0:00:02 > 0:00:05Hello, I'm Rory. I'm in Coventry to meet Summer,
0:00:05 > 0:00:09who has a tortoise that needs to visit the vet, and we can go, too.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11This is going to be great.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15I'm Ferne. I'll be finding out how the vets at this zoo in Whipsnade
0:00:15 > 0:00:18help to care for one of their big, beautiful beasts.
0:00:23 > 0:00:28# Ferne and Rory telling you the story of some poorly pets
0:00:28 > 0:00:33# We will take them, show you how to make them better at the vets
0:00:33 > 0:00:37# Vet Tales, these are our Vet Tales
0:00:37 > 0:00:42# Vet Tales Ferne and Rory's Vet Tales. #
0:00:47 > 0:00:51Hi, my name's Summer and this my little sister Freya.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54We have a pet tortoise called Turbo.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58He is seven years old.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01We love the colours on his shell.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05Brown, black and a little bit of yellow.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11He's really cute and moves quickly sometimes.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13We love him very much.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26RORY KNOCKS ON DOOR
0:01:26 > 0:01:29- Hi, Rory!- Hey, Summer. You must be Mum.- Hi, Rory.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34- Would you like to come and see our pet tortoise?- I'd love to.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43- Oh, wow! Check out this enclosure! So, this is Turbo's?- Yeah.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46- Does he have an inside one, too? - Yeah.- Great.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49- What's the one inside for? - When it's cold.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Or night-time, as well, I guess.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55- Do you know what breed of tortoise Turbo is?- He's a Horsfield.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57Absolutely right.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01Horsfield tortoises are one of the most popular breeds in the UK.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04You can tell them apart from other tortoises
0:02:04 > 0:02:08because they have four toes on their feet instead of five.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12- What do you like most about him? - How he eats.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15He doesn't have any teeth, so it takes him a long time to eat.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Right. Tortoises don't have teeth.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20- Instead, they've got a beak, don't they?- Yeah.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23I'm having a good look at Turbo
0:02:23 > 0:02:26and I can see that his beak is quite long.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30- Is that giving him any problems? - Yeah. He can't eat very well.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33That's a shame for a wee guy. Tortoises have a beak.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37They use this beak to rip leaves and plants out of the ground.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40The beak is made of keratin,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43which is similar to the stuff our fingernails are made of.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47Like our nails, it keeps growing through their lives,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50so it can get a bit overgrown and cause a few issues.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53- What are we going to do about it? - We could take him to the vets.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56- Great idea. Shall we take him now?- Yeah.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00Perfect. Come on, Turbo.
0:03:00 > 0:03:01Meet The Vet!
0:03:01 > 0:03:05Aideen has been a vet for seven years.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10She has helped deliver lots of cute puppies
0:03:10 > 0:03:14and once treated a bearded dragon that couldn't poo.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Hello! We've got Turbo the tortoise.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29- Lovely. Head on through to vet. - Great. Thank you.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35- Hi, Summer. Hi, Rory. Do you want to come on through?- Of course.
0:03:38 > 0:03:39Summer, tell us about Turbo.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43- He's doing good, but his beak's a little bit long.- A little long.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48We should be able to sort that, but we'll give him a onceover first.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- OK. - I see his beak is a little bit long.
0:03:51 > 0:03:56It should be a nice straight line, rather than a big upper lip.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00So we can just trim that off and that way, he can eat properly.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03- That's great.- We'll check what his weight is like,
0:04:03 > 0:04:07make sure he's nice and healthy. Let's see if he'll stay still.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09He won't.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12365g.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15That's a very good, healthy weight.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19So you can see his legs aren't too big, he's able to move nicely
0:04:19 > 0:04:21and he's able to stand up well when he walks.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26- He can definitely walk.- He can, definitely. Run, I'd say, as well.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30- Excellent.- And if we just look at his nails.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33So very good front nails.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35He does lots of nice digging, I'd say,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38because they're looking good and short.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Some of these back ones are a bit long,
0:04:40 > 0:04:44so we can clip those, as well. That's really easy.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Just like having a little nail clip yourself.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50- We won't put any nail varnish on. - What a shame!
