0:00:02 > 0:00:04This time on Vets 24/7...
0:00:04 > 0:00:05OK. Hello.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08..Lance has a checkup with heavyweight, Tyson.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10I'm a sucker for a nice iguana.
0:00:11 > 0:00:12Down on the farm,
0:00:12 > 0:00:16Imogen gets a backhanded complement on her handiwork...
0:00:16 > 0:00:18It's amazing what these young girls can do these days.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24..and David prepares Troy, the Staffy, for life-changing surgery.
0:00:24 > 0:00:25It's a fairly tricky op.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28It's certainly something you don't want to be doing unless you
0:00:28 > 0:00:30you've done a few of these before.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37From Swansea to Neath and the pets that they treat,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40on duty night and day with the veterinary surgeons
0:00:40 > 0:00:43of one of the largest practices in South Wales.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47This is Vets 24/7.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56The St James veterinary practice has been caring for all creatures
0:00:56 > 0:00:58great and small for over 100 years.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05The latest recruit to the team is Imogen Potter.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07She qualified as a vet just three months ago.
0:01:08 > 0:01:13Why I wanted to be a vet was, well, a general love of animals, unbeknown
0:01:13 > 0:01:16to my mum who doesn't like... She's not so keen on the whole
0:01:16 > 0:01:20animal things but turned out I get it from my gran who had every
0:01:20 > 0:01:21animal in her house.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Farm animals account for nearly a quarter of the vet's workload.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Today, Imogen has been called out to Middleton Hall Farm in Rhossili.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Hiya, hi, I'm Imogen.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36So, it's all these guys, is it?
0:01:36 > 0:01:39- And we just put the worst one in there.- Fantastic.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Put the worst one in there.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Farmer, Brian Beynon, is worried that an infectious cough may be
0:01:44 > 0:01:48spreading through his prize herd of cattle.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50And he wants some quick results.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52So, have you got a diagnosis yet?
0:01:52 > 0:01:54LAUGHTER
0:01:54 > 0:01:58- Have you?- They've probably got a touch of pneumonia if they're all coughing.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00I'll have a listen to all their lungs.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02If they've got a temperature, I'm going to give them some
0:02:02 > 0:02:03anti-inflammatory.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05COW COUGHS
0:02:07 > 0:02:09What should the temperature be?
0:02:09 > 0:02:13It shouldn't be above about 39 and this is 39.7... Eight.
0:02:15 > 0:02:16She looks too young to be a vet.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19I'm definitely older than you think.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23You said that. How long have you been qualified?
0:02:24 > 0:02:27- Qualified three months.- Three? Oh, gosh.- Three months.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31- This is work experience.- Aye!
0:02:33 > 0:02:37An infection like this can be contagious and financially
0:02:37 > 0:02:39disastrous for a farmer.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42The most difficult job we do is rearing these calves.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47As you can see, they were all fit and well a week ago.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Now they're all coughing and spluttering.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54There's one calf that's showing worrying signs of sickness.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57As you can see, he's breathing really quite fast, there.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59He's not very well at all.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01I can tell that just by looking at him and also listening to his lungs.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04He sounds like he's got a bit of a tractor going on in there
0:03:04 > 0:03:05rather than actually lung sounds.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Even when they're coming through, they're not all coughing.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12In a bid to halt the spread of infection,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Imogen's strategy is to treat the entire herd rather
0:03:15 > 0:03:17than just those showing symptoms.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20The best thing you can do is just to, sort of, blanket treat as
0:03:20 > 0:03:23a herd and hope that they get better like that, so...
0:03:24 > 0:03:28She's done what she can do. It's up to them, now.
0:03:28 > 0:03:33There's only just three out of the whole lot that are breathing heavy.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35I get that every morning, so it's nothing to worry about.
0:03:39 > 0:03:44The vets work out of six practices covering around 300 square miles.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51At the Neath branch, one of the UK's leading exotics vets,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Lance Jepson, has a heavyweight visitor.
0:03:53 > 0:03:59- OK, right. So how has Tyson been? - Really good.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02- Yeah?- Yes, really good.- Good, OK.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Let's have a look at him on the table, there.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Tyson, the iguana, recently had surgery to remove a growth
0:04:09 > 0:04:11and Lance needs to remove the stitches.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16That's looking good.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20Removed a small lump from Tyson.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23I have got the results, by the way.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25So just sticking with this, there's a scab, there.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27At some point that scab will come away.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29It's already lifting up a bit, there.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34OK? But we'll just let come away of its own accord.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37She's going to be left with a little scar, there, which will probably
0:04:37 > 0:04:39shrink down. OK? So that's that.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42That's fine. Yes, you are gorgeous, aren't you?
0:04:42 > 0:04:45- I'm a sucker for a nice iguana. - Pardon?
0:04:45 > 0:04:47I'm a sucker for a nice iguana.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50INTERVIEWER: He's amazing. How long have you had?
0:04:50 > 0:04:51Eight years.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57- Does she need walks?- I take her on a leash, yeah.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00I take her on a leash. Yes, she's really good.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Around the block?
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Round by the castle, so she goes over there and the bank and stuff.
0:05:05 > 0:05:10She goes in the garden in the summer. Yes, she loves the sun.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14The result is it's not cancerous.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17I'm really glad it's not cancerous.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21It's not cancerous so we can put that to bed.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23Let's see how we get on.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27- She's looking really good. Really pleased with her.- Very pleased.
0:05:27 > 0:05:28- Good, OK.- Thank you very much.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Not all pets can make it to the vets.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41There you are.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45I'm off to pick up Lucy, so I'll see you in about 30 minutes, OK?
0:05:45 > 0:05:48- OK, see you later.- See you later. Bye.- Bye.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Senior partner, Dai Roberts, has served the practice as
0:05:50 > 0:05:56a vet for 35 years, so he knows his clients and his patch well.
0:05:57 > 0:05:58I feel like Postman Pat.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Hope I don't look like Postman Pat.
0:06:03 > 0:06:09We're off to see an old couple who are fairly disabled and are
0:06:09 > 0:06:13unable to bring the dog down to the surgery,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16so they've opted for us to go and pick Lucy up.
0:06:18 > 0:06:23Hello. Looks like quite a character to me, to say the least.
0:06:23 > 0:06:24Good morning.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28- Good morning.- Come on, let's get inside out of the rain, is it?
0:06:28 > 0:06:31- Pardon?- Let's get inside out of the rain.- Exactly.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Mr and Mrs Richards have booked their labrador, Lucy, in to have an
0:06:36 > 0:06:39operation to remove a lump on her rear.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42- She's very friendly.- Yes, she is.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44- She's looking well.- Yes.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46Possibly a little bit too well.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49There's the little lump under there.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53Quite a thick base but hopefully we'll be able to remove it
0:06:53 > 0:06:57without damaging the area too much because, obviously, it's an
0:06:57 > 0:07:00important area. We don't want her to lose her continence, there.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02That shouldn't be a problem.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07- She's not as young as she was but she's only ten, yeah?- Yes.- How old...?
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Ten's about my age in dog years, you know,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12but it's her weight I'm concerned about.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16- Whatever we do with her, we'll bear that in mind.- Yeah.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21We'll keep her in tonight and hopefully one of the nurses can
0:07:21 > 0:07:22bring her back tomorrow.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26We'll look after her for you, I promise you that.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30- Oh, I know you will.- She's in safe hands, that's the main thing.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34- Everybody loves her, you see, including us.- Good girl.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38There you are, all the best, then. We'll be in touch.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41Thank you very much indeed.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48- One, two, three.- Good girl. - There you are.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50They're so trusting, labradors, which is nice.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58As Dai returns with Lucy to the practice hospital...
