0:00:02 > 0:00:04We Brits love our animals...
0:00:05 > 0:00:09..from livestock in the fields to pooches in the park.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14It's the job of the nation's vets to keep them healthy.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18Whether consulting in the countryside...
0:00:18 > 0:00:21It's one of the better parts of the job, really,
0:00:21 > 0:00:23when you can help create a new life.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28..or horsing around in the stables...
0:00:28 > 0:00:32I spend all my job outwitting animals.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Got him!
0:00:36 > 0:00:39..they're passionate about their patients.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Hey, little miss.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44I am now known as the mad chicken lady.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Hello, darling.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52On call when the animals need them most...
0:00:52 > 0:00:55If we leave it any longer,
0:00:55 > 0:00:58he almost certainly is going to not make it.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01..they're the dedicated vets,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04patching up pets and caring every day
0:01:04 > 0:01:08for More Creatures, Great And Small.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Coming up.
0:01:20 > 0:01:25In Teesdale, farm vet Graham tries to help a calf to his feet.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Just try and get his legs...
0:01:27 > 0:01:32Ian takes drastic action on a rescue dog with problem ears.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34It's sometimes better to take the whole canal away.
0:01:34 > 0:01:39While in Fife, small animal vet Adam has some exotic foot trouble.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42It's definitely quite swollen.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51The rolling countryside of County Durham in the north-east of England.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57Over a thousand sheep and cattle farms dot the landscape.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02The livestock, all potential patients
0:02:02 > 0:02:04for the farm vets of Barnard Castle.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08Vets Graham and Erica met at university.
0:02:10 > 0:02:15And when Erica got a job at Castle Vets, Graham followed.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Been in a relationship with Erica for a good while now.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23When the job came up at this practice, you know, it was
0:02:23 > 0:02:28maybe an ideal time to give that a go, you know, working together.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32It's actually the first time that we have, you know, cohabited and
0:02:32 > 0:02:33worked at the same time.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36It's much better that we're able to live together.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40You don't spend all your time travelling backwards and forwards.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Today, Graham has been called to a farm on the dale where a cow
0:02:54 > 0:02:56is having difficulty giving birth.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00If it's a young heifer that's never had a calf before,
0:03:00 > 0:03:02then perhaps the calf is a little bit big for her.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06We might be thinking along the lines of doing a Caesarean section.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08Maybe the calf isn't presented in the normal manner
0:03:08 > 0:03:12and we might have to manipulate it to get the calf out.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16The 300-acre hill farm has
0:03:16 > 0:03:20herds of 80 cows and 500 sheep.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25It's been in farmer Geoffrey's family for 80 years.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29It's backwards is the calf and a bit big.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33Right, shall we crack on and have a look first
0:03:33 > 0:03:35and then we'll make a decision from there?
0:03:38 > 0:03:39Look.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43Wow, even its backside isn't coming up into the pelvis, is it?
0:03:43 > 0:03:45So that's going to make the decision,
0:03:45 > 0:03:47we're going to do a Caesarean on this cow.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Graham needs to perform a Caesarean fast
0:03:50 > 0:03:52to save the mother and her calf.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03He anesthetises and then makes an incision to access the womb.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10We're into the body of the cow, so the calf is inside the womb.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13Right, if you hold on to one foot, I'm going to just fish his head out.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17And within minutes, Graham delivers a very large boy.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21Get that leg going round see if we can just wake him up a bit.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Yeah, he's going.
0:04:23 > 0:04:24While Graham stitches up Mum,
0:04:24 > 0:04:28the calf is moved into the shelter of the barn.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31He'll be a bit slippery, won't he?
0:04:31 > 0:04:33So the womb of the cow is stitched up now.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37We've just got the muscle layers to stitch back up.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Once the calf is on his feet, he can start to suckle.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Right, if we want to get her back into the pen,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50then she can have a look at her new calf.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54But first his mother needs to bond with him.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Would like to see some motherly instinct and then the calf
0:04:59 > 0:05:00will be up and...
0:05:00 > 0:05:03You know, he needs to get up and suckling within six hours
0:05:03 > 0:05:05so he gets that first milk
0:05:05 > 0:05:09and that'll help him thrive in his first few weeks alive.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13So if she gets stimulating him with her tongue to lick him and dry him,
0:05:13 > 0:05:17then that'll help him get up.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20But this mum doesn't seem too keen on her new baby.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24And he's not showing any signs of wanting to stand up.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34Back at base, in Barnard Castle, the small animal practice is busy
0:05:34 > 0:05:36with a steady stream of patients.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40All done.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Now, now, now. Tat, tat, tat. That's a bit sore.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47Vet Ian will spend half his morning consulting...
0:05:47 > 0:05:50This can sting a little so just steady her head.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Your eye really is giving you problems, isn't it?
0:05:53 > 0:05:55..and the rest in surgery.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59Not too tight, I like to breathe during the operation.
0:05:59 > 0:06:04Booked in for an operation today is seven-year-old Bichon Frise, Alfie.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08His owner Vickie has had him for three years.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12I got him from Dog's Trust.
0:06:12 > 0:06:17We rescued him cos I just lost my dog, and it was a bit heartbreaking.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19So we went to have a look.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22And then I seen this little white dog in the pen.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25And he was getting picked on by another dog.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27And I knew that he was going to be my dog.
0:06:27 > 0:06:28And I asked about him.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31And within a few weeks, I got to take him home.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34Poor Alfie has an eye cataract,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37but it's his ears that are causing him the most trouble.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40A severe recurring infection has been giving him
0:06:40 > 0:06:42horrible earache for two years.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Alfie Walker, please. Good morning.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48- Hi, how are you?- I'm all right, thank you.- Hello.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52Have you been managing to get drops in and treat it and clean them?
0:06:52 > 0:06:56We did use drops at first, but it wasn't working.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58So we ended up getting him on steroids.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00The canals are very, very narrow.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02That won't allow good air movement.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04And it's probably just due to chronic infection
0:07:04 > 0:07:06that they've actually just closed up.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09The infection is not responding to medication,
0:07:09 > 0:07:13so removal of the ear canals is the best option.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16It's quite a painful procedure to do and they are in a lot of pain
0:07:16 > 0:07:18with it to start off with. But actually, the change
0:07:18 > 0:07:21in their demeanour and their attitude to life and the way they are
0:07:21 > 0:07:22is massive when you get that.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25- Will he be deaf, then? - I would say yes because I actually go
0:07:25 > 0:07:26into the middle ear and damage that.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29I'll go into that quite deliberately and do some work in there as well.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32So, yes, he will be deaf.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35But he'll hear his food bowl rattle, I'll guarantee it.
0:07:35 > 0:07:36He does!
0:07:36 > 0:07:40Their hearing is so, so sensitive
0:07:40 > 0:07:44that they can even hear something through just skin,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46without having a canal there at all.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50But before he can operate, Ian needs to check Alfie's ears.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Some very, very red, sore tissue in there.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57There's lots of inflammation going on in there.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00I think they're too infected, at the moment,
0:08:00 > 0:08:02for me to operate on.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04What I want to do is get it under control enough
0:08:04 > 0:08:06so that when I operate,
0:08:06 > 0:08:10I'm going to have less damage, less bacteria contaminating the tissues
0:08:10 > 0:08:13that I'm operating on. I want to get things better
0:08:13 > 0:08:15because his recovery will be quicker and better.
0:08:16 > 0:08:21The operation is postponed, but Ian can clean up Alfie's ears.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Leave him with me and I'll run him through.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28And then... I'm going to carry him.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30- And then I'll speak to you as the day goes on.- All right.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Come back about three o'clock? Yeah? All right, I'll see you then.
0:08:33 > 0:08:34- Bye!- Bye!
0:08:39 > 0:08:40Now, he is just sedated.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44And I want to have a look, see if I can actually see anything in here.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48It's the eardrum that I'm particularly concerned about.
0:08:48 > 0:08:53It's bleeding just with me touching it. It's so sore in here.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Oh, dear, flower, your ears are bad.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59It's a tough time for owner Vicky.
0:08:59 > 0:09:00He no longer plays.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04He's constantly walking around and shaking his head
0:09:04 > 0:09:07cos he's uncomfortable from it. He's in a lot of pain as well.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Bichon Frise are susceptible to ear
0:09:09 > 0:09:13problems as the fur growing inside their ears can become
0:09:13 > 0:09:15a breeding ground for bacteria.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21They are very, very, very sore ears.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25When I got him, because he wasn't very friendly towards people,
0:09:25 > 0:09:29I've managed to gain his trust over the years that I've had him.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33And he's now... When I come, like, through the front door,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36he's there to come and see me, whereas before he never used to.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38So we've built, like, a good friendship between us.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42I've never left him at the vet before, so this is quite worrying.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44I'm very worried about it.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46So we're going to pop some antibiotics in there.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49And then I'm going to
0:09:49 > 0:09:52turn him over and do exactly the same on the other side.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03With cleaner ears, Alfie sleeps off the sedative.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17A few hours later, he can go home.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21- There he goes.- Thank you.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24OK, so he's still very sore, but you can see there's a lot less hair.
0:10:24 > 0:10:29- So what I've done is a big clean up today.- All right?- Yep.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32But it's not over yet for poor Alfie.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34Ian hopes to operate in three weeks' time.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48Mornings are a busy time for the farm vets in Barnard Castle.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Graham is out on his rounds.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Five days ago he delivered a calf.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03Just get that leg going round, see if we can just wake him up a bit.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05The Caesarean was a success,
0:11:05 > 0:11:08but the mother didn't seem to bond with her calf.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Would like to see some motherly instinct
0:11:10 > 0:11:13and then the calf will up and... You know, he needs to get up and
0:11:13 > 0:11:15suckling within six hours.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Now Graham has been called back to the farm.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21Mum and calf have still not bonded.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25But more worrying, the calf can't get up on his feet.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28The farmer thinks there's a problem with his tendons,
0:11:28 > 0:11:30that they're too tight in the back of his legs,
0:11:30 > 0:11:33and that's preventing him from stretching his legs out properly
0:11:33 > 0:11:35and getting onto his feet.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39We sometimes find that a very big calf perhaps doesn't have a lot
0:11:39 > 0:11:41of room to move about inside the cow,
0:11:41 > 0:11:45so, you know, tendons don't develop very well
0:11:45 > 0:11:49and they don't have the flexibility that they should.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54Farmer Geoffrey's son, Peter, is meeting Graham today.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Right, I see he's just trying to get up there, isn't it?
0:11:58 > 0:12:00But he's not making it.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03- Better on his back legs, then, than his front.- Yeah, his back legs
0:12:03 > 0:12:06- are better now.- Well, maybe get him down on his side.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Let's try and get his legs under him.
0:12:10 > 0:12:11That's it.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21The tendon starts there, goes down the back of the knee
0:12:21 > 0:12:23and all the way down over this joint here.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26So if it is slightly tight,
0:12:26 > 0:12:30the whole...the whole lot starts to bend.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32What we want to do is try and get this straighter,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35which is going to involve lengthening the tendon.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38But it's going to have to do that itself, we...
0:12:38 > 0:12:42There's no surgical means of lengthening a tendon.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46We will be able to apply a splint to the front of this
0:12:46 > 0:12:49and get it strapped down so that at least
0:12:49 > 0:12:51he should be able to stand up and bear weight
0:12:51 > 0:12:53on the bottom of this foot.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58The action of him putting his foot down on the ground there
0:12:58 > 0:13:02will help at least the bottom half of the tendon get to work.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05They struggle to get their bodies up to begin with.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Once he's got these on, you're going to need to straighten them yourselves
0:13:11 > 0:13:13- like this, and hold him.- Yeah.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16And, you know, get him to start bearing some weight himself.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19At the moment, he's starting to get used to the idea
0:13:19 > 0:13:21- that he can't stand on his legs. - Yeah.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25These temporary splints and bandages will be changed regularly,
0:13:25 > 0:13:29but that's only the beginning of Peter and Geoffrey's work.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32- So, physio.- Yeah.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35At least a twice a day, but the more you can, the better.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37I'd like to see some improvement
0:13:37 > 0:13:39really in the first three or four days.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Tendon and joint problems in such a big calf,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46inevitably lead to complications, making it difficult for them
0:13:46 > 0:13:48to ever stand up.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53It's a shame, isn't it? Cos he's such a good, big calf.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57His chances of survival are slim.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08The Kingdom of Fife in Scotland.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Home to Inglis Veterinary Hospital.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18Every day the vets here can see over 100 small animals,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20of all shapes and sizes.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26Senior Vet Adam never quite knows what to expect.
0:14:29 > 0:14:35We could go from canaries, parrots, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice,
0:14:35 > 0:14:37cats, dogs...
0:14:37 > 0:14:39And I can pretty much guarantee you,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42no day has ever been the same.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47Adam's latest patient is a much-loved local celebrity.
0:14:47 > 0:14:48- How are you doing?- Hi.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51- His name's Clive. - Clive, Clive the peacock.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Clive the peacock.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Clive is one of only two remaining peacocks
0:14:56 > 0:14:58still living in the town's park.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01The peacocks are really important to Dunfermline.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03And at the height, there was about 20 or so.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06They are very much a part of the fauna and flora
0:15:06 > 0:15:08and the whole personality of this area.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Big pressure, because there's only two peacocks left now
0:15:11 > 0:15:15and they need to... You know, if there's not a peacock in the park,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18it feels like the ravens have left the Tower of London
0:15:18 > 0:15:20and the whole of the city walls are going to fall.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25The park attendants are worried because Clive's been limping.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27He's just got an infection in his leg, we think.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29We think, don't we?
0:15:29 > 0:15:30Hello.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34- How are we getting on?- Well, his leg,
0:15:34 > 0:15:36he's not been able to put it down now,
0:15:36 > 0:15:39so we think it could be another infection.
0:15:44 > 0:15:45Come on, boy.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47All right. OK, thanks for the present.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50- He's stressed.- He is stressed.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53- And which one is it that he's holding up? The left one?- Yep.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57It's definitely something which is quite swollen.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59He did get chased by a dog.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01- So I don't know if he's landed awkward.- Yeah.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04The key thing is
0:16:04 > 0:16:09to get him in. And what we'll do is we'll give him a puff of anaesthetic.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Just have a much better feel on that leg.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Take an X-ray of it and we can go from there.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18But first, Nurse Debbie needs to catch him.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21- Well caught, Debbie.- Watch his...
0:16:21 > 0:16:24- You have the dangerous part. - Well caught, well caught.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28To get a closer look, Adam anaesthetises him.
0:16:29 > 0:16:30All right, young man.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33I know, I know, I know, I know, I know... OK.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39They've got a very high metabolism,
0:16:39 > 0:16:42so therefore, they do tend to go to sleep quite quickly.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44They also wake up really quickly as well.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47And he's just starting to relax.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50He's such a beautiful looking beast. Aren't you, eh?
0:16:50 > 0:16:53This is the good leg, or the good foot.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56There's good movement there. Here is the leg which is slightly swollen.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58That swelling is really hard.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01So that's just something that has not just happened overnight.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04OK. Right, let's get some X-rays.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07I think, we do that one first
0:17:07 > 0:17:09and then can you do the other one for me as well?
0:17:20 > 0:17:25Adam's beginning to suspect Clive may have a more serious problem
0:17:25 > 0:17:26than an infection.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31If this is arthritis, which it's looking like, in a peacock,
0:17:31 > 0:17:35how we can treat that long term. Because, obviously,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38an infection is something which we can address,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40we can treat with antibiotics and it goes away.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43But if it's arthritis, there are a lot of changes there
0:17:43 > 0:17:45which aren't going to go away overnight.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47- Here he comes.- We're waking up.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50- Go, go, go, go, go, go! - Watch your face.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Clive's not used to confined spaces,
0:17:52 > 0:17:56so Nurse Debbie will sit with him while he comes round.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59- You all right, Debbie?- Yeah.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01I'll see you in about half an hour.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06He's like a little hot water bottle.
