Episode 7 Animal 24:7

Britain's animals are under threat.

All too often, our wildlife and domestic pets

are the victims of cruelty, persecution and neglect.

Fighting to save them is a dedicated band of people

trying to protect and care for them right around the clock.

This is Animal 24:7.

'Today on Animal 24:7...'

Come on, heffalump.

'..crisis for the pooch who's piled on the pounds.'

Her breathing's compromised due to the extra weight she's carrying.

Every step will literally be an effort for her, to be honest.

'A police raid at an owl-lover's home faces a major setback.'

He's had an owl put his claw straight through the vein. The hole's about that big.

'And a tiny fragment causing huge problems for Ralf.'

The fact is, it's like a stone in the shoe,

and you wouldn't want that in one of your joints.

To many people, the classic image of animal cruelty

is when a dog has been starved.

Its ribs are showing and it can hardly move.

But, as this next story shows,

the problems can be just as bad when a pet is given too much food

and becomes really fat.

'We're often warned about the consequences of a junk food diet.

'Obesity rates are on the rise and a couch potato lifestyle

'can have serious health implications.

'But it's not just people that can be affected.

'Our pets are, too.

'The latest complaint is in Preston.

'Inspector Mandy Barr has been told that a dog is so fat, it can barely walk.'

Hi, I'm from the RSPCA. Someone's called concerned, saying it's really overweight.

'Inside, though, the size of the dog is not the only problem.'

Ooh, look at her ears. That's not normal.

-'There's a whole host of issues.'

-She is quite matted underneath.

'And it seems to be all because the dog doesn't get out and about.'

Her feet look quite bad, as well, and I can't tell if her nails are there. I just don't know.

'Mandy's seen enough. This dog, Rosie, needs help. The family is persuaded to let her go.'

It's not her dog. It was dumped on her last year. But she's looked after it so she is responsible.

'Rosie is so overweight, she can barely walk.'

-DOG BARKS

-Are we going to try and lift you up? Come on, then, Rosie!

'Mandy has to use all her strength to get Rosie to the van.

SHE GROANS

'And outside, the sorry state of this King Charles is clear to see.'

Come on, heffalump.

'Rosie's a huge bundle of fat and matted fur.'

She's really heavy, but she's also reluctant to move,

because she's overweight, and she's panting quite a lot.

So she just sort of flops down after a couple of seconds of moving.

But, yeah, she's quite hefty. A lot of that will be the fur, as well. But she is very overweight.

'Rosie's size will be putting plenty of strain on her heart, as well as her legs.

'She needs to see a vet to find out how much she's suffering.'

Come on, then, fatty!

'Once again, Rosie is unable to walk.'

Come on, then, sweetheart.

'Vet Claire Shaw is on hand to check her over.'

She's got quite a bit of wheezing and crackling on her chest there.

Cos she is quite large, that could be a lot of referred noise from the upper airway.

'Examining Rosie is not an easy task.

Her paws are... I can't tell whether her nails are there or not.

And her back end, there's actually faeces within her fur at the back.

That claw is curled right the way round.

'Claire soon discovers it's not just weight which is holding Rosie back.'

There's a claw here that's also cracked and actually broken off.

On her hind feet, as well. These are quite difficult to see.

The claw has actually grown round and into the pad. That's obviously not just happened.

'All of Rosie's claws are painfully overgrown.'

For the claws to go round like that, you're looking at a few months, at least.

'This is a direct result of her couch potato lifestyle.'

Most dogs that get regular exercise don't need their claws trimming

cos they'll naturally wear down through walking on hard surfaces.

But ideally, all dogs should have their claws checked at least every three months, really.

These have certainly not been looked at

since they've had the dog, unfortunately.

-Rosie. Ooh, you've got a nasty tooth there, haven't you, sweetie?

-Very nasty tooth.

'And whatever Rosie's eating is rotting her teeth.'

I've removed quite a large chunk of matted hair and food

and I've found tooth roots are exposed there

and quite a lot of discharge and infection around the roots, so those will need extracting.

-'And, on the other side...'

-Ooh.

'..her tooth decay is even worse.'

I've examined the right-hand side of her mouth

and a large plaque of what looks to be matted food and discharge there.

