0:00:02 > 0:00:04This time on Vets 24/7,
0:00:04 > 0:00:08Kevin has an emergency call-out to a horse in trouble.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10You can see by how much he's sweated.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12His heart rate is really high.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Chelsea the cat is being cared for
0:00:15 > 0:00:17after a suspected road traffic accident.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21If he's continuing to leak urine, it can be fatal.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24And Geraint treats a dog with a mystery cough.
0:00:24 > 0:00:29- He's retching like, this. - SHE IMITATES RETCHING
0:00:29 > 0:00:32- It's a good impression! - LAUGHTER
0:00:32 > 0:00:35From Swansea to Neath, and the pets that they treat,
0:00:35 > 0:00:37on duty night and day,
0:00:37 > 0:00:39with the veterinary surgeons of
0:00:39 > 0:00:43one of the largest practices in South Wales,
0:00:43 > 0:00:46this is Vets 24/7.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55The St James Veterinary Practice has been caring for all creatures,
0:00:55 > 0:00:59great and small, for over 100 years.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01At the practice hospital in Swansea,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04the doors are opening for another busy morning clinic
0:01:04 > 0:01:07for partner Gareth Field.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11- BUZZING OF VACUUM CLEANER - It's all glamorous this job(!)
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Not very good at it, am I? That'll be OK.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21She don't know what's in store,
0:01:21 > 0:01:23do you?
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Hi. Here for Maddy?
0:01:25 > 0:01:29- Being dragged in.- Maddy the Rottweiler is in with owners
0:01:29 > 0:01:32Chris and Becky for an operation on her knee later today.
0:01:32 > 0:01:33Come in.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36- How you doing?- All right. I have to sit down, my back's...
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Don't worry, don't worry.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40- The wrong dog for a bad back, isn't it?- Yeah, she's...
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Good girl. We've taken X-rays of her, and she has ruptured her
0:01:44 > 0:01:48cruciate ligament in her knee, so, unfortunately...
0:01:48 > 0:01:53this is sort of like a knee here, and the cruciate ligaments are
0:01:53 > 0:01:55sort of inside the knee joint and
0:01:55 > 0:01:58usually they hold them nice and solid, but because hers is broken,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01when she's walking, it's basically grating on the knee.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03So that's going to be painful for her.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05So, the plan today
0:02:05 > 0:02:09is basically operation, we're going to go and open the knee joint,
0:02:09 > 0:02:11clean out any damaged part inside
0:02:11 > 0:02:14- the joint and then we're going to sort of cut the bone.- Yes.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18And, in effect, we are sort of breaking her leg and re-setting it.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21- So...- My best friend.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23- She's got to have it done. - That's it, isn't it?
0:02:23 > 0:02:27I had a Rottweiler before this one and she had the same operation.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31She was called Molly. This is Maddy. The other one was Molly.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34You've got still a memory of her on you, haven't you?
0:02:34 > 0:02:36Yes, I have. She's on my arm there.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Bless. Oh, look.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40There she is. I've also got her in the house, in a box,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42because I had her cremated, so...
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Come here, Mads. Do you want to bring her through?
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Maddy's complicated surgery doesn't come cheap.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51It will cost over £2,000
0:02:51 > 0:02:54and it's not been easy for her owners to find the money.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58- Can I give you £1,000, please? - Yes, of course.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01- I'm hoping it'll go through on the card.- OK.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04- If it doesn't, I can only give you £500. - HE LAUGHS
0:03:06 > 0:03:09- You managed to get the money together?- Yes.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Yeah. The wife's still got her car.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Emptied everything.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Even Becky's piggy bank.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20- Nothing in there. - LAUGHTER
0:03:20 > 0:03:22Oh, it went through!
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Being so close to the rural Gower Peninsula,
0:03:33 > 0:03:35much of the practice work involves the care of livestock.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42Today, large animal vet Kevin Jones is on his rounds.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45It's nice to be out on a day like this though, isn't it,
0:03:45 > 0:03:47when you've got views like that?
0:03:48 > 0:03:52For Kevin, the changing face of farming in Wales means he's seen
0:03:52 > 0:03:54a move away from traditional agriculture.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59We're going to see some reindeer now, so a reindeer herd in Gower.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02They've got the reindeer herd because they do a lot of stuff
0:04:02 > 0:04:05around Christmas time. They grow Christmas trees and things.
0:04:05 > 0:04:11So it's a huge attraction to everyone about that time of year.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19This Welsh winter wonderland is home to 24 reindeer.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21But farmer Rob Morgan is worried about one of the herd.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28She's quite quiet, isn't she?
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Pudding has been struggling with an eye infection.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32- How old is she? - I think she's about ten now.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35She's had quite a lot of calves.
0:04:35 > 0:04:36OK. OK.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42How's it looking?
0:04:42 > 0:04:44There is an improvement since last week.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46- Is there?- But it's still... it's still quite cloudy.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49- We've still got oedema there.- Yeah.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Yeah, I think as well as the cream in the eye, I think we'll go for
0:04:52 > 0:04:54the injection as well today, just because it's been
0:04:54 > 0:04:56rumbling on a little bit.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04It's going to make her eye quite white after this.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06She takes some hanging on to there?
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Yeah, but you can see why the Scandinavian reindeer farmers
0:05:10 > 0:05:14are losing eyes and stuff like that. It's just through this...
0:05:14 > 0:05:18It's quite a specialist job to do. You get the hang of it in the end.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Do you want to go to the wall, or are you OK there with that?
0:05:21 > 0:05:25I'll be fine. All right? OK?
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Lovely. Yeah, she can go.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30LAUGHTER
0:05:30 > 0:05:32We've had to put some cream in there.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Yeah, and that's the antibiotic cream in the eye?
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Yeah. It's just about getting it in and getting it all
0:05:37 > 0:05:40- over the eye, which is why I'd rather...- I can see it, yeah.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42..why I'd rather get a bit more than...
0:05:42 > 0:05:46so she's got the coverage.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48I'll put these out with the rest of the boys.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Not all visits to the vet are planned.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00- DOG WHINES - You can get yourself comfy now.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03- CAT YOWLS - I know, I know.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05Back at the practice hospital,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08vet Sarah Martin is dealing with an emergency admission.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Chelsea came in on Thursday night,
0:06:13 > 0:06:14and had been hit by a car
0:06:14 > 0:06:17and does have some fractures in her pelvis,
0:06:17 > 0:06:21but she also has some issues with
0:06:21 > 0:06:25suspected damage to the tube in between her kidney and bladder,
0:06:25 > 0:06:29so she's had some X-rays and things yesterday and some investigations.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33They found there was some evidence of suspected urine in the abdomen.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37His main problem now, though, is the urinary side of things, cos...
0:06:37 > 0:06:40DOG BARKS
0:06:40 > 0:06:43If he's continuing to leak urine, it can be fatal.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Worried owners, Sarah and son Dafydd,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49have been called in to discuss their pet's diagnosis.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52You know the accident, do you think it is a car,
0:06:52 > 0:06:54or do you think somebody has gone and sort of kicked him?
0:06:54 > 0:06:57I think it's probably been a car, to be honest.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59That's usually the most common thing.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Usually, to fracture his pelvis and things the way he has done,
0:07:02 > 0:07:06that is enough trauma to kind of damage the kidneys as well.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Hopefully rest is going to be the thing to do.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12When his back's better, will he be able to be playful again?
0:07:12 > 0:07:15He should be, yeah. So, cats are really good at getting better.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17They're really good at healing back together.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21So we'll need to take things day by day at the moment.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Goodnight, Chelsea. See you tomorrow.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28- You missing him, yeah?- Yeah.
0:07:28 > 0:07:34- All right.- Thanks. - No problem at all.- Thank you.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38- Thank you for looking after my kitten.- Aww. Bye.- Bye.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Good girl.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Yes, you're a good girl, aren't you? Hmm? OK.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Down the corridor, Maddy is being prepped for theatre.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53She's a nice dog, isn't she?
0:07:53 > 0:07:54You going to go to sleep for us?
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Don't worry.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Good girl, good girl. There we go.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04- MADDY SNORES - Definitely asleep. Snoring.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16As a surgeon, Gareth performs around 20 of these ruptured cruciate
0:08:16 > 0:08:18ligament repairs a year.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21It is quite a difficult procedure.
0:08:21 > 0:08:26As I say, not every vet practice by a long means would do this.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28You can't ever relax, that's the problem.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33Sort of, three hours will be high stress and concentration, really.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Because of the demands of this procedure,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Gareth has drafted in fellow partner David Steel.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42This is inside the knee joint here.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44This is the ruptured cruciate ligament.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46You can see it's all frayed.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48That's why the knee is so unstable,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52so we'll now remove that sort of damaged piece of ligament.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54That's good.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59This is a heavy-duty operation.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- Heavy on the power tools. - DRILL BUZZES
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Yeah. That looks good there.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13- Happy?- Yeah.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17The jig now acts as an external sort of frame, holding the bone in
0:09:17 > 0:09:21alignment, so we've got a pin in this section, a pin in this section.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24So, in theory, once you make a cut here,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27the two shouldn't move apart or move away from each other.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29So now we have to cut the bone,
0:09:29 > 0:09:31so this is potentially the scary bit.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36What I want to do is make sure we break it correctly and put it back
0:09:36 > 0:09:37together correctly.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40- Happy?- OK.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42There.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45Yeah, it's quite a brutal operation, unfortunately,
0:09:45 > 0:09:47that has to be done.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49So far she's doing well.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52I say the dog's doing well, I should say we're doing OK.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54HE LAUGHS
0:09:54 > 0:09:57This is the plate that we're going to leave in place now to hold
0:09:57 > 0:10:00the fracture in position whilst it heals.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03You think it looks all right, don't you?
0:10:03 > 0:10:05- Looks right, yeah.- Yeah.
0:10:05 > 0:10:06Yeah, that looks good.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11With the surgical steel plate secured,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Maddy can now be stitched up and taken to recovery.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24The practice has six clinics with 25 vets caring for domestic pets
0:10:24 > 0:10:26all across South Wales.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Here at the Neath branch, there's a busy waiting room
0:10:33 > 0:10:35for partner Geraint Jones.
0:10:35 > 0:10:36Morning. My name's Geraint.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38How you doing? Pleased to meet you. All right.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42In need of his help today is Jazzi the Saluki, and his owner Nicola.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44What can I do for Jazzi?
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Right. About two or three times a week,
0:10:46 > 0:10:48he's getting a really nasty cough.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51- OK.- Now then, I've got it on video,
0:10:51 > 0:10:55- if you want to have a quick look at it.- Yes, OK, fine. Yep.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58It's like a coughing fit.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00With a bit of retching at the end.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04- OK.- And I'm a little bit concerned,
0:11:04 > 0:11:07and he's getting panic attacks with it.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11He's breathing quite heavily there through his nose, isn't he?
0:11:11 > 0:11:13So does it get any worse than that at all, or...?
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Yeah, it gets worse than that.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18At the end, normally he's retching like this...
0:11:18 > 0:11:21SHE IMITATES RETCHING
0:11:21 > 0:11:23- LAUGHTER - That's a good impression.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28- OK.- His sort of breathing and heart does seem to be very irregular.
0:11:28 > 0:11:29So you can't see him breathe or...?
0:11:29 > 0:11:31- I can't see him breathe. - Can't feel a heartbeat?
0:11:31 > 0:11:33I can't see a heartbeat. Nothing.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36- Gosh!- And I'm panicking in the middle of the night
0:11:36 > 0:11:39then thinking, "Oh!" Light on and...
0:11:39 > 0:11:44- Yeah. I'll have a look at him now and I'll check him over, OK?- OK.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47- JAZZI FLINCHES - Whoops!
0:11:47 > 0:11:49So he's got a bit of sensitivity there in his throat.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52So when I'm squeezing his throat he's kind of coughing a little bit.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55So there must be a little bit of inflammation going on.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58That suggests to me that it's probably more likely to be
0:11:58 > 0:12:00a lung problem rather than a heart problem.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04- Right.- OK? Probably the best thing to do is take an X-ray
0:12:04 > 0:12:07of his chest and probably get more
0:12:07 > 0:12:10- information in terms of knowing what to treat him with.- OK.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13- Right.- All right? Thanks, guys. See you next week.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15- OK. Bye-bye.- Go on, you.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17I'm worried, yeah.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20I wanted to catch the worst attack that he had.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22So I've got the camera around by the side of me,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25in bed, in the living room.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27Let's hope they do find something
0:12:27 > 0:12:30and soon enough to do something about it.
0:12:33 > 0:12:37As clinics finish for the day, at the main practice hospital,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40treatment continues for the inpatients 24/7.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Well done. Aren't you brave?
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Chelsea the cat is about to have an abdominal scan.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51DOG BARKS
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Vet Sarah is keen to see how damaged the cat's kidneys are,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58following his road traffic accident a few days ago.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02So what we're looking at with Chelsea now is, when they scanned
0:13:02 > 0:13:07him yesterday, they found there was some free fluid in his abdomen that
0:13:07 > 0:13:11shouldn't be there, and there are concerns that from the way his
0:13:11 > 0:13:13bloods were, that he ruptured his ureter.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15So we're going to have a little look
0:13:15 > 0:13:19now and see whether there is any more free fluid.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21If it was to be building up,
0:13:21 > 0:13:23then that would be a bit of a worry.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27So this is the area that we were a bit concerned about.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29This is the area sort of up around his kidneys.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33On that sort of left kidney,
0:13:33 > 0:13:37it does look slightly abnormal and it's a little bit of a different
0:13:37 > 0:13:39shape than the other side, but there
0:13:39 > 0:13:43doesn't look to be any more free fluid around it, so far.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46So that's good news for Chelsea that things certainly aren't looking any
0:13:46 > 0:13:50worse there, so the fluid looks like it's actually resolved.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53There's only a very small bit that I could find, there.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56So, fingers crossed, hopefully he's heading in the right direction.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08Also staying in overnight is Maddy the Rottweiler.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10She's recovering from her knee operation
0:14:10 > 0:14:13and before he clocks off duty, Gareth checks her latest X-rays.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18This is the leg after the operation.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21We've cut the bone, here,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24and we've rotated it round so you can see this is a step here
0:14:24 > 0:14:29and a step here and what that has done, is it has flattened
0:14:29 > 0:14:31the knee joint quite a lot.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36The angle is much less steep than it was initially, and you've got this
0:14:36 > 0:14:38plate, here, which is sort of stabilising the knee.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41She'll make, hopefully, a 90% recovery,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43be an active dog again with no pain.
0:14:43 > 0:14:44It's good.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Being a vet is not a nine-to-five job.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58Every night, the practice has three vets on call for emergencies.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03Tonight, Beauty, an elderly horse, is in trouble, and worried owner
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Maureen has called large animal vet Kevin for assistance.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Oh, buddy.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14I'm going to just have a listen to his heart first thing
0:15:14 > 0:15:16and see how he's doing there.
0:15:16 > 0:15:17All right, all right.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21Just going to take a listen to your heart. Good boy.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29The thing that concerns me a little bit is you can see by how much he
0:15:29 > 0:15:34sweated, what's been going on and it hasn't been raining all day today.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36- No.- So this is all sweat.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39His heart rate is really high, OK?
0:15:39 > 0:15:43- At the moment, his is 80...- Oh! - ..so it's really high.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46It is showing that he is in a little bit of discomfort
0:15:46 > 0:15:50at the moment and pain. Now, there's lots of things that can cause colic,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52- as I'm sure you're aware.- Yeah.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55The things that we really worry about that would require surgery is
0:15:55 > 0:15:58if there's any sort of twists in the gut, anything to stop it moving.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00I would rather have him put down than have surgery.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02Yeah. Absolutely. OK.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04It would be sensible.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Yeah, absolutely, and I think a lot of people would make the same
0:16:06 > 0:16:09decision, as well. I'm going to give him a strong painkiller.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11If he doesn't respond to that painkiller, then, you know,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14- it might be kinder to put him to sleep.- Oh, I know, yeah.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17If you don't want me to do further investigations now,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20- if you don't want me to...- Shall we leave it till the morning?
0:16:20 > 0:16:22We can't leave it till the morning,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25- no, we can't leave it till the morning.- Just have a painkiller.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27- So how long have you had him? - Since he was born.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29- Since he was born? - And his mother since he was born.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Oh, gosh. It's a fair old time, isn't it?
0:16:32 > 0:16:35- 23 he was in April.- 23 years. OK.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42Good boy, there we go.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Good boy.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49It's how he develops and how he responds to this that we have to
0:16:49 > 0:16:51- make our decision.- Yeah.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54OK. Now, with his age and everything else,
0:16:54 > 0:16:56if he doesn't respond to this, I think, you know...
0:16:56 > 0:16:58All right, OK.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14It's morning clinic at the hospital in Swansea.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Nicola and her coughing dog, Jazzi,
0:17:19 > 0:17:21have been referred here for exploratory tests.
0:17:23 > 0:17:30He's basically my substitute child, so that's how much he means to me.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Hopefully if he's going to have some treatment,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36then let's get it done and dusted.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43How's he doing, Sarah?
0:17:43 > 0:17:44Partner Geraint Jones
0:17:44 > 0:17:48will be using a bronchoscope camera to see deep inside Jazzi's airways.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51MACHINE BEEPS
0:17:53 > 0:17:56So we're just inside Jazzi's lungs now.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58You can see it's slightly inflamed,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01but there's no mucus or anything in the actual airway itself.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03So that's good.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05So this is the little sort of catheter that is going down into
0:18:05 > 0:18:09the scope and that's going to allow
0:18:09 > 0:18:11us to take a sample from one of the lungs.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20That's the sample, there, that we've taken from his lungs.
0:18:20 > 0:18:21So it looks like there's some cells
0:18:21 > 0:18:23in there because it's a different colour.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25So what we'll do is we'll send this to the lab now,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27and if there is a specific bacteria in there,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30we'll treat the bacterial infection as well.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34It's a waiting game for Jazzi
0:18:34 > 0:18:36and for Chelsea the cat.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Could we just try standing him on the floor very gently? Just...
0:18:39 > 0:18:41We don't want him to run anywhere.
0:18:42 > 0:18:43Good lad.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46His kidney function is improving, but his mobility is
0:18:46 > 0:18:50limited and Gareth is continuing to monitor his progress.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Are you doing anything or not? You don't want to do anything.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54No?
0:18:55 > 0:18:57Come on.
0:18:57 > 0:19:02We'd like him to be able to stand and just see if he can walk at all
0:19:02 > 0:19:05but I think he's a bit worried at the moment.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07He's just sort of sat there and not doing a great deal.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10No, I don't think he's going to, is he?
0:19:10 > 0:19:11Good lad.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Oh, you having a wee on us?
0:19:20 > 0:19:22So he can move both his legs when you...
0:19:22 > 0:19:24All right, all right! ..bring him to a table.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28He's using them there to try and stand, so that's good.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33I think he's still a bit painful and just doesn't want to do a great deal
0:19:33 > 0:19:36at the moment. So what I'll do, I'll speak to Sarah and just decide
0:19:36 > 0:19:39if we keep him in for a bit longer for pain relief or when he's
0:19:39 > 0:19:41probably not quite ready to go home just yet.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43Fine.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Pets become part of the family.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55And that is something that large animal vet Kevin understands,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58having two four-legged friends of his own.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01They're very quiet today. Aren't you?
0:20:01 > 0:20:03He likes to watch where we're going.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Toby actually came into a vets that I used to work at and
0:20:07 > 0:20:10I ended up taking him on from that point, really.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13But he loves his life, don't you, buddy?
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Eh? Yes, it's so nice to have them around. You know, they're a big part
0:20:17 > 0:20:21of my life and it's just so nice I can bring them to work with me.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24The first stop on Kevin's rounds today is to check on Beauty,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27the elderly horse with chronic colic.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31If things haven't improved overnight, owner Maureen
0:20:31 > 0:20:34faces a difficult decision.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36- He's looking depressed, isn't he? - Yeah, he is.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Hiya, boy. OK.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Yeah, he's uncomfortable. The heart rate is back to where we were,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49so he's back to square one. OK, so we've got...
0:20:51 > 0:20:54You know, we could try again with the painkillers but I don't think...
0:20:54 > 0:20:57We might be in a similar position in a couple of hours' time and I think,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00given his age and everything else, I think, I think...
0:21:00 > 0:21:03- Time to say goodbye. - OK. OK, all right.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09There's no rush, now, right? OK?
0:21:10 > 0:21:12So when you're ready, OK?
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Goodbye, baby.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17OK?
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Right.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39There you go. You're all right.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Yeah, he has gone.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52I'll give you a couple of minutes with him. All right?
0:21:52 > 0:21:54I'll just get my box.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00- You did the right thing, though. - Yeah.- Are you OK?
0:22:00 > 0:22:03It doesn't ever get any easier.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06I think, you know, if it did start getting easy, I think,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09you know, I maybe wouldn't be the right person for the job.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11It's really sad.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Yeah.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22Witnessing the circle of life is a daily occurrence for a vet.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25And at the practice hospital,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28a special delivery is on the way with partner Geraint.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32OK, right, then.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37So we've got Fran who is a French Bulldog who's having a Caesarean.
0:22:39 > 0:22:4280% of French Bulldogs have to undergo a Caesarean section.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46These are all the puppies within the uterus.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49The shape of the breed makes it difficult to deliver a litter naturally.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53- Ready for these?- Yeah!
0:23:09 > 0:23:11- How many are we on, now?- Seven.
0:23:11 > 0:23:16Seven, is it?
0:23:16 > 0:23:17Are you coming to help, Sarah?
0:23:18 > 0:23:21- It's all hands on deck. - How many is it?
0:23:22 > 0:23:24- We're up to nine.- Nine?
0:23:24 > 0:23:26Wow! That's a big litter.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29- Ready?- Thank you.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34Certainly enough variety of colours amongst them, isn't there?
0:23:34 > 0:23:35Got one of every kind.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Is there any more in there?
0:23:39 > 0:23:42I don't think so. I think that's it now.
0:23:42 > 0:23:43This one is number ten.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46- Do you want another one? - No, we're good.- Very good.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50It's all about the teamwork.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55All hands on deck. It's just another day at the office.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Geraint has successfully helped mum Fran deliver ten healthy puppies.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06This one is the last one out
0:24:06 > 0:24:09so he's a little bit slower but
0:24:09 > 0:24:11they all seem OK, otherwise.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Hopefully, these new-borns will find loving homes.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Just like Jazzi the Saluki has with her owner Nicola, in Neath.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28The test results are back
0:24:28 > 0:24:31and it turns out that her pet has bronchitis.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Come on then, Jazz. Tablet time.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Here you go. Come on.
0:24:37 > 0:24:38Open your mouth.
0:24:40 > 0:24:41Come on.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43Swallow, come on.
0:24:46 > 0:24:47Come on.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52This will help with his general breathing problems.
0:24:54 > 0:24:55Come on.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Swallow. We just...
0:24:57 > 0:25:00There we are. One more, Jazz, and that's it, done.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03You can have a little treat, then.
0:25:03 > 0:25:04Two, three...
0:25:06 > 0:25:08It's been a big worry, to be honest.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11As you can see he's panting away, here.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13His breathing has been irregular.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18It looks as if he's going to be on medication for the rest of his life.
0:25:20 > 0:25:26Money is a struggle and I've got to think now about where I can cut back
0:25:26 > 0:25:30so that I can make sure I look after him.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32It's going to be tough but,
0:25:32 > 0:25:36well, life is tough, isn't it, at the end of the day?
0:25:36 > 0:25:40The thing is, whilst I've got a lot of good friends,
0:25:40 > 0:25:46it's when you are stuck in the house all day without the dog for company,
0:25:46 > 0:25:54it would be absolutely awful because he is the most important thing in my
0:25:54 > 0:25:55life and...
0:25:56 > 0:26:00..I honestly don't know what would happen if I lost him.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Another pet who is waiting to be reunited with his family is Chelsea.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20But before he can be discharged,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24Gareth needs to check his latest X-ray results.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26He's got some injuries. It's just working out
0:26:26 > 0:26:30if they are bad enough for a need for surgery to repair.
0:26:30 > 0:26:31This is his pelvis, here,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34and it looks like he's dislocated the sacroiliac joint.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38So basically where his pelvis attaches to the spine.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41This bone here should be attached further back
0:26:41 > 0:26:43and similarly on this side.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46He's done well enough that we won't need to do surgery in this case.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48It's good news for the little boy. He'll have Chelsea home.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53What Chelsea needs now is tender loving care
0:26:53 > 0:26:57and to continue his recovery at home with Dafydd and his mum.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Hello.
0:26:59 > 0:27:00- There you go.- Hello.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07You are coming back home.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Are you happy now? I've missed you.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15I think he's missed you as well.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Also ready for discharge is Maddy
0:27:19 > 0:27:22who is back on her feet following her knee operation.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26Hello, Maddy, hello.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28Hello, how are you doing?
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Yes. Good girl.
0:27:30 > 0:27:31Seems comfortable?
0:27:31 > 0:27:34- Yes.- How are you doing?
0:27:34 > 0:27:38How are you doing? All right, all right, don't panic.
0:27:39 > 0:27:40Just gently bend her leg.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44Good girl. That is looking good.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46The wound looks good. She's letting me move it a little bit,
0:27:46 > 0:27:49which is nice and overall she's doing quite well.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51She's relatively happy.
0:27:51 > 0:27:52There we are.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54Right.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56It's good news for Maddy
0:27:56 > 0:27:59but her operation has come at a cost for owner Chris.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03We've emptied the piggy banks and
0:28:03 > 0:28:08could have put a new roof on the house for what it's costing,
0:28:08 > 0:28:12which the wife keeps reminding me, but she's worth it.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15She's worth every penny.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17My dog, my baby, see?
0:28:17 > 0:28:18My best friend.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20Hello.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22Hi. Hello.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24Hello.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30It's quite amazing to see what people will do
0:28:30 > 0:28:34because they love their pets so much and they'll go without themselves
0:28:34 > 0:28:37to provide the care they want to give to their pets.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39- Lovely stuff.- Oh, great, thank you so much.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41- That's all right.- Bye.