0:00:02 > 0:00:03This time on Vets 24/7,
0:00:03 > 0:00:06an emergency operation drags vet Geraint out of bed...
0:00:06 > 0:00:09- Good morning.- How are you doing?
0:00:09 > 0:00:11I'm probably going to need a hand.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15There's no intestine involved but it's very close to being involved.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18..Ifan has to test a herd of cattle for TB...
0:00:18 > 0:00:22- Don't inject me now, Ifan. - Well, it'll be a first.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27..and frisky Ianto the alpaca goes under the knife.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31From Swansea to Neath,
0:00:31 > 0:00:34and the pets that they treat, this is a week in the life
0:00:34 > 0:00:38of one of the largest veterinary practices in South Wales.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41This is Vets 24/7.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53For over 120 years, St James Veterinary Group
0:00:53 > 0:00:56in South Wales has been responding to animal emergencies.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03At the Neath clinic, a serious case has arrived.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Lily the Westie is in trouble.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09She just started being sick an hour ago
0:01:09 > 0:01:12- and she's been sick about three or four times.- OK.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Then she started shaking and then...
0:01:15 > 0:01:18- OK. How old is she?- Four.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21- She's just had eight puppies. - She's had eight puppies, has she?
0:01:21 > 0:01:23- Yes.- OK, fine. No problem.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Practice partner Geraint Jones has to work fast to stabilise Lily,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30who's collapsed whilst feeding her puppies.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33I'll put a catheter in her leg and give her something to calm her down.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36We'll take some blood at the same time and check her calcium levels.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Yeah, OK. Good girl.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40Has she been a good mother?
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Excellent. First time and eight puppies as well.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49We'll put her on some fluids and just drip some calcium in,
0:01:49 > 0:01:51assuming that it's a calcium problem,
0:01:51 > 0:01:53because that is the most common thing.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56We need to be quite careful we don't overload her with calcium
0:01:56 > 0:01:58because it will affect the heart.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01We'll just give her a very small amount now,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03over a short space of time.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09- She's going to need to stay in this evening.- What about the pups?
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Right. Have you got any milk replacement?
0:02:11 > 0:02:15Yes, I've got two bottles and eight puppies.
0:02:15 > 0:02:16I see. OK.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19She's probably not in a position to feed them
0:02:19 > 0:02:21as she's fairly critical at the moment.
0:02:21 > 0:02:22Right, yeah.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24All right, OK?
0:02:26 > 0:02:29- Be good. - We'll do our best for her now.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Lily's collapse has been a big shock for her owners, Angie and Patrick.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37- She loves her dog and... - She was like a stick insect.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44I wasn't think of her. Stupid!
0:02:44 > 0:02:47The nurses and doctors will take care of her, though.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51Oh, she'll be all right, though. I hope so. She's got eight pups!
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Lily will be transferred to the practice hospital in Swansea
0:02:58 > 0:03:01to be monitored by the overnight staff.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07The practice cares for all creatures great and small.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Being so close to the rural Gower Peninsular,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14farm animals are a large part of the vets' workload.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Partner Ifan Lloyd is a farmer's vet.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Farmers are always characters.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27They need to be characters to live with a job
0:03:27 > 0:03:30that requires a 24/7 commitment.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33They live in an environment where they have to work hard.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37It's often a harsh environment, both to work in and economically as well.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Making a living out of farming is hard work.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46This morning's appointment is at the Tuckers' farm.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50It's a family affair as they have been farming here for eight generations.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52They haven't been out before so they're excited.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54They wonder what's going to happen.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58Ifan's a regular visitor to the farm and today he has an engagement...
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Got one in ready. Well done.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04..with a bull, to put a ring though his nose.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08Oh, Ifan's very good cos we've got his mobile number.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12If we're in difficulties, we know we get preferential treatment,
0:04:12 > 0:04:13in fairness to him.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19This procedure is necessary as the bull will be used for breeding
0:04:19 > 0:04:22and for safety reasons, it must have a nose ring.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24I put a bit of local anaesthetic in there,
0:04:24 > 0:04:29just like if you went to have a tooth out or had a filling with a dentist.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32It's just through soft flesh, it's going, isn't it, Ifan?
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Yes, just in front of the cartilage.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37It's not quite a body piercing!
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Make sure you don't drop the screw, Ifan!
0:04:45 > 0:04:48You don't want to drop the screw and because it's soft,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51if you cross-thread it, then that's the end of the screw
0:04:51 > 0:04:54because it's got quite a soft thread on it.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57That's perfect. I'm very happy with that. That's gone in well.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00There we are. That's added some more value to the bull.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Well, absolutely right, yes.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12In Swansea, at the practice hospital,
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Lily the West Highland terrier has been recovering from her collapse
0:05:16 > 0:05:19and has been monitored overnight by vet Ellie Bowen.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Hello.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26I've checked her bloods again this morning...
0:05:26 > 0:05:27All right!
0:05:27 > 0:05:30..and she's obviously done so much better overnight
0:05:30 > 0:05:32and the bloods have definitely improved
0:05:32 > 0:05:34since we saw her yesterday.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37All the twitching and things have definitely stopped.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40But her bloods this morning are still not 100%.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43They are showing that she's a little bit low
0:05:43 > 0:05:47so it just means that, because she's had pups so recently,
0:05:47 > 0:05:50all the calcium has been diverted to producing milk and things.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54The problem is that if we put her back with her pups now,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57she'd be back in here and her calcium would go right down again.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01So we just can't take the risk, as such a low calcium is fatal
0:06:01 > 0:06:03if it continues without treatment.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07We just can't take the risk of leaving her back with her pups again.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11Hopefully, she should come back to normal and go home soon,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14but it'll just be a bit more time until her calcium resolves.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Lily's eight puppies are only ten days old
0:06:21 > 0:06:24and have had to be bottle-fed since her collapse,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28so worried owner Angie has her hands full.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30I was really, really upset
0:06:30 > 0:06:33because I honestly didn't know what was wrong with her.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38All I know that she was fitting so I thought she'd had a stroke,
0:06:38 > 0:06:42because her head was to the side and she was walking like she was drunk.
0:06:42 > 0:06:43And...
0:06:45 > 0:06:49..I was really, really upset. Really.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52As a surrogate mum, Angie is feeding the pups round the clock.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58It's more or less feed on demand but I try and get them
0:06:58 > 0:07:01to go around about three and a half to four hours.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05They're really gutsy.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07This one is. She always gutsy.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12She's so noisy and she starts them all off, she does.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18And she always goes first so she may go to sleep.
0:07:18 > 0:07:19OK.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26The pups will not be reunited with their mum, Lily,
0:07:26 > 0:07:28until her calcium levels have returned to normal.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31Lily, do you want food?
0:07:33 > 0:07:36There we go. Aw! No problem.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Next door, partner Geraint is about to operate.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49A Staffordshire Bull Terrier, also called Lily,
0:07:49 > 0:07:51has breathing difficulties.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55To solve this, Geraint is going to remove
0:07:55 > 0:07:57part of the soft palate in her mouth.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04Doing soft-tissue surgery is fairly interesting.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08It's quite different from medicine as well because you see...
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Well, the owners see a sort of immediate effect with what you do,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14so an opportunity to make a difference to the dog
0:08:14 > 0:08:17straight away, really, which is good.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20I think, generally, surgeons get a bit more praise than medics,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23to be honest, from the client.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26The dog's jaw must be tied open for Geraint
0:08:26 > 0:08:28to gain access to the back of the mouth.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Basically, what we'll do, hopefully,
0:08:33 > 0:08:35is resect this portion of tissue here.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39This is the soft palate and this is the bit that's becoming inflamed
0:08:39 > 0:08:43and is preventing the smooth airflow going down into the windpipe.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46So what we're going to do is literally just clamp and cut
0:08:46 > 0:08:48across this area here, just remove this portion here.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51You can't replace the tissue you're taking off
0:08:51 > 0:08:53and it's quite important we get the measurement
0:08:53 > 0:08:55of how much we're taking off accurate, really.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02Removing the soft palate tissue is a delicate and precise procedure.
0:09:02 > 0:09:03Without this operation,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Lily could suffocate after exercise or in hot weather.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12We're taking it to the back of the tonsil.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14It's a bit inflamed at the moment, as you'd expect.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Once the inflammation settles, it should certainly help where we are.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21The proof of the pudding is basically within the next sort of week or so,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24whether we find that it's been sufficiently resected
0:09:24 > 0:09:28to make a difference. So, yeah, happy.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31- Let's go and pop her in. She's got a kennel, has she?- Yeah.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33OK, that's fine.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35Lily is moved to recovery area,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38where Geraint will check she's safely coming out of her anaesthetic
0:09:38 > 0:09:41before handing her care over to the nursing team.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47It's a prerequisite of the job to like animals
0:09:47 > 0:09:51but it's definitely a vocational job.