'The verdict on Rosie is damning. She has a series of chronic problems

'caused by lack of exercise, poor grooming and a bad diet.

'She needs immediate treatment.'

The kindest thing would be to put her under anaesthetic and have a look at her teeth when she's asleep.

She will need numerous extractions, though.

'But putting a dog this fat under anaesthetic comes with huge risks.

'Later...'

That's what we've just clipped off its ear, which is just all mat.

'And Ralf the horse faces a risky procedure.'

You can't overestimate the importance of getting the anaesthetic right.

What's going on in his joint won't kill this horse,

but if something goes wrong with the anaesthetic, it could.

Owls are beautiful and majestic birds

and though usually associated with living in the wild,

they can be kept in captivity if you have the right paperwork.

But that's not the only thing to consider.

If you own such a bird, they are powerful and have sharp talons, which can be dangerous.

'It's early morning in Plymouth.

'A team of officers are preparing to mount a raid.'

A lot of the decisions in terms of exhibiting

will be decided on what we actually find there.

'A local man is suspected of illegally keeping owls.

'Sergeant David Knight of Devon and Cornwall Police is heading up the briefing.'

No birds will be handled by anybody unless absolutely essential.

'It's also thought that the suspect has been opening his property to the public without a licence.

'This is illegal.'

-How many birds are we expecting?

-We can have up to 200.

'And it's not just the number of birds that could make this job difficult.'

It's going to be muddy out there, so it'll be slippery under foot, so be careful.

We won't be touching animals, so we shouldn't worry about bites or scratches.

Right, are there any questions?

'The team is now fully briefed.

'Officers from the National Wildlife Crime Unit, RSPCA

and police force set off in convoy.

'Leading the way is the council's animal welfare officer, Jackie Taylor.

'She's had dealings with this bird owner before.

He's, erm, changeable, I think is the word I'm looking for.

He might be OK, he might not.

We have to identify every bird that's there.

We have to make sure that they're all healthy and well.

And we have to double check each piece of paperwork, should there be any,

against each individual bird that's there.

Blood samples will be taken and microchips will be inserted.

'Straight away, there are clues this owner may have been opening as a business.'

It's obvious that he was open.

'Inside, there's a variety of aviaries and sheds housing dozens of owls.

'There's also a caravan where owner Brian Hooper lives.'

We're here to execute a warrant.

'It's the job of the police to explain.'

What we'll do is search your property, have a look at your animals.

Why do you want to see my birds? You don't trust me?

No, it's because we need to make sure that they've been recorded correctly.

Yeah, that's OK. It's not a problem.

'Brian is keen to cooperate. The team can now get to work.'

They've gone in, they've executed the warrant,

he seems quite happy with us all being here, which is nice.

And they're going to get a site plan of what's here

and then start identifying birds one by one

whilst checking welfare, taking bloods, microchipping, all that sort of thing.

'But initial inspections reveal problems with the way these birds are living.'

We're checking each individual cage

to make sure there's no signs of any welfare issues.

That one is slightly worse.

'There are now real concerns that Brian has too many owls and is struggling to cope.'

It's difficult to assess a condition of a bird unless you touch it,

because of feathers and things. A bit like a hairy dog.

Some long-haired dogs look quite fat but they might be really thin.

So it's the same sort of thing with birds.

'Jackie is now keen to get close up to see if the birds themselves are suffering.

'Brian brings his owls out one by one.

'Vet Chris Gardner begins assessing each and every bird.'

IBR closed ring, 37986Z.

'They're scanned for chips and a description is taken.'

C00Z.

'This will then be checked against Brian's paperwork.'

Looking through the caravan, we've found some documents and certificates

and bits of paper that are relevant to his keeping the birds.

We're just going through a few of those to check against the list of birds that we've found

that were recorded with the experts.

'It's not illegal to own owls, but if any of these birds have been taken from the wild,

'Brian will be breaking the law.

'Everything seems to be going to plan.'

-NA7.

-OK.

'Then suddenly, a setback.'

-I've had worse than this.

-Yeah, but that's gone right through your vein.

'Owls have incredibly sharp talons and one has ripped into Brian's hand.'

-That's going to need stitches.

-No! It isn't big enough for that.

It is big enough for that. It's not a little tiny cut.

'With Brian unable to handle the birds, the operation is at a standstill.

