0:00:02 > 0:00:03We Brits love our animals.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07From livestock in the fields
0:00:07 > 0:00:09to pooches in the park.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15It's the job of the nation's vets to keep them healthy.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19Whether consulting in the countryside...
0:00:19 > 0:00:22There's 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 > 0:00:39..they'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 > 0:00:56If we leave it any longer, he almost certainly is going to not make it.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01..they're the dedicated vets, patching up pets
0:01:01 > 0:01:08and caring every day for more creatures great and small.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Coming up. In Teesdale, Richard takes the bull by the nose.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Sorry, Hamish. You won't forgive me for this, will you?
0:01:25 > 0:01:28A toothy bunny gets a bit jumpy with Steve.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33An incredibly good rabbit.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38And in Fife, Megan deals with an emergency on the night shift.
0:01:38 > 0:01:39Stress, stress, stress.
0:01:46 > 0:01:47Teesdale in County Durham.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52A stunning landscape, over 70% of which is farmed.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59Looking after much of the livestock is senior farm vet Richard.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Today, he's heading east to a nearby farm.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08We're going to see Cliff
0:02:08 > 0:02:12and his herd of pedigree Limousin cows and bulls.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16There's a few jobs to do, a bit of ultrasound scanning
0:02:16 > 0:02:18and put a couple of rings in two of the bulls.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28- Busy, Richard?- Yes, very busy. How are you?
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Cliff has a 54 acre farm,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37a herd of 30 cows and six prime bulls.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Certainly, since we been here, I've never made a profit really.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45We're getting better now, we've got some good stock now.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Just one Limousin bull can sell for £10,000,
0:02:50 > 0:02:52so Cliff is hoping to breed more.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55I just want one good bull and sell it for a good price.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57It'll be worthwhile then.
0:03:03 > 0:03:08Richard's pregnancy tests will not reveal the sex of the calves.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13But he will find out how many of the cows are expecting.
0:03:16 > 0:03:17I'm hot already.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21Using an ultrasound scanner, he's checking 18 cows.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26When we put our hand up a cow's bottom,
0:03:26 > 0:03:30we're learning quite a lot of things about that cow. Is she in calf?
0:03:30 > 0:03:32What stage she is at.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36There are various organs that you can feel which give you
0:03:36 > 0:03:40an idea of the cow's health status.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50It's all about shuffling cows from one bit to another.
0:03:50 > 0:03:51They're big animals
0:03:51 > 0:03:54and, even if they don't mean to, they can hurt you.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57So do be careful when you're about them.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Cliff's mother-in-law Nancy is keeping track of it all.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05This is Emba, she had twins last year.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Ow.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15That was my toe. A bit of an occupational hazard.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24One, two, three, four.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28She is six weeks in calf, Nancy.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32She is held to an earlier date. This is just one this time.
0:04:33 > 0:04:34Next up is Abba.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40- She's not in calf.- Then Virginia.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46There is a suggestion of a bit of fluid in the right horn.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49- Question mark.- Question mark. She's a bit tight.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53So that is only one out of the three in calf.
0:04:55 > 0:04:56Roasting in here.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01Disappointing, but with 15 more hopeful heifers,
0:05:01 > 0:05:03Richard's not giving up yet.
0:05:04 > 0:05:05Come on, girls.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Across the magnificent Firth of Forth is Dunfermline in Fife.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22At Inglis Small Animal Hospital,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25there's no such thing as a quiet day.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32The patients here really do come in all shapes and sizes.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36She's very pretty, but not very comfortable right now.
0:05:37 > 0:05:42And just in is a flightless runner duck who's been attacked by a dog.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Vet Liz is first on the case.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Hi, there, do you want to come through?
0:05:50 > 0:05:52What's happened today?
0:05:52 > 0:05:57We have border collies, and one of them is bad for attacking ducks.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00She got out this morning and I didn't realise she'd gone.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04- As I picked him up, there's bits... a wound.- Oh, dear. Poor boy.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Nasty tear.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10When I found him, he wasn't able to walk.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13You're lovely.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16His owner, Anne, hates seeing him in pain.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20If he should be put to sleep, then that's what we should do.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25- But I thought I should...- He seems to have a bit of fight about him.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28I would be inclined to give him a wee try.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Shall we take you through, wee fella?
0:06:34 > 0:06:38Luckily, vet surgeon Megan loves all things feathered.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44I love them, everyone should have some chickens in their life.
0:06:44 > 0:06:45They are just amazing.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49Spend the majority of my spare time here thinking about chickens.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54I am now known as the mad chicken lady,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57or crazy chicken lady, I think, is more like it.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04And tonight, Megan is on night shift.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07The week that we are on call, me and my husband always joke
0:07:07 > 0:07:10that, "We'll see you next weekend," sort of thing.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14There is no typical day,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17which is probably one of the things that makes our job so enjoyable.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Yes, it can be very stressful at times.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22You never know what's going to walk through that door.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25First up on Megan's shift, is the runner duck.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31She prepares him for surgery with nurse Tara.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Just going to gas her down, have a look
0:07:35 > 0:07:38and see what we're dealing with and take it from there.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42We could do with a duck-beak lengthed mask.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53The wound itself, just having a quick look.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55It's obviously quite a sore wound round here.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02I'm just checking to see if there are any obvious actual fractures.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07These birds can't fly so they're sitting ducks for predators.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12That looks like that's the other hole just here.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16The dog has bitten him this way. He maybe had his wing up at the time.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20Their defence mechanism. Do a bit of that.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27The main bones of the wing seem to be OK.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35I'm just seeing how deep this little hole is.
0:08:35 > 0:08:36It's quite long.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41It's probably the length of a dog's canine tooth, I would think.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45There's little chance it has done any damage to the bone itself.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49I think I'm just going to stitch him up, get him on some antibiotics
0:08:49 > 0:08:52and then it will just be hope for the best and hope he does OK.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57Good news for the duck and his owner.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02Hopefully, if they just keep him dry till the wound is healed,
0:09:02 > 0:09:03he should recover.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08This lucky duck may well pull through on a wing and a prayer.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Down on the farm in Teesdale,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27Richard is pregnancy testing farmer Cliff's 18 cows.
0:09:30 > 0:09:35Disappointingly, only one of the first three was in calf. But...
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Good, she's in calf.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40..the head count is rising fast.
0:09:40 > 0:09:41I think we've got twins here.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Now Richard's confirmed 14 calves.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48There's just one more heifer to scan.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53And with Virginia still to go, he's holding out for more.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04I can feel a calf in here. Its head is bumping against my hand.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12So the grand total?
0:10:12 > 0:10:15There's 14 in calf, one is carrying twins.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Great news for Cliff.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22But now for some trickier customers.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Two lean and mean Limousin bulls -
0:10:27 > 0:10:29a French breed that is extremely valuable.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33He's 14½ months old. He is the best we've had.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Hoping to get a good bit of money for him when he goes.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42They could fetch up to £10,000 at market.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47But weighing in at one tonne, they can be dangerous.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50And the best way to keep them in check is with a nose ring.
0:10:51 > 0:10:52Bulls are so big,
0:10:52 > 0:10:56they don't necessarily need to be nasty to do you some damage.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58Just try and get his head...
0:10:59 > 0:11:03They've only got to lean on you and you are squashed.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07It is important that we can control them
0:11:07 > 0:11:09and putting a ring in the nose is part of that.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15With Henry in position, Richard applies a rudimentary anaesthetic.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20Good lad, good lad. What I'm doing is pinching his nose as hard as
0:11:20 > 0:11:24I can to numb it before I'm going to punch a hole in it.
0:11:24 > 0:11:29It's a very hard area to get a local anaesthetic to. I know, I know.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31It may look harsh,
0:11:31 > 0:11:36but Richard is piercing through soft cartilage, not bone.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38Like having your ears pierced -
0:11:38 > 0:11:42it hurts a little bit and then it fairly quickly goes away.
0:11:42 > 0:11:43Have we got our ring?
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Just putting a bit of antiseptic ointment on it,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53just to make sure he doesn't get a nose infection.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Sorry, lad. You look very smart.
0:12:00 > 0:12:01Next up is handsome Hamish.
0:12:04 > 0:12:09Good lad. Sorry, Hamish. You won't forgive me for this, will you?
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Good. Looking very smart now.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Cliff can now safely keep them under control.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22But Richard still needs to watch his back.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Occasionally, you will get a bull that remembers
0:12:27 > 0:12:28who put the ring in their nose.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32We used to have a bull on a farm which one of the other vets
0:12:32 > 0:12:35had ringed and he used to know the sound of this vet's car
0:12:35 > 0:12:40and when he heard it coming up the drive, he used to get into a strop.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54It's 9pm at the small animal hospital in Dunfermline.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Megan is five hours into her night shift.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06The wounded runner duck is recovering well from his operation.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10Ducks are just total scuff bags. All they ever do is make a mess.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14This place will be absolutely stinking by tomorrow morning.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19He's ready for bed, but Megan's day is far from over.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23Tonight, she's on call with nurse Kayleigh until 8 in the morning.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27I actually quite enjoy being in the building
0:13:27 > 0:13:30when there is just one vet and one nurse because everything
0:13:30 > 0:13:33that comes through the door is your responsibility.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36You want to do your best and it is a challenge.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38You know when you get out your bed,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41you're not going to get any sleep that night.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45That's the only thing you dread rather than the actual case itself.
0:13:52 > 0:13:53It's 10.30pm.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55A Great Dane called Tilly has been rushed in
0:13:55 > 0:13:57with a dangerously bloated belly.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03She needs emergency surgery,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06but ten stone Great Danes are quite a handful.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14The problem with these bloated dogs is they're always giant breeds,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17or generally giant breeds. And they're generally at night as well
0:14:17 > 0:14:19when you've got no staff to help you.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Megan needs to act fast -
0:14:23 > 0:14:26stomach bloat is a life-threatening condition.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29The stomach will just expand and expand and expand
0:14:29 > 0:14:32and then these great big stomachs twist
0:14:32 > 0:14:34and then it really is a proper emergency.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39All the blood from this half of the body
0:14:39 > 0:14:41can't get back to this half of the body
0:14:41 > 0:14:45because of the great big stomach squashing all the major vessels.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49This can kill them within 30 minutes to an hour.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51You have got to get in there, sort it out.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56Stomach bloat is a mysterious illness.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59It kills around 30% of dogs that get it.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05There are cases where we have to euthanise on the table.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11You're always really nervous
0:15:11 > 0:15:13and the owner is sat by the phone wondering as well,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16hoping and praying. It's a stressful time.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Owner Nikki has had the four-year-old Great Dane
0:15:20 > 0:15:22since she was a puppy.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Tilly is a show dog.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28She wins quite a lot of classes, she does fantastically.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32She is just the most amazing little girl there is
0:15:32 > 0:15:35and she's very cheeky with it at times.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38I just love her to pieces, she's just a really good wee girl.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40We were going away to a dog show
0:15:40 > 0:15:42and we realised that Tilly was bloating
0:15:42 > 0:15:45so we had to rush her straight to the vet's.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48I'm missing her like mad.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Tilly's twisted and expanding stomach
0:15:54 > 0:15:56is in danger of damaging her organs.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58They're an emergency
0:15:58 > 0:16:02and it's an emergency that a lot of vets dread.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Megan must decompress Tilly's boated belly by piercing it.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15And with the pressure released,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18she now untwists the stomach to pass a tube down her throat.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Megan's been operating for almost an hour.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Stress, stress, stress.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42We've managed to untwist it enough to get the tube in.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44I have it in the stomach.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46Now we're just going to try
0:16:46 > 0:16:51and flush all that horrible stuff that's been blowing up.
