0:00:02 > 0:00:03Today on Junior Vets...
0:00:03 > 0:00:07a thoroughbred horse is turned upside down for surgery.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Competition horses stay the right way up for vet checks
0:00:10 > 0:00:15and a sick lion is down and then up for a hi-tech examination.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19I'm Alex Riley and this is Junior Vets.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23Pets...
0:00:23 > 0:00:24wildlife...
0:00:24 > 0:00:26farm animals -
0:00:26 > 0:00:29all in need of expert help.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31And at Edinburgh's amazing vet school,
0:00:31 > 0:00:34six raw recruits have arrived.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39They're working alongside the school's top-notch team.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44As if I just did that!
0:00:44 > 0:00:47And they are being pushed to their very limit...
0:00:50 > 0:00:54..as they help to save the lives of sick and injured animals.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Six new junior vets,
0:00:59 > 0:01:03but I can only choose one...
0:01:03 > 0:01:05winner.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09This year's head vet is...
0:01:29 > 0:01:30Ah! Junior vets, there you are.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Now today, you've all got some very heavy-duty vet work
0:01:35 > 0:01:38and none of you are going to be doing it here at vet school.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41You're all going to be going miles away, off site.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46OK, today's pairs are as follows. Jamie, you're with Bonte.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Robyn and Nyatepe.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50Josh and Molly.
0:01:50 > 0:01:51Go on, then, off you go.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53Show me what you can do.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Bonte's already shown me what she can do.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59She put in a solid shift in surgery last time
0:01:59 > 0:02:02then looked after her partner, Molly, when she felt a bit wobbly.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05- Are you all right, Molly? - Yes, thanks.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08But I'm keen to see how well Bonte handles today's big job,
0:02:08 > 0:02:12because it's like nothing she's had to deal with so far.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Robyn treats every one of her patients with the same level
0:02:14 > 0:02:19of care and attention, be it a chicken, a kitten or a cow.
0:02:19 > 0:02:20It feels a bit surreal!
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Top vets love her work, but will she keep everything together
0:02:25 > 0:02:29when her patients get all, well, dangerous and man-eatery?
0:02:34 > 0:02:38At our Northumbria vets in Morpeth, six-year-old horse Leo
0:02:38 > 0:02:40is about to have treatment for a serious injury.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42He had a nasty fall in a horse trial,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45with owner Alexandria, four weeks ago.
0:02:45 > 0:02:46I fell off.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49He turned the wrong way and then he jumped into some water
0:02:49 > 0:02:51and swam across the lake.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Then, when he got out, he was really, really lame.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59She's unsure how serious Leo's leg injury is, but she soon won't be.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06Why? Because super vet horse surgeon Cedric has got this one.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Cedric travels the world mending horses.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Today, he has two able assistants, Jamie and Bonte.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Leo's leg might look OK from the outside
0:03:23 > 0:03:27but Cedric needs my junior vets' help to look inside
0:03:27 > 0:03:30the injured hock joint, which is a bit like a human ankle.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33So what I'm going to do, I'm going to use this ultrasound scanner.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38- Just press very gently.- Yep.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40We're going to run the probe just down a little bit.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43- Is that like...- Yes.- ..the bone there?- That's it. You can see
0:03:43 > 0:03:44something very interesting there.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48When we done the ultrasound, there was a little bit of, er...
0:03:48 > 0:03:52- Like a bone fragment. - Quite far away from the actual bone.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54- Is that it there?- Yeah. That's it.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57This fragment has broken off into the joint,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00so, like a pebble in a shoe, that could be causing a bit
0:04:00 > 0:04:02of soreness in this horse's ankle.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05But it's not quite as simple as removing a pebble from a shoe.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Leo needs full-on surgery to remove that bit of bone.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12If we're lucky or we're clever, we can find it and pull it out.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Brace yourselves, junior vets.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18Trust me, this op is going to be like nothing you've
0:04:18 > 0:04:20ever experienced in your life.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Do you think he's OK?
0:04:24 > 0:04:26Leo's anaesthetised.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29The team need to ease him onto the floor very carefully
0:04:29 > 0:04:33or this serious leg injury could become a whole lot worse.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35- WHISPERS:- You can see he's getting drowsy.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38- WHISPERS:- Yeah, he's starting to shut his eyes a bit.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Phew! Leo's safely unconscious.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49But now he needs moving into theatre.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Got to come down.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Jamie, over to you for this mega-job.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56That's right, Jamie is in charge
0:04:56 > 0:04:58and he's got full control of the hoist...
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Keep going up, keep going up.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03..that's going to lift Leo onto the operating table.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05It was amazing, controlling the hoist.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09I mean, it was such a simple control, but it done so much...
0:05:09 > 0:05:11- Yeah.- All you had to do was, like, press a button and, like...
0:05:11 > 0:05:14- And you were, like, "Oh, oh, oh!" - "What do I do? What do I do?"
0:05:16 > 0:05:18OK, that's fine. OK, let's lock him in, shall we?
0:05:18 > 0:05:20Right, down again, Jamie. That's it.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Let's get going a bit faster. Keep it on time, please.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27This part of the procedure is critical.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Leo needs to be carefully scrubbed for surgery.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32It's a lot more prep than I thought.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35If even the tiniest amount of germs remain on him, it could
0:05:35 > 0:05:38infect the surgery wound and that could cause serious problems.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41Let it drop, let it drop. OK. And you're fine.
0:05:41 > 0:05:42Just stay where you are. That's good.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44I was quite nervous before the operation,
0:05:44 > 0:05:46because it was quite a major one.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48- Does it feel comfortable?- Yeah.
0:05:48 > 0:05:49But Cedric talked us through it.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53- All right then, are we ready to rock'n'roll?- Yeah.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Leo's ready. The vet team scrub in.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Surgery is about to get under way.
0:06:00 > 0:06:01OK. Let's go through the theatre.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07Later, Leo's injury looks a whole lot worse on the inside
0:06:07 > 0:06:08than it does on the out.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11It is a bit more difficult than you'd expect it.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13The fragment is in quite a tricky place to get to.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20At the Yorkshire Wildlife Park,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23there's a truly incredible job waiting for Robyn and Nyatepe.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27This is Alan Tevendale,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29he's the vet here at Yorkshire Wildlife Park
0:06:29 > 0:06:32and he's going to tell you what we're going to be doing today.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35We're going to be doing an MRI scan on one of our lions here.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38- OK?- Aww!- Oh my...!
0:06:38 > 0:06:39Yep, You heard right, Robyn.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42You're working with a lion today.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44You're going to be helping me with the health checks.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Be doing some blood sampling, doing the anaesthetic and such.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50- So, are you ready to help me? - Yeah.- Yeah.- Excellent!
0:06:50 > 0:06:54- Are we really doing a lion?- Yeah. - I thought we were doing meerkats.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Right, OK, let's get cracking.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02What did you think when we found out we were working with lions?
0:07:02 > 0:07:06I was so scared, but I was scared, but excited, at the same time,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08but more scared, because, like, it's a lion!
0:07:10 > 0:07:13These majestic big cats were rescued three years ago...
0:07:15 > 0:07:17..from a miserable life at a Romanian zoo.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22We've got Johnny in here
0:07:22 > 0:07:25and he's had a great big tummyful of food this morning.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29They lived in cramped cages and were really underweight. They get well
0:07:29 > 0:07:33fed here, though, and that's the first job of the day for my juniors.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35They eat lots and lots of proper red meat now,
0:07:35 > 0:07:36so they're on a proper diet.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Breakfast time, you lot.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39One, two, three.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49But there's one lion that can't eat this morning,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52because he faces an important procedure today.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Dani arrived at the park unable to walk properly.
0:08:00 > 0:08:01He has a damaged spine
0:08:01 > 0:08:04and the team here are worried his condition is getting worse.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08If the lion's spine got any worse, then he'll have to be put to sleep.
0:08:09 > 0:08:14Dani needs a full body scan, to see just how poorly he is.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17But how do you get a fully-grown lion to a place
0:08:17 > 0:08:18where he could be scanned?
0:08:23 > 0:08:26You don't. You take a giant mobile scanner to the lion.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31200kg Dani needs to be carried into the mobile MRI scanner,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34so the team can take a close look at his spine.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37No doubt about it,
0:08:37 > 0:08:41this is an extremely dangerous mission.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Every single part of the plan has to be carefully worked through.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Obviously, we need to be very aware of what we're dealing with.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55This briefing is so important. Pay attention, you two.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57We've got our junior vets with us,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00who are going to be helping Alan and Andrew with the procedure.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02If you see something you're not sure about, please speak.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05You're not going to be stupid by saying, "Is it fully under?"
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Please say whatever you see. We would much rather be aware.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10We have a plan of attack.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12The team are ready to make their move.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Everything, and everyone, is in place.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Dani needs to be unconscious for his scan,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23so head vet Andrew moves in...
0:09:26 > 0:09:29..and anaesthetises the big cat with a tranquiliser dart.
0:09:29 > 0:09:30Aww!
0:09:32 > 0:09:36Don't worry, Robyn, it doesn't hurt and he's soon out for the count.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40The vets enter the lion's den, to make final preparations.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47And later, just the small task of moving a massive lion
0:09:47 > 0:09:50into a mobile scanner, yikes!
0:09:51 > 0:09:53I can't believe I'm holding its tail.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01In the grounds of this stately home,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04top-class horses are competing in the Hopetoun Horse Trials.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Horse trials are a bit like a sports day for top horses.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13There are races and all sorts of chances to compete,
0:10:13 > 0:10:15show off and win prizes.
0:10:17 > 0:10:18Check these two out.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Molly and Josh have special permission to join up with
0:10:21 > 0:10:23vet Tim, from Waterlane Equine Vets,
0:10:23 > 0:10:28at one of the fanciest events in the Scottish horsey calendar.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30We're down at the dressage arena here, which is the first phase
0:10:30 > 0:10:33of the competition. So, the horses will come down here from the lorry
0:10:33 > 0:10:37park and then we need to make sure that they're fit to compete.
0:10:37 > 0:10:38OK.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41I felt really important checking all the horses
0:10:41 > 0:10:43and seeing if they were OK.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48There are thoroughbreds from all over the UK here,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50even Olympic medal winners!
0:10:52 > 0:10:54But even the top horses can't compete
0:10:54 > 0:10:56until the vet team give them the OK.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Molly, could you just go round to the other side
0:11:00 > 0:11:03- and check the number on the bridle?- Yeah.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05254. SS Jet.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Yep, that's SS Jet ID'd and almost ready to compete,
0:11:10 > 0:11:12but is he fit and healthy?
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Make sure he's moving properly, junior vets.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19So, what we're looking at is his movement and his attitude.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23- So, he's trotting round there with his ears forward...- Yeah.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26..looking at his legs moving, that he's not hobbling,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28- he's not dragging the leg. - I think he looks really well.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31- Yeah.- He's moving freely.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32Yeah, I'm happy.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34- You too, happy, Molly?- Yeah.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Right, vet team. You've got work to do.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44- Yeah, I think that one's fine. - Pretty fine.- OK, you can go warm up.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45Thank you very much.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49278.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Whoa, there!
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Looks like Molly's spotted a problem with a dressage horse.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58- Is it me or did it seems to be...?- What?
0:11:58 > 0:12:01I don't know, just then it seemed to go a bit wobbly.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Some of the horses were doing this really weird thing.
0:12:04 > 0:12:05So, I kept saying to Josh,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08"Ooh, I don't think that one's OK". But then we found out that actually
0:12:08 > 0:12:11that was planned and that is what they were supposed to be doing.
0:12:11 > 0:12:12Too right.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15That's top-end dressage horse riding, Molly, and that's
0:12:15 > 0:12:19Olympic medallist, Nicola Wilson, busting some top horsey moves.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22I'd forget about being a competition judge, if I were you,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25and get back to the vet work. Horses need sorting.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31Later, Josh and Molly are on call at the dangerous cross-country,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34when a tiny horse joins the competition.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37Look at it! It's a fast dog!
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Ah, yes, I knew it was a dog(!)
0:12:45 > 0:12:49Back at the Northumberland vets, Bonte and Jamie are facing up
0:12:49 > 0:12:51to a huge upside-down operation.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56- All right, Bonte? - Ready? Yeah.- OK, right, then.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Six-year-old Leo is a competition horse,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01just like the ones Molly and Josh are looking after.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03He was badly injured during a recent horse trial.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Vet Cedric and his team need to remove a loose bone fragment
0:13:08 > 0:13:10that they've discovered in Leo's leg.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14There's a lot of equipment for this surgery.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18If this op doesn't go to plan, Leo may never compete again.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21Right. Time, please. I need you to keep an eye on the time for me,
0:13:21 > 0:13:22cos it's quite tight, this one.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26Bonte, can you get us another couple of clips, please?
0:13:26 > 0:13:28- Yeah, here's one. - There's two more to do now.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31There was a lot of pressure, wasn't it? Cos we had to obviously
0:13:31 > 0:13:32get the fracture out quick.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34Why is it so important that we move quickly?
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Because a horse can only be anaesthetised for a certain amount
0:13:37 > 0:13:39of time, so we've got to be really fast.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42An ultrasound scan showed the bone fragment was tiny.
0:13:42 > 0:13:47So, we know from the scan, there's something hiding in here, basically.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50They need to insert a miniature camera, called an endoscope,
0:13:50 > 0:13:51to try and locate it.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53It's a little skin incision.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56One, two, three. Pop!
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Camera's going in. Let's have the lights down, please.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04And as soon as they see the inside of Leo's leg on the monitor...
0:14:04 > 0:14:07- Pretty cool, hey? - I know, it's amazing.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10..the extent of his injury becomes clear.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13So, first comment is this joint is inflamed.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15- So, can you see the redness at the top?- Yeah.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18Can you see some haemorrhage there, too? Some bleeding.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Oh, yeah, it's not as you would expect it to be.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22No, so this joint definitely has been damaged.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Right then. If someone can hold the camera for me, just there.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Bonte is now Cedric's eyes inside Leo's leg.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32Get it in the middle of the screen, Bonte, that's good.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35But finding the piece of bone isn't proving easy.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37It is a bit more difficult than you'd expect it.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40The fragment's in quite a tricky place to get to.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42You know, I've got a sneaky feeling our fragment is hiding
0:14:42 > 0:14:43in all this tissue here.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49Right then. Do you want to do some grabbing, Jamie?
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Wow! Jamie has his hands on the graspers.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00If what we think is correct, this thing should come out in a oner.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06On the count of three, we're going to pull, OK?
0:15:07 > 0:15:12When we got control of the graspers, we pulled it...
0:15:12 > 0:15:14One, two, three, pull.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16..and it come straight out.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Got it. They've removed the tiny bit of bone
0:15:18 > 0:15:21that has been causing Leo so much pain.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24So Jamie, you've managed to remove the fragment. Here it is.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Well done. Fantastic. And well done, you, Bonte, as well,
0:15:27 > 0:15:29for putting the scope in the right position, as well.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33It's surprising how something so small can cause something so big.
0:15:33 > 0:15:34Yeah, I know.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36A quick look at an X-ray from before
0:15:36 > 0:15:40confirms my junior vets' handiwork. The bit of bone is definitely out.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47Fantastic! OK, let's go and finish off, then, shall we?
0:15:47 > 0:15:48So, how's the horse doing?
0:15:48 > 0:15:49Check this out!
0:15:49 > 0:15:53Cedric's so impressed, he's letting Bonte finish Leo's stitching.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Just push it right through. Perfect, OK.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Swab again, please, Jamie.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Jamie cleans up...
0:16:00 > 0:16:02That's lovely. OK. All done!
0:16:03 > 0:16:06..and Leo can be moved to his padded recovery room.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13This is the most critical point in the whole procedure.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20The problem with a horse is, because they're so big,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23if they don't recover properly, they can break their legs and break their
0:16:23 > 0:16:27necks, so it's very important, this part, to get the horse up smoothly.
0:16:27 > 0:16:28Yeah.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32- It's like a stone wall, but it's still shaking.- Yeah.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Cos when he like bumped against it, we were like, "Whoa!"
0:16:36 > 0:16:40Then with one heave, big Leo finds his feet.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Oh! Good boy!
0:16:43 > 0:16:45Good boy!
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Good boy. Now, that's perfect now.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52Your work here's done, junior vets. What do you reckon, Cedric?
0:16:52 > 0:16:54Oh, well, it's a very high-stress situation
0:16:54 > 0:16:58and I thought both of them, you know, really showed true colours there
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and came through them very well, so I'm definitely impressed.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04Oh, it was amazing!
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Like, we got really hands-on in that.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09- I feel really proud.- Yeah. And me.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11I think we did really well.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13And now, anxious owner Alexandria
0:17:13 > 0:17:15is back to find out how it's all gone.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18The operation was really successful.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22And, hopefully, he'll be able to get back to competing soon.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24Oh, brilliant! Thank you.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29I was terrified this morning, so I'm really grateful to the junior vets.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33Thank you, Bonte and Jamie. Good boy!
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Back at the Wildlife Park in Yorkshire,
0:17:39 > 0:17:43Robyn and Nyatepe are facing their biggest challenge to date.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Dani the lion has a damaged spine
0:17:47 > 0:17:49and the team are concerned it's getting worse and he might be
0:17:49 > 0:17:55in pain. If it is, sadly, he may have to be put to sleep.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00Today, he's being moved to a mobile MRI unit, for an all important scan.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Dani's now unconscious and Robyn is helping keep track
0:18:03 > 0:18:07of his vital signs, to make sure he stays that way.
0:18:07 > 0:18:12Nobody wants this mighty lion waking up all grumpy in such a tight space.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15I feel like I've been given a lot of responsibility to do now.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19I'm feeling a bit worried, in case I do something wrong.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25Vet Andrew makes a final check on Dani.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28Yeah, that's all right.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30And the rest of the team can enter.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35It's one of them things where you know you should feel scared,
0:18:35 > 0:18:38but you actually don't, because you were around so many people that...
0:18:38 > 0:18:40- Yeah, exactly. - ..knew exactly what they were doing
0:18:40 > 0:18:42so you were more excited than scared, really.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45One, two, three, up.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49Check this out. They're actually carrying a lion!
0:18:49 > 0:18:52I can't believe I'm holding its tail.
0:18:52 > 0:18:53Time is tight.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57It's dangerous for Dani to stay anaesthetised for too long,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00but more dangerous for everyone else, if he wakes up.
0:19:00 > 0:19:01It's quite scary.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06I was just thinking, if it woke up, I would be gone!
0:19:06 > 0:19:10Dani is upside down and perfectly positioned on the MRI scanner.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13And my junior vets are about to find out the true extent
0:19:13 > 0:19:15of Dani's spine damage.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19These are the images we've taken today and these are the images
0:19:19 > 0:19:23that we took three years ago, when we scanned Dani previously.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29- Can you see that the spinal cord starts to change shape?- Yeah.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31It starts to go to a, sort of, kidney bean shape
0:19:31 > 0:19:35and then, it becomes, you can see where the spinal cord is squashed.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Does anything run through it? Through the spinal cord?
0:19:38 > 0:19:40What runs through the spinal cord is all the nerves that connect
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Dani's head to his legs.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44So, does he walk funny because of the nerves?
0:19:44 > 0:19:47That's why he walks funny, because some of the nerves in here
0:19:47 > 0:19:50- have been squashed. - So ,do you think after time,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53he's going to have to be put down or he's going to die?
0:19:53 > 0:19:55There is a possibility he might need to be put down,
0:19:55 > 0:19:59if he gets so wobbly that he can't cope with life.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02So there's nothing really that you can do?
0:20:02 > 0:20:06At this stage, no. We've just got to hope he does as well as possible.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08The team can't cure Dani's injury,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11but he doesn't have to be put to sleep and the scanner has shown
0:20:11 > 0:20:14he has even gained a bit of strength in his legs.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19While Dani's still unconscious, the vet team use this rare opportunity
0:20:19 > 0:20:21to give him a complete health check.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Do you want to come round this way?
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Robyn and Alan take a blood sample...
0:20:30 > 0:20:33That's it. Really firmly there. That's really good.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37..while Nyatepe checks Dani's body for any other problems.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39It's so heavy!
0:20:39 > 0:20:43It was quite incredible that I had a lion's paw in my hand
0:20:43 > 0:20:45and it was really cool.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Great! There's no sign of any other health issues.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Yeah. OK, then, guys. Thank you very much for your help.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55But Robyn isn't leaving Dani's side yet.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58I wanted to make sure that we, like, checked over everything,
0:20:58 > 0:20:59to make sure he was OK.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01I'm waiting for the lion to wake up,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03so I can record how long he was on anaesthetic for.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Who's impressed you, Andrew?
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Robyn was really intensely interested and started taking notes
0:21:12 > 0:21:14and wrote down anything we asked her to write down
0:21:14 > 0:21:16and asked if she could write anything down.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19That's great. I see a future vet there, actually.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24I think today's made me realise that vet work
0:21:24 > 0:21:26- isn't all about cuddling dogs and stuff.- Yeah!
0:21:26 > 0:21:29It's not always good news and most of the time, you can make them
0:21:29 > 0:21:32better, but in cases like this, there isn't nothing really you can
0:21:32 > 0:21:36do to help them, so you're, sort of, seeing the side of vet work where
0:21:36 > 0:21:38you need to try and keep...
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Stop yourself from getting upset about it.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47It's quite bad, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50He can still live for quite a bit of time.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55It was one of the best days of my life, this.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Back at the horse trials, Josh and Molly are part of the vet team
0:22:04 > 0:22:06that's making sure the horsey competitors
0:22:06 > 0:22:08are healthy enough to take part.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14My junior vets have now teamed up with vet Will, from Clyde Vet Group
0:22:14 > 0:22:16Equine Hospital, as the crowds gather
0:22:16 > 0:22:19for the toughest event of all - cross-country.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Josh and Molly, it's probably the most dangerous part of the whole
0:22:22 > 0:22:26three-day eventing, so we have to be very much on our toes,
0:22:26 > 0:22:28ready to react to anything that might happen out there.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36What kind of stuff have you seen?
0:22:36 > 0:22:37Sometimes, on the cross-country course,
0:22:37 > 0:22:42because the fences are very rigid, it can get a cut or a bad bruise.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44- Horrible things, like broken legs, can happen.- Yeah.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48But these are all the things that are risks of this type of sport.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51I was a little bit nervous, like, when I was checking them,
0:22:51 > 0:22:53because I didn't know if I'd done it right.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56It was really hard, cos they were coming through really fast
0:22:56 > 0:22:59and when one would come, we had to be really quick.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01- This one looks...- Really well.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05Yeah, although quite tired, cos it's just stopped at the corner.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09- Will.- Yes?- I think it looks tired.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Yeah, this one's quite tired, isn't it?
0:23:11 > 0:23:14A good rest and a sugary treat should do the trick.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Ah, it's lovely and sweaty.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Oh, he says, he's not sure. There he goes.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22He knows what they are, anyway. Thank you very much.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Aw, I stroked him. He was lovely.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26- He was sweaty. - He knows what they are, doesn't he?
0:23:26 > 0:23:30Horses crossing the finishing line are getting a junior vet check -
0:23:30 > 0:23:31even the really tiny ones.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Wait a minute, that's not a horse!
0:23:33 > 0:23:35It's a fast dog.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39- ANNOUNCER: - The steward's now chasing a dog,
0:23:39 > 0:23:41but I think the dog's going a little faster than the steward!
0:23:41 > 0:23:43It's all go here.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46They're coming quite quick and fast now.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Things are really hotting up.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50All of these horses have covered over 3km at high speed,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53so the chances of overheating are high.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57- Look at all the veins! - Yeah, I think it's cos of the heat.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Molly is keen to get some water, to cool the horses down.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03I spilled it all down myself.
0:24:03 > 0:24:04Hmm, maybe a bit too keen!
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Oh, look at me! Oh, my gosh!
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Lovely, very refreshing. Well done, Molly!
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Finally, the last horse crosses the finishing line.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21Fingers crossed, it's come home safely.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29We've had quite a quiet day.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Not too many horses injuries. From my point of view,
0:24:31 > 0:24:33that's been a really good success.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Thank you very much for all your help, actually.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38- Thank you.- Thank you. - I've had a really good day.
0:24:38 > 0:24:39Ah, thanks. That's lovely.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Can you just look this way, please?
0:24:41 > 0:24:44It's congratulations to the winner, but what does vet Will
0:24:44 > 0:24:46think of my junior vets' efforts?
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Josh and Molly have done so well today. I think they would make
0:24:49 > 0:24:52great vets when they're older. You know, they've got so much enthusiasm
0:24:52 > 0:24:55for it and certainly not frightened to get their hands dirty
0:24:55 > 0:24:57and get right in there, so that's brilliant.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59We worked well.
0:24:59 > 0:25:05We wanted to help the horses and to check if they were OK.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08What vets do, they wait around for an emergency
0:25:08 > 0:25:09or something to happen.
0:25:09 > 0:25:14- If something had happened, we'd have been straight there.- Straight there!
0:25:17 > 0:25:21Everyone's been out and about today, but they're all back at base,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24sparkly clean, tidy and germ-free.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27I've had a chance to weigh up their vet-work efforts.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29The head vet decision is a long way off.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32For now, I have to choose today's stand-out vet.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35You're all still very much in contention
0:25:35 > 0:25:38for the title of head vet, OK?
0:25:38 > 0:25:40So, there's everything to play for.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Keep on at this level and intensity
0:25:42 > 0:25:45and it's going to be extremely difficult to choose a winner.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Josh and Molly had a right old run-around
0:25:47 > 0:25:51at the la-di-da horse event. They were stood by for action,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54but thankfully, all competitions were completed without injury.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59Nyatepe and Robyn helped get poorly lion Dani inside an MRI scanner
0:25:59 > 0:26:01for an all-over body check.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05Incredible attention to detail from Robyn all day long.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09And Bonte and Jamie didn't hang around when injured horse Leo
0:26:09 > 0:26:12needed upside-down surgery on his serious leg injury.
0:26:14 > 0:26:15After a lot of thought,
0:26:15 > 0:26:19I've decided to pick my first-ever single winner today.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23This person is vet of the day, because of the amount of effort
0:26:23 > 0:26:28that they put in. So much effort that the lead vet on the day
0:26:28 > 0:26:32was incredibly impressed by their performance.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36And, for that reason, today's vet of the day
0:26:36 > 0:26:37is Robyn!
0:26:37 > 0:26:38APPLAUSE
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Very well done. It was fantastic, Robyn. Superb.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44She could be turning into a front runner for the head vet title,
0:26:44 > 0:26:45this one.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Yes! I can't believe the vet was saying, like, he thinks I'm going
0:26:48 > 0:26:52to be a vet and all that and that he was impressed and stuff
0:26:52 > 0:26:56and I won it on my own, as well, so it makes you feel quite special.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59It was a clean sweep for Robyn and a bit of sweeping clean
0:26:59 > 0:27:02for these unlucky, though very gracious, losers.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05It was a big animal and she was very brave.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Fancy getting vetting yourself?
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Well, get over the CBBC website right now.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14And you'll find a special patient needing your expert help.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Next time on Junior Vets...
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Puppy Willow needs help with a worrying infection.
0:27:22 > 0:27:27Has competition horse Jack got painful ulcers in his tummy?
0:27:27 > 0:27:30And it gets close up and far too personal for me,
0:27:30 > 0:27:32when the penguins need vet care.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Oomph!