Pennod 7 Bywyd y Fet

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-From elderly patients...

-..to those newly born.

-From the domestic...

-From the domestic...

-

-Wow, there!

-From the domestic...

-..to farm animals.

-You look silly,

-but it keeps you clean.

-The usual clients.

-Well done, puss!

-And the unexpected.

-These are the creatures Wern

-Veterinary Surgeons have to treat.

-I'll just put in one or two

-stitches.

-Who knows what they will face when

-they go to work in the morning?

-They get the fun

-without the responsibility.

-They turn their hand to the old

-techniques as well as the new.

-The work of a vet is never dull.

-It's nice to have a party...

-..and see everyone together

-outside work.

-Good morning, Wern Vets.

-Wern Veterinary Surgeons

-have six sites.

-They treat all kinds of animals

-across North East Wales.

-In this series, we'll experience

-the ups and downs of the Wern vets.

-And we'll have a close look

-at the life of a vet.

-There we are.

-That will last a month now.

-It's the breeding season

-and a busy time for Y Wern.

-They have to perform a delicate

-operation on all these rams.

-Dozens of them are going under

-the knife today...

-..so a large team of vets

-is required.

-Farmers want the best possible lambs

-from their sheep.

-These rams will perform

-an important task.

-They will prepare the flock

-to receive the best ram.

-But they have to do it without

-fertilising the sheep.

-That's why they're having

-this operation.

-Among the vets is Manon.

-Today, we have a group of rams.

-We will be performing vasectomies

-on them.

-Then they will be sold

-as teaser rams.

-The teaser ram has a specific

-purpose.

-About a month before the farmer

-introduces...

-..his best ram to his sheep...

-..the teaser ram goes round

-the sheep and gets them excited.

-His job is to get them ready

-and synchronized for the chief ram.

-That's how they ensure

-they propagate the best genes.

-They have the fun

-without the responsibility.

-First, Manon gives the ram

-an anaesthetic jab...

-..before starting the operation.

-They usually calm down

-when they're on their backs.

-If they think there's somewhere

-to run, they panic.

-If they're tied down firmly,

-they give in.

-Once the ram is calm...

-..Manon begins the work of rooting

-out the vas deferens duct...

-..which carries the ram's sperm.

-It isn't easy to get hold of this

-important vein.

-You need patience and skilful hands.

-It's extremely fibrous.

-There are other veins close to it.

-Once Manon finds the duct and clamps

-it on both sides...

-..she cuts part of it away.

-She then closes the wound

-and begins on the other side.

-That's one side done.

-I'll close up and do the other side.

-Four have had the snip.

-Only another 26 to go.

-At another of Y Wern's sites,

-in Ruthin...

-..Gwyn is weighing up what to do

-about a badly injured cat.

-The cat is called Boo.

-As you can see from the X-ray...

-..she's broken her femur very badly.

-We think she was hit by a car.

-The bone is broken into five pieces.

-There's a piece at the top

-and one at the bottom...

-..and some fragments in the middle.

-What I'm hoping to do is to put in

-a plate to join those two...

-..and one of those small fragments.

-If it doesn't work,

-if I'm not happy with the repair...

-..we may have to amputate the leg.

-We'll try to avoid that if we can.

-Before starting the operation...

-..the vet has given the cat

-an anaesthetic jab.

-He is waiting for it to take effect.

-At stables near Bala...

-..vet Alex has been called out

-to sedate a horse...

-..so that some work can be done

-to tidy up his coat.

-I'll get him used to me

-first of all.

-How long have you had him?

-Sixteen years.

-This giant horse is called Fred.

-He's going to have his coat clipped

-today.

-Pop him in there

-before he gets too sleepy.

-Come on! Good boy.

-They all react slightly differently

-to being sedated.

-Some only need a little bit

-and they go to sleep.

-But I think that

-because he's tense...

-..he'll need a bit more...

-..to make him sleepy enough

-to be able to do the job.

-I'll just observe him

-and see what happens.

-But he'll remain on his feet?

-Yes, that's the plan.

-Fred's owner has called in

-a horse clipping expert.

-Luckily, she is well used to

-treating nervous horses like Fred.

-Before starting the shaving,

-she turns on the clippers...

-..to get Fred used to the noise.

-The owner has decided to shave

-Fred's coat all over...

-..because he sweats so much

-when being ridden...

-..which causes painful skin

-irritation.

-Oh dear!

-And things were going so well!

-Fred's coat is too thick

-for the clippers.

-Perhaps Fred will start a new

-fashion with his half shaved coat!

-Unless Alex can get the clippers

-to work.

-Because of the problem

-with the clippers...

-..the sedative drug has begun

-to wear off...

-..before Fred's coat is finished.

-Good boy!

-You've done well up to now.

-Although this looks cruel...

-..turning or twitching

-a horse's nose...

-..is a traditional method

-of calming.

-It's better than giving him

-more drugs.

-Using this device on the nose

-releases a tranquillizing hormone...

-..and creates an analgesic effect.

-Is your nosebag ready?

-Once Fred's coat is finished,

-Alex moves on to his next job.

-Back in Ruthin,

-Boo the cat is fast asleep.

-Gwyn prepares to begin

-the major operation.

-The first part of the operation

-will be to expose the bone.

-We have to get down to the bone,

-separate the muscles and veins...

-..without doing any more damage

-than she has sustained already.

-Then we have work out exactly what

-to do with the fragments.

-Which ones can slot back

-into place...

-..and which ones have no blood

-supply and have to be removed.

-Hopefully, the body will heal

-the gaps itself.

-If you had to amputate the leg,

-how would it manage?

-They adapt very well. They don't

-usually have any problems.

-But, of course, their quality of

-life is better with four legs.

-The X-ray clearly shows that Boo

-has broken her leg in five places.

-So Gwyn has to open up the entire

-leg to get a better look...

-..at exactly which bones are broken

-and if any of them can be saved.

-This is difficult because I can't

-see where the bones should be...

-..because so many are broken

-and they've all moved.

-The first thing we have to do

-is find the various pieces.

-To see where they are.

-You can see there that there is

-another loose piece of bone.

-I want to try and incorporate that

-into the repair somehow.

-There's another piece here.

-It's loose and floating.

-Unfortunately, it was impossible

-to save all the pieces of bone.

-So Gwyn has decided

-to remove them...

-..and replace them

-with a metal plate.

-The plates that Gwyn uses

-are made of shiny steel.

-This type of metal is used

-in surgery of this sort...

-..because it doesn't rust

-and it's quite cost-effective...

-..compared to other materials.

-Before putting in the plates,

-Gwyn drills a hole in the bone...

-..ready for the screw

-that will hold the plate in place.

-Do you think the plate

-will save the leg?

-I think so.

-I think it's solid enough to fuse.

-It's a shame we have to lose

-those bits of bone from the middle.

-I think the ends are strong enough

-to take the strain.

-What's left to do now?

-I'm just going to stitch her up now.

-Operations like this require

-intense concentration.

-Gwyn has been operating for two

-hours and is sweating profusely.

-Although the injury to Boo's leg

-was serious when she arrived...

-..Gwyn is confident that the

-operation will be a success.

-In terms of a percentage...

-..I would say her chance of a

-complete recovery is about 80%.

-I hope so anyway.

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-At the surgery in Bala,

-the reception area is very busy.

-A very lively dog

-has come to see Eleri.

-We have a dog called Nelson next.

-He had an accident in February.

-We took some X-rays and we thought

-he'd broken some ribs.

-But I would have expected them

-to have healed by now.

-I hope this is a new problem.

-We haven't seen him since February.

-I wouldn't have thought

-it was connected.

-He's not very old, just over a year.

-I hope he hasn't hurt himself again.

-Some dogs are accident-prone.

-Let's have a look at him

-and see what's wrong.

-Nelson.

-Your number's up.

-Hello!

-He's a bit nervous.

-He doesn't want to be here.

-Come on, it's okay.

-Has he been alright

-since his mishap in February?

-Yes. He had a bit of a lump there,

-but it's gone now.

-You don't know how it happened.

-No.

-This time, I think he's got mites

-in his ears.

-Has he been scratching?

-Yes.

-Scratching and shaking his head.

-Do you have cats?

-Do you have cats?

-

-No.

-Is one ear worse than the other?

-That was nice!

-That's what Nelson thinks of us!

-It's very red.

-He doesn't like me doing that.

-I think it is mites. Ear mites.

-If we treat them,

-they should go away quickly.

-I'll give you some drops.

-I'll put some in now.

-Here you are. Special drops to make

-you feel better.

-It's alright. He's lovely!

-He hasn't tried to bite me.

-He isn't very old. Just over a year.

-Has he been neutered yet?

-No, not yet.

-Do you want it done?

-Yes, at some point.

-It's better to do it sooner

-rather than later.

-It's a simpler operation,

-they heal quicker...

-..and it benefits their health more.

-Okay.

-He may start trying to escape.

-Yes, he's started already.

-It can be a hassle.

-We get a lot of dogs in here...

-..who haven't been neutered

-and have escaped.

-He's been microchipped, hasn't he?

-Yes.

-In case he wanders.

-We operate on Wednesdays

-and Fridays.

-Okay.

-It's a straightforward operation.

-You just give this a good squeeze.

-Make sure when you massage the ear

-that you can hear that noise.

-Oh! You don't like that.

-I'll just rub it in thoroughly.

-Keep the drops in the fridge

-between uses.

-Give them to him twice a day.

-I'll just get my....oh Nelson!

-You can get him down, if you like.

-Bless!

-Alex has been called to another

-stable near Llanarmon...

-..to see a horse

-that is seriously ill.

-This horse has a history

-of laminitis.

-A condition that causes lameness

-and severe pain.

-Alex has to face the difficult task

-of weighing up...

-..what is the best course of action

-for the poor horse...

-..because her condition

-is deteriorating.

-She's not looking good, Alex.

-No, she isn't, unfortunately.

-She's deteriorated in the few days

-since I last saw her.

-The plan today was to try

-and pinpoint the pain.

-On the first day, I tried to work

-out whether it was an abscess.

-She has a history of laminitis.

-I thought at first

-it was an abscess.

-But today, I can see how painful

-it is.

-I think there may be something

-more serious going on.

-Also, the owner mentioned that

-her nose has been bleeding.

-Unfortunately,

-they've come to the conclusion...

-..that it may be time

-to put her down.

-She's quite old.

-She has a few other health issues.

-It's not looking good.

-You can see how she shifts

-her weight.

-Although her back leg

-is obviously painful...

-..she's not very comfortable

-on the others either.

-If she were otherwise healthy and

-there was nothing else wrong...

-..I would create nerve blocks.

-I would use a little local

-anaesthetic to numb the leg...

-..going up a bit each time

-until I could pinpoint the pain.

-Then I would take some X-rays.

-But the way things are today,

-I won't be going ahead with that.

-Although it's a difficult decision

-for any vet to make...

-..Alex is certain that the best

-he can do for the horse...

-..is to put him to sleep.

-But he has to make sure that the

-owner agrees with his decision.

-We discussed the investigations

-we could do with the laming.

-There may not be anything we can do

-to make her more comfortable.

-We don't want her to have any more

-investigations.

-That's fair enough.

-That's where animals are lucky.

-It comes to the point

-when enough is enough.

-That's the way you're thinking then.

-It's the kindest thing

-at this stage.

-Once Alex and the owner

-have agreed...

-..that the horse

-should be put to sleep...

-..Alex makes the necessary

-arrangements.

-Hi, it's Alex here from Wern Vets.

-How are you?

-Y Wern isn't responsible for

-the removal of animal corpses.

-But to spare the owner's feelings...

-..Alex contacts an animal cremation

-company on their behalf.

-Unfortunately, dealing with

-sad situations such as this...

-..is a central part of a vet's work.

-But this isn't the fate of every

-poorly or badly injured animal.

-Three weeks ago, Boo underwent

-a serious operation on her leg.

-She faced the possibility of losing

-her leg altogether...

-..if things went badly.

-But looking at her today,

-it's hard to believe.

-BABY CRIES

-Nel is one of Y Wern's vets

-currently on maternity leave.

-She's called by with her children

-Maggie and Griff...

-..to see her best friend, Ffion,

-who is Boo's owner.

-We've been friends

-for about ten years.

-My partner was an usher for them...

-..when they got married.

-She and I have been best friends

-since we came to live here.

-We do a lot together and

-our children are the same age.

-They play together all the time.

-Ffion phones Nel from time to time

-for advice about her cats.

-Very handy!

-Boo was hit by a car

-and I had two options.

-Either have her leg amputated or

-refer her to somewhere in Chester.

-That would have cost a lot of money.

-So I phoned Nel and she said

-she would phone Gwyn...

-..to see if there were

-any other options.

-He said he would do the op

-and try to insert a plate.

-But if he couldn't, he said,

-he would have to amputate.

-Many cats have to have

-a leg amputated...

-..and because Boo is only a year and

-a half, she would be fine with it.

-So I said he should try

-to put the leg right...

-..but if not,

-I'd be happy for him to amputate.

-But he's done a very good job.

-Everything's okay so far.

-There's a bit of a limp sometimes.

-I think she seems more tired.

-She used to be really active.

-She's more tired

-than she used to be.

-Perhaps that will improve with time.

-Thanks goodness for Nel's advice!

-Because of her intervention,

-Boo has kept her four legs.

-Before this operation,

-I've asked Nel round a few times...

-..because I've been worried.

-It's nice to have a vet as a friend.

-Let's hope Boo has learned

-her lesson...

-..and will be more careful when

-crossing the road from now on.

-Next time on Bywyd y Fet...

-..John takes a trip

-to the London Vet Show.

-I've only ever had experience

-of two dogs like this before.

-It was a sausage dog - a Dachshund.

-He managed for two years

-with one of these.

-And there's a large robot

-in the milking parlour.

-The cow can choose when she comes in

-to be milked.

-They can wander around the shed

-as they please...

-..with no-one to bother them.

-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.

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