Episode 2 Junior Vets

Coming up on Junior Vets -

Stella the dog needs urgent surgery...

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

..junior vets join the emergency response team at the races

and a lame lamb needs help down on the vet school farm.

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.

And now, six kids chosen from 1,000

have become the first ever children allowed to enrol here...

I'm all ready.

..and work alongside the school's top vets.

Who wants to take this cow's urine?

They're facing an intense training programme.

Have you done that anaesthetic before?

What is this? What's that?

And they're being pushed to the limit at animal hospitals,

vet practices, wildlife parks and working farms.

I'm Paul Manktelow.

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.

My junior vets have hardly been around animals before.

That's so cool!

Now they are facing real, heavy duty vet work.

It's like everything's just so bonkers.

That is amazing. That's cool.

Have they got the stomach to succeed?

I feel like a real vet.

And can they stay calm under extreme pressure?

Six raw recruits.

I can only choose...

one winner.

The first ever junior vet to win the prestigious head vet title is...

Day two and my junior vets have shown

they are committed to caring for animals.

But can they keep it up when under pressure?

Junior vets, welcome back.

You have made it through your first day at vet school so very well done.

But now it is time to pick up the pace. So...

Saira and Amblessed. Will and Morgan. Sam and Lauren.

Let's get down to business.

Today, my junior vets will be working with the school's top vets

in the hospital, on the farm and at the races!

I'll be getting regular reports on their performance.

They all want to get their hands on one of these -

the daily Vital Vet Work award.

But, ultimately, it's my decision who will be named head vet.

So how are my junior vets shaping up?

Amblessed might be the youngest of my junior vets

but she is already showing top vet potential.

She's shown she can pick up new skills at speed.

Just as well because today will be a very different challenge for her.

He has around 120 heartbeats a minute, which is good.

But it is Sam, who with his previous partner Saira, took an early lead

when they became the first ever Vital Vet Work award winners.

Today is going to be an all-important day for Sam

who has ambitions of becoming a veterinary surgeon when he's older.

That's quite cool.

Will he be able to hack it in an operating theatre? Let's find out.

In the vet school, small animal hospital surgeon Sam Woods

is attending to a very poorly patient.

Four-year-old Stella is normally a playful Labrador cross,

but she suffered a serious leg injury

when she was run over by a car.

Hi, Lauren and Sam. I'd like you to meet Stella.

Come on. There we go.

She was out having a run with her owner and, unfortunately, managed

to slip her collar and ran across the road and got hit by a car.

We were quite shocked to find Stella in the state she was.

She was quite run down and you could tell

that she was quite upset with her leg.

So sweet.

Dogs have wrists similar to humans.

Stella's wrist joints have opened up and she needs urgent surgery

to repair the damage. If the surgery isn't successful,

she could be in a lot of pain for the rest of her life.

Our junior vets prepare Stella for surgery.

She is given anaesthetic, a drug to keep her safely unconscious

throughout the operation.

Lauren has the first big job - to clip the hair on Stella's leg.

With Stella unconscious,

junior vet Sam gets his first glimpse of the injury

and it's not pretty.

-Is that the bone?

-Yeah, that's the bone in there.

Can I come around and have a look?

When we saw the wound,

it was really, really shocking. Just like the state it was in,

it was just disgusting.

Both junior vets Sam and Lauren are determined to try and help Stella.

They scrub in for their first ever vet school op.

This is a vital job for any surgeon.

Washing their hands over and over will help prevent dirt or infection

getting into theatre and harming Stella.

I'm all ready.

Once scrubbed in, the junior vets cannot touch anything

including their own face!

But Lauren's made a mistake.

Lauren did all her scrubbing

and then, with her bare hands, she's touched her mask,

like, just like a tiny bit.

So that obviously means that she has to start all the scrubbing again.

I was so angry with myself. It was... I was so irritated.

I'm not doing that again.

All done. Now it's safe to bring Stella into theatre,

but are my wannabe vets up for this big job?

I'm not worried that I'll faint or anything.

I think you have just got to get on with it, really.

This veterinary team has years of experience.

One, two, three!

Except Sam and Lauren who have only one vet school day

under their belt so far.

Just hold the foot. That's great.

It's all going to plan.

Can you count the number of swabs that we have there?

Seven, eight, nine, ten.

Then suddenly, it proves too much for junior vet Sam.

He leaves the theatre feeling light-headed.

Can I take my mask off?

That's what I needed to get off.

It wasn't the blood and guts and gore that set me off at all.

It was more the fact that we were standing there,

in the hot room and then, I think, with the mask as well.

And when you breathe in and breathe out, it's so hot and it all gathers

in your mask and it's just really not comfortable at all.

While Sam catches his breath, Lauren sticks with Stella.

For now, the operation must continue minus one junior vet.

