0:00:02 > 0:00:04We Brits love our animals -
0:00:04 > 0:00:08from livestock in the fields,
0:00:08 > 0:00:09to pooches in the park.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14It's the job of the nation's vets to keep them healthy...
0:00:17 > 0:00:20..whether consulting in the countryside...
0:00:20 > 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.
0:00:33 > 0:00:34Got him!
0:00:36 > 0:00:38..they're passionate about their patients.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Hello, puppy!
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Why I stroke them a lot is to try and reassure them.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53..on call when the animals need them most.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57If we leave it any longer, he almost certainly is going to not make it.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01They're the dedicated vets patching up pets
0:01:01 > 0:01:07and caring every day for More Creatures Great And Small.
0:01:17 > 0:01:22Coming up - in County Durham, Richard has some tricky customers...
0:01:22 > 0:01:24Now, no spitting!
0:01:27 > 0:01:30- ..Steve deals with a gundog emergency.- Oh, my dog.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Unfortunately, she's just got shot in the face.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37..and in Dunfermline, Jenni operates on some baffling bunnies.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41They can retract their testicles at any give time, so...patience!
0:01:47 > 0:01:51Teesdale, in County Durham, is home to 230 square miles
0:01:51 > 0:01:55of spectacular farmland, and a healthy livestock industry.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01Today, farm vet Richard, from Castle Vets, is heading to Gilmonby.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05The next job is to go and see Paul,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08who has a herd of Belted Galloway cows.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11These guys are the kind of teddy bears of the cow world.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15They're fluffy little cows, predominantly black,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18with a white belt or band round their tummies.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Farmer Paul has 170 acres of land...
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Comer on, girls. There's good girls...
0:02:26 > 0:02:27..and 90 cattle.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32You're in your normal place, Richard.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34I'll take up my position.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37This hardy hill breed produce high quality beef.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42If you really want to enjoy a steak or a roast,
0:02:42 > 0:02:44- and you want real quality beef. - Can't beat it.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48Three to three-and-a-half-year old beef, reared only on grass,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50which means the meat is very mature.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54It's dark in colour, it's got marbling, and it's very tasty.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56It shows in the eating, you know.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00So tasty, Paul sends his beef to Rules, one of London's
0:03:00 > 0:03:04oldest restaurants, known for serving British food.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06They seem to have quite a following.
0:03:06 > 0:03:07They let their gourmet eaters know
0:03:07 > 0:03:09when the Belted Galloway is coming in.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15You go back there... Come on, girls.
0:03:15 > 0:03:16- MAN:- Are you ready? - Yes.- Yes.
0:03:20 > 0:03:21Good girl.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26First, Richard is pregnancy testing two older ladies.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Come on, girl, have some hay, there's a good girl.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Most breeds are fertile for around nine years,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33but Belted Galloways can last double that.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37You see, this one is just over 20 years old,
0:03:37 > 0:03:41which is very old, really, to still be breeding, hopefully - well, we'll see.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43And Paul's wondering if they've reached the end
0:03:43 > 0:03:45of their breeding life.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47She's probably had about 17 calves.
0:03:47 > 0:03:48Quite...
0:03:48 > 0:03:51She doesn't owe me anything, this cow!
0:03:52 > 0:03:58- And she's run with the bull all summer?- Yes, until an hour ago.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01I'm basically feeling for fluid in the womb,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03which tells me if she's in calf or not.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09- She's too early to tell. - There's a good girl.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14She doesn't look particularly old, does she?
0:04:14 > 0:04:16No, they have a very relaxed life, I think,
0:04:16 > 0:04:18which probably pays off in the long run.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20It's a retirement home for cows!
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Next, another old girl.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30- So, she is almost as old as the other lass?- Slightly older.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35- 21 this one.- 21, good heavens! There's a good girl.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40All right. Good girl.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Now, she's like that other girl.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46- Again, she's not in calf, she's early on.- Right, OK.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49- That one done.- Come on, girl.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52But with still no sign of any calves,
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Richard decides to test a younger cow, to see
0:04:56 > 0:04:58if Paul's bull is firing blanks.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00- So, she is just a youngster.- Yep.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06So, tell me about the old bull.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Seven to eight years old, home-bred, been brilliant up until now.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15She's in calf, and she's seven weeks in calf.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19Is that a Saturday or Sunday she'll be born, Richard?!
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Ah, now you're testing me!
0:05:22 > 0:05:24- So, the bull's all right?- Yep.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26He's definitely doing his job!
0:05:26 > 0:05:29But Paul's not giving up on his old girls yet.
0:05:29 > 0:05:30I wanted to check
0:05:30 > 0:05:33whether they're coming to the end of their breeding life or not.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36It looks as though they could be. I'll try them a little longer with the bull.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38And then we can check them later on.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Back at base in Barnard Castle,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58working dogs are regular customers.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00You're not going to bite, are you?
0:06:01 > 0:06:07Small animal vet Steve has a steady stream of canine consultations.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11We've got a strong population of working dogs, right from the tiny ones,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13up to the big ones.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Collies, obviously, but Labs, quite a lot of terriers, as well.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20And Barnard Castle's very own Dr Dolittle loves to talk to them.
0:06:22 > 0:06:23Hello, puppy!
0:06:24 > 0:06:28A lot of the way I approach animals, and why I talk to them and why
0:06:28 > 0:06:32I stroke them a lot in a certain way, is to try and reassure them.
0:06:34 > 0:06:35Hiya, hiya!
0:06:35 > 0:06:37'I hope that's why my clients'
0:06:37 > 0:06:41can relate to me and are happy with me treating their animals.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43A little pinch of skin...
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Oh, Bruiser, what's the matter?
0:06:47 > 0:06:51Good morning, Emma speaking, how can I help?
0:06:51 > 0:06:53An emergency call has just come in.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58We've just had a phone call from someone who's up on the moors
0:06:58 > 0:07:02shooting and their dog has been shot accidently.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06The worrying thing is they say she has been shot in the eye.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Steve, Maud's here.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17The month of August sees the start of the grouse shooting season.
0:07:17 > 0:07:18There, there, there!
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Grouse fly low and change direction in the blink of an eye,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27which makes shooting them difficult and potentially dangerous.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34Owner Patrick has rushed his three-year-old Labrador, Maud,
0:07:34 > 0:07:35straight to the practice.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40Right, oh, my dog, tell me what happened, then.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44Well, my wife was holding her, and, as I understand it,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47unfortunately she slipped her lead,
0:07:47 > 0:07:53and ran out and got shot by someone, I don't know whom.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Unfortunately, it's in the face. Nobody's fault.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Poor Maud has been accidently hit by a shotgun blast containing
0:08:00 > 0:08:02lots of tiny pellets.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Come on, Maud, baby...
0:08:06 > 0:08:09I think what we need to try and ascertain...
0:08:09 > 0:08:12- is where have they gone. - There's a pellet there.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16Yeah, we've got one there, another little hole there.
0:08:17 > 0:08:22- OK, so it's both eyes.- Both eyes, I'm afraid. That is desperate.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24It's sore.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27There's no eye there, really, is there?
0:08:27 > 0:08:30No, the eye is there, it's down there behind the third eyelid.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34But because it's so sore, the muscle round the back of the globe
0:08:34 > 0:08:38is actually retracting it down, pulling it back into the socket.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40So both the eyeballs are there.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43I just don't know where the pellets have gone,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47and if they've gone right through.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Just wants reassurance from her dad, doesn't she?
0:08:52 > 0:08:53She's such a loving dog.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57- Maud?- Good girl.- Hello, my poppet.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Hello. Good girl. I know.
0:09:00 > 0:09:05She's just a very, very... nicely natured dog, aren't you?
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Maud's eyes aren't Steve's only worry.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15More pellet wounds could be hidden under her fur.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18I think what we need to do is get a head and neck X-ray,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21and that will tell us where they are, and then
0:09:21 > 0:09:22we'll take it from there.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26- Right, well, we'll keep our fingers crossed.- That's right, be positive.
0:09:26 > 0:09:31- All right, my baby.- Thanks very much. - OK, no problem at all. Bye now.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34Come on, my baby, that's it, good girl.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Patrick's wife, Liz, was with Maud on the moors
0:09:37 > 0:09:39when the accident happened.
0:09:39 > 0:09:44She was behaving very well until a grouse came over
0:09:44 > 0:09:47the top, which was shot, and that's when she slipped the lead.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49And...
0:09:49 > 0:09:50It all happened so quickly.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Another one there.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57She turned round to come back because I called her, so she
0:09:57 > 0:10:02was sort of face on to the guns, and that's when she got these pellets.
0:10:02 > 0:10:07Looks like she's got one right on the end of her nose, as well.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08Tiny little hole.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12I felt awful, I thought she's going to be blinded for life,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15because she had blood coming out of her eyes.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19It was basically my fault, really, I should have had better control.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22I just wasn't tough enough, you know,
0:10:22 > 0:10:23and I'll have to live with that.
0:10:26 > 0:10:31And all I can do is do the best we can for Maud.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37She's such a loyal dog, really...very, very special.
0:10:38 > 0:10:43Maud is sedated and X-rayed to find out where the shotgun pellets are.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46My worry would be finding a pellet in an eyeball,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50which I'd be surprised, given that the eyeball's intact.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Or possibly down the side of an eyeball,
0:10:52 > 0:10:55that would be a bit more of a challenge as well.
0:10:55 > 0:10:56X-rays!
0:10:58 > 0:11:02The X-ray is developed here, and, unfortunately, I am seeing shot.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05There's one right next to her jaw there, on her muzzle.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09These ones here, and three in the neck area, here.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12They're all superficial.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14But, actually, that's the eye that's got all the damage.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17You can see there's a pellet.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20So, that's the one that concerns me,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24that's probably the one that's caused the bleeding in the eye.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27The injuries aren't life-threatening but
0:11:27 > 0:11:29they could cause Maud to go blind.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Come on, sleepy girl.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Steve will need a closer look to find out how likely that will be.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55On the moors above Barnard Castle, farm vet Richard has been
0:11:55 > 0:11:59pregnancy testing farmer Paul's Belted Galloway cows.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03- She's not in calf unless she's early on.- There's a good girl.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09Next, Richard is castrating two six-month-old bulls
0:12:09 > 0:12:11that will be raised as beef cattle.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Only a proportion of bull calves get kept for breeding.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16The others will be castrated
0:12:16 > 0:12:21so that they're no longer a potential risk from the point of view of getting things in calf.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24I'm doing what's called an open castration,
0:12:24 > 0:12:29an incision into the bottom of the scrotum and removing each testicle
0:12:29 > 0:12:30in turn.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35I'm just giving a little bit of local anaesthetic,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37just so he doesn't feel anything.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Just pull him that way a little bit, that's it.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46That's a testicle, so I'm detaching that, twisting the cord...
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Good lad, and then...
0:12:50 > 0:12:51COW BELLOWS
0:12:51 > 0:12:52I know, I'm sorry.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56To stop the wounds getting infected, Richard uses an antibiotic spray.
0:12:59 > 0:13:00Good job. Well done.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04You normally find they're probably a little bit sore tomorrow,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07but after that you wouldn't think anything had happened. Amazing.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12This is the last one. Oh, here he comes! At a high rate of knots.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14Well done.
0:13:14 > 0:13:15COW BELLOWS
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Good lad, all right.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24Whoa, my lad. Eh? Yeah...
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Steady, my lad. Steady, now, steady.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34That's him, all done.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38His testicles are numb. What he doesn't like is being in the crush.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41- Just let him out, that's it. - Come on, boy.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44It's the first time they've been handled, really, you see.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Been with their mothers, all quiet, and suddenly they come here and get
0:13:47 > 0:13:50in a crush and it's just the stress of being tightened up, I think.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54He's got another...at least three years life in front of him.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Quiet in the hills around here.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00And then, after three years, down to London.
0:14:00 > 0:14:01He'll have had a good life.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05- Good job, Paul. Yes, went all right, didn't it?- We'll watch those two.
0:14:05 > 0:14:12Keep an eye on them. If they're going to have a problem, it will be within a week or so.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14They're normally absolutely fine.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27It's not just farm animals that need neutering.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32At the Small Animal Hospital in Dunfermline,
0:14:32 > 0:14:36Austin and Victoria have brought in their two male rabbits.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39The six-month-old bucks have been fighting,
0:14:39 > 0:14:43so vet Jenni is planning some anger management.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45As they get older, quite often they start to become
0:14:45 > 0:14:47a bit territorial and aggressive.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50So, to try an stop them attacking each other,
0:14:50 > 0:14:52we're going to castrate them.
0:14:52 > 0:14:58This one is my one, and his name is Hugo. And that one, he's Alfie.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02A couple of timely snips will stop these rabbits
0:15:02 > 0:15:05breeding...well, like rabbits, should the chance arise.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10- Alfie's up first. - Quite cute, aren't you?
0:15:10 > 0:15:12Hello! Are you coming up to say hello?
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Hello, nosey, hello.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Right, I need your bottom again
0:15:16 > 0:15:18because I'm going to give you a wee jab.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Unlike the bulls, rabbits have a trick up their sleeve.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29Rabbits have a unique ability, even under anaesthetic,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32that they can retract their testicles at any given time.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35So, you might think, "Oh, look, there's the testicle,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39"I'll just put a clamp on that," and then it goes pop and it disappears.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42So...patience!
0:15:44 > 0:15:48I'm just incising over the scrotal skin.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53And this is the testicle here, and it goes all the way down to here.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59He's being very good, he's not shown us his party trick.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03So, I'm just going to tie off the testicle,
0:16:03 > 0:16:06making sure that we've tied off all the blood vessels.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10Two quick snips, and they're gone.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18With Alfie all sewn up, next it's Hugo.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22We are just doing exactly the same.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33There we go - perfect.
0:16:33 > 0:16:38A dab of vet superglue, and Hugo's all finished.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42So they are going home just a little bit lighter than when they came in!
0:16:43 > 0:16:45And hopefully a little calmer too.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59In Teesdale, at the rural practice,
0:16:59 > 0:17:01Maud the gundog was rushed in
0:17:01 > 0:17:04when accidently shot in the face.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07That is desperate. Oh, Lord.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11X-rays revealed Maud was peppered with shotgun pellets that
0:17:11 > 0:17:13could cause blindness.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15That's the eye that's got all the damage.
0:17:15 > 0:17:20I felt awful, because she had blood coming out of her eyes and I'll have to live with that.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Now, vet Steve needs to examine Maud's eyes closely,
0:17:25 > 0:17:28to assess the damage.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30You can see there there is a little bit of blood
0:17:30 > 0:17:31in the front chamber of this eye
0:17:31 > 0:17:35but right on the outside the actual pupil itself is fine.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38We know there's two pellets on that side,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41really superficially placed under the skin here.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44There'll be one of them there, the other one has gone in...
0:17:44 > 0:17:49Literally, just another five mils inwards
0:17:49 > 0:17:50and it would have hit her eye.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53At least 50% of her vision is all right.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55That's a really lucky escape.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59Maud's left eye is intact, but the right eye is worrying him.
0:17:59 > 0:18:00Hello.
0:18:02 > 0:18:0520 minutes into the examination, Maud wakes up,
0:18:05 > 0:18:06allowing Steve a better look.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Now she is fully awake and obviously
0:18:08 > 0:18:10less uncomfortable...
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Bingo.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20We've got a little wound, right on the inside, just there.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25So it has actually punctured the eye, through the cornea, down the side,
0:18:25 > 0:18:29and hopefully travelled away from the main structures
0:18:29 > 0:18:30at the back of the eye.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34We'll only know for sure once that blood clot has gone
0:18:34 > 0:18:37and we can test if the eye is responsive to light.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42Poor Maud still has eight shotgun pellets embedded in her,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44but Steve has decided not to operate.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51They actually cause quite a lot of trauma trying to
0:18:51 > 0:18:53dig them out. We tend to leave them be.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Occasionally the body will actually just spit them out.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57I'm happy to send her home.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59It's going to be a case of recuperation,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02just a little bit of rest and the right medication.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14Maud's been at the vets for five hours.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18Her owners, Liz and Patrick, are desperate to find out how she is.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22We are both very concerned indeed. We just absolutely adore her.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Maudy, Maud.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27She is just a perfect Labrador.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Hello, my puppy.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35She's a very important part of my life. Hope it's good news.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40She's remarkably alert. A lot of bruising coming out.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44The whites of her eyes are now pretty much red or purple.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46You'll get better, won't you?
