0:00:02 > 0:00:04'This time on Vets 24/7...
0:00:04 > 0:00:06'It's touch and go for Bruce, the cocker spaniel,
0:00:06 > 0:00:07'with a mystery illness.'
0:00:07 > 0:00:10He doesn't know where he is or what he's doing.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13That's why we're going to have to work hard and fast on him.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18'Vet Andy investigates Georgina's hoarse cough.'
0:00:18 > 0:00:19HORSE COUGHS
0:00:19 > 0:00:23'And Harriet the dog has to change her ways.'
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Oh, she's permanently high.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28If she's eating the obesity biscuits, just feed her that.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Because she's very overweight.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36'From Swansea to Neath and the pets that they treat,
0:00:36 > 0:00:38'this is a week in the life
0:00:38 > 0:00:41'of one of the largest veterinary practices in South Wales.'
0:00:43 > 0:00:46'This is Vets 24/7.'
0:00:52 > 0:00:56'For over 120 years, St James Veterinary Group in Swansea
0:00:56 > 0:00:59'has been responding to animal emergencies.'
0:01:03 > 0:01:05'Bruce, the cocker spaniel, has been rushed in
0:01:05 > 0:01:08'with severe bleeding and diarrhoea.'
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Wish him all the best, then.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17'Senior partner Dai Roberts will have to work fast
0:01:17 > 0:01:20'to stabilise Bruce's critical condition.'
0:01:20 > 0:01:24There's not enough pressure in his blood vessel
0:01:24 > 0:01:28to actually flow the...blood
0:01:28 > 0:01:33back into the needle when you put it in.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35'Bruce is desperately dehydrated.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38'He needs a drip to replace his lost fluids.'
0:01:38 > 0:01:41What I'm doing is, if you look at the drip up there,
0:01:41 > 0:01:45if I put pressure on the vein now, you can see it stops.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48So it shows it actually is in the vein with him.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Getting his vein was never going to be easy.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54And it's so necessary just to save his life.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00'It's all been a bit of a shock for Bruce's owner, Chris.'
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Just hope for the best, I think.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06They're part of the family, aren't they?
0:02:06 > 0:02:08They are part of the family, you know, and...
0:02:08 > 0:02:11you come down in the morning, and he's jumping around.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14And not to see that, it's, er...yeah, it's worrying.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19Look at him now, his eyes. He's just not interested. Can you see that?
0:02:21 > 0:02:24You know, he doesn't know where he is or what he's doing.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27That's why we'll have to work hard and fast on him.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Hopefully in an hour, you'll see a big improvement.
0:02:30 > 0:02:35That's what we want to see. We'll come back in an hour and look at him.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Good boy.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43'17 vets work at the practice
0:02:43 > 0:02:47'and they serve towns and villages all over South Wales.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52'At the Morriston clinic, vet Catherine Tore
0:02:52 > 0:02:55'is having her daily visit from Harriet, the Westie,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58'who has a severe ear infection.'
0:02:58 > 0:03:01- Come on.- Let's put some drops in those ears of yours.- Come on.
0:03:01 > 0:03:02Ssh now, ssh.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05- All right, all right, all right. Good girl.- Yeah.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09We've still got these, um... even with the anti-inflammatories
0:03:09 > 0:03:15- treating the infection, we've still got these chronic changes.- Yes.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19'Mrs Powell visits every day for the drops to be applied by the vets.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22'And she is hoping an operation will solve Harriet's problem.'
0:03:22 > 0:03:27It worries me, you said she might be paralysed. Is that temporary or...?
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Yes. Yeah. The operation itself is quite a serious operation.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34It's quite a complicated operation.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38It involves opening up and removing the lining of the ear canal.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41And losing the function of the ear.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44So she won't be able to hear, as a result.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Whenever I shout at her, I say, "Harriet!"
0:03:47 > 0:03:50And she doesn't listen. So I assumed she's partly, you know,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53got trouble, or she's just defiant.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- Selective hearing, eh?- Yes.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59We can't have you coming down here every day for us to put drops in.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03It's just really manageable that way, or for you, lass.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06- We'll see you on Wednesday. - Thank you very much.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08- Okey-doke.- Thank you. I'm going out.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11'Harriet will lose her hearing after surgery,
0:04:11 > 0:04:15'and the whole ordeal is making Mrs Powell worried.'