0:09:51 > 0:09:57You've got to do it for the animals, the love of animals, really.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59- LILY WHINES - All right, sweetie.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08Gower is peppered with all sorts of farms and smallholdings.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16And Ifan Lloyd has visited most of them in the line of veterinary duty.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19We're going down to Horton first of all.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23We've got a herd there - a herd of Charolais - or a beef farm,
0:10:23 > 0:10:27with about 40 to 50 cattle to TB-test.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Testing for bovine tuberculosis is required annually
0:10:30 > 0:10:33at any farm with cattle in Wales.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Father and daughter Louise and John Mumby
0:10:39 > 0:10:43hope their prize-winning Charolais herd will pass with flying colours.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49This is my old faithful, my Royal Welsh winner in 2006.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51- Oh, this one?- Yeah.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01Ifan is injecting two types of TB into every single cow in the herd.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07It will take three days to see if the animal has a reaction,
0:11:07 > 0:11:11so it's an anxious time for any farmer, as Ifan knows.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16I think many farmers consider the TB test is a bit of a lottery
0:11:16 > 0:11:20because they never know what the result is going to be.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22It's a particularly stressful time for farmers
0:11:22 > 0:11:24when they have the TB test,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27because they do not want to be under restriction.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31Well, the financial side of it is you're held up for 12 months
0:11:31 > 0:11:33and you can't sell anything off the farm.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36If it happens to be in the winter months of the year,
0:11:36 > 0:11:38and you have to buy in extra stock,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41and the welfare of the animals as well,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44that is a big expense for the dairy farmers, especially.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Skin measurements of each cow are also recorded
0:11:48 > 0:11:52to see if the animal reacts to the TB injections.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56Don't inject me now, Ifan.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Well, it would be a first.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- And the last.- And the last!
0:12:05 > 0:12:08The first part of the test is complete,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12but time is money for a modern vet. There's another job waiting.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15They had time in the old days to have a cup of coffee,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17but now they're always filling in forms
0:12:17 > 0:12:19and rushing off to the next job.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Yes, that's right.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24They're chasing their tail all the time so, unfortunately,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27I don't drink so much Scotch any longer.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32Ifan will be back in 72 hours to check the herd's results.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Not all pets like visiting the vets.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44Reluctant pussy cat Bacardi is in pain
0:12:44 > 0:12:48and his owner, Pam, is worried it could be a recurring problem with his pancreas,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50so she has come to see vet Sarah Martin.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57- Back in 2007, he'd had his pancreatitis, isn't that right?- Yes.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00- And he was quite ill then, wasn't he?- He was very ill.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03We nearly lost him and we don't want to go through that again.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08I think it would definitely be worth running the haematology,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10just to check on the levels of the blood cells.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13With him being quite miserable, having a temperature,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16it's worth keeping him in overnight and popping him on a drip.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19I'm not cos because he normally sleeps in my bed with me!
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Oh, right!
0:13:21 > 0:13:24I think he's a very spoilt little kitty, I'm sure.
0:13:24 > 0:13:25They both are, believe me,
0:13:25 > 0:13:29but I don't want to go through what we went through in 2007.
0:13:29 > 0:13:34Yeah, I think it's the fact if he didn't have the history of being so ill before,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36I think it probably is worth getting things now
0:13:36 > 0:13:42and try to prevent any worsening of his condition, rather than waiting.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45If he's been unwell for a few days, he's not getting better,
0:13:45 > 0:13:47it probably is best for him, then.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51- He thinks you can't see him now. - I know, he's hiding!
0:13:51 > 0:13:53It is the ostrich mentality, isn't it?
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Hide the head and I won't know what's going on.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59One night in a luxury place like this'll do you good, eh?
0:13:59 > 0:14:04Right, Mr Bacardi, I'm afraid you're staying with us now tonight.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07- Look after him for me.- We will. - He's very precious.
0:14:10 > 0:14:11Here she is.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14SHE COOS
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Lily the Westie dog's calcium levels have returned to normal,
0:14:17 > 0:14:19and so has she.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23Come here to Mummy. Oh, my good... Oh, oh, oh!
0:14:23 > 0:14:25- Ah, she's pleased to see you, isn't she?- And her dad.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28Full of the joys of spring now.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30LILY WHINES Oh, I know, I know!
0:14:30 > 0:14:31Aw.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34I know! Have you been good? Have you been good?
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Ah, she's seen movement in the box there.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43There they are. There's your little ones.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45Oh, that's fantastic, isn't it?
0:14:45 > 0:14:47Will she be able to feed any of them now?
0:14:47 > 0:14:49I'd probably say not, to be honest.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53It'd probably be better to get her into the habit of...
0:14:53 > 0:14:56We're just thinking of the runt, just put the runt on.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01- Which one is the runt, then? - This one. This is the runt.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Oh, he's a bit smaller, isn't he?
0:15:03 > 0:15:05And the little girl, this one.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09As long as it's just those three puppies, we should probably be OK.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Let's have a look, then.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13We'll just check their palates are OK
0:15:13 > 0:15:15and also check them for hernias as well.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18- And their eyes...- Their eyes are starting to open as well.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21I just noticed that because we were starting to worry
0:15:21 > 0:15:23but only that one and she's Screecher,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25the noisiest of the lot of them.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27- Is she? - She starts and they all start.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30He's half asleep. He hasn't even noticed he's been picked up!
0:15:30 > 0:15:34Brilliant. OK, so, that's fine.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37So that's a success story, hopefully.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40- Yes, hopefully. When she calms down. - Good, good!
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Everybody's been so worried about you, haven't they?
0:15:50 > 0:15:53There's a new kid on the block in the farming world...
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Alpacas.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59They're renowned for their fine wool and good temperament.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02At Ingrid Batcup's smallholding,
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Ifan has arrived to lend a helping hand to fellow vet Amy Teal.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11It's not easy working from the back of a car on a windy day
0:16:11 > 0:16:16like today, because everything will get blown away!
0:16:17 > 0:16:22Today, three-year-old Ianto is the focus of the vets' attention.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24He's going to be neutered,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27because owner Ingrid doesn't think he has breeding potential.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30What we've done is separated these boys out
0:16:30 > 0:16:34because they're not suitable for stud,
0:16:34 > 0:16:39so, unfortunately for them, they have another option.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Good boy. There we are. Excellent job.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52It might be better to hold his head.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Alpacas are quite used to being laid on their side, aren't they,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58- cos that's how they're sheared. - That's right, yeah.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03It's never going to be as sterile as it would be
0:17:03 > 0:17:06if you had the luxury of being in an operating theatre
0:17:06 > 0:17:09as with small animals.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Ianto has been given a local anaesthetic
0:17:12 > 0:17:14so he won't feel a thing,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18and it's a surprisingly quick and simple procedure for him.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21- So this is the testicle.- Mm.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24It's not something that we sort of have to do routinely,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28- either, is, it, alpaca castrations? - No.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30I quite like goats actually.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33I think they're really charismatic creatures.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37Well, we know now to send Amy out on all the goat calls.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Yeah, I've kept that from you.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41Yeah, I didn't know that.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43Best job in the world when it's not raining!
0:17:43 > 0:17:47It can certainly be the best job in the world but it's never the worst.
0:17:47 > 0:17:48That looks good.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55Ianto is now free to join his fellow alpacas on the farm.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Back at the practice hospital, Bacardi is undergoing further tests
0:18:07 > 0:18:11for pancreatitis with vet Sarah Martin and nurse Shelley.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15But it's not going to be straightforward.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Bacardi has been here before.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19BACARDI YOWLS
0:18:20 > 0:18:23All right, all right. There we go. All done.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25We need to get a catheter into this cat.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28By the way, we're restraining him. We're not hurting him at all.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30He's not liking it but, then again,
0:18:30 > 0:18:32he's not liking having the catheter in,
0:18:32 > 0:18:34so it's either one way or the other with him, unfortunately.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Hopefully, one day, he'll be able to see that
0:18:37 > 0:18:39what we're doing is for the good.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41BACARDI YOWLS
0:18:41 > 0:18:42Basically, what we're doing
0:18:42 > 0:18:45is placing a catheter into the vein in the front of his leg.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48We're going to give him some fluids.
