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Inside the Vets Season 1 Episode 6
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00:00So there I was, belly shaved.
00:02Yeah, been there. Undignified, isn't it?
00:04I know exactly what you mean.
00:06Right, well, until next time. Smell you later.
00:10Bye.
00:11Fern Britain Inside the Vets, brought to you by Petplan Insurance.
00:16Here she is.
00:17A puppy with the best haircut in town.
00:21Just make sure you're not swollen under there.
00:24Known as a nation of animal lovers,
00:26the UK is home to 36 million household pets,
00:3112.5 million cats, 13.5 million dogs,
00:35and, not to mention all the other creatures,
00:38great and small,
00:40that we welcome into our families.
00:43And in this series, we'll be finding out what happens
00:46when our fur-legged friends are in need.
00:50I'll meet their devoted owners
00:52and the expert staff who treat them,
00:55from the routine...
00:57Blooming brilliant, aren't they?
01:00...to the life-saving
01:01and everything else in between.
01:05Oh, thank you very much.
01:08We'll capture the intense bond between owners...
01:11You're doing good, Baba.
01:12I'm doing really good.
01:13...well done.
01:14...animals and the vets.
01:16And we go outside the vets
01:20to meet some little life-changers.
01:23She's like a fluffy miracle
01:24and I'm extremely grateful to guide dogs,
01:27extremely grateful to Luna.
01:29So, join me, Fern Britton,
01:31on a rollercoaster of emotions
01:33inside the vets.
01:35Three miles from Bristol city centre
01:53is the neighbourhood of Hen Lees
01:55and it's here that Andy and Amy Valencia
01:58run the Grove Vets.
02:01So, he's quite sleepy now.
02:03Alongside Dr James Greenwood.
02:07Oh, lucky me.
02:09Together, they care for the precious pets
02:11in their community,
02:13offering their owners advice
02:14and nurturing their animals back to health.
02:17I'll give her cuddles.
02:18I'll look after her today.
02:21Sadly, for now,
02:23I've reached the last few days
02:25of my tenure at the vets,
02:26but I'm still taking my assisting duties
02:29very seriously.
02:30Can I do anything else?
02:32Um...
02:33Mop your head?
02:34I'm going to say something
02:35along the lines of that.
02:36Our passion for pets
02:48is so strong
02:49that 65% of people
02:51say that having a pet
02:52is as significant a milestone
02:54as having children.
02:55You're a good girl.
02:57And it so happens
02:58that the city of Bristol
02:59is the UK's pet capital
03:02with 76% of Bristolians owning one.
03:06So, it's no wonder
03:07that Grove vets,
03:08in a busy period,
03:09have around 40 patients a day.
03:14Morning.
03:15Morning.
03:15What have we got today?
03:16Well, we've got a quite busy day today.
03:18First of all,
03:18we've got Nico coming in.
03:20He's coming down
03:21for a sedation for some x-rays.
03:23Dog, cat?
03:24Uh, cat.
03:24British short hair.
03:25Lovely big boy.
03:26Beautiful cat.
03:27He's really, really...
03:28I think you'll like him.
03:29He's a bit of a stunning.
03:30Then we've got Dobby.
03:31Very cute.
03:33He's a border terrier,
03:35so dog,
03:36coming down for a castration.
03:38We've also got
03:38a really busy day on consults.
03:40I mean, anything could come in
03:41at any point.
03:42So, we're kind of just, you know,
03:44starting the day
03:44and literally anything could happen.
03:51The first feline of the day
03:53has arrived to see James
03:54and me.
03:58Nico came to see me
03:59about a week ago
04:00and he'd had some sort of accident.
04:03Owners weren't completely sure
04:04exactly what happened
04:04but they did see him fall
04:06from a garage roof
04:07and since then,
04:08he came back home
04:09limping,
04:11right hind,
04:11very sore,
04:12big bushy tail,
04:13lots of vocalising,
04:14lots of yowling,
04:15clearly quite painful.
04:17They brought him down to me
04:18a couple of days afterwards
04:19and he was still
04:20definitely not himself.
04:22He's had some anti-inflammatories
04:23but there has been
04:24some intermittent lameness
04:26still there
04:26in that right hind.
04:27Hello, Nico.
04:29He's so handsome, isn't he?
04:30He's gorgeous, isn't he?
04:31He's a big boy as well.
04:32He is.
04:33So, what are you going
04:34to do today?
