by two rottweilers. The author is realistic about the high cost of treatment, and makes it clear that most of these animals do not survive. However, the emotional impact is softened because Croke usually gives an early clue that the patient is going to die. Although many medical terms, techniques, and abbreviations are used, this is a fast-moving, readable, and entertaining book that will please animal lovers.
Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Plume (November 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452281016
• ISBN-13: 978-0452281011
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.4 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,147,675 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

VICKI CONSTANTINE CROKE has been covering pets and wildlife for more than a decade, writing the "Animal Beat" column for The Boston Globe.

Croke is the author of "The Lady and the Panda," "Animal ER," "The Modern Ark," and has also written for Time, People, The Washington Post, Popular Science, O, The Oprah Magazine, Gourmet, National Wildlife, Discover, International Wildlife, The London Sunday Telegraph, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
A former writer and producer for CNN, she has been a contributing reporter for the National Public Radio environment show "Living on Earth" and consults on film and television projects, most recently a two-hour documentary on gorillas for the A&E channel.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ANIMAL ER..., February 6, 2000

By 

andrea nelsen CVT. (MINNESOTA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Animal ER : Extraordinary Stories of Hope and Healing from One of the World's Leading Veterinary Hospitals (Hardcover)

AS A VET. TECH IN AN ANIMAL ICU( WORKING WITH ONE OF THE DR.S IN THIS BOOK) I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT THE SCENARIOS REPRESENTED HERE ARE REAL AND ACCURATE. I COULD NOT PUT THIS DOWN UNTIL I WAS FINISHED. IT WAS REFRESHING TO SEE MY CAREER CHOICE DESCRIBED AS MORE THAN A "GLORIFIED DOG SITTER" MY FELLOW TECHS AND MYSELF ENJOYED THIS BOOK GREATLY

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bow-wow-WOW!, November 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Animal ER : Extraordinary Stories of Hope and Healing from One of the World's Leading Veterinary Hospitals (Hardcover)

This is a funny, touching, poignant, hilarious, wonderful trove of stories from a veterinary emergency room. Vicki Croke has a fantastically warm and inviting tone, and she tells stories that will make any animal lover laugh and cry.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderfully compassionate Author and Compelling stories, August 31, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Animal ER : Extraordinary Stories of Hope and Healing from One of the World's Leading Veterinary Hospitals (Hardcover)

When my sister lost her beloved Great Dane, I mourned for her too. I'm a cat person, and this big black incredibly sweet baby was the first dog I ever loved. When I visited my sister last year and she showed me this book, explaining that the author had been there in the Tufts Vet ER with her when Azaria was brought in, I was amazed. I continued to be amazed as I saw my sister's very special love for my doggy-niece through the eyes of a total stranger. It would have been very easy to dismiss how painful losing a pet can be, very easy to miss the ties of love between a pet and her owner. My sister loved her dog, quirks and fears and vet bills and all. I loved her too. Thanks, Vicki. Your gentle presentation of their story is the finest tribute Zari could have had.