0:00:00 > 0:00:02Hi, I'm Rory.
0:00:02 > 0:00:04Today I am in Manchester, in England,
0:00:04 > 0:00:06to meet Cadence, who has a big fluffy friend she wants me to meet,
0:00:06 > 0:00:08and it needs to go to the vet.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10This is going to be great.
0:00:10 > 0:00:11And I'm Ferne.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15I'll be finding out how the vets here at a zoo in Winchester
0:00:15 > 0:00:19help to keep some of their cheekiest animals happy and healthy.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26# Ferne and Rory tell a new story
0:00:26 > 0:00:28# Of some poorly pets
0:00:28 > 0:00:31# We will take them Show you how to make them
0:00:31 > 0:00:33# Better at the vets
0:00:33 > 0:00:37# Vet Tales These are our vet tales
0:00:38 > 0:00:42# Vet Tales Ferne and Rory's Vet Tales. #
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Hi, I'm Cadence and this is Holly.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50She's the most lovely dog.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55She's a Newfoundland.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58She's very fluffy. And big.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02We play together lots and lots.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07I help look after her.
0:01:11 > 0:01:12I love Holly.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25- Hi, Rory.- Hi, Cadence. Hello, Grandma Elaine.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29- Hello, Rory. - And this can only be Holly.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31Wow.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33That's a whole lot of dog, isn't it?
0:01:33 > 0:01:37- Do you want to go on a walk with me and Holly?- I would love to.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39- Shall we go?- Bye-bye.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Cadence, I don't think I've ever been for a walk
0:01:51 > 0:01:52with such a big dog before.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Just look at those paws. They're massive.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Let's have a seat. What a beauty!
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Yes! So, tell me, how old is Holly?
0:02:02 > 0:02:07- Four.- Four years old. And she's been visiting the vets recently?
0:02:07 > 0:02:13- Why is that?- We take her to the doggy weight loss class.- Oh, I see.
0:02:13 > 0:02:14It's really important that your dog
0:02:14 > 0:02:17is the correct weight to stay healthy.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19Your vet can tell you what the right weight is
0:02:19 > 0:02:20for the breed of dog that you have.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22And your vet has been saying that
0:02:22 > 0:02:23Holly needs to lose some weight, right?
0:02:23 > 0:02:26So, what have you been doing to help her lose weight?
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Giving her less food.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Right, so you measure it out so she doesn't get too much.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35That's a very good idea. And what about exercise?
0:02:35 > 0:02:39- What do you do with her? - We play with Holly and we walk her.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43So, you take her for walks and you play with her, which is great.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46You measure her food and you take to doggy weight loss class.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49And I hear you're going with her today, is that right?
0:02:49 > 0:02:52- Do you want to come, too, Rory? - I would love to. Shall we get going?
0:02:52 > 0:02:54- Yes.- Come on, then. Come on, darling. Come on.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03This is Kate.
0:03:03 > 0:03:04She's been a vet for 12 years
0:03:04 > 0:03:07and performing surgery is her favourite part of the job.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11She's allergic to long-haired rabbits,
0:03:11 > 0:03:15and the smelliest patient she's had to deal with was a seal.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Come on, you. This way.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30- Hiya, guys. Do you want to come through?- Yeah.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34- Hi, Kate.- Hi. Hi, Cadence.- Hi.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36Oh, hello, Holly.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39- So, how has Holly been getting on, then?- Really good.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42We decided she's got a little bit too much weight,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45- so we gave you a special diet, didn't we?- Yes.- Fantastic.
0:03:45 > 0:03:46What was in that diet?
0:03:46 > 0:03:49The special diet has loads of fibre in it, so it makes her feel
0:03:49 > 0:03:52full for longer, so it means she doesn't pester too much for treats,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56and it means she loses weight gradually, which is fantastic.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Yeah, that's good. So, what are you going to do here first, Kate?
0:03:58 > 0:04:01So, first of all I'm going to give her a full checkup
0:04:01 > 0:04:03to make sure she's really nice and healthy.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06So I'm going to look at those beautiful eyes for her.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09- They're gorgeous.- They look healthy?
0:04:09 > 0:04:11And then the slobbery mouth.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Let's have a look in that mouth. What can you see in there?
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Just slobber, really. Yes. Under all that slobber there are some teeth.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Then we check her ears for her as well.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22So, in there I'm looking for any signs of infection.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24And sometimes I'll even give them a sniff.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27What are you smelling for there, Kate?
0:04:27 > 0:04:30If they don't smell good, there's probably an infection going on.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33So it's really useful just to have that nice little check as well,
0:04:33 > 0:04:35make sure everything's OK.
0:04:35 > 0:04:36So, next up, we're going to use
0:04:36 > 0:04:38this special tool to listen to her heart.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Good girl, Holly. She's such a big girl.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Good girl.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46That's fantastic.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49- Cadence, would you like to have a listen as well?- Yes, please.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Here you go. Put those in your ears and if I put that down there,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54can you hear her heart?