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Last speed bump, Lucy. Sorry.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08..new recruit, Imogen, is continuing her farm visits.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13The road to becoming a vet hasn't been an easy one.
0:08:13 > 0:08:19Because I'm dyslexic, I didn't get amazing AS-levels
0:08:19 > 0:08:23to the point where I wasn't predicted high enough grades
0:08:23 > 0:08:27to be able to apply to uni to do veterinary first time round.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29So I decided this is what I wanted to do,
0:08:29 > 0:08:34so deferred a year and decided to reapply once I had my A-levels.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Luckily, Bristol gave me a place.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40In terms of spelling, yeah, it takes ages but most vets can't
0:08:40 > 0:08:43spell that well anyway, I've noticed.
0:08:46 > 0:08:52Imogen's next stop is to a farm where a cow has recently calved twins.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56- These two, is it?- That's them. - Oh, gosh.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59- Good size, aren't they?- Yes. No wonder she was like she was.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- Yeah, definitely. I think I'd give up, too.- Yeah.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08But it's the mother that Imogen has been called out to see today.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Right, then. So she calved Sunday, you're saying.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13You had to give her a little bit of the hand.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Farmer, Stephen Thomas, is concerned that the cow hasn't delivered
0:09:17 > 0:09:19the placenta since giving birth.
0:09:22 > 0:09:23Good girl.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26She had two big twins and then what happens is, basically, she
0:09:26 > 0:09:31hasn't got any energy to push out the rest of the placenta.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Thinking humans, they call it failed third-stage labour.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39They're meant to be able to cleanse everything properly.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44The risk is that she can suffer from toxic shock from this because
0:09:44 > 0:09:47there will be such a build-up of bacteria in here,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50that she will slowly start to become very unwell.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57- INTERVIEWER: It's good to have long arms in this game, is it?- Yes.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01So as a new vet, how many of these have you done so far?
0:10:01 > 0:10:04As a new vet, not very many at all.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10There we go.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Just want to make sure it's actually all complete.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17- Got to check you've got it all out? - Yes.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20You make it look like the shape of a uterus inside out.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Imogen's postnatal checks are complete and the cow can
0:10:25 > 0:10:27return to her calves.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Back at the Neath branch, exotics animal expert, Lance,
0:10:36 > 0:10:37has another client.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40- So this is Ben.- Ben. Yes, this is Ben.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45Ben, the giant rabbit, has a problem with his eye
0:10:45 > 0:10:48and his owners Yvonne and Paul are keen for Lance to investigate.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52- How old is he?- Five.- OK.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56- It's nasty, isn't it, boy?- It's terrible.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00It's so thick at the bottom and really red and inflamed.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Just going to get the ophthalmoscope so I can have a look in his mouth.
0:11:03 > 0:11:04OK, thank you.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11Good.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17And on the other side, boy.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21What we need to do is sedate him, X-ray his skull,
0:11:21 > 0:11:25so we can see what's happening immediately in front of this eye.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29You are more wound up and worried with animals then you are
0:11:29 > 0:11:31with your partner.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Sorry, Paul.
0:11:34 > 0:11:35Love you.
0:11:37 > 0:11:38Look after him.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40All right, thank you.
0:11:41 > 0:11:42You can't go, boy.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46Before the X-ray, Lance needs to flush out the rabbit's tear ducts
0:11:46 > 0:11:48with a saline solution.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52I think that's in.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58Let's see what happens. All right, boy, I know.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Good boy. There's certainly a lot of resistance there.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05RABBIT SCREAMS
0:12:07 > 0:12:12All right, all right.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14All right, all right, all right.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18It's so inflamed that even though we've sedated him and even though
0:12:18 > 0:12:20I've put some local anaesthetic on there,
0:12:20 > 0:12:22it's obviously still very uncomfortable.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27Rabbits have got to be actually quite upset to do that screaming.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31That's a rabbit who's not very happy,
0:12:31 > 0:12:33but that's the painful bit over now,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36so we should be able to just X-ray him now and see where we're at.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42This X-ray will shed some light into the cause of Ben's blockage.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47To the left side, that's not looking too bad.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50On the right-hand side, we've obviously got a lot of
0:12:50 > 0:12:53soft tissue swelling there and we know because the eye's swollen.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55The most likely thing, I think,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58is that we've got an abscess forming which is getting bigger and
0:12:58 > 0:13:01bigger and bigger and is actually damaging the bone.
0:13:02 > 0:13:03I'm going to have to say,
0:13:03 > 0:13:08I think the outlook for Ben isn't that good, but the next step is
0:13:08 > 0:13:12going to be to talk to the owner and see what they want us to do.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23At the practice hospital in Swansea,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26senior partner, Dai, is preparing to operate on Lucy the labrador's lump.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31This is my most relaxing part of the day now,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33waiting for my patient to be brought in here.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38But there are concerns about the procedure.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42I think the anaesthetic is our major worry because her weight
0:13:42 > 0:13:43isn't helping it.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46It's just like the rest of us, if she's that fat outside,
0:13:46 > 0:13:48there'll be fat around the heart and everything,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51so, the quicker we do it the better, really.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57It's a nasty little lump but literally just snip off the
0:13:57 > 0:13:58skin and stitch it up.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02MUSIC PLAYS
0:14:06 > 0:14:10I've separated from the muscles and things below it.
0:14:16 > 0:14:21- What's the heart rate now? Still high?- 190.- Still high, then.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Her heart rate has doubled.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27It's obviously something that we are going to have to monitor and
0:14:27 > 0:14:31in some of these speeds, it's always a good reason for speeding up.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39We literally are trying to have her coming round as we're putting the
0:14:39 > 0:14:40last stitch in.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44It's a fine art but with Lucy, we'd rather her come round
0:14:44 > 0:14:46too quickly then keep her too deep for too long.
0:14:48 > 0:14:49You can turn her off, yeah?
0:14:51 > 0:14:56So we're turning her off the gas now, just keeping her on pure oxygen.
0:14:58 > 0:15:05That's fine. There you are, gang. And the little lump. Have we got it?
0:15:05 > 0:15:09Thank you. Not very pretty but I think it's all off, anyhow.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10Thank you.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Everything's gone very well and I think we're going to have
0:15:17 > 0:15:21a singing labrador in a few minutes, do you reckon?
0:15:21 > 0:15:25Lucy, come on. Hello. Tail wagging.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Obviously Mr and Mrs Richards are going to have great
0:15:30 > 0:15:33difficulty keeping an eye on the wound and making sure it's
0:15:33 > 0:15:37clean etc, so we'll send one of the nurses up there just to make
0:15:37 > 0:15:39sure it's nice and clean.
0:15:50 > 0:15:56In Wales, one in three of us owns a dog and pets are part of the family.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Come here, good boy, this way.
0:15:58 > 0:16:03Ricky Patwell and his Staffy, Troy, are regulars on Swansea Bay beach.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Good boy, come on, then.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07Troy became a major part of my life.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11Growing up, I always wanted a dog and from having him from
0:16:11 > 0:16:15seven weeks of age, nurturing him like a parent would nurture
0:16:15 > 0:16:17their child, day in, day out,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19I spend more or less every day with him.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22You can have a bad day at the office or
0:16:22 > 0:16:25a bad day in general and you come home and take your dog out for
0:16:25 > 0:16:29a walk and your mind is clear and it's a great feeling.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31But this is Troy's last trot for a while as
0:16:31 > 0:16:35he needs major surgery to fix an ongoing knee problem.
0:16:35 > 0:16:36This way, come on.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38He's a boisterous dog.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41As you can see, one leg is stronger than the other and even on
0:16:41 > 0:16:44the footprints on the floor, he'll less pressure on his back leg.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Very nervous about the whole situation
0:16:47 > 0:16:52so it is hard but if you want the better quality of life for
0:16:52 > 0:16:55your animal, for your pet, then I think it is one of those
0:16:55 > 0:16:58chances you need to look, and take, and go ahead with.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Troy's surgery is complex and won't come cheap.
0:17:08 > 0:17:09At the practice hospital,
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Orthopaedic Surgeon, David Steele, will be performing the knee operation.
0:17:13 > 0:17:14Come through, come through.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Will it be like a straightforward procedure or...?
0:17:17 > 0:17:20It is a relatively involved procedure because we do have
0:17:20 > 0:17:23to cut the bone and move it across.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Unfortunately, his patella tendon, here,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29is essentially, rather than running a nice straight line,
0:17:29 > 0:17:31- is over to the side like this.- OK.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35So almost every time he's bending his knee, this is trying to pull the
0:17:35 > 0:17:37kneecap off to the side.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40What we do is essentially we make a little cut down through the
0:17:40 > 0:17:44bone, here, and move this piece of bone over here so that
0:17:44 > 0:17:47instead of being off to the side like this,
0:17:47 > 0:17:49- we line it up so it's straight.- OK.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53It's always a risk every time we do this procedure but he's
0:17:53 > 0:17:56a young dog, he's got good muscle bulk, he's fit.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58You know, the odds are on his side.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01- If he was mine, this would be what I'd do.- Thank you.
0:18:01 > 0:18:02All right, thanks a lot.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06I think it's like any person that owns a pet. You kind of...
0:18:06 > 0:18:09I don't know, you have that trust and that loyalty with each
0:18:09 > 0:18:11other and I won't be there holding his hand whilst
0:18:11 > 0:18:15he goes through the operation, but I know he's in safe hands.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Down the corridor, newly qualified vet, Imogen,
0:18:21 > 0:18:25- is taking a small animal clinic. - There we are.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27It's important for her to work across all parts of the
0:18:27 > 0:18:29business before specialising.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34This morning, she's got a mystery to solve.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38Well, we weren't sure what boys or girls they were.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41- We thought they were a boy and a girl initially...- Right.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46- And then I thought they were both girls.- OK. There we are.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50They're gorgeous, aren't they? All right, sweetheart, there we are.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Hello. Oh, you're going to claw... You're going to climb?
0:18:52 > 0:18:54- You're going to climb? - Sorry, they love climbing.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Oh, definitely, kittens always do that.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58So this is the one we know is a female, yes?
0:18:58 > 0:19:00That's the bigger one, yes.
0:19:02 > 0:19:08- Yes, there we are, good. You have a proper hand onto that one.- Hello.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10You're going to sleep in my hand, are you?
0:19:10 > 0:19:12All right, sweetheart. There we go.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Yes, that looks like a little girl, as well, actually.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22What I'll do, I'll double-check that one again because I
0:19:22 > 0:19:25think this one is definitely...
0:19:25 > 0:19:28- I think this one could be a boy.- Oh.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Oh, right, OK.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34I will double-check with the other vets but I'm pretty sure that's
0:19:34 > 0:19:37a boy and that's a girl, OK? He's got a little penis, so...
0:19:41 > 0:19:46- Could I just show you this kitten's back end?- For the sex, yeah?- Yes.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50I'm pretty sure it's a boy but they thought was a girl.
0:19:50 > 0:19:56- Yes, definitely a boy. Testicles.- So the other one is a girl. Excellent.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00- You are right.- Yes, this one is definitely a little boy.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04- Oh, wow.- They were all laughing at me because I double checked it.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06No, no, definitely.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Two testicles and definitely a little penis, so that bigger one
0:20:09 > 0:20:13is definitely a boy and the other one is a little girl.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17- Cheers, thank you very much.- Thanks very much.- No problem.- Thanks a lot.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19No problem, bye. Bye-bye.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27It's time for Troy, the Staffy, to be prepped for his knee operation.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32It'll be complicated surgery for partner, David Steele.
0:20:35 > 0:20:36What we're doing with this,
0:20:36 > 0:20:39we're sawing through one piece of bone, moving that across.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43There's always the complication of the bone may not heal.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46You could have implants that can move.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49It's a fairly tricky op and it's certainly something you don't
0:20:49 > 0:20:51want to be doing unless you've done a few of these before.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Troy is expected to be in theatre for three hours.
0:20:58 > 0:20:59Without this operation,
0:20:59 > 0:21:03he'll be facing the future of arthritic pain and disability.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09You can see that movement, there. That's what we're trying to correct.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15MUSIC PLAYS
0:21:18 > 0:21:21So, we're just deepening the groove, now,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24and that just gives the kneecap a deeper track to run in.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28MACHINE BEEPS
0:21:28 > 0:21:32OK, so already that's better, so that's the leg fully extended and
0:21:32 > 0:21:34I'm pushing that and the kneecap is not actually going out of the
0:21:34 > 0:21:36groove any more.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38Whereas before it would've been flipping out sideways.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40Now it's relatively firm.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42That's just because we've deepened the groove. OK.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48DRILLING
0:21:48 > 0:21:54This is just a little pin just to hold it in place.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58That's pretty good. Happy with that.
0:21:58 > 0:22:04You can see instead of this angle, here, we're nice and straight now.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07We're moving nice and smooth.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15An X-ray will confirm that Troy's kneecap is set in the correct position.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18These are the two pins which we've put in,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21which are essentially holding the piece of bone, here, in alignment
0:22:21 > 0:22:25and then this is a figure eight tension band which is essentially a
0:22:25 > 0:22:29wire to counteract the muscles pulling this way, and the wire
0:22:29 > 0:22:31counteracts the pull so that the kneecap, here,
0:22:31 > 0:22:33stays exactly where we want it to be.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Once it heals, he should be feeling a lot better.
0:22:40 > 0:22:41MUSIC PLAYS
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Hello, how are you?
0:22:47 > 0:22:51At Neath, Ben, the rabbit with the abnormal growth,
0:22:51 > 0:22:52is back in for a checkup.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56He's looking a lot fitter himself.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59His owners have made the decision to keep him comfortable at home
0:22:59 > 0:23:02for as long as they possibly can.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05We're happy, I hope Lance is happy.
0:23:05 > 0:23:06I'm always happy, me.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11He's had no ill effects from the sedation or anything last time?
0:23:11 > 0:23:14No, I think he looks better.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18There is more of the eye showing.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21It's not quite as swollen as it was.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23We know there's a nasty infection there because we've cultured it,
0:23:23 > 0:23:27we've got him on antibiotics. Hopefully that's the whole story.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30As you know, I have suspicions there's more going on there but
0:23:30 > 0:23:33I'm more than happy to be proved wrong on that.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36Do you know when Lance says them words,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38it's like winning part of the lottery.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40There's a little bit of both there. Not completely negative.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43I want to prove Lance wrong.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47So do I. I want you to prove me wrong.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53- I do, Lance.- I don't... Yeah, I do want you to prove me wrong.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56It's like having a baby. He's only a baby.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Likes to be carried everywhere.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04- Right, thank you.- OK, thank you. Take care.
0:24:04 > 0:24:09- I'll open the door for you.- Like a gentleman.- I must get a new one.
0:24:09 > 0:24:10Cheers, bye.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Experience says that even if it is just that infection,
0:24:15 > 0:24:19it's still, you know, there's still an uphill struggle and there's still
0:24:19 > 0:24:24lots of things that can go wrong but, to be fair, there is
0:24:24 > 0:24:27a definite improvement there, so hopefully that will continue.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Ben. Toffee.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Since Ben's diagnosis, owner, Yvonne,
0:24:39 > 0:24:44has given him an upgrade from his garden hutch to the penthouse suite.
0:24:44 > 0:24:49Are you OK? Hello. Hello my little angels. Hello, Toff.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53I'm going to clean your eye out, now.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Then you can go back with Toffee. OK?
0:24:57 > 0:25:01The reason I chose to keep him as he is and just give him love and
0:25:01 > 0:25:05care and attention he needs, is because if it is cancer,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07they couldn't do anything anyway.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09It's like when my husband has cancer,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12he's in remission at the moment, I didn't put him down, did I?
0:25:12 > 0:25:15I'm not going to put my rabbit down either.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17So, I love and cared for him.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20Sometimes I get more love and care from my rabbit than my husband.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24- Yeah.- What did you say, boy?
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Yeah, I know where I am in the pecking order.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30I always help my handsome.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33I'm going to make sure I get all the crust off and all the white
0:25:33 > 0:25:37out from his eye. There it is, it's coming now.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41We're just going to make sure that he's happy, comfortable, loved
0:25:41 > 0:25:45and I'm hoping one morning I'll wake up and his eye is back to normal.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50There you are.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56At the practice hospital,
0:25:56 > 0:26:01Ricky has come to collect Troy who had knee surgery just 24 hours ago.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Good boy, Troy. Good boy.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08I'm excited but I'm also nervous just because I've got to keep
0:26:08 > 0:26:12him very well tamed and I can't let him jump and the thing is,
0:26:12 > 0:26:14if he does do anything,
0:26:14 > 0:26:17it's kind of going to have a reverse effect on his operation,
0:26:17 > 0:26:21so I think the next six weeks is going to be hard for him but
0:26:21 > 0:26:24in the long run, it'll be a million times better.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27There we go.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32That's fine. Oh, having an excited wee.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36Don't worry, we'll sort that out. That's fine.
0:26:36 > 0:26:37I'm glad the operation went well.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40I thought he was going to be literally upset, but the fact
0:26:40 > 0:26:43that you can still see his character,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46considering he's going through a lot of pain, as well...
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Will definitely be chilling out just spending father and
0:26:49 > 0:26:51son time together.
0:26:51 > 0:26:52Isn't it, Troy?
0:26:54 > 0:26:55Yeah?
0:26:57 > 0:27:02Six weeks after his surgery and Troy is able to enjoy his walks again.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05The operation has been a complete success.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13On Gower, Imogen is returning to Middleton Hall Farm.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16It's a month since she treated the herd of coughing cattle.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20So we're just going to go up now and see how they're doing, check
0:27:20 > 0:27:24their chests and make sure there's no residual infection left there.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28Unfortunately, the very sick calf didn't survive.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33So how have you been getting on, then?
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Yes, apart from the one that we lost,
0:27:35 > 0:27:39- the rest haven't looked back really. - Good. I'm happy.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43- Not a cough or anything.- Oh, fantastic. I'm pleased about that.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46- Whatever you did.- Whatever I did. - Yes, do you want to catch one of these?
0:27:46 > 0:27:49- Yes, we'll have a look at one of them, definitely.- OK.
0:27:49 > 0:27:50Do you want to catch one, James?
0:28:02 > 0:28:04This is my kid's favourite one. They've named this one.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Out of all the cattle we've got, they've named this one.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09- What is this one's name?- Roxy.- Roxy?
0:28:09 > 0:28:11- Out of all the names. - Oh, thanks, Roxy.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15I think you're doing really well. No concerns about this calf.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18She's really fit and healthy and also very soft.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22I haven't heard a cough yet, so that's really good,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25really pleased with that and how they've come round and everything.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28It's amazing what these young girls can do these days.
0:28:28 > 0:28:29I had to say that.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33Not very good at giving banter.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Half the time I just pretend I haven't listened to whatever they
0:28:36 > 0:28:39are laughing about because my the stethoscope has been in my ears
0:28:39 > 0:28:41but, no, it's good. It's a nice side of it.