0:00:00 > 0:00:03This time on Vets 24/7 -
0:00:04 > 0:00:07partner David Steele performs an emergency operation.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09We're very close to the fracture,
0:00:09 > 0:00:13so can't really afford for any of these not to work.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17Down on the farm, vet Rebecca Lee is wrangling alpacas.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Better than a work-out at the gym!
0:00:22 > 0:00:25And exotic specialist Lance Jepson treats a chameleon with
0:00:25 > 0:00:27a mystery lump.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31Whatever it is, it's better off in a bucket than it is on the chameleon.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37From Swansea to Neath, and the pets that they treat, this is a week
0:00:37 > 0:00:42in the life of one of the largest veterinary practices in South Wales.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45This is Vets 24/7.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Early morning in Swansea,
0:00:55 > 0:00:57and as the doors of the St James Veterinary Practice
0:00:57 > 0:01:02open for business, a Pomeranian-cross puppy, Mittens,
0:01:02 > 0:01:06has arrived, needing vet Sarah Martin's help.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10- And she jumped out of... Our arms. - She jumped out of your arms, right.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12And has this just happened now?
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Yes, about half an hour ago, as quick as we could get here.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16There we go. If you pop her on the table.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19- She'll scream like crazy if I put her down.- That's all right.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21We'll arrange her the right way.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23MITTENS SQUEALS
0:01:23 > 0:01:26- You're OK.- She's just holding that arm in a funny position, obviously.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29You can kind of see from her paw that it's hanging a bit more
0:01:29 > 0:01:32loosely than it should do. Yeah.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34I think what she's done is she's broken
0:01:34 > 0:01:36the part of the bone in her leg,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39just above where her wrist is.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44I know, little one. She's gorgeous, isn't she?
0:01:44 > 0:01:47The accident has all been a bit of a shock to Mittens' owner,
0:01:47 > 0:01:48Mrs Morgan.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51It doesn't make you very good to see anything suffering, or hurting,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54and she's pretty special to me.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Poor baby.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Mittens' broken leg will need to be fixed, so she's
0:02:00 > 0:02:04admitted to the hospital and will have to wait for a slot in theatre.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11The practice has branches all over Southwest Wales,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14and has been caring for animals for over 100 years.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20In Neath, Ashley and Leon have arrived with Alfie,
0:02:20 > 0:02:23a chameleon who's been feeling a bit off-colour.
0:02:23 > 0:02:24Get him off!
0:02:26 > 0:02:29He tells you when he wants to come out of the tank and when he
0:02:29 > 0:02:31goes on the bed, his spots come out.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35It's leopard-print bedding.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38But apart from that, he usually stays the same colour.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40More interesting than a cat or dog.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42He is really fun.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45A nasty lump has been bothering Alfie for a while.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49- He's annoyed now. - I hope he's awake now.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52- He's gone into spotty phase.- Yes.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56One of the UK's leading specialists in exotic animals is
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Lance Jepson, and he knows his reptiles.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Colour change and colour patterning in chameleons is an emotional
0:03:02 > 0:03:06reaction, and that's Yemen Chameleon for, "I'm a bit cheesed off."
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Alfie is facing difficult surgery to remove the lump.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15My main concern is the actual size of it.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20We might not have good skin closure in which case,
0:03:20 > 0:03:22we may have to suture a dressing over it,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24which isn't ideal.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30The first thing is to remove this mass as best we can.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33Because, to put it bluntly,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36whatever it is, it's better off in a bucket that it is on the chameleon.
0:03:38 > 0:03:4360 to 70 percent convinced that it's a tumour of some description.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45Other possibilities would be an abscess,
0:03:45 > 0:03:48but it doesn't look quite typical of that.
0:03:48 > 0:03:49There we are.
0:03:51 > 0:03:56The bad thing about reptile skin is it's not that elastic,
0:03:56 > 0:04:00which means we may well have difficulty bringing that together.