0:04:15 > 0:04:17It's going to be a bit of a problem,
0:04:17 > 0:04:19because she might be paralysed, um...down one side.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24And that's what I'm a bit nervous of, because we've got stairs.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26I've got a...stair-lift.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28But, of course, I can't lift her.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32Well, we'll sleep downstairs.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35As long as she'll get better.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41'Caring for small animals is the bread and butter of any vets.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45'But being so close to the rural communities in South Wales,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48'these vets have to have more than one string to their bow.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54'Andy Hopker specialises in farm animals.'
0:04:54 > 0:04:57I really, really like animals. I really like the countryside.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01I really like the outdoors, I really like farmers.
0:05:01 > 0:05:02I enjoy the country life.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04Oh, it's gorgeous!
0:05:04 > 0:05:06'Andy is at Gelli Stables to visit Georgina,
0:05:06 > 0:05:10'a pony...with a nagging cough.'
0:05:10 > 0:05:11HORSE COUGHS
0:05:11 > 0:05:15'He's brought along fellow vet Amy Teale
0:05:15 > 0:05:17'and a handy little gadget to investigate.'
0:05:17 > 0:05:20This is a video endoscope.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23What people might be more familiar with is a magic eye.
0:05:25 > 0:05:30So, it moves side to side, moves up, moves down.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34We'll slip this up her nose and have a look what's going on in her chest.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37- Say when.- You go.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39And forwards.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Keep going.
0:05:44 > 0:05:45- Wait.- Yeah.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51There you go. You can see discharge, some inflammation down here.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56'Andy needs to get a sample of this discharge,
0:05:56 > 0:06:00'so he's injecting some water into Georgina's lungs.'
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Good girl.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08Went in sterile and it's coming out not sterile any more,
0:06:08 > 0:06:12but sterile plus whatever was in Georgina's lungs.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16'This flushed-out fluid will be sent to the lab for testing
0:06:16 > 0:06:18'to discover what could be causing her cough.'
0:06:18 > 0:06:22Coming back out, coming up the windpipe.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Down the nose. And out we come.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30Lovely. As her condition is stable at the moment,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33we're going to hold off on any other treatment
0:06:33 > 0:06:36until we get the results of that sample back.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38Unless, of course, she gets worse.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41In which case, ring me straightaway, and we'll sort something out.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43- OK.- OK?
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Yeah, great. Thank you.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54'Back at the main hospital, Bruce, the poorly cocker spaniel,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56'is receiving regular checks from vet Dai.'
0:06:58 > 0:07:04We have a special area up here that is our isolation area
0:07:04 > 0:07:08where we put...dogs
0:07:08 > 0:07:13that are very poorly and could be infectious to other dogs.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22His gums, particularly...if I press them,
0:07:22 > 0:07:26you can see they're very, very slow for the blood to go back into them.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30It should really be going back in between one and two seconds.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Also, I mean, this time, God bless him,
0:07:33 > 0:07:37if I put my finger in his ear, I can feel warmth in there now.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Which I don't think I could feel before.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43I can't really say the same about his mouth.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Whatever he's got, it's still very active inside him, you know.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50As you can see with Bruce at the moment,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53he still is, literally, in a world of his own,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56because he's feeling so poorly.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59He's having what we call fluid therapy.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02We'll give it to him as fast as we dare give it to him.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06But then again, we don't want to overload his system either.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09He's going to be your special case for the day, I think.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13- He needs special attention, doesn't he?- Yeah.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21'Dai's been a vet for over 30 years,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24'and his caring nature and genuine love of animals
0:08:24 > 0:08:27'continues outside the surgery.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32'Over the years, his home has become a haven for many of the strays
0:08:32 > 0:08:35'and injured animals brought into the practice.'
0:08:35 > 0:08:38This is Sid. He's quite a character.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42When he broke his leg, his leg was absolutely smashed to pieces.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46So he is very lucky to be around.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Percy has got bad eyes.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53If you...? Can you see them?
0:08:53 > 0:08:58He's, er...his eyelids just grow together.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02We've got Milly, our dog. She had a broken leg.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06We had to adopt you, cos you were a little stray. Come on, then, Bert.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10In you come.
0:09:10 > 0:09:11If we hadn't taken them on,
0:09:11 > 0:09:15I think every one of them would've been put to sleep.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Cos there was no place for them to go.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24'So with standing room only at the Roberts' household, what does Dai do?
0:09:24 > 0:09:26'He uses the garden, of course.'
0:09:26 > 0:09:28- Oh!- Hiya, Huw.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31- How you doing?- Not bad.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33How are his feet looking today?
0:09:33 > 0:09:35They're looking pretty all right.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38He's come from the donkey sanctuary
0:09:38 > 0:09:42and he's a real character, fair play to him.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44And tragically, and I mean tragically,
0:09:44 > 0:09:47he lost his partner four weeks ago.
0:09:47 > 0:09:52I mean, donkeys amazingly, it's ever so sad,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54they can actually die of grief.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57It's just so sad she's gone, but, you know,
0:09:57 > 0:09:59it's him now we've got to look after.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02And I think we've succeeded on that. He seems happy.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Happy enough.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14'In Morriston, vet Catherine Tore is collecting Harriet for her operation.'
0:10:14 > 0:10:17BARKING
0:10:17 > 0:10:21- I see a little pooch. - She knows you now. Hello.- Hello.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23- How are you getting on? - 'Pensioner Mrs Powell
0:10:23 > 0:10:27'and her four-legged friend are rarely apart.'
0:10:27 > 0:10:30I'm a bit worried about her, like, you know.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Yeah, indeed. It's only natural.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36Especially with her going down to the surgery. Hello!
0:10:36 > 0:10:39OK, have you got any questions or any concerns?
0:10:39 > 0:10:40No. The less I know, the better.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43SHE LAUGHS What's she saying, Harriet?
0:10:43 > 0:10:46All right, young lady, are you coming with me?
0:10:46 > 0:10:48- Yes.- Yes.- Is it a walk?
0:10:48 > 0:10:52- Come on, I'll show you the way. - Okey-doke, let's go.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55We'll speak to you tomorrow, Mrs Powell.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58- Don't look back.- Come on.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Off we go. Come on, Harriet.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03It's all for the best, anyway, isn't it?
0:11:03 > 0:11:04I hope so.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10'Six miles away at the practice hospital in Sketty...'
0:11:10 > 0:11:16- This is your patient.- '..Harriet meets partner Gareth Field,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19'who will be performing her operation.'
0:11:19 > 0:11:21- This is the bad ear, is it?- Yeah.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25- Good girl.- Aw!
0:11:25 > 0:11:28There we go. OK.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31To be honest, looking down it,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34she's letting me look down it, and it looks healthy, so...
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Further down. So whether it's...
0:11:36 > 0:11:38I think, potentially, we need to discuss
0:11:38 > 0:11:40whether to go ahead with the operation or not.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Only because it's such a big operation.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46Often, there's an underlying allergy that's triggered it.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49And it might be better that we treat the allergy
0:11:49 > 0:11:53with a short course of steroids first.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56I mean, at the moment, she's coming down...
0:11:56 > 0:11:58every day to have eardrops.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01It might be worth giving her oral medication.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Maybe oral steroids to control the discomfort she's in.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06It would be a shame to write off the ear
0:12:06 > 0:12:09- if there's a chance of saving it. Is that OK?- Cool.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Awesome. Saved from the knife for now.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14- For now, Harriet. - I'm not saying for ever.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Cheers, Cat. Thank you.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18'Catherine's persistence with the eardrops
0:12:18 > 0:12:20'has saved Harriet from an operation.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23'But the steroids she will now take
0:12:23 > 0:12:26'could cause another problem with her health.'
0:12:26 > 0:12:29The downside with steroid anti-inflammatories is that, um...
0:12:29 > 0:12:31their appetite increases,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34their laying-down of fat increases.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37SHE LAUGHS Oh, Harriet Powell!
