I wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year and, if possible, encourage anyone who follows my writing to sign up for my e-newsletter through my web site: www.drnicktrout.com.
Here's a snippet from the latest update.

A New Disease?

Bella was a skinny, yet feisty, five-month-old chocolate Labrador puppy, doing what Lab pups do best—eating—and in this case, eating something she should not.
She presented with a classic abdominal obstruction, something stuck in her stomach, something stuck in her small intestine. Not much to think about, poor Bella was in discomfort and unable to keep food and water down. Surgery was the only solution.
For a dog of this age, and breed (and I say this with all due respect to Labradors, because, as I type this, I can pat the one asleep at my feet), taste doesn’t really come into the equation. Motivation is frequently no more complicated than “it was there so I ate eat!” Yet I took the opportunity to review the series of x-rays that committed young Bella to a date with me in the operating room.
“Pretty sure I know what she’s swallowed,” I bragged to the anesthesia technician while draping off Bella’s shaved and sterile belly, prior to making my opening incision. “The x-rays show two distinct metallic lines, like wire, one standing straight up, presumably in the stomach, the other laying lengthwise, presumably in the duodenum. I’m betting on an underwire bra that Bella has chewed into two pieces.”
To me, it seemed like a reasonable guess. The metallic strands were the conundrum and far more interesting than a partially digested corn cob, sports sock, or Christmas ribbon. Secretly I imagined a conversation that might ensue if Bella belonged to a young, newly married couple. With the surgery complete, Bella resting comfortably, I would make my phone call to the owners, happy for husband and wife to talk to me on speakerphone as I clarified that naughty Bella had swallowed one of ‘mom’s’ Victoria Secret’s bras, only for the wife to go silent before declaring that she never shops at that particular store!
Fortunately, my reverie never came to fruition. My incision into Bella’s stomach revealed an object that initially fit the bill—cloth, string, wire—and I thought, darn it, not a bra, but a bikini top. And then I realized my mistake. How could I forget we were living in the time of Covid? This wasn’t a bra; this was a cloth mask—wire for the bridge of the nose and string to secure it in place. In fact, it wasn’t just one cloth mask, it was two.
Thankfully Bella made that wonderfully boring and uneventful recovery, and my discussion with the owners is one worth sharing, that disposable and cloth masks can pose a significant hazard to the well-being of our pets, not least those adorable canines who can be a little more food driven than most.

Up Next

If you’re wondering what’s happening with respect to my next writing project, it remains a work in progress. For a while, I had planned on a comparison between my version of veterinary medicine and that of the incomparable James Herriot. However, my agent felt this was a little too disjointed, anecdotes forced along in the absence of a narrative arc. That’s why I have switched to a different non-fiction project—the proposal is in the process of final tweaks prior to, hopefully, finding a publisher. I’m going to refrain from giving too much away at this point, but I’m happy to share the tentative title.

Sleeping Dogs Never Lie: Scandal, Humility, and Redemption in My Life as an Animal Surgeon.

As I am about to enter my thirteenth year of working with the publishing industry, the process remains no less fickle than when I pitched Tell Me Where It Hurts. With luck, in 2021, I’ll get a chance to share more of what will be my seventh book.

Before I finish, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have signed up for this newsletter, and the kind readers who follow me and my books on Goodreads and BookBub. The other day it crossed my mind how strange my own book recommendations must appear to folks drawn to me because of a love for the human-animal bond. My apologies, but I confess, when I get to read, or listen to books on my commute to work, I crave an escape, and also an opportunity to learn writing techniques, pacing, use of dialogue, and character development. If I were a human surgeon, I hope you wouldn’t blame me for not reading the works of Atul Gawande (though he is an excellent writer).
Happy Holidays to all, and, from someone who have never been a fan of New Year, I can’t wait for 2021!
Cheers
Nick