0:04:56 > 0:05:00- What does it sound like?- Really fast.- Yeah, that's right.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Now, obviously, Holly has been carrying a bit of extra weight.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06What sort of problems can arise if a dog is really overweight?
0:05:06 > 0:05:09If they're overweight, they have too much fat around the heart
0:05:09 > 0:05:12and the kidneys and the other bits and bobs that are inside.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13- And that can make them unhealthy. - OK.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17And for somebody like Holly, as well, it's too much on their joints
0:05:17 > 0:05:19so that she can get some pain and things like that.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22- So we really like to get them nice and lean.- OK, that's good.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25So now we need to see how well this weight loss is going.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28So because every dog is different, we don't use our eyes,
0:05:28 > 0:05:29we actually use our hands.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32So we can shut our eyes and feel over her ribs,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35to see if you can feel them go up and down, and up and down.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37And see how thin she's getting.
0:05:37 > 0:05:38You can feel them.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41That's good, is it, Kate? There's not too much fat on there?
0:05:41 > 0:05:43She's doing really well. We're really chuffed with her.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45- That's good.- So, next step is to go
0:05:45 > 0:05:47and see Danielle for her weight clinic.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50- Come on, then. Come on, Holly. - Bye, guys.- See you.
0:05:52 > 0:05:57Let me explain. The most common reason for dogs being overweight
0:05:57 > 0:05:59is that they eat more food than they need to,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01and exercise less than they should.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Being overweight causes the dog's heart and lungs to work harder.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Their joints can get sore and they can develop diabetes,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10which affects their blood sugar levels.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14The best way to help your dog lose weight is to play
0:06:14 > 0:06:19and exercise often, give healthy dog food, and limit their treats.
0:06:22 > 0:06:23- Hey, Danielle.- Hi, guys.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26In nurse Danielle's weight clinic,
0:06:26 > 0:06:28there are big dogs and small dogs.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30But they all have one thing in common.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34Can we bring Bert up, please, Anne-Marie? Good boy.
0:06:34 > 0:06:35They've been given a meal
0:06:35 > 0:06:38and exercise plan to follow to help keep them healthy.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Danielle weighs and measures them every month to see how
0:06:42 > 0:06:45- they're getting on with their weight loss.- Well done, Rinty.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48- You've lost a kilo. Good boy. - Good boy!
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Cadence, do you want to bring Holly round now?
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Hello. Hi.
0:06:56 > 0:06:57She's looking good.
0:06:57 > 0:07:02- Danielle measures around Holly's chest and then her tummy.- Ready?
0:07:04 > 0:07:07- We are, 81 on her tummy.- OK.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09And then let's do her neck.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11And what's a good measurement around
0:07:11 > 0:07:13the chest and the tummy and the neck?
0:07:13 > 0:07:17It can all vary, but even with the same breed, my aim would be
0:07:17 > 0:07:21- to get her maybe to about 80 on her tummy.- OK.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25But I go more for how they look and what they are on the scales.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28So at the moment what we want to do is, when we look down on Holly,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31we want to see a little bit of her tummy, waistline, don't we?
0:07:31 > 0:07:34- Yeah, can't quite see that yet, can we?- Not yet.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Shall we pop her on the scales now and see what she's lost?
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Hopefully she's lost - what do you think?
0:07:39 > 0:07:42- 10 pounds.- 10 pounds?- 10 pounds! Exact.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Here we go. Up here - come on.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Lie down. Come on. Good girl. Can we get all four up?
0:07:47 > 0:07:51Not quite, here we go. Come on, come on. No cheating.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Well done.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58- How's it looking?- 59.7.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00So she's actually lost another 300 grams
0:08:00 > 0:08:03- since last time she was in, which is really, really good.- Yes!
0:08:03 > 0:08:06- Really good.- Yes! - Hasn't she done well?
0:08:06 > 0:08:09- Yes, good girl.- Oh, yes.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11So, the next steps with Holly.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13We've got her on a weight-specific diet,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16and then what we're going to do is introduce another two walks.
0:08:16 > 0:08:17You have to do it gradually,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20because otherwise it can affect their joints. Cut down on her treats
0:08:20 > 0:08:23and then we'll re-weigh her again in another three weeks' time.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26Okey-doke, brilliant. Well, you've done fantastically well.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30And while we get you ready to go home, let's see what else
0:08:30 > 0:08:31happened at the vets today.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40The veterinary practice is a busy place today.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Behind the scenes, there are some important tests being carried
0:08:49 > 0:08:50out on some of their patients' blood.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Danielle is looking after a French bulldog, Rumple.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00She's here because she's due to have puppies very soon,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02and the vets want to keep an eye on her.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Little Pip is being really well-behaved for her checkup,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09and after having one of his teeth removed,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Chip the cat is really looking forward to going home.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22I've had a brilliant time meeting you, Grandma, and Holly as well,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25and I'd like to come back soon and see how you are all getting on.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27- Is that all right?- Yes, Rory. - Awesome.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Now, I wonder what Ferne's been up to.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42This zoo near Winchester has lots of amazing wildlife.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Today, I'm in for a treat as I'm getting to meet
0:09:49 > 0:09:51one of my favourite animals.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Hiya, Justine. Hi, Mark.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Justine is the head vet here at the zoo, and Mark is
0:10:04 > 0:10:07the keeper of these cheeky little chappies.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11- These are meerkats, aren't they? - Yes, they are.- They're beautiful.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13Meerkats originally come from South Africa
0:10:13 > 0:10:15and as you can see, they love digging.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19They live in tunnels where they can escape and hide from danger, too.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21So how many meerkats do you look after?
