0:00:02 > 0:00:04This time on Vets 24/7...
0:00:04 > 0:00:08Alex is getting stuck in down on the farm.
0:00:08 > 0:00:13A perk of the job is smelling things to know whether they are bad or not.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Good, good. It's all right.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20The victim of a nasty accident needs a costly life-saving operation.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24Just got to pay for it, now!
0:00:24 > 0:00:28And Lance has some monkey business to attend to at the zoo.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35From Swansea to Neath and the pets that they treat,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38on duty night and day with the veterinary surgeons
0:00:38 > 0:00:42of one of the largest practices in South Wales.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46This is Vets 24/7.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48ANIMALS BRAY
0:00:52 > 0:00:57St James' Vets have been caring for animals for over 100 years.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04At the practice hospital in Swansea, an emergency admission has arrived.
0:01:05 > 0:01:10Good boy. He's perked up a little bit on the drive down.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14Taz, the German Shepherd, suddenly collapsed at home
0:01:14 > 0:01:17and his worried owners are hoping the vets can help.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25He's not been eating well for two or three days,
0:01:25 > 0:01:27he perked up yesterday when I took him up to play
0:01:27 > 0:01:29with my mother's German Shepherd.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32- Yeah.- This morning, his back end collapsed.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34And then he collapsed, and he's not...
0:01:34 > 0:01:36This is the perkiest he's been.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39- Can I stay with him? - All right.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Hello, darling, are you friendly?
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Vet Becky Williams is on call to investigate.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53He's a bit in shock, perhaps, hey?
0:01:53 > 0:01:56I'm just checking his pulse quality,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59so just checking how strong his pulse is and whether it is irregular
0:01:59 > 0:02:02or whether they are intermittent with his heart rate.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04It just tells me a bit about the circulation
0:02:04 > 0:02:07going around his heart to his back legs.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Just trying to determine what's going on.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Just feeling to see if he's got any abdominal distension.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Any pain in his belly.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17It could be, of course, lots of other things,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19but that would be on high on my list.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Taz has been the family pet for over a decade.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29He's been good as gold for our first examination.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31I'm quite keen to do a blood test first
0:02:31 > 0:02:33but also to do a scan of his belly.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Unfortunately, the most common reason for a collapse
0:02:36 > 0:02:39in an old German Shepherd is a splenic tumour.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43I will warn you that that is high on my list to rule out first.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45We will get on and do the blood test and the scan as soon as we can.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48We will have some answers within the hour for you.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51OK, that's all right, Imogen will show you out
0:02:51 > 0:02:53and I will be in touch as soon as we can.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56- It's OK, Taz.- Good boy.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07It's a little-known fact
0:03:07 > 0:03:10that there are wallabies running wild in West Wales.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Here at Manor Wildlife Park near Tenby,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17exotic animals from all around the world are on display.
0:03:18 > 0:03:24Caring for these animals' health takes a special type of vet.
0:03:24 > 0:03:29Lance Jepson is one of the UK's leading exotics experts
0:03:29 > 0:03:31and today he's on his way to the zoo.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36I became a vet so I could work with these sorts of animals,
0:03:36 > 0:03:41animals under my care now range from tarantulas right up to
0:03:41 > 0:03:45white rhinos and tigers and giraffes,
0:03:45 > 0:03:47and I just love that variety.
0:03:48 > 0:03:53This morning, first on the list for Lance is a spot of monkey business.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- You're going to access it from the back of the rhino paddock?- Yeah.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Bryn is with his parents,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03he's reaching a stage now where he would be sexually mature
0:04:03 > 0:04:07and would get pushed out from the breeding pair.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11What we're doing is implanting him to delay his maturity.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13So, we can maintain him with his parents.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17It's a simple procedure,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20but sedating Bryn could be difficult.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Luckily, zookeeper Gemma has a plan.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26What are these for?
0:04:26 > 0:04:30Just treats for Bryn. A little bit of red pepper.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32I thought I could try and get him in position
0:04:32 > 0:04:34for Lance to give the injection.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36In the past, we have darted him.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38We are going to try and hand-inject him now
0:04:38 > 0:04:42cos we feel like that's going to be the most appropriate way with him.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45- He does come right up against it. - Yeah.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49- Come on, Bryn. - Good boy.