'An ambulance has arrived.'

He's had an owl put his claw straight through the vein. The hole's about that big.

'The paramedics will now decide how seriously Brian has been injured

'and whether this operation has to be postponed.

'Later, Rosie begins her fat-fighting classes.'

She does really enjoy it. She will pant a bit, because she's not used to it,

but when she gets going, she's wagging her tail the whole way.

She's so excited to be out and she just wants to enjoy herself.

Like most of the animals we treat, horses can get sick,

and when they do, they need the very best medical attention.

But these guys present a particular challenge in comparison to most of our pets.

Their sheer size.

Well, today I'm at one of the biggest vet clinics in the Northwest of England

seeing how they cope with the scale of this problem.

'Wright and Morten has a team of six equine vets who deal with

'several hundred cases every week.

'The hub of their operation is their high-tech horse hospital near Congleton in Cheshire.'

-So where is he?

-Just in a stable over here.

-Oh, there he is!

'Today, Francesca Squire is visiting her 16-year-old Hanoverian, Ralf...'

He's beautiful, isn't he?

'..before he undergoes a critical operation.'

So, tell me, why is he in here in the first place?

At the end of April, I noticed that he was slightly uneven, a bit lame.

We were hoping it was just ligament strain, but it turned out that he has a chipped bone in his fetlock.

'The fetlock is a joint just above the hoof

'which is critical for a horse's mobility.

'It's vital vets operate to improve Ralf's movement and stop the pain.'

Let's have a walk away first.

'First, surgeon Cedric Chan wants to assess the extent of his lameness.'

That's fine. That's great. OK.

-Shall we do that again, please?

-What are you looking at as he walks up and down?

We're looking for any signs of lameness.

When the lame leg hits the ground, the head nods up. And that can tell us which leg is lame.

-Does the head come up cos it's a bit like us going, "Ooh!"

-Yeah, absolutely. Exactly like that.

'Ralf is lame in his right leg.

'As he's led away, Francesca is now becoming nervous about his first ever operation.'

-How do you feel?

-A bit sick. But I'm sure he'll be fine.

There's always a risk with anaesthetic, like with humans.

There's a bigger risk with horses, especially large horses.

-So will you be a bit queasy until you get the call this afternoon?

-Yeah, I might have a stiff drink!

'Ralf is prepared for the surgery.

'Next door, I'm amazed to discover that the cause of his lameness

'is a tiny piece of bone.'

If you look very closely at the front here,

you can see a little tiny fragment of bone.

That's a chip fracture that's come off.

You can see just where my arrow is there.

That's actually come away from the top of the proximal phalanx.

So the best thing for this horse is to take it out so that the joints settle down again.

'Ralf is one of the largest horses the vets have operated one.

'And as he waits for surgery, I meet the hospital's smallest ever patients.

'These American miniature horses often suffer from overgrown hooves.

'Vet Claire Phillips has been called in to help solve this common problem.'

These ponies are often kept on straw or shavings beds a lot of the time

and then in grassy fields, so he's not having any opportunity to wear his feet down in a normal pattern.

So we get abnormal foot growth, which we'll need to trim back.

The bones within the foot can take an abnormal position,

so we want to check the position of that bone today by a radiograph.

'At just 24 inches tall, Starburst and Dandy really are minute.

'Owner Sarah Jane thinks small is beautiful.'

Why do you have such a small horse? Presumably you can't ride it. Do you have it in your living room?

Well, they've been in the kitchen on several occasions,

-but not in the lounge, not yet.

-SHE LAUGHS

'Today it's Dandy's turn to have his hooves X-rayed.'

We need to bring him round towards the front of the machine, where the X-rays come out.

'To get a really clear image, he needs to keep still.'

Super. That's one foot done.

'After some gentle coaxing, the X-rays are complete.

'It's time to assess the results.'

We have an image of his right foot. We can see he's got a really long horny section of foot.

His foot is already, at his age, becoming a little bit horned.

So you were absolutely right to bring him in at this stage.

'These X-ray results will now be sent to the farrier, allowing him to trim the hooves properly.

'And as far as little Dandy's comfort is concerned,

'that will be a big step in the right direction.

'Across the hospital, the team has reached a vital point in preparing Ralf for his operation.'

