0:00:02 > 0:00:03We Brits love our animals.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07From livestock in the fields...
0:00:07 > 0:00:09- COW MOOS - ..to pooches in the park.
0:00:11 > 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 > 0:00:23There 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 > 0:00:32You've got lots in there that you're storing for later,
0:00:32 > 0:00:34haven't you? Cheeky boy.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40They're passionate about their patients.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Hello, miss.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45Let's have you, monster. There we go.
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 is almost certainly not going to make it.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00They're the dedicated vets,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03patching up pets and caring every day
0:01:03 > 0:01:08for more creatures great and small.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18HORSE NEIGHS
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Coming up, in Teesdale,
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Rosie gets to grips with a concussed tawny owl...
0:01:23 > 0:01:24- Are you OK?- God...
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Oh, it's gone right in.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30..Kerry treats a horse with a badly cut face...
0:01:30 > 0:01:32I might try stapling it.
0:01:32 > 0:01:37And in Dunfermline, Adam has a tough case with a much-loved Staffy.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40- There's no point in worrying about what we don't know.- OK.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Right. I know... Don't worry, all right?
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Teesdale in County Durham,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54320 square miles of rolling hills, lush meadows and woodlands.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00At the mixed practice in Barnard Castle,
0:02:00 > 0:02:05they treat animals great and small, domestic and wild.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09He just hisses at me.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Being a good girl.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Let's have you, monster. There we go.
0:02:14 > 0:02:1725-year-old vet Rosie has worked here for two years.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19Let's have a look at these ears. DOG SQUEALS
0:02:19 > 0:02:21I always wanted to be a vet.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24It started from a young age, a sort of obsession with animals.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Every day I'm learning on this job.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30There's always something new comes through the door.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35And today's no different.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38We've got a tawny owl coming in.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42We're not really sure what's happened. Possibly hit by a car.
0:02:43 > 0:02:4750,000 breeding pair of tawny owls live in Britain's woodlands.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Their exceptional vision, hearing and powerful talons make them
0:02:54 > 0:02:56highly effective night predators.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02The injured owl is brought in by retired vet Neville,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05who worked at the practice for almost 30 years.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07Neville now rescues birds of prey.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13- All right, what have we got? - This is a typical, typical case.
0:03:13 > 0:03:18- This is a bump by a car.- Ah, yes. - Concussion.- OK.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Don't think he's going to leap out. He's...
0:03:21 > 0:03:25He's got a bad head, but he's far from right.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27Hmm-hmm. Yeah. He's very quiet.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Even so, with their sharp talons, owls need careful handling.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35He's got me. He has got me.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Are you OK? Oh, it's gone right in.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39They do. They meet in the middle.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44That's it.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46- Oh, God.- Not so bad.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50- Not bleeding yet.- Anyway, we've got both feet now.- Yeah, OK.
0:03:50 > 0:03:51LAUGHING: Are you all right?
0:03:51 > 0:03:53The owl can recover from concussion,
0:03:53 > 0:03:57but he won't survive if the joints in his wings are damaged.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Here we go.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01And if we...
0:04:01 > 0:04:03let him use them.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07That one is just a little less...
0:04:07 > 0:04:11- Hanging down a little bit, isn't it? - Yeah. Just down a bit.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13But I think... Look, he's so bright in the eye.
0:04:13 > 0:04:18- Yeah. He's still trying to use them, isn't he?- Yes.- That's good.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Yeah. He seems very stable there actually, that wing.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23And the fact that he can actually raise it...
0:04:23 > 0:04:24He's got good tone in it as well.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28If there's anything broken at all they just tend to hang down loose.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32The feathering all looks OK as well, doesn't it?
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Let's get him in and we'll get him through and feed him up.
0:04:35 > 0:04:36Yeah, brilliant.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41No damaged wings means he could be nurtured back to health...
0:04:42 > 0:04:45..and Neville's the man for the job.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49He rehabilitates birds of prey in his garden aviary.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54You get a great buzz, seeing them well
0:04:54 > 0:04:57and then being able to release them back to the wild.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59It's a wonderful feeling.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02We must have rehabilitated, I would guess,
0:05:02 > 0:05:03a couple of hundred birds of prey.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09One of Neville's nocturnal ex-patients still
0:05:09 > 0:05:10comes to see him in his garden.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16He does tend to look out for a little snack...
