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 > 0:00:14It'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!
0:00:36 > 0:00:39They're passionate about their patients.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43I am now known as the Mad Chicken Lady.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53On call when the animals need them most.
0:00:53 > 0:00:58If we leave it any longer, he almost certainly is going to not make it.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00They're the dedicated vets,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03patching up pets and caring every day
0:01:03 > 0:01:08for More Creatures Great And Small.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Coming up: In County Durham, farm vet Richard
0:01:21 > 0:01:23has an emergency on his hands.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27There's no way that's going to come out of there, is there?
0:01:27 > 0:01:31In Fife, Megan discovers worrying symptoms in a pudgy patient.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34You wouldn't expect to see whatever that is in that position.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38And Adam finds that new mum Lilly has a surprise in store.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Definitely something nodular in there.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55It's a beautiful autumnal morning in the countryside of Teesdale
0:01:55 > 0:01:58and another busy day for the farm team at Castle Vets.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02- Hello, how are you doing? - All right, thanks.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07Senior farm vet Richard is heading out on his daily rounds.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09His morning is fully booked with general checkups.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14At this time of year, people think about bringing cattle inside
0:02:14 > 0:02:18and so they want to get the routine jobs out of the way
0:02:18 > 0:02:20before they come in.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23I mean, there's always that slight thought in the back of your mind,
0:02:23 > 0:02:28the phone might ring and you get pulled off to an emergency.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33This morning, we're going to go and visit Don.
0:02:33 > 0:02:34I've known Don ever since I've come here.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37So for 20 years, I've been coming to his farm
0:02:37 > 0:02:39and it's a privileged position to be in.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43You see a lot of a few clients and you get to know them very well.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46Over that time, they become friends.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50Don values his friendship with Richard, too.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54If you're dealing with one vet like Richard, you get trust in him.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Yeah, he's OK. He's a good man.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58And he likes my wife's scones, as well.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Don has a small herd of 21 beef cows.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08His family have farmed the same 21 hectares for generations.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10I've lived here all my life.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14My father farmed, you know, with the old horses and the cart
0:03:14 > 0:03:16and my grandfather before him.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19You know, it's just a way of life, sort of thing.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23It's the best place on the Earth as far as I'm concerned!
0:03:23 > 0:03:26- Good morning, Richard. - Good morning, Don. How are you?
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Good morning. Nice to see you.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32Today, Richard is pregnancy-checking an old friend.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35- This is the one that had its hip broken.- Oh, yes!
0:03:35 > 0:03:37That you saved its life.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Well, she broke her leg as a calf
0:03:39 > 0:03:41- and we thought we were going to lose her, didn't we?- Yeah.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45And anyway, it mended, as you can see, and she's gone on...
0:03:45 > 0:03:46How many calves has she had?
0:03:46 > 0:03:50- Its had three or four calves.- Yeah.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52And her luck is in again.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56That there is a bit of calf. You have to take my word for it.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58That is actually its foot.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00She's going to be due in about three months' time.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04So we're now mid-October, so that makes it mid-Jan.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07What I want to know is what time of the day it's going to come.
0:04:07 > 0:04:102:00, 3:00, or 4:00?
0:04:10 > 0:04:12If I come back in another life as a cow,
0:04:12 > 0:04:14I want to come back on this farm.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Because you can see how well he looks after them.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20People say at my age, I should get rid of them,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22but I enjoy it, simple as that.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25When you're born into it, it never leaves you, sort of thing.
0:04:25 > 0:04:26At least I don't think so.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Richard's next patient needs her hoof trimmed.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34She's got what we call a Turkish slipper.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37So while she's in the crush, we'll trim her foot.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41A cow's hoof is formed with two toes known as claws,
0:04:41 > 0:04:43made of keratin, the same as our fingernails.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45This cow has one that is overgrown.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53- She's tied up, but Richard needs to stay on his toes.- And again.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55You do sometimes get kicked doing this.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59Obviously, you're standing behind a cow, you are potentially at risk,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03but you know where to stand and also, you pick your cows a bit.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08You can see how overgrown her claw is there. Good girl. Ooo!
0:05:08 > 0:05:12This claw here is pretty enormous, a little bit long.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16We're going to trim this other one back until it looks like that.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18So let's get rid of this bit first.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24So it's just like trimming your toenails.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28This is all, obviously, dead horn. She can't feel it.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34Sometimes they've had a little infection that's damaged the tendons
0:05:34 > 0:05:37in the back of the foot and they've got a knocked-up toe.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40I wonder whether that's the case with her.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43If the toe tips up, it doesn't get worn away
0:05:43 > 0:05:45and will keep on growing.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa!
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Whoa!
0:05:53 > 0:05:57Ideally, I want her feet to be flat all the way across.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59At the moment, this one's standing a lot prouder.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03I'm just going to take a bit more off.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05Good. I think she's been up long enough.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08We'll let her...we'll let her down.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13That's two down, but there's plenty more in the waiting room.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23It's busy, too, at the small animal hospital in Dunfermline.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27The staff of Inglis Vets are in the middle of morning consults.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30What's this, sweetheart?
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Oh! Nom-noms!
0:06:32 > 0:06:35They'll have over 100 patients through the door today.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Just taking their points off them.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Around 40 of whom will be seen by vet Megan.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46- Is this is Thunder Ferguson?- Yes. - Come on through.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48And after 16 years in the job,
0:06:48 > 0:06:52she knows the owners need as much attention as their pets.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Nowadays, pets really are part of the family.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59There's lots of people whose animals are the be all and end all.
0:06:59 > 0:07:0320% of your clients take up 80% of your time.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05The same people come in over and over and over again,
0:07:05 > 0:07:07but that's good, as well. It's good continuity.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10It's good for the clients to come back and have their vet.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Some patients have arrived from a branch surgery.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20At nine kilos, Basil is double the weight he should be
0:07:20 > 0:07:23and is one of Megan's regulars.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26He generally comes to see me at least once a month,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29sometimes once a day for a week.
0:07:29 > 0:07:34Just like in humans, Basil's extra pounds are causing health problems.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Initially, Basil presented with a cough.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42Then he had some hair loss along his back,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45then he had some bother with his anal gland. His list is endless.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50None of them will be helped by the excess weight he's carrying.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Basil's owners have been struggling to get the weight off Basil.
0:07:55 > 0:08:00Basil's not alone. A third of all dogs in the UK are obese.
0:08:03 > 0:08:04Today, Basil has been brought in
0:08:04 > 0:08:08with worrying new symptoms of vomiting and collapsing.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12Vet Megan investigates Basil's symptoms with blood tests
0:08:12 > 0:08:15and an ultrasound scan of his stomach.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18As Basil's overweight, the majority of the stuff
0:08:18 > 0:08:21we're seeing here is this little fat pouch.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26But the area around Basil's pancreas is immediately worrying.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30This area here is pretty irregular-looking,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33but you wouldn't expect to see whatever that is in that position.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36So that's certainly an abnormality there.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41That could be an inflamed area, it could be a tumour.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46An inflamed area could signal painful, but treatable, pancreatitis
0:08:46 > 0:08:50caused by Basil's fatty diet and excess weight.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54A pancreatic tumour, however, would be fatal.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58That's the most important thing that we need to work on first.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01The scan today, rather than giving us the answers
0:09:01 > 0:09:04has given us some more questions that we need to ask.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Right, Basil.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11At home in nearby Cowdenbeath,
0:09:11 > 0:09:15it's worrying news for owners Agnes and Alistair.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19My house is empty. I just want him back hame.
0:09:19 > 0:09:24Even the bed's empty without him because I'm not getting cosy.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28Well, he starts off lying on my slippers,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31and then through the night, he'll get up and come up beside me
0:09:31 > 0:09:35and he lies at the back. And that's him for the night.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41Agnes and Alistair have long-term health problems themselves.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45When I'm not feeling well, he comes up beside me and cuddles me.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49And he seems to sense it. He even smiles.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52He's got that wee...wee grin there.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57Until we know what's going on exactly,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00they're just going to carry on worrying. And this is their baby.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05I don't want to rush in and open him up if it's the wrong thing to do.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07And he's doing OK how he is at the moment.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Hopefully, he's got a pancreatitis.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13If he has a growth in the pancreas,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16then generally, by the time they present,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18they go downhill pretty rapidly.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Hopefully that's not going to be the case.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Basil is admitted onto the ward.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26Megan will monitor his pancreas over the next few days
0:10:26 > 0:10:28and hope for improvement.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43In Teesdale, it's late morning
0:10:43 > 0:10:45and vet Richard is still working his way through
0:10:45 > 0:10:47farmer Don's list of jobs.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53So the next job is a heifer that's broken a horn.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Um... And if we don't take it away, it's going to cause her a problem.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59So some local anaesthetic first so she can't feel it
0:10:59 > 0:11:01and then I'm going to saw it off.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08So she's got one nice, normal horn and one horn where she's bashed it
0:11:08 > 0:11:12and the horn's growing at right angles to where it should be.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14You know, it's all sore and scabby.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16She's just going to catch it again.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18And next time, she might actually knock it right off.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20So we'll take it off flush with her head
0:11:20 > 0:11:22so that it's not a problem any more.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26We'll just give her a little haircut.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Just like hooves, horns are made of keratin
0:11:29 > 0:11:32and can be removed with a tool vets have used for generations.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35A bit like cheese wire.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37If you don't make sure the ends of the wire
0:11:37 > 0:11:39are nice and tight in the handles,
0:11:39 > 0:11:43when you're holding on it, you end up falling on your bottom.
0:11:43 > 0:11:44Which I've done frequently,
0:11:44 > 0:11:49much to the amusement of anyone that's about.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Good. Righto.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54I'm going to cut it off right at the base there, next to the skull.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58It sounds gruesome, but it will heal up...
0:11:58 > 0:12:00- Pretty quickly.- Pretty quickly.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Good girl. All right, sweetheart. Sorry about this.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07All right?
0:12:10 > 0:12:12I won't need to go to the gym tonight, guys.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14LAUGHTER
0:12:14 > 0:12:16It's a good job you're doing there.
0:12:16 > 0:12:17Good. Well done.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22It needed doing. We have anaesthetised her head.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26And, you know, fairly quickly, it'll all heal up and so on,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29but it's not something we do unnecessarily.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32But you can see in this case, her horn's all cracked.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34You can see it's actually a bit infected there.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37So it's definitely the right thing to have done for her.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40And after all that hard work...
0:12:40 > 0:12:44First rule of veterinary medicine, you never say no to a cup of tea.
0:12:44 > 0:12:45It's a pleasure coming here.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48It's like being around seeing old friends.
0:12:48 > 0:12:49Oh, how lovely. Thank you.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53It's lovely when you get a sense of history
0:12:53 > 0:12:56of a family having been on a farm for that sort of length of time -
0:12:56 > 0:12:58it's pretty amazing, really, isn't it,
0:12:58 > 0:13:00when you think of all the generations that have gone before
0:13:00 > 0:13:02and worked the same land
0:13:02 > 0:13:06and done largely pretty much what people are doing nowadays.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Some things have changed, but not that much.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Less than you might think.
0:13:12 > 0:13:17But just as he's about to head back out, an urgent call comes in.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Righto, Richard, I'll pop up. I won't be too long.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22A farmer not actually very far away from where we are now,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24he's got a dairy heifer
0:13:24 > 0:13:27and she's starting to calf and she's struggling.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30We need to get there and see if we can sort things out.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48In Dunfermline, Basil is about to have his second ultrasound scan.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51He collapsed three days ago.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55After his first scan, Megan found an abnormality around his pancreas.
0:13:55 > 0:14:00You wouldn't expect to see whatever that is in that position.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04It could be a tumour - devastating news for his owners.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07My house is empty. I just want him back hame.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13Today, Megan is hoping this second scan will indicate it's just
0:14:13 > 0:14:17pancreatitis, aggravated by his extra pounds.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22This is the same area that we saw the abnormality the other day.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26It looks a little bit different... today,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29there are some changes in the lesions so
0:14:29 > 0:14:33hopefully that means it's getting a little bit better rather than worse.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38Changes in the pancreas mean a tumour is less likely,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41news that peps everyone up.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43I think he looks a bit better this afternoon.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46- Seems a bit happier.- He managed to walk to the door.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48- Yeah.- Nice to see.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Excellent, you can speak to your mummy.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56I've just scanned him again there just now,
0:14:56 > 0:15:00and the abnormal area on the right side of his abdomen,
0:15:00 > 0:15:02it looks a little bit different today, so...
0:15:02 > 0:15:05it's still, obviously, abnormal and there
0:15:05 > 0:15:06when it shouldn't really be there
0:15:06 > 0:15:09and that obvious, but it does look a little bit different so
0:15:09 > 0:15:14if this is more like an oedema of his pancreas, a form of pancreatitis
0:15:14 > 0:15:18then hopefully that means it's starting to settle down a little bit.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21All right... You're welcome, I'll speak to you soon, bye.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26The second scan is hopeful.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29But until there's clear improvement, Basil will have to stay on the ward.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39For the rest of the practice it's a full day of consults
0:15:39 > 0:15:41and senior vet Adam is on duty.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Felix Muller...
0:15:46 > 0:15:49On her way to see him is Lisa, with cat Lily, who's become poorly
0:15:49 > 0:15:51since giving birth.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55She's had one litter ten weeks ago. She's been sick this week
0:15:55 > 0:15:59in the mornings, eating grass and then being sick.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Lisa has just found homes for Lily's five kittens
0:16:04 > 0:16:07and is looking forward to some peace and quiet.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11Lily's recent sickness could be an infection,
0:16:11 > 0:16:12or something more alarming.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18I'm just going to have a wee feel there...
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Definitely something nodular in there, OK.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Now...
0:16:23 > 0:16:27there's two things we've got to be careful with in cats.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30- And that is - she could be pregnant again.- Mm-hm.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32Or it could be an infection in there.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35This is the bit. Let's take her temperature.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Yeah, her temperature's actually fine.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Right, I think we should ultrasound her.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44And I can have a look just kind of in that part of her body,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47just round where the uterus is and see if I can see any fluid.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49She's not got a temperature, she's eating well so I'm not as
0:16:49 > 0:16:52- worried about an infection. - An infection.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54But let's just double, triple check that as well.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59Adam prepares Lily for the scan and she's most obliging.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02You're being a great patient, Lily, well done.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04What's going on?
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Just a wee bit of spirit on there. Just a bit cold.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09It's a bit cold.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Perfect. Now, I think if we can get her to lie down
0:17:14 > 0:17:16where she's comfy, like that.
0:17:18 > 0:17:23So, the bladder's there. That's a big black area there. At the top.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26I think we can see a heartbeat.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29- In there, a little heart pounding away.- Oh!
0:17:29 > 0:17:31You've got more babies!
0:17:31 > 0:17:33I don't know if your mum's going to be happy!
0:17:33 > 0:17:35CHUCKLING
0:17:35 > 0:17:36You're a mum again!
0:17:36 > 0:17:39LAUGHTER
0:17:39 > 0:17:42So, no rest for Lily, or her owner.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44A cat's gestation period is around 60 days,
0:17:44 > 0:17:48so the patter of tiny paws is heading its way again soon.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51I think you probably knew already, didn't you...?
0:17:51 > 0:17:54- OK.- She's pregnant.- Right. - I can see a heartbeat of
0:17:54 > 0:17:58one of the foetuses in there. Um, I didn't count them.
0:17:58 > 0:18:03- But don't anticipate having kittens in the next two weeks.- No, no, no.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06But if you want a range it's probably about a month's time,
0:18:06 > 0:18:07something like that, I think.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11Start ringing up the people you couldn't give kittens to the last time...
0:18:11 > 0:18:14LAUGHTER ..cos they might have some kittens coming their way.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17- Two weeks' time, please. - OK. I'll come back in two weeks.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19I really thought I had a little window of time
0:18:19 > 0:18:22to get her to the vets and get her spayed before
0:18:22 > 0:18:24the next lot came along, but...
0:18:24 > 0:18:26it seems not!
0:18:26 > 0:18:31When it comes to cats and kittens, you can't pussyfoot around.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35It's really easy for female cats to get pregnant.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37Because they are actually called spontaneous ovulators, so
0:18:37 > 0:18:42nearly every time they go out and have a meeting, if you like,
0:18:42 > 0:18:46down the cat nightclub, they ovulate at that point so they get pregnant,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49and, in fact, they can do that two or three times in the same night
0:18:49 > 0:18:52with two or three different dads. That isn't a disaster, but
0:18:52 > 0:18:55sometimes you get all kinds of Dolly Mixtures, if you like,
0:18:55 > 0:18:57coming out the same cat.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00So, owners have to be really careful of letting out their female queen
0:19:00 > 0:19:04and she's in season - usually her tail's sticking up and she looks
0:19:04 > 0:19:06like she wants to desperately get out the door -
0:19:06 > 0:19:09don't let her out cos the chances are she will come home pregnant.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11CAT MEOWS
0:19:16 > 0:19:21Next morning in Dunfermline, and vet Megan has a surprise in store too.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Just four days ago it looked like Basil could have
0:19:25 > 0:19:27a pancreatic tumour.
0:19:27 > 0:19:32That could be an inflamed area, it could be a tumour.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36Basil's second scan showed it might just be inflammation,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38a condition called pancreatitis.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42Hopefully that means it's starting to settle down a little bit.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44To keep a close eye on him,
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Basil was admitted onto the ward for a few days.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51This morning Megan has noticed a big difference.
