Not Grazing but Browsing: Spilling the Beans on Life as a Woman and Vet

Not Grazing but Browsing describes how to make it through life as a woman and a vet. Make no mistake, this is not out of the James Herriot stable. Although written with poignancy and humour, self-deprecation and a good deal of mischief, there is little to laugh about in some of the issues discussed here. With raw and gritty realism Sheilagh Nisbet describes some of the harrowing aspects of being a vet such as having to put to sleep a dozen unwanted and unloved dogs in one morning.

In this enlivening and edifying memoir, Sheilagh Nisbet describes how she negotiated a path through general practice, academia and government work, and alongside a discussion on the value of conserving rare breed animals, she describes how she came to breed a Greek horse that no-one wants. Her experience in ending animals’ lives inspires a reflection on current debates on human assisted dying.

Not Grazing but Browsing is a searingly honest description of the blood, sweat, tears, fears and artfulness of a woman who occupied a profession where men were slow to accept women colleagues. This is a passionate and personal account of Nisbet’s journey through happiness, heartbreak, poor mental health, imposter syndrome and what to do if you find yourself in the wrong job.