04:35This is his second examination.
04:37So, we've got him back today
04:39basically to obviously
04:40give him a quick check over
04:41just to double check
04:42to see if there's
04:43anything else going on.
04:44Well, he's going to be
04:44well looked after by you,
04:46isn't he?
04:46Yeah.
04:47I mean, he looks
04:48pretty chilled there.
04:49It's quite encouraging
04:50that he's able to
04:51manipulate underneath
04:52the table.
04:53Yes, did you see that?
04:54That's a good start.
04:55Let's see.
04:56Now then.
04:58Are you going to
04:59do some walks for us?
05:02Anything?
05:03No, I'm going to go on here.
05:04Right.
05:05I wonder if I try
05:06and walk him towards you.
05:07Yes.
05:09Come round here.
05:11You say,
05:11do you want me like this
05:12or do you want me like this?
05:14Hello.
05:18Okay.
05:20Excuse me.
05:23We're trying to do
05:24some work here.
05:25Come on, Pusscat.
05:27This is the thing with cats.
05:28You can only go
05:28at their pace,
05:29can't they?
05:30Absolutely.
05:32Cats are very,
05:33very good at
05:33basically coping.
05:35So, they will
05:36kind of find ways
05:37to cope with the pain
05:39when actually
05:39behind the scenes
05:40there's quite some,
05:41you know,
05:42quite serious injury there.
05:43I hope he's insured.
05:44Is he?
05:45So, he is insured
05:46and that's one of
05:47the parts of insurance
05:48is that it sort of
05:50enables me to then
05:51do the investigations
05:52that we need to do.
05:53So, the next step
05:54is we're going to do
05:55a sedation
05:56and then I'm going
05:57to take some x-rays.
05:58I know cats
05:59never do as they're told
06:00so hopefully
06:01Nico will succumb
06:03to James' charm
06:04later.
06:04The main reason
06:11more than 50%
06:12of pets visit
06:13the vets
06:13is for either
06:14vaccinations
06:15or routine
06:16health checks.
06:18Good girl.
06:19Very brave.
06:22But this young
06:23Cocker Spaniel
06:24has recently had
06:25more than her
06:26fair share
06:26of appointments.
06:28Naya is a
06:2920-month-old
06:30Cocker Spaniel.
06:31We've had her
06:32from eight weeks old.
06:33When Naya first
06:34joined the family
06:35it was like
06:36having a newborn baby.
06:38It's a lot of
06:38sleepless nights
06:39and worrying
06:40and making sure
06:40you're looking
06:40after her correctly
06:41and now nothing's
06:42changed.
06:43I adore her.
06:44I wouldn't be
06:44without her at all.
06:45She's so loving.
06:46Nothing loves you
06:47the way your dog
06:47loves you.
06:48We couldn't be
06:48without her really.
06:49She's so much
06:50part of the family.
06:52Naya is clearly
06:53adored by Ruby
06:54but a few weeks ago
06:56she began to worry
06:57as she discovered
06:58a lump on Naya.
06:59She's had spots
07:01before and we've
07:02given her baths
07:03and medicated shampoo
07:03and that usually
07:04gets rid of it
07:05but this one
07:05was protruding
07:06through her fur
07:07and my daughter
07:07was like
07:08mum this is
07:08getting bigger.
07:09It really
07:09frightened me
07:10the fact that
07:10our little puppy
07:11that we only had
07:12for 20 months
07:13could have cancer.
07:14Concerned
07:15Ruby immediately
07:16made an appointment
07:17at the clinic
07:17and today
07:19Naya is back
07:19to see James
07:20Nurse Alice
07:21and me
07:22for further
07:23investigations.
07:24Look at her
07:25little mock top
07:26hair.
07:27Look at that.
07:28She's come to
07:29see us today
07:29for a scan.
07:31If you just
07:31have a little
07:32look here
07:32on her back
07:33can you see
07:34just where
07:35the fur parts
07:36there?
07:37She's got this
07:38small little lump
07:39that's just come up
07:39in the last few
07:40weeks.
07:41With your vet
07:42eye does that
07:43look anything
07:44weird to you?
07:45The few things
07:46that would
07:46immediately come to
07:47mind in a young
07:47dog one would
07:48be a histiocytoma
07:49which is a type
07:50of benign lump
07:51that can come up
07:52on the skin.