0:19:51 > 0:19:58When I came in this morning - Basil had turned into his
0:19:58 > 0:20:03normal self...eating and wagging his tail and just 100% better
0:20:03 > 0:20:06than yesterday... He can go home.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08He'll be back next week, but...!
0:20:08 > 0:20:10SHE CHUCKLES
0:20:10 > 0:20:14It's a huge relief for Agnes and granddaughter Abbey.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17I'm really excited.
0:20:17 > 0:20:18It's been too long...
0:20:18 > 0:20:20SHE CHUCKLES
0:20:20 > 0:20:24He seems a lot, lot brighter, so I'm hoping that it's just been
0:20:24 > 0:20:25a real bad pancreatitis
0:20:25 > 0:20:29and that he's starting to get over that and respond to that.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31Fatty food aggravates his pancreas,
0:20:31 > 0:20:35so Basil's going home with a strict new diet.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Food-wise he's just been getting bland food while he's been in...
0:20:38 > 0:20:42- so chicken and rice, that type of thing.- Chicken and rice...
0:20:42 > 0:20:45- So, low fats...- Just the white rice?
0:20:45 > 0:20:49Yeah, or pasta. I'm just going to go through and get him!
0:20:49 > 0:20:50- All right.- Hold on two ticks.
0:20:50 > 0:20:51LAUGHTER
0:20:51 > 0:20:53Come on, Basil.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55- Come on...- Basil, who's that?
0:20:55 > 0:20:59Where's Mummy's babies? Where's my... I've no' had a cuddle.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01LAUGHTER
0:21:01 > 0:21:02There's Mummy's boy.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07So, you'll notice quite a change in him, anyway.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11Oh, it's good to see his wee tail wagging again.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13- Thanks very much, Megan. - You're welcome. Right, Basil...
0:21:13 > 0:21:16- Thank you.- Thank you. - OK, so just rest and...
0:21:16 > 0:21:19- Nae bother.- Don't break him now I've fixed him!
0:21:19 > 0:21:20LAUGHTER
0:21:20 > 0:21:22- Thank you.- Right then, bye.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Each time you just think, "Is this going to be it?
0:21:24 > 0:21:26"Is this going to be the last time?"
0:21:26 > 0:21:29And then he always gets better again, so, that's good.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Now, all Basil needs is to lose a few of those extra pounds.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46Back in County Durham, farm vet Richard is on an emergency call.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50He's dashing to a cow in trouble giving birth.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54When you're going to calve a cow you don't know what's in store
0:21:54 > 0:21:56until you get there.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59The farmer we're going to see now - he's said this calf's got big feet
0:21:59 > 0:22:03hence he's probably got big body as well
0:22:03 > 0:22:07and...I suspect that it'll end up being a Caesarean.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12Very big calves are a rarity and sadly don't often survive.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17They create complicated births that put the mother's life at risk too.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19The farmer's son, Jamie,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22called Richard as soon as he realised how big the calf was.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25- I can't even get the feet out at the minute...- I'll just have a quick feel in...- Right.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29..and just see what we've got but it sounds like it's going to be a Caesarean.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33- He does feel like a big calf. - He certainly does.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Yeah, there's no way that's going to come out of there, is there?
0:22:36 > 0:22:40He's got great big feet, and even without his head being
0:22:40 > 0:22:44in the pelvis it's very tight in here, so he's not going to come.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47So, yep, side-door job.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49She's down at the moment, as you can see.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51We can do a Caesarean on her with her
0:22:51 > 0:22:53laid down, but she's much better stood up if she will.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Standing makes it easier for Richard to remove the calf through
0:22:58 > 0:23:00an incision in the cow's side.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02It's also safer for the mum.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06I tend to keep this tool box, particularly, with everything
0:23:06 > 0:23:08I need for a Caesarean, so I just grab it
0:23:08 > 0:23:11and I know I've got everything I need.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Jamie's brother Jonathon will help too.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17We want our surgical site as clean as we can make it...
0:23:17 > 0:23:21and hair is a great thing for bugs to live amongst.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26This is just local anaesthetic, so I'm freezing...
0:23:26 > 0:23:29her side where I'm going to do my incision.
0:23:32 > 0:23:33Good girl, all right.
0:23:34 > 0:23:40Sadly not every Caesarean or calving ends in a live calf.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43It's unlikely the calf will survive, but Richard talks through
0:23:43 > 0:23:47the Caesarean to make sure they save the mum.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50So cut in, get hold of the womb, pull it up, cut into it.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54If I can pass you the back legs? You pull the calf out.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57I'll hang onto the womb, you get the calf going.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59And then, as soon as you can, I'm going to put some clamps on the womb
0:23:59 > 0:24:01and if you could hold them
0:24:01 > 0:24:03and I'll stitch her up. Erm...
0:24:03 > 0:24:06that's the theory, we'll see what happens.
0:24:06 > 0:24:07OK, ready to roll?
0:24:07 > 0:24:08OK, good girl...
0:24:08 > 0:24:11Jamie stands by the cow's head to calm her.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13We're into her abdomen now.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15And I'm gently feeling into her womb
0:24:15 > 0:24:18to find the back legs of the calf.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21So, I can pull it up... to the incision.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24OK, if you could grab those...
0:24:24 > 0:24:28Put some tension on it. I'm going to have to make the hole a bit bigger.
0:24:31 > 0:24:32Come on.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35- HE STRAINS - OK, steady, steady.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37Pull him right out of the way, if you can.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Jonathon, you work with him,
0:24:39 > 0:24:40Jamie, we need to stitch her up.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Jonathon, sadly, cannot revive the calf.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49I don't think he's a goer, I'm afraid.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Richard's priority now is to save the mother.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55It's easy to focus a bit too much on the calf
0:24:55 > 0:24:58and forget you've got a cow with a big hole in its side.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02He concentrates on piecing all the layers of womb
0:25:02 > 0:25:04and muscle back together.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06I'm stitching up her womb,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09and we've had to make a fairly big incision
0:25:09 > 0:25:11just because it was such a huge calf.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16So, it's a matter of sewing it all back together again now.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20These great big calves we sometimes end up doing Caesareans on
0:25:20 > 0:25:22do seem to struggle, it's almost as if
0:25:22 > 0:25:23they are too big for their own good.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Good girl, that's one more in there.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Safely sown up, this cow will be back on her feet in just
0:25:33 > 0:25:36a few hours, and fit to try for another calf
0:25:36 > 0:25:37in two months' time.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Too big, just too big, there's nothing you could have done.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Even if the calf had been alive when it came out,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47when they are as big as that they very often don't get going.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50It wasn't a very straightforward one and it's,
0:25:50 > 0:25:52it's obviously a great shame the calf's not made it.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00It's very disappointing,
0:26:00 > 0:26:02but, we couldn't have done anything else...
0:26:02 > 0:26:05we did as... The best job we could.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13Life and death is part of our job, without a doubt.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17We're going out cos an animal is ill or sick,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20and sometimes that's something we can sort out and sometimes it isn't.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25It's the same for vets the world over.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30The amount of tears shed every day is a huge amount...
0:26:30 > 0:26:33enough to fill, probably, a bath every day, you know.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36And then, of course, half an hour later someone comes in with a puppy
0:26:36 > 0:26:39and the world's rosy, the future's ahead of us!
0:26:39 > 0:26:42And...it's not very long we're gloomy for.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48For the end of every life there's the start of a new one.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Two months ago in Dunfermline, vet Adam
0:26:50 > 0:26:53confirmed Lily was expecting again,
0:26:53 > 0:26:57just four months after having her first litter of kittens.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59You're a mum again!
0:27:02 > 0:27:06Now, just as Adam predicted, there's a new surprise
0:27:06 > 0:27:10hidden in the wardrobe for Lisa's children Freya and Lewis to enjoy.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15So cute!
0:27:15 > 0:27:17KITTENS SQUEAK
0:27:17 > 0:27:19One, two, three, four...
0:27:19 > 0:27:21Freya was really excited,
0:27:21 > 0:27:26she was right in there, weren't you? She was climbing inside the wardrobe.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Lisa captured the birth on video camera.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Lewis was just here, just watching what was going on.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36We just stayed here the whole time, didn't we?
0:27:36 > 0:27:39- Yeah.- We quickly managed to get a little bit of tea in between.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44They'll stay with Lily here until they're eight weeks old
0:27:44 > 0:27:47and then we'll find homes for them, won't we?
0:27:47 > 0:27:51Can't wait till they're older, till they're running around the house...
0:27:51 > 0:27:52mad!
0:27:52 > 0:27:54LAUGHTER
0:27:54 > 0:27:56All you tend to hear is drum-drum-drum-drum!
0:27:56 > 0:28:01- LAUGHTER - And meee, meee!- Meee, meee!
0:28:01 > 0:28:03They'll have their hands full again soon,
0:28:03 > 0:28:07but for now, Lily needs to catch up on some rest.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09Bye-bye.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13KITTENS SQUEAK