0:18:06 > 0:18:07He's really hot.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15This is Clive's X-rays from today.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18And this is the right leg.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21And we can see a nice, clean joint here.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Nice, clean bones, no furriness.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27If we go look at the left leg, you'll see that there's
0:18:27 > 0:18:29real jagged edges to it,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32and that means when... It's really grating,
0:18:32 > 0:18:36as the joint goes over each other. So every time Clive moves his toe,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39it's going... Uf, ow! And it's really sore for him.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43That suggests a really chronic inflammatory issue,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45which has caused arthritis.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49So, painkillers today, painkillers for the next couple of weeks,
0:18:49 > 0:18:53and then we'll re-X-ray it and reassess then.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57Arthritis is not great news, but managed with painkillers
0:18:57 > 0:19:00Clive could be back roaming in the park soon.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09120 miles south in Barnard Castle,
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Vickie has returned to the practice with her rescue dog Alfie.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18He's had seriously infected ears for two years.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21Some very, very red, sore tissue in there.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25Three weeks ago, vet Ian gave them a good clean up.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27Oh, dear, flower, your ears are bad.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Now it's time for Alfie to have a major operation.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34It's an anxious day for Vicky.
0:19:34 > 0:19:35Bit scared.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39When Ian said what he would have to do, like...
0:19:40 > 0:19:43He's going to have to take the ear canal away. That was a bit scary
0:19:43 > 0:19:45because I was thinking the worst.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48We are taking away the external ear canal.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50It's quite fiddly in so much as we are getting deeper and deeper
0:19:50 > 0:19:53in towards the dog's skull, and then we're actually at Alfie's...at
0:19:53 > 0:19:55the level of his skull as well.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58I just need to take a little bit of the bone away from his middle ear
0:19:58 > 0:20:01so that I can actually get in and clean the middle ear out.
0:20:01 > 0:20:02It sounds extreme,
0:20:02 > 0:20:06but it's the only way to stop Alfie's horrible pain.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08I'm going to be keeping him overnight, told you that.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11All right? Don't worry. So he's got his little blanket.
0:20:11 > 0:20:12All right.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14I'm going to carry him because
0:20:14 > 0:20:17it's actually quicker and easier.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21- All right, I'll speak to you later. - All right, thank you.- OK, bye.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28This is Alfie's anaesthetic.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30It goes through a tube and into his vein on his leg, hopefully,
0:20:30 > 0:20:32and we do it nice and slowly.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42Alfie's hearing will be drastically reduced, but as dogs hear
0:20:42 > 0:20:47up to ten times better than humans, he'll still pick up some sounds.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51However, the operation is far from routine.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54It's quite complicated. It's quite fiddly.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57We are taking away the external ear canal
0:20:57 > 0:21:00and there are some major structures...there's a major nerve
0:21:00 > 0:21:03that comes out from behind the skull, behind the ear
0:21:03 > 0:21:04and runs round the ear canal
0:21:04 > 0:21:07and is very close to where I'm cutting.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09And I definitely don't want to cut that.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15One slip could result in facial paralysis or a stroke.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21I'm just slowly clearing my way down to the cartilage
0:21:21 > 0:21:24of the vertical ear canal.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31There's a lot of important structures in the side of your skull.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37There's his...a salivary gland,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40that is on the outside of a dog's face.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42I don't really want to go cutting through it,
0:21:42 > 0:21:44I'd rather push it to one side.
0:21:47 > 0:21:5230 minutes into the surgery, Ian reaches the ear canal.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56I'm actually down to where I need to be.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58Now I'm down to the canal.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00And he removes it.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03And it's very thick and very diseased.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Push me glasses up, I'm sweating.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09All that remains now is for Ian to stitch up the wound.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14Close the skin and that's it.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20It went very well, there were no unexpected issues.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24I'm just the worst person under the sun. I'm sorry, mate.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32It's been a huge ordeal for this little dog,
0:22:32 > 0:22:36but at least his left ear should no longer get infected.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40A couple of hours later, Vicki pays a visit.
0:22:40 > 0:22:41Very anxious.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43It's been horrible.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46Really horrible. But Ian said everything went all right.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Come on, your mum's here, flower.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51Up you come, steady away. Steady away. Good lad.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Up we go.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56Oh, that's it.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Sorry, just have a noisy dog in there.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01There you go.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06- OK?- He's looking a lot better than what I was expecting.
0:23:06 > 0:23:07Seems quite happy.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12I was expecting him to come out crying.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Going to have five minutes and then I'll let him go back,
0:23:16 > 0:23:18cos he'll be needing his tea soon.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22It's been the right decision to do. Definitely.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26Alfie needs to be monitored overnight,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29so for now, Vicky must leave him behind.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42But not every animal makes such a good recovery.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Three weeks ago,
0:23:49 > 0:23:53vet Graham helped deliver a large calf by Caesarean section.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55He needs to get up and suckling within six hours
0:23:55 > 0:23:57so he gets that first milk.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00A few days later, the calf wasn't suckling from its mum
0:24:00 > 0:24:02because it couldn't stand.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06At the moment, he's starting to get used to the idea
0:24:06 > 0:24:07that he can't stand on his legs.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11Geoffrey and his family have been doing everything possible
0:24:11 > 0:24:12to help the calf.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16But it's not recovering the way Graham had hoped.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20I'd like to see the calf being able to get up on his own
0:24:20 > 0:24:22and suckling from his mother,
0:24:22 > 0:24:25but maybe that's a little bit too much to ask yet.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Might be that there's nothing more we can particularly do to help him.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38The calf can't stand on his front left leg
0:24:38 > 0:24:40and his condition has got worse.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Chances of him recovering are quite slim,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46so... And it's a bit disappointing.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55And sadly, the calf deteriorated further.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57To stop his suffering, he was put down.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13But thankfully, another patient is recovering.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Alfie may need his other ear fixed, too,
0:25:19 > 0:25:24but for now, he is well on the mend and Vicki has come to take him home.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28He'll still have some hearing
0:25:28 > 0:25:31and should soon have a pain-free life.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Diminished hearing in a dog is almost certainly better than
0:25:35 > 0:25:37a human's hearing.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40They have got tremendously acute hearing.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43They have got a fantastic ear trumpet,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46which concentrates the sound and amplifies it.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Then it goes into this lovely amplification chamber.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51I'd say their hearing is just tremendous normally.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54While I've decreased that considerably,
0:25:54 > 0:25:56but it's probably still better than mine.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Hi.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02He's doing brilliantly. He's still doing brilliantly.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06So, um, you go home today, you just treat him basically as normal.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09- You've got more antibiotics. You've got a few left at home?- Yeah.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11OK, I'll see you in a bit.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16Missed him. It's been very quiet without him.
0:26:16 > 0:26:17You could tell he wasn't there.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Mind the doorway.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25"Hi, Mum. Hi, Mum, they've been nasty to me."
0:26:28 > 0:26:29Definitely got a better future.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32Definitely, you can just tell.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34He just looks more lively,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37even though he only had the operation yesterday.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39See you, Alfs.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53And in Fife, there's another patient hoping to go home.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Clive the peacock had a painful foot.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03It's definitely something which is quite swollen.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06An X-ray revealed Clive has arthritis...
0:27:06 > 0:27:08There's real jagged edges to it.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11..which Adam has been treating with painkillers.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16Two days later, park attendants Ian and Cliff
0:27:16 > 0:27:18want to take Clive back to the park.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21First, Adam needs to see
0:27:21 > 0:27:24how well Clive is responding to the treatment.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33- Sort of goose stepping a bit, isn't he?- Yeah, yeah.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Of course, he's been in the cage all night as well.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39And it looks like this peacock is ready to spread his wings.
0:27:40 > 0:27:41I'm really pleased with that.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Debbie!
0:27:46 > 0:27:48You are the chief peacock catcher.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52To keep on top of the arthritis,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Ian and cliff will continue to feed Clive his painkillers.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04Back at the park HQ, Clive's been missed.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09But it's not long before he's back strutting his stuff.