Later, the team work to repair Stella's damaged wrist joints.

But will Sam make it back into surgery?

I'll just stay with you, in case you do feel a little bit worse.

It's flat racing day at Musselburgh Racecourse in Edinburgh.

With 75 horses taking part, it's crucial to have a top emergency

response team on standby at all times.

Lucky junior vets Will and Morgan are about to experience

what it's like to be a vet on call on a special race day.

So, what equipment will we need for today?

Right, so we need a bandage box.

Does one of you want to get one of these big blue bandage boxes for me?

The team are on hand to help any horse that becomes ill or injured.

Sadly, broken limbs are a real possibility.

So these are if we have a horse that we suspect has a broken leg.

We can use these to kind of stabilise the legs.

So, we'll take all these things into the car, all right?

These huge horses weigh around 450 kilos

and reach speeds of 40 miles per hour.

When race horses fall, injuries can be serious.

Badly injured horses sometimes have to be put to sleep straightaway

to stop their suffering.

John must prepare the junior vets for the very worst.

We have this drug here,

which is basically like a strong aesthetic,

and it basically anaesthetises the animal very deeply

and then sends them slowly into death.

You may come across that in the course of today.

Hopefully you will be well prepared for that.

We then realised that we had a very serious job that we had

to deal with and we had to help out a lot.

As the horses are led to the starting line,

the team complete final communication tests.

RADIO: 'Top of the course to Junior Vets, come in, please, over.'

Junior vets receiving, over.

Well done, excellent. So we're all ready to go now.

Awesome.

Quick, guys.

The vet team have access-all-area passes

and head for their response vehicle in the centre of the course.

Junior Vets are go.

The junior vets have important roles today.

They must closely observe the runners

and look carefully for any signs of injury.

They must keep their concentration at all times.

When the horses went, we started really zooming off.

I wasn't expecting it.

The reason we do this is to make sure we're nice and close

to the horses in case anything happens, obviously.

Means we can be there within a few seconds.

But with all the excitement, John is worried that Will and Morgan

have lost sight of their important role.

Remember to look out for the horses, guys.

Here for a job.

Coming up - can my junior vets prove themselves to John

when they help a hot horse?

Here's a good boy.

As well as being home to some of the most cutting-edge technology,

the vet school also has its own working sheep farm.

City girls Amblessed and Saira have been called to help farm vet

Isabelle Truyers, who suspects she may have a sick sheep in her flock.

Sheep need regular checks for infectious disease

and lameness, or limping,

which is a sign they could be injured or ill.

Can you spot any of the lambs that are lame in this group?

Any of them sort of flicking their heads?

I really wanted to help so I was looking for the little signs.

Might be limping a bit or twitching or something.

I think the white one's flicking its head

when it's walking cos all the others seem to be upright.

-Very good.

-It's only taking small steps

-so maybe that was why he was behind and everyone started running.

-Yeah.

Isabelle decides she wants to bring in the entire flock

for a close-up inspection.

So let's see if you can do as well as Paul the sheepdog

and bring them into the shed first.

Give it a go? Good stuff.

This is a huge challenge for Saira and Amblessed.

They are my least experienced junior vets.

They decide to go behind the flock and shepherd them down the hill.

And the strategy pays off. Even Col the sheepdog is impressed!

It was quite fun actually.

My junior vets make light work of rounding up the leaping lambs...

Wow. That was cool.

Right, girls. Let's get them inside so we can take a closer look.

..and move them into the inspection area like seasoned shepherds.

But before the team can examine the sheep with a painful looking limp,

Amblessed and Saira need to learn how to safely handle

the heavy animals. It's called sheep turning.

How are you feeling, Amblessed?

Bit nervous but I'm ready.

OK, let's see how you get on.

There's a real knack to turning sheep.

Even qualified vets can struggle.

-So, you'll have to stand on the left hand-side of the lamb.

-This side?

Yes. OK, one hand on its bum. Yeah? Just there.

And one hand underneath its jaw.

If they can prove they can keep a sheep under control,

they'll be able to help the lame lamb.

And push its bum down. There we go.

And you hold the lamb like that.

-Wow. Well done, Amblessed.

-That was really good.

That was very impressive.

Amblessed, are you proud of yourself there?

-You just managed to turn a sheep.

-Yeah, I'm really proud.

And later, it's Saira's go before both junior vets get to grips

with poorly hooves.

Good job. Excellent.

My junior vets are completing an intensive training programme

here at vet school.

And it's in the training zone where they'll be learning

essential skills that will help them complete important veterinary work.

For impressive training zone performances,

I give out vet skills credits

and, along with the all-important Vital Vet Work awards,

they'll help me decide who will eventually be named head vet.

And in this training zone session,

my junior vets must learn how to stitch up skin!

Stitching is called suturing in the vet world.

Neat work shows a nervous owner that their beloved pet

has been in expert hands.

I've asked surgeon Sam Woods to help me train and test the junior vets.

So, the first thing you need to do is know about your instruments.

Sam demos on plastic skin.

This is the only chance our junior vets will have to pick up the skills

before they have a go themselves

using forceps, a needle holder and scissors.

-Lift that up.

-And working against the clock...

-Wrap it.

-..each team must complete a neat line of stitching.

Grab the free end and swap hands.

And I'm not only looking for brilliant handiwork,

I want to see great team skills too.

And that's a knot. OK.

So, I hope you have been paying attention

because now it's your turn.

And their turn...is on hairy pork!

-I've forgot.

-Put your thumb in there

-and then put your fourth finger in there.

-This smells really bad.

It can take years for vets to perfect this skill

but Will and Amblessed have picked it up in minutes.

What does it feel like when you're doing it on skin?

It's all... It's just disgusting.

Pull that one back. That one. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's it.

And keep pulling. Make it really tight.

These two are working brilliantly as a team

and their stitching is neat and tidy.

Then I'll hold this side. You yank with that one. Yes.

But it's a really slow start from Sam and Saira.

You put that through, don't you? Do you?

Real vets can't hang around in surgery.

-I've done it wrong.

-You need to move that bit that way

and that bit that way. Does that make sense?

Morgan is doing well.

-How we getting on, Morgan?

-Fine.

But his partner has picked up on a tiny technical error.

You're not supposed to let go of it.

Junior vets, times up.

Put down your instruments and stand away from the table.

So, who's got stitching sewn up

and won the very first vet skills credits?

-Well done.

-You too.

Today, it's Will and Amblessed who've really stood out.

Very neat stitching and they worked well as a team.

That's a vet skills credit for each of them!

You can see how you get on as a virtual vet in the Junior Vets game

on the CBBC website.

And don't forget to look for the special game code

at the end of today's show!

Back at Musselburgh Racecourse, Will and Morgan are on hand

to deal with any horses that are injured or ill.

So far, the race horses haven't needed my junior vets' help.

But suddenly, they're called to the treatment area.

Right, let's go then, guys. Come on.

A horse has run badly and there are concerns it is seriously unwell.

This is the closest Morgan has ever been to a horse in his life!

John and the junior vets use a special bit of equipment

called an endoscope to investigate.

It's a little bit tickly until they get in.

This will allow them to examine the race horse's nasal passage,

throat and windpipe to see what's wrong.

That's a good boy.

With the camera in place, Morgan can see deep inside the horse's airways.

We had to check for bleeding or swelling in the air pipe.

They are looking for signs of inflammation,

redness or spots of blood.

That was actually nice and clean down there. Nice clean airway.

No evidence of bleeding. No evidence of muck down there.

So it was no real reason for him doing what he did.

Thanks very much.

No problem at all. My pleasure.

It's an all clear. There's no infection.

The horse just struggled on a very hot day

but it's not seriously ill.

My junior vets now know there's no down time for a vet on race day -

Will and Morgan put in a busy shift today.

We had to be everywhere and all different places.

We had to be on the ball with all the equipment and everything.

We had responsibilities.

Thankfully, all today's horses made it through their races

and returned home without serious injury.

At the small animal hospital, poor Labrador cross Stella

is in surgery after suffering a serious leg injury

in a road accident.

Stella is having her badly damaged wrist bones

repaired before a protective cage is attached to the outside of her leg.

Lauren and Sam were helping with the op

but the surgical team is now one man down.

Surgery has made Sam feel unwell and he's taking a breather.

That was the first operation I would have done

and I was really, really looking forward to it.

I just started to feel really weird and faint.

And I think it was just a bit overwhelming,

just with what was going on.

While Sam has time to recover, Lauren continues with her job

and drains blood away from the wound with a suction pipe.

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

Stella's op is long and complicated so Lauren takes a much needed break.

That was so good. Yeah, it was really cool.

You've got to go in there again.

Are you all right with all the gory stuff?

I can see they have opened it really far.

Yeah, they had to.

With Stella's op almost complete, Sam makes a brave decision.

At the start, I vouched to help Stella.

I said I just want to go back in.

I couldn't have just stayed outside.

So, how do you feel now you've come back into the surgery?

I feel a bit relieved actually because I wanted to obviously help

Stella in some way and have some input.

As the last pins are fixed into Stella's wrist,

the junior vets go ahead and prepare a nice warm recovery bed.

Do you think she's going to like our bed?

I hope she does. Five-star accommodation.

Do you think they have a button where you can call for room service?

But it won't be until morning before they can check

on Stella's progress again.

I didn't really know how the operation had gone.

I thought she'd just be lying in a crate,

feeling sorry for herself and not very happy.

But incredibly, the next morning,

Stella is out of her recovery kennel and on her feet!

She was almost back to how she was

and better than before the operation.

I was so happy that I'd done that and that we'd made her feel better.

Both Sam and Lauren took part

in highly specialised surgery with Stella.

Every time I help an animal,

I get like this little feeling inside, which is really nice.

And I just like helping animals

and I really just want to do that for the rest of my life.

Going forward, I think I'll be a lot more confident

going into other operations.

And I think I'll know what's coming up

and maybe do other things differently.

And Stella? The protective cage is now off

and she is well on the way to a complete recovery.

Down on the vet school farm,

there's a young sheep with a painful limp that could need treatment.

Before they can help the poor lamb, both junior vets need to prove

they can keep a sheep safely under control.

Amblessed has cracked it.

Now it is Saira's turn.

Seen how it's done there. You ready to have a go yourself?

I'm a little nervous cos it looks like they can be

a little bit forceful sometimes, but I'll have a go.

You'll have a go. That's the spirit we like.

OK, let's get in there.

I thought that it might help her overcome her fear of large animals.

Push the tail around. There we go. And now lift it up.

OK, and hold it in your lap like this.

Aww, hello.

Saira has just about got to grips with her sheep.

-It's struggling a bit.

-Keep it in position, Saira!

Wow, it's quite extraordinary.

Wow, it's a strong one, that one, isn't it?

The first one that I had was a bit feisty and it was like, "OK!"

The other sheep seem to be scared.

I'll let it go, let it go, let it go.

Unlucky, Saira. Even Isabelle struggled with that one.

As a vet, whatever animal comes in to you,

you're going to have to learn how to restrain it properly.

The lame looking lamb really needs their help, but Saira has to prove

she can control a sheep before they can treat it.

Stand here, behind the lamb, and let it lean in your lap.

OK, I have to do this, otherwise, I'm not going to be able to help

an animal that is so cute.

That's it. And if you're relaxed, the lamb is relaxed as well.

She's done it. Both junior vets can confidently handle livestock...

It's quite difficult

but I think you get the hand of it after a couple of goes.

..and can now get on with treating the lame lamb

Amblessed spotted earlier.

And straightaway Saira notices a problem with its hooves.

This one looks like it's sticking out.

You're right, Saira. That horn and this hoof is overgrown.

We can do what we do with the rabbits. We can clip it?

Yeah, that's right.

Amblessed gets to work straightaway.

Gently, don't take too much. Just like you're clipping your nails.

When I'm cutting his excess horn, can he feel it? Will it hurt him?

No, he shouldn't be able to feel that.

Good job.

As Amblessed trims the hooves,

the team discover signs of an infectious disease called scald.

If the junior vets don't treat it today,

the whole flock could be at risk.

Count to five.

But this antibiotic spray will help kill the infection

and save the lambs a lot of pain.

Let's go.

This has been a brilliant performance by Amblessed and Saira.

Neither of these two had ever even touched a sheep before.

Now look at them!

The guys are doing great, aren't they? They look really confident.

I didn't really want to be a vet at the start of this.

But doing this has made me consider being a vet

because it is really good fun.

I've been very impressed with the skills they've shown today

and particularly the sheep turning.

I really love being that person who can get them

back to their good health

and, yeah, it feels really good.

And thanks to my junior vets,

the flock's infection has been contained.

My junior vets have another day's experience under their belt.

They've all proved their commitment to helping animals,

so choosing today's Vital Vet Work award winners is going to be hard.

Sam and Lauren pulled together after a difficult start

to help with surgery on Stella's badly damaged leg.

Amblessed and Saira overcame animal anxieties

and learnt how to handle and treat a flock of jumpy sheep.

And Will and Morgan had an exciting but hectic day at the races

working as emergency horse vets.

It's a tough call, but I have made a decision.

Junior vets, if you didn't know it before, you know it now.

Vet work is tough, but still you continued to impress me,

so well done.

But there is one clear winning team.

Saira and Amblessed.

You are today's top junior vets.

I've dropped my junior vets into difficult veterinary challenges

and they are discovering that vet work is tough and this is for real.

They've all impressed me, but it was Amblessed and Saira

who stood out as they overcame their fears

and learnt valuable new animal handling skills.

Well deserved Vital Vet Work awards for each of them.

I'm over the moon, it's absolutely amazing.

I just think that I must be doing something right.

I just got to carry on doing that right.

Really proud of myself that I won a task like top vet,

cos it means that I can do it.

Think you can cut it as a top vet and make animals better?

Head over to the CBBC website now and use today's game code -

cool943 - to unlock a special case in your very own waiting room!

Next time on Junior Vets -

homeless hound Jessie faces life-changing surgery.

Keira the mare has a heart problem that needs investigating.

And Sam must face his fears as Gandalf the falcon's foot

requires urgent surgery.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd