Episode 3 More Creatures Great and Small

We Brits love our animals...

..from livestock in the fields to pooches in the park.

It's the job of the nation's fits to keep them healthy.

Whether consulting in the countryside...

There is something very nice about being next to a nice cow.

..or horsing around in the stables...

I spend all my job outwitting animals.

Got him!

..they're passionate about their patients.

Little miss...

I am now known as the mad chicken lady.

On call when the animals need them the most.

If we leave it any longer,

he almost certainly is going to not make it.

They're the dedicated vets, patching up pets

and caring, every day, for more creatures great and small.

Coming up...in Teesdale,

equine vet Kerry battles to save a very sick foal.

The first 24 hours is critical, and a lot don't make it.

Farm vet Richard makes do with an outdoor operating theatre.

It's now looking horribly like it's going to pour with rain.

And in Fife, small animal vet Adam has some unusual visitors.

She doesn't look well, does she?

She looks quite miserable, actually.

In the rolling farmland of County Durham

is the market town of Barnard Castle...

and Castle Vets.

Hi, Paul, how you doing? Nice to see you.

Good to see you again.

A busy country practice,

their outdoor office covers over 500 farms.

Doing my daily round,

I feel a little like I am on the set of James Herriot.

And looking after their 1,600 clients is the equine team,

who clock up hundreds of miles every week...

-Got a pony with a dodgy leg?

-Yeah.

Excellent, we're at the right spot.

..dealing with routine calls and emergencies.

Hello. Oh, dearie me.

Those needing intensive care are treated in the equine clinic.

There's no job too big or too small...

OK, back up into canter.

..for senior vet Sybil and the rest of the team.

Good girl.

Vet Kerry joined the practice two years ago.

Right, missy, we'll let you have a good sleep.

I'm pretty much there on where everything is.

Occasionally, I will get lost,

trying to find particular farms and things.

It's quite nice to be out and about, as well, unless it's raining.

It's physical work but emotional too.

Good lass!

You do certainly become attached,

and it does get to you a little bit sometimes.

You're ready for a glass of wine

and a bar of chocolate at the end of the day!

This morning, an emergency case has been rushed in.

Luna is a miniature donkey foal who collapsed in the early hours.

This way, please.

Severely dehydrated from diarrhoea,

she won't survive without immediate treatment.

10.6 kilos.

This patient is a first for Kerry.

I haven't worked with a miniature donkey foal before.

I think the great difference in this case is she's so young,

so she's very tiny.

Owner Janice found Luna in a bad way.

Usual morning - six o'clock start. Went out to the stables,

and the foal was laid on the concrete, which wasn't normal.

Her ears were back, and she was quite lethargic.

And I knew something was wrong.

Just days old, Luna can't be separated from her mum, Sophia.

I need to act really quite quickly

and get her stabilised. The first few hours can be really

critical in treating these poorly foals.

So what we do is take a blood sample

to have a look and see how dehydrated she is.

And we'll give her a painkiller, and also she has got a high temperature.

-That will also bring down her temperature.

-Right.

And we will give her antibiotics for the diarrhoea

and we'll also start her on fluids to rehydrate her,

because she is obviously quite weak and dehydrated at the moment.

OK?

She was just so bright yesterday morning.

-I can't believe the difference.

-Foals are absolutely like that.

-They are right as rain one minute and then on the floor the next.

-Yes.

Come on, sweetheart. Come on. Don't put your ears back.

We're going to get you better. Won't be long now.

Luna is Janice's first foal.

She was born two weeks ago last Saturday.

She was born in the evening at ten to ten.

Hence, that's her name. She was born under the moon.

So hence Luna is her name.

I am just like a mum with any young baby, really.

You think it's beautiful.

Kerry must get fluids into Luna's bloodstream

or she could die within hours.

The most crucial thing is to get a catheter into her vein.

She's got tiny, little veins, so it won't be easy.

Are you OK with her there or do you want to...?

No, I'm all right. I'm just... just get on with it.

-It's there. You're in.

-It's there. It's in.

Luna's blood tests have been rushed through. The results are worrying.

So the white blood cells are low.

That's often a sign that they are

-going somewhere for some sort of infection.

-Right.

-So I'll go and work out some fluid doses for her. OK?

-Yep, lovely.

Right.

We just have to cross our fingers and hope for the best,

but she's in a good place, and we've done all we can.

Kerry was due to finish her shift but, worried about Luna,

she's not going anywhere.

The plan through the night is to continue as we are with the fluids.

The vets will be checking her through the night,

so...a long night ahead of us.

The next 24 hours will be critical.

She's still very, very poorly. It's a big responsibility for me,

but I am going to do my absolute best to make her better.

It's a busy morning for the farm vets of the practice.

Senior vet Richard knows all about life in the country.

I was brought up on a dairy farm in Yorkshire.

I had worked for seven years in farming of various sorts.

I was 27 when I actually went to vet school.

All right, girl. Come on.

Becoming a vet gave me the chance of working

with both my mind and with my hands with animals,

which I knew I wanted to do, outside.

Today the sun's shining on Teesdale,

and Richard's on his way

to a mixed farm, owned by John and his family.

The Herberts have been clients of the practice for decades

and decades, so people that we know well.

This morning he's carrying out a vasectomy.

Once the male sheep is infertile, he'll be known as a teaser tup.

Strangely, he'll still help Farmer John to fill his 290 acres

with lambs, come spring.

Generally, we use the teasers to try and bring all sheep...

to synchronise them, basically...

to get the hormones going, I suppose,

and to get them in mood, should we say?

Then the teaser tups are swapped with fertile ones,

so John's 40 ewes get pregnant at the same time.

During lambing time, obviously, you live with sheep 24/7,

so the sooner you can get them all lambed

and moving on to the next stage, the better.

Sounds simple, but giving the tup the snip has its challenges.

Whenever we operate on any animal, whether it is a dog,

cat, horse or a lamb, obviously we are trying to do it

in as sterile and hygienic a way as we can.

We have to try and do the best we can with what we have,

and farms are not the cleanest places in the world.

It certainly is a challenge.

John has very cleverly manufactured an operating table

using his pallet forks and some buckets,

so we'll work round that as best we can.

Can we get just a couch of straw or something

just to save my aged knees?

Open-air operating room complete,

Richard checks his patient

is fit to go under the knife.

Can you just move this thing?

I'm just going to have a feel of his tackle.

That's perfect. Good. Lovely.

Transferred to the table...

You comfy? The big lever.

..and adjusted for Richard's knees...

he's anaesthetised.

Good boy. That should send him to beddy-byes. Fast asleep.

It's a straightforward op, but in a working farmyard,

it's not easy to keep the client and tools sterile.

It's all about working out what he needs

and making sure you have got it.

And not leaving too many things behind in the car boot,

because, obviously, once I have scrubbed my hands up

and I am wearing gloves, I want to stay sterile,

so I want to get everything ready before I start.

It is going to pour with rain next, isn't it?

This tup's slow in falling into a deep sleep.

Whoa...go to sleep.

It is just about going to be on my eye level,

so I don't want his foot in my face, ideally.

But as much as anything, he needs to sit very still,

because the vas deferens I'm going to take out

is a fairly small structure, and there's no way

in the world you could do it if you were jumping about.

Having been glorious sunshine when we started,

it is now looking horribly like it is going to pour with rain,

just to add to the challenge of operating outside.

The tup is almost ready for the snip, but with dark clouds

gathering, Richard's outdoor operating theatre is under threat.

It's an early start at the equine hospital, where vet Kerry

is fighting to keep little Luna alive.

It's been 24 hours since she was rushed in,

suffering from a life-threatening stomach infection.

We just have to cross our fingers and hope for the best.

It's a big responsibility for me,

but I'm going to do my absolute best to make her better.

Kerry nursed Luna late into the night.

Did you get any sleep?

Some. I went to bed about 12 o'clock.

Often with foals that are as poorly

as she was yesterday, the first 24 hours are critical,

and a lot don't make it,

so the fact that she is still here today

is absolutely brilliant news.

So fingers crossed that we're going in the right direction.

But Luna's not out of the woods yet.

A vital test will show

if she's getting enough fluids to survive the devastating infection.

I've got this much... That's enough.

We have been trying to catch a sample for the last 24 hours.

Testing the urine for its concentration

is a really good way of checking how well hydrated they are,

as well as just looking at the bloods.

The refractometer shows the concentration of Luna's urine.

If it's too concentrated, it means she's still dangerously dehydrated.

It's something called specific gravity that we look for.

So hers is...10.14. So that is brilliant.

We are definitely on the right track with that drip we have got our on.

Small signs of hope for owner Janice, who's had an anxious night.

They said they would text me about midnight,

so I couldn't rest at all until I had had the text

to say at least she was stable and that they were monitoring her,

so I couldn't think about anything else

than getting here this morning. I am pleased now that I am here.

So, all in all, you think it was like a human's tummy bug?

Yes, basically. She's picked up a bug from somewhere -

most likely the environment.

It is one of those things that, you know, they live outside,

and because she's so tiny, it takes hold really quickly,

especially when, you know, they get dehydrated very, very quickly.

Luna, like all young foals, is vulnerable to infection,

because, at the tender age of two weeks old,

she's already spending much of her time outdoors.

She lives on Janice's farm with her mum

and two other miniature donkeys.

Hello, sweetie.

We were all there for Luna's birth.

We were on foal patrol.

A few little pushes and she was out. She stood up.

She is certainly very close to my heart.

Just such a sweet little foal, running about the paddock.

Bought a couple of years ago,

her donkeys have quickly become pets.

I've only had them a very short amount of time.

I had no idea how attached I was going to become to them.

They are so endearing and so loving.

They are so genuinely pleased to see you.

They're like an equine version of a dog, really.

It's just 48 hours since she was brought in, and Luna is, at last,

showing some fighting spirit.

We're just putting in another catheter

to the other side of her neck,

so it is quite a fiddly job, partly because she is so little,

and also because now she's feeling

a bit better about herself, she's much jumpier

and more aware of what we're doing.

Just put a small stitch in there.

Did she head-butt you?

Luna putting up a fight for her second catheter to be placed

was great to see.

She is really bright and feisty, so hopefully this a turning point

for her in her stage of getting better.

Luna's little strops are all good signs.

Looks like Kerry may have pulled her through.

In Scotland...

on the banks of the Firth of Forth,

Inglis Veterinary Hospital is open for morning consults.

Inglis Vets, Dunfermline. Leanne speaking.

With over 100 patients a day,

everyone's kept on their toes.

Joanne, can you give us a hand to hold this?

Small animal vet Adam treats everything from peacocks...

to poodles.

We get a huge caseload coming through our door.

It makes our job really interesting and totally exhausting.

You have got no idea what the next client coming in is going to be.

It's like being on University Challenge every day.

And Adam's first challenge is just arriving with owner Sean.

This is Jojo. She's a jungle blazer leopard gecko

and she's 15 month old.

Toddler Jojo could live up to 20 years.

So we've got a gecko waiting outside with sore eyes,

which is quite scary, because we don't see many geckos.

-So who have we got today?

-Jojo.

So what is the problem with her?

She's been shedding her skin. It's got stuck over her eyes.

She's still got a little bit over one of her eyes.

Geckos shed their skin around 12 times a year,

which they turn into vitamin-enriched meals.

Oh, gosh - she's well-handled, isn't she?

Fantastic.

Right, I am going to shine a light.

Now, this might just frighten her a little bit.

It's really quite opaque.

And also it's slightly sore,

and you can see she is not able to shut her eyelids.

I think it's because there is still quite a lot of matter in her eye.

Pop in her box a second. She is certainly very lively, isn't she?

Let's pop her in.

That's it. Do you know what it is?

She has sat in your hand for the last minute or two,

and that's kind of warmed her up.

I am just going to put that over the top.

Did you try and remove those things at all?

Just the skin that was over her actual head.

Just dripping water onto her head.

The other thing you can do is to make the environment quite steamy.

You only need to do that for...

-until the skin disappears, really.

-Uh-huh.

Some antibiotic drops will clear up her eye infection,

but holding natural-born wriggler Jojo still may not be easy.

Now, this is the tricky bit.

You have got to be very careful.

You just peel it in like that.

And it sort of sits on the eye lids like that.

That is absolutely fine.

So I am just going to pop a wee drop... That is it. Brilliant.

-And that's gone on perfect.

-Excellent.

-OK.

-Thank you.

-No problem. Bye-bye.

-Bye.

With expert handling, Jojo's on the road to recovery.

As for Adam...next!

In Teesdale, farm vet Richard is in the middle of a delicate operation.

He's attempting a vasectomy on a tup, in the open air.

We have to try and do the best we can with what we have,

and farms are not the cleanest places in the world.

Having been glorious sunshine when we started,

it is now looking horribly like it is going to pour with rain.

He's pushing on with the op before the heavens open

and before the anaesthetic wears off.

There is a bit of our breeze in the operating theatre.

That doesn't help.

That little white shiny thing is the vas deferens,

so that is the bit that we need to remove.

I want to cut out a goodish chunk so that there is no chance

that it can join up again.

But the weather is ever threatening.

I'm hoping it will keep off for long enough that we can get

the job done.

That is the other end of the cord tied off.

That's the first drop of rain, by the feel of it.

I'm just going to pull all that together,

ideally without my drape blowing away.

And that, hopefully, is the last one.

Job done. The tup can now sleep it off.

There we go. Good. We'll just leave him.

That seemed to go all right.

He seemed quite happy with the operation.

No big problems or anything.

It is never quite as clean or as light as you would like,

and I guess, in an ideal world,

you wouldn't be operating on your knees,

but we just have to make do and do the best we can,

and, no, it worked fine.

And for once, the Great British weather has behaved.

At the equine hospital, vet Kerry is still nursing little Luna.

Luna came in with a devastating stomach infection.

The first 24 hours is critical.

Kerry had never treated a miniature donkey before.

It was a lot of responsibility on my shoulders.

But four days later, all the hard work has paid off.

Little Luna is better.

It's stethoscopes at dawn, though, as to who gets to hold her.

It's my turn. My turn.

Right. All set, miss?

We've taken Luna through to small animals to weigh her again.

We have had a little argument to see who was going to carry her,

because she is ever so sweet, and everyone wants a cuddle.

So we did half and half.

Her weight has remained stable, which is brilliant.

Now fully on the mend, she can go home.

Kerry has done a remarkable job.

And although she didn't tell me in so many words,

we both knew it was touch and go, really. And she did everything -

more than would be expected.

Tonight will be my first night of sleeping through the night

since Luna arrived, so...

we have been checking her through the night every day.

And sat with her all day as well.

Yes, it is pretty difficult not to get attached to her.

She is absolutely adorable.

Come on, sweetheart. This is Grandma.

Look at those little hooves.

Look at her little jump. Bless you.

It is brilliant that she is going home, and I'm really pleased

but also quite sad, because I am going to miss her.

I don't think I will ever forget Luna.

See you later!

Happy endings like this are probably the main reason

all of us wanted to become vets in the first place,

so it's great. I'm ready for a good sleep tonight, though.

In Dunfermline, vet Adam is still busy in the animal hospital.

Ah, that's my finger!

Up next is another test of his knowledge.

With Lee is Nina.

Tortoises are slow, but this one's not moving much at all.

Can I have Nina, please? After you.

-How old is Nina?

-Nina, I believe, is three.

And what seems to be the problem with Nina?

Over the past couple of weeks, she has been getting quieter than usual.

Where do you keep her?

In a sort of wooden enclosure which has got three parts to it.

-Is that indoors or outdoors?

-Indoors.

-It's all indoors.

-Yes.

The reason I am sort of asking a million questions

is because most tortoise issues come from the husbandry, you know.

So, in other words, if they're not getting enough daylight,

they might have a vitamin D deficiency,

which can cause bone problems.

It depends on their diet as well,

if they're getting enough calcium as well.

I would like to get an X-ray of her. We can look at the bone density.

Also, I'm going to start to hydrate her as well,

so what we do is we pop her in a tray with warm water.

Tortoise shells are made of bones fused together

with a layer of leathery skin.

Fortunately, X-rays can penetrate through,

revealing the bones underneath.

Great X-rays, by the way.

I'm trying to look at the bone density. They're very light

and thin as well.

That's a sign that there is less calcium in the bones,

and again a sign of vitamin D deficiency.

She's also looking a bit dehydrated.

So into a nice, warm bath -

not too deep, though.

Unlike their aquatic turtle cousins, tortoises can't swim.

She's enjoying her bath.

She's really enjoying that - she's all stretched out in there.

She's feeling a lot happier.

It's like a nice hot water bottle and a nice cup of Lemsip.

Right, let's go and get your dad, shall we?

She's really enjoying her bath.

-Is she?

-She's loving her bath.

Let's go down to what I think is causing

the problem at the moment, OK?

Well, certainly underlying it is calcium deficiency.

Have a good luck at the diet your giving her

and just make sure that you're giving her all the right things.

And secondly, the light. Vital.

Good lighting internally.

And there's no better thing for her than...

-Direct sunlight?

-Direct sunlight is fantastic.

Obviously, it is the fact that... the temperature thing.

You can't put her out for long periods of time.

But I think, with these things,

she should improve dramatically.

So it's more sunshine and regular warm baths for Nina.

Nice work, if you can get it!

And it's more sunshine for Kerry too,

who's checking up on her favourite patient.

Just two weeks ago, she was battling to save Luna's life.

Come on. Yeah.

-Hello.

-Hello.

Right, little lady - how are we doing?

-Absolutely fantastic.

-She looks super, doesn't she?

Her little neck is coming back, isn't it?

There you go. It's nice to see those ears forward, isn't it?

And where are you off to, little lady?

She's gone.

With the all-clear from Kerry,

Luna is set free back into the paddock with her mum.

Off she goes!

She looks fantastic. She's come out with a little skip and a jump.

She is just having a little nibble at the grass.

She looks absolutely brilliant. It is wonderful to see her.

Two weeks ago, neither of us thought this would be happening,

so super. You wouldn't know at all now, would you?

You wouldn't, no. It is just us.

We're traumatised - I've aged about ten years in a week.

So, er...

-I never remember feeling like this about my human children.

-Do you not?

No, no.