0:05:17 > 0:05:19..most evenings.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Here we go.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28And sometimes we'll give him two or three chicks.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Wow!
0:05:37 > 0:05:40It is just such a wonderful privilege, really,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43to be that far from a wild tawny owl.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50We hope they return to their patch, and it's very satisfying
0:05:50 > 0:05:55knowing that they're rehabilitated back to the wild.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57And here he comes.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Wow!
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Now Neville and Rosie hope to help
0:06:03 > 0:06:05the concussed owl by building up his strength.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10The biggest part of the recuperation of these birds is just to
0:06:10 > 0:06:12get their strength back,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14so feeding them is vitally important.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Just pop it in...
0:06:18 > 0:06:20There we go. It's a good sign
0:06:20 > 0:06:22when they swallow and he's not swallowing.
0:06:22 > 0:06:23He's still a bit ga-ga.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26At times, if they are too weak, you have to force feed them
0:06:26 > 0:06:28small bits straight down the mouth.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31And eventually, when they gain their strength,
0:06:31 > 0:06:33they'll happily feed on their own accord.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37There we go.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40- He swallowed. Did you see? - That's great.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42That's a good sign. Licking his lips.
0:06:42 > 0:06:43SHE LAUGHS
0:06:44 > 0:06:46It'll just be a case of giving them some rest,
0:06:46 > 0:06:48some peace and quiet on his own,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51and just leaving him to it and feeding him again later on.
0:06:51 > 0:06:52There we go.
0:06:52 > 0:06:53He's got a little way to go.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58Given time, hopefully, this owl too will be released back to the wild.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13In Dunfermline, at Inglis Small Animal Hospital,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16the vets and nurses see over 100 patients a day.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Gorgeous. Hello, Ozzie. Just come for a check-up.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22Hello, handsome!
0:07:22 > 0:07:24You look much better today.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29Today, senior vet Adam is on surgery duty...
0:07:29 > 0:07:33- How are we getting on?- Good. We're ready to go.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36..which comes with added pressure.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39You can see how precious people's pets are to them.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42They have everything wrapped up in it emotionally,
0:07:42 > 0:07:44so our connection to the owners is really important.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47And someone's whose pet is very precious is Mark.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51He's owned Sasha, his Staffy, for two years.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54She has turned out to be a fantastic dog.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59She's just... She's just not got a bad bone in her body.
0:07:59 > 0:08:00Shall I get my gun?
0:08:00 > 0:08:03- Bang! - HE LAUGHS
0:08:03 > 0:08:06I'd give my life for that dog.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Sasha, come on. Come here.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14'I developed a condition, agoraphobia.'
0:08:15 > 0:08:18I have a fear of lots of people around me.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22I don't really go out very much.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26But with her, I can concentrate my attentions on her...
0:08:27 > 0:08:29..so I'm not thinking about the crowd of people
0:08:29 > 0:08:31that I'm just about to meet.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36Because of her, I've got a reason to get out of bed in the morning.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39I don't know what it would be like without her.
0:08:40 > 0:08:41I really don't.
0:08:43 > 0:08:48Mark genuinely holds Sasha in huge esteem, and Sasha Mark as well,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52and that relationship has probably helped Mark through many rough times.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56And then it's when you really understand how important
0:08:56 > 0:08:58animals can be to people's lives,
0:08:58 > 0:09:03and you feel a huge responsibility to make sure that that animal is
0:09:03 > 0:09:04getting the best care.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10But Mark's concerned. He's noticed a growth that could be a tumour.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Sasha's got a little lump on her lip that I discovered,
0:09:15 > 0:09:18and Adam and his team are going to remove it this morning.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21You know, obviously I'm worried.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24Come on then, darling. Come on.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27'She's never been into the vets. She doesn't know what's going on.'
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Right. I'll just take your wee lead.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32This is the bit that she'll no' be happy about,
0:09:32 > 0:09:33when I walk out the door.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36She'll go through here though, and she'll get loads of pets.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Eh? You'll be quite happy to come with me.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43- You be a good girl.- Aw.
0:09:43 > 0:09:44See you later. Be a good girl.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47You're a clever girl. You're all right.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56- How's Mr Grayson?- He was a wee bit nervous about leaving Sasha.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00OK. All right, Sasha. You're very precious, aren't you?
0:10:00 > 0:10:04Adam knows there's a strong chance the growth could be cancerous.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Usually, if it's something benign,
0:10:07 > 0:10:09it will have started to have gone away.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12There can be some really aggressive tumours in the mouth.
0:10:12 > 0:10:17We have to get these lumps out fast because they can be nasty, tumours.
0:10:17 > 0:10:18And if we leave them in,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21they can potentially spread to other parts of the body.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26The only way to find out is to send the lump off for a biopsy.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Sasha's anaesthetised for surgery.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32You snoring?
0:10:40 > 0:10:45In Barnard Castle, it's a little more hopeful for vet Rosie.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48After a week of close monitoring and feeding,
0:10:48 > 0:10:52the concussed tawny owl is ready for a bigger house.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56OK. He's having a good old bite on my fingers here.
0:10:56 > 0:10:57He's not impressed at all.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00He is able to stand upright, but he's quite angry at the moment.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03He's having a good look at me. SHE LAUGHS
0:11:03 > 0:11:06But all in all, he's looking nice and bright.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09So I think we're definitely OK to be taking him over to the aviary today,
0:11:09 > 0:11:10and see if he can spread his wings
0:11:10 > 0:11:12and have a bit of a nicer time over there.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18Rosie takes the owl to retired vet and mentor Neville.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22- Hi, Neville.- Come in.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26- Now this is it.- This is great.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30- Very importantly, we've got a great big bird bath.- Bath waiting.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33- He'll love that.- He will jump in that at some point today.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37And he'll look awfully bedraggled, but tomorrow he'll look a picture,
0:11:37 > 0:11:41- I promise you.- Oh, excellent. Good stuff.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43- What about we try up here?- Yeah.
0:11:43 > 0:11:44Go on. There we go.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48He'll be much happier in here.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51He's settled down on that perch, so that's a good sign.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56He's not 100% yet, so a few days in here will do him the world of good.
0:11:56 > 0:11:57So fingers crossed.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02Hopefully it won't be too long before the owl can be released
0:12:11 > 0:12:16Surrounded by over 800 square miles of County Durham countryside,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Castle Vets also has over 1,000 horses on their books.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26Equine vet Kerry is often out in the field.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28- Little bit of a snotty nose there. - Yeah.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31I like to see a variety of different people, different horses.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34These teeth at the front here, you've got lots of food that you're storing.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36We see little ponies for kids.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39We see competition horses,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42harness race horses, just a good mix.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Kerry is on her way to the village of Evenwood to treat a horse
0:12:49 > 0:12:51with a badly cut face.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Horses injure themselves all the time out in the field.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Wounds and stitch-ups are very common.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00They need to be stitched really quite quickly,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03so normally we'd say within about six hours.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07Alison's owned 18-year-old Jilly for five years.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10She's a very good horse. She'll take anything on.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14Show jumping, cross-country... I've done a bit of dressage with her.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16She's starting to get a bit old in life now, aren't you?
0:13:16 > 0:13:18She's 18 now.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20She'll probably do next year, and then we're
0:13:20 > 0:13:24thinking of retiring her and letting her enjoy the field a bit more.
0:13:29 > 0:13:30DOGS BARK
0:13:30 > 0:13:32All right, darling. OK.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36Hello, darling. Oh, deary me. What have we been up to?
0:13:36 > 0:13:39We've made a bit of a mess, haven't we? SHE LAUGHS
0:13:39 > 0:13:41Do we know how she's done it, or just out in the field?
0:13:41 > 0:13:44- I think she's caught it on that, on the top of the frame.- Oh, right, OK.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46There's a lot of hairs.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48She's very tall, as you can see.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51She chucks her head about, getting impatient waiting for her breakfast.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53She's very accident prone.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56These superficial ones I'm not overly worried about. They will...
0:13:56 > 0:13:59They'll just be fine. They're just to keep clean, really.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02That one there, we can stitch and do stuff with that.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05And we'll see what it's like to pull together once she's sedated...
0:14:05 > 0:14:06Cos you've not always got a lot of skin.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10It can be difficult to stitch them. Sometimes its easier to staple them.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13That's fine. Right, I'll just grab some sedation for her.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17With Jilly so agitated, Kerry will sedate her before injecting
0:14:17 > 0:14:19the wound with anaesthetic.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22This is just a sedative to make her go to sleep
0:14:22 > 0:14:26so there is less chance of me getting the needle anywhere near her eye.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28And it also allows to have a good look at her
0:14:28 > 0:14:31because she's quite wound up this morning.