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Otherwise, apart from a slightly long beak
0:04:53 > 0:04:57- and slightly long back toenails, he is in excellent shape.- Great.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01- The nurse is going to come and help you, is that right?- Yes.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03It's going to get a bit busy in here,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05- so are you happy to go outside to Mum?- Yeah.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09And I'll look after Turbo. Is that OK? Right, come on.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Let Me Explain.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17Tortoises can look after their beaks themselves
0:05:17 > 0:05:19by eating the hard shell of a cuttlefish.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23Or they eat food on hard surfaces, like stones or rocks,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26which helps them to wear their beaks down.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Sometimes, a tortoise doesn't get the right amount
0:05:29 > 0:05:33of vitamins or minerals and its beak can overgrow in size,
0:05:33 > 0:05:37so it needs the expert help of a vet to trim it down.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44OK, so, Beth the vet nurse has joined us. What happens?
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Now that Beth's got him in a nice grip,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50- we're going to clip his beak. - What have you got to do it?
0:05:50 > 0:05:54We've got beak trimmers. They're used for clipping beaks.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58- Nice and sharp and make it easy for Turbo.- OK. Does it hurt at all?
0:05:58 > 0:05:59No, it doesn't hurt at all.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02He doesn't have any feeling in this part of his beak.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- He won't feel a thing. - Great. Go for it.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08OK. So let's see, Turbo. Good man.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13I'll just do little bits at a time.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17You don't want to take too much, so you just even up both sides.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Okey doke.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21There we go.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26- You can see we're getting it back there.- Wow!
0:06:26 > 0:06:31- Is that quite tough to clip?- It is, yeah. So it's like thick nail.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33It's a good sign when it's tough
0:06:33 > 0:06:35because if he didn't have the right diet
0:06:35 > 0:06:40- and his beak wasn't as healthy, then it would just crumble away.- OK.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43- So that's good. - It's a really good sign.- Great.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47- How often do you have to do this with a tortoise?- So it depends.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49Some tortoises never need it done,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52but probably only about once every six months or so.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55It's really important you don't do this at home.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59Only a vet and vet nurse should be doing this type of procedure.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04- OK, I think that's good now. If we have another little look...- Wow!
0:07:04 > 0:07:06He doesn't have that upper lip any more.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10That's a big difference, isn't it? Looking very good.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13So we've got to go to his back feet.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16These front feet are fine. He's dug them nicely.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20So it's just the tips of these nails we're going to take off.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23We don't want to go too far. This doesn't hurt.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Just like having your own nails cut at home.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30- This is a different tool. - This is. So these are nail clippers.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33They're specific tools for clipping nails. Good boy.
0:07:33 > 0:07:40And we'll do the other back foot. Well done, Turbo. Lovely.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Looking marvellous, my friend. Excellent.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46- So, is he all good now? - He is. He's back to normal.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50- He's lovely and healthy. - Excellent. Well done, buddy.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53While we get this guy ready to take back to Summer and Ruth,
0:07:53 > 0:07:58why don't you see what else has been happening at the vets today?
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Today At The Vets!
0:08:03 > 0:08:06While Aideen has been looking after Turbo,
0:08:06 > 0:08:10plenty of other pets have been visiting the vets today.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Billy, a King Charles spaniel,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15has been in for his regular acupuncture,
0:08:15 > 0:08:20which is a treatment that helps him with his joints, legs and feet.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Grayson the cat has a swollen nose after he caught an infection,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30but he's had medicine to make it better.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36And Bob the Border terrier is in for a checkup. He's 13 years old.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Because he's in his old age, he's been panting a lot
0:08:39 > 0:08:42and losing hair from his tail.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51Summer and Ruth, check this out.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54He's been a great patient, and look at his beak!
0:08:54 > 0:08:57- What do you think?- Brilliant. - What do you think, Summer?- Yeah.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00I think he looks absolutely fantastic.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03I would like to come back and see how he's getting on.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06- Can I do that?- Yeah.- Awesome! High-five.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09I wonder what Ferne's been up to today?
0:09:13 > 0:09:15CAR HORN HONKS
0:09:17 > 0:09:19At this zoo in Whipsnade,
0:09:19 > 0:09:21they look after lots of different animals.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25And today, I've come to see how one of them with a sore foot
0:09:25 > 0:09:26is being cared for.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31This way!
0:09:35 > 0:09:36- Hiya!- How are you doing?
0:09:36 > 0:09:39This is Nick. He's one of the vets here at the zoo.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41This is Carla, one of the nurses,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44and this is Lee, this animal's keeper.
0:09:44 > 0:09:45Nick, who have we got here?
0:09:45 > 0:09:48This is Beluki, and Beluki's from Nepal.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51She's a greater one-horned rhinoceros.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54She is absolutely stunning! I can't believe how big she is.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Greater one-horned rhinos have this really lovely,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00thick, grey skin that folds over their body,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03and they have one horn at the very end of their nose.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07The African rhinos have two. Nick, what is wrong with her today?
0:10:07 > 0:10:11She's got a bit of a sore foot and we're going to see how she moves,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15and then hopefully she'll come up and we'll look a bit more closely
0:10:15 > 0:10:18- and see what's what.- Fantastic. - Here she comes.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21- Which foot is it, Nick? - It's this front right one.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25- You can see there's just a little swelling above the middle toe.- Yeah.
0:10:25 > 0:10:30- She's moving really well now. Better than she was.- And what was it?
0:10:30 > 0:10:33It's what we call an abscess, a little lump with pus inside it.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37An abscess is just a lump that happens underneath the skin
0:10:37 > 0:10:40that can get infected and can be quite painful.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44There's a split between the top of the nail and her skin.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48- And is that where it's been cut open?- That's where it's burst open.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51That's probably why she's feeling so much better.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55There's much less pressure. We're flushing it out with this solution.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58That's to try and get the tissues in there clean
0:10:58 > 0:11:02and any mud and straw out of there so it won't get infected
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- and it can heal.- Perfect. She's doing so well!
0:11:05 > 0:11:06She's amazing, isn't she?
0:11:06 > 0:11:09The cleaner we can get it, the better.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11It doesn't seem to cause her any pain.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14She's not even flinching. She's just too busy eating.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Her horn is quite small. Why is that?
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Keepers trim it down every so often.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23We don't want them to damage the horn. It's like a huge lump of hair,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26and it is bonded to the top of the skull. It can get torn a bit.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30- Is it like ripping a fingernail? - Exactly. It'd be really sore.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34We don't want that to happen. The other reason is poaching risk.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37We don't want a big rhino horn on display.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40People have started poaching horns from animals in zoos.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44- Are one-horned rhinos endangered? - Critically endangered.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48Beluki came from Nepal, with another female, Behan.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50They've both had calves here.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54It's not just the greater one-horned rhino that are endangered.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56- It's all rhino.- Absolutely.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00Hopefully what'll happen here is we'll get this nice and clean,
0:12:00 > 0:12:01it'll heal up a bit,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04and we'll keep her in here for a little while.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07If she goes out in the paddock, it's muddy and wet.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11- We don't want that getting stuck inside.- Well done, Beluki.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Nick, thank you so much for letting me be part of
0:12:13 > 0:12:17this incredible vet's check-up. It's been really special.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22- And it's great she's on the mend. - Yeah. Absolutely.- Thank you.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28Recently, I visited Summer, her mum Ruth and their tortoise Turbo.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30He needed a bit of a beak clip.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33I'm back to see how they're all doing,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35and to meet little sister Freya too.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Well, guys, it's great to be back
0:12:42 > 0:12:45and it's lovely to meet you, Freya, as well.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49- How is Turbo doing?- Really good. - Yeah, so the beak's all fine?- Yeah.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52- No problems with his food?- No.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55And I have to say, I think his beak looks splendid.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Would you like to come and make a treat for Turbo?
0:12:58 > 0:13:01I'd love to. Come on.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04I've got some tomatoes here. Is that milk thistle?
0:13:04 > 0:13:07Rip it into chunks. Doesn't have to be too small.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10He can have some big chunks. He doesn't get tomato all the time.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14- It's a special treat, isn't it? - Yeah. And he deserves it.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16Definitely. Last two bits?
0:13:16 > 0:13:19- Done.- Great. Right, guys, bits and bobs.
0:13:19 > 0:13:20Let's put them in.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24Not too much. Little bits at a time.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32It's great to see Turbo eating so well with his trimmed beak.
0:13:32 > 0:13:33Thanks for joining us
0:13:33 > 0:13:37and finding out all about Turbo and his overgrown beak.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40See you next time for more Ferne and Rory's Vet Tales. Bye!
0:13:40 > 0:13:42ALL: Bye!
0:13:47 > 0:13:49# Ferne and Rory telling you the story
0:13:49 > 0:13:52# Of some funny pets
0:13:52 > 0:13:56# We will take them, show you how to make them better at the vet
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 > 0:14:06# Ferne and Rory's Vet Tales. #