0:00:02 > 0:00:03Britain is a nation in love with its animals.
0:00:03 > 0:00:05How are you doing?
0:00:05 > 0:00:08We own 27 million pets...
0:00:10 > 0:00:12..and 900 million farm animals.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Very frisky one.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16All of them...
0:00:16 > 0:00:18need vets.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Over the course of their final year,
0:00:22 > 0:00:26ten students at the prestigious Royal Veterinary College in Hertfordshire
0:00:26 > 0:00:29are taking what they've learned in the classroom
0:00:29 > 0:00:31and putting it to the test
0:00:33 > 0:00:36in practices, farms...
0:00:36 > 0:00:38This is all new territory for me.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41..and state-of-the-art animal hospitals.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44It's a whirlwind of back-to-back work placements...
0:00:45 > 0:00:47SHRIEKING Sounds like an unhappy monkey!
0:00:48 > 0:00:50- Nice and quick, good. - And they can't afford to fail
0:00:50 > 0:00:53a single one.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56I need to do my job properly. I need to do better.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58It's the most challenging stretch...
0:00:58 > 0:00:59Whoa!
0:00:59 > 0:01:02..of a very long journey.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04I have a serious problem with my hand shaking.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06- To become...- Well done.- Gassy!
0:01:06 > 0:01:08..fully qualified young vets.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10Saved a life today which is good!
0:01:24 > 0:01:26LAUGHTER
0:01:28 > 0:01:31It's midsummer, and after four long years of study,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34these students from the Royal Veterinary College
0:01:34 > 0:01:37have at last reached their final year of vet school.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41I think veterinary is probably one of the few things
0:01:41 > 0:01:46that I could do every day and still be passionate about it every day.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49It's such a big career, you know.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51It's a lifestyle, it's not necessary just a job.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56The end of their training is almost in sight,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59so they can finally put their textbooks to one side
0:01:59 > 0:02:01and get hands on with real animals.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Today I get to do consults all day, erm...
0:02:03 > 0:02:05which is pretty daunting.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09They have just two weeks to master each area of practical knowledge...
0:02:09 > 0:02:11- Morning!- ..before they move on.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13This final year is so important for them,
0:02:13 > 0:02:18they have worked hard for four, five years and now it's time to see
0:02:18 > 0:02:21if they can cut it in the real world of veterinary medicine.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Lives are at stake here, so they have to get it right.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25On the first day of a new rotation,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28every one of them feels like a total beginner.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Hi, I'm Judy one of the vet students.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33I'm just going to take you to a consult room...
0:02:33 > 0:02:34Mature student Judy Puddifoot
0:02:34 > 0:02:37is starting at the Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital
0:02:37 > 0:02:40with what should be an easy test of the most basic vet skills.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45An 8-week-old puppy called Bess
0:02:45 > 0:02:47needs vaccinations and flea treatment.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49She's lovely.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52So she's not got any kind of diarrhoea, vomiting,
0:02:52 > 0:02:53any problems like that?
0:02:53 > 0:02:57- Nothing at all like that.- No.- No? Wonderful. Eating well?
0:02:57 > 0:03:00- Absolutely.- Urinating fine?
0:03:00 > 0:03:02- Yeah.- Everywhere.- Everywhere? Yeah.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05It might be a simple consultation
0:03:05 > 0:03:08but there's a lot to remember if Judy wants to impress.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10Wonderful. All right so if you just want to wait here for a bit,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12I'll be back in couple of minutes.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15OK? Excellent. Good girl, make sure she doesn't drop off.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18I am obsessed about being assessed, it has to be said.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21The clinicians are watching you at every moment
0:03:21 > 0:03:24and assessing you on everything so it can be difficult, yeah.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26So we need to ask about the food management
0:03:26 > 0:03:31when we go back in, just so you can find out what diet she's on.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Do you know whether she has any insurance or anything like that?
0:03:34 > 0:03:36- No, I didn't ask I can check that too.- Yeah. That's perfect.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39You've got to behave how you would round your grandma's house,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41all the time.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45Best game face on, all the time. Don't let it drop. Ever.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48Unless you're in the toilet with the door locked,
0:03:48 > 0:03:50then you can look at your phone
0:03:50 > 0:03:52but until that point professional all the way.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54What would you suggest that we give her
0:03:54 > 0:03:57in terms of flea treatment?
0:03:57 > 0:04:01It's a little bit more comprehensive, it does thing like ear mites as well.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Oh, um... I've completely forgotten the name of it...
0:04:05 > 0:04:06It begins with an S.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Stronghold. Yay. Very, good.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11As students, we're not responsible.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Someone else will take the flak if it goes wrong.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17OK. So I've got Bessie's worming and flea treatment here...
0:04:17 > 0:04:20The day before you graduate, you're not responsible.
0:04:20 > 0:04:2424 hours later, bang, you're responsible.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26The buck stops with you.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28That...is a terrifying thought.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Any questions or anything?
0:04:30 > 0:04:31- No. You've covered the lot there. - Wonderful.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Very professional job.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35- SHE LAUGHS - Thank you very much.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Whether it's first opinion practice or complex surgical procedures,
0:04:46 > 0:04:48every discipline of veterinary medicine
0:04:48 > 0:04:50must be mastered by the students.
0:04:52 > 0:04:5624-year-old Elly Berry is at the Queen Mother Hospital For Animals
0:04:56 > 0:04:59starting a two week rotation in one of the trickiest
0:04:59 > 0:05:02and potentially the most dangerous disciplines of them all.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08So, welcome to anaesthesia, it is a good rotation,
0:05:08 > 0:05:09it's a very hands on rotation.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11It's very different to human anaesthesia
0:05:11 > 0:05:14where you do really no anaesthesia as an undergraduate,
0:05:14 > 0:05:17whereas you are expected to go into practice on your first day
0:05:17 > 0:05:19and to give a good basic anaesthetic
0:05:19 > 0:05:22so it's really important that you are confident.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25With anaesthesia, you hit the ground running.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27You're in at the deep end straightaway.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30You have your induction and then you get a case and you go.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Elly's first patient is a Russian Blue kitten
0:05:34 > 0:05:36with a serious breathing problem.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38- This is the kitten! - You've got a kitten?
0:05:38 > 0:05:40I've got a....but is that a good thing?
0:05:40 > 0:05:42I don't think it's a good thing.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45It's really cute though we can go find him. He's very sweet.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48I saw him earlier, he's very sweet. Okey dokes.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50I'm going to go visit said kitten.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52If you'd like to come with me now...
0:05:54 > 0:05:57What's his actual name?
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Morris! He's called Morris!
0:05:59 > 0:06:02He's 17 weeks old. Oh, Morris!
0:06:06 > 0:06:10The deal with the cat, well, it says its significant history
0:06:10 > 0:06:14is that it's got breathing abnormalities and it's failing to thrive...
0:06:14 > 0:06:16I dunno, I've just listened to its heart.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Um, just to get a heart rate really
0:06:19 > 0:06:23and it's going really, really fast, so it's quite hard to assess!
0:06:23 > 0:06:27Morris needs a CT scan on his lungs to find out what's making him ill,
0:06:28 > 0:06:33so to make sure he lies still, he will have to be sedated.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36I need to see if there's anything I think is physically wrong with him
0:06:36 > 0:06:42and then make an anaesthetic plan based on my findings,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45both of which are things I'm not really very confident in.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47And just made a slight realisation
0:06:47 > 0:06:50that I'm going to have to put a catheter in him.
0:06:50 > 0:06:56How's that going to work? All right, mate. OK. Right.
0:06:58 > 0:06:59To a book.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03In just 30 minutes, Elly has to present Morris's case at rounds,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06a meeting with the supervising clinician
0:07:06 > 0:07:10who expects her to know exactly which drugs the kitten needs.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15I honestly, I've no idea of what I'm doing.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19This is a very new situation. I need to read books.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20Books. I need books!
0:07:22 > 0:07:23What would you give a kitten?
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Anything? Just normal?
0:07:25 > 0:07:28What's the problem with it? What's it for?
0:07:28 > 0:07:31- Kitten.- Are you...
0:07:31 > 0:07:33'With anaesthesia, there are all the different drugs'
0:07:33 > 0:07:37and each drug you have to give in a certain amount to an animal
0:07:37 > 0:07:39because you don't want to overdose.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41- Because...- This is kittens?
0:07:41 > 0:07:44This is very potent so kittens may be too complicated.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Sadly, on that first day, I came in
0:07:46 > 0:07:49and it didn't matter how much I had learnt,
0:07:49 > 0:07:51I still didn't know what I needed to know.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53But that's the way it goes.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57I'm going to Google "kitten" plus "anaesthetic protocol,"
0:07:57 > 0:07:58that's what I'm going to do.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01I'm not looking forward to rounds, it's got to be said.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Rounds is a unique situation
0:08:03 > 0:08:06because you are there with your rotation group and a clinician
0:08:06 > 0:08:10and you are on the spot and they know your name and they know your face
0:08:10 > 0:08:13and they can say, "Right, you. You were not very impressive."
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Today, Elly's reporting to the head of anaesthesia, Ian Self.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20- Which cases have you actually seen? - I've seen mine.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24- Which one was yours?- It's Morris, the little kitten. Erm, CT.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27- The Russian Blue? - Yeah.- Yes, OK.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30I'm not trying to make excuses, cos I really am not very good,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33but I did just see it at 16:30, so it's been a bit of a panic...
0:08:33 > 0:08:36- I've heard that you're not very good. - Yeah, I heard that, it's on the grapevine.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38'I don't know. In situations like that'
0:08:38 > 0:08:41you hope that some knowledge will bubble up from somewhere
0:08:41 > 0:08:42and you can somehow impress.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44OK, Morris.
0:08:44 > 0:08:45I gave him a look over...
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Was this the one that was too dangerous to sedate?
0:08:48 > 0:08:50It was pretty nice cuddling him. It seems fine.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53Yeah, no, no, not dangerous as in... but as in clinically,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56they are worried about sedating this dog, this cat, sorry.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00I'd say his breathing difficulties were my main concern.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03So, what's your plan?
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Well, my original plan which I could have not told you about
0:09:06 > 0:09:08but it was to do the triple thing.
0:09:08 > 0:09:09Triple thing?
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Medetomidine-butorphanol-ketamine
0:09:11 > 0:09:13but probably not any of that now.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17So...ACB Methadone?
0:09:17 > 0:09:18Possibly?
0:09:22 > 0:09:23Mmm. OK.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28How much do you want to give? What doses?
0:09:29 > 0:09:30That I'm not so sure of sorry,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32cos I just plucked that out of my head.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34But, um...
0:09:34 > 0:09:35I could look.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39This one's going to have to be quite open-ended
0:09:39 > 0:09:42because we don't know exactly what the result of the CT is going to be
0:09:42 > 0:09:44and where it's going to go.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Hopefully it will go to recovery and then go home
0:09:46 > 0:09:48with couple of pills and be better for the rest of its life.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52It might go to surgery and have major invasive stuff.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54I've a feeling about this one, yeah.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Her challenges are perhaps more than she actually realises at the moment,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02unfortunately.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04This is quite a young kitten, it's quite small,
0:10:04 > 0:10:06so we've got problems with physically handling
0:10:06 > 0:10:08and dealing with such a small patient
0:10:08 > 0:10:11and on top of that it has a respiratory problem.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14We could find that when we give it anaesthetic drugs,
0:10:14 > 0:10:18it could decompensate and become quite sick very quickly.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20So this is a case that I'm certainly going to be watching
0:10:20 > 0:10:24very, very closely, and I'm not going to leave this one.
0:10:24 > 0:10:25Everything is new,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29I really don't know about the drugs we are supposed to know about
0:10:29 > 0:10:32and that is key with all this and, um...
0:10:32 > 0:10:34it's usually all right if other people don't know
0:10:34 > 0:10:36but they seem to know and I don't know how they know.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39They probably did reading when I should have done reading...
0:10:39 > 0:10:41But I will do the reading
0:10:41 > 0:10:45and by the end of the two weeks I'll be a pro but right now, it feels...
0:10:45 > 0:10:51I feel...uh..I've not done my best, I don't like that...
0:10:51 > 0:10:54(I've not done well.) It's all right.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59After a long and testing day, Elly heads off home to her boyfriend,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02Matt, an aspiring barrister.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06- Hello.- Hi, are you all right? - I'm all right, how are you?
0:11:06 > 0:11:08- Yeah, not bad.- Cool.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11They've been together for three years.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16So, how did it go? SHE GROANS
0:11:16 > 0:11:18- Well, then?- Yeah.- Really well? - It was a classic.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Good, what was today's body count?
0:11:21 > 0:11:24- Luckily none!- Well, that's always good.- Yes!- A successful day.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Everyone else seems to know more of the answers than me.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Maybe they've done more of the reading than me.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Yeah, but everyone else is just as terrified as you
0:11:31 > 0:11:33that they don't know the answers.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Yeah, so don't worry about it.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Elly was telling me about her timetable for this year.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43I think it came down to being a 56 week year
0:11:43 > 0:11:45which just doesn't sound right to me.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48It kind of just puts in perspective
0:11:48 > 0:11:52how much they have to do in such a short period of time
0:11:52 > 0:11:55and I think she's incredibly brave
0:11:55 > 0:11:58to carry on in the way that she does.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02She enjoys doing it, so it makes perfect sense in the long run, really.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12- CAMERA: Going to do a sync clap, is this in shot for everyone?- Yep!
0:12:12 > 0:12:14CLAP No, no.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16- Oh, we... - THEY LAUGH
0:12:18 > 0:12:20Yeah, I don't like the thought that I'll get caught out
0:12:20 > 0:12:24and someone will be like, "You! Why are you in vet school. Get out!"
0:12:24 > 0:12:27That's true with every day you encounter something
0:12:27 > 0:12:30where you're a bit like, "Oh, OK, I'm not very good at that."
0:12:30 > 0:12:33You know what? I think the skill is learning how to deal with it.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Oh, it's the whole, erm "swan phenomenon" thing.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38You are fine. You are serene. You are beautiful.
0:12:38 > 0:12:39You're gliding along on the surface,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42frantically paddling underneath!
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Literally not being able to deal with it.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46That is so true! That is so true.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53- DOG BARKS - Whoa!
0:12:53 > 0:12:57Thank you. Rooney, come on. Aw... you're OK.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00In Hendon, Charlie Tewson from Norfolk
0:13:00 > 0:13:03has been thrown in at the deep end.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07Come on. Rooney. Oh, Rooney. Come on.
0:13:08 > 0:13:09There we go.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11- CAMERA:- Is this a busy practice?
0:13:11 > 0:13:15Er, yeah. Really busy. It's actually the busiest I have been to.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19Erm, you only have about 10 minute slots per consult...
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Er, how is she in herself? Does she seem quiet?
0:13:21 > 0:13:23She's all right.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26For the next two weeks, he's at the PDSA...
0:13:26 > 0:13:28- OK. Er, meant to ask, any vomiting or diarrhoea?- No.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31..a charity who provide vet care for owners on low incomes.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34Erm, so other than the throwing up,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36how has he been?
0:13:36 > 0:13:37Each case is very different.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39You have to sort of switch your mind
0:13:39 > 0:13:42from suddenly having a vomiting dog to having a cat with urinary disease.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46- She's eating and drinking normally... - No. Drinking? No, she won't.
0:13:46 > 0:13:47She's not drinking at all?
0:13:48 > 0:13:52The team treats up to 140 animals a day...
0:13:52 > 0:13:54OK, release the hound.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56..and Charlie needs to help head vet Lucy Gardiner
0:13:56 > 0:13:59get through the case load as quickly as possible.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03I think the pace and the volume of work load
0:14:03 > 0:14:05that we have here sometimes can be a little bit
0:14:05 > 0:14:10of a shock to the system but they invariably get stuck in straightaway
0:14:10 > 0:14:15and their first day skills, they get to use really from day one here.
