0:00:02 > 0:00:04We Brits love our animals.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09From livestock in the fields to 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 > 0:00:23There 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 > 0:00:32I spend all my job outwitting animals.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Got him.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39They're passionate about their patients.
0:00:39 > 0:00:44Hello, babby! I stroke them a lot to try to reassure them.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53On call when the animals need them most.
0:00:53 > 0:00:59If we leave it any longer he almost certainly is not going to make it.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02They're the dedicated vets, patching up pets
0:01:02 > 0:01:06and caring every day for More Creatures, Great And Small.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23Coming up. In County Durham, farm vet Richard battles to save a calf.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26If we leave her she'll develop pneumonia, and that could kill her.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32Steve plays tit for tat with more than one cat.
0:01:32 > 0:01:33No need for that nonsense.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38And in Fife, Megan wrestles with a guinea pig.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41It's probably a two-man job, until he realises what we're up to.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Stunning County Durham is home
0:01:49 > 0:01:52to over a thousand sheep and cattle farms,
0:01:52 > 0:01:56keeping farm vet Richard busy for the last 20 years.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06As the local vet I'm part of the community.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08Everyone knows who you are.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12And as you can see it's a beautiful area.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15The people of Teesdale are great to work with
0:02:15 > 0:02:18and it's been a great place to live and bring up the family as well.
0:02:26 > 0:02:31Today Richard's on his way to one of the 27 dairy farms on his books.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Milking dairy cows is a very hard job.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44The people that are still left are those who are very committed to it.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49These cows can produce up to 65 litres of milk a day.
0:02:49 > 0:02:55The amount of energy a dairy cow is using every day at peak lactation
0:02:55 > 0:02:58is the equivalent to doing the Tour de France every day.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02So it's important to keep them in peak condition.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Part of the reason for coming so frequently,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09if there are any problems we can address them early on and get them sorted out.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17With nearly 500 cattle over 180 acres,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Richard's visiting one of the largest dairy farms in the area.
0:03:22 > 0:03:27We've been farming on this original farm here since the '40s.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30I think we're the third, fourth generation.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36It's calving season for farmer Steve and his family,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39and one new mum is causing concern.
0:03:39 > 0:03:40MOOING
0:03:42 > 0:03:46Good girl. All right, all right.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49This girl... Rob's saying she's a bit slow.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53she's maybe not milking as well as she should be.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56She went off her legs for a little bit after she calved.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Slightly raised temperature, it's 102.5,
0:03:59 > 0:04:01so something's going on.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04Which is one degree higher than it should be.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07There are two more quick tests Richard can do
0:04:07 > 0:04:09to figure out what's wrong.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Whoa, whoa, whoa.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18OK, lass, all right.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20So I'm smelling her breath there,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23which tells me about her energy balance.
0:04:23 > 0:04:30If she's breaking down her body fat, ie, she's not eating enough,
0:04:30 > 0:04:34then she gets a chemical in her blood called ketones
0:04:34 > 0:04:36which you can smell on her breath.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41And she smells normal, so that's a good sign.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49And when I'm flicking her ribs there I'm listening for a ping,
0:04:49 > 0:04:53which is the gas that's sitting in her stomach.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55And, sure enough, she's got it.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Cows have got four stomachs
0:04:58 > 0:05:01and her abomasum in the fourth one can occasionally fill up with gas
0:05:01 > 0:05:03and become displaced.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09This can happen if the cow doesn't eat enough after calving.
0:05:09 > 0:05:14Left untreated, this cow would have serious digestive problems.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Going to give her some intravenous treatment.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21The anti-inflammatory injection should stimulate her appetite,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24help the stomach to work again and let the gas release naturally.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27I'll come back and see her again tomorrow,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29if it's still displaced we'll operate on her.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32If there's no improvement by the morning,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34this poor cow will face surgery.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Also on his rounds is small animal vet Steve,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54whose love of all things furry is in his blood.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58My parents are bonkers about their dogs and cats
0:05:58 > 0:06:03so I guess that's where the natural tendency
0:06:03 > 0:06:05came to relate to animals.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08I suppose some would say I had only one direction
0:06:08 > 0:06:12I was going to go in terms of what I did as a career.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Today Steve's visiting someone
0:06:14 > 0:06:18who loves animals even more than he does.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21He's on his way to animal sanctuary Arc on the Edge.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23Set up by a lady called Pat Kingsnorth,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26who is the most dedicated person I've ever come across.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34We take in anything in that we have room for.
0:06:34 > 0:06:40We've had badgers, deer, foxes, cats, dogs, rabbits, degus,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42birds of prey, canaries...
0:06:45 > 0:06:47..sheep, donkeys, horses, goats...
0:06:47 > 0:06:49And so on!
0:06:50 > 0:06:53We home as much as we can.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57On the wildlife side, we release as much as we can.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Having said that, if it's not fit for release,
0:06:59 > 0:07:04then it has a home here with us for life.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09Some new arrivals mean Pat has now over 40 cats looking for new homes.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13Tough financial times have led to over 100 pets
0:07:13 > 0:07:15being abandoned in Britain every day.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Cats have been the worst hit
0:07:18 > 0:07:21with the way things are. People can't afford them.
0:07:21 > 0:07:27Last year animal charities took in over 10,000 cats across the UK.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30Steve and trainee nurse Becky will make sure
0:07:30 > 0:07:32the new arrivals are fit for re-homing.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35And Danielle is here to help too.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Steve, just watch your foot.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Steve is checking for signs of ill health.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46First the kittens.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Just give them a good check over, make sure everything is where
0:07:49 > 0:07:52it should be and that their body condition is all right
0:07:52 > 0:07:55considering that they're so young.
0:07:55 > 0:07:56Aren't I?
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Hello!
0:08:03 > 0:08:04Next, the cats.
0:08:07 > 0:08:08CAT YOWLS
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Ah-ah! No need for that nonsense.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13Which can be a thankless task.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16- He's scratched me. - Now we're all bleeding.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19They're all going off me today.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Lastly a lady who, as of yet, hasn't given away her age.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25She belonged to an old lady.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28The old lady had to go into a retirement home.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30She is approximately five.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33- They don't actually know her age. - What's her name?- Suki.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35Are you having a little snooze?
0:08:35 > 0:08:37She's got very obvious cataracts.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40I reckon she's probably at least ten.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42Ten-year-old, ten-year-old.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46Suki's age makes re-homing her extremely difficult.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48And her terrible teeth won't help.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53All her teeth down this side are horrendous, so she's going to
0:08:53 > 0:08:55lose all those molars down that side.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58The canines don't look too bad, but they are dirty.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02- She's in pain with them.- They'll be uncomfortable, certainly, yeah.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06They are probably loose, actually. The gums are well rotted up there.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10But Suki can't find any flaws in Steve!
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Oh, sorry, do you want another cuddle?
0:09:12 > 0:09:14Actually, she doesn't normally act like that.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17She normally runs away from you.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19- You're lovely!- I think she's took a shine to you.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21You've made a friend.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24No, I can't, before you ask.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Steve's not biting. But he books Suki in for a dental.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34With her teeth fixed, there's a chance she might find a new home.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48Back at base, Richard's preparing for his rounds.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Being a farm vet has certain sides to it
0:09:56 > 0:10:00that other sides of veterinary practice don't have.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02The big one is that you're helping people run a business,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05rather than look after their pets.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07And some of the decisions you make
0:10:07 > 0:10:11can have a big influence on how someone's business is run.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15It's quite different from looking after the companion animals
0:10:15 > 0:10:16like horses and dogs and cats.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25It's 24 hours since he treated the cow with a displaced stomach.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29When I'm flicking her ribs there, I'm listening for a ping
0:10:29 > 0:10:33which is the gas that's sitting in the stomach there
0:10:33 > 0:10:35and sure enough, she's got it.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38If this new mum's stomach is still filled with gas,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Richard will have to operate.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42First, the temperature test.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46Yesterday it was one degree higher than normal.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Yesterday she had a temperature of 102.5.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52And today, bang on normal.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54So that's good news.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Our anti-inflammatories have done the trick.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58So the 6 million question is,
0:10:58 > 0:11:02is it still displaced? We'll soon find out.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04The ping that tells me...
0:11:07 > 0:11:11..if her abomasum's still displaced. And at the moment...
0:11:14 > 0:11:15No, I think it's gone.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19You can hear the gas in a displaced stomach.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21It's a high-pitched ping.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24And I could hear it yesterday and today it's gone.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28- It's good news, basically. - I'm not going to operate on her.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31It's a huge relief for farmer Steve.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33It's a better sign when we don't have to operate on her.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35- Definitely.- And cheaper!
0:11:38 > 0:11:41But Richard's visit is far from over.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44Next door, Steve has a calf who's struggling to breathe.
0:11:44 > 0:11:49Just two months old, she's failed to respond to antibiotics.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Now she's in a critical condition.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54How old is she?
0:11:54 > 0:11:58She's got a bacterial infection in her larynx
0:11:58 > 0:12:00which is constricting her airway,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04so her airway is narrowed as she's breathing... HE BREATHES HARSHLY
0:12:04 > 0:12:07..she's making this noise.
0:12:07 > 0:12:13Now, if we leave her she's likely to develop pneumonia next.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16And if she does that, that could kill her.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19So we are going to do this operation
0:12:19 > 0:12:22where we bypass her larynx for a period of time.
0:12:22 > 0:12:27The reason for that is that because the larynx is inflamed,
0:12:27 > 0:12:30as she's breathing, she's exacerbating the condition,
0:12:30 > 0:12:31she's making it worse.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34For Richard it's a break from routine.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36As a farm vet, we don't really do that much surgery.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40Certainly not compared with small animal or even equine vets.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44There aren't many conditions on farms that we end up doing surgery on.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48And this is one of them. So we quite enjoy it when we get the chance.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54Though operating in a cow shed requires a bit of improvisation.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59We could do with something to put the gear on, Steve, a small bale.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Richard anesthetises the calf to fit a breathing tube,
0:13:06 > 0:13:10but the anaesthetic makes it even more difficult to breathe.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15He works quickly, making an incision into the windpipe.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Just wide enough to fit the plastic breathing tube.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50There's a slight panic until you get the airway in,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52but once the airway's in, it's fine.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57So operating in a cow shed needn't be a problem.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Unless, of course, the next-door calf is peckish.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Don't eat that.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08A few stitches to hold the tube in place...
0:14:10 > 0:14:15..some antibiotic spray, and Richard's work here is almost done.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18I can feel her, she's breathing through there nicely.
0:14:18 > 0:14:24You can see as she's breathing, a bit of hair is getting blown up,
0:14:24 > 0:14:28but there's really nothing coming through her upper airways now
0:14:28 > 0:14:30which is all to the good,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34because we want that larynx to settle down completely.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38In two or three weeks' time we'll take it out
0:14:38 > 0:14:42and she'll have a hole there which will close up very quickly indeed,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44and hopefully by then her larynx will have healed
0:14:44 > 0:14:47and she can breathe normally.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Tracheotomies might date back to the ancient Egyptians,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53but they don't happen often on farms.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59That's the first time in 30 years I've ever seen it done.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Probably in the past we maybe would have lost that calf.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05If the calves weren't maybe as valuable as they are at the minute,
0:15:05 > 0:15:09maybe it wouldn't have been worth actually doing that operation on it.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16With the anaesthetic worn off, the calf is back on her feet.
0:15:18 > 0:15:19She's having a wee cough,
0:15:19 > 0:15:23because, obviously, there's a bit of discharge tickling her trachea.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26That will settle down quite soon. Good.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29How are you feeling, sweetheart?
0:15:29 > 0:15:32As you can see, she's quite happy, she's come out of her anaesthetic
0:15:32 > 0:15:35and she's breathing a lot easier now.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Good. I think that's a result!
0:15:39 > 0:15:41The tracheotomy has saved her life.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Now only time will tell if the infection will clear.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53Up north, beyond the Firth of Forth, is Inglis Veterinary Hospital.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01Across Britain, we own over eight million dogs.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04With around 50 puppies a week at the small animal hospital,
0:16:04 > 0:16:08vet Megan always gets her fix of cute and cuddly...
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Handsome.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14I like the darker ones. I like them all, obviously.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19..which can be an occupational hazard.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23If you're a vet and you've got a space and something comes along,
0:16:23 > 0:16:28then you do, you end up taking one of them home
0:16:28 > 0:16:32until you get to the point where you have no more room or get told
0:16:32 > 0:16:36your husband will file for divorce if you take any more animals home.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41While this lot are a handful, Megan's next case
0:16:41 > 0:16:44has bitten off more than he can chew.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Kayla and Karli have brought in one-year-old Harley
0:16:49 > 0:16:50with mum Lindsay.
0:16:51 > 0:16:56This is Harley. It appears he's ate a stick and it's stuck.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02The problem is where the stick is stuck.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Obviously, if they chew them up and swallow them,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07they're a bit spiky when they come out the back end.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10We think most of the time the dogs will tend to just
0:17:10 > 0:17:14poo them out themselves.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18Every year, over £1 million is claimed in pet insurance
0:17:18 > 0:17:21to remove foreign objects from dogs.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25Obviously ate something and it's stuck in his bottom.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29If it's something that is going to be easily resolvable, we'll do that.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Obviously, if it's a little bit more in depth,
0:17:31 > 0:17:33we'll have to give him a sedation to see what's happening.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Better have a little look then.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39I was going to give you a hand. This is Emma.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Emma is on hand to help with some lubrication.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57Just got it out yourself.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00It's just been wedged like that with a sharp end.
0:18:01 > 0:18:06- It looks like a cane or something. - My stretcher for my washing line.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08I think that is what he's been chewing.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12I certainly don't feel anything else as far up there as I can feel, so...
0:18:12 > 0:18:14They were coming out.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19There's always the possibility of some other bits in there.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23- Keep an eye out.- There you go. You can lie comfy now.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27Hopefully Harley will stick to dog food from now on!
0:18:35 > 0:18:40Back in Barnard Castle, vet Rosie is on operations duty.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42- Is he settling OK, Becky?- Yep.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46Three years qualified, Rosie loves being hands-on.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51When vets qualify, we know all the theory
0:18:51 > 0:18:53and some of the practical.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57We get told all the facts, all the science, the ways of working out
0:18:57 > 0:19:00the problems and that is the sort of important part.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02But a lot does come with experience.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Every day's a learning day.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06And Rosie's next patient is Suki,
0:19:06 > 0:19:09brought in by Pat from the nearby animal sanctuary.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15Steve discovered Suki was a lot older than anyone thought.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18- I reckon she's probably at least ten.- Ten-year-old?
0:19:18 > 0:19:23- Ten-year-old? - And badly in need of dental work.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26I mean, all her teeth down this side are horrendous.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29With older cats being difficult to re-home,
0:19:29 > 0:19:31finding a new owner won't be easy.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36But today, Rosie will do all she can to improve Suki's chances.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43At this stage, I'm just trying to crack off some of the tartar
0:19:43 > 0:19:45that's built up there.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48A metal mouth gag keeps Suki's mouth wide open.
0:19:54 > 0:19:55That one has just come away.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59I've just removed the upper right pre-molar.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02The rest of the teeth look OK. We're just going to clean them up now.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Rosie finishes off with a polish,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10leaving Suki's teeth with a bit of sparkle.
0:20:15 > 0:20:16That's us done - finished.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Suki's going to make a lovely pet, she's a lovely little cat.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Hopefully she gets a home soon.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Teeth done, but what Suki really needs now is a new owner.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Out in the country, Richard's on another visit.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49He's off to check up on a young patient.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59Three weeks ago, he performed a life-saving tracheotomy on a calf
0:20:59 > 0:21:02with an infected larynx.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04If we leave her, the likely thing is she'll develop pneumonia
0:21:04 > 0:21:08and if she does that, that could kill her.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Today, Richard is planning to remove the plastic tube.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18Now, I don't know if you can see, where we put the tube in...
0:21:18 > 0:21:22It's actually come out, which is not a total surprise
0:21:22 > 0:21:24because they're quite easy to catch.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Now we've got hold of her, she started to make a funny noise.
0:21:29 > 0:21:34The hole was in there where we actually put the tube in
0:21:34 > 0:21:38and it's come out and it's closed up, which they tend to do.
0:21:38 > 0:21:43Once the tube comes out, they'll close up within a couple of days.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45That's fine, because it's done its job.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49We've bypassed the problem long enough for it to settle down
0:21:49 > 0:21:54and, you know, her breathing speaks for itself now.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56She's breathing normally.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00We've turned what was probably a calf that was going to die
0:22:00 > 0:22:02into a saleable animal.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04It's a happy ending. Successful end.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12And for Richard, another case closed.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30In Dunfermline, Megan has been busy with all the usual suspects, but
0:22:30 > 0:22:34sometimes it's the smaller animals that are the most challenging.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37So, a big cat or a dog or something, they're fine,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40and the smaller they get, the longer it takes to actually
0:22:40 > 0:22:43get through your consult and get on with it.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46I suppose they're the frustrating ones at times.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51Often the little animals get frustrated too.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55I suppose I've been bitten by most species now.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Hamsters, gerbils, that type of thing.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Their teeth just go straight down to your bone.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02Then your finger throbs for the rest of the day.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Being bitten hasn't made Megan shy.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12One of her regulars has just come in.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Sharlee and Katie's guinea pig Thunder
0:23:14 > 0:23:16is feeling under the weather.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21I know that he's poorly because he's usually running away
0:23:21 > 0:23:23up here and he's just lying like that.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29Guinea pigs are very sociable animals and regularly on the move,
0:23:29 > 0:23:31so the girls are right to get him checked out quickly.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37Thunder Ferguson? Come on through.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40What can we do for Thunder today?
