Reviewed By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The things we do for our furry children. When Fido or
Fluffy is failing, we bundle them up with love and trundle
them off to the puppy physician or the kitty caretaker for a
resolution to what ails ‘em. But imagine if Fido is a
1,000-pound bull or Fluffy is a pony with a sore foot. You
can’t exactly fit them in the car, so you phone the vet for a
housecall.
Some fifty years ago, Maine farmers and pet owners
called Bradford B. Brown, DVM, and in his book Just One
More Thing, Doc, Brown recalls the animals
he’s treated and the farmers who were a treat to know.
Because Bradford Brown had a strong farm background, it was no surprise that he
wanted to be a veterinarian. The surprise was that he wanted to work on large animals —
cows, horses, and pigs — even though, he says, “the easier money is in Whiskers and
Fido.”
After graduation from college, Brown went into business with his brother in Maine,
treating the biggest, sometimes-baddest animals in the area. He quickly got a reputation
for being one of the best vets in the state. If some other veterinarian said it couldn’t be
done, Bradford Brown was the guy the farmers called.
In this book, his second, Brown writes about the time he had to dehorn a bull that was a
little wild. This one was, in fact, more than a bull in a china shop — it became a bull in a
fragile farmhouse. Brown tells of the Arabian stallion whose frantic race around town got
the police and fire departments involved. That same racing race horse also made sure
his doctor-owner got a new car... again.
Farmers are, in a way, just as much patients as are their animals, and Brown writes
about a man who asked for some animal medicine — for his own symptoms. Then there
was the farmer who got his clothing from the town dump, but dressed up fancy for his
wedding day; the farmer who added a little extra something to the butter he made; and
the farmer who went to The Big City for the first time.
Remember how much you loved reading James Herriot’s books a few decades ago?
Then you’re going to love Just One More Thing, Doc maybe even more so, because this
Doc is closer to home.
Author Bradford Brown is thoughtful and folksy in his writing, willing to dish gentle dirt on
his clients but not one bit insulting. Even though these incidents happened half a century
ago, Brown’s stories are timeless, and a few of them made me laugh out loud. The
chapters are small, some just a page-and-a-half, which makes them the right size to
read while waiting for the kids to finish practice or the vet to arrive. If you’re a farmer or an
animal lover and you want just one more book for your shelf, look for Just One More
Thing, Doc. This book will make you content as a cow in clover.
wanted to be a veterinarian. The surprise was that he wanted to work on large animals —
cows, horses, and pigs — even though, he says, “the easier money is in Whiskers and
Fido.”
After graduation from college, Brown went into business with his brother in Maine,
treating the biggest, sometimes-baddest animals in the area. He quickly got a reputation
for being one of the best vets in the state. If some other veterinarian said it couldn’t be
done, Bradford Brown was the guy the farmers called.
In this book, his second, Brown writes about the time he had to dehorn a bull that was a
little wild. This one was, in fact, more than a bull in a china shop — it became a bull in a
fragile farmhouse. Brown tells of the Arabian stallion whose frantic race around town got
the police and fire departments involved. That same racing race horse also made sure
his doctor-owner got a new car... again.
Farmers are, in a way, just as much patients as are their animals, and Brown writes
about a man who asked for some animal medicine — for his own symptoms. Then there
was the farmer who got his clothing from the town dump, but dressed up fancy for his
wedding day; the farmer who added a little extra something to the butter he made; and
the farmer who went to The Big City for the first time.
Remember how much you loved reading James Herriot’s books a few decades ago?
Then you’re going to love Just One More Thing, Doc maybe even more so, because this
Doc is closer to home.
Author Bradford Brown is thoughtful and folksy in his writing, willing to dish gentle dirt on
his clients but not one bit insulting. Even though these incidents happened half a century
ago, Brown’s stories are timeless, and a few of them made me laugh out loud. The
chapters are small, some just a page-and-a-half, which makes them the right size to
read while waiting for the kids to finish practice or the vet to arrive. If you’re a farmer or an
animal lover and you want just one more book for your shelf, look for Just One More
Thing, Doc. This book will make you content as a cow in clover.
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