0:12:37 > 0:12:41We have come a cropper on another mountain.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43SHE LAUGHS Oh, dear!
0:12:49 > 0:12:53'At evening clinic, vet Andy has got his hands full.'
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Just open the door for me.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59'Harvey, the labrador retriever, is crippled with arthritis,
0:12:59 > 0:13:04'and his continuing pain worries his owners John and Jo.'
0:13:04 > 0:13:07- He's been struggling. He's not cocking his leg any more.- Yeah?
0:13:08 > 0:13:11There's quite a bit of tension in muscles on his back.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14An awful lot in the backs of his legs, as well.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17He's crooked all the time. You see here, look? He's like that a lot.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20This muscle back here is rock hard.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25'Andy's not averse to using alternative therapies
0:13:25 > 0:13:27'to get a result for his clients.'
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Would you like me to give him acupuncture?
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Yeah, lovely. Because it really has made a difference.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36I can do the whole shebang while he's here today.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38We're very happy and pleased with it.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41We wanted to continue with it, obviously.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45I always tell owners, if the dog hasn't shown an improvement in four weeks, stop coming.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48If you haven't seen an improvement in four weeks, you won't.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52And you're wasting your money and the dog's time.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55So these needles are really, really fine.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57They do not hurt at all.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt the dogs.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04The sensation that you get when you put an acupuncture needle in,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07the Chinese call de'Qi.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10And it is a cool feeling or a tingling feeling.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14And you can get some funny effects afterwards.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Maybe a mild sedation, maybe a mild euphoria.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19I've seen people get uncontrollable giggles,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21um...twitches or just nod off.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23When I put the needles in,
0:14:23 > 0:14:27we get a reduction in the amount of activity
0:14:27 > 0:14:30in the pain centre in Harvey's brain.
0:14:30 > 0:14:35So he perceives less pain from his arthritis in his brain.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38The first time he had it done, he wasn't like this.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40He actually enjoys it now, doesn't he?
0:14:40 > 0:14:44Yeah. I mean, they seem to find it a relaxing experience.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46It wouldn't be ethical for beginners
0:14:46 > 0:14:49to be sticking needles into dogs
0:14:49 > 0:14:51in order to learn the technique.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53So all the vets who are learning to do acupuncture
0:14:53 > 0:14:56stick needles in each other for a week.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00'Whether it's complicated Western science,
0:15:00 > 0:15:02'or the Chinese river of life,
0:15:02 > 0:15:04'all that matters to Harvey
0:15:04 > 0:15:08'is that he's able to walk out of Andy's clinic on his own pins.'
0:15:15 > 0:15:20'Before leaving for the day, Dai checks upon Bruce one last time.'
0:15:20 > 0:15:21Bruce?
0:15:21 > 0:15:24There we are, that's a big improvement.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28This morning, Bruce didn't even know that he had a name,
0:15:28 > 0:15:34but, uh, this evening, Bruce has got a name.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38He's far more interested in what we're going to do to him.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41There's a good boy, aren't you, boy, eh?
0:15:41 > 0:15:44This morning, when I pressed my thumb there,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47it would just leave a white mark which stayed there -
0:15:47 > 0:15:50there was just no circulation -
0:15:50 > 0:15:55and now, you can see that probably within about three seconds,
0:15:55 > 0:16:01he's managed to push the blood back into those areas that I squeezed.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06But he's not out of the woods yet, by any degree of the imagination.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09We better go find someone to clean you up, my little friend,
0:16:09 > 0:16:10haven't we, eh?
0:16:10 > 0:16:12I think it's the worst part of the job, isn't it?
0:16:12 > 0:16:16You know, the best part is to come in tomorrow and see him running around,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19and the worst part is to get the phone call tonight,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22and to not know which way he's going.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25You can only make sure you do your damn best for him,
0:16:25 > 0:16:26that's all.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28And then...then go from there.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32So, good night, little fella.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47'At the large animal practice, vet Andy
0:16:47 > 0:16:51'is about to start his caseload for the day.'
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Always breakfast on the run, got to have porridge,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58and drink your milk, keep our dairy farmers in business.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03And we'll have to collect the most important member of the team
0:17:03 > 0:17:06on the way out - that's Poppy, the dog.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Poppy likes to help drive the van,
0:17:08 > 0:17:12so she puts her foot on my leg usually,
0:17:12 > 0:17:14so Pop's a proper vets dog.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16She was caught living wild in Swansea
0:17:16 > 0:17:20about a month after I came out of vet school.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23She's been with me ever since.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26'First call is to Glanbran Farm,
0:17:26 > 0:17:30'where a cow gave birth to her calf by Caesarean section,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34'and her wound has become infected.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36'Andy needs to clean her up.'
0:17:36 > 0:17:37Cattle are amazingly tough.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Now, if this was a person with an infection like that,
0:17:40 > 0:17:42you'd feel sick.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46If this was a horse, you'd probably think about being dead.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48But, being a cow, she's eating,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51she's probably milking nicely, is she?
0:17:51 > 0:17:56- Doing the calf well?- Yeah. - And is generally not that bothered.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59I'm just going to pick away at the scab here,
0:17:59 > 0:18:03so, anyone who likes zits and things like that,
0:18:03 > 0:18:05vetting is the job for you.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11'Andy needs to flush out the infected wound with an iodine solution.'
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Messy, old job, eh?
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Yeah, it is.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18If you look inside, the tissue is nice and healthy,
0:18:18 > 0:18:22it's just a surface problem, really,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25but it's still something you want sorted out.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28That's looking a lot better now, nice and clean,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31healthy flesh you can see there.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33'Although the wound looks bad, it is clean now
0:18:33 > 0:18:35'and will heal up quickly.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41'Job done, it's time for Andy to hit the road again.'
0:18:41 > 0:18:43I come from a farming village,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46so I used to work on a farm since I was a small boy,
0:18:46 > 0:18:51and I always knew I wanted to stay working in farming and with big animals.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54I always enjoyed science at school, so it just seemed the natural way to go.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00'In many ways, Andy is not what you'd call a conventional vet,
0:19:00 > 0:19:02'even down to his choice of transport.'
0:19:02 > 0:19:06It's an unusual choice for a veterinary surgeon,
0:19:06 > 0:19:12but I used to do a lot of volunteer work overseas, in India and such,
0:19:12 > 0:19:14so I used to work short contracts in Britain.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18Um, just driving round the country, week here, week there.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21Um, I always hated living in B&Bs,
0:19:21 > 0:19:24so I used to get the work stuff in the side door,
0:19:24 > 0:19:28and then the vet and the dog would crawl in the back door to sleep.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30'Andy is settled back home now
0:19:30 > 0:19:34'and has a roof over his head and a job he's clearly passionate about.'
0:19:34 > 0:19:38To me, working indoors all the time with be like being in a prison.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41I just like to be out and about with my dog.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49'Back at the hospital, Dai's first job of the day
0:19:49 > 0:19:53'is to visit the isolation unit to check on Bruce, the cocker spaniel,
0:19:53 > 0:19:55'with nurse Ruben.'
0:19:55 > 0:19:58Well, gosh, he is looking a heck of a lot better today.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00Much better, isn't she?
0:20:00 > 0:20:03He's seen this walk in the room.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07And I understand you're a little bit nervous of us.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Hello, Bruce. Hey, oh, mate.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Oh, right, oh, dear, dear, dear.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17So, you're grumpy boy today, are you?
0:20:18 > 0:20:21You're looking a very much healthier boy.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Come on, up you come.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29I don't think you want to come and meet all of us, I'm afraid.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31We've given him two types of antibiotics,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34and I think the fact he's responded so quickly
0:20:34 > 0:20:37would suggest that it was more of an infection, I think,
0:20:37 > 0:20:38rather than anything else.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41I suspect he's found something unmentionable and eaten it,
0:20:41 > 0:20:45and has got a really bad tummy after it.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48There we are, we shall see later, mate. OK?
0:20:50 > 0:20:52'What a difference a day makes -
0:20:52 > 0:20:54'Bruce was at death's door,
0:20:54 > 0:20:57'now he is on the mend.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00'In the kennels, Harriet, the Westie,
0:21:00 > 0:21:04'is being looked after by auxiliary nurse Stacey,
0:21:04 > 0:21:06'and the vets have made a discovery.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11'Harriet has been living on a diet of cat food.'