0:16:51 > 0:16:52Good height.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01The bloated belly's flushed out, but Megan needs to stay focused.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04And now I've got the job of trying to work out
0:17:04 > 0:17:07where everything goes and putting it all back together
0:17:07 > 0:17:10where it should be before we stitch her up.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21Now nearly 1.30 in the morning...
0:17:21 > 0:17:22Last stitch.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24..the three-hour operation is over.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29But Tilly's life still hangs in the balance.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31This is the worrying time now.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Whether she's going to pull through or not.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43It's going to be a long night.
0:17:54 > 0:18:00Teesdale is home to over 230 square miles of spectacular farmland.
0:18:01 > 0:18:06Small animal vet Steve has worked here for 13 years.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11It's a fantastic part of the world, I love it to bits.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14One of the things that drew me to working here was that
0:18:14 > 0:18:19I live in a rural community, but my chosen direction was small animals.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23Excuse me. A little bit of kissing going on.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27I'd grown up in a house full of cats and dogs and there's pictures of me
0:18:27 > 0:18:31in my cot, actually, with Pippa, the first of a long line of animals.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42At the practice, the team never know what to expect.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Steve's next patient is nine-year-old Rodney
0:18:59 > 0:19:01who's been brought in by Lisa.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05He's a little rabbit that I see once a month,
0:19:05 > 0:19:10who has malaligned incisors, which is where the teeth don't match.
0:19:11 > 0:19:18- Rodney, please. Hello, come on in, are you all right?- Yes.- Good, good.
0:19:18 > 0:19:19How's my little friend?
0:19:21 > 0:19:26What I'm going to do is chop them off like we normally do,
0:19:26 > 0:19:29get them so that they match up.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32- Steady, steady.- All right.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37Wonky teeth make eating troublesome for rabbits.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Long-in-the-tooth Rodney has been off his grub for days.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45What we do is we put him in a towel so he doesn't struggle.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51Wild rabbits wear down their teeth grazing on plants,
0:19:51 > 0:19:53but a pet bunny's diet doesn't do the trick.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59Going to use a little diamond disc, just gently burr it away.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06He is actually pretty tolerant now.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12If we show you now. That's what we've taken off.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21He's an incredibly good little rabbit.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26You're a good one, a much-loved member of the family.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29- Thank you.- You're very welcome.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Hello, Castle Veterinary, how can I help?
0:20:32 > 0:20:34Marvin, please.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48In Dunfermline, at the small animal hospital,
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Megan is back on duty after some much needed shuteye.
0:20:54 > 0:20:55Last night, she operated
0:20:55 > 0:20:58on Great Dane Tilly's dangerously bloated belly.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01Megan battled through the night.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10But she was worried Tilly wouldn't survive.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Considering what she went through last night,
0:21:16 > 0:21:17she's doing amazingly well.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19She's been up, she's been about,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21she's been dragging the nurses around
0:21:21 > 0:21:25and she's just better than we could possibly have hoped.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29Now there's someone desperate to see her.
0:21:31 > 0:21:32Good girl.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Good girl. You're glad to see Mummy this time.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Oh, bumblebee. Bumblebee.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51She's been through a big, long op,
0:21:51 > 0:21:56so it's constant nursing for at least the first 12 hours.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00It's been a real ordeal for Nikki.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04I was absolutely terrified.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06She was fighting for her life.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11The house has been so quiet.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13There's been no barking, no cheeky dances, it's just horrible.
0:22:13 > 0:22:18I can't wait for her to come home. Can't wait.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20But just 12 hours since the op,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23she will have to leave Tilly at the vet's.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25You still lose a lot of them.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28They're not out of the woods for at least a couple of days.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30But considering what I thought she would be like today,
0:22:30 > 0:22:32she's really done amazing.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39But it is time for another inpatient to go home.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45Yesterday, Megan saved a runner duck that had been mauled by a dog.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Just going to stitch him up and hope he does OK.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54Just stand here.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56Pretty boy. Hello.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00How are you, are you fine?
0:23:00 > 0:23:02Good boy, are you coming home?
0:23:04 > 0:23:08There's a good lad. Yes, you are a good boy.
0:23:08 > 0:23:13- Take care, see you soon. - Thank you very much.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22And soon he's back running with his three feathered friends.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39In Country Durham, farm vet Richard is back on his rounds.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44I do genuinely enjoy going to work in the morning.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47There's nothing nicer than delivering a pair of lambs
0:23:47 > 0:23:51on a nice spring morning. Life affirming, I guess.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56He's on his way to see a cow with toxic mastitis.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01Toxic mastitis is an infection of the udder.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04It's a particularly nasty one and it can even kill them.
0:24:04 > 0:24:05We want to get her right
0:24:05 > 0:24:08and get her back milking again as soon as we can.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Farmer John has 250 cattle
0:24:15 > 0:24:18and makes his bread and butter from dairy farming.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22There's 20 cows milked at a time in here.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Each cow can produce around 50 pints a day,
0:24:25 > 0:24:27measured by an automated milking system.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31The computer knows how much milk each cow should give.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34If the cow doesn't give that amount of milk, an alarm goes
0:24:34 > 0:24:38and it could be possible mastitis or some other ailment with the cow.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43But there is one cow who is not producing,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46which is bad for profits and bad for the cow.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54The milk's quite watery,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57which is a characteristic of this sort of mastitis.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Instead of being a nice yellow, creamy colour.
0:25:04 > 0:25:05Because she's feeling sick,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07she won't drink as much as she should do.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09To make sure that she gets that fluid on board,
0:25:09 > 0:25:11I'm going to put fluid straight into her stomach.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16You feeling strong?
0:25:19 > 0:25:22John's son Robert pumps a solution of nutrients
0:25:22 > 0:25:24straight into her stomach.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27What we're putting into here is largely water,
0:25:27 > 0:25:31but this has got some calcium in it and also some energy
0:25:31 > 0:25:35because she's not eating as much as she should do at the moment.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38As you can see, the cow doesn't really mind it.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45I normally have to do this, it's exhausting.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Perfect.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Pull that out again.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58Get that out your nose, good girl, that's it. Brilliant. Well done.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01She's definitely better than she was, but she's got a long way to go.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05Richard prescribes antibiotics to fight the infection.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07In the meantime, John is obviously going to make sure
0:26:07 > 0:26:10that she's got plenty of nice, fresh feed and water.
0:26:10 > 0:26:15And here she is, in a well-bedded pen where he'll keep an eye on her.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20With any luck, she'll be milking again within two weeks.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34In Dunfermline, Megan is back on call.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Two nights ago, she carried out emergency surgery
0:26:43 > 0:26:45on Tilly's bloated stomach.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48You've got to get in there, sort it out.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Megan battled for three hours to save her.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53It's a stressful time.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55But it was worth every minute.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02At last, Tilly is going home with owner Nikki.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06It was a long time and it was a lot of stress during the operation.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10And two in the morning as well, I suppose, so we were all a bit tired.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14The fact that she came out of that, totally unscathed,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16is rewarding, the best thing ever.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Nikki has a bit of a thing for Great Danes.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26There's always room for one more.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Who's that? Who's that?
0:27:29 > 0:27:33It's great to have them all back together.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Definitely. Careful. That's it.
0:27:39 > 0:27:40Missed you, baby girl.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45So nice to see her back on her couch.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51It's the ones where you don't give up hope and they survive
0:27:51 > 0:27:54that make you feel good when you go home at night.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Having something go right and perfect,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02it just makes you feel, just satisfied.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05I think it's the best job in the world.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08I wouldn't want to do anything else ever. Ever, ever.