0:00:02 > 0:00:04We Brits love our animals.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07From livestock in the fields,
0:00:07 > 0:00:09to pooches in the park.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15It's the job of the nation's vets to keep them healthy.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19Whether consulting in the countryside...
0:00:19 > 0:00:22There is something very nice about being next to a nice cow.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29..or horsing around in the stables...
0:00:29 > 0:00:33I spend all my job outwitting animals.
0:00:33 > 0:00:34Got him!
0:00:36 > 0:00:39..they're passionate about their patients.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Hello, baby.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Why I stroke them a lot is to try and reassure them.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53On call when the animals need them most.
0:00:53 > 0:00:54If we leave it any longer,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57he almost certainly is going to not make it.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02They're the dedicated vets, patching up pets,
0:01:02 > 0:01:08and caring every day for more creatures great and small.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Coming up: In Teesdale, farm vet Richard treats a tup
0:01:23 > 0:01:25with worrying symptoms.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27He's blind as a bat in that eye,
0:01:27 > 0:01:29but when I do that in his right eye...
0:01:29 > 0:01:32Vet Steve deals with a springy spaniel.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Charlie! Charlie!
0:01:35 > 0:01:37- Charlie, please, boy! - Er, Adrian!
0:01:37 > 0:01:39And, in Dunfermline,
0:01:39 > 0:01:41vet Adam tries to save a kitten who's been run over.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44It's so tricky with a kitten. It's so small.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52County Durham is home to rolling hills
0:01:52 > 0:01:56with over 1,000 traditional sheep and cattle farms.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01In the practice at Barnard Castle,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04senior farm vet Richard is preparing for his rounds.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08I have always loved animals and I still do.
0:02:09 > 0:02:15I grew up on a farm so I had all sorts of weird and wonderful pets.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18A pet weasel for a while,
0:02:18 > 0:02:19which either escaped,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22or I've got a sneaky suspicion my parents let it out.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24But I'm never really sure which.
0:02:24 > 0:02:25HE LAUGHS
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Today, Richard's been called out to a farm in Westwick.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34Out of 550 sheep,
0:02:34 > 0:02:38farmer John has noticed one of his tups is unwell.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42One of their tups was standing away from the others this morning -
0:02:42 > 0:02:43he looks like he is blind.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49A tup, or ram, is an uncastrated male sheep used for breeding,
0:02:49 > 0:02:50and worth around £600.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59Yeah, he certainly looks blind, doesn't he?
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Can we just pop him out, if we can, outside?
0:03:04 > 0:03:06He was just in the field next to the house.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09He was stood at this end of the field and the rest of them
0:03:09 > 0:03:13were at the far end of the field, which arose suspicions straightaway
0:03:13 > 0:03:17because we knew that, you know, they always stick together, normally.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19They are flock animals.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Richard gets down to some detective work.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25There's no bangs on his head that are obvious.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29Anything else unusual about him? Have they recently moved fields?
0:03:29 > 0:03:31There are no drainage ditches being dug
0:03:31 > 0:03:34or anything been tipped in there that he could have got hold of?
0:03:34 > 0:03:37- Well, we did have a burst water pipe.- Right. OK.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41- I dug in and repaired it and filled it back in again.- Uh-huh.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43- So there is a bit of soil on the surface.- Sure.
0:03:50 > 0:03:51..but not here.
0:03:53 > 0:03:54That's interesting.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59You can see what we call the menace response, where you put your hand up
0:03:59 > 0:04:01towards his eye to see whether he moves.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06He's blind as a bat in that eye, but when I do that in his right eye...
0:04:06 > 0:04:10So that narrows down the things that are likely to be wrong with him.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13And one of the things is a disease called listeriosis.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Listeria is a bacteria often found in soil,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20which the tup may have eaten while grazing.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24We'll just do a few more little checks with him.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30One of the symptoms of listeria is facial paralysis.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32The eyelids on this side are drooping.