0:04:49 > 0:04:50SHE CLICKS TONGUE
0:04:53 > 0:04:56- Did he do it?- Yeah.- Good boy, Bryn.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58I think it went in. See what happens, now.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Bryn. Bryn.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07You can never be too sure, working with wild animals.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10Yeah, thank you.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17OK. Let's get him on to the mat and make sure he's all right.
0:05:19 > 0:05:20OK, yeah...
0:05:20 > 0:05:24- You still happy with him, Leanne? - Sorry, yeah, yeah.- Yeah, OK.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32OK. Are you still happy, Leanne?
0:05:32 > 0:05:35- Yeah.- OK, just shout if you're not.
0:05:35 > 0:05:36I want to have a listen...
0:05:36 > 0:05:40Six-year-old Bryn has reached puberty early.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Wild gibbons are meant to hit maturity
0:05:42 > 0:05:44around eight or nine years old,
0:05:44 > 0:05:49and you can sometimes see it starting from five-ish.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53Yeah, it's young compared to what gibbons would be like naturally
0:05:53 > 0:05:56in the wild, but everything's slightly different in captivity.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03The implant mimics a particular hormone in the body
0:06:03 > 0:06:07and what that will do is it will shut down his testes
0:06:07 > 0:06:10so he will not be producing any testosterone.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13He'll be their little boy, their perpetual little boy.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Good boy.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27Back at the practice hospital in Swansea,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30another emergency has come through the doors.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32Good girl. Good girl, well done.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Partner Gareth Field has been called to examine the cat's injuries.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40This is Jessie, she seems to have, sort of, very badly ruptured her,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42sort of, muscle wall in her abdomen.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46A lot of her insides on the outside, unfortunately.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49So, she is understandably really, really painful.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52We're just going to assess her now and see how she's doing.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58- Good girl, now. - Good girl, it's all right, I know.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01So, that at the moment is, we think,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04basically her intestines and bladder that have come through
0:07:04 > 0:07:06the abdominal wall,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08so all of that is just hanging under the skin
0:07:08 > 0:07:10so, obviously we need to get that back inside her
0:07:10 > 0:07:12sooner rather than later, really.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15We need to make sure she is OK for the anaesthetic, first.
0:07:15 > 0:07:16Good girl.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22Worried owner Elaine thinks her pet may been hit by a car.
0:07:22 > 0:07:23We were calling her all day,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27she never turned up for her breakfast in the morning.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29And no sign of her all day long,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31so as we went to bed, we went out the front
0:07:31 > 0:07:32and she was under the bush.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Now, she wasn't there earlier in the day, so how she got there...
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Cos she must have been hit in the morning.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40We went to pick her up and she was screaming.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Good girl. Right, shall we pop her back?
0:07:45 > 0:07:50If Jess is to survive, she will need an expensive operation.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52But there's a problem.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54They don't have insurance,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56so unfortunately, they've got a fairly large bill
0:07:56 > 0:07:58to be dealing with.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00But they sort of understood that.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03People do a lot for their animals, they will go without themselves
0:08:03 > 0:08:05to give them the best treatment possible
0:08:05 > 0:08:08and it's really nice to see that happens.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Jess will be kept comfortable by the team
0:08:12 > 0:08:14until it's time for her to go to theatre.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Let's get this fur off your belly.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Next door, vet Becky needs to find out why family pet Taz collapsed
0:08:27 > 0:08:29at home earlier today.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34He's super hairy, so we've got to clip a little window on his belly
0:08:34 > 0:08:36to be able to do a scan,
0:08:36 > 0:08:38we wouldn't see a thing with all of this hair
0:08:38 > 0:08:40in front of the scanner probe.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45She suspects the dog has an abdominal tumour,
0:08:45 > 0:08:49an ultrasound scan will prove if her suspicion is correct.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56First thing I'm looking for is free fluid that shouldn't be there,
0:08:56 > 0:08:58which I can see straightaway.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01This black area here shouldn't be there.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03His intestines and things are floating around in it.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07So, that tells me that he's got fluid in his belly,
0:09:07 > 0:09:08so that concerns me.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10Good boy. You're being so good, Taz.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14So, I'm just going to pop a needle into Taz's belly.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Good boy.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21OK, well done, sweet pea.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23What I've drawn out there is blood,
0:09:23 > 0:09:25so the free fluid I can see in his abdomen
0:09:25 > 0:09:27is pretty much, like, pure blood.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31Unfortunately, that suggests that he has a bleeding splenic mass.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34We'll have a chat to his owners and see what they want to do.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37The scan confirms my suspicions
0:09:37 > 0:09:39that he has got tumours in his spleen
0:09:39 > 0:09:41that have been bleeding.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44It's not great news, I'm afraid.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47The only options we've got at the moment
0:09:47 > 0:09:50are to either proceed to surgery and remove his spleen,
0:09:50 > 0:09:55but the risks are quite high because of his age and because of his breed.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57'I can tell you definitely not surgery,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00'because it's not really going to prolong enough...'
0:10:00 > 0:10:02If we're not going to go down the line of surgery,
0:10:02 > 0:10:04then we would usually elect to put Taz to sleep.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07- I'm so sorry. - 'That's OK.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09'We're going to go home and have a cup of coffee
0:10:09 > 0:10:10'and I'll ring you back.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14- 'Thank you.' - OK, we'll speak to you shortly, OK.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16- 'Thanks.' - Bye-bye.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18She's clearly quite upset,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21so she's going to just have a little bit of a drink at home
0:10:21 > 0:10:23and come in and possibly say goodbye,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25we'll wait for the decision when she comes in.
0:10:33 > 0:10:34Back at the wildlife park,
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Lance has another contraceptive implant on his to-do list.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44This time, for a female lemur called Teasle.
0:10:46 > 0:10:47I'm aiming for her tail,
0:10:47 > 0:10:51just in case you're wondering why I'm doing circles.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55But catching a lemur is not a simple task
0:10:55 > 0:10:58as zookeeper Gemma is about to find out.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02- They're really fast. - Yeah.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Gemma has finally got a grip on Teasle, but she is fighting back.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17- Do you need a hand?- Yeah... - Right, right, OK.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22I've got her.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25The lemur's razor-sharp teeth have left Gemma with an injury.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31Go wash your hands. Get it Hibiscrubbed.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33- You OK?- Yeah!
0:11:35 > 0:11:36Does that happen often?
0:11:36 > 0:11:38No, that's the first time.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Did it hurt?
0:11:42 > 0:11:44Yeah, I'm not going to lie.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48They're still wild animals,
0:11:48 > 0:11:52they are tame in the sense that they're used to being around people,
0:11:52 > 0:11:56but they're not domestic, so although they look cute,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59they are still potentially dangerous animals.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Good girl. I know. Good girl.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05OK, that's it.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Teasle will need to be sedated, so that Lance can carry out
0:12:08 > 0:12:11the contraceptive implant procedure safely.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19So you can see the size of the needle to put the implant in,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22it is quite a size, which is why we need to anaesthetise.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29She's the main breeding female in this group,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33the group have become very dominant, they breed very well here
0:12:33 > 0:12:36and they've become so dominant
0:12:36 > 0:12:41that it's actually starting to affect the rest of the lemurs.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43So, it's kind of like a contraceptive,
0:12:43 > 0:12:45it's an implant, and what it does
0:12:45 > 0:12:48is it just temporarily shuts down her ovaries.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Hello. Good girl.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00There we are. And...there we go.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07Also under sedation at the main practice hospital is Jess the cat.
0:13:09 > 0:13:14Following a road traffic accident, the cat suffered internal injuries
0:13:14 > 0:13:17which will be tricky for vet Gareth to fix.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19So, these are Jessie's X-rays
0:13:19 > 0:13:22and I don't know how well you'll be able to see,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24but this is from the sternum into the pubis,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26it should be a nice straight line.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29You can see the beginning of the line here and this line then stops.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33That should go straight up to there, basically,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36but you can probably see that this big circular structure
0:13:36 > 0:13:39is down past the line, so this is her bladder
0:13:39 > 0:13:42and these are her intestines that have come through the hole
0:13:42 > 0:13:46that has been made when she has been hit by the car.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48Obviously, when they are outside the body,
0:13:48 > 0:13:50they can't always do the job that they're supposed to do
0:13:50 > 0:13:52and they're at risk of getting damaged,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55so we need to put them back inside her and repair things.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01This surgery needs to be done fast for Jess to survive.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09So Gareth has brought in colleague Richard Lawn to lend a hand.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12So, she's quite painful
0:14:12 > 0:14:15and we've got to get it done sooner rather than later.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18There's likely to be quite bad damage internally.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22So...having two of us, we'll be able to hold things
0:14:22 > 0:14:25and do the procedure a bit more quickly and efficiently.
0:14:25 > 0:14:26Hopefully.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36This is the tear in the muscle, all this part here.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39- It's tricky, isn't it? - It's very fiddly
0:14:39 > 0:14:41just to try and find the edges of the tear
0:14:41 > 0:14:44and work out which bit goes back to which bit.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46And, obviously, all the time,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49the guts are trying to fall out and get in the way.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Out of the way, guts.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55It's a little bit more tricky than I was hoping.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58I thought it would be torn from the base of the pelvis,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01which it is torn, but her tear extends right round the side
0:15:01 > 0:15:05to the top of the body wall as well, so it's a pretty bad one, really.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11So what we need to do, really, is try and put all these back in
0:15:11 > 0:15:15and hopefully, when Richard ties the knots, they'll stay there.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17Go for it.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23Cool, that looks pretty good at the moment there.
0:15:23 > 0:15:24That's closed up the main hole.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30- Well done.- Cheers, dude. - I'll leave you to it.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32See you later.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Hopefully, now everything is back in place,
0:15:35 > 0:15:37she should feel a little bit happier
0:15:37 > 0:15:39and act a bit more like a normal cat.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41There you go.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Jess will now be taken to recovery and Gareth can update her owners on
0:15:46 > 0:15:48the outcome of the operation.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51It's all gone well. She's comfortable
0:15:51 > 0:15:54and she seems to have come through the anaesthetic fine, which is good.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Yeah, I know, she's a nice cat, isn't she?
0:15:58 > 0:16:01She's groggy at the moment but she is recovering well.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03The plan with her now is we'll keep her in,
0:16:03 > 0:16:07keep her loaded up with pain relief and monitoring for...
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Check that she's eating and drinking, going to the toilet OK,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12and hopefully looking to send her home
0:16:12 > 0:16:15probably in a couple of days' time unless she does really, really well
0:16:15 > 0:16:17and is back on track tomorrow.
0:16:17 > 0:16:18Is that OK?
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Back at the wildlife park, Teasle the lemur
0:16:33 > 0:16:37is back on her feet and about to be reunited with her troupe.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39A little bit wobbly, aren't you?
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Park keeper Gemma, despite the bite that she received,
0:16:49 > 0:16:51is not bearing a grudge.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53She's lovely really. I don't blame her.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55If someone tried to catch me,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58I'd probably try and bite them as well.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Good boy, that's it. No hard feelings, eh?
0:17:03 > 0:17:05- Someone else is awake too. - No hard feelings.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Bryn is ready for a family reunion.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14The implant that Lance has inserted should allow Bryn to live happily
0:17:14 > 0:17:18with his mum and dad, for a little while longer at least.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Sometimes you have to worry if they are apart for too long.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Yes, primates can be funny things when they are separated.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29Any kind of breakdown in the social bonds can be a problem.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32That's just perfect. It's as if he's never been away.
0:17:36 > 0:17:41Yeah, I'm happy. Well, 99% went according to plan.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45You know, nobody came to any harm.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47- No.- HARM.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49No, it's a good day.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01Caring for sick animals is a 24/7 job for the vets.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03- Bye-bye now. - 'Thanks.'
0:18:03 > 0:18:04Bye-bye.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Vet Becky has given Taz's family time to come to terms with
0:18:07 > 0:18:10their beloved pet's diagnosis.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14So we've just heard from Taz's owners
0:18:14 > 0:18:17and they've made the decision to put Taz to sleep.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20They don't want to put him through abdominal surgery,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23when the prognosis is so poor, really.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25So we're just getting some things ready for them
0:18:25 > 0:18:26to say goodbye to him.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31OK.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34He's a family dog.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36He hates being parted from us.
0:18:38 > 0:18:45He's the most intelligent, loving dog that you could ever come across.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Right then, soldier.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51To put him to sleep, we give him an injection of, like,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54an overdose of anaesthetic, so initially,
0:18:54 > 0:18:55he'll just feel like he's falling asleep.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58He'll just take some deep breaths and he'll just relax,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01but it'll stop his heart within seconds, really.
0:19:01 > 0:19:02OK, so that's how it happens.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09- OK.- Good boy.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12If you guys are ready, I'm just going to start injecting it.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Sometimes a little bit cold, the first couple of bits and then...
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Good boy.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20SNIFFLING
0:19:20 > 0:19:22We love you to bits.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Go catch those pussies, boy.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30KISSES DOG
0:19:32 > 0:19:34SNIFFLING
0:19:36 > 0:19:38Good boy.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45A fabulous dog, isn't he?
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Yeah, he's gone. Can't hear his heart any longer.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52He's nice and peaceful. He didn't know anything about that,
0:19:52 > 0:19:54so that's the best you can ask for.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59You've had a good old life, boy.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Being so close to the rural Gower Peninsula,
0:20:20 > 0:20:24much of the practice workload involves the care of livestock.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28This morning, large-animal vet Alex Franklin,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31is on her way to one of her regular farms.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35I'm out and about every day.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39I drive round Gower and the Swansea area.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42I much prefer being out and about than stuck in the surgery.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Beef cattle farmer Dai Court
0:20:46 > 0:20:50has several jobs lined up for Alex today.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52- What do you want to start with? - Calves, if possible.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Yes, no problem.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59So we're going to start by castrating some of the younger calves.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02It's that time for them - which is never fun for anybody.
0:21:05 > 0:21:06Straight up, if we can.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Lovely. Hello, boy.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11BULL BELLOWS
0:21:11 > 0:21:14We're just putting some local anaesthetic in
0:21:14 > 0:21:18so that he's not going to know anything more about it.
0:21:18 > 0:21:19It's nice to do them now
0:21:19 > 0:21:22and then go out for another couple of weeks before they come back in,
0:21:22 > 0:21:25so it stops any risk of infection and they just settle down
0:21:25 > 0:21:29and get on with growing and they are not being boys, if you like.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30So it's quite a brutal job.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Known in the trade as twist and pull.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38At the moment, we're doing the twisting bit
0:21:38 > 0:21:41and that causes the spermatic cord and the blood vessel
0:21:41 > 0:21:43to knot each other up,
0:21:43 > 0:21:47so that we don't have any bleeding afterwards.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50So that's the twist.
0:21:50 > 0:21:51And then the pull. There we go.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56One less testicle. We have to be really careful now and make sure
0:21:56 > 0:21:59these are put in a bucket and kept out of the reach
0:21:59 > 0:22:02of any other animals because the dogs do get a taste for them,
0:22:02 > 0:22:06but unfortunately, with the local anaesthetic in,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09they would end up sleeping possibly for longer than we'd like.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15So it's done as nicely as they can, isn't it?
0:22:16 > 0:22:19But the trouble is they would just fight and get aggressive
0:22:19 > 0:22:22if you left them, so it's the best thing for them.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24Come on, boy.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26And they might get aggressive with me, as well.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Twist and pull.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34There's a good lad.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Definitely have bigger earrings.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42A little bit tender.
0:22:51 > 0:22:52Back at the main hospital...
0:22:54 > 0:22:55Hello, grumpy.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57..vet Richard is checking on Jess's progress
0:22:57 > 0:22:59following her operation.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Surgery-wise, she's been doing really well,
0:23:03 > 0:23:05but the problem is I think the bladder has suffered
0:23:05 > 0:23:09a degree of damage when it was stuck outside her abdominal wall.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12She hasn't really urinated by herself since.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15When you squeeze her belly, it's really, really full
0:23:15 > 0:23:17and is trickling out of her.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20So we're having to squeeze the bladder to try and empty it
0:23:20 > 0:23:23but it's not ideal - she gets quite grumpy when you do it.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27- CAT SQUEALS - She's not really tolerating having it squeezed every four hours
0:23:27 > 0:23:28to keep it empty.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Saying that, she's not minding this too much.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35That's about as empty as I'm going to get it now, from just squeezing
0:23:35 > 0:23:37it from the outside.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39It's just more complications from the trauma
0:23:39 > 0:23:43that we're starting to see a few days further along.
0:23:43 > 0:23:44She's not going anywhere just yet.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49With long-term inpatients like Jess,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52their owners are encouraged to pay them a visit.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54She is asking for cuddles all the time.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58She's been a real trouper here with us.
0:23:59 > 0:24:00Is she still on fluids?
0:24:00 > 0:24:02Yes, she's still on fluids mainly,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04- because she's still not eating on her own.- Yes.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08And I'm not sure if it's because she's a bit shy of being here
0:24:08 > 0:24:12or there is still a little element of pain involved.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Vet Ana Santos is hoping Elaine will be able to tempt Jess to eat.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Oh, look.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Look.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23No, no, no.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25She's trying to get out.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Eat a little bit?
0:24:27 > 0:24:30- No?- Oh, sweetie.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33I think she's desperate to go home with you, to be honest.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35I think she'll be one of those,
0:24:35 > 0:24:36only start eating when you're at home.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39There's nothing like the owner's fuss.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42You'll be grounded now, you know that, don't you?
0:24:42 > 0:24:44I'll be afraid to let her out.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Right, sweetheart? We'll be afraid to let you outside the door.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59Back on Idle Acres farm, vet Alex has moved on to her next job.
0:25:00 > 0:25:05I'm just getting my scanner ready, so when these cows come through,
0:25:05 > 0:25:06we're going to do a vaginal examination
0:25:06 > 0:25:09to check that she is clean and she's not dirty internally
0:25:09 > 0:25:12and then we're going to scan her.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14This is just making sure everything's as it should be.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20Fertility checks like these provide vital information for farmer Dai.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Part of what we're trying to do is get them back in calf quicker,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28so we're calving as a bunch because at the minute,
0:25:28 > 0:25:30we're a little bit too spread out calving.
0:25:32 > 0:25:33Not going to see much there.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39ANIMALS BELLOW
0:25:39 > 0:25:45A perk of the job is smelling things to know whether they are bad or not.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Castration looked bad.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51- This is worse again. - She doesn't smell at all.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Was she easy calving?
0:25:53 > 0:25:55- Yeah. - I'll get a better picture of it.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00That circle is one of the uterine horns.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04- Yes.- And I can feel that it's much firmer, you know,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07it's turgid, because she is bulling at the moment.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11Bulling is when the cow is ready to be mated,
0:26:11 > 0:26:15basically, or to be inseminated in these cases,
0:26:15 > 0:26:19so in dogs and things like that, you call it "on heat",
0:26:19 > 0:26:21but in cows, it's called "bulling".
0:26:21 > 0:26:22Ready for the bull!
0:26:24 > 0:26:30So this cow is in calf and I'm looking at her uterus,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34which is now a pregnant uterus, so...
0:26:34 > 0:26:38I currently have my hand on the calf's head,
0:26:38 > 0:26:40so that's actually his skull,
0:26:40 > 0:26:42but he's wriggling well.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Fingers crossed - another two months
0:26:45 > 0:26:47and you'll have a lovely calf on the ground.
0:26:47 > 0:26:48Thank you.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52The life of a farm vet is rarely glamorous.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55I just need to be careful not to introduce any of that into...
0:26:55 > 0:26:58LIQUID SQUIRTS
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Another perk of the job.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03She's fine, Dai.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08I think you have to have a passion for this job, for sure,
0:27:08 > 0:27:12and sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and get on with it.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14You can always have a shower at the end of the day!
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Following complicated surgery,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28Jess's recovery has been worryingly slow
0:27:28 > 0:27:31and the longer her stay, the larger the bill
0:27:31 > 0:27:34for Elaine and her husband, Kevin.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37It's a relief now to see that she's coming home now, thank goodness.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Just got to pay for it now.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41They've capped at 1,600, they have.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Is that going to be a struggle to find that money?
0:27:44 > 0:27:46- Oh, yes.- We've got six months
0:27:46 > 0:27:48but it'll be a struggle to find it, yes.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52I'm 60 now and I can take out my civil service pension,
0:27:52 > 0:27:56so that's what I'm going to have to do, is take that out to pay.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59You get a lump sum of money out of my pension,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02so I'll take it out now rather than wait another six years
0:28:02 > 0:28:05until I actually retire, so...
0:28:05 > 0:28:10After a life-saving operation and eight days as an inpatient,
0:28:10 > 0:28:14partner Gareth is happy to discharge Jess from their care.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18Jessie obviously meant a huge deal to her owner and she was happy to,
0:28:18 > 0:28:20sort of, spend the money and treat Jessie
0:28:20 > 0:28:23and I'm just so glad that we could get her right in the end.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26It was a fairly long journey and she's been with us
0:28:26 > 0:28:28for a while but, you know,
0:28:28 > 0:28:30she should go home now and make a good recovery.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34A lot better. She's more lively than she's ever been!
0:28:34 > 0:28:36A lot more life in her now.
0:28:36 > 0:28:37My God, yes.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40- Thank you. Bye.- Bye.