07:52Normally we see
07:53it on extremities
07:54so maybe feet,
07:55legs, ears,
07:56face and they
07:57kind of come up
07:58like little
07:58sometimes they
07:59look like little
08:00bright red sweets
08:01but they'll often
08:01go away on their
08:02own as this has
08:03been present now
08:04for almost eight
08:04weeks which is a
08:05little bit of why
08:06it's concerning.
08:07So that's really
08:08what I want to
08:09rule out today
08:09whether we've got
08:10something that we
08:11need to then either
08:12do a physical biopsy
08:13or possibly in a
08:14surgery.
08:14Okay.
08:15It's fairly common
08:16for dogs to get
08:17lumps and bumps
08:18on their skin.
08:19They can range from
08:20benign like a cyst
08:22or a wart
08:22to serious tumours
08:24so it's always
08:25important you
08:26contact your vet
08:26even if you
08:27think it looks
08:28harmless.
08:30So what we're
08:31going to do
08:31we're going to
08:31place a scanner
08:32onto the lump
08:33itself but in
08:34order to get a
08:35decent image we
08:36need to take the
08:36hair off.
08:37Okay.
08:37Okay so I'm
08:37going to do that
08:38first.
08:39Okay so.
08:41This scanner is a
08:42new bit of kit
08:43then?
08:43Yeah this is a
08:44really clever bit
08:45of kit that uses
08:46a combination of
08:47a special type of
08:48heat and AI
08:49artificial intelligence
08:50to give us an
08:51idea of how much
08:53of a problem this
08:54lump potentially is
08:55or isn't.
08:58Statistically if the
08:59scanner says a
09:00lump is benign it
09:01is right 98% of
09:03the time.
09:04If it has a low
09:06score that will
09:07suggest it may be
09:08malignant and then
09:09the vet will need
09:10to investigate.
09:12So we're ready to
09:13do the scan and if
09:15we pop the scanner
09:16on we just need to
09:17then hold that if
09:18we can for a
09:19minute.
09:20Good girl.
09:21Good girl.
09:22Good girl.
09:22Good girl.
09:22Look here.
09:23Oh yes I can see
09:24it on the screen.
09:27So that's now
09:28analysing the data
09:29to work out the
09:30difference in the
09:30heat pattern that
09:31the scanner's picked
09:32up from the lump
09:33itself.
09:34She's only really
09:35interested if you
09:36can tell us that
09:37we've got some more
09:37of this tube of
09:38liver pate.
09:39That's what she
09:40wants.
09:40She's very happy
09:41there.
09:41Yes.
09:43One of the
09:43advantages of this
09:44new piece of
09:45equipment is that
09:46it will give us
09:47Naya's results in a
09:48matter of minutes.
09:49We grade lumps
09:51from one to ten
09:52ten being the
09:53best result so
09:54that's completely
09:55benign and we
09:56would almost be
09:56confident to say
09:57we don't need to
09:58do anything more
10:00but slightly
10:02worryingly this has
10:03come back with a
10:03score of one
10:04which would indicate
10:05that actually that's
10:07potentially quite a
10:08malignant or
10:09aggressive lump
10:09so I am very not
10:12happy.
10:12I think even though
10:13she's only young
10:14I think we do need
10:15to do some further
10:15investigations here.
10:17Oh I'm sorry
10:18that's bad news.
10:21We know that
10:22there's justification
10:24to pop a needle
10:26into the lump
10:26to create some
10:27smears
10:28to get some
10:28samples.
10:30James now takes
10:32a fine needle
10:33aspirate
10:33when a needle
10:35is inserted into
10:36the abnormal tissue
10:37to collect a
10:38sample of cells
10:38for microscopic
10:39evaluation.
10:46So you can just
10:47see on the surface
10:48of this slide
10:49we've got a sort
10:50of smear of those
10:50cells so we can
10:51get them sent
10:52away to a pathologist.
10:53Good well let's
10:54let's wait and see
10:55what happens next.
10:56Let's keep fingers
10:56crossed yeah.
10:59It's not the news
11:00we wanted.
11:01Now James will
11:02notify Naya's
11:03family and all
11:04they can do is
11:05wait for the
11:06results.
11:07You've been a
11:08very good girl.
11:09There might be a
11:09little bit more
11:10we need to do.
11:15Stung by a bee.
11:17Don't judge me.
11:18It'll probably
11:19happen again.
11:20Fern Britain
11:21Inside the Vets
11:21brought to you
11:22by Petplan Insurance.
11:24Uh oh.
11:25Vet bills?
11:27Don't worry dad.
11:28I'll eat them.
11:29See you later.
11:30Fern Britain
11:31Inside the Vets
11:32brought to you
11:32by Petplan Insurance.
11:38No one wants to
11:42have a poorly pet
11:43but keeping your
11:44eyes peeled for
11:45telltale signs that
11:46your animal isn't
11:47well is crucial
11:49and notifying your
11:50vet quickly could
11:51speed up recovery.
11:54Our next patient
11:55today is Dobby
11:57with his owner
11:58Jenny.
11:59He's a border terrier
12:00a little border terrier
12:02almost a year old.
12:03Yeah.
12:04They have great
12:04personalities.
12:05I have a border
12:06terrier.
12:06Did you?
12:06Yes I did.
12:07He was an escape
12:08artist though.
12:09He's not too bad.
12:10And what's he here
12:11for?
12:12He's having his
12:12testicles removed
12:14because he's only got
12:16one descended.
12:18Okay.
12:18We call him the
12:19one ball wonder.
12:21So they have to be
12:22removed if they're not
12:24descended as I
12:25understand it.
12:26All right.
12:27So they're going to
12:27operate today.
12:28They're operating
12:29today.
12:30Well you're going to
12:30be all right aren't
12:31you mate?
12:31Yeah I'll be
12:32absolutely fine.
12:33Yeah you're a good
12:34boy.
12:35In charge of Dobby's
12:36operation today is
12:37vet Amy and veterinary
12:39nurse Ella who will
12:40be monitoring his
12:41general anaesthetic.
12:43We're just going to
12:44put a cannula into
12:46his vein so that
12:48we've then got access
12:49to his vein to knock
12:50him out.
12:51A testicle that
12:52hasn't descended
12:53properly is known as
12:55cryptorchidism.
12:56It's believed to be
12:58an inherited condition
12:59and affects around
13:00one in ten dogs.
13:03So this is Dobby's
13:04retained testicle here.
13:06Ah this is the one
13:07he's got.
13:08So that's the one
13:08that's down in the
13:09scrotum so that will
13:10be the straightforward
13:10one to remove and
13:11then the other one is
13:12here so you can
13:13you can probably feel
13:14it.
13:15Oh yes.
13:16Because it hasn't
13:17descended fully it's
13:19at a higher temperature
13:20than it should be so
13:21it's at risk of
13:22cancerous changes which
13:23is why we need to
13:24remove it.
13:25Yeah because they have
13:26to be outside the
13:26body to cool down.
13:27Yes exactly.
13:28So I'm hoping that
13:29I'll be able to do it
13:30just through one
13:30incision.
13:31That's amazing.
13:32Which means that he'll
13:32have fewer wounds to
13:33heal less risk of
13:34infection he'll be more
13:36comfortable.
13:36Poor lad look at him
13:38and he won't remember
13:39anything about it.
13:40I don't know he'll just wake up
13:42a bit surprised and wondering
13:44what's happened.
13:46Dobby I'm so sorry
13:48darling.
13:49He's well under now though
13:51isn't he?
13:51He is.
13:51Can't feel a thing.
13:52Yeah.
13:54So we'll just clip her up
13:55make sure it's all nice and
13:57sterile.
14:01Dobby is now prepped and
14:02ready to move into theatre.
14:04We're not required to mask
14:08up for this procedure.
14:09Anything more than a skin
14:10incision is when it's
14:12recommended to avoid
14:13infection.
14:15You've all got your hats on.
14:18If I'm doing this properly
14:19you tell me if I looked
14:25ridiculous or would you?
14:29Amy will remove the
14:30descended testicle first
14:31then proceed with the one
14:34that's retained which could
14:35be a bit trickier.
14:37So you've made the incision.
14:39Make the incision.
14:40You've popped out the one
14:41So this is the descended
14:43testicle.
14:44Yes.
14:45So that's the testicle there
14:46and all the blood vessels
14:47and spumatic cord.
14:49We'll use a little clamp.
14:52Right.
14:52That stops the blood
14:53coming through.
14:54So that stops the blood
14:54yeah.
14:55And then snip.
14:56So I just have to
14:58use some suture material
15:00first to tie the blood
15:02vessels off.
15:04And is this one of the
15:05early operations that you
15:08learn when you're at
15:09vet school?
15:09Yes.
15:10One of the ones that we
15:10learned very early on
15:11and then practiced
15:13as qualified vets.
15:16So you and Andy and
15:18James did you all
15:19I know you were all at
15:20vet school together.
15:21We were all at vet school
15:21together.
15:22So James actually
15:22graduated the year before
15:24us.
15:24Isn't it marvellous?
15:25The three of you have
15:27remained such a good unit.
15:28Yeah it's really good.
15:29So that's one testicle
15:30removed.
15:31Looks as if it should be
15:32in a dumpling.
15:33Now we've got to find the
15:36missing one.
15:37Dear Dobby.
15:38You're doing well mate.
15:40Feel it?
15:41Yeah.
15:42Is it coming?
15:44Yeah it will.
15:44Ooh.
15:46So it's a little bit more
15:48fiddly because there's a bit
15:49more soft tissue.
15:51Well I don't think I can look
15:52at that at the moment.
15:53That's kind of quite red
15:55should we just say.
15:56It's making me feel a bit
15:57uncomfortable.
15:58There we go.
16:01Phew.
16:02So there we go.
16:02There it is.
16:03There's the second testicle.
16:05Quite significantly smaller
16:07than the first one.
16:08So that's it.
16:08It's done.
16:09Yeah it's done.
16:10Both testicles removed.
16:12Just the stitching up to do
16:13now.
16:24Earlier 20 months old
16:26Cocker Spaniel Naya
16:27had cell samples taken
16:29from a lump on her back.
16:32Concerned it could be
16:33cancerous the results have
16:34been fast tracked and have
16:36been emailed through to
16:37James.
16:39Shall we open it now?
16:41Yeah.
16:41Shall we have a little look?
16:42You read it out to us.
16:43I'm a little bit worried
16:44about what we're going to
16:45find but let's have a look.
16:48Moderate reach cellular
16:49discrete round cell
16:51population.
16:53Ah.
16:55Are you smiling?
16:56We have some good news.
17:01This is good.
17:03Right.
17:03Okay.
17:06Okay.
17:07Good.
17:07Right.
17:08Tell us about it then.
17:10Oh my goodness.
17:11This is you know the roller coaster
17:12of veterinary medicine.
17:13So we've got a canine cutaneous
17:15histiocytoma.
17:17So this is a benign type of cancer
17:21that affects young dogs.
17:22So that fits with what we've seen.
17:26A single lesion with rapid initial growth.
17:28It can become painful as well.
17:30So I think as it hasn't regressed on its own I do wonder whether we still might consider
17:38surgery here to remove it.
17:40As long as we get rid of that lump individually then all should be good.
17:44Wow.
17:44So this is what we like to hear.
17:47This is great news.
17:48I suspect his owner Ruby has not slept much last night.
17:52Naya was so beautiful and this is great news and Ruby will be just overwhelmed.
17:58What a blinking roller coaster this is.
18:00Can we just turn it over?
18:12British short hair Nico is about to have an x-ray to help James determine why he's showing
18:18lameness in his back legs.
18:22He's such a beautiful cat.
18:25He's been given a mild sedation to keep him still and is under the watchful eye of
18:30vet nurse Ella.
18:35Although he looks a bit forlorn lying there and people might think oh poor thing he's
18:39actually just sound asleep and relaxed.
18:41Yeah I mean in his world at the moment he's chasing butterflies he's sort of got all the
18:46cat food he could want he's as happy as Larry.
18:49I've realised that x-rays are an important part of diagnostics allowing the vets to plan
18:56the next step of the treatment.
18:58Okay if we have everybody out we'll take these x-rays.
19:00All right let's see what that shows.
19:09As soon as the x-ray images come in there's concern and James asks fellow vet Amy for her
19:15opinion.
19:16It's quite obvious that his right is sore and then sometimes you almost kind of think
19:23his left has gone as well.
19:24My initial worry would be whether that pelvis has fractured but I think that might be a bit
19:28of rotation.
19:29Yeah.
19:30But we've still got this over the femoral head.
19:32I just wonder if this is a bilateral femoral head fracture.
19:35I think so definitely there.
19:37It's not sounding too good for young Nico.
19:40While he slowly wakes up I'm curious to know what that means for his future.
19:45James.
19:46James.
19:47Hi.
19:48That looks like a serious consultation you're having with Amy.
19:51Here I am a little bit worried about where the hip joint here is connecting to the femur.
19:57You've normally got the ball and socket of the hip joint.
19:59Normally the ball connects to the femoral head so the femur which is our main leg bone or
20:04the cat's main leg bone.
20:05Then that sits in the acetabulum ring which is the kind of the sort of the cup of the
20:10hip joint.
20:11And what we can see here is where the ball is and where normally then the would connect
20:16to the top of the femur that sort of we've got this sort of grey line on both sides which
20:22I'm just a little bit worried about whether that is actually a fracture so essentially the
20:26ball has fractured off the bone on both sides yeah yeah what do we do next well rather than
20:33a full hip replacement we just take the bones away because it's the bone on bone that hurts
20:38yeah then the muscle around that back leg can sort of build up secure it but if he needs
20:44that on both sides I don't think we're going to be able to do under one operation so he'll
20:48then need two operations one on each side of the hip I'm going to ramp up his pain relief
20:52quite significantly and he's also not going to be allowed to to walk around very much so
20:57I'm going to suggest that we keep him confined in a small area until we've got a plan for surgery.
21:03Okay
21:18The first patient to arrive at the vets this morning is Cocker Spaniel Naya. She's returned
21:24with her owner Ruby ready for her procedure. So what's James told you is going to happen today?
21:30So today they're going to actually remove the pump that's on her back the fact that it's just
21:34where it is and there's loads of skin to play with it'll be an easier an operation to do on her.
21:40Well let's hope that this is sorted out quickly. Fingers crossed.
21:43You're going to drop her off now and then get the phone call later to say come and get her.
21:47Yes. Good, good. Well I'll be with her when she's in there I think so yeah she's a lovely dog.
21:52Thank you very much. Don't worry. Thank you. She's in good hands.
22:02Naya's lump removal will take around an hour. James will be assisted by veterinary nurse Ella and of course me.
22:08Okay got a little job for you. If you want to pop some gloves on we can prep the skin
22:18which is how we make sure that the skin is nice and sterile for surgery. Yeah. So we take some cotton
22:23wool with our antiseptic solution so this is chlorhexidine so that means that it will sterilize
22:28the skin and what we do is you start in the center so where you're going to actually make your incision
22:33and then you just make a few a few sort of swipes around sweeps around like that and then the most
22:40important thing to do is always work from the inside out so then you slowly extend your sweeps out
22:47to the edge but the most important thing then is to stop there and don't go back in because we don't
22:52want to bring infection from the outside on top of the wound. Because now that's contaminated with what
22:57you've wanted to get rid of. Exactly so we put that to one side start with a new ball of cotton wool and off we
23:01go. Oh gosh how exciting. That's it so if I hold the skin. Yes thank you. That can help.
23:12Great thank you. I enjoyed that. There you go. There's a nurse in you yet you see.
23:19With the prep now done Naya is moved into the theater.
23:23So making the incision. Yeah I'm going to make my incision starting here. There's a little bit of blood
23:33now. You might not want to see that but it's all okay and Naya is okay. Can I ask you how deep you
23:42have to go? Yeah so with this lump because we know what the type of lump it is I only really actually need
23:47to go just under the skin so I'm taking the full skin thickness but I don't need to go right down
23:52to muscle which is great. I'm stroking her little foot here. It's for my comfort I think.
24:01Dear little girl. So basically what I'm trying to do is make sure I've got a nice amount of normal tissue
24:06around the lump itself because if I'm too neat and too close we risk leaving a little bit of the lump
24:12behind. Yeah. So you've got to take enough that you're happy. Yeah. We've got all of the lump but
24:17not take so much that we're creating an unnecessary big wound. And it's done. There it is. Out.
24:24So we'll put that into a pot. So that'll be sent off. That gets sent off to the pathologist.
24:31They'll section it. Have a look under a microscope and tell us exactly what type of lump that is,
24:35what type of cancer. Hopefully it'll come back as a histiocytoma so that's nice and benign and then we
24:41could fingers crossed we can say that that's been curative and we don't need to do any more work.
24:46Brilliant. Now I'm going to put some stitches into the skin itself just to close that last little gap.
24:54Does it take long to learn this stitching? Do you know it does and it's something that I can
25:02remember as a student. We all used to get pieces of orange peel or you know anything that you could
25:08sort of pass a needle through and we'll sort of be sitting there trying to practice our various
25:13stitching techniques because there's different there's different stitches for for different
25:18purposes and all sorts of different techniques you can use. It does take a bit of practice to get to
25:24to get up to speed with it. When they put your their trust in you like this it's quite humbling really
25:31isn't it? Yeah I think part of the big joy is that you're you know it is a real privilege to be
25:37in people's lives like that because pets do just mean so much to us. They do, they really do.