0:04:32 > 0:04:37Commonly, it tracks up one of the nerves in the side of the face
0:04:37 > 0:04:42and get into the brain and, in doing so, it causes these symptoms.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45The normal progression is that they will go round and round in circles
0:04:45 > 0:04:47and eventually go off their legs.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50By the time they get to that sort of state,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52the chances of them recovering are very slim.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00If left untreated, the tup will most probably die.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02If we just pop his bum in the corner again.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06So Richard wastes no time injecting antibiotics and steroids.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Good. It's gone straight into his blood stream and, obviously,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14it'll be carried to his brain where the problem is,
0:05:14 > 0:05:18and I suspect he's got the mother and father of all headaches, poor lad.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21But, hopefully, the steroids that we've given him
0:05:21 > 0:05:25will counteract that to some degree and start to make him feel better.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Thanks.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32I'm not sure whether he'll come round or not.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35It's just some respond better to treatment than others.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38It's a bit annoying because they're expensive to replace
0:05:38 > 0:05:41and finding good tups is quite tricky.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48The prognosis is what we'd call guarded.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52So it's not great. The next 24-48 hours will tell us.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56I would say his chances are about 50/50.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59As always, when we're treating farm animals,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01we're looking at groups of animals.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03John is a very good stocksman.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06I know he'll keep an eagle eye on the rest of those tups,
0:06:06 > 0:06:09make sure none of them start developing the symptoms.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15There is a risk the other tups could come down with the disease.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17- We'll see what tomorrow brings. - Yeah.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20As a precaution, John will need to move them to another field.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Hopefully, that's the last we'll see of it this time.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26You just don't know. Farming is just a gamble.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28We're doing National Lottery every day!
0:06:38 > 0:06:42120 miles north,
0:06:42 > 0:06:46across the spectacular Firth of Forth,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50lies Scotland's ancient capital, Dunfermline.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54At Inglis Small Animal Hospital, the vets and nurses
0:06:54 > 0:06:58can expect to treat over 100 patients a day.
0:06:58 > 0:06:59What's this, sweetheart?
0:06:59 > 0:07:01Num-nums.
0:07:05 > 0:07:06That's that. One down.
0:07:06 > 0:07:07Hello, nosy!
0:07:09 > 0:07:10So handsome.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Senior Vet, Adam, and his team are always on hand
0:07:14 > 0:07:16to patch up the local pets.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Really well. Really well.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Well done!
0:07:21 > 0:07:25We're open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30So we see animals all hours of the day and often they can be animals
0:07:30 > 0:07:32that don't have an owner.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36They can be strays and they've been injured and our focus is always
0:07:36 > 0:07:39to look after those animals and make them better
0:07:39 > 0:07:41because that's what we're here for.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Today, a tiny, stray kitten has been brought in.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52And he's in a bad way.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55A little black kitten has been hit by a car
0:07:55 > 0:07:59and the lady's rushed it into the surgery because she's really worried.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02I know we seem really cruel doing all this to you.
0:08:02 > 0:08:03We've taken some X-rays
0:08:03 > 0:08:08and we can see that it's broken its back leg and also its diaphragm,
0:08:08 > 0:08:12which is between the chest and abdomen.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15It's ruptured and we can see some of the intestines feeding up
0:08:15 > 0:08:17into the chest.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20That's really bad news because it means it can't breathe properly.
0:08:23 > 0:08:24MEOWS WEAKLY
0:08:24 > 0:08:25I know. I know.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30The kitten has no owner,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33so Adam has no option but to go ahead with surgery
0:08:33 > 0:08:35to try and save his life.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41If we leave it any longer, he almost certainly is going to not make it.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45But there is a huge risk in actually operating as well.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48It's extremely difficult surgery
0:08:48 > 0:08:52and we don't know how much lung tissue or diaphragm he's got left.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55He's been christened Sky by the nurses.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01Carole will have to pump oxygen into Sky's crushed lungs
0:09:01 > 0:09:03to keep him alive.
0:09:03 > 0:09:04Just get into a rhythm.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08If your hands get tired, swap, but don't stop.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12OK. Are you ready?
0:09:15 > 0:09:18When an emergency comes in, everything has to focus on that
0:09:18 > 0:09:20and getting that better.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23What's really important is it's not panic stations.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27It's everyone focusing their efforts to save that animal.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30At the end of the day, that's the most important thing
0:09:30 > 0:09:32and those first few minutes are vital.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38I'll use my fingers because they're less abrasive on the actual tissues.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41But it's so tricky with a kitten because they're so small
0:09:41 > 0:09:44it's hard to grab hold of anything in there.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50We just put bits of body in the right place
0:09:50 > 0:09:53and let the body do the rest of the work.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59This is the most stressful part.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02This kitten Sky is giving us every opportunity to save him,
0:10:02 > 0:10:04which is absolutely brilliant.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10So we're just stitching up now.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Adam has repaired his diaphragm.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Carole briefly stops pumping oxygen
0:10:16 > 0:10:19to find out if Sky can breathe for himself.
0:10:21 > 0:10:22Is he moving the bag?
0:10:23 > 0:10:25It's a tense moment.
0:10:28 > 0:10:3030 heart-stopping seconds later...
0:10:32 > 0:10:34A tiny bit.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37..she feels Sky take his first breath.
0:10:37 > 0:10:42Fantastic news, that's brilliant, it's been successful,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44his chest is moving nicely.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47And Adam can breathe a sigh of relief after almost
0:10:47 > 0:10:49an hour at the operating table.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52I can actually feel pools of sweat in the back of my shoes!
0:10:52 > 0:10:54It's disgusting.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12He is already starting to move about
0:11:12 > 0:11:14and show that he's a bit cheeky,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16so I think he's going to be a little character.
0:11:18 > 0:11:24He's been one very lucky, unlucky, lucky kitten, I guess.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27With Sky, he's got every chance now.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33But Sky's ordeal is far from over.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36With a nasty break and no sensation in his leg,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Adam will soon need to operate again.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44And with still no owner coming forward, poor Sky is homeless.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56Back in County Durham, it's been 24 hours
0:11:56 > 0:12:00since farm vet Richard treated a tup with listeriosis...
0:12:00 > 0:12:03He's blind as bat in that eye.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07..a life-threatening infection that made the sheep blind in one eye.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10The normal progression is they will go round in circles
0:12:10 > 0:12:11and off their legs,
0:12:11 > 0:12:13and by the time they get to that sort of state,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16the chances of them recovering are very slim.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21We're going back to visit John and Anne. I'm not at all sure
0:12:21 > 0:12:24what we'll find when we go out today.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27it is possible that some of those other tups in that group
0:12:27 > 0:12:28could pick it up as well.
0:12:31 > 0:12:32Hello, fella.
0:12:32 > 0:12:33Good lad.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Have you seen him grazing?
0:12:35 > 0:12:39Yes. He was nibbling. He was nibbling away.
0:12:39 > 0:12:40Uh-huh.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48He's still blind as a bat in that eye.
0:12:51 > 0:12:52Good lad. All right.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56I don't think he's any worse than he was, John.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59He might even be just a tiny bit better.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02He somehow just seems a little bit brighter.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05So I think what we'll do with him today is give him
0:13:05 > 0:13:07some intravenous treatment
0:13:07 > 0:13:11and I'll leave you some antibiotics to carry on treating him with.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15I don't think he's any worse, which is always a good sign.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17Good lad. All right.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa!
0:13:21 > 0:13:23That's not part of the deal.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Although it's awkward when your patients fight back,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30it's always a good sign,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33so he's definitely perkier than he was yesterday.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Yeah, good, righto, that's that bit.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40The tup has perked up.