0:14:15 > 0:14:20Obviously it is quite hard fitting me into the busy schedule.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22The people here really want me to learn
0:14:22 > 0:14:24but they're also really busy themselves
0:14:24 > 0:14:29and they're not getting a huge amount out of me being here, so yeah,
0:14:29 > 0:14:31but I am having a really good day.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33I don't know whether the vets are.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35HE LAUGHS Come on then, Rooney.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38He is a little bit reluctant.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42A busy day at the PDSA is not just a test of stamina.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45- DOG GROWLS - Oh, it wasn't that bad!
0:14:45 > 0:14:48- Good dog. Good dog. - It wasn't that bad!
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Aw! Was it bad?
0:14:51 > 0:14:53All trainee vets need to develop the confidence
0:14:53 > 0:14:56to deal with stroppy patients.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00Have I got Shadow Whitely? Brilliant.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03She is not very keen on strangers so I might have to muzzle her...
0:15:03 > 0:15:05- Or men.- OK.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09Shadow, a German shepherd, has a chronic skin condition,
0:15:09 > 0:15:12and is in today for her regular check up.
0:15:12 > 0:15:13So Shadow is not very keen on men?
0:15:13 > 0:15:17No, and I normally have to muzzle her. Since she's had her operations done on her ears,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20she really doesn't like the vets going anywhere near her so...
0:15:20 > 0:15:22I understand. I don't think I would either.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24So is she snappy or just growly?
0:15:24 > 0:15:26- Erm. Both. - OK. So you would rather...
0:15:26 > 0:15:28If you've got a nylon one, I will put it on her.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Shadow...come here.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Is she going to get really scared of me? I'm OK.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37- Oh, you are... aren't you? - Good girl.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39Good, so what's the main problem today?
0:15:39 > 0:15:42Basically she is here for a check up on her skin.
0:15:42 > 0:15:43Good girl.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47Let's have a quick look on your face before you get really angry.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Yep. SNARLING
0:15:49 > 0:15:52OK. OK. We are going to stay away from your head.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56- But, um, she keeps getting hot spots on her skin.- Yeah.
0:15:56 > 0:15:57Because I am a vet student,
0:15:57 > 0:16:01it means that I have got the kind of the atmosphere of a vet for a dog,
0:16:01 > 0:16:03without the confidence.
0:16:03 > 0:16:08Erm, and obviously I am a rather large man.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10- So any vomiting or diarrhoea?- No.
0:16:10 > 0:16:11- Coughing or sneezing?- No.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14- And she's eating and drinking all normally?- Yep.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Brilliant. See if she'll let me feel her lymph nodes there...
0:16:17 > 0:16:19GROWLING No. No. OK.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22- OK.- She's like, "I don't think so."
0:16:22 > 0:16:24No, I don't think today is the day.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27OK, so I think I've got enough to report to Lucy
0:16:27 > 0:16:29and then see if she wants to take a crack.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33If you can just held her head while I squeeze past and hopefully...
0:16:33 > 0:16:40- You are all right, aren't you?- Hey. OK. That was fairly difficult!
0:16:40 > 0:16:44It doesn't matter what size who you are, a dog's teeth will bite
0:16:44 > 0:16:48and that bite wound could be lethal, could get infected.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Erm, there's all manner of things that can go wrong
0:16:51 > 0:16:55and just the fact that I'm quite a big guy doesn't mean that
0:16:55 > 0:16:57I should forget about those risks.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01- Very difficult to clinically exam. - OK, yeah.- Muzzled and still snapped
0:17:01 > 0:17:05- so I couldn't do sort of mucus membranes.- Of course.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09Maybe the lymph nodes, I can't find, generally fine in itself,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12but it started getting really angry at me.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15OK. Previous appointments, they were concerned
0:17:15 > 0:17:20about just general itchiness so obviously we can assess that as well
0:17:20 > 0:17:22have a little look over Shadow and go from there.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26- Awesome.- OK. Great stuff.
0:17:26 > 0:17:27Hello, this way...
0:17:27 > 0:17:31Fortunately, Lucy has years of experience dealing with pets
0:17:31 > 0:17:32who don't like vets.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37Good. Oi, oi, oi, you are a real scamp, you are.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41Right. Just general itchiness, how are we doing?
0:17:41 > 0:17:43Um, that's stopped again.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46The steroids seem... but her skin is so dry.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48She's pretty scurfy, isn't she?
0:17:48 > 0:17:51As regards to the slight dry skin scurfiness,
0:17:51 > 0:17:55um, a little bit of omega 3, omega 6 can just help out.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57Some fish oil can just help that...
0:17:57 > 0:17:59- Have a great day, take care now.- Bye!
0:18:04 > 0:18:05I love coming here. I really do.
0:18:05 > 0:18:11The girls are really, really friendly, it's cool. Nice bunch.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14- CAMERA: But she doesn't like men though.- No... - THEY LAUGH
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Don't blame her.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20It's nothing to do with the way we've taught her either.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25But even his run in with Shadow
0:18:25 > 0:18:28can't put Charlie off becoming a vet.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32Aw, Olly! (Hey!)
0:18:32 > 0:18:33He's cute.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36There's quite a lot of competition to go to PDSA amongst students.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38But, yeah, I'd go back as a student
0:18:38 > 0:18:40and I think if they offered me a job, I'd probably take it.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Hint! HE LAUGHS
0:18:55 > 0:18:58At the Beaumont Small Animal Practice,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Judy's first day nerves are disappearing
0:19:00 > 0:19:02as she starts to find her feet.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05OK, so basically, he's had his vaccination.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09First vaccination and that was about two weeks ago today, wasn't it?
0:19:09 > 0:19:12- I think so.- Yeah, the 20th?- Yeah.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14You really don't know what's coming through the door.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17You could have a happy-go-lucky puppy
0:19:17 > 0:19:21and then the next consult that comes in could be a serious one.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25And then how long after that did he start to get a bit poorly?
0:19:25 > 0:19:29I don't know. It's probably a week and a half he's been like this. But I just thought he was quiet.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32I have never had a cat so I don't really know.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34Her patient, a 10-week-old kitten called Leon,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37has been brought in by his worried owners.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40He was OK for a couple of days, you think,
0:19:40 > 0:19:44and then he started to get... What was it? Lethargic? Diarrhoea?
0:19:44 > 0:19:45- Vomiting?- He just, erm... No.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49He just sits on, like, on the window, but doesn't move.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51So he didn't have diarrhoea before his vaccination though?
0:19:51 > 0:19:55- No, it's always been like that.- He has always had diarrhoea?- Yeah.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57And you say about his appetite he's not really interested.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00You really have to entice him to eat, do you?
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Well, I put him there and he'd eat a little bit
0:20:02 > 0:20:06and never, never finish it or it's kind of always in the bowl.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08He shouldn't be this down.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11You know, this is kind of more of a generalised
0:20:11 > 0:20:13"Oh, I feel really icky."
0:20:13 > 0:20:17Yeah, depressed and icky as opposed to, "I want to run around
0:20:17 > 0:20:20"but my leg hurts" kind of feeling.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Right. If you want to just hold on to him for a bit,
0:20:23 > 0:20:27keep him nice and warm, and I'll go out
0:20:27 > 0:20:30and just have a quick word with Michelle, the vet,
0:20:30 > 0:20:31and we will pop back in.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37So he's, er... this is Leon Goodrick.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42He's a 10-week-old entire male kitten.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47He had his first vaccination two weeks ago today.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51Um, and he's had a one and a half week history of diarrhoea,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54lethargy, temperature was 40.1.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56OK, so what do you think about that?
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Well, I think he'd obviously got some sort of infection,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02viral, bacterial, or something going on.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05He's got something systemic illness going on for sure.
0:21:05 > 0:21:06Very good.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10Such a small kitten with a temperature of more than 40 degrees
0:21:10 > 0:21:12could be in serious danger.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16The first step to try and diagnose Leon
0:21:16 > 0:21:18is to test his blood glucose level.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22We're worried about him being hypoglycaemic
0:21:22 > 0:21:24because he's not eating properly,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27so that could partially explain his lethargy.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29And that is something we can address
0:21:29 > 0:21:31and we can get his glucose levels back to normal
0:21:31 > 0:21:34and then we can assess how he is getting on at that point.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37So that's really what the point of this test is.
0:21:38 > 0:21:39You know, you look at him.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43He just, ooh, he's just down and he's a really sick little kitten
0:21:43 > 0:21:47and he's was literally on a knife edge.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50He's going to be really difficult to get blood from.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52So we'll use a little insulin syringe
0:21:52 > 0:21:54we just need a drop of blood.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Just a drop. OK, Mr!
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Perfect so you just need to stabilise what you're doing.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04- Good boy.- Right. That's it.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06(Lordy Lord.)
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Perfect.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Ohhh. Have we got it? Brilliant.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15If Leon's glucose levels are normal,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18he will need more tests to determine what is wrong with him
0:22:18 > 0:22:21and these could be expensive.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24So we managed to get a little drop of blood out of his leg
0:22:24 > 0:22:28and we put it on the machine to measure his blood glucose level
0:22:28 > 0:22:31and its actually normal so as we were saying before...
0:22:31 > 0:22:35- Something else wrong.- Yeah. It indicates that there's perhaps something else going on
0:22:35 > 0:22:39so it would need to be worked up a bit further and investigate
0:22:39 > 0:22:41and find out what's actually going on.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43- Look, he's shaking.- Yeah.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45I think it's a combination of his high temperature
0:22:45 > 0:22:49and the fact that he does seems to be in quite a bit of pain as well.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51He really does need to have further investigation
0:22:51 > 0:22:54to have any chance of pulling through this.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58So we're going to get him sent straight over to the Harmsworth Hospital
0:22:58 > 0:23:02where he can have x-rays, further blood tests
0:23:02 > 0:23:05and potentially a scan of his abdomen as well.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Leon's owners don't have insurance
0:23:07 > 0:23:10but the Harmsworth is an RSPCA hospital,
0:23:10 > 0:23:12where he can be treated at low cost.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14And then that will give him the best chance
0:23:14 > 0:23:16of being able to pull through this.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18- OK.- Thank you.- No worries. You're welcome.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21All right. We'll keep everything crossed for him.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24- OK.- Thank you so much. - Not a problem.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28Unfortunately, he was that sick
0:23:28 > 0:23:30that he did actually die later that evening.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32- OK.- Thank you. See you later.- Thank you.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34I wish I could be apathetic.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36You know, there are people who see that little kitten
0:23:36 > 0:23:38and go "It's a kitten, get another one."
0:23:39 > 0:23:42What?! No!
0:23:42 > 0:23:44So, yeah, it does, it does upset you because you think
0:23:44 > 0:23:47"Oh, crikey, this animal's suffering" or "it's in pain"
0:23:47 > 0:23:48or "it's sick" or whatever
0:23:48 > 0:23:51and you think "I want to help it, how do I help it?"
0:23:51 > 0:23:54It can be hard. Yeah, just difficult.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04I like a dog when it's in, or I like a cat and, er,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06and I'm rooting for it to do well
0:24:06 > 0:24:09but I think you can't get too attached because you just go through so many,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11you go through so many, animals all the time
0:24:11 > 0:24:12and not all of them are good outcomes.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15I think if you get too attached, then it's quite difficult.
0:24:16 > 0:24:17No, it's when you think,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20when you think that they are basically going to be cured
0:24:20 > 0:24:23and then something else pops up and you are just like, "Oh, no."
0:24:23 > 0:24:27- We forget how attached people are to their pets and how they are part of their family.- So true.
0:24:30 > 0:24:36Most young vets go on to work with small animals and pets after graduation...
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Come on, Carlo. Steady. Come on.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42..but learning to treat horses is still compulsory for every student.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Yes! Good boy.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49One of my mum's friends said, "The only 100% predictable horse
0:24:49 > 0:24:54"is a dead horse," so if they've got a heart beat, don't trust it.
0:24:55 > 0:24:56Awesome!
0:24:56 > 0:25:00Fortunately, Amy Clithero is in her element with horses.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02No matter how comfortable you are
0:25:02 > 0:25:04you've still got to bear in mind they're ten times the weight of you
0:25:04 > 0:25:07and they can easily splatter you.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10It's to see if was something you'd have to bandage or cast up...
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Her mum runs a riding school on the Yorkshire moors,
0:25:14 > 0:25:16so for one of her elective placements,
0:25:16 > 0:25:21she's chosen to spend two weeks at the Bell Equine Centre....
0:25:21 > 0:25:23- OK.- Chill out, dude.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25..a specialist hospital for horses
0:25:25 > 0:25:28needing clinical treatment or surgery.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31How can you not be excited about doing some of it?
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Like, yeah, you might get stressed out
0:25:33 > 0:25:35but you're going to be stressed in any job really.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Amy's first major case is a 16-year-old Shetland pony
0:25:45 > 0:25:46called Babs.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51OK, if you just want to bring her down and then we'll take her through to the consultation room.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53She's suffering with colic,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56a painful and potentially lethal disorder of the gut.
0:25:57 > 0:26:02Right. We just, erm. This is um, Nat. Nat the vet, coming up now.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06She is looking a lot better than she was earlier so...
0:26:06 > 0:26:09So arrived at about one o'clock-ish, she was down on the floor
0:26:09 > 0:26:12with her leg stretched right out at the side of her.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Erm, panting, very, sort of, distressed.
0:26:15 > 0:26:1945 minutes later the vet arrived, he's given her, he's told you what he's given her,
0:26:19 > 0:26:21all the drugs and that sort of thing.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24In terms of shape, is that how she usually is? Is she a bit bloated?
0:26:24 > 0:26:26- She is bigger than she should be... - Right.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Her heart rate is quite high, it's 56,
0:26:28 > 0:26:33normally in a pony of this size we would expect sort of 40/44.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36She's quite puffy as well is that something she's been doing all day?
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Um, yeah, she was clearly quite struggling to breathe,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41this is a lot better than she was...
0:26:41 > 0:26:45Colic is the leading cause of premature death in domestic horses
0:26:45 > 0:26:47so owner Kate is understandably worried.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52I'm kind of hoping today goes all right.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55I don't like seeing her as poorly as she is now,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58she's always been there, I've had her forever, I love her dearly,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01I don't want anything disastrous to happen to her...
0:27:03 > 0:27:05So obviously I can only get in to just past my wrist
0:27:05 > 0:27:08because she is so small but there is something very tight in there,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11so normally, you know, the large intestine will sit,
0:27:11 > 0:27:13there should be plenty of space in the abdomen,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16I can feel a displaced large intestine there,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19which is kind of curling up and very, very tense and taut.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24For the next two weeks Amy's knowledge and practical skills
0:27:24 > 0:27:27will be constantly tested by hospital director Tim Mair.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33So what's your overall impression of this animal
0:27:33 > 0:27:38in terms of circulatory status, pain?
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Ooh, I've not actually seen its membranes
0:27:40 > 0:27:44and then its heart rate size is obviously uncomfortable.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46- Why is the heart rate high?- Pain.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48Can be pain but also... Or stress.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52Stress or shock, shock will push the heart rate up,
0:27:52 > 0:27:54probably faster than pain.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58So we've got high heart rate, we've got abdominal distension,
0:27:58 > 0:28:05we've got lack of faeces, we've got recurrence of pain despite analgesia
0:28:05 > 0:28:07those are all some of the things that we rely on
0:28:07 > 0:28:10to make a decision to go to surgery.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Do you have any idea how much it costs on average?
0:28:12 > 0:28:16Is it...? It's about four to six thousand.
0:28:16 > 0:28:17Certainly if they need a lot of aftercare
0:28:17 > 0:28:19and a lot of intensive treatment after,
0:28:19 > 0:28:23especially some of the small intestinal resection cases,
0:28:23 > 0:28:27the cost can go beyond five and a half, six, seven thousand sometimes.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29It's not clear cut to my mind at the moment
0:28:29 > 0:28:31whether this is surgical or not.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39With no clear course of action, Babs is put under observation
0:28:39 > 0:28:42and Amy is tasked with making the pony comfortable.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47She is going to stay in tonight.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49They obviously want to keep an eye on her
0:28:49 > 0:28:51and let her relax a little bit,
0:28:51 > 0:28:55they're going to get a catheter in her for a bit more fluid
0:28:55 > 0:28:56because she's got dehydrated.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58Good girl, that's it.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00People laugh when you say they're like your kids
0:29:00 > 0:29:04but you know, as people often remind me I haven't got kids of my own
0:29:04 > 0:29:07but I have got ten of these little chaps and several big ones.