0:18:48 > 0:18:53He was very, very ill a few years ago with pancreatitis,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56which is inflammation of the pancreas.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59That can make them very, very ill.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04They get really ill with it and it's very painful as well.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07So he's quite lucky he made a very good recovery from it.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Unfortunately, not all cats tend to.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13So, by giving him this medication, hopefully it should encourage him
0:19:13 > 0:19:16and we're trying to tempt him to eat some food overnight
0:19:16 > 0:19:18and to get him back eating again
0:19:18 > 0:19:20as I think that's the most important thing.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23As his owner was saying earlier, he's a greedy cat.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25So if we can get him back eating,
0:19:25 > 0:19:29that's going to show he's feeling a lot better in himself, then.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Right, Mister, shall we get you into bed, then?
0:19:34 > 0:19:38Sarah's hunch was correct. Pancreatitis was confirmed.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41But, with medication, Bacardi made a full recovery
0:19:41 > 0:19:43and was able to go home.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Lily the Staffordshire bull terrier
0:19:50 > 0:19:53has recovered from her throat surgery...
0:19:53 > 0:19:54There she is.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57..and Geraint can hand her back to her owner, Mrs Blewitt,
0:19:57 > 0:20:00with no more breathing difficulties.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Wait. There's a good girl.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05So the anaesthetic's worn off?
0:20:05 > 0:20:09Yeah, the anaesthetic's worn off so she's basically fine.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12She's probably due to have a pee this morning, actually.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Did she drink and eat something last night?
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Yeah, she had some food last night without any problems.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20She had some water as well.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Oh, dear, dear. Pouting now, are you?
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Are you pouting? Aw.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27So she's not on any medication at this point in time, is she?
0:20:27 > 0:20:30She's going to go home on some anti-inflammatories for pain relief,
0:20:30 > 0:20:33and some antibiotics as well that you can just put in her food.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35The antibiotics can start this evening.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40- THEY LAUGH - Desperate to jump off there!
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Yes, she's, she's...
0:20:45 > 0:20:47A vet's life is full of highs and lows,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49and at times it can be stressful.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Geraint has found his own way of dealing with this.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01A bit of boxercise!
0:21:06 > 0:21:08You need to escape the job,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10otherwise you'd be there most of the evening,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13working into the night on other people's problems.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15There's always something to do in a job like ours
0:21:15 > 0:21:19so it's nice to have a good... Well, it's important, it's healthy
0:21:19 > 0:21:21to have a good work-life balance, really.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24It's really good to come to a session like this
0:21:24 > 0:21:27because the pressure of work sometimes gets to you
0:21:27 > 0:21:29and you need to sort of let it all out.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32So it's a good way to let off a bit of steam after a stressful day,
0:21:32 > 0:21:36combined with a bit of dance music, which I'm really passionate about.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39It's an awesome workout as well so, yeah.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54The practice never sleeps. It's staffed 24 hours a day.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59It's 2am and Beau, a cat, has been brought in
0:21:59 > 0:22:03with a life-threatening injury to his stomach.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06So he's currently quite stable in himself as well.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10He's not showing any signs of shock or anything.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14He's had an unexplained accident and his intestines are exposed.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16Oh, good boy.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19Vet Sarah knows he will need emergency surgery.
0:22:19 > 0:22:24It needs to be done now. The quicker we get to it, the better for him.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Obviously, if there's been a lot of skin ripped away,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30it's going to make it harder to close afterwards.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32We also need to check whether we're going to need
0:22:32 > 0:22:34an extra pair of hands in there.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39He's missing quite a bit of skin here, too,
0:22:39 > 0:22:41which might complicate things.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Hello, Geraint. It's Sarah here.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49We've got a cat in with an abdominal rupture
0:22:49 > 0:22:51and I'm concerned about the amount of skin
0:22:51 > 0:22:53that's left to close it back over.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56I've not really repaired one of these before,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59so I might need a hand with it.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11Time is of the essence, so Sarah starts before Geraint arrives.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17- Good morning.- How are you doing?
0:23:17 > 0:23:19I'm probably going to need a hand.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22There's no intestine involved but it's very close to being involved.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32I've just not had one of these.
0:23:32 > 0:23:33That's OK, Sarah. It's fine.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37- Have you seen any of these, Geraint? - I've seen a couple, yeah.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43Geraint has to check that there's no damage to the cat's internal organs.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46It always amazes me how much you can just take organs out,
0:23:46 > 0:23:48sort of fiddle around with them,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51pop them back in and they manage to sort themselves out afterwards!