0:13:40 > 0:13:41So far, so good, I think.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46I'm happy that he's eating and drinking
0:13:46 > 0:13:48and that he's got a bit more fight in him.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51And moving the other sheep as a precaution
0:13:51 > 0:13:53should keep them disease-free too.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Back in Dunfermline, at the small animal hospital,
0:14:03 > 0:14:07Sky the stray kitten has had life-saving surgery
0:14:07 > 0:14:09after being run over by a car.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Basically, all the intestines have burst through.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Adam repaired Sky's ruptured diaphragm.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Aw, sweet boy.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21And Sky made a miraculous recovery.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Who is it? Who's that?
0:14:23 > 0:14:26No owner has come forward, but he's making new friends.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33Where are you going?
0:14:35 > 0:14:39Two weeks since his accident, and now Sky needs another operation.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42He has a badly broken leg, but more worrying,
0:14:42 > 0:14:45he has no sensation in it either.
0:14:46 > 0:14:51What we're doing now is putting Sky back together like a Meccano set.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Got one pin in now.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Probably going to get a second pin in and it'll be like a figure X.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02If we can save this leg for Sky to use, I think we're onto a winner.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14But 13 days after the op,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Sky's still not using his pinned leg.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19The bones have tied together really well,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23but there's still no sensation in the bottom part of his foot.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Adam's hoping, with time and physio,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Sky might get back on all four of his legs.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33There, there, whoa!
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Hello! You're coming back up, are you, Sky?
0:15:38 > 0:15:44So this leg is supposed to support him so he can use his left leg
0:15:44 > 0:15:47far better, because at the moment,
0:15:47 > 0:15:50what happens is his right hind, the one which isn't working very well,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53is sliding under his body and it's rolling him over.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57Therefore, he's not using his left leg as well as he should do.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Want to play with me, hey?
0:16:00 > 0:16:02We're coming up, coming up. It's OK.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06If Sky's injured leg doesn't improve, it may have to come off.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10But he's a little fighter.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12The more time I've spent with Sky,
0:16:12 > 0:16:14the more deeply in love I fell with him,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18which sounds odd, but I... He's my pal.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Where are we going? Down there?
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Every time you pick him up half an hour after an operation,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27he's purring and meowing, cuddling into you.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31Genuinely, I've never met any animal as brave as he is.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35Adam has become smitten with his kitten,
0:16:35 > 0:16:37and knows a family that would love him.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42- Adam's kids Freddie and Thea come to visit.- Come on, guys.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48This is Sky, the one who had the operation, if you remember, I told you all about.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Can you believe that we can't find his owner?
0:16:51 > 0:16:56- What do you think? Shall we take him home?- Yeah!
0:16:56 > 0:17:00But before the kids get too attached,
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Adam may have to operate again on Sky's leg.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Back in Teesdale...
0:17:20 > 0:17:24..the team at Castle Vets is facing a busy morning after the weekend.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26Sometimes we are absolutely choc-a-block.
0:17:26 > 0:17:27We've got the phones ringing,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29we've got people coming in,
0:17:29 > 0:17:31you're pulled about in different directions,
0:17:31 > 0:17:34but you've just got to do your best.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38Let's have you, monster. There we go. All right.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41The pressure is on for vet Steve.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Mondays can be a bit of a challenge, particularly Monday mornings, yeah.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46This sort of time of day's always fun.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51Get to lunch time and we can breathe a sigh of relief and everything settles down, hopefully.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Steve's next patient is five-year-old spaniel Charlie,
0:18:01 > 0:18:03brought in by Ursula.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07I went for a walk this morning. He came rushing out of the bushes.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11He was crying, so I don't know whether...I don't know,
0:18:11 > 0:18:13something's bitten him?
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Spaniels are normally a happy, bouncy breed,
0:18:16 > 0:18:18but today Charlie's not himself.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22One thing I noticed when he came in, he's not lifted his tail once.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26- That's where I think it is.- OK. - Come on, sweetheart, don't worry.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30It's all right.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35It could well be that he's been zapped a few times by wasps.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40Don't worry. I wonder if it was an adder or a snake.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43It's possible. We've had a couple of adder bites.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45I just don't know. It happened so suddenly.
0:18:45 > 0:18:50Adder bites can be fatal to small dogs, so Steve needs to investigate.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53- Charlie.- Good boy, come on.
0:18:53 > 0:18:58Put your arms round Mummy's neck. That's it.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03- That's it.- Yeah, it is. It's something to do with his tail.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Ooh, it's the tip of your tail, is it?
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Oh, his little heart is going nine to the dozen here.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14Spotting an escape route, Charlie makes a bid for freedom.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18- Charlie, Charlie! - Charlie, please, boy.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23- Adrian.- Luckily, nursing assistant Adrian is on hand.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Charlie, wait, wait, that's better.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28It is - it's that tip.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34He clearly doesn't like this at all, so we'll give him a sedative,
0:19:34 > 0:19:36have a good look at it,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39probably going to end up shaving that fur off there,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42cos I can't see anything - there's a big knot of hair in the way.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44sorry, big lad - you're going to have to stay.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Don't worry.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49Thank you.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Talk to you later.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53This one's a wriggler.
0:19:55 > 0:19:56All right, boy, pop him down.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58Good boy. Come on, then.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02DOG BARKS
0:20:04 > 0:20:07There's no escaping the vet, Charlie!
0:20:16 > 0:20:18In Dunfermline, it's eight weeks
0:20:18 > 0:20:22since Sky, the homeless kitten, was hit by a car.
0:20:22 > 0:20:23Here, Sky.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27Vet Adam has been trying to save his badly damaged leg.
0:20:27 > 0:20:28From the knee down,
0:20:28 > 0:20:30there is no sensation there at all,
0:20:30 > 0:20:31and it's becoming more of a hindrance
0:20:31 > 0:20:34than anything else, isn't it?
0:20:34 > 0:20:36And it's almost there,
0:20:36 > 0:20:39but just not quite getting there, are you, Sky?
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Adam has fallen for this little chap.
0:20:43 > 0:20:44That's right.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48I think you are going to have to join the family, aren't you?
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Hey, hey, hey, hey!
0:20:51 > 0:20:53You're dying to get out, aren't you?
0:20:56 > 0:20:58But he can't go home yet.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Poor Sky is going to have to lose his leg.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10We've given it every chance for that leg to heal,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13but unfortunately, as the sensation's not coming back,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16I think the best thing to do is to remove his leg.
0:21:16 > 0:21:17So he can have fun and be a kitten.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21- He's still quite lovely.- Yeah.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Come on!
0:21:25 > 0:21:27He's a little fighter.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31Ready to take on the world, aren't you?
0:21:33 > 0:21:36To be honest with you, it's a really rotten operation.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38It's not without its risks, as well.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Removing, amputating a leg, you feel like you've failed,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44you just feel miserable from the start to the end.
0:21:56 > 0:21:57How are we getting on?
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Good, we're ready to go.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Sky's doing OK, is he?
0:22:01 > 0:22:02Yes.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Sky has definitely fallen into our family fold now.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08And when they're your own pet, you've got that extra level of
0:22:08 > 0:22:10tension which you try to put to the back of your mind,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13and then we have a wee look at him, go, "Oh, that is Sky!"
0:22:13 > 0:22:17And I know he's such a brave soul,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19but it is quite a tough thing for him to go through.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24It's a major operation, but cats can adapt quickly to life on three legs.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29So I'm just going to cut the skin now...
0:22:30 > 0:22:33Start cutting through this muscle here.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36He can't feel anything in that leg.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38So when we cut it off,
0:22:38 > 0:22:42hopefully he'll not feel any real great pain afterwards.
0:22:45 > 0:22:46OK.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51That's the leg away.
0:22:53 > 0:22:5540 minutes later, the surgery is over.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59I am quite pleased with the way it's gone.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02The most important thing is he comes out of this
0:23:02 > 0:23:04happier, long-term,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07and just able to run around and be a proper kitten.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11Hello. There he goes, he's starting to wake up.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Hello, wakey-wakey. Hello, sweetheart, well done.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Very good.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Oh, don't bite that. Don't bite that.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23OK, just waking up now.