0:29:08 > 0:29:09Just get yourself comfy.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14And you spend a lot of time and effort on them
0:29:14 > 0:29:16and they do mean a lot to you,
0:29:18 > 0:29:21even when they're as annoying as you are sometimes, hmm?
0:29:22 > 0:29:24Yeah.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28And you're just like, "I really hope you know we can pull this one through."
0:29:28 > 0:29:30Obviously because you want to help the animal
0:29:30 > 0:29:33but because the owners are just so attached
0:29:33 > 0:29:36and you just want to send the horse home with them again basically.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51Has she got any kind of history that we should be aware of
0:29:51 > 0:29:53in terms of kind of illnesses or surgery or...?
0:29:53 > 0:29:55- She's allergic to carrots.- OK.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00At the Queen Mother Hospital, Catherine Needham,
0:30:00 > 0:30:02a student vet from Nottingham,
0:30:02 > 0:30:04is nervous about starting her new placement.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08The rotation that I'm on at the moment
0:30:08 > 0:30:10is emergency and critical care.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12I think what I'm worried about with this rotation is
0:30:12 > 0:30:16just the fact that I need to know so many things at once.
0:30:16 > 0:30:21What system does the angiotensin II receptor act in?
0:30:21 > 0:30:23Cardiac?
0:30:23 > 0:30:24Yeah, and...?
0:30:26 > 0:30:29I feel that I have a good understand of things
0:30:29 > 0:30:33but not necessary all at the same time at the moment.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35The something angiotensin system?
0:30:35 > 0:30:37Kidney, renal.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39Renal, so yeah, kidneys.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42So I need to know about cardiac disease and renal disease.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44Um, I didn't specifically...
0:30:44 > 0:30:47You ask Catherine questions and she does know the answer
0:30:47 > 0:30:48but she thinks she doesn't
0:30:48 > 0:30:51and there's going to come a point in less than a year's time
0:30:51 > 0:30:54where someone is going ask her opinion and her advice
0:30:54 > 0:30:56and she's going to have to have a bit of courage
0:30:56 > 0:31:00of the fact that she has got a lot of knowledge behind her
0:31:00 > 0:31:04and that she does know her stuff, so hopefully we do it in a nice way
0:31:04 > 0:31:08that makes her realise that she does know what she's talking about...
0:31:09 > 0:31:16Emergency and critical care is a 24 hour operation on the front line of animal medicine
0:31:16 > 0:31:18and when you're working on the out-of-hours shift,
0:31:18 > 0:31:20you never know what's coming in next.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24We came home tonight, went out for dinner,
0:31:24 > 0:31:27came home tonight and let the bunny in
0:31:27 > 0:31:30and we could hear a buzzing noise
0:31:30 > 0:31:35and we weren't quite sure which end it was coming from.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39He's our son's birthday present, we love him.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41- He's actually like a dog. - He's like a little dog,
0:31:41 > 0:31:43he's so lovely, he just loves cuddles.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45He sits there, he sits there on the fireplace
0:31:45 > 0:31:47with his front arms out and his back legs out.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49Yeah, snuggles up on the rug, he's just lovely.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51- Literally on his belly. - Cute, he's cute.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59Vet Myfanwy Hill is Catherine's supervisor.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03She needs to make sure her student has the basics covered.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05Look at the picture in the rabbit manual
0:32:05 > 0:32:08of what a male and female looks like so when I ask you to sex it...
0:32:08 > 0:32:09Where is it, is that it?
0:32:12 > 0:32:15You're not meant to be filming this bit.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17- CAMERA:- Why is that?
0:32:17 > 0:32:19I'm looking in the book to work out what I'm doing.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24Because they can be really difficult,
0:32:24 > 0:32:28quite tricky to differentiate male from female
0:32:28 > 0:32:33so you are going to need to identify
0:32:33 > 0:32:35whether or not it has got a penis or vulva.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37If it's got testicles then it's really easy
0:32:37 > 0:32:39but if it's been castrated
0:32:39 > 0:32:42then it becomes a little bit more challenging.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45OK, happy? Let's go have a look.
0:32:49 > 0:32:50Do you want to come on through?
0:32:55 > 0:32:58So you've heard a buzzing sound?
0:32:58 > 0:33:00I got him out when we got home
0:33:00 > 0:33:02and I kept hearing, like, a buzzing.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05He kept coming up to me and when I could hear the buzzing,
0:33:05 > 0:33:08he was sort of skitting and getting quite irritated.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11It sounded like it was coming from his head
0:33:11 > 0:33:13and I thought there might be a fly in his ear or something.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17So I sort of rubbed round his ears and sort of had a look inside,
0:33:17 > 0:33:21see if I could see anything, but I couldn't really see anything.
0:33:21 > 0:33:22So we'll have a little look.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25Out you come, Harley.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28So you think the buzzing sound is coming from his front end do you?
0:33:28 > 0:33:29I think so.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32It's so hard to tell.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35And it's not all the time by the way.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37No, I haven't heard it since we've left home.
0:33:37 > 0:33:38Is it very loud?
0:33:38 > 0:33:40- Yeah, you can hear it, yeah. - Really loud.
0:33:40 > 0:33:41It's a really obvious noise.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49We were trying to do all of this earlier
0:33:49 > 0:33:51and he was just really kicking.
0:33:51 > 0:33:52No hope, no hope!
0:33:53 > 0:33:56And a bit of wax down that one but nothing peculiar
0:33:56 > 0:34:00that I can see down there, and we're definitely sure he's a boy?
0:34:01 > 0:34:03Well, there was a pink thing that I saw
0:34:03 > 0:34:07when we were looking round his bottom for flies.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09I don't know if that was...
0:34:09 > 0:34:10That's fine we can check...
0:34:15 > 0:34:16So what sex?
0:34:16 > 0:34:19- Yep, he's definitely male... - That there is his testicle.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21Ah, that's, yes, that's the thing.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23Ah no, that was what I saw.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27That's what I worried was like a maggot inside or something.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30Yeah... have you checked his bottom? Think his bottom looks OK?
0:34:30 > 0:34:32- Haven't got that far. - I'll have a look.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35But it did look, you said, it looked a little bit red.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37Yeah, but that was now what I know to be his...
0:34:37 > 0:34:40No, but his bottom...
0:34:40 > 0:34:44No, I think I was looking at the ball.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47SHE LAUGHS
0:34:47 > 0:34:50What if a fly has gone inside his bum,
0:34:50 > 0:34:52will you be able to tell?
0:34:52 > 0:34:55It's really unlikely for a fly to go inside his bottom
0:34:55 > 0:34:57- because there's...- Oh good, that's what I was worried...
0:34:57 > 0:34:59..because there's a muscle that sits around the outside
0:34:59 > 0:35:01of his bottom that keeps it closed
0:35:01 > 0:35:04and that will stop anything flying up there.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07LAUGHTER Stop!
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Yeah, so I wouldn't worry too much about that.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14I can't see anything in his ears,
0:35:14 > 0:35:17I can't see anything around his bottom,
0:35:17 > 0:35:21I think there's no reason for us to expect there to be a problem
0:35:21 > 0:35:23in that sort of area.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25- There we go...- Thanks so much.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28- Thanks so much. - No problem. See you.
0:35:28 > 0:35:29Cheers, bye-bye.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33Annoyingly for them it wasn't doing the buzzing.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37It hadn't got the buzzing noise and it wasn't being skittish when it was in the consult room,
0:35:37 > 0:35:40so we have to just, sort of, check what we have got in front of us
0:35:40 > 0:35:44and we couldn't hear the noise and we couldn't find any reason for the noise,
0:35:44 > 0:35:47so whatever may have been causing it may have stopped now,
0:35:47 > 0:35:49so we've just advised them if it occurs again
0:35:49 > 0:35:53to try and get a video recording of it on their phone or something
0:35:53 > 0:35:56and then they can take it to their vet and their vet can make a judgment.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59Other than that at the moment he seems to be doing fine.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01Certainly learnt a lot about the anatomy, didn't we?