0:23:40 > 0:23:43He's been coughing quite a bit lately.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47His underside is blocked, his breathing is really heavy.
0:23:47 > 0:23:52- This morning he was like... - When did this cough start?
0:23:52 > 0:23:57- About three days now.- OK. Has he eaten OK, as far as you're aware?
0:23:59 > 0:24:01- He's not had any greens today.- OK.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07He should be grazing on fruit and veg, hay and guinea pig pellets,
0:24:07 > 0:24:09so something's not right.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16Little bit of a runny nose, not hugely.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19Just hear a bit of a wheeze.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22Which could suggest Thunder has respiratory problems,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24quite common among guinea pigs.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Come on then, you, let's get you weighed.
0:24:29 > 0:24:34He's 1.2 kilos. Last time he was in, he was 1.07.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40I'm happy that his weight has gone up rather than down from the last time.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43If he's quiet at home, there will be something going on.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47He's got this cough, he's got a little bit of discharge
0:24:47 > 0:24:50from his nose. Nothing too severe.
0:24:50 > 0:24:56His weight is OK, so it would seem sensible to treat this really
0:24:56 > 0:24:58as a respiratory tract infection.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Pop him on some antibiotics, probably give him
0:25:01 > 0:25:04an anti-inflammatory as well and take it from there.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07So, we'll get his first dose into him tonight, then it's done
0:25:07 > 0:25:08and you'll know how to do it.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12Although Thunder is off his food,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Megan has some medicine he should like.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17This is where the fun starts.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20It tastes of bananas, so we don't usually have much of a bother
0:25:20 > 0:25:22getting it down them.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25It's probably a two-man job until he realises what you're up to.
0:25:27 > 0:25:28Yum, yum.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35He says, yeah, that wasn't too bad. I quite like that.
0:25:38 > 0:25:39This tastes of honey.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Hopefully he'll not mind that either.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Hey, Mr, not too bad, is it?
0:25:52 > 0:25:57He's not wasted a drop. Well done. Think you'll manage that? Yes.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02If he's not responding as well, pop him back
0:26:02 > 0:26:04and we'll take it from there, really.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06- That's fine.- Good.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08Hopefully, Thunder's tasty medicine
0:26:08 > 0:26:10will soon have him feeling right as rain.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22Back at the animal sanctuary in County Durham, Suki the cat
0:26:22 > 0:26:24is still waiting for a new owner.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28When vet Steve discovered her age...
0:26:28 > 0:26:30I reckon she's probably at last ten.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Ten-year-old? Ten-year-old?
0:26:33 > 0:26:36..and that she needed serious dental work,
0:26:36 > 0:26:38the chances of finding Suki a home looked slim.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42But with Suki's teeth all cleaned up...
0:26:44 > 0:26:46..Pat has found Carol and George.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50They've taken a shine to Suki and are giving her a new home.
0:26:50 > 0:26:51Here she comes.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54I was told that it would be hard to find Suki a home
0:26:54 > 0:26:55because of her age.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00She just seemed a very sweet, affectionate little cat.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Hello. Oh, my darling.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10It is quite sad when they go because they come in, like she did,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14she's come in, in a bad state like the others and it's just lovely
0:27:14 > 0:27:17when they've got somewhere to go to.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20She wouldn't be going if I didn't know she had a nice place to go to.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24I'm sure Carol will look after her.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28Otherwise she'll have me to answer to, won't she?
0:27:31 > 0:27:34The day I stop getting attached to them is the day I'll stop.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41I'll give you a ring a bit later. Look after her, won't you?
0:27:41 > 0:27:44- She'll have a good home, darling.- I know.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46I wouldn't let her go otherwise.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49You know there'll be another one in that cage in a few hours' time
0:27:49 > 0:27:51that you can get upset about.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55- If I have any problems, I'll give you a ring.- Please do.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00Nothing's empty for very long.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03There's just too much on the waiting list to come in,
0:28:03 > 0:28:07so it'll be filled back up again and we'll start all over again.
0:28:08 > 0:28:14For here, there is never a shortage of More Creatures Great and Small.