0:23:23 > 0:23:24He's been so brave.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29Hope this is his last operation for a long time.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Sky's been through so much already,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40but he still has a long recovery ahead.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52In County Durham at the rural practice,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Steve has been treating Charlie and his painful tail.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Wonder if it was an adder or a snake.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01It could well be that he's been zapped by wasps.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Charlie, Charlie.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05I know, I know.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07Sting or snakebite, it's time to find out.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09First Steve and nurse Emma
0:24:09 > 0:24:12give Charlie a sedative.
0:24:12 > 0:24:13He is quite good at bailing off the table.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15You liked that, didn't you?
0:24:15 > 0:24:17You thought you'd seen the gap and you were going to have it.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22It's working already.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Look at... Oh, sleepy boy!
0:24:24 > 0:24:29They always look a bit like our nurses after a night out.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36Going to just give him as tidy a hairdo as I can.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Hmm. What do we have here?
0:24:47 > 0:24:50There we go. It looks like a bee sting,
0:24:50 > 0:24:52and there's the sting itself,
0:24:52 > 0:24:53actually embedded.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57And he is obviously moving, despite sedation.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Steve scrapes the sting out
0:24:59 > 0:25:03to avoid squeezing any more venom into Charlie's tail.
0:25:04 > 0:25:05There it is.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Really sore.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11No wonder he was reacting like he was.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14He'll live to tell the tale.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16Excuse the pun.
0:25:16 > 0:25:17Terrible.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21It's awful. They don't get any better, I'm afraid.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Come on, sleepy boy.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32An hour's rest and Charlie's ready to go home.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Come on, boy. Charlie.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Come on, son.
0:25:36 > 0:25:37Hello, Charlie.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Got a wagging tail.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42You will be all right now. Mummy will take you home.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45- He's a little bit sleepy. - You'll be all right.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47He'll sleep all afternoon on the settee, won't you?
0:25:48 > 0:25:51Don't look so sad, my dog, it's over.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53But not quick enough for Charlie.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56Can we go home now? Thank you very much.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58You're welcome. Bye.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02He's still a bit sleepy, so he'll go home and have a snooze.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04He won't have any repercussions from that,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07just hopefully a healthy respect for anything that buzzes.
0:26:17 > 0:26:18In Dunfermline,
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Adam is taking someone home too -
0:26:20 > 0:26:22his newly adopted kitten, Sky.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25Hello, sweetheart, hello.
0:26:26 > 0:26:31Brave little Sky has endured life- saving surgery and a leg amputation.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34How are we doing?
0:26:34 > 0:26:36You want to go home?
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Gosh, can you see already he's putting his leg midline,
0:26:41 > 0:26:43it's fantastic. It's absolutely fantastic,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46you're such a clever wee beastie, aren't you? I know.
0:26:46 > 0:26:51Sky is about to start a new life with Adam and his family.
0:26:51 > 0:26:52Sorry, Sky.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01Really, really excited about taking Sky home.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Because the kids are going to be so excited to see him.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Hi, Daddy!
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Hello, Sky!
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Shall we pop him out? Yes.
0:27:15 > 0:27:20Why does he have that collar around him?
0:27:20 > 0:27:23The collar is to stop him chewing his stitches.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28You see, that's where his leg was, just there.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Yeah. It looks really sore.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36You hold on to him like that. I'll see if I can...
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Sky, Sky, Sky.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41He's just a wee bit sore, OK?
0:27:45 > 0:27:47I'm really happy to have Sky home.
0:27:47 > 0:27:48He's looking fab,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51and in a couple of days' time he should be walking much better,
0:27:51 > 0:27:55and almost flying around the house again.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58It's going to take a bit more hard work
0:27:58 > 0:28:01and recuperation to really get him going.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05But he's such a lovely chap that it's worth every minute, you know.