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.

This is a very informative book. Which accounts Mr. Steels 20 years of been a veterinary and goes into a lot of different ascpet of the job which I didn't expect. It made me respect the job more and feel for down vets

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book.
Tales from vets and their staff are one of my favourite genres when I want to read. Sadly this book fell way short in my opionion. It was just that the book spent more time concentrating on the author's opinion's than actual cases. As such I got bored and gave up at the 58% mark.

This is a raw, honest and everyday account of the life of a vet. The book is very interesting and informative and gives a real insight into the dealings of people and their pets, as well as farmers and their livestock. I would highly recommend the read to all animal lovers. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

This book is not full of heartwarming tales as soon vet memoirs are;. Instead it has several stories but then pages of insight into the ethical and technical sides of a vet's practice. Some parts were a bit long winded and, truthfully, I was tempted to skip over a few pages all in all though the book was an education and an eye-opener in many instances and proved an interesting read.

I don't often begin my reviews with a warning but with Never Work With Animals it seems to be appropriate. Stories of a vet's life have proved popular since All Creatures Great and Small but Never Work With Animals is definitely not the companion volume you've been looking for. As a TV show the author would argue that All Creatures lacked realism, as do other similar programmes. Gareth Steel says that the book is not suitable for younger readers and - after reading - I agree with him. He says that he's written it to inform and provoke thought, particularly amongst aspiring vets. It deals with some uncomfortable and distressing issues but it doesn't lack sensitivity, although there are occasions when you would be best choosing between reading and eating.

It's also aimed at the pet owner: you're best off knowing exactly what your vet does and why the bill you get at the end of the treatment is not as unreasonable as you might think. If this all makes the book sound rather grim, I'm not doing it justice. It does have the occasional touches of humour but the book has definitely not been written for laughs.

Steel joined a six-person practice in Northern Ireland when he qualified and quickly came to the conclusion that university had left him knowledgeable but not wise. In the twenty years which have intervened, the wisdom has been hard-won. For most of his career he's been a locum vet, working in first-opinion practices and needing to be a jack of all trades without ever acquiring a particular expertise in any one. He has a predilection for orthopaedics, partly because of its wonderful array of what he describes as boys' toys and because it's fairly simple. Putting that in context, I suspect that he means 'simple for a qualified vet' as opposed to the layman with an injured animal.

There are anecdotes aplenty, but - essentially- they're the vehicle for the points Steel wants to make. For me, the most enlightening was the subject of Gold Standard Care which is something which many veterinary practices pride themselves on offering. In effect, this can mean that more tests are done than are necessary at an early stage - and reduced funds are available for the essential treatment at a later stage. I have argued with vets about doing tests (which inevitably put strain on an animal) when the same treatment would be given if no tests were done. Steel would prefer a copper standard, where initial investigations would cost coppers leaving increased funds available for a possible major operation at a later date. And why is Gold Standard Care so important to many vets? Well, it's hard to avoid the conclusion that the profit is necessary for the practice - for whatever reason.

I was very much in tune with Steel's views on whether or not animals are sentient. If you'd like to read more on this subject, we can recommend How to Love Animals in a Human-Shaped World by Henry Mance, which goes into the subject in rather more detail, but Steel will definitely encourage you to reduce your meat consumption.

You'll also be encouraged to think about breeds of dogs and which ones have inbuilt problems: some dogs are bred, de facto, to have an uncomfortable life.

Steel backs up all his views with evidence. His explanations were full but still comprehensible to a scientific ignoramus like me. I'd like to thank the publishers for making a review copy available to the Bookbag. It was a fascinating read.

A fascinating insight into what vets do and what they think. An interesting combination of anecdote, explanation and strong opinion! Highly recommended reading.

A thoroughly interesting & very accessible read from a vet with 20+ years of experience in various practices across the country from primarily rural where farm visits formed a significant proportion of the work, to urban ones with pets ranging from the mundane to the exotic. He is realistic, he doesn’t claim to be the best vet in the world, and admits that some of his solutions might not be optimal but its is clear that he really cares about every one of the animals that he treats.
The stories are not the shiny ones of a “celebrity vet”, they deal with some of the nitty-gritty of a vet’s life, and it’s not always an easy read. There are births, deaths, long hours, difficult patients (and their owners!) and copious quantities of various bodily fluids! He touches on the obesity crisis affecting so many beloved pets, the stress of being expected to know everything about every animal even though you’ve never dealt with an eggbound chicken before, and the mental strain that comes with being required to provide a 24/7 service. We see the heartbreak of dealing with the potential cull of a farmer’s entire herd due to TB, and the outline of an “on call” weekend is depressingly real – how some of these vets can be in clinic on Monday morning after 3 hours of sleep is unbelievable.
Throughout the book, he also tackles the struggle of payment vs service – owners wanting to pay as little as possible & vets needing to cover the basic costs of treatment, new machines etc. It is eye-opening and thought-provoking.

Never work with animals

This is not the cosy view of vets from All Creatures Great and Small or the supposed glamour of being a celebrity vet. Instead, this is a very realistic account of a working vet’s life. Gareth Steel, the author, has been a vet for over 20 years and he knows what he’s talking about. In fact, if you were considering becoming a vet, then this book will give you a good introduction.
The author’s first job was in a Northern Ireland practice and a lot of its business came from local farmers. One of his first tasks was to shoot a bull who had other ideas for his life choices and a chase ensued before the deed was done. It was a real baptism of fire. He soon saw the problems that farmers faced with TB and the damage it would do if found on a farm. It would destroy their herd and their livelihood. There was also the link between farmers and superstitions…However, farmers and vets do have something in common – high suicide rates.
Steel feels that there is a romanticised view of vets, and this book goes some way to addressing it. He wants it to be a book for both aspiring vets and any pet owner who wants to know what the vet is really doing. But it is hard work, long hours, and they’re not as well off some of their clients think they are. The book doesn’t shy away from the gritty realities of a vet’s life – flying poo, blood and gore, being out in a field putting a cow’s uterus back where it should be and the sadness of losing an animal after desperately trying to save its life. He adds that being an equine vet is one of the most dangerous peacetime occupations due to the likelihood of being kicked and trampled by a horse and he himself is regularly injured.
Steel is a Scotsman and also an adventurer, an explorer and climber. It may be this risk-taking element in his nature that made him decide to become a locum vet and self-employed. Steel can see at first hand the problems with pet owners who don’t want to pay their bills or who think that, because of the cost of treatment, that the vet is ‘rolling in it’. But a vet’s surgery is a business after all.
But there is also humour as well, as he is aware that cats have a familiar look when in a surgery for treatment which can easily be read as ‘Bastards. You’re all bastards.’ However, he doesn’t only treat dogs and cats. In addition to other species, he operates on a chicken but when he rescues a trapped rabbit, it’s the manly, handsome, good looking Fire Brigade who receive all the credit in the local paper.
The book also discusses pet insurance, animal testing and trafficking. Puppy farms and breeders also appear as in the case of Kahleezi whose owners decide to make money from her puppies with disastrous results.
But it was the case of Gordon the cat which was one of the saddest for me. Putting a much loved pet to sleep even when, deep down, you know that it is the right and only last act of kindness that you can do for them is really difficult. It may be the only choice left to you.
But what shone through the book was the author’s love for animals and his deep appreciation of vet’s nurses. They do a fantastic job as well. I shared his joy at bringing a Labrador back from the dead much to the delight of his owners.
A really good read which encompassed all the different elements of a vet’s life and why they do it.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

Gareth Steel pulls no punches describing his work as a vet, he reflects on the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of his profession. A profession which is often romanticised, as in the TV series All Creatures Great and Small. His recollections are frequently ironic, describing his job warts and all, with simple jargon for the reader (me) to understand technical processes.

This profession is a vocation not just a job, it's filled with joy and tears, life and death, working very long hours and evidently not as well paid as I had expected.

Gareth's patients can't explain their medical ailment, a successful recovery will rely upon his care and knowledge. He sees household pets in a warm light environment, then travels out to a farm where he can be in a dark shed, ankle deep in muck, facing an uncommunicative and often dangerous cow.

Never Work With Animals is a book that every budding vet should be given. Hopefully it won't put them off but will open their eyes to the reality of their chosen profession.

An excellent 5* book, which I highly recommend.

Thank you Harper Collins and NetGalley for the ARC, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion.

I'm definitely more of a fiction fan than non-fiction, but as the only autobiographies I've ever read have typically related to animals somehow I thought I'd give this a go. And, I really did enjoy the various animal stories, particularly the honesty and humour with which author Gareth Steel recounts these patients (and their owners). Although I must admit the intro nearly put me off where author Gareth Steel explains he'll be covering some "difficult, uncomfortable and even distressing issues" - even more so as the first chapter is about one of his first tasks as a newly qualified vet which was to shoot a bull who'd broken it's leg. But with the exception of one chapter pointedly titled "Time to say Goodbye" it wasn't as emotional as I feared. It was however a bit heavy going at times. Designed to "inform and provoke thought" some of the veterinary explanations were a little to scientific and some of the ethical and political discussions a bit too 'ranty' for me. Overall a fascinating insight into the highs and lows of a life as a vet.

An interesting real life look from a vets perspective. It was good to read a slightly less sanitized version of how a vets life goes. Perhaps this should be recommend reading for prospective students with rose tinted glasses. But as general reading it was a little dry. Maybe I was not the intended audience, good in parts.

Never Work With Animals is a non-fiction book that gives an insight into the life of being a vet and just how hard a job it is.

While reading this book I learnt some interesting things and was real eye opener as to how hard veterinary staff actually have to work, it’s definitely not all fun with lots of cuddles.

Now I have to be honest and say that although I found the book to be interesting and somewhat enjoyed the majority of what I read, there were sections I just had to skim through as they started to feel a little repetitive, and there is only so many times I can read about putting a hand up an animals backside. I get the picture!! I think this is where a little bit more editing was needed in my opinion.

All in all, not a bad read. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a little more insight in what its really like working in the veterinary profession. But I do advise you check out the trigger warnings for this book as it will definitely be triggering for many!! I have mentioned just a few below

Trigger Warnings:
Animal Abuse, Animal Harm, Suicide, Murder

On the whole I enjoyed this book a lot. It is a no-holds-barred insight into the life of a vet and paints the mental toll that the profession takes on people very well. The balance between needing to be a profitable organisation and wanting to do the best for every animal that is brought to you must be exhausting for every practice. Add into that incredibly long hours and the dealing with owners/farmers that can be frustrating in their views and it’s clear to see that this is truly a vocation rather than a job.
The anecdotes that Gareth Steel shares are a mix of heart warming, heart breaking, funny, and terrifying. His writing style is engaging when it is about people or animals and the situations he has found himself in over the years. My only slight criticism is that sometimes there are too many words given to the scientific/pharmaceutical descriptions - I can see how they would be valuable for anyone reading this whilst considering becoming a vet or just starting out in their training so I understand why they were included, but it took me out of the flow of the book somewhat.
It is clear that Gareth loves animals and loves the opportunity to find unique, sometime McGyver-like solutions to the myriad problems he is faced with on a daily basis. It is also clear that he is a great advocate for the profession.

As a retired Veterinary Practice Manager of a large mixed animal practice, I can concur with the facts as presented by Gareth. Many a time I saw the long hours worked by the vets, all without complaint. We did all our own on call and frequently had to ‘persuade’ the previous night’s on call vet to go home for a few hours rest. Gareth’s problems with people who expected to pay very little, having been spoilt by the NHS, were also frequent problems. All in all, a book which should be read by everyone who expects their vet to look after their pet! Occasionally the rants became rather long winded but that is understandable.

As an animal lover this was a difficult read in parts, but an important honest account of the veterinary profession. I would recommend this book but possibly not to a person who is easily distressed particularly if they are animal lovers.

I am sorry but I couldn't get on with this book. I am not sure why but I didn't enjoy the ten percent that I read. So three stars as the writing is ok and the subject should have interested me. Maybe it's the worng time and I might go back to it later in the year but as I received an e-ARC to read and review I can't leave it that long for the review.

When a person is dedicated to his work and very knowledgeable it's vital that he writes a book about his experiences. Therefore a big thanks to the author for sharing his thoughts and happenings regarding being a vet. It is most definitely hard work, and not always an appreciated job. I find the strength in this book to be the author's honesty. However, I do wonder how much he has left unsaid. The harsh truth is not for everyone...

The true stories in this book go right to the point, and can be brutal at times. I think it can also be an eye-opening read for many people. If you can't handle the truth regarding over-feeding your pets and the outcome of that, then this book is not for you. If you are interested in knowing all sorts of different dilemmas and happenings in a vet's everyday life with a bit of science and explaining the reasoning behind vet's decisions, then you should definitely read this book!

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel reading this as I am a huge animal lover and can’t stand to see, hear or read anything sad or distressing about them but thought I’d give it a go and I’m glad I did. Well done.

I love a medical memoir, I think it’s just having a glimpse into these careers which society puts on a bit of a pedestal and actually getting to the nitty gritty reality of it. My prior knowledge of veterinary practice – treatment is expensive, must love their job because they get to work with animals all day and basically a fictionalised world somewhere between Lucy Adams’ Animal Ark series and ITV’s Wild At Heart. But this book gives what feels like a very honest and realistic depiction.

Steel talks us through the minefield of farming, domestic and exotic aspects of being a vet. He started working in a rural clinic where he covered as the local farm vet seeing to the cows, sheep etc but also caring for the domestic animals in the area too. I never really considered how difficult it could be to work as a vet on a farm as it’s usually only ever focused on during lambing season where it’s got a bit of a rosey tint but some of the stories he tells makes you worry! As his career progresses he moves around a number of practices and appears to move to less rural areas and focus on more domesticated animals. But my goodness I don’t envy the on call shifts he puts in working with either classification of animal.

I found the reality of being a vet really interesting and enjoyed the comparison to doctors because it’s true we would never expect our GP to perform surgery. And the moral aspect of deciding when to treat and when not to was intriguing too. I loved his stories of animals that have stuck with him and how some real imagination was used at times to help them.

There were some chapters which came away from Steel’s direct experiences and were more scientifically/theoretically based. I found some of these chapters really interesting; like understanding vaccinations, but others felt preachy and I zoned out just skimming. I understand it’s making the book educational in addition to the entertainment but I would’ve preferred it to be more heavily about his experience.