0:36:01 > 0:36:05- That we didn't really know...- Learnt about the anatomy of a rabbit.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09- CAMERA:- So you know for sure he's a male now?- Yeah.- Yeah.- Oh, yeah.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11If that's what you mean, have you learnt anything,
0:36:11 > 0:36:14that's what we've definitely learnt, that he's male, yeah.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26In the anaesthesia department of the Queen Mother Hospital,
0:36:26 > 0:36:30Elly is preparing Morris, the Russian Blue kitten, for his treatment.
0:36:31 > 0:36:32He's here at the moment
0:36:32 > 0:36:36because his owners reported breathing difficulties
0:36:36 > 0:36:41and he's here for a CT scan of his lung region.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45My job is to organise a good anaesthetic for him.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48Elly has now researched the appropriate dose to give Morris,
0:36:48 > 0:36:53and head anaesthetist, Ian Self, wants her to fit a catheter in the kitten's leg.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56We have to administer drugs intravenously
0:36:56 > 0:36:59but securing that catheter is going to be very difficult.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02This is a 1.24 kilogram cat,
0:37:02 > 0:37:06the size of its legs are smaller than my little finger
0:37:06 > 0:37:08and we have to persuade this cat to sit still
0:37:08 > 0:37:11and allow us to put this big catheter through its skin and into its vein
0:37:11 > 0:37:12and not object about it.
0:37:14 > 0:37:15Good boy.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19Don't wriggle. Morris. Don't wriggle.
0:37:24 > 0:37:25Don't worry. Go in.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31Come out?
0:37:31 > 0:37:34But Morris is so small, Elly can't fit the catheter.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39I know, I know, I'm sorry sweetheart. I know.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45Generally you want to do your best for anyone
0:37:45 > 0:37:48so to try and put a catheter in and fail and have a little leg
0:37:48 > 0:37:52all sort of bandaged, I don't feel very proud of myself right now.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58One of the senior nurses has managed to fit Morris's catheter,
0:37:58 > 0:38:00and Ian has taken charge of the case.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05Before they can take tiny kitten for his scan,
0:38:05 > 0:38:09they need to ensure he can cope with the powerful drugs they've given him.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14- Not very good at all.- OK.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17But the state-of-the-art monitoring equipment
0:38:17 > 0:38:20quickly shows that Morris is struggling to breathe.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23I think this SpO2 is real.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25About 65/70.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27Really? Oh, dear.
0:38:27 > 0:38:31Morris's blood oxygen, or SpO2 level, is falling fast.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40Can you start taking some recordings, guys?
0:38:40 > 0:38:42OK, thank you.
0:38:42 > 0:38:47With an SpO2 of just 65%, Morris's condition is now critical.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50All right, we're ventilation dependant on this...
0:38:56 > 0:38:59Ian must now start breathing for him.
0:39:06 > 0:39:07At the moment I doubt...
0:39:07 > 0:39:10Because he's dependent on us ventilating him
0:39:10 > 0:39:13to actually maintain normal function at the moment.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17To have to breathe for an animal is incredibly serious.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21I appreciated it was a bad moment but I didn't quite realise
0:39:21 > 0:39:22he was on the edge of death.
0:39:43 > 0:39:44Better.
0:39:46 > 0:39:47That's better we're fine.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51He's 99 now.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54That was a brown trouser moment, just so you know.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59Check that you're happy that he's deep enough for us to move
0:39:59 > 0:40:02and then when you are, we'll go to CT.
0:40:02 > 0:40:03Stable for now,
0:40:03 > 0:40:08Morris needs to be rushed into the scanner as fast as possible.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10Right, we're going to move quickly to CT.
0:40:10 > 0:40:11OK. Let's go.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18He's hooked up to a ventilator
0:40:18 > 0:40:21in case his blood oxygen level falls again.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Just watch that upstroke, I want to know that the upstroke is up
0:40:24 > 0:40:28and not slurred because that would indicate a little bit of obstruction
0:40:28 > 0:40:29somewhere in the tube, OK.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34Elly's first case is turning out to be as challenging as they come...
0:40:38 > 0:40:39I don't know what I'm doing
0:40:39 > 0:40:41so I'm just trying to stay out of the way and do what I'm told.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45Then you can't go wrong, and I'm trying to watch that line as much as I can.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47Have we got a capnograph trace on here?
0:40:47 > 0:40:49How's the capnograph looking?
0:40:49 > 0:40:52- Is the capnograph straight? Straighter?- Yeah.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54He's really breathing but it's all right.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56OK, let's put a little bit more, go to five litres.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05While the scanner is firing, Elly and the team must leave the room.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15Once it's finished, it's another emergency dash
0:41:15 > 0:41:18as Morris is moved to intensive care.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24The fact he was recovering in ICU, the intensive care unit,
0:41:24 > 0:41:28just showed how critical it was really because he was put in an oxygen cage.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32Morris has used up at least one of his nine lives today.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35But thanks to the anaesthesia team,
0:41:35 > 0:41:38surgeon Nicola Kulendra finally has a diagnosis.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43We suspect that Morris has got bronchial pneumonia
0:41:43 > 0:41:47so we've just taken a sample from the lungs to see
0:41:47 > 0:41:51what type of bacteria so we can give the most appropriate antibiotics.
0:41:53 > 0:41:59Remarkably, just 15 minutes later, the anaesthetic has worn off and Morris is up and about.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04I am sorry you couldn't do everything at that
0:42:04 > 0:42:07but it was one of those emergency cases, but hopefully you learn
0:42:07 > 0:42:11a lot from seeing what we do and how we approach it.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13That's good, it's a nice outcome.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15Happy about that.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18You know when you see, like, doctors on TV running around
0:42:18 > 0:42:20and it's like ER and George Clooney is doing his thing,
0:42:20 > 0:42:23but he's not really doing his thing, this is like that with animals
0:42:23 > 0:42:27but without George Clooney, but with Ian who is better and real.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31And it's just awesome. I'm just a bit overwhelmed.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33Elly did really well, I have to say.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36We couldn't let her do much directly with that case
0:42:36 > 0:42:40because it was so critical but she was there she never left us,
0:42:40 > 0:42:42she followed all the instructions that we gave,
0:42:42 > 0:42:45even in quite a tense situation and really in these critical cases
0:42:45 > 0:42:47that we can't let the students do directly,
0:42:47 > 0:42:51we hope that they still learn quite a bit from our approach
0:42:51 > 0:42:52and the treatments that we give.
0:42:54 > 0:42:55Just to finish doing this
0:42:55 > 0:42:57is like taking a pee in a public swimming pool
0:42:57 > 0:43:01because it makes you feel all warm inside, but nobody really notices.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04So I'll leave you with that on film. OK. Good night.
0:43:05 > 0:43:06Well done, Elly.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08- CAMERA:- (Will we have to edit him saying that?)
0:43:08 > 0:43:10No, keep it in, that was amazing.
0:43:11 > 0:43:12I love him!
0:43:21 > 0:43:24Have you been asked the cow question yet?
0:43:24 > 0:43:26- The cow question?- Oh. - Yeah, yeah, yeah.- Every time.
0:43:26 > 0:43:27Every time.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31They expect us to just see cows and do it.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33Just like, oh, cow! Cool.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35Tell us all the interesting stuff you've learnt.
0:43:35 > 0:43:39Well, I know how to rectal a cow if that's what you mean.
0:43:39 > 0:43:40We will come out of this scarred.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42Mentally and physically.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44- More mentally.- More mentally, for sure.- And emotionally.
0:43:44 > 0:43:46And emotionally scarred.
0:43:52 > 0:43:54At the Bell Equine Hospital in Kent,
0:43:54 > 0:43:57Babs the Shetland pony has taken a turn for the worse.
0:44:01 > 0:44:02OK, I think we need to make a decision
0:44:02 > 0:44:04whether we are going to do surgery or not.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07She is obviously deteriorating and getting more shocked
0:44:07 > 0:44:11and she's very distended.
0:44:11 > 0:44:12I mean.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16She is 16, obviously she's reasonably fit.
0:44:16 > 0:44:19What are your views on surgery on a 16-year-old Shetland?
0:44:19 > 0:44:21The age makes no difference to us.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23They can bounce back just as well,
0:44:23 > 0:44:28Shetlands are pretty long-lived normally, so 16 isn't old.
0:44:28 > 0:44:32Babs is now in so much pain, the only alternative to surgery
0:44:32 > 0:44:34is to put her to sleep.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36If she was yours, would you go for it?
0:44:36 > 0:44:39I would. Yes, but it's easy for me to say.
0:44:39 > 0:44:43- I'm not paying the bill. - Yeah.- It is major surgery
0:44:43 > 0:44:47and there is a big expense involved, but...
0:44:47 > 0:44:51Well, obviously we want to go down the surgery route so...
0:44:51 > 0:44:54If you want to be there that's fine but I wouldn't personally recommend it.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56No, OK...
0:44:58 > 0:45:00Well, we'd better go for it then, hadn't we?
0:45:08 > 0:45:11It falls to Amy to help give Babs her anaesthetic.
0:45:11 > 0:45:13The big one's the flusher?
0:45:25 > 0:45:26Even for a fifth year student,
0:45:26 > 0:45:29scrubbing in for complex equine surgery
0:45:29 > 0:45:32is a great opportunity for Amy.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35Small ones at the front...
0:45:35 > 0:45:38In general, there aren't as many equine operations that go on
0:45:38 > 0:45:39so if you get to do anything with one,
0:45:39 > 0:45:42you're just like, "Oh, my goodness, it's so exciting."
0:45:45 > 0:45:47But it's a nervous wait for owner, Kate.
0:45:49 > 0:45:51Basically we've got two options,
0:45:51 > 0:45:54either have put her down or operate,
0:45:54 > 0:45:59and I felt that I owe her a bit more than just putting her down
0:45:59 > 0:46:03and the prognosis seemed good in that Tim was quite happy
0:46:03 > 0:46:05that there was an 80% chance of it
0:46:05 > 0:46:08doing her more good than harm, so for me it was a no brainer.
0:46:10 > 0:46:15Fortunately for Babs, Tim quickly discovers the cause of her colic.
0:46:15 > 0:46:21It's a hard mass of faeces that has formed like a solid ball
0:46:21 > 0:46:24and it's too big to go through there
0:46:24 > 0:46:27and it's too hard to break down
0:46:27 > 0:46:30and all this gas builds up ahead of it because it can't get out
0:46:30 > 0:46:31because this is blocking it
0:46:33 > 0:46:35Managed to get rid of more of this gas...
0:46:50 > 0:46:52This is a hard mass here.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56It's never going to break up naturally.
0:46:56 > 0:47:00Just by sort of massaging it probably will break up,
0:47:00 > 0:47:05but we try not to open the bowel if we can get away with it
0:47:05 > 0:47:10because it increases the risk of complications.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12It's a question of whether this will break up easily...
0:47:14 > 0:47:19It takes Tim over an hour to painstakingly remove the blockage.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21If Babs' recovery goes smoothly,
0:47:21 > 0:47:24she has a fighting chance of pulling through.
0:47:41 > 0:47:45At the Beaumont in North London, Judy's placement is coming to an end
0:47:45 > 0:47:49culminating in the biggest test of her training so far.
0:47:49 > 0:47:50Mind your head.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55A little bit nervous. I'm not going to lie.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59For the first time, she will complete an operation on a live animal,
0:47:59 > 0:48:02a young border terrier cross called Ruby.
0:48:02 > 0:48:07Not done a proper bitch spay from beginning to end before.
0:48:07 > 0:48:09Should be fun.
0:48:09 > 0:48:10I'll enjoy it whilst panicking.
0:48:12 > 0:48:16Neutering is an everyday skill expected of all fully fledged vets
0:48:16 > 0:48:19and Judy will be assessed by surgeon Nadene Stapleton.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22So when you say "soon", when will be the best time
0:48:22 > 0:48:26to have the lowest risk of breast cancer?
0:48:26 > 0:48:28Erm, best time will be before they even have a season.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31If you think about the fact that you have got a living animal under there,
0:48:31 > 0:48:34people can get quite queasy about that, they can faint,
0:48:34 > 0:48:38they can feel a bit you know, quite awful about it and feel sick.
0:48:38 > 0:48:40I think the more of them that you do, the more you begin
0:48:40 > 0:48:42to just focus on what you have to do as a job
0:48:42 > 0:48:44and the less you worry about the peripheral things
0:48:44 > 0:48:46like how nervous you are.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49Because we just need the surgeon's double throat on the vicryl only.
0:48:49 > 0:48:51Correct.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54After four years of training and multiple dissections,
0:48:54 > 0:48:58Judy's knowledge of dog anatomy should be perfect.
0:48:58 > 0:49:01You know you've got to do double throats on the first one...
0:49:01 > 0:49:04But closing the wound cleanly is a vital surgical skill
0:49:04 > 0:49:07that takes a long time to master...
0:49:07 > 0:49:10Right, I'm going to show you one, and I'll let you do one.
0:49:10 > 0:49:15..and Nadene wants to be sure Judy's knots are up to scratch.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19That one goes that way and this one comes from underneath and has to go the opposite direction,
0:49:19 > 0:49:22well out of our way and then you pull your finger in towards your palm
0:49:22 > 0:49:24and then the only bit left to grab is that bit.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27So you just have to remember which bit there is left to grab
0:49:27 > 0:49:29and make sure your knot is formed correctly.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32Right. When we spay the animal,
0:49:32 > 0:49:35what we do is we take out the ovaries and the uterus
0:49:35 > 0:49:39and when we obviously take those out we have to tie those off really, really well,
0:49:39 > 0:49:41to make sure that it doesn't bleed.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44Actually Nadene has just shown me a slightly different way
0:49:44 > 0:49:47and it's actually a lot easier and I wish I'd known that about a year ago.
0:49:47 > 0:49:49It would've really helped.
0:49:49 > 0:49:52- Okey dokey, anaesthetists, are we ready to go?- Yes.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55While Ruby is being sedated...
0:49:56 > 0:50:00Judy takes the opportunity for some last minute knot tying practice.
0:50:01 > 0:50:05You learn all this in the clinical skills centre and you do it on...
0:50:05 > 0:50:08you start with shoe laces on sand bags
0:50:08 > 0:50:11and then you learn to do it on drip lines that are hanging up at funny angles
0:50:11 > 0:50:16to get used to it and then you work your way down to thinner and thinner suture material,
0:50:16 > 0:50:22but to actually do it on a live, bleeding, breathing animal
0:50:22 > 0:50:27is quite scary, but I'm sure it'll all go well.
0:50:27 > 0:50:28Famous last words.
0:50:34 > 0:50:39Everyone's ready. The time's come for Judy to scrub in.
0:50:39 > 0:50:42It's quite exciting I think, going into surgery.
0:50:42 > 0:50:43I do enjoy it.
0:50:43 > 0:50:47So you know all that, scrubbing in...
0:50:49 > 0:50:51Now you're doing it.
0:50:51 > 0:50:53You're scrubbing in. you're getting gowned up.
0:50:53 > 0:50:55Erm, it's brilliant.
0:50:55 > 0:50:57You know. It's a privilege to be honest.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00It feels like I'm... I don't know, going to the moon.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04OK. Oh my lord.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09It's really not easy. This is ugly.
0:51:09 > 0:51:11Really ugly.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14You watch surgeons do it and then can just go bang, bang and they are on.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16The gloves are on and you think, how did he do that?
0:51:16 > 0:51:19I get half of my sleeve in the glove. Yeah.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21- A Lot of sleeve went in.- Yeah. Too much.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23I was so embarrassed at that.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25That was terrible putting those gloves on.
0:51:25 > 0:51:27I've never done it so bad in my entire life.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34What I want to see with your incision,
0:51:34 > 0:51:36I call it a nice bold incision,
0:51:36 > 0:51:41so it's really not possible to make an incision from the skin of a dog
0:51:41 > 0:51:44all the way to the abdomen in one fell swoop,
0:51:44 > 0:51:48so you can put a bit of pressure behind your incision.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50I'd like you to keep your blade on the skin
0:51:50 > 0:51:52for the entire length of your incision.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56I just thought, this little pink bit of skin,
0:51:56 > 0:51:58I have to cut this in the right place.
0:51:58 > 0:52:01That's all I was thinking.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04Do you hold it like this, are you happy with that?
0:52:05 > 0:52:09- Do you have to check with them? - Are you happy?
0:52:09 > 0:52:12And "Judy don't cut your fingers."
0:52:12 > 0:52:16That's the other thing I was thinking and "Don't cut Nadene's fingers, for god's sake."
0:52:16 > 0:52:18Cut your own but don't cut hers.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21Right. We just want to go straight down this.
0:52:24 > 0:52:25OK, here goes...
0:52:31 > 0:52:33- Wonderful!- Yep.- That is fine.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36Beautiful. We're going to strike through again.
0:52:36 > 0:52:38- The same technique.- Yeah.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41There'll be a little bit of bleeding this time,
0:52:41 > 0:52:43nothing to worry about, just smaller vessels...
0:52:43 > 0:52:48That was the first time I'd actually made the first incision
0:52:48 > 0:52:54into a living breathing animal owned by somebody who wanted it back.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58And then trying to break the ovarian ligament and things.
0:52:58 > 0:52:59That was odd.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01You may feel the colon in front of you
0:53:01 > 0:53:05and you just hop over the colon and your uterus is going to be
0:53:05 > 0:53:07sitting between the bladder and the colon.
0:53:08 > 0:53:09I've lost it.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13That's probably it then. The way it usually feels,
0:53:13 > 0:53:15you almost grab it and then it flicks up under your finger.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18- Yeah, exactly. - That'll be it.- Wow.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21- It's a toughie, there you go. - Oh, blimey, there it went.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23Isn't that a horrible feeling?
0:53:23 > 0:53:25It is. I just broke something in the dog.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28You did and you were supposed to so that was all right.
0:53:28 > 0:53:31So that's the sensation of breaking down the suspensory ligament.
0:53:31 > 0:53:34It doesn't feel very nice but you did a great job.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37Oh, I'm gobsmacked, really.
0:53:37 > 0:53:38I really enjoyed it.
0:53:38 > 0:53:42- I really like surgery, I've just found out.- Yeah, it's good fun.
0:53:42 > 0:53:46Yeah, it's really logical the way it's been taught,
0:53:46 > 0:53:50I've got a great teacher, so when you take it step by step
0:53:50 > 0:53:52it's not as frightening as you think
0:53:52 > 0:53:55when you're just trying to read about it.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57The surgery may have gone smoothly
0:53:57 > 0:54:01but Judy still has to tie the all-important knot.
0:54:01 > 0:54:03So keep that pinched and threaded.
0:54:03 > 0:54:09Pass the needle all the way through to yourself, come straight through,
0:54:09 > 0:54:13keep it threaded and pull upwards, that's your knot, OK,
0:54:13 > 0:54:18so this is the only knot between everything unravelling and that knot there.
0:54:18 > 0:54:22- And you just let me do it.- How are you feeling, pressure's on.
0:54:22 > 0:54:27Nice work, so any questions about anything that you may have seen at all?
0:54:27 > 0:54:30Yeah, when do I get to do another one?
0:54:31 > 0:54:36- Keen as mustard! - Absolutely, fantastic.
0:54:36 > 0:54:37Beautiful.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41I'd be happy with a wound like that on me,
0:54:41 > 0:54:46it doesn't look messy it's very tidy, very nice.
0:54:46 > 0:54:47Brilliant.
0:54:49 > 0:54:51Yay! First surgery done. Fantastic. Great!
0:54:53 > 0:54:55Loved it.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57Time to wipe the sweat off. Great, good.
0:55:05 > 0:55:09An hour after Ruby's surgery, Judy goes to check on the patient.
0:55:09 > 0:55:11Oh, come on then.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14To come and keep an eye on her while she recovered, her habit.
0:55:15 > 0:55:17Oh, Ruby, look at you.
0:55:17 > 0:55:21She was quite groggy when we went to see her still, she was a bit...
0:55:21 > 0:55:23That looks really nice, little bit of swelling
0:55:23 > 0:55:24to be expected, but that's good,
0:55:24 > 0:55:27- as long as she doesn't pester it. - It's not painful at the moment?
0:55:27 > 0:55:29No, no she's not responding is she to...
0:55:29 > 0:55:33It was great. She was none worse the wear
0:55:33 > 0:55:36without her little bits inside her.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38No more unwanted babies for Ruby.
0:55:53 > 0:55:55Come on then, Babs.
0:55:55 > 0:55:59In North Kent, Babs's operation for colic was a success.
0:56:01 > 0:56:03It's been a scary few weeks, hasn't it?
0:56:03 > 0:56:07She's now back at home with owner, Kate.
0:56:07 > 0:56:08I don't like to liken them to children
0:56:08 > 0:56:11because that makes me sound like a sad Shetland lady
0:56:11 > 0:56:13but you get a stronger bond with them
0:56:13 > 0:56:16because they appreciate what you've done for them.
0:56:16 > 0:56:19You certainly know how to frighten everybody...
0:56:19 > 0:56:22and be centre of attention in true Babs fashion, obviously.
0:56:35 > 0:56:38It's the end of Judy's two weeks at the Beaumont
0:56:38 > 0:56:41and she's on her way to see head vet, Louise Allum.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44All right, today is D-Day.
0:56:44 > 0:56:49I am going to get feedback for my Beaumont Animal Hospital rotation.
0:56:49 > 0:56:53Yeah, it can be worrying, obviously,
0:56:53 > 0:56:57when you get one-to-one feedback on a rotation and you just think
0:56:57 > 0:56:59"Oh, my God, please God let me pass this."
0:56:59 > 0:57:02Particularly on some of the rotations you don't want to repeat
0:57:02 > 0:57:04you think, "Please God, let me pass this"
0:57:04 > 0:57:06because if you fail it, you have to repeat it
0:57:06 > 0:57:08and I really don't want to do that on some of them.
0:57:11 > 0:57:16- Hello. OK. - Thanks for coming.
0:57:16 > 0:57:21- That's all right.- So, personal highlights for me.
0:57:21 > 0:57:25Everything really, surgery was definitely top of my list,
0:57:25 > 0:57:29loved it and, yeah, of course, you know, cuddling lots of little cute animals.
0:57:29 > 0:57:32It's a rough job but somebody has to do it, don't they?
0:57:32 > 0:57:34Grading wise...
0:57:34 > 0:57:37we were very impressed with your professional conduct
0:57:37 > 0:57:40and we'd like to give you a distinction for that so congratulations
0:57:40 > 0:57:44and a pass for the other application of knowledge and the surgical skills.
0:57:44 > 0:57:48I think you're going to be a great vet and I think come back in a couple of years' time
0:57:48 > 0:57:49and we'll give you a job, OK.
0:57:49 > 0:57:53Definitely, I'll hold you to that! Can I have that in writing?
0:57:53 > 0:57:56All right, lovely to work with you Judy, congratulations, well done.
0:57:56 > 0:57:59Brilliant, thanks, Louise. Thanks ever so much.
0:57:59 > 0:58:01I passed. Yay!
0:58:06 > 0:58:08These students' first steps
0:58:08 > 0:58:11in the real world of veterinary practice have been a success.
0:58:11 > 0:58:15But over the coming year, the challenges will come thick and fast
0:58:15 > 0:58:16and test them to their limit.
0:58:18 > 0:58:20They're all tantalisingly close,
0:58:20 > 0:58:24only 12 months away from becoming qualified vets.
0:58:24 > 0:58:28That's my hope. The biggest hope. That's the goal.
0:58:28 > 0:58:31That's the light at the end of the tunnel.
0:58:31 > 0:58:34Fantastic. Dream come true, for the rest of my days.