This is one of the parts they worry about most with horses, the anaesthetic,

because they are so big and they can get a bit scared as they go down.

'For Ralf's safety, he's given the drugs in a padded area.

'Around one horse in every 100 dies during an anaesthetic.

'It's vital the team works quickly to complete the procedure.'

OK, off we go.

'Moving more than half a tonne of horse requires the helping hand of a mechanical winch.'

Keep going, keep going, keep going.

'Plus another five team members to guide Ralf into position.

'To limit the time required for Ralf's recovery,

'Cedric will be performing keyhole surgery.

'Once Ralf's leg has been prepared,

'Cedric is ready to make his first incision.'

Cutting.

'By inserting a camera probe inside the joint,

'Cedric should be able to find the fragment.'

-You seem to need quite a lot of oomph to get it in.

-You do, yeah.

So let's see what we can see.

'But finding the rogue bone is not the only pressure on the team.'

You can't overestimate the importance of getting the anaesthetic right.

What's going on in his joint won't kill this horse,

but if something goes wrong with the anaesthetic, it could.

'After gaining access to the joint, it's not long before Cedric finds the problem area.'

So you think this could be the fragment?

This could be part of it. If it's hard, it is.

'Using special pincers, Cedric is soon able to remove it.'

We're just pulling the fragment out now. And there it is.

'It's only when the lights are raised that I can fully appreciate

'just how minute the bone is.'

So this tiny little flake here, smaller than a grain of rice,

was what was causing all the problem.

But, the fact is, it's like a stone in the shoe,

and you wouldn't want that sitting around in one of your joints.

'With the surgery complete, Ralf is winched back into the padded room.'

Keep going, keep going. Hold it.

'Getting a horse back on his feet can be dangerous.

'There's a real risk Ralf could fall and break his leg.

'Thankfully, after 45 minutes...'

Here we go.

Ooh, he's up. Wobbly but up.

'For the whole team, it's been a job well done.

'And, thanks to the keyhole surgery,

'Ralf should have no more pain and be able to walk more easily.

'Coming up, a serious blow for bird lover Brian.'

If she's blind and she's got bad feet,

I think the outlook isn't that great for her in terms of quality of life,

so I would say think about putting her down.

A good diet and daily exercise are vital to our pets

and it's down to us as their owners to make sure they're kept trim and healthy.

But if they're denied this, a whole host of problems can arise.

The King Charles spaniel rescued from a house in Preston

is the perfect example of how pets can suffer.

'Rosie is in a bad way.

'Her teeth are black, her nails are bent double...'

We can see that one was quite bad, wasn't it?

'..and her coat is a matted mess.

'Now there's one final indignity.'

-Shall we weigh her?

-Yep.

-Are you feeling strong?

'Mandy and vet Claire Shaw decide to share the load.'

She's 18 kilos. She should probably be more like 11, I would say.

She's a big stamp of a cavalier. You get little ones, but she is a big cavalier, anyway.

-But even with that taken in to consideration...

-She needs to lose 50 percent of her weight.

-At least.

'And as she slowly hobbles away from the scales,

'the consequences of this extra weight are vividly illustrated.'

Her breathing is compromised due to the extra weight that she's carrying.

Every step will literally be an effort for her, to be honest.

Coupled, as well, with the matting around the feet,

it's almost like walking in sand all the time, your feet are constantly slipping and sliding.

It might be that once she's all clipped off

and she has lost weight, that her mobility does return.

'Rosie can hardly move. Her whole body is under strain.'

I'm just going to have a feel of her hips and knees

before we take her through for her blood sample.

Ohh, you're a heffalump!

On her right hind here, she has got a luxating patella.

The patella is basically the kneecap.

In these little guys, the groove that the kneecap sits in can be slightly shallow,

so it slips in and out of joint and that can sometimes cause a little bit of lameness.

Again, any animal that's carrying any extra weight,

if they've got a problem like that, it will be exacerbated.

'Rosie is going to have to go on a crash diet

if her aching joints are going to have any chance of improving.

'But the priority today is to try and make her feel a bit more comfortable.

'Her teeth and claws need to be fixed and her tangled coat needs to be shaved.

'It's a big job, so Rosie's going to need an anaesthetic.'

-It's Inspector Barr from the RSPCA.

-'Mandy has to speak to her owner.'

Right, just to let you know, I'm at the vets now.

The vet needs to keep her in. She needs to have some work done on her teeth and her fur.

When did she last eat? Last night?

Brilliant. Will you agree for her to have an anaesthetic?

The vet's saying she needs it doing.

OK, I'll let the vet get on with it, then. All right. Thanks. Bye.

'The treatment can now begin. Mandy goes to complete the paperwork.

'Claire prepares Rosie for her operation.

'But with a dog this obese, there's no telling how she's going to cope with anaesthetic.

'Her breathing is already affected by the extra weight.

'She'll have to be closely monitored.

'Claire begins with Rosie's rotten teeth.

'Meanwhile, nurse Emma gets to grips with her matted mane.

'One by one, her bad teeth are removed.

'And huge lumps of tangled and dirty hair are shaved from her body.

'It's a bit like sheep shearing.

'But as the clumps are removed, the other serious problem is uncovered.'

The claw's grown round.

This is what happens when your claws get too long, they just grow.

This has grown that far that it's actually twisted along itself and wound back into the pad.

'Every step Rosie took will have been in agony.'

So I'll just clip that off.

'Emma continues with Rosie's coat.

'Slowly, the knotted hair is all consigned to the bin.'

That's just what we've just clipped off its ear, which is basically just all mat.

'The emergency procedures are over

'and a woozy Rosie begins to slowly come round.'

Does that feel better, sweetie pie?

'Now Mandy returns to see her latest patient transformed.'

-Hiya.

-Hello!

-Just want to see how she's getting on.

She's had teeth out, total clip, she has ears now and we've clipped all the nails.

-And she's looking 100 percent happier.

-She looks a different dog.

'This is only the first stage of Rosie's transformation.

-'She needs to lose weight, but this will take time.'

-Bless you, sweetheart.

'And after interviewing the owner, Mandy thinks she knows why Rosie has been piling on the pounds.'

She admitted that she was being fed supermarket packet ham,

chicken, turkey and cheese slices.

That was her diet, cos she wouldn't eat dog food.

That's not a suitable diet for a dog, so it will affect the general health

and the skin and the fur, but the main problem is the weight.

'Rosie has now been signed over to the RSPCA.

'She had a life of luxury dining and a lazy lifestyle,

'but it's going to be a different story from now on.'

She will be forced to eat normal dog food. She will eat it.

Yeah, she needs to go back onto a suitable light diet and get some of that weight off

and gradually increase her exercise to get that weight off her.

'A month later. Rosie's fitness and weight-loss regime is well underway.

'She's under strict supervision at the RSPCA's care home in Halifax.

'Chris Walker has been helping her to fight the flab.'

She's lost about three or four kilograms while she's been with us,

but she's still got quite a way to go. It will start dropping off more slowly now,

so in another couple of months, she might be at her ideal weight.

'For a dog used to lounging around on the sofa all day,

'these daily walks came as a bit of a shock.

'But now she's slowly beginning to get used to a more active way of life.'

She does really, really enjoy it. She will pant a bit,

because she's not used to it, but when she gets going, she'll be wagging her tail the whole way.

She's so excited to be out and she just wants to enjoy herself.

'Rosie still has a long way to go, and she also needs to find an owner

'willing to help her lose more weight and keep it off.

'Still to come,

'will Rosie ever ditch her couch potato lifestyle?'

Rosie's really lazy. I get up in the morning and she's laying on the sofa.

I have to lift her downstairs and then she will walk outside,

does what she has to do, then she gets back up on the sofa.

Now back to Plymouth, where officers are investigating a bird lover

suspected of keeping owls illegally.

It's believed Brian has been rehabilitating injured wild birds

but not releasing them back into the wild.

It's also suspected he may have been opening to the public without a licence.

But as the team began their search of the aviaries,

there was a major and quite unexpected setback.

Do you want to put your phone down a minute so we can check your hand? There's just one puncture wound.

'Brian's been badly injured by the sharp talons of one of his own birds.

'Paramedics finally manage to staunch the blood and bandage Brian's hand.'

Ready to go again now?

'Now the operation of inspecting and identifying these owls can continue.'

Most of them are fine. I've seen the odd one with a little bit of foot damage, but generally fine.

'But for Alan Roberts from the National Wildlife Crime Unit, there are other issues here, too.'

The issue here is whether they've come from the wild

and they could have been rehabilitated.

If they're injured and they could've been rehabilitated, that is a problem for him and the birds.

'There were also real concerns that with so many owls,

'Brian may be struggling to cope.'

273572.

'And soon the team comes across one bird that gives them real cause for concern.

'This is Snowball. He's 12 years old, he's blind

'and he's suffering from a bacterial infection known as bumblefoot.'

She's got the weight on her feet all the time.

'It's a common illness amongst captive owls.

'It's caused when a bird spends too much time standing on its feet.'

What do you think I should do with it?

Well, if she's blind and she's got bad feet,

I think the outlook isn't that great for her in terms of quality of life,

so I would say think about putting her down.

'Brian hasn't meant to be cruel to any of his owls.

'And, as the news of Snowball's condition hits home...'

I really think you're doing the right thing for the animal.

'..it becomes clear to all the officers that these birds mean the world to him.

'With a heavy heart, Brian agrees to have Snowball put to sleep.'

-I won't be there when you do that.

-I'm so sorry, Brian.

-Just take it.

'Animal welfare officer Jackie Taylor tries her best to soften the blow.'

-I hate doing things like this.

-So do I. That's why I couldn't do it.

-Cos it's my pride and joy.

-I know it is.

-I really know it is.

-I live my life for these birds.

-I know you do, Bri.

-We go back quite a long way, don't we?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Sorry, love.

-Bless you.

-I'll be all right.

-Yep. I'll be fine.

-We did the right thing for the bird.

-Yeah, yeah, I know.

'Despite the upset, the officers must conclude their operation.

'After a thorough search, they believe Brian may be keeping some birds illegally

'and are also suspicious that he may have been opening to the public.'

Do you understand, if you don't turn up on this date, you could be liable for arrest?

I've never done it before, but I'll be there.

'The team have all the evidence they need to put their case together.

'Brian will now have to be interviewed at the local police station in six weeks' time.

'Seven months later.

'The charges of opening to the public have been dropped,

'but Brian was cautioned for taking a bird from the wild

'and for selling an owl without the correct paperwork.'

Hi, Brian. How are you?

'At the original inspection, there were also concerns about the conditions the owls were living in.'

It's smelling a bit better, isn't it, Bri?

'So today, Jackie Taylor and PC Martin Staley

'are coming back to check up on Brian and his birds.'

We just need to check food, water, cleanliness,

that you're keeping up with everything we discussed last time.

Next, next.

Oh, look at that lovely, fresh water. Beautiful!

That's more like it.

It has improved. We just need to keep coming back and nagging you, I think.

'Jackie is pleased with the improvements

'but she's concerned to hear that Brian's numbers have grown again.

'He now has 91 birds.'

-Brian, you've got to look at the bigger picture.

-Yeah.

The more they expand, the more you need to expand.

'It seems Brian just can't stop himself when owls are in need of help.'

Eventually, you've got to say, "I've got 91, or 95, I can't have any more."

-So what number are you going to cap at?

-About now.

-About 91, 95?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

-But when you say that,

if I get a phone call in the night, "I've got an owl here,

"I can't manage it, I can't deal with it, my husband's just died..."

-You're going to go and get it.

-Yeah.

'But for now, at least, it seems he's in a better position to offer them a place to live.'

I'm very satisfied with the efforts that he's making.

There are still minor improvements that need to be done

but he's getting there slowly considering he's a one-man operation with, now, some outside help.

'Although Jackie's satisfied with the improvements,

'she's determined to keep an eagle eye on the situation.'

We can keep an eye on the numbers increasing or decreasing over the years or months

so that we don't end up with this massive explosion of 300 birds in six months' time

because nobody's been back.

'It's been a long journey, but now Jackie and Brian can part on friendly terms.'

-Much happier.

-Much happier.

Well done, you.

'They'll continue working together to ensure Brian's beloved owls

'get the care they need.'

It's very tempting to give your dog a treat every now and then,

but too many can cause them to become terribly overweight.

Rosie the King Charles spaniel was just one such dog.

Her weight ballooned after living on a diet of cheese and prime cuts of meat.

After being rescued by the RSPCA, she's on a big weight-loss regime.

But it seems teaching an old dog new tricks is not easy.

'Three months ago, Rosie the cavalier was in a pitiful state.

'She had become so overweight, she could barely stand.

'Her hair was a matted mess and her nails were painfully overgrown.

'Today, she's in much better shape,

'thanks to the help of new owner Nicola Lowrie.'

Once I saw her, I just had to have her. She's just gorgeous.

It's a bit of a challenge, as well. I just want to help her.

'The weight is coming off Rosie slowly

'but it's a regime that has to be managed carefully.'

We can only walk her twice a day for 20 minutes,

just light walking,

and gradually increase that,

see how she does.

She's got to lose the weight gradually

and then, hopefully, she might be normal, hopefully.

'And it's becoming clear that this is one dog who does enjoy taking things easy.'

Rosie is really lazy. I get up in the morning and she's laying on the sofa

and she will stay on the sofa until I lift her down

and then she will follow me... She may follow me downstairs,

or usually I have to lift her downstairs,

and then she will walk outside, does what she has to do

and then she gets back up on the sofa.

Come on.

'Like most couch potatoes, Rosie takes some convincing

'about the benefits of getting fresh air.'

Good girl. Good girl!

'But Nicola's determined to help her fight the fat.

'If only Rosie would make a bit more effort.'

Fetch it! Fetch it!

-'Nicola's certainly getting fit.'

-Come on!

'But that's not really the point.'

I hope that we'll be able to go on longer walks.

I hope that she'll chase a ball and that I won't have to always fetch it.

I just hope she doesn't get so tired so quickly.

'It's clear Nicola is going to have her work cut out.

'But it's not only Rosie's weight that she needs to keep on top of.'

Good girl!

'This is the local dog grooming parlour.

'Dozens of canines arrive every day for their hair and beauty appointment.

'Today, Rosie's been booked in to join the list of dogs getting a wash and blow-dry.'

I think she's really looking forward to it.

We're just going to get her looking really nice now she's lost quite a lot of weight.

She's having everything. She's having her claws done,

she's getting everything, she's going to be clipped right back.

'Rosie finds walking much easier these days.

'In charge of her grooming today is Louise McConaughey.'

The first thing I'm going to do is clip Rosie before she goes in the bath.

It keeps the dogs healthy, it keeps the coat nice

and the skin in really good condition.

Especially with spaniels, you do have to keep on top of their ears,

cos they can have ear problems with the hair that grows in there.

'Time for the trim. Rosie's hair begins to come off,

'revealing a much more slender figure.'

Most dogs to enjoy being groomed.

Just like ourselves.

Most people like to have a bit of a pamper at the hairdressers and most dogs are just the same.

'Her paws get special attention, too.

'And it's a much easier job than three months ago.'

I'm just going to take all this hair away from Rosie's toes.

It can cause a lot of problems.

The feet can get quite matted and they can get a lot of knots under there,

which is quite uncomfortable for the dog, as well.

And it can make them quite sore.

'After the haircut, it's time for a shower.'

Obviously, regular bathing and grooming

does keep on top of any flee problems

or any other parasites that the dog may get.

'And after a quick rub-down

'and a blow-dry,

'it's time for a manicure.

The majority of them are not too bad. They just need the ends taking off.

There's one in particular that is really short,

so whether she's been having a bit of a chew at that herself...

There is the odd one that is quite long

that she will need to keep an eye on.

Well, that's it for Rosie today.

She's behaved very well to say she's never been groomed before.

And hopefully she'll not be as nervous the next time she comes.

'The makeover is complete and now Nicola has come back to collect her pet.'

-Hello!

-Your mum's here now!

-Hello, good girl.

-How was she?

-She's been fine.

She's been really good considering she's not been to see us before.

A bit nervous round her head, but hopefully that'll improve...

-She looks so gorgeous.

-..when she's been to see us a few more times.

'It's been a day of royal pampering for this King Charles spaniel.

'And those all-important before and after shots

'reveal Rosie's transformation has been truly remarkable.'

-There you go.

-Thank you very much.

-And we shall see you in a couple of months.

-Yep.

-Thanks a lot.

-OK.

-Bye.

-See you later.

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