0:23:51 > 0:23:55It's actually quite lucky it hasn't perforated its stomach.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Happy everything's fine, Geraint uses a saline solution
0:24:00 > 0:24:02to flush out the cat's abdomen
0:24:02 > 0:24:05before he can stitch the stomach back together.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11It's difficult being presented with something
0:24:11 > 0:24:14you've not dealt with before in the middle of the night and...
0:24:14 > 0:24:18It's always nice to have an extra pair of hands.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20It's always good to have a second person there.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25- What you don't want is for it to open back up, I guess.- That's right.
0:24:25 > 0:24:26We could put a zip in as well.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29That would be quite trendy, wouldn't it?
0:24:33 > 0:24:35He should make a full recovery, to be honest.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Hopefully, with some antibiotics, some pain relief,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41we should be fine now, which is good.
0:24:41 > 0:24:42So, a very lucky cat.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Beau recovered from his overnight life-saving operation
0:24:48 > 0:24:51and was discharged after a short stay at the hospital.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02It's three days since Ifan performed the TB test at Horton Farm.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09He's back to check the herd's reaction.
0:25:09 > 0:25:10This is a big day for the farmer.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13If we do identify a reactor animal,
0:25:13 > 0:25:15then that has two significant effects.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18One, that animal will need to be removed from the herd,
0:25:18 > 0:25:22which means, basically, slaughter.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26And, secondly, the farm is placed under a movement restriction
0:25:26 > 0:25:30until such time that they have two clear tests.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Ifan needs to compare the thickness of the skin now
0:25:35 > 0:25:38to the measurements taken on his previous visit.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41This one is 109. 109 is...
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Do you want to get that big one out?
0:25:47 > 0:25:49The test results are a matter of life or death
0:25:49 > 0:25:51to the Mumby prize herd.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55This one, she won the Royal Welsh in 2006,
0:25:55 > 0:25:59so to have her progeny taken away, if she was a reactor,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02or even an inconclusive, it's not nice.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04We don't want any of them gone
0:26:04 > 0:26:09because we've put a lot of time, effort, money to build the herd up
0:26:09 > 0:26:13to get what we want, and to get the type of animal that we want.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17OK, that's clear. That's clear.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19They can go out, then.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25But the ordeal is not over until the last cow is checked.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30He's got two quite significant...
0:26:31 > 0:26:32..reactions here, Louise.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Ifan is concerned he may have detected a TB reaction with the cow.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43He has to double-check his results.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52- He is fine as well.- Good. - That's a clear test for you.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55That's what you want to hear, isn't it? Fantastic news.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00When it's all clear, it's a big weight off everybody's mind.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03We can carry on farming as we always do.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Are you going to open a bottle of white tonight? >
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Sure am. You going to join us?
0:27:11 > 0:27:15Ifan understand farmers because he's one himself.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21As well as being a full-time vet, he also runs a smallholding,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24breeding prize-winning Ryeland Sheep.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29Daddy, there's one ram and 14 girls.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33And his daughter is learning the ropes.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39And when are they going to have little lambs, do you know?
0:27:39 > 0:27:41- January.- Yes.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43- Yay!- End of January.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46- Is that the one? - That's your favourite sheep, Helen.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49Oh, Helen is a little bit lame, isn't she?
0:27:49 > 0:27:52- Do you like feeding lambs on a bottle?- Yeah!- Yeah.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56And I don't really like them when they get born
0:27:56 > 0:27:58because they don't look very nice.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00No, they're very wet, aren't they?
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Yeah, and they have some red stuff on them.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06Yes, but then the mother licks that off, doesn't she?
0:28:06 > 0:28:08Yeah, but that's just disgusting!
0:28:09 > 0:28:14Well, I enjoy working with farm animals as you've gathered
0:28:14 > 0:28:16and, yeah, I'd like to be a farmer
0:28:16 > 0:28:20but I think now I've reached the stage of life that I'm at,
0:28:20 > 0:28:24then unless the children were particularly wanting to be farmers themselves,
0:28:24 > 0:28:28it's unlikely I'd go into farming full-time.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31How good is your dad being a vet? >
0:28:31 > 0:28:35Very, very, very, very, very, very, very good.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39Well, thank you very much.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd