The further memoirs of a Vet
Trials and joys of being a veterinarian as seen through the eyes of an expert.
If you have ever dreamt of becoming a vet, are in the profession or just an avid animal lover, then Mike Hardwich’s book, The Rhino and the Rat, is for you.
As a vet that has been working with wild and domesticated animals for over 39 years, Mark has many amazing and touching stories to tell. The late Sam Ngwena, who spent forty years working as an assistant for various vets and the last six years of his life for Mike, wrote a great summary of Mike. “Mike is a white South African who understands animals like no other. His spirit calms them, he knows no fear and never panics. He makes our really difficult work seem easy. We seldom have to restrain a patient; there is a calming spirit in our practice because of him.”
The Rhino and the Rat: Further memoirs of a vet, follows his earlier book, the Lion and the Lamb: Memoirs of a vet. Both books chronicle the different cases Mike has handled in his career as veterinarian and is written in first person dialogue.
It covers a variety of incidents, from having to perform a caesarean on a mare to help her give birth to twin fowls, to working with elephants and lions on game parks and reserves.
It is a delightful read if you’ve ever wondered what life as a vet would be like or is considering a career in the field. Seasoned professionals will appreciated the detail in which Mike describes which procedures were followed in each instance, while people unfamiliar with the field will enjoy his more comical anecdotes and stories of amazing animal lovers. At the back of the book a small glossary provides explanations of terms unfamiliar to the latter group of people. There are also a few diagrams to explain some of the more complex terms.
The individual anecdotes are accompanied by small sketches of the animals or people involved, which adds to the vivid descriptions of situations.
Mike’s passion for his work and love of animals is evident in the ‘epilogue’ part of each incident. Here he usually gives a short summary of what eventually happened to each animal and their owners, ranging from amazing recoveries and long lives, to heartbreaking deaths and tearful goodbyes.
Mike will have more stories to tell, as he is still a practicing vet. He has been married to Judy for 42 years and they have three married daughters and seven grandchildren. Their family home is on a farm in the Tala Valley of KwaZulu-Natal.
To read his blog, buy the book or for more information, visit https://mike-hardwich.co.za/.