0:10:21 > 0:10:23We've got seven meerkats in here and they're all males.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26- And a group of meerkats is called a mob, isn't it?- That's right, yes.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Mob of meerkats.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30So, Justine, what else are we checking with these little guys?
0:10:30 > 0:10:33So, today we're going to check their weights to make sure they're
0:10:33 > 0:10:36- not getting too fat.- Oh, OK. How are we going to do that?
0:10:36 > 0:10:39So we're going to try to get them on to the scales one by one,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42by giving them some of their favourite treats,
0:10:42 > 0:10:43which are mealworms.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Wow, OK. This is going to be a bit tricky, isn't it, Mark?
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Yeah, it is tricky. You've got to be patient with this, yeah.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Justine, why do we need to keep an eye on their weight?
0:10:54 > 0:10:56So we need to check their weight
0:10:56 > 0:10:58because they've been getting a little bit fat in here,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00because they've got a lovely enclosure
0:11:00 > 0:11:02where everyone can see them really clearly,
0:11:02 > 0:11:04but some people have been giving them human food
0:11:04 > 0:11:06and treats which they shouldn't have.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08- And that can actually make them poorly.- OK.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11So, naturally meerkats are omnivores, which means they like
0:11:11 > 0:11:15to eat lots of different things like fruits, nuts, seeds and insects.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17You can see that these guys are loving their mealworms.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20They're not really supposed to tuck out on chocolate, are they?
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Not at all, no.
0:11:22 > 0:11:23So we try and give them
0:11:23 > 0:11:26a similar diet as they would have in the wild here.
0:11:26 > 0:11:27Mark, how can you tell whether
0:11:27 > 0:11:30these little meerkats are getting a bit tubby?
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Well, we look at meerkats in the wild, so we can work out
0:11:33 > 0:11:38from that what is a natural weight range and a natural body condition.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40So we have to monitor their weight on a regular basis,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43so that they are always within that weight range.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46So that little one there is 1.26 kilos.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Is that an OK weight for a meerkat?
0:11:49 > 0:11:53- Our target weight for a male meerkat is one kilo or less.- OK.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55So that's a little bit over.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58- This is Kova.- What's he? He's 1.1.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00- How's that?- That's not too bad.
0:12:00 > 0:12:01Definitely going in the right direction.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04- How are we going to reduce their weight?- So we're going to do
0:12:04 > 0:12:07a couple of things. We're feeding them a slightly different diet,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10so more insects, which is more like their wild diet.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13We've also put some signs up so we can tell the public that it's
0:12:13 > 0:12:16really important not to feed them any other treats.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19So hopefully they'll start to lose some more weight as well.
0:12:19 > 0:12:20Fingers crossed.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Justine and Mark, thank you so much for letting me come
0:12:24 > 0:12:26and see how you manage this little mob.
0:12:26 > 0:12:27It's been really fun
0:12:27 > 0:12:30and hopefully they can get their weight down a bit more.
0:12:30 > 0:12:31- Good luck with it.- Thank you.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38Not long ago I met Cadence,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41her gran, Elaine, and fluffy family dog, Holly.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Holly was a bit big and had to lose some weight,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46so I'm back to see if she's managed to reach her healthy weight.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55- Hey, everyone.- Hi, Rory. - And hello, Holly. Good to see you.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58So, Cadence, has she been sticking to her diet and exercise plan?
0:12:58 > 0:12:59- Yes, she has.- Amazing.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Well, there is only one way to find out how well she's doing.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05- Let's get her on those scales, Danielle.- Come on, darling.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07On here. Good girl. Well done.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11- No cheating.- Well done, Holl! - Stay there, darling.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14She's lost nearly a kilo.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19- So she's done absolutely fantastic. Well done.- Well done, Holly.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22- So, Danielle, are you happy with that?- I'm very happy with that.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24She's done really, really well.
0:13:24 > 0:13:25So the plan is to carry on as were going
0:13:25 > 0:13:27and we'll see you in a few weeks.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Fantastic. Well done, Holly.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32Cadence, it's been great seeing you and Holly again.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35And I hope you've enjoyed finding out all about Holly
0:13:35 > 0:13:36and her amazing weight loss.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40- See you again soon for more Ferne and Rory's Vet Tales.- Bye!