0:21:12 > 0:21:15This is a healthier option,
0:21:15 > 0:21:19but I don't know if Harriet is going to eat this.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23'Look out, Harriet, time for some big changes to the menu.'
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Come on, then.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Ah, what's this?
0:21:29 > 0:21:31Come on, do you want some?
0:21:31 > 0:21:33Look, mmm.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37'Changing Harriet's diet is going to help the dog's ear allergy
0:21:37 > 0:21:39'and her overall health,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42'as her vet Catherine knows.'
0:21:42 > 0:21:45Mrs Powell's world is Harriet,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49and, to her, she sees so much happiness and Harriet when she's eating,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52but we can still keep Harriet a happy dog
0:21:52 > 0:21:54and not feed her five sachets a day.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58I feel the happiness of that dog is removing the discomfort from its ears.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02Oh, Harriet, do eat something.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08'Farming has been through many changes
0:22:08 > 0:22:11'since the practice started 120 years ago.'
0:22:14 > 0:22:17'Andy is visiting Crichton Farm.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22'It used to be a home for a dairy herd,
0:22:22 > 0:22:26'but now Viv Jefferies provides stabling for horses.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29'And he's here to see if any of the mares are pregnant,
0:22:29 > 0:22:31'with the help of an ultrasound detector.'
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Wow, wow, wow.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37What have we got?
0:22:37 > 0:22:40That's well in foal.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42That's a good start, anyhow.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44So far, so good.
0:22:44 > 0:22:49I can't take any credit for that though, it's up to the stallion.
0:22:49 > 0:22:50This mare, we haven't, well,
0:22:50 > 0:22:55the owner hasn't had a foal off her for the last two years, now.
0:22:58 > 0:22:59She's in.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03Lovely live foal, there, and you can see it moving around.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06'Looking after these horses have become Viv's livelihood,
0:23:06 > 0:23:11'since he was forced to give up dairy farming four years ago.'
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Around here now, there's a lot of herbs that have gone through TB,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18and what I can see, since I've give up milk four years ago,
0:23:18 > 0:23:22there's nothing being done to combat TB.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25An awful lot of feels that used to have cattle and sheep in,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28feeding the country basically, now have horses in.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Not just in the Gower but all over Britain.
0:23:32 > 0:23:37It's a big transformation, like, you know. I still miss the cows.
0:23:37 > 0:23:42Probably 20 years ago, the practice did 50% farmer work.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Now we're probably down to... the cattle and horses together,
0:23:45 > 0:23:47probably take up 20% of our time.
0:23:48 > 0:23:49Yeah, she's in.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Further in, and just patting him on the head, I am.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56Things are looking good, now, so there must be something in the grass.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58So, we'll have to but the rent up, now.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Come on, girl, step back, come on.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03- Come on, big one, come on, big yin. - Just a push.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08'At the practice, an emergency patient has arrived
0:24:08 > 0:24:10'and requires Dai's attention.'
0:24:12 > 0:24:14- Sad, isn't it?- Mmm.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16Poor little thing.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19There you are, little fella.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Beautiful birds, aren't they?
0:24:22 > 0:24:23Absolutely.
0:24:23 > 0:24:28He's just totally paralysed, he's just not using his legs.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32See? I mean, no matter what I do with him, he's...
0:24:32 > 0:24:34They're just...useless, really.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38He could have been singing in the top of a tree tomorrow morning. CAT MIAOWS
0:24:38 > 0:24:39But, um...
0:24:39 > 0:24:43There you are. It's kinder to let him go, I think, that's the main thing.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46His tiny little veins.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49And they're very, very difficult to inject into.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58I think the injection went in, which is great, so, um...
0:24:58 > 0:25:03It works instantaneously, so I would hope that he's...he's gone now.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05Poor little thing.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08And I think he's...he's fast... Well, he's...
0:25:08 > 0:25:12You know, his heart's not going, so he's gone there now.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28'After the cancellation of Harriet's operation,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31'she's heading back home with vet Gareth and nurse Shelly,
0:25:31 > 0:25:35'who runs Chub Club for overweight pets.'
0:25:35 > 0:25:37- Got Harriet, that's the main thing. - Yes.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Cool. Let's go.
0:25:39 > 0:25:40Come on.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43'Their mission is to make it clear to Mrs Powell
0:25:43 > 0:25:48'that cat food is definitely not for Harriet in her condition.'
0:25:48 > 0:25:50What do you think it is?
0:25:50 > 0:25:52It could be the Felix she's allergic to,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54so we've brought you some other food to try,
0:25:54 > 0:25:56and if she finds she likes one,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58it might be worth sticking to that one for about a month.
0:25:58 > 0:26:03- She'll never stick to anything for ever.- It's not healthy for a dog to have...um...
0:26:03 > 0:26:06No, she's currently high.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09If she's eating the obesity biscuits, just feed her that.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13- No Felix, no nothing else, because she's very overweight, OK.- OK.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16- And, you know...- I didn't take her down there to be insulted.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20No, I know, but, you know, she's got this ear problem now,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24but the way her weight is, she could have heart problems, diabetes, liver problems...
0:26:24 > 0:26:29- Yes.- ..you know, and it's going to be harder, like you were saying, for yourself to keep...
0:26:29 > 0:26:33- We're both now, we're both getting older.- Yeah.- We walk less and less. - Exactly, so...
0:26:33 > 0:26:38- I can't do it. Harriet has always had as much as she wants of whatever she likes.- Yeah.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42- Till now.- Yeah.- Now it's time to get serious.- Definitely.- Get tough.
0:26:42 > 0:26:47- Yes.- But also, for the allergy, we've got you some tablets to try. - Oh, that's ideal for me.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50Cos you can't manage the drops, so we'll forget the drops.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54These tablets are just one a day and they're to stop the allergy,
0:26:54 > 0:26:55so these ones are to stop the allergy,
0:26:55 > 0:27:00and then these ones are antibiotics, and she's on one tablet twice a day.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03- I'll put them with mine. - Don't mix them up.- No.
0:27:03 > 0:27:04THEY LAUGH
0:27:04 > 0:27:08- All right, then? So if you can be really strict with her food and her tablets...- Now she's listening.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12- It'll be better. Yeah, listen, Harriet, be good. - SHELLY LAUGHS
0:27:12 > 0:27:15- Then you'll be doing her a favour in the long run.- Bye, Harriet!
0:27:15 > 0:27:19- Take care, Mrs Powell.- Thank you. - No problem, take care, thanks very much.- Bye.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22- Good luck with it. Bye-bye! - HARRIET BARKS
0:27:22 > 0:27:23'With the right diet and new tablets,
0:27:23 > 0:27:27'hopefully Harriet will have a brighter, and lighter, future.'
0:27:27 > 0:27:29DOG BARKS
0:27:31 > 0:27:36'Another dog who's enthusiastic about leaving is cocker spaniel Bruce.'
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Right, then, Bruce.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40It's time to go home, mate.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43There you are. There's a good boy, aren't you?
0:27:43 > 0:27:44Yes.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47There's a heck of a difference in you now.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49Come on, then, fella.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52'Thanks to the efforts of Dai and his team,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55'Bruce has beaten his infection and can be reunited with his owner.'
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Mr Grey?
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Come on, my boy!
0:28:01 > 0:28:03BRUCE YAPS
0:28:03 > 0:28:07The nicest thing about Bruce is, when he gets over it, it's like 100%.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11So, you know, there's ten years of life just walked out of the door,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14which is what it's all about, really.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22'Next time on Vets 24/7,
0:28:22 > 0:28:24'there's a wild Tigger in the practice.'
0:28:24 > 0:28:26CAT SQUEALS AND SPITS
0:28:26 > 0:28:28All right, all right, all right!
0:28:28 > 0:28:31'Vet Becky is called out to a collapsed cow.'
0:28:31 > 0:28:35Glucose levels would be down - she'd get dehydrated and could die at the end of it.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39'And find out why Tonka the bulldog is not feeling himself.'
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd