Episode 10 Junior Vets

Coming up...it's graduation day,

as junior vets check up on former patients

and have one last chance to impress me

before they take the Junior Vet promise

and I decide who has won the Head Vet title.

When pets are poorly, wildlife gets wounded or farm animals feel unwell

they need top vet help.

The really lucky ones come here,

to Edinburgh University's amazing super high tech vet school.

Only a few weeks ago, six kids, chosen from 1,000...

..became the first ever children allowed to enrol here.

I'm all ready.

They've been working with the school's top vets...

Who wants to take this cow's urine?

..they faced up to an intense training programme...

-Have you done that anaesthetic before?

-Whoa, whoa! What's that?

..and are being pushed to the limit,

treating all sorts of animals that need their help.

I'm Paul Manktelow

and it took me five hard years to train to be a vet

but this lot have only weeks to show me what they're made of.

All my Junior Vets have come so far since day one.

Oh! That's so cool.

I've thrown them some real challenges.

It's like everything's just so...bonkers!

-That is amazing.

-That's cool.

But they've all proved they had the stomach to succeed.

I feel like a real vet.

They nearly always stayed calm under extreme pressure.

Six raw recruits...

..and now I'm about to choose one winner.

The first ever Junior Vet to win the prestigious Head Vet title...

is....

After weeks of intense training and tough veterinary work,

my six Junior Vets are about to find out

who has made it through vet school.

They arrived as raw recruits

and some of them will be leaving as potential vets of the future.

So, who has done enough to graduate?

And which one of them will be awarded the prestigious

Head Vet title?

All of my junior vets have helped so many animals

during their time at vet school...

..but I've only given my Vital Vet Work awards

for THE most impressive performances

and it's those all-important awards that will now help me decide

who will win my head vet title.

Before I make my final decision,

I'm sending my junior vets on one last mission...

..to check up on the progress of a very special patient

who they helped at vet school.

Will is on his way to meet a Staffie who made a real impression on him.

We're off to see Jessie and her new owners at their house.

Last time I saw Jessie I was surgically removing her ovaries

so it will be quite good to see how she's getting on.

Not all patients come to vet school with loving owners.

In order to find a new home, Jessie needed an operation

to make sure she wouldn't have any unwanted puppies in the future.

Will got stuck in during surgery

and his efforts have really paid off!

Hello!

Jessie now has a new life with owners Janice and Derek.

I was really relieved when I saw Jessie.

Going to see her was just amazing

because the work I put in had paid off

and I'm really proud of what we've managed to achieve.

So how is she doing then?

She's fine, she's really settled in well.

I'm a bit jealous, actually!

Do you mind if I took her for a walk?

We'd be quite delighted, I'm sure she will.

Thank you.

I really think I'd like to become a vet

because the past few weeks have been amazing

and if I become a vet I could just do that for the rest of my life,

and I just think that is what I want.

Amblessed is paying a home visit to her previous patient,

Coco the parrot.

The closest I've ever got to animals is if I go to someone's house

and they have got a pet.

When Coco was away from home, were you worried?

Oh, I was really upset, very, very upset.

Cos that's the first time he's ever been away.

When Coco arrived at vet school, the poor parrot needed urgent help

after developing a worrying breathing problem.

He looks really friendly.

In surgery, Amblessed was straight in there...

Who wants to be the anaesthetist today?

-Erm...

-I don't mind.

-I'll be the anaesthetist.

-You're anaesthetist.

..but things didn't go to plan

and, unusually for Amblessed, she lost her focus.

-What's happening to your heart rate?

-Her heartbeat's slowing down.

So she's probably too deep under anaesthetic now

and if you're detecting a change in heart rate

that's something you should have told us.

When I first got told I got really scared and anxious.

It was quite a shock and I was worried for Coco.

Amblessed and the team soon got things back under control...

-You guys happy with bird?

-Yeah. Happy.

ALARM BLARING

..until a fire alarm interrupted Coco's op!

Go, go, go!

Luckily, we were just switching off the anaesthetic

so we could take Coco out for her to recover.

Yeah, she's going to be fine, she's just recovering.

Thanks to Amblessed, Coco is now on the mend.

Were you really relieved when he came home?

Oh, yeah, definitely, yeah. He was glad to be home as well.

I feel really happy to see the owner smiling

and help, the fact that you've helped save the pet.

That's what I like to see, a happy pet and a confident junior vet.

Morgan has returned to Edinburgh Zoo to check on his favourite patient,

Mr Green, the rockhopper penguin.

There he is. He's there.

When Mr Green needed treatment for a sore eye,

my junior vets were allowed special access into the penguin enclosure

to help him.

I like penguins. They're, like, one of my favouritest animals.

They're so cute.

After a hesitant start,

Morgan helped examine Mr Green's scratched eyeball

and gave him an all clear to return to his plunge pool.

How's he been since we went?

Well, he's a grumpy penguin

so he didn't enjoy having the eye drops

but he looks a lot more comfortable, as you can see,

he's swimming there in the pool. So, that's a good sign.

Three...two...one.

But Mr Green wasn't the only patient at the zoo who needed help -

Morgan had to confront his biggest fear...

Do you want to hold his body?

..when he was asked to give an urgent examination

to Petite, the Taiwanese beauty snake.

Petite could only stay at the zoo if he proved to be disease free.

It's sounding healthy.

Petite passed all Morgan's tests

and now has a comfy new home in the zoo's snake house!

When I went back to see the snake,

I was really pleased to see that it was healthy

and it was growing into its new home.

He's lovely and clear now.

And Petite has even produced a goodbye gift for Morgan.

Keepers have kindly collected a bit of the shed skin.

Unfortunately, it's come away in bits.

I don't like snakes very much

but doing all this Vet School, I think has boosted my confidence.

I've got my snake skin and I'm out of here.

Coming up...the junior vets make their Vet School Promise

and it's decision time as I announce the winner of the Head Vet title!

My Junior Vets intensive training programme is almost complete.

As well as real world vet work,

I've also been putting them through their paces in the training zone.

And I've been rewarding the best performances

with Vet Skills Credits.

These, along with the Vital Vet Work awards,

will help me decide who deserves the Head Vet title.

My junior vets have one last chance to earn a Vet Skills Credit.

For this special occasion, I've taken them out of training zone

and into the riding school!

Top horse vet Matt Hanks has coached my junior vets since day one

and now he's helping me judge their final performance.

Junior Vets, Matt's going to be giving you advice

on how to read a horse's behaviour

and then we are going to test your handling skills -

not just on the ground but also in the saddle.

-Oh, yes!

-Yes!

First, an important safety briefing.

Horses can be dangerous -

they are big animals and you need to be able to read them.

A horse with its ears forward is listening to you and is interested,

a horse with its ears flat back is aggressive

and a horse that is blowing out through its nose...can be scared.

Here come the horses!

This is their toughest test yet,

they must prove they can handle and stay calm around large animals.

OK, Junior Vets, now for the fun bit.

If you would like to turn your horses and off you go.

I want to see natural riding ability

and that they can control their horses on command.

So, when you get to letter B, you're going to turn left.

Will's in full control of his horse...

-Will stopped perfectly on his mark, there.

-He's confident.

..and so is Morgan. He's confident, relaxed and enjoying himself.

Amblessed needs to be a bit firmer...

Halt! Halt! Halt!

..Sam needs to be much more vocal...

and Lauren definitely needs to concentrate more.

And halt.

Well done. And then keep the reins on her head.

And the final test,

can they get off their horses safely and gracefully?

-Very confident.

-Yeah.

Slide down by the shoulders. Well done.

So who impressed us with their horse handling skills?

Morgan, Saira and Will were the most calm and confident.

And each of them is awarded the last Vet Skills Credit.

To see how you get on as a virtual vet go to the Junior Vets game

on the CBBC website

and look for the special game code at the end of today's show!

This is the last day of vet school and my junior vets are on a mission

to check up on a special patient they've helped in their time here.

Lauren is paying a home visit to Stella the Labrador.

The four-year-old suffered a terrible leg injury

after being run over by a car and she was in a very bad way.

Lauren was part of the surgical team that attempted to repair

Stella's damaged wrist...

It's like trying to get an eggshell out of your yolk.

..and fixed a protective cage to the outside of her leg.

There was a real chance Stella would never walk again...

..but look at her now!

'Considering Stella had been run over,'

I was absolutely amazed to see her running about and so happy at home.

'Before the operation she was quite down.

'She was still really sweet and lovely'

but she wasn't as happy as she is now.

Is this your profession that you're looking forward to?

Yeah, I definitely want to be a vet.

I've always loved, like, dogs and cats and stuff.

I think Stella is recovering really well.

The wound is healing up

and once this comes off she should be left with a limp,

which is really good,

considering she could have died in that accident.

Saira has returned to the vet school farm

and is hoping to catch up with a patient

she helped last time she was here.

There he is. I got him. He's over there.

This lamb was found limping in a field

and had to be shepherded in for treatment by Saira...

'Going back and seeing the sheep was fun'

and we have a happy feeling inside

knowing that we've helped that sheep.

..but first she had to learn how to handle sheep safely.

She tried...

I'll let it go. Let it go.

-..and tried...

-Bum down.

..and tried again...

There we go.

..finally, she did it!

Saira overcame her nerves to treat the lame lamb.

Thanks to her, the rest of flock didn't catch an infection.

'To be able to do this kind of thing at my age,'

being able to get right in with actual veterinary work,

it has definitely changed my life

and I don't think I'll ever forget it.

At the riding stables,

Sam is on his way to check on his old patient Brie the pony.

Sam hasn't seen Brie since he tested her for a highly infectious disease

called strangles and he doesn't know the results of the test.

Until Brie is definitely free of the disease,

she must live away from the other riding school ponies.

When Brie was tested, Sam had the crucial job

of collecting a test sample from her inner ear.

This was Sam's very first vet school assignment

and it was an impressive start.

That's quite cool.

And now I need to take her to the lab

and see if she comes back positive or negative.

Now Sam is about discover if Brie is clear of disease

and if she can join the rest of the riding school ponies.

Hi, Brie.

I was really excited about going back to see Brie.

So, how were the test results then?

The test results were really good news.

She passed her strangles test, so it was a negative result.

So it now means she can mix freely with the other horses.

That's great news.

She looked really well

and she looked like she was settling into farm life.

'It's really nice to come back and see Brie

'especially because the test results have been negative.

'I think she's doing really good, as far as her training.

'I think maybe she needs a bit more practice'

but I think she's well on her way to become a full-time horse.

Vet school is now almost over for my junior vets...

..but they still don't know if they've all graduated

or who has won the competition.

And they've no idea that nervous family members

and some of their vet school mentors

have gathered below for the graduation ceremony.

I must now make my final decision on who deserves to be named Head Vet

and there can only be one winner...

..but which one?

Sam arrived with big ambitions of becoming a surgeon.

I'm all ready.

He struggled in his first ever operation.

So I needed to just go outside have a glass of water.

Big, unusual animals made him nervous.

Oh! Oh.

But what impressed me about Sam

was his determination to overcome his fears.

-Are you OK with that?

-Yes, fine.

He knuckled down and got on with the job in hand.

-It is hard to do it one-handed.

-It is, isn't it?

That's one urine sample.

He forced himself out of his comfort zone and pushed himself hard -

his work during Henry the pony's complicated operation

proved that to me.

Push it through. That's it, perfect.

That's it, that's it, you've got it now.

He sometimes found training zone performances difficult

but when he was called upon

to help real animals in real emergency situations,

he was a star performer.

You must be getting the hang of this!

There's not any drastic changes. It seems to be just running smoothly.

We might have to employ you at the hospital!

Sam is definitely a contender for the Head Vet title.

If I don't win, I'll obviously be really pleased for the winner

but I'll have taken loads away from the experience.

Saira came to vet school determined to overcome her fear of dogs.

So I expected a nervy start from her.

-This is Brie, OK?

-Hi, Brie.

-She's a four-year-old Highland Pony.

I couldn't have been more wrong -

smiling and unflappable from the word go.

African Grey.

It's all down to you now. Come on, Junior Vet, you can do this.

Saira proved herself to be a seriously talented junior vet,

with bags of confidence, enthusiasm and determination.

His skin is really tough and scaly.

And the whole thing is just really cool.

-Yes!

-Yes!

A team player...

You do this one, I'll do the last two.

..with great technical know-how.

I'm quite happy with the way things are going, it's going quite well.

There is one clear winning team - Sam and Saira.

Saira and Amblessed.

She raced into an impressive early lead...

-Would you like to meet Jessie?

-OK.

..but she had to face her fears helping Jessie though surgery

and then never looked back.

Wow.

Hello.

I like dogs now!

Looks so cute from my side. She looks like she's going to sleep.

Calm with patients and owners...

Hi, Mr Robshaw, this is Saira...

It's good news.

Saira continued to make her mark with every vet she worked with.

I'm impressed that she got straight in, every time she nailed it.

This great all-rounder has definitely taken

a lot from her vet school experience.

I've learnt so many things about animals

and how to take care of them,

and how to be able to cooperate, and work with them properly.

Lauren is 100% committed to making the lives of animals better.

-Lovely.

-Fine!

She really cares and it shows.

It's all right, sweetie, it's OK.

So her slow start at vet school was a big surprise to me.

I can't find it. I can't do it. That is the vein, that is the vein.

She was one of the last of my junior vets

to win a Vital Vet Work award...

Morgan, Sam, Will, Amblessed and Saira.

Congratulations. You are today's top junior vet.

Wow.

..but when she found her form, she was unstoppable!

Feel any sharp points?

That side is all smooth.

I've watched Lauren transform from a talented individual

into a real team player.

Rock, paper, scissors.

Oh, damn!

She knows her stuff.

-So you can see the larynx.

-Yeah.

And that's the epiglottis, that thing, there.

She loves veterinary work.

-That is amazing.

-That is cool.

-SHE LAUGHS

-That was SO good!

And she's seized every single opportunity

to take her skills to the next level.

I think that's the uterus.

I was just calling to say that it was good news about Finbar.

Lauren has made a massive impression on everybody she has worked with...

Lauren did very well. She's very confident with Zoe.

Very keen to get involved, lots of questions.

Lots of very good questions.

..a top vet in the making, that's for sure.

It would mean loads to win Junior Vets

because it's been my dream, like, my whole life.

And so to Morgan -

he came to vet school desperate to prove he could care for animals.

He was confident from the off.

Well, there's two beats at a time but I counted 15.

BOTH: Junior vets receiving, over.

Showed good technical skills and a steady hand

but he had the odd lapse in concentration...

-Morgan.

-Morgan, stand up.

..and struggled with the mucky side of vet work.

-MORGAN COUGHING

-I'm going to be sick.

-Sure you don't want a feel?

-No, I don't!

The last thing we are going to do is our faeces sample.

You can do it.

He needed to prove to me he could stay focused

across a full assignment.

Remember to look out for the horses, guys.

-Yeah.

-You're here for a job.

That's all come off.

So, Morgan, this is going to be your case.

And when Benji the dog needed help he really rose to the challenge.

Keep going, keep going. Good lad. No-one said it was going to be easy.

Saira and Morgan!

His brilliant work with Benji

won Morgan his first Vital Vet Work award

and he bagged two more soon after.

He has incredible moments of inspiration...

-Look at that.

-Yeah.

-That must be painful.

I think it's a broken pelvis.

-MORGAN LAUGHS

-That is so cool.

And a mischievous sense of humour.

Morgan has the potential to be a talented junior vet

and he achieved his goal - he proved he can care for animals.

If I won Junior Vets, it would be awesome!

Since day one of vet school, Will has shown

one of the essential ingredients needed to be a top vet...

I can do this.

..supreme confidence.

If you're nervous, your patients sense it

and it makes it difficult to treat them.

Will stayed cool and calm.

It's OK.

OW!

Most of the time!

OK, then we're going to start.

He had a go at every job I threw at him

and then wanted even bigger challenges.

-So, is this the muscle? Right.

-Yeah, just the muscle layer there.

I've got that finger underneath it.

When he got his big challenges...

Jessie's surgery...

We're just finishing the final line of suture.

..and then the operation on Henry the pony,

he never let me down.

-That's nearly one.

-So we need to do a bit more of drilling, don't we?

-And who's this then?

-This is Casper.

What stands out for me about Will

is his excellent communication skills...

I think we're going to have to get a second look on its eyes.

They look to be just really sore.

..and his real appetite for learning.

So how many stitches are you planning on doing?

Where will the holes be?

Will it be the continuous one?

Will is right up there with the top performing junior vets...

Oh, I know what it could be.

..and has absolutely made the most of his time at vet school.

I just think it's something that I'm just going to cherish for ever.

Amblessed is the youngest of my junior vets

and arrived with the hardly any animal experience...

..but you'd never have guessed it!

Her powers of concentration were on show right from the start.

Right, we've got a racoon, Kevin.

She handles technical equipment with ease.

Test shows that her heart's all right,

even though she has the murmur.

Takes unusual patients in her stride.

She has, like, a bump on that side of her.

And never ducks out of messy or uncomfortable tasks.

Oh, that is disgusting!

It was in the training zone where Amblessed really shone.

That's probably the deer because if you open it up it's grassy.

Her attention to detail and ability to pick up new skills

meant that here she performed better than every other junior vet.

But there can only be one winner.

Amblessed. Amblessed. Amblessed. Well done, guys. Well done.

Sometimes the unpredictable nature of vet work got the better of her.

-ALARM BLARING

-Go, go, go!

Amblessed came to vet school with no real ambitions of becoming a vet

but that soon changed.

Doing this has made me consider being a vet

because it is really good fun.

Whether I win or not, I think I'll take away the knowledge,

all the things I've learnt, from this experience

and all the animals I've worked with.

I've now made my final decision.

This is it, Graduation Day at vet school.

My junior vets, their families and veterinary colleagues

are about to find out who has made it through vet school,

and who has won the Head Vet title.

Junior Vets, your vet training is now over.

Now, it's time to announce who will be graduating from vet school.

Lauren...

..Amblessed...

..Will...

..Morgan...

..Saira...

Sam...

I'm delighted to tell you that you've all made it through.

Well done, guys, come down and join us.

I'm so proud of every one of my junior vets.

They've competed individually

but they have stuck together as a close-knit group

throughout vet school.

Now I want them to show their commitment to caring for animals

long after they leave here.

Junior Vets, it's time to take the Junior Vet Promise.

Can you raise your right hands?

And say after me, I do solemnly swear.

ALL: I do solemnly swear.

To do whatever I can.

To do whatever I can.

To protect wild animals and pets.

To protect wild animals and pets.

And if injured or ill.

And if injured or ill.

I will do my best.

I will do my best.

To help them feel better.

To help them feel better.

Congratulations, you have all graduated!

Now what they have all been waiting for.

There can only be one overall winner

and this has been so very, very close.

This person found, initially, vet school was tough

but that just made them work harder and dig deeper.

They've continuously impressed myself and all the other vets here

through their energy and effort...

their drive to complete the tasks...

but ultimately their complete dedication to helping animals.

The first ever junior vet to win the prestigious Head Vet title...

..is...

..Lauren. Well done, Lauren.

Lauren put her heart and soul into vet school.

It's been a close call

but she's the clear winner of the first ever Head Vet title.

I'm really happy for Lauren cos she was really good.

She was always excited, all the time, and everything, so, yeah.

I'm happy for her.

I'm still thinking about being a vet

because it would just be exciting every single day.

I just think it is amazing what we've done.

I'm really happy that I have done this.

It has made me consider being a vet when I'm older.

In the future I'm really hoping to be a zookeeper.

-We definitely know he's been missing!

-Yeah, it's been quiet!

I'm a bit shaky... I can't BELIEVE it!

I've just loved every minute of it

and I don't know what I'm going to do without them.

My junior vets are now vet school graduates.

Their journey here is over but yours could be just about to begin.

Check out the Junior Vets game on the CBBC Website

and you could be running your own busy vet practice right now.

And today's game code

that will unlock a special case in your very own waiting room is...

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