0:14:31 > 0:14:32SHE LAUGHS
0:14:32 > 0:14:34- Are you doing your miserable face? - Yeah.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41The injection calms Jilly down and makes her lower her head,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44making it easier to clip and clean the deep cut.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47Sedation's a wonderful thing.
0:14:47 > 0:14:48SHE LAUGHS
0:14:48 > 0:14:51I know, sweetheart. Shh, shh, shh, shh.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54The lucky thing is she's missed her eye.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56I know. That's the... Yeah.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58- I mean, even that one there is pretty close.- Yeah.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02It's quite important to get the local anaesthetic in so she can't feel it.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Kerry numbs the edges of the cut.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08We might try stapling it.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11'Her head wounds are really great cos you've not got that much skin
0:15:11 > 0:15:13'to work with to stitch together.'
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Then she closes it up.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20STAPLE SNAPS 'It's quicker for the horse.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22'It's over and done with before they have time
0:15:22 > 0:15:24'to think about it and wake up.'
0:15:24 > 0:15:26That's come together beautifully.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28I'm glad I didn't bother trying to stitch it.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32Right, missy, that's that lot all done.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36Jilly was very well-behaved. She did need some sedation to keep her still,
0:15:36 > 0:15:38but I think I would for that as well.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40And I'm sure that wound will heal nicely
0:15:40 > 0:15:41now that it's stapled together.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52COWS MOO
0:15:52 > 0:15:55In Dunfermline, at the small animal hospital,
0:15:55 > 0:15:59vet Adam is about to operate on Sasha to remove a potentially
0:15:59 > 0:16:02cancerous lump from her mouth.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07We have to get these lumps out fast because they can be nasty tumours.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11Her owner Mark suffers from agoraphobia and depends on her.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14I don't know what it would be like without her.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17I really don't.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Adam is removing the lump and will send it for a biopsy
0:16:20 > 0:16:22to find out if it is cancerous.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26I'm concerned about the nature of the actual growth.
0:16:26 > 0:16:31I have to make sure I remove as much of the matter as possible
0:16:31 > 0:16:33because if it is something nasty,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36we don't want any regrowth to happen locally.
0:16:38 > 0:16:39OK.
0:16:40 > 0:16:47I want to get good margins so the laboratory people can actually say,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50"There's no cancer cells in those margins," if it is cancerous.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Coming away really nicely.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Now Adam needs to sew up the wound carefully.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Around the mouth is a muscle, which means you can purse your lips,
0:17:03 > 0:17:05so we need to make sure we don't damage that
0:17:05 > 0:17:07so Sasha can close her mouth properly.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11Her dad is so much in love with her that if I don't get it right,
0:17:11 > 0:17:13I've got a feeling he'll be really upset with me.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17And it's the last stitch.
0:17:17 > 0:17:18So...
0:17:19 > 0:17:21We'll start waking Sasha up.
0:17:22 > 0:17:2530 minutes and the surgery is over.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27The surgery went really well.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31My only concern now is what that lump comes back as.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42A few hours later, Sasha's raring to go home.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44DOG WHINES
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Mark can't wait to see her.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Hello, baby girl! Hello, baby girl. Hello.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Who's that?
0:17:53 > 0:17:55Oh...
0:17:55 > 0:17:58- Hello, my baby girl.- Thank you.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03Now there's an anxious wait for the results of the biopsy.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Oh, that's my girl.
0:18:05 > 0:18:06Don't worry, all right?
0:18:06 > 0:18:09I'm going to see you in a couple of days' time
0:18:09 > 0:18:11and we can go through the results together.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15- OK. But there's no point in worrying about what we don't know.- OK.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18We've got some tablets for you as well. Well, for her!
0:18:18 > 0:18:20I haven't got any tablets for you!
0:18:20 > 0:18:23I could do with a couple myself, actually, I think.
0:18:25 > 0:18:26It's so multi-faceted, our job.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29It's not just about making animals better.
0:18:29 > 0:18:30Sometimes it's about helping people
0:18:30 > 0:18:34through the really tough times and it so sad.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38The amount of tears shed every day here, there's a huge amount,
0:18:38 > 0:18:40enough to fill probably a bath every day.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45It's all right. Don't worry. You look after her...
0:18:45 > 0:18:49- and she looks after you. - She does, aye.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50DOG WHINES
0:18:50 > 0:18:53There we go. On you go, then. Come on, then.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56That's my girl. We'll go back up again.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11There's another concerned dog-owner in Barnard Castle.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14The tables have turned for equine vet Kerry,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17who's in the waiting room with her 18-month-old Labrador.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Rolo's eaten something he shouldn't have.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26Here's the offending article. So not all of it's missing,
0:19:26 > 0:19:28but a fair chunk of it is.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30I am quite worried about him.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33And being a horse vet, this is way out of my area now.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36I'm very irrational when it's my own dog.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Luckily Kerry knows someone who can take the reins,
0:19:40 > 0:19:42small animal vet Helen.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Come on, Rolo.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49I'm not feeling an obvious lower body blockage at the moment.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53But...he could have something that's moving through and causing him
0:19:53 > 0:19:57some gut pain, and may or may not cause a blockage.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Helen needs to take his temperature...
0:20:01 > 0:20:03..but Rolo won't play ball.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Come on. Come on. SHE LAUGHS
0:20:07 > 0:20:09What was that all about?
0:20:09 > 0:20:11His temperature's normal.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Potentially we could have him in and sedate him and X-ray his tummy.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19Being a vet herself, Kerry understands the risks.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23If it is causing a blockage, he will need to have surgery to take it out.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25So...could be very serious.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27Could be nothing or could be very serious.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29- Do you want that back?- No...
0:20:29 > 0:20:31Don't want to see it ever again.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35- Come on then.- It is a life-threatening problem.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39The pressure of the object wedged in the intestines can cause
0:20:39 > 0:20:42the intestines to start to die off round it.
0:20:42 > 0:20:43I think, as a vet,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46we know the worst-case scenario before they go in.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49I'm very worried about him at the moment.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Helen sedates Rolo to keep him still for the X-ray.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58If the X-ray confirms Kerry's worst fears,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Rolo will need a serious operation.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Two weeks earlier, a concussed tawny owl
0:21:16 > 0:21:19was brought to the practice by retired vet Neville.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23- He's got a bad head. - Oh, yes, you can see.
0:21:23 > 0:21:24After regaining strength,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27the owl was moved to Neville's garden aviary.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30A few days in here will do him the world of good.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36SHEEP BLEAT
0:21:36 > 0:21:40Today, Rosie and Neville are hoping to release the owl
0:21:40 > 0:21:41near where he was found.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Well, this is... I think this is a lovely spot.
0:21:51 > 0:21:52This is quite exciting.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55This is the first owl I've ever released back into the wild,
0:21:55 > 0:21:56so I hope it goes well.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59We don't always get it right.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01We don't how strong he'll fly.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03I suspect he'll fly pretty well.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Of course, at this time of night,
0:22:05 > 0:22:07- he's starting to wake up a bit, isn't he?- Yes.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09He'll come alive about now, yeah. Yeah.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21- Are we ready to go? - Well, I think...
0:22:21 > 0:22:23we're ready to go.
0:22:23 > 0:22:24- Cast him up in the air.- OK.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31- Oh, look at that.- That's super.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36But the owl disappears from sight.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Has he gone to a fence post there?
0:22:40 > 0:22:41- I don't know.- I think he is, yeah.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45- Shall we have a look?- He's just gone into that hedge, I think, yeah.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49The owl's now vulnerable to predators on the ground.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51(Neville.) Neville.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53(He's here.)
0:22:53 > 0:22:55- You got him? - He's sitting there, yeah.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57- He shouldn't be doing that.- No.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Why do you think that's happened?
0:23:04 > 0:23:06- I don't know.- Panic?
0:23:06 > 0:23:10- Cos he certainly flew OK. - He did. Quite strongly.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14- Decisions, decisions.- Hmm-hmm.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19If you let a bird of prey loose that isn't up to hunting,
0:23:19 > 0:23:21- he's going to starve to death. - Yeah, yeah.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24I mean, we've got to think of the owl and what's best for him.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27And there are foxes and cats and things about,
0:23:27 > 0:23:31so it's not worth taking the risk, just leaving him sitting there.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37With the owl looking stronger, Neville is hopeful.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39He's certainly a different bird
0:23:39 > 0:23:43from the one who arrived two weeks ago today.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47- He certainly is. - SHE LAUGHS
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Ow.
