0:00:01 > 0:00:04Hiya, I'm Ferne. Today, I'm in Gloucestershire to meet
0:00:04 > 0:00:08Alyssa and Chloe and their beautiful pet rats, who I hear need
0:00:08 > 0:00:10a little trip to the vet's.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13And I'm Rory and I'm here at a zoo in Bristol to see
0:00:13 > 0:00:18how the vets here keep an eye on lots of different animals.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24# Ferne and Rory, telling you the story
0:00:24 > 0:00:26# Of some poorly pets
0:00:26 > 0:00:28# We will take them, show you how to make them
0:00:28 > 0:00:31# Better at the vet's
0:00:31 > 0:00:32# Vet Tales
0:00:32 > 0:00:36# These are our Vet Tales
0:00:36 > 0:00:37# Vet Tales
0:00:37 > 0:00:40- # Ferne and Rory's Vet Tales.- #
0:00:43 > 0:00:48Hello, I'm Alyssa and this is my pet rat, Melody.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52Hello, I'm called Chloe and this is my pet rat called Emily.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Emily and Melody are sisters.
0:00:56 > 0:01:01- Emily is white.- And Melody has a grey stripe down her back.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06- They are really friendly. - They like to climb all over us.
0:01:06 > 0:01:12This is their cage. They sleep in the hammock.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Emily is the cheeky one. She loves to explore.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18We love our pet rats so much.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31- Hi, Ferne.- Hi, Ferne.- Hi, Chloe. Hi, Alyssa. And you must be Louise.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34- Hi.- Hi, Ferne.- Would you like to come see the rats?
0:01:34 > 0:01:37I would love to, yes, please. I love rats.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47- Wow, so the rats live in the your room, Alyssa.- Yeah.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52Hello! And I love their cosy, snuggly bedding. They are beautiful.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56- Can we get them out?- Yeah. - These rats are gorgeous.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59What type of rats are they?
0:01:59 > 0:02:03They're Rexes. They're one and a half year old.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07- Are they fun?- Yeah.- Yeah.- Because rats are very smart, aren't they?
0:02:07 > 0:02:11- We'll show you.- Oh, yes, please. Would you like me to hold Emily?
0:02:11 > 0:02:15Yes, please. Look, they're watching. Oh, they know.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19- Is this a special obstacle course for them?- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Well done, Emily. Up here, up here.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29Let's see how your sister does. Yes!
0:02:29 > 0:02:31So, girls, why do the rats need to go to the vet?
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Because Melody's sneezing at night.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Emily needs to get weighed because she's a bit chubby.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43- Is she?- Yeah.- Does Emily love her food?- Yeah.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47- There's something special about the vet, isn't there?- He's our daddy.
0:02:47 > 0:02:52- That is fantastic.- Would you like to come with us, Ferne?- Yes, please.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54Are you ready, girls? Let's go.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04This is vet Martin. He's giving this sleepy cat a check over.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10Martin has treated many different animals from goldfish to skunks
0:03:10 > 0:03:13and has two dogs of his own at home.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24- Melody? Emily?- BOTH:- Hi, Daddy. - Hi, girls. Are you coming through?
0:03:24 > 0:03:26- Hi, Martin.- Hi, Ferne.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33- So, what's first for the rats today? - We're going to have an exam.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38- So, should we start with Melody? - Yeah.- Yes.- OK. Come on, Melody.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42So, the first thing I'm going to do is going to weigh her. Here we go.
0:03:42 > 0:03:48- So, what's the ideal weight for a rat?- Under 300, and she's 320.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50So she's a little bit overweight. OK.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54- When does she sneeze the most, Alyssa?- Mostly at night.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57- Mostly at night. I agree. - And why do you think that is?
0:03:57 > 0:04:01She could be sneezing because she has a little infection
0:04:01 > 0:04:03or inflammation of her airways.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06- I'm going to have a look at her nose. Do you see any snot?- No.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10No. Eyes are clear. Let's have a quick listen to that chest.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13What would it sound like if there was something in her chest?
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Some crackles and wheezes. The good news is her chest is clear.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19She looks in good condition.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22- Shall we have a look at Emily now? - So we need to weigh Emily.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24We'll do the same again.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26Cos we think she could be a little bit chubby.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31Emily's actually a smaller rat but she weighs nearly the same.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35So she could also do with some weight loss. OK. Does Emily sneeze?
0:04:35 > 0:04:39- No.- No, we've not heard her sneeze, have we? Do you want to listen?
0:04:39 > 0:04:41- Yeah.- Yeah. - EMILY'S HEART BEATS
0:04:41 > 0:04:45- How does it sound? - It's like, d-d-d-d.- That's right.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48She's really clean. Nose is clean, nose is clear.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52- How are both rats doing, Martin? - They're both doing well,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54but they both need to lose a bit of weight.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58- How are you going to do that with rats?- What do you think?- Less food?
0:04:58 > 0:05:02- A little less food.- Exercise. - And what else?- Treats.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Treats. So, I think we need to do a little less treats.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07The other problem was sneezing.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10I just need to make sure there's nothing inside the chest.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14I'm going to take a picture of her chest. I'm going to take an X-ray.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Before Martin can take the X-ray, Melody is given an
0:05:18 > 0:05:22anaesthetic gas through a tube, which makes her fall asleep.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Martin can then take the X-ray photograph
0:05:25 > 0:05:28while Melody is nice and still.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31And Melody doesn't feel anything at all.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Once Melody wakes up, she goes back with Emily
0:05:37 > 0:05:41and Martin can have a look at the X-ray on his computer.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46- Martin, how's her X-ray looking? - It's looking really good.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Here we have her breastbone. That's her heart and on
0:05:49 > 0:05:53the edges we've got these black bits and that's her lungs.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56- So, how are her lungs looking? - They're looking good.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58All black and there's no fluffy bits.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01We're looking for fluffy bits in the black areas
0:06:01 > 0:06:03which would tell me there's infection.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07- It wouldn't be as black, as clear as it is now.- OK, fantastic.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10It's awesome that you get to see the inside of a rat.
0:06:10 > 0:06:15- They're really cool.- So, it looks as though Melody has allergies.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22Just like us, animals can have allergies, too.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25The allergies can make them sneeze, have a runny nose
0:06:25 > 0:06:29or even get itchy skin or a rash.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32They can be allergic to all different things, like grass,
0:06:32 > 0:06:35pollen, or milk.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39In some cases, the vet can give a special inhaler to help them.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44What could Melody be allergic to?
0:06:44 > 0:06:48She could be allergic to her bedding or to shampoo in your hair
0:06:48 > 0:06:51when she goes into your hair, or to the washing powder
0:06:51 > 0:06:54- that we wash our clothes in. - Wow, so lots of different things.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56So then, how do we help her?
0:06:56 > 0:06:59One of the things we can do is change the bedding.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03- What do we use for bedding at the moment?- Ripped-up pieces of paper.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Ripped-up pieces of paper, and sometimes it can be a bit...
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- Dusty.- So we need to find something less dusty.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Make sure that your windows on your bedroom are open
0:07:12 > 0:07:15a little bit just so they can get nice, what kind of air?
0:07:15 > 0:07:19- Some nice, fresh air.- Yeah, well done. Well, that sounds great.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23So hopefully if you do all of that, Melody will stop sneezing.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27- Let's hope so. - The rats have done so well.- Yeah.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30While these rats get some well-deserved cuddles,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33let's see what else has been happening at the vet's.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41There were a lot of visitors at the vet's today.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45Dewey the dwarf rabbit was in to have her nails clipped...
0:07:47 > 0:07:51..while George the cat was having some teeth removed.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55Lily the pug dog needed a contact lens fitted to her eye
0:07:55 > 0:07:59as a patch to help it heal.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03And Jesse the budgie had to be given some medicine to stop him
0:08:03 > 0:08:04losing his feathers.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10Emily and Melody have done so well.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14- They're almost back to their wriggly selves, aren't they, girls?- Yeah.
0:08:14 > 0:08:19- They've been really brave.- Yes, they have. They've been wonderful.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22It has been really great meeting you both and your gorgeous rats.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27Would it be all right if I came back soon to see how they're getting on?
0:08:27 > 0:08:29- That would be great. - Thank you very much.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32While we give these brave little rats some rest,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34let's see what Rory's up to.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45The zoo has lots of different animals, and today I'm joining
0:08:45 > 0:08:48head vet Michelle as she visits a few of them
0:08:48 > 0:08:50to see how they're getting on.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52This way.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55- Hi, Michelle. Hi, Lauren. BOTH:- Hi, Rory.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57So, who are we going to see and why?
0:08:57 > 0:09:00We're checking on one of our patients, Darcy. Darcy's a capybara.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04She lives with the tapirs, but it's the smaller animal
0:09:04 > 0:09:07that we're looking for. She hasn't been well lately.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10She wasn't eating well and her breathing wasn't good.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13She's been on some medication. I'm here to find out how she is today.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world
0:09:16 > 0:09:20and they're found in South America, as are the tapirs here, as well.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22- Michelle, how's it looking? - She's looking good.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24I'm pleased with her progress.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28She's regained her appetite. Her breathing seems normal,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31so I'm happy that she can finish the medication that she's on.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33Marvellous. Where to next?
0:09:33 > 0:09:36We've got a seal to go and look at now, Rory.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Oh, wow. Let's get moving.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42Topper the fur seal has a sore flipper, so Michelle wants to see
0:09:42 > 0:09:44if it's getting better.
0:09:44 > 0:09:45- Hi, Miko.- Hi, Rory.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Miko looks after the fur seals here. How many do you have?
0:09:48 > 0:09:52We have five males and one of them needs a closer checkup.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54So, Michelle, would you want to come with me?
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Come on.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01- Wow.- Can I have the flipper, please?
0:10:01 > 0:10:04- That...- Yeah, it looks clean. And it's not bothering him?
0:10:04 > 0:10:07I haven't seen any sign of pain or anything like it.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11He moves all right with it. He's swimming, he's running.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15- How's it looking, Michelle?- Really nice and clean. It's not infected.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18They're in salt water, which is really good for wounds,
0:10:18 > 0:10:22- so it should heal fine.- And what a good seal, I'm very impressed, Miko.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26- Thank you.- Next, we're off to meet Alan, a Meller's duck
0:10:26 > 0:10:28with a sore foot.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31- We put a bandage on last week.- OK. - She's had some painkillers
0:10:31 > 0:10:34to make her feel more comfortable.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37Now, we want to look at how it's doing under the bandage.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40So you can see, this was the area that was a little bit
0:10:40 > 0:10:43- sore and swollen.- OK.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46- It's not looking too bad. It is still a little bit swollen.- OK.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50So this duck's been having some medicine to help it feel better.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Right, well, looks like it's working.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Yeah, we can try without the bandage.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58- That's fine. She'll love that. - Where to next, Michelle?
0:10:58 > 0:11:02We have a giant tortoise next, the last patient of the day.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Tropical, exciting! Let's go.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11- Wow, Michelle, so who do we have here?- This is Terrance.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14I've come to look at this area on his shell, so he's got a little
0:11:14 > 0:11:18crack here. You can see there's some underlying bone there,
0:11:18 > 0:11:21but the good news is that it doesn't look infected
0:11:21 > 0:11:25and it looks like an old injury that's not getting any worse,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28so I don't think we'll need to do anything about that.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32- Okey doke.- Having a look at his eyes and his nose. That looks fine.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36So I'm just checking for any abnormal lumps or bumps.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39- I think he's doing well. - That's great.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Michelle, thank you for taking us round your
0:11:42 > 0:11:44- vet checks today.- You're welcome.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52Not long ago, I met Chloe and Alyssa and their beautiful pet rats,
0:11:52 > 0:11:56Melody and Emily. Now, I'm back to see how they're getting on
0:11:56 > 0:11:58since their visit to the vet. Come on!
0:12:03 > 0:12:07- Hi, Ferne.- Hi, Ferne. - Hello, girls. Hi, Louise.- Hi.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11- Hello, Emily. Hi, Melody.- We've got something to show you, Ferne.
0:12:11 > 0:12:17- Come on.- Oh, yes! This is exciting. I can't wait to see what it is.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23- This is the rats' new play area. - This is fantastic.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26I can't believe how big it is. Look at all those colours!
0:12:26 > 0:12:30We've also got a tube going down to a cage underneath my treehouse.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34- Wow, so they've all of this space. - Yeah.- That is brilliant.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36- Do the rats love it?- Yeah.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40It's perfect for all of their exercise. Shall we put them in?
0:12:40 > 0:12:42- Yeah.- Yeah.- OK. Go on, girls.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51- They love playing in there. - You having an explore, Emily?
0:12:51 > 0:12:53CHLOE HUMS
0:12:54 > 0:12:57How have the rats been since their visit to the vet?
0:12:57 > 0:13:01Well, they lost a bit of weight because they've been
0:13:01 > 0:13:04running around in here and we've given them less treats.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07- That's important, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09And what about Melody's sneezing, Alyssa?
0:13:09 > 0:13:12We changed her bedding but she's still sneezing.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15- Daddy said she might need an inhaler.- Perfect.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18An inhaler is something that will help Melody
0:13:18 > 0:13:21breathe a little bit easier. Humans can use inhalers, too.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23Oh, they're so wonderful, girls.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27I've had an amazing time meeting you and your beautiful,
0:13:27 > 0:13:31- clever little rats. - Thank you for coming, Ferne.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34I hope you've enjoyed seeing the rats, too.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40- See you next time for more Ferne and Rory's Vet Tales.- Bye!
0:13:47 > 0:13:49# Ferne and Rory, telling you the story
0:13:49 > 0:13:51# Of some poorly pets
0:13:51 > 0:13:54# We will take them, show you how to make them
0:13:54 > 0:13:56# Better at the vet's
0:13:56 > 0:13:58# Vet Tales
0:13:58 > 0:14:01# These are our Vet Tales
0:14:01 > 0:14:03# Vet Tales
0:14:03 > 0:14:05# Ferne and Rory's Vet Tales. #
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Subtitles by Red Bee Media