0:04:03 > 0:04:04Well, it's coming together
0:04:04 > 0:04:09better than what I thought initially it might do.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12I confess, it's no work of surgical art.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17But, I think I've managed to close the bulk of the deficit.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Now all Alfie has to do is get over
0:04:22 > 0:04:24the trauma of his operation.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31There are five partners in the practice.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33And Irish-born David Steele
0:04:33 > 0:04:35has a keen interest in orthopaedic surgery.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41He's been called in to operate on Mittens,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44the Pomeranian-cross puppy with a broken leg.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49And that's basically the front from the dog's elbow to its wrist,
0:04:49 > 0:04:53so from here to here. That's about that.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55But that's the little plate there,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57I don't know if that gives you any kind of idea,
0:04:57 > 0:04:59how well you can see that.
0:05:01 > 0:05:02So that would go on to the bone.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06Looking at it, I'm just a little bit concerned in case there might
0:05:06 > 0:05:10be a longitudinal crack down here, which could make the placement
0:05:10 > 0:05:14of the implant a little more complicated than we want it to be.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16My dad and brother are both engineers,
0:05:16 > 0:05:20so maybe there's a sort of family trait in the genes there somewhere,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23but, yeah, I quite enjoy working with drills and screws
0:05:23 > 0:05:27and metal and maybe it just appeals to my DIY side, perhaps.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32Mittens is having an anaesthetic.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34And in a little dog,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37this is just as delicate as the surgery she will soon be facing.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50There are 18 vets at the practice, and being so close to rural
0:05:50 > 0:05:53communities, a quarter of their work involves treating farm animals.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Vet Rebecca Lee spends most of her week on the road with her dog,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Murphy.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04It's a job that I wouldn't swap for the world,
0:06:04 > 0:06:08and I absolutely love it. To be able to help people
0:06:08 > 0:06:12and their animals is just an unbelievable feeling, it really is.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19But it's not just traditional livestock that Rebecca looks after.
0:06:21 > 0:06:22Originating from South America,
0:06:22 > 0:06:26alpacas have proven popular with smallholders in Wales.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31In Felindre, near Morriston, Steve Hetherington keeps
0:06:31 > 0:06:33a flock for their wool and for breeding.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Oh, this is good.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39- There we are.- Good girl.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43We're giving them a drench against liver fluke.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48It's spread in a little tiny snail that lives in muddy conditions.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50The young liver fluke migrate through the liver
0:06:50 > 0:06:51and cause immense liver damage.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54We're using a product that kills off both the adults
0:06:54 > 0:06:57and the young ones that migrate through the liver.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59This one's called Hermione.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03- You know them all individually by name, do you?- Yeah.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06And the ones that have been born here, we've given Welsh names to.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10This one is Megan. She was the...
0:07:10 > 0:07:12She was the first-born.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18Steady. Good girl.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20A healthy herd is a happy herd,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23but they don't always appreciate the vet's efforts.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Generally they're very placid.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28They don't like being fiddled with too much, though.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30And that's a spit.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34Bit of a warning, isn't it?
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Generally, they're all right, they tend to kick.
0:07:39 > 0:07:44- Whoa! A bit of a kick there. Hey, that's enough of that.- Go on.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Occupational hazard of the job, that is, being kicked.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51- You're wrestling.- Having a bit of a wrestle with this one.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53It's all right.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02That's better than a work-out at the gym, that is!
0:08:05 > 0:08:08Right, missus, you're done, I think.
0:08:13 > 0:08:14Back at the hospital,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Mittens the puppy is about to go under the knife.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Surgeon David Steele knows he has to be at the top of his game.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26It's quite fiddly because it's such a small dog, it's very, very young
0:08:26 > 0:08:30which means the bone is very soft, which makes it a challenge as well.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33And, yeah, this is quite a challenging fracture to repair
0:08:33 > 0:08:35compared to some of the ones that we do.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40It'll be a painstaking procedure to expose the broken bone.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46We have to be very careful, obviously, not to damage any...
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Any tendons. It's quite delicate.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55That's good. That's good.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00This plate is made of medical-grade stainless steel.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03It is also used in operations to repair human fractures.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08What we've done is we've got the plate on pretty well,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10and we've clamped it in place.
0:09:10 > 0:09:11What I'm doing now is basically
0:09:11 > 0:09:13drilling and tapping a hole so that we can
0:09:13 > 0:09:17start putting the screws into the plate that hold it on to the bone.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19On a small puppy like Mittens,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22David is working within fractions of a millimetre.
0:09:22 > 0:09:23We're point one, yeah?
0:09:29 > 0:09:32There's a very, very small margin for error.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35And we're very close to the fracture site here,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38so can't really afford for any of these not to work.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41So, I feel a little bit happier now that one's gone in nicely.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45We've got three screws in the distal fragment
0:09:45 > 0:09:48and four screws in the proximal fragment.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51But this is a thing of beauty and science and art
0:09:51 > 0:09:53and magic all in one!
0:09:55 > 0:09:58It's definitely not just, not just anything, this is beauty.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02With the two-hour operation completed,
0:10:02 > 0:10:04it's time for Mittens to recover.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11And time for David to de-stress.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14He's off to Llangennith Beach for another challenge.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23It's good fun, it's always quite refreshing.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29It's good to be able to concentrate when you're at work,
0:10:29 > 0:10:31but it's good to get a complete break.
0:10:33 > 0:10:38Surfing is a passion, but being a vet was always David's dream.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41I think I've always wanted to be a vet ever since primary school.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43I've always liked animals,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46and there's never really been anything else I've wanted to do.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Yeah. I'd have been... Gutted if I couldn't have been a vet.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Best job in the world.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Not all pets can make it into the vet's.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10This morning, Lance Jepson is out on a home visit in the Swansea Valley.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16Peter Bowles's Koi carp aren't looking too good.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21He thinks they have a parasite called Costia,
0:11:21 > 0:11:23so Lance is taking a sample.
0:11:25 > 0:11:26OK. That's fine, just pop that there
0:11:26 > 0:11:29and have a look at the gills on this one.
0:11:29 > 0:11:30There we are. Good girl.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34No, no, don't want you flopping over and going anywhere you shouldn't.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37They don't like being handled at all, to be honest with you.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40It's just something you've got to do on a regular basis to make
0:11:40 > 0:11:42sure that you keep them healthy.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44That's fine.
0:11:45 > 0:11:46OK. Drop her back in now. Yeah.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50Peter is right to be worried.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54Last year, he lost his prize Koi carp to the parasite.
0:11:54 > 0:11:55So, he's hoping Lance can help.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Costia is a tiny little single-celled parasite.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Because fish immunity is so dependent upon water temperature,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05fluctuations in temperature can mean that the immune system
0:12:05 > 0:12:08kind of works, then it doesn't, then it works, then it doesn't.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11And that can provide a way for parasites to get in
0:12:11 > 0:12:13and cause problems.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19It's an anxious wait while Lance checks for signs of the parasite.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23If Peter has to replace his collection,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26it will cost him tens of thousands of pounds.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29- We've got Costia again.- Yeah?
0:12:30 > 0:12:32I can seem the moving around.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35That's a little Costia there, moving around.
0:12:35 > 0:12:36Not quite sure which way to go.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Lance will kill the parasite with a salt treatment,
0:12:41 > 0:12:43and save the Koi.
0:12:43 > 0:12:44And as an exotic specialist,
0:12:44 > 0:12:48Lance and fish parasites have a long history together.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Taking parasites off fish when you were 15, seriously?
0:12:51 > 0:12:55- So, you knew exactly what you wanted to be, then.- I know.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59All my mates were going out, pulling girls, getting drunk.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02- I'm just pulling parasites off fish. - Pulling parasites off fish! Ha-ha!
0:13:02 > 0:13:04- I live life on the edge.- Yeah.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14In Bon-y-maen, Lance's patient Alfie the chameleon is
0:13:14 > 0:13:17recovering from his operation to remove a nasty lump,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21which was all a bit stressful for Ashley and Leon.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Lance phoned to say the operation went, that's where my heart sank.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27It was like, "Uh-oh." I was like, "No."
0:13:27 > 0:13:29And he said, "Oh, it's all right.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31"He's fine." Phew. Sweat over.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35When we first had him back, he was brown.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Took him a couple of days and then obviously his lime-green
0:13:39 > 0:13:42started to come out then, starting to get a bit more comfortable.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45It's healing all right, isn't it? He's back to his normal self.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Hasn't slowed him down. He's quicker now, he's more sleek, Alfie.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Streamlined, like a proper chameleon now.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57It's only the top bit now which needs to heal a bit,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00and when he's next due to shed his skin,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02most of that will probably go.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Obviously, he's going to miss a few spikes on top,
0:14:05 > 0:14:07but you don't need them.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11But I wouldn't change him for the world.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15He's awesome.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19Alfie the little dinosaur.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28Murph, come on.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32At the large animal practice near the Mumbles, vet Rebecca Lee and
0:14:32 > 0:14:36her four-legged companion, Murphy, are heading out on their rounds.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44In Cwmafan, near Port Talbot, Rebecca has come to see Socks,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47a horse with a painful heel laceration that has worried
0:14:47 > 0:14:49her owner, Louise.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53She pawed the gate and got her leg stuck and cut the back of her hoof.
0:14:56 > 0:14:57Hush, hush, hush, hush.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03We need to be especially careful because of the structure
0:15:03 > 0:15:06that's running in this area here, the tendon sheath.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10This flat bit's not got a particularly good blood supply.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13I would expect it to die back,
0:15:13 > 0:15:18so what we may do is just pop a little dressing on in the short term.
0:15:18 > 0:15:23And just give that tissue underneath a little bit of time to heal.
0:15:25 > 0:15:26There we go. OK?
0:15:26 > 0:15:30The care for all creatures great and small began as a toddler
0:15:30 > 0:15:31for Rebecca.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35An ambition arose when I was two years old, as it happens.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39We had an old Springer spaniel and he injured his shoulder
0:15:39 > 0:15:46and the vet at the time explained the X-rays and things to me, being
0:15:46 > 0:15:52a real youngster and from then, I was just sold, I wanted to be a vet.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57I'm living the dream, yes!
0:16:01 > 0:16:05Not every practice has an onsite hospital.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08So sometimes, clients are referred from other vets in Wales.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Gemma Stephens and her dog Daisy have travelled
0:16:16 > 0:16:20from Port Talbot for surgery, as Daisy has broken her leg.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24She fell down two steps, I think, in the garden.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27So I don't know whether she has landed on it awkwardly,
0:16:27 > 0:16:32but she has fractured the two bones up into her elbow.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34I'm hoping she's going to be OK.
0:16:36 > 0:16:37There we are. Come in.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- How are you doing? - Not too bad, thanks.- OK.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43There we are. I'm Gareth, I'm the vet. OK?
0:16:43 > 0:16:45- I think I've seen you before. - Yeah, I've met you before.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48- This is Daisy, isn't it?- Yes. - How has she been at home with you?
0:16:48 > 0:16:52Partner Gareth Field knows that this will be a complicated operation
0:16:52 > 0:16:55and that there is a lot at stake the Daisy.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57It's quite a nasty break.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00It's going to be quite tricky to fix, partly
0:17:00 > 0:17:04because of the type of break but also she is just so tiny.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08Her bones are really small, tiny little bamboo sticks really.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10She's broken through this bone here
0:17:10 > 0:17:14and down the middle of these two bones here.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17This part here has completely come away.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21There is a risk that we might not be able to fix it or we might fix it
0:17:21 > 0:17:22and it might break down.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26If that were to happen then there is a chance she might lose the leg.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33There we are, then. Are you going to be good? There we go.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Don't panic.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41After Gareth settles Daisy in for her operation, it becomes
0:17:41 > 0:17:45apparent she's got a lot in common with her next-door neighbour.
0:17:45 > 0:17:50Little Mittens, who also has broken her leg, is the same breed
0:17:50 > 0:17:54and has the same birthday as new arrival Daisy.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57All Daisy's family have come to visit,
0:17:57 > 0:18:01as they are amazed to discover that the dogs are in fact sisters.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05- That's her sister.- There she is. - There's Daisy.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10- So you can see the similarities between them.- ALL: Aw!
0:18:10 > 0:18:12She's absolutely fab.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Look at her.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Yes, as I said, it's the same leg with the pair of them
0:18:17 > 0:18:21- and everything.- I didn't believe her when she first told me.- Shocking.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Like I said, there's
0:18:23 > 0:18:26so many different vets that we could have gone to, right,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29and we have actually come from down Port Talbot way to a vet over
0:18:29 > 0:18:32here and for her sister to end up in the same vet.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34It's absolutely shocking.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38This is a first at the practice.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41I've not seen two dogs from the same litter, like,
0:18:41 > 0:18:45that have been separated and from different families come back,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49especially within a day of each other. It's mad, isn't it? Crazy.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56At Swansea's Plantasia Centre,
0:18:56 > 0:19:00Lance's expertise in exotics is required.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05He needs to check on a monkey with a suspected leg problem.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08All right, folks?
0:19:11 > 0:19:15We don't know which one it is yet, do we?
0:19:15 > 0:19:18I suspect it's one of the ones in the back.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21That would be just the way life is.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24- I'll just...- Come on, then.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28These cotton top tamarin monkeys are an endangered species.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32It's important for Lance to check the animal's leg without
0:19:32 > 0:19:33upsetting the group.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36You can see what their environment is.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40If you try and catch them with nets, there is a risk of trauma, a risk
0:19:40 > 0:19:45of damage and also actually medicate or separating that tamarin from
0:19:45 > 0:19:49the group, it can alter the social make-up of the group, which can
0:19:49 > 0:19:53then make it harder to reintroduce that animal back into the group.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55But at the moment, a closer look would be good.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Finally, Lance gets his chance.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06And he can report back to head keeper Nathan.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09It looks like it's healed. It looks like it's scarred.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13I think what we've got is a healing wound.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17It doesn't look open, as such, to me.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19I think actually we'll just keep an eye on it.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22If you think the situation is changing or
0:20:22 > 0:20:26if he goes lame on that leg, so starts showing signs of discomfort,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29then I think we will have to bite the bullet and catch him up.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33- I think we'll call that a day. - Lovely.- OK?
0:20:33 > 0:20:36- Thank you very much for having a look.- No problem.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42At the hospital in Sketty,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Mittens is recovering from her leg operation.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49And now it's sister Daisy's turn to go under the surgeon's knife.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53Partners David and Gareth will have to work together to repair
0:20:53 > 0:20:55her broken joint.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58You can see this fragment coming off here.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00It has just separated away from the bone.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02I think it will be difficult generally.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06I think it will be doubly difficult just because of the size of the dog.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09That's why there's going to be two of us.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11Always a team effort in these things.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13- Keep each other on the right track. - Yeah. Definitely.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17Two heads are better than one with these things, that's for sure.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24If things go wrong, Daisy's leg will have to be amputated.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30This specialist surgery will stretch the surgeons to the limit.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38But before they even start, there's an unexpected discovery.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42- I think this is dislocated further since yesterday's X-ray.- Yeah.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46The problem is that this has to attach to this bit sticking out
0:21:46 > 0:21:51here now. They are still quite far apart really.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54- Quite a long way between them. - Try and push it through the skin.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Would you like to snap that bone back into place?
0:22:05 > 0:22:09It looks a bit brutal, but it needs to be done.
0:22:09 > 0:22:14This is basically the piece of bone that has to join back onto here.
0:22:14 > 0:22:19- I think that looks good. Looks like it has gone.- Yeah.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21- Are you going to hold that?- Yeah.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Although the drill is bigger than the dog,
0:22:27 > 0:22:31this is delicate work with no margin for error.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39It feels like it is going in well. Feels nice and tight.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43I should be able to see it. But I think that's pretty good.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46I'm happy with that.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48- Spot on.- Looks good.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50- Happy?- Yeah.
0:22:50 > 0:22:51Yeah.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Back in Cwmafan, vet Rebecca Lee is still at the yard,
0:23:02 > 0:23:04checking in on her next patient.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08A Shetland pony with an embarrassing body problem.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Oh, gosh, he has got quite a patch of hair loss there.
0:23:13 > 0:23:14It's quite circular
0:23:14 > 0:23:19and the hair seems to come away quite easily from there as well.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22I wonder whether this could be ringworm.
0:23:22 > 0:23:27This lesion here, I want to just take some hair samples of...
0:23:27 > 0:23:32and we'll get it cultured and work out exactly what's going on.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Just pop this into a sample bag.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Obviously, it's got human health implications as well.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41We need to wear gloves and make sure that,
0:23:41 > 0:23:44when you've handled these, you wash your hands.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Just make sure that you wash up and disinfect thoroughly.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50And then as soon as we've got these hair sample results,
0:23:50 > 0:23:52we'll let you know.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54A sweet little thing, isn't he? He's lovely.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02At Cefn Gorwydd farm in Gowerton,
0:24:02 > 0:24:06the welfare of horses is more than just a job for Rebecca -
0:24:06 > 0:24:09it's also her passion outside of work.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13All right, girlie, shall we go for a ride?
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Good girl. Easy. This is Pepper.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18Pepper is a nine-year-old Welsh pony.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20And...
0:24:21 > 0:24:25..although by day I'm a vet with St James',
0:24:25 > 0:24:29I also have been riding most of my life and...
0:24:30 > 0:24:34I met Pepper on a routine visit
0:24:34 > 0:24:36and she was perhaps carrying a little more weight
0:24:36 > 0:24:37than she should have been.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41I got talking to her owner. It transpires she'd been a bit naughty.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44She just needed a little bit more education.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48So, we got chatting and agreed to ride her.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58It's all about just treating her to walk, trot and canter,
0:24:58 > 0:25:01just to do what she's asked to do, and she's very keen.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05- Yay! - Go, Pepper.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07She's been making great strides,
0:25:07 > 0:25:09so to do something like this is really rewarding
0:25:09 > 0:25:10with my time off work.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22Being a vet isn't just about treating animals...
0:25:22 > 0:25:25it's also about putting owners on the right path
0:25:25 > 0:25:27for caring for their pets.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Daddy used to have butterflies.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31Exotic vet Lance has written books on the subject,
0:25:31 > 0:25:35and today six-year-old Dillon is visiting with her new pet tortoise.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39So, this is Scurry.
0:25:39 > 0:25:46I really wanted a tortoise and we read all of your books...
0:25:46 > 0:25:49but we got a tortoise.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52She might be a boy or a girl.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54It's a bit too young to tell.
0:25:54 > 0:25:55It does have a very girly tail.
0:25:55 > 0:26:00That's what you thought, wasn't it? After reading your book.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03But that shell is a lovely shape - it's nice and firm.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06And, actually, it looks like a really,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10- really healthy Hermann's tortoise. - Good.
0:26:10 > 0:26:15After Scurry's clean bill of health, Dillon has a surprise for Lance.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Oh, thank you very much, Dillon.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21That's a good picture of the tortoise as well. Thank you.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Please can you sign my book?
0:26:24 > 0:26:26As it's you.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Now, my writing...is awful.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31I hope you've got better writing.
0:26:31 > 0:26:32Thank you.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Absolutely my pleasure.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37- Shake your hand. - Say, "Thank you very much."
0:26:37 > 0:26:40- Nice to meet you. - Thank you.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42It's nice to meet you.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44I've had one or two people asking me to sign their books
0:26:44 > 0:26:48but not normally as young as Dillon, so, yeah, that was really nice.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55As the hospital in Sketty,
0:26:55 > 0:26:59it's time for Daisy to be reunited with her owners Gemma and Sean.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03I just put her in the blanket.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10She's doing really well and we're really happy with her,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12and there's been no infection or anything, so it's great.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14She sleeps in the bed and I kept turning over,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16stroke her all the time and she weren't there.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18It's the first time since I've had her.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20It was horrible. I didn't like it.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25And Mittens is also ready for home,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28and gets a chance to catch up with sister Daisy.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31There she goes!
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Aw, bless.
0:27:35 > 0:27:36Oh!
0:27:36 > 0:27:38ALL LAUGH
0:27:38 > 0:27:41You can tell she's had an issue.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44That wasn't the reunion I was thinking of.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47- She's temperamental, this one is. - Is she?
0:27:47 > 0:27:51And I hope, if we meet again, you're going to be in a better disposition.
0:27:51 > 0:27:52I don't think so.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55She'll probably be out cold.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Those are things that make the job what it is.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02It's the magic of taking an animal, which is unwell and painful,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04and being able to do something, hopefully,
0:28:04 > 0:28:08which gets it back - that's where the satisfaction comes.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15Next time on Vets 24/7...
0:28:16 > 0:28:20..partner Gareth Field investigates a mysterious blockage.
0:28:20 > 0:28:21This is his stomach.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24If he hasn't eaten for three days, that should be empty.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28Vet Gwen Rhys is called out to help a 26-year-old horse.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32We may have to think about it being the end of the road.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36And partner Di Roberts gives Bronson a pedicure.
0:28:36 > 0:28:37Polishing his pads up.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39Well, this thing's brilliant, isn't it?
0:28:39 > 0:28:42DOG SNORES
0:28:42 > 0:28:45Subtitles By Red Bee Media Ltd