0:23:49 > 0:23:50Much different.
0:23:50 > 0:23:55- Much stronger.- Let's put him back in the box.- Yeah, let's.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Build his strength up and try again.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00But with winter approaching, they'll have to wait
0:24:00 > 0:24:03until spring to give him the best chance.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14At the practice, small animal vet Helen is analysing Rolo's
0:24:14 > 0:24:16X-rays for dangerous blockages.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21He was brought in by vet Kerry after swallowing part of his plastic toy.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23I'm not feeling an obvious lower body...
0:24:23 > 0:24:24If it is causing a blockage,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27he will need to have surgery to have it taken out.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32There's obviously little bits here that he's potentially eaten,
0:24:32 > 0:24:36which could, timing wise, easily be the bits of plastic.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39But there's no evidence...
0:24:39 > 0:24:42of a foreign body that's causing a blockage.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45I think watch and wait for 24 hours probably.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Helen heads straight to Rolo's anxious owner,
0:24:50 > 0:24:51who's in the equine office.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55- He's fine.- Oh, good. - He's coming round.- Thank you.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59- You can have some lunch now... - Yes, and stop stressing.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01- There's no sign of a small intestinal blockage.- Good.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04What looks suspicious are probably bits of plastic showing up.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08- You're going to be on poo-monitoring duty for a bit.- Yeah.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10He's still asleep but he's starting to come round.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14Kerry is soon reunited with Rolo.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17Hello. He says, "I want to get out."
0:25:17 > 0:25:20You're a good boy. DOG WHINES
0:25:20 > 0:25:23What a good boy. 'Absolutely thrilled to be taking him home.'
0:25:23 > 0:25:26We'll go and have a little cuddle on the sofa this afternoon, I think.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Let's go home. Come on, then. Are you ready?
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Are you ready?
0:25:32 > 0:25:35You're ready. Come on, then.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44And three days later...
0:25:44 > 0:25:46There was a blue spiky toy in his poo,
0:25:46 > 0:25:50so I was pleased to see it because at least then we knew it was out.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53And I'm sure he was pleased it was out
0:25:53 > 0:25:56cos it can't have been very comfortable - bless him.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58Go on, then. Go on.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01It's lovely to see him looking like this again.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04He's found something dead or smelly to roll around in.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07He really is a true Labrador. He's disgusting.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10What a good boy. There we go. Steady.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25Everyone's hoping for a happy result in Dunfermline, too.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27It's been a week since vet Adam
0:26:27 > 0:26:30removed a suspicious lump from Sasha's mouth.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37There can be some really aggressive tumours in the mouth.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Her owner Mark, who suffers from agoraphobia,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43has faced a nerve-racking wait.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47- There's no point in worrying about what we don't know.- OK.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Hello, Sasha. Come on, then.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Today Adam has the biopsy results.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53- How have we been getting on? - All right.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56She's back to her normal bouncy self.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Brilliant. I just want to check Sasha's mouth and make sure it's OK.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02- Good girl, Sasha.- Hello, darling. Let's have a wee look at you.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04I can see one tiny bit of stitch there.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07But as you can see, all the stitches have dissolved now.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10- The good news is the wound's healed perfectly.- So that's it healed?
0:27:10 > 0:27:11- That's it healed.- Oh, brilliant.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15- So I better tell you what the results are, hadn't I?- Yes.- OK.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18It's good news, all right? OK?
0:27:18 > 0:27:24And it does say in the report there's no cancer whatsoever in the sample,
0:27:24 > 0:27:26so Sasha fights another day.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28You've made me a very happy man today.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33That's brilliant. Adam, that's fantastic.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35So it's good news all round.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Sasha, sit. Good. Bang!
0:27:38 > 0:27:40HE LAUGHS
0:27:40 > 0:27:42Brilliant.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45'There's no greater feeling than when the owners come in,'
0:27:45 > 0:27:47and the first time you saw them they were terrified.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50And then, a few days later, they're leaving
0:27:50 > 0:27:53and their animal's as right as rain,
0:27:53 > 0:27:55and they're looking into the future with great optimism,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57and that's the best part of our job.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00It's such a relief.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03It's like winning the lottery. I get my dog back.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Fit and healthy and...
0:28:07 > 0:28:09everything's going to be fine, aye.