Veterinarian Dr. Gary Hoium spent 37 years looking after animals — and a few humans — while working in Weyburn, so you can bet that he has a few stories to share.
And share he does in his new book, Don’t They KICK When You Do That? Stories of a Prairie Veterinarian, published by Regina-based DriverWorks Inc. His time as a mixed animal rural vet produced enlightening, funny, intriguing and educational adventures, experiences, mishaps and successes that will entertain readers and animal lovers everywhere.
For example, readers will learn how Hoium disentangled four grey fox squirrels that wrapped their tails into a knot and how he corralled a 1,800-pound wild-eyed aggressive bull that escaped his inner-city clinic and landed in a resident’s backyard — right next to two schools.
Hoium graduated from the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinarian Medicine in 1984 and moved to Weyburn for his first job — and never left, he told the Moose Jaw Express. Thirty-seven years later, in November 2021, he hung up the rubber gloves and boots.
“Well (I retired because of) old age and getting beat up and burned out,” he explained with a laugh. “The old wear and tear on the knees and body was enough. I always said I was going to walk away and not crawl away. And I told them I’m limping away, so I guess that’s in between.”
Hoium experienced many adventures and “interesting things” over his four decades, so a plethora of stories built up in his mind. When the pandemic struck in March 2020 and he was forced to stay home, he realized that — with no sports and time on his hands — it was a good time to write a book.
He sat down and, over two days, came up with 125 ideas. From there, he chose the best stories for the book. The result is that his new book has 41 chapters, some with multiple stories if they are similar in theme.
There are several tales that Hoium singled out as his favourite. One includes dealing with a client who lived near the clinic, had a rough childhood, and was “possessed by demons” because of his issues. Other stories include encountering electric fences on farms and other unexpected places.
One change in the veterinarian business that Hoium noticed is how animals have become like family to their owners. This is particularly with cats, dogs and exotic animals, he said, but also with horses, cattle, and sometimes pigs.
“I think just the human-animal bond and how that has grown and strengthened over the decades since I started to the time I quit. We’re making animals family more and more all the time,” he said.
Writing the book allowed Hoium to honour his clients who used his services and sometimes contributed to the tales. He received plenty of feedback from people, including a 90-year-old man who said he cried over one of the chapters.
Life and death are part of being an animal doctor, Hoium added, so writing the book allowed him to bring out the emotions — good, bad, and ugly — of veterinary medicine.
A final question might be, what’s up with the book’s title? Well, the answer is on the cover, which shows Hoium reaching into a cow’s rectum. He pointed out that, to check pregnancies or help with births, he must stick his arms into an animal’s rear end. This sometimes causes the beast to kick.
Animals have kicked Hoium twice, including his arm and his right knee, with the latter contributing to his retirement.
“That was the worst kick I ever took,” he said. “It’s not unusual for animal vets to get kicked.”
Hoium added that he dedicated the book to his sister, who died of cancer in 2020. One dollar of every sale will support cancer research.