0:19:46 > 0:19:47She's proper soft!
0:19:50 > 0:19:51Come on, then.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Come on, baby, come on.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01- That's it, good girl.- Hello!
0:20:01 > 0:20:03- Now we're happy.- Hello!
0:20:09 > 0:20:11That's it. Are we coming back for more cuddles?
0:20:11 > 0:20:14- She's very, very cuddly. - She is, isn't she?
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Luckily, Maud's wounds are mainly superficial
0:20:17 > 0:20:20but she could still lose the eyesight in her right eye.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Pellets in a small wound like that,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25going through the back of the retina, that can heal.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28But the inflammation of the inside of the eye is what will cause
0:20:28 > 0:20:32the damage. That is the biggest risk to her sight.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36This next 24 to 48 hours is really the critical bit
0:20:36 > 0:20:40in trying to prevent her actually losing her sight in that eye.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43- Thank you, Steve, very much indeed. - We're really very grateful.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Excellent, safe journey. Bye now.
0:20:46 > 0:20:47Thank you, bye now.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53We're on the right track and we've got two eyes to work with.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57I don't like to make too many predictions this early on.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59But I'll know more a few days down the line
0:20:59 > 0:21:01and see what the body's actually managed to achieve.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05Got everything crossed for her, because she's a wonderful dog
0:21:05 > 0:21:08and it'd be nice to see back seeing 20-20 vision and doing what
0:21:08 > 0:21:10she loves doing.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29Farm vet Richard is heading east towards Headlam, to see
0:21:29 > 0:21:31another rare breed.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34We are going to see Carole, who's fairly recently started
0:21:34 > 0:21:37keeping alpacas.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40She's got some baby alpacas to microchip.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42It's an identification thing.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44If an alpaca were to go missing,
0:21:44 > 0:21:48you'll be able to tell instantly who it belongs to.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52These animals come from the Andes mountain range in South America.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Alpacas are members of the camel family
0:21:55 > 0:21:57and are bred for their luxurious fleeces.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01There are over 33,000 of them kept in the UK.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07New breeder Carole got her first alpacas a year ago
0:22:07 > 0:22:09and now has a small herd of 13.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Eventually I'll be selling
0:22:12 > 0:22:14alpacas and I'll be showing alpacas.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16I find them just a pleasure.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20Real characters. I can spend hours in the field, just watching them.
0:22:21 > 0:22:26Oh, stop it, you, don't even think about it, you're just being greedy.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34- Hi, Carole.- Hi, Richard, nice to see you again.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39It's nice to have something a little bit different to work with.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42That's it. First catch your alpaca.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47These animals may look cute but they do have one antisocial habit.
0:22:47 > 0:22:48I haven't got anything to eat.
0:22:48 > 0:22:49ALPACA SPITS
0:22:53 > 0:22:56They actually only spit if they're asserting themselves
0:22:56 > 0:22:58or they're distressed or something.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01Or they sense somebody who's innately untrustworthy!
0:23:02 > 0:23:06So, the three littlest ones are to do, is that right?
0:23:06 > 0:23:09The alpacas are microchipped in case they go missing,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11and to prove their provenance.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14- Who shall we do first?- You choose, little Indigo, if you like.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19What I am going to do is put a microchip, which is a little bit bigger than a grain of rice,
0:23:19 > 0:23:20under the skin.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23I'm just going to put it there.
0:23:25 > 0:23:26Ooh, my love.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Good girl. Oh, I know.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36Hang on, don't let her go just yet.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40We'd better check that it's where it should be.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42- There we are.- Good lass.
0:23:42 > 0:23:43BEEPING
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Yeah, there we go. It's a microchip scanner
0:23:45 > 0:23:49and it's picking up the unique code that's in the microchip.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Because alpacas are so fluffy,
0:23:51 > 0:23:53you can put the microchip in the fluff.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55I'm just checking whether I can feel it.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Good, I'm happy. That's great, as easy as that.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02Next is Butterscotch.
0:24:04 > 0:24:05Good girl...
0:24:05 > 0:24:07BEEPING
0:24:07 > 0:24:08Yep, that feels fine.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10- OK?- Yep, that's good.
0:24:10 > 0:24:11And then Unidorn.
0:24:14 > 0:24:15I feel it for them, Richard.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Just double-check it is where it should be.
0:24:19 > 0:24:20I know, I know.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24That's fine. Good, easy as that.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29The baby alpacas are successfully microchipped
0:24:29 > 0:24:31and Richard is spit free!
0:24:31 > 0:24:33- There we go.- OK, girls.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37It's a quick job. It's basically about making sure that they're well restrained
0:24:37 > 0:24:40and making sure that the microchip has actually gone under the skin
0:24:40 > 0:24:42rather than into the fluff.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43It went absolutely fine.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Come on, then, come on, girls.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Three days ago on the moors,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04gundog Maud was accidently shot.
0:25:04 > 0:25:09- There's a pellet...- One there, another little hole there.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13Small animal vet Steve found shotgun pellet wounds in both eyes.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17Three in the neck area here, but, actually, that's the one that
0:25:17 > 0:25:19has caused the bleeding in the eye.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Luckily, the vision in Maud's left eye was intact.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25That's a really lucky escape.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28But she couldn't see out of the right one.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30It's punctured the eye through the cornea.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32That is biggest risk to her sight.
0:25:34 > 0:25:35Come on, Maudy.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Three days since the accident, Maud is back
0:25:39 > 0:25:42with her owners for a vital check-up.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Come on through.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48Maud, Maudy, hey, this way, baby! Hello, my poppet.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52There's not a lot of discharge from that eye, I'm pleased to say.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54The wound on her muzzle has already healed up.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58Right, we'll get the ophthalmoscope. We'll have a look and see.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02I'm amazed how much of the blood in the chamber has actually
0:26:02 > 0:26:04dissipated already.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08The hole in the actual cornea looks to have sealed off nicely.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11I can't see into the back of the eye yet.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13That clot is still obscuring that bit.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17But that's brilliant, I'm really pleased.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Once that dissipates away further,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22we'll be able to get a better look into the eyeball and look at
0:26:22 > 0:26:23the retina at the back of the eye
0:26:23 > 0:26:26and see what damage has actually been caused.
0:26:27 > 0:26:32Are you quite optimistic that she might not have lost the sight?
0:26:32 > 0:26:34It's so difficult to know, really.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38What we don't know is what trauma did that pellet cause as it went through?
0:26:38 > 0:26:42The first, what, three days, have been really positive.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45- So, I'm really pleased. - Less than 72 hours.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48And look at this, tail going, wouldn't know anything had happened.
0:26:48 > 0:26:49I'm very pleased.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Keep up the good work, all right?
0:26:51 > 0:26:53- Excellent.- I can't thank you enough.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55You're very welcome, and keep up the good work.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57You're doing very well. Bye now.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09Maud's recovery goes from strength to strength.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14Eight weeks later, she's outdoors, gundog training.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18Nobody really knows whether she can see out of her right eye
0:27:18 > 0:27:21and, apparently, you know, it could be six months.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24She is managing perfectly all right.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26Now sit and stay.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Maud is doing so well, she's even been on a shoot.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Get on.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34We were worried since she had this accident that she would be
0:27:34 > 0:27:36afraid of the guns and things.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Good girl.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40And, I mean, she couldn't have cared less.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42Stay!
0:27:44 > 0:27:47You know, she's enthusiastic to go out
0:27:47 > 0:27:49and do what she's been trained to do.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Thank goodness, she's bright and healthy
0:27:55 > 0:27:59and still able to enjoy life. That's wonderful.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00Good girl.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Sit. Tail wagging. Yes, you're very happy,
0:28:05 > 0:28:07aren't you, dog?
0:28:07 > 0:28:09No, I haven't any more biscuits, no.