0:00:03 > 0:00:04This time on Vets 24/7,
0:00:04 > 0:00:08partner Ifan Lloyd is taking no chances with some angry cows.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Calm down, dear!
0:00:12 > 0:00:16Vet Sarah Martin has her hands full with a special delivery.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20It's like One Born Every Minute, isn't it?
0:00:20 > 0:00:23And Alex Franklin needs a strong stomach
0:00:23 > 0:00:27as she tries to save a pony with colic.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30It's not a very nice smell down there and taste, I must say.
0:00:33 > 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.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48COW MOOS
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Swansea, and for over 100 years,
0:00:55 > 0:01:00the St James vets have been caring for pets.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04Today, Helen and Gavin are visiting with their 11-year-old
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Jack Russell, Max, who's been losing weight.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11He is one of my kids, so I've got two others in the house and they're
0:01:11 > 0:01:14all treated like babies, so yeah, they're part of my family, really.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18So whatever I do for my kitten or for my daughter, I would do for them. So, yeah.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Just got to get him checked, make sure he's OK now.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26Max and his owners are hoping vet Alex Franklin will be able to help them.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Lovely. So you've seen my colleague Gareth in Neath, haven't you? OK.
0:01:30 > 0:01:35- So, anything else? Any other changes or concerns?- He's very lethargic.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39He sleeps an awful lot these days. He's normally very energetic.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43- His appetite isn't the greatest. - Is that normal for him?
0:01:43 > 0:01:46No, he's normally a very good eater.
0:01:46 > 0:01:51- That's his collar that it would normally be on.- OK. How long...
0:01:51 > 0:01:55- What sort of period are we talking about?- Oh, a few weeks.
0:01:55 > 0:01:56Probably about four weeks.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00Three to four weeks, something like that. We've noticed a decline.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04We're going to start with full bloods, check all his organ systems.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07We'll then proceed to a scan of his abdomen, OK?
0:02:07 > 0:02:12Hopefully, then, we'll have a picture of what's going on. Then, we'll know where we can go from here.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17- Yeah, that's fine.- OK?- Yeah. - Come on, then, Max. You're going to stay with me.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21- Here, Max.- Bye. Thank you.- Good boy. Bye. We'll speak to you later.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24We're not going to jump to conclusions at this stage.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27We have to actually work out what's going wrong.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30The tests that Max will now face should reveal the answer
0:02:30 > 0:02:32to his weight loss problem.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Ooh, can you hear a big dog? MAX WHINES
0:02:35 > 0:02:40The practice is on the doorstep of the rural Gower communities
0:02:40 > 0:02:42and farmers are important clients.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48Vet Rick Barrowman has been called out to an emergency.
0:02:49 > 0:02:56We're going to see Mr Lloyd. He's got a cow that's gone down on his yard.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59He thinks it might have staggers.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Staggers is a mineral deficiency, which can be life-threatening
0:03:04 > 0:03:08and at Cilffriw Park Farm, Alan Lloyd is pleased to see Rick.
0:03:08 > 0:03:13What I've done this morning before you've come, I've moved
0:03:13 > 0:03:19the cattle out, so that you can have full attention of the cow.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22When she was born, she was quite small
0:03:22 > 0:03:28and we had to lift her up onto her mother for her to suck the milk.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32So she's become a member of the family, really!
0:03:32 > 0:03:35We don't give a lot of hope for her.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38You'd think this may be the end.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42OK, if you can hold the head for me.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44Yeah.
0:03:44 > 0:03:45Good girl.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Good girl.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50The condition staggers is a magnesium deficiency.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53But we'll often get a secondary calcium deficiency associated
0:03:53 > 0:03:55with it.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59What I'm doing here is just trickling some calcium with
0:03:59 > 0:04:02a bit of magnesium in it into the vein.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05I don't believing in ending their life just
0:04:05 > 0:04:07because the cow is old, you know?
0:04:07 > 0:04:10But you're not going in the big box yet.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15She's got to see Wales beat England first!
0:04:15 > 0:04:17RICK CHUCKLES
0:04:20 > 0:04:21That's better. There we go.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23That's better.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Stay now, good girl. Good girl.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27Good girl.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31It seems that Rick's treatment has helped bring the cow round.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34- You've got her eating.- Yeah.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Give her an hour or two,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39if she's not getting up and about, get her on a bed.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42- OK. Thanks, Richard. - No problem at all.- Thanks.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Look at her. She's eating now. Who knows?
0:04:46 > 0:04:50We could be in the Royal Welsh with her next week now!
0:04:54 > 0:04:57At the practice hospital in Sketty...
0:04:57 > 0:04:59So, who do we have here, then?
0:04:59 > 0:05:03..vet Sarah Martin has her own emergency admission.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Ushi, a German shepherd, has given birth to six puppies.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10I'll have a little feel and see how things are going.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14- is this her first litter?- No. - Right.- Second.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Her owner, Andrew, thinks there may be more puppies to come.
0:05:18 > 0:05:23It's been an hour and a half since she had her last pup and I'm a little anxious, in case
0:05:23 > 0:05:26she loses one or it dies inside her cos she's very, very tired.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29There's nothing in the birth canal there now.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33So what we'll do is pop the scanner on her and see how things are looking.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36There we go. If you want to come through, then.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41There we go. There's another puppy there now.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44So there's definitely one there anyway.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47There's no physical reason that we can see why she'd be having
0:05:47 > 0:05:49problems having the puppies.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53And she's not straining to pass them or anything.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57Sometimes, with a big litter, they can just end up a bit tired.
0:05:57 > 0:05:58Good girl.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Ushi's reunited with her puppies.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05And Sarah gives her an injection of oxytocin to help speed up
0:06:05 > 0:06:07the labour and delivery.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Good girl! Oh! Well done, sweetheart!
0:06:10 > 0:06:12There we go.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16She seems pretty happy now she's got the babies back,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19so hopefully now, this should kick-start things again.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Good girl.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29In the treatment room, Max is ready for his diagnostic tests.
0:06:31 > 0:06:36First, he's undergoing an ultrasound scan with vet Sarah.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38So, this is Max's liver up here.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43We're looking for any signs of any lumps or bumps on the liver.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46And everything looks reasonably all right, actually.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50There's no sign of any growths there in the abdomen, which is
0:06:50 > 0:06:54good news, but we still need to get to the bottom of the problem.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56With nothing obvious on the scan,
0:06:56 > 0:07:00the next step is a detailed blood test.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02There we go. All done.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09Vet Alex casts her expert eye over the samples.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Usually, we would see a good number of white blood cells
0:07:12 > 0:07:16and the different types and I've only managed to pick out just
0:07:16 > 0:07:22one white blood cell in the whole time I've been looking so far.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Alex has found the answer.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28With few red and white blood cells being produced,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31it's likely that Max has bone marrow failure.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35It's what we would have not wanted to find.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Just have to tell the owners now and have a chat with them
0:07:38 > 0:07:41about what we do next and where we go from here.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Things are looking pretty bad for Max at the moment.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51The 18 vets who work at the practice are ready to treat
0:07:51 > 0:07:53all creatures great and small.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Young entrepreneur Matthew has brought in one of his hens,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01who's stopped contributing to his business.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05Her name's Flight. And she's a blue silkie.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07SQUAWKS AND CLUCKS
0:08:07 > 0:08:13I get like 21 eggs a week and 84 a month and I've only got three hens.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Each chick will go for £5 each,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19so I get estimated around about £600 a month.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26With 25 years' experience, Rick's ready for pretty much anything.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30Righty-ho. What can we do for you today?
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Well, this is Flight and she's been laying eggs for a year now,
0:08:33 > 0:08:37but a couple of days ago, she stopped laying eggs and she's been
0:08:37 > 0:08:42sitting in the nesting box, trying to pass it, but nothing's coming.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45- Right. She's not egg bound.- Right.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48- I mean, there's no eggs there.- Right.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52It may just be a stress-related thing that's set her off.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56- How big a group is she with? - She's with another three.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59- Another three chickens. And are they all laying?- Yes. They're all laying.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02One of them's not because she was broody and she
0:09:02 > 0:09:06- hatched out two chicks.- Right. As long as we're bright and well,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09all we can do is carry on feeding her and see what happens.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13If you see her going unwell at all, get back to us, but as long as
0:09:13 > 0:09:17she's well, there's not an awful lot we can do, just come back in again.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19- OK.- OK?
0:09:19 > 0:09:21- Thank you.- No problem.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Jack Russell Max's condition has been diagnosed as incurable.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37His owners have been informed.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40There's very little we can do to help him, I'm afraid.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Will he suffer at all if we take him home?
0:09:42 > 0:09:45He wouldn't be able to get oxygen round his blood,
0:09:45 > 0:09:49so he would go that way...and that wouldn't be nice at all,
0:09:49 > 0:09:51but we obviously see him
0:09:51 > 0:09:55much different here than you do at home when he's relaxed.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57- I'd rather do it now then. - SHE SOBS
0:09:57 > 0:10:01We wouldn't want him to get to the stage where he is struggling.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03No, that's what I don't want...
0:10:05 > 0:10:08Helen and Gavin have decided
0:10:08 > 0:10:11the kindest thing to do is to let Max go.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19SHE SOBS
0:10:19 > 0:10:21There's a good boy, Max, eh?
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Everyone loves you so much.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Off to sleep then, sweetheart.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30What a good boy.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Good boy.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Good boy.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Good boy.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46Good boy. He might take a big huff, OK? Don't worry.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Good boy.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55HELEN SOBS
0:10:55 > 0:10:57- He's gone, OK?- Yeah.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01You've done everything in his best interests, guys.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05It's just a shame we couldn't do anything more for him.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08SHE SOBS
0:11:11 > 0:11:14I think I would be doing exactly the same for my own
0:11:14 > 0:11:19and that's the only way that you can relate to it in a day.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21It's never nice to have to do that part of our job,
0:11:21 > 0:11:25but you're making sure animals aren't suffering and that they're
0:11:25 > 0:11:29finishing their life as calmly and as peacefully as possible.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Oh, God.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44In a makeshift maternity room,
0:11:44 > 0:11:48German shepherd Ushi's delivering her seventh pup.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Owner Andrew's on hand to help.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55But there's a problem.
0:11:55 > 0:12:00- That puppy's not breathing, so I'll have to...- OK?- Yeah, she's not...
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Come on!
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Pop it through to the back and put some oxygen and adrenaline, OK?
0:12:05 > 0:12:07- You just keep an eye on these.- Yeah.
0:12:16 > 0:12:17Come on.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19As Alex battles to save the puppy,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Ushi is giving birth to baby number eight.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25That one's back to front. Come on.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27Come on.
0:12:27 > 0:12:28Come on. Good girl.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Sarah tries to breathe life into the tiny puppy.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37Good girl, come on. Good girl.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39Good girl.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42But the vets' efforts are in vain.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Unfortunately, that little pup's not made it.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Tried to give it some oxygen and tried to stimulate its heart,
0:12:51 > 0:12:53but unfortunately,
0:12:53 > 0:12:58it's not uncommon in a large litter for some of them to be born dead.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Good girl.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Next door, there's some good news.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Good girl.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07- It's like One Born Every Minute, isn't it?- Yeah!
0:13:07 > 0:13:10- Literally.- Except she IS having one every minute!- Yeah!
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Good girl! This one's alive. Good girl!
0:13:13 > 0:13:16- Brilliant!- Good girl! - There we go.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19- Good girl!- That's the magic noise, isn't it?- Yeah, good girl!
0:13:19 > 0:13:24Yeah, there we go. Brilliant. So, two females and the rest are all dogs.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29I was a little disappointed one has died, obviously, but it's
0:13:29 > 0:13:33probably nature's way, the strong survive, sort of thing, you know?
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Ushi's the proud mum of seven healthy pups.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47As well as being a popular tourist destination,
0:13:47 > 0:13:51the Gower Peninsula has over 200 working farms.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56Partner Ifan Lloyd has been working with large
0:13:56 > 0:13:58animals for over 25 years.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02When you're driving around Gower on a day like today,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06there's nowhere better in the world because the way the light falls,
0:14:06 > 0:14:10the shadows and the scenery is just absolutely stunning.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Today, Ifan's visiting farmer
0:14:14 > 0:14:18Andrew Oliver on his beef cattle farm in Oxwich.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Andrew's concerned that one of his herd has a condition called
0:14:22 > 0:14:24silage eye.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29It's a serious infection which can lead to blindness if not treated.
0:14:29 > 0:14:30This is a severe one.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Something like this could take a day or two for you to notice.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37- First thing I noticed was...- The runny eye.- And the weeping on her...
0:14:37 > 0:14:38- Yeah.- There.
0:14:38 > 0:14:43We rely on the farmer being a nurse, being a second vet, almost.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45They're the experts on handling the animals.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49You want me to tie her round one side now, Ifan? Quite tight?
0:14:49 > 0:14:52As tight as you can, yeah, without any... No slack.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56Injecting is quite a delicate procedure.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59The last thing you want to do with a needle is to penetrate
0:14:59 > 0:15:01the eyeball itself.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05All right?
0:15:05 > 0:15:10What I've done is I've injected medication into the conjunctival
0:15:10 > 0:15:14sac, which is the space between the eyeball and the socket.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20I'm just applying some antibiotic directly onto
0:15:20 > 0:15:23the surface of the eye as well. There we are, that's done.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Fantastic, Andrew.
0:15:26 > 0:15:31I don't expect her to lose an eye, but I'll ask Andrew to keep...
0:15:31 > 0:15:33Excuse the pun - a very close eye on it
0:15:33 > 0:15:38and if after three or four days it's still looking very painful,
0:15:38 > 0:15:43then I would suggest that I come back and inject her again
0:15:43 > 0:15:45and reassess the situation.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00The practice operates 24/7,
0:16:00 > 0:16:05which means the vets can get some unusual callouts in the small hours.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08OK, I'll go out now and see if we can find him
0:16:08 > 0:16:10and hopefully, get him sorted.
0:16:10 > 0:16:11OK, bye-bye.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Vet Sarah's had a report of a badger that's been
0:16:21 > 0:16:23hit by a car in north Swansea.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27But before she can treat it, she's got to find it.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31We have both the cat catcher and the dog catcher.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35Badgers can be quite aggressive and they can give quite a nasty bite.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39It's quite hard to see where we're going.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48No sign of any badger so far. So we may be on a wild badger hunt.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53We're looking for a badger.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55It's up there on the left.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00- OK, is it far up? Or just a little bit?- It's just up on the left.- Grand.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03OK, brilliant. Thank you very much.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Oh, yeah. There's something by there, isn't there?
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Ah, that's a badger.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Oh, dear.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Oh, there we go. There's quite a lot of blood there.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17So, unfortunately, this is our badger here.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Just pick him up.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24There we go.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27It's too late to save the badger.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29And back at the practice hospital,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33Sarah carries out a thorough examination.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Looking at her, she's actually quite young.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Her teeth aren't too bad there.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40But she does have some injuries, she's broken her jaw,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43I suspect she's probably had a smack to the head
0:17:43 > 0:17:45and I'd say things have probably been pretty quick,
0:17:45 > 0:17:48she probably wouldn't have suffered too much.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52A badger is a bit of a contentious animal round this area as well.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55There'd be people maybe from the farming community
0:17:55 > 0:17:58who wouldn't be too upset to see a dead badger.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00But I think in this sort of case,
0:18:00 > 0:18:04she's a wild animal who has been hit by a car.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08We'll send her off now and take care of her from here.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20- How many cattle have you got today then, Andrew?- 15.- 15 there. OK.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23- Are they all ready with you? - Yes, aye.- Well done.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Fairly organised, for once.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29Ifan is back at Andrew Oliver's farm in Oxwich for some important
0:18:29 > 0:18:30TB results.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36Andrew can't take his cattle to market unless they've been tested.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39So we're here to read the test
0:18:39 > 0:18:43and to measure the skin thicknesses
0:18:43 > 0:18:46where they were injected with tuberculin three days ago.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48As you can see,
0:18:48 > 0:18:52they're well grown cattle with fairly tidy sets of horns.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57This can be a dangerous job,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00there are two spots on the neck where the cow was injected three
0:19:00 > 0:19:05days ago and I need to have a good feel and a good
0:19:05 > 0:19:08palpation of those areas and measure the thickness of the skin.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15A positive TB reaction would spell disaster for Andrew and the herd.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19I can't sell these without TB testing them.
0:19:19 > 0:19:24TB is a huge problem around me. I've been very lucky so far, touch wood.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27But it's just ongoing.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29As Ifan has said to me in the past, if you keep cattle,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32chances are you'll have TB sooner or later.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37- This one kicked me on Friday, twice.- OK.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Well, keep your distance, then.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42- Whoa, whoa!- They don't always stand still, do they?
0:19:44 > 0:19:46OK.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48All right. Done.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Yeah, got that.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Calm down, dear!
0:19:55 > 0:20:01If you look at my accounts, from an accountant's point of view,
0:20:01 > 0:20:05you'd think I was wasting my time, but it is still a lifestyle.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08I'm not going to encourage my young sons into it.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11If they choose to go into it, then I will,
0:20:11 > 0:20:15but it's not the life that I want to encourage, not at present anyway.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19- Results, good news.- Aye. - Very good news.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21- All passed.- Excellent.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Good. That means I can sell them on Friday.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28We've been lucky today, but I've no doubt one day it'll happen, but...
0:20:28 > 0:20:31And it is all around me, so I am lucky.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41Another of the vets who spends a lot of time on the road is Alex.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43She has a passion for horses
0:20:43 > 0:20:47and has a strong connection to the countryside.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50I originally was brought up on a dairy farm
0:20:50 > 0:20:55and my family are still farming. I went into horses, myself.
0:20:55 > 0:21:00So lots of hands-on experience from a very young age.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04I used to have to go and round up the cattle for milking on my little pony.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09At Hilston Park Stables, Alex has been called to
0:21:09 > 0:21:11check on a poorly pony.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15- Hi there. I'm Alex the vet.- Hi.- Hi. So this is Nibs, is it?- Yes.- OK.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Hello, sweetheart.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23I'm listening very closely to her gut sounds, OK?
0:21:23 > 0:21:26And they're going very quiet very slowly,
0:21:26 > 0:21:28they're almost stopping working, OK?
0:21:28 > 0:21:31Now, that's not always the best of signs.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36Nibs seems to have a serious case of colic,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39a stomach condition which can be fatal.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Not many horses like this very much.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44There's a good girl.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47HORSE GRUNTS I know, I know.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51I need to go down into the stomach and not into the lungs.
0:21:51 > 0:21:56So, I'm checking when I'm listening, if I'm hearing air movement or
0:21:56 > 0:21:58if I'm hearing gut sounds, basically.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00And also the smell is...
0:22:00 > 0:22:03It's quite a distinctive smell when we get into the tummy.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07It smells a bit better. Well, worse.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09Good girl.
0:22:09 > 0:22:14Would you be able to pour just to about here up with water, for me?
0:22:14 > 0:22:17This test will show if Nibs' stomach is blocked with fluid,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19a sure sign of colic.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22I'm just trying to build up a bit of a vacuum,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25so if there is anything in there, it just helps it to come along,
0:22:25 > 0:22:27which is why we put a little bit in first.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34It's not a very nice smell down there, and taste, I must say.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Well, the good news is we didn't get a lot of reflux, OK?
0:22:39 > 0:22:43So the stomach isn't full of fluid, OK? Which is really good news.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45I would say what we do at this stage
0:22:45 > 0:22:49is we treat her with medications to calm the guts,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52get them functioning nicely, and quite strong painkillers as well.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57- Aw, you're getting lots and lots of injections today.- I know.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01It's all to make you more comfortable, Nibby, isn't it, eh?
0:23:03 > 0:23:06I think we have to be quite realistic, so if she doesn't respond,
0:23:06 > 0:23:10- we really have to be thinking, you know, about our options, OK?- OK.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Then we may have to think about what's best for her,
0:23:13 > 0:23:14so she's not in pain.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Alex is no stranger to the effects of this illness,
0:23:18 > 0:23:20and not just as a vet.
0:23:20 > 0:23:25Last year I had my superstar pony, who I won three World Championship
0:23:25 > 0:23:29titles at mounted games with... I had to have him put to sleep, and it just
0:23:29 > 0:23:33brings it back to you every time you come out to see a horse with colic,
0:23:33 > 0:23:37that this is the horrible problem that made me lose my best friend.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Alex's prompt diagnosis was correct,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46and Nibs went on to make a full recovery.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55At home in Llanelli, Andrew is keeping a close eye
0:23:55 > 0:23:58on Ushi the German Shepherd, as she settles into motherhood.
0:23:58 > 0:24:03There you are. This is her. Ushi, hello!
0:24:03 > 0:24:05Hello, darling.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07DOGS WHINE Good girl.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10You can see a bit of cord, there, just about to fall off, now.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12That'll be her belly button. That's a little female.
0:24:12 > 0:24:13Mwah.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16When you get up in the morning and you've been arguing with your wife
0:24:16 > 0:24:20or whatever, and they look at your face and they're wagging their tail,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22you have that every morning, you know, no matter what. So...
0:24:22 > 0:24:24I just love them. I can't help it, you know?
0:24:26 > 0:24:30The two smallest puppies are being hand-reared by Andrew.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33There we are.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Because they were slightly weaker than the other litter-mates,
0:24:35 > 0:24:39basically they didn't have a chance, and overnight, over four, five hours,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42they didn't have anything to eat. It took its toll.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44There we are.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47If she rejects these two now and they don't settle
0:24:47 > 0:24:50like their other litter-mates, we have to do this
0:24:50 > 0:24:52every three or four hours for the next month.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56There we are.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59The puppies were sold at eight weeks old,
0:24:59 > 0:25:01but Andrew couldn't resist keeping one.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07At the large animal clinic near the Mumbles,
0:25:07 > 0:25:09vet Sarah Martin is on call.
0:25:09 > 0:25:14Right, do you want me to stand along here, then? Yeah.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17It's the middle of the night and the middle of the lambing season.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21And then we can close the door as needed.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24Farmer Dai Court has brought in a ewe who seems to be
0:25:24 > 0:25:26struggling to give birth.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31Probably had 40, 50 lambs with no problems at all,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33and today now I had a ringwomb earlier,
0:25:33 > 0:25:37which I managed to solve myself, and this one. So it is funny, you know -
0:25:37 > 0:25:40every day, every hour's different with the job.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44This ewe is carrying twins
0:25:44 > 0:25:47and it becomes clear she can't give birth naturally.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51Right, she's not open enough there, I think, yeah.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53The best thing now, at this stage, if it's not going to come,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56- is we need to go in.- Righto. - OK, I'll go and get everything ready.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01With no time to waste, Sarah is going to carry out
0:26:01 > 0:26:07a Caesarean section, with Dai and nurse Menna assisting.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10You're dealing with two lives in there, so we want to get them
0:26:10 > 0:26:13out as soon as we can -
0:26:13 > 0:26:17get them out, get them breathing, get them living.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20Right, ready?
0:26:27 > 0:26:31If you get your other hand and hold on there as well.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Within minutes, the first lamb is born.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Right.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39So, I'll come round here with him.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Now it has to take its first breath.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45So we give him a bit of a swing, now,
0:26:45 > 0:26:49try and clear some of the fluid from the chest.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53SLAPPING
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Pop him down there for a sec now.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01With one lamb safely delivered, Sarah's job is not over yet.
0:27:01 > 0:27:02OK.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04He's a big one.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Let's try and get you going now, mister.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08SLAPPING
0:27:08 > 0:27:09You're breathing.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Pop you down there a minute.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Two healthy lambs.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19All that's left is to stitch up their mum.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22She wants to get to her babies, so the sooner I get this done,
0:27:22 > 0:27:23the better.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Time for Mum to meet her newborns.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29There's your babies over there, now.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Now that she starts to lick them, they really come to life.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38You know, his mum's there and he wants to get up and feed, now.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40She's obviously going to be a good mum now.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46I guess probably an equal number of good bits and bad bits, but...
0:27:46 > 0:27:49it's worth all the effort that goes into it to see Mum,
0:27:49 > 0:27:52two little lambs there, now, ready to go back home.
0:27:52 > 0:27:53A happy ending.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01This series has witnessed a week in the life of one of the largest
0:28:01 > 0:28:03veterinary practices in South Wales.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09And during that time, life-changing procedures have taken place.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12She's a bit big. My arm's a bit short to actually shake Ifan's hand.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16Much-loved pets have been given dignity in death.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20SHE SOBS AND SNIFFS
0:28:20 > 0:28:24We'll have to...put him to sleep, I'm afraid.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28- I'm sorry, boy.- There we are.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30And livestock was treated, too.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33Gosh, she's got... COW BREAKS WIND
0:28:33 > 0:28:34That were fresh, and all!
0:28:34 > 0:28:36THEY LAUGH
0:28:36 > 0:28:42And still the caring of animals continues, 24/7.