Why Is This Book for You?

On the 10th July 1996 I stood in front of the president of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons with sixty three of my class mates and declared an oath. This declaration not only sealed my admission to the Royal College, it symbolised what I had been working toward my whole life and I deeply meant and believed what I said. The final sentence of that oath reads as follows:

‘I further promise that I will pursue the work of my profession with uprightness of conduct and that my constant endeavour will be to ensure the welfare of animals committed to my care.’

I have strived to do this every day since then but have experienced a slow and inexorable disillusionment that has taken me through the whole spectrum of emotions from anger to bitterness to depression.

The reasons for my feelings are the main driving force behind writing this book. You, as the pet-loving public, have a right to know the facts. It is only then that the many caring vets such as myself may be able to once again truly enjoy our work and you will be able to make the right, informed choices about the animals you let into your lives.

I hope that by writing this book, and with your help, we can start to change things for the better. I have felt at times that there is nothing that can be done because it is all too big. The thing is that if we all try to work towards the same goal it is possible.

Do you want to be a vet? The many ‘fluffy’ animal programmes, including Vets in Practice, that have been a feature of our television schedules since the days of All Creatures Great and Small are, by their very nature, somewhat misleading. Don’t get me wrong, being a vet can be a wonderful and fulfilling career. What you have to realise is that these programmes can never show the reality of the job. After all, who wants to watch the routine and mundane parts of any job time and again?

Naturally, only the exciting and unusual cases will be shown on Vets in Practice and therefore I have spurred on another whole generation of people to go into this most revered of professions. If you are one of these people I want to you to make the right decision about becoming a vet. I will give you an insight into the application process, the competition and what you can expect from your years at university. I will tell you about how wonderful the job is but I will also try and give you an insight into the other side of the job, the side you rarely, if ever, see until it may be too late. I will also try to give you some ideas about finding the right vet for your pet.

Most of all I want to stop seeing and treating diseases and deformities that we have artificially bred into our animals just because we want them to look a certain way. This should not be the ‘norm’. The ‘devolution’, as I call it, of so many of our long-standing breeds of dogs and cats has gone on for too long and although the powers that be tell us that they are addressing the problems it is up to you as the consumers of these manufactured beasts to exert your power and make these changes happen faster and as comprehensively as possible. It may be a long road but all the time there is no awareness of these things then what hope do we have? Nothing will ever change if no one ever tries.

I think it will be best if I start at the beginning so that you and I can fully understand the whole story and how I came to be the person I am now. Many people have said that, having seen me on television, they trust me and what I have to say. I am truly flattered by such remarks. I hope you will see as you read that this book had to be written. You have been misled for too long and the time has come for you to know the truth. I have reached a stage where I feel I can no longer do my job- one which I have strived my whole life to carry out- if I continue to ignore what is going on.

Everything in this book is based on the knowledge and experiences of myself, my close colleagues and my clients. As such, everything I’m about to tell you is true. For reasons that will become obvious later, I have to say here that these are my own personal opinions and DO NOT necessarily reflect the opinions or views of the veterinary profession.

Shall we begin?
Emma Milne