25:48I can feel her waking up let's go through. Well done Naya there she goes, there she goes.
25:55Isn't that incredible it didn't take very long and now she's going off to wake up quietly and gently
26:03in her warm kennel and then we'll see her later. Well done Naya.
26:13Coming up Nico will be taking the first step of his treatment.
26:17It's still a very difficult operation but there is a little bit more on our side.
26:24And we go outside the vets to meet some little life changes.
26:29Just the thought of being able to go for a walk and enjoy that walk unassisted by another human
26:34was really really appealing.
26:38Oh I thought we were here about my allergies. No no it's fine it can be about you.
26:43Fernbritton Inside the Vets brought to you by Petplan Insurance.
26:47Ah, stung by a bee. Don't judge me. It'll probably happen again.
27:03It's a big day for Nico as he'll be undergoing major surgery on his fractured hip.
27:10He's so handsome isn't he?
27:12He's already had his pre-meds so James and nurse Alice can now prepare him for surgery.
27:19Administering the anaesthetic and clipping his fur.
27:23As this is an advanced procedure, veterinary surgeon Andy will be leading this complex operation.
27:30It's going to be probably ideal if we can get the cap further up this end of the table.
27:36Although both hip joints are fractured, he will focus on the right hand side today.
27:41The procedure is known as femoral head and neck ostectomy and the aim is to restore
27:51pain-free mobility to Nico's fractured hip.
27:54The problem is whenever they've had a fracture like this.
27:56Everything's going to be just so contracted isn't it?
27:58Contracted.
28:00Because he's a British Shorthair which means, you know, he's just...
28:03He's got some decent thighs.
28:04He's got some thighs on him which is slightly getting in the way of our approach.
28:09But we're getting there.
28:11If you just get your finger in there, so there's pelvis.
28:14And then if you slide your finger up here.
28:17So we're just going to need to get the osteotome and start cleaning that up.
28:21And he needs to remove the ball of the ball and socket joint,
28:26which requires him to work around several layers of tissue.
28:33It's still a very difficult operation, but there is a little bit more on our side,
28:38having found that we can sort of get to where we need to get to, basically.
28:45So we've got the ball of the femoral head off.
28:47If you imagine it a bit like a mushroom, we need to get the stalk of the mushroom off the
28:52leg bone as well to make sure we've got a really nice, smooth
28:55junction between the hip bone and what's left of the leg bone.
29:02The operation takes 45 intense minutes to complete.
29:07To see if it's been a success, Adi needs to take an x-ray.
29:16Are we in a position, team, to transfer to x-ray and keep our fingers crossed?
29:23X-rays. Take them.
29:35That's right.
29:35Nice.
29:36I think that's really smooth.
29:38I think it's as good as we can get.
29:40I'm very happy with that.
29:41Nice work.
29:43Nice clean line, really.
29:44Nice clean line there.
29:46It's quite important that he starts moving around ASAP.
29:49So rather than create rest, he's going to be on room rest.
29:52We're now going to have to do some aggressive rehab for a couple of weeks,
29:54then we're going to have to go in on the other leg.
29:57And fingers crossed that procedure goes as well as today's did.
29:59Right. Job's a good one.
30:09Interacting with animals has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol,
30:13a stress-related hormone, and lower blood pressure.
30:17So pets really do change our mood.
30:21Yes. Yes. Good girl. Good girl.
30:25But some animals aren't just pets.
30:27Yes. Many dogs are trained to take on vital roles from rescue...
30:33Why don't you say the search dog if you can hear me, Colin?
30:38...to guide dogs.
30:40Good girl.
30:42There are two million people living with sight loss in the UK,
30:46and guide dogs help those with a vision impairment
30:49by giving them support and confidence.
30:53Across the country, there are 21 centres like this one in Bristol,
30:57that nurture, train, and match up guide dogs to the right owner.
31:02Oh, you clever boy.
31:05Poppy development advisor Sophia Haig has the task of teaching the new recruits in her weekly classes.
31:12What I want to focus on is just doing a few basic sits, downs, getting their focus and attention onto you.
31:20Popping a little bit of kibble on the end of their nose, pull it forward and see if they'll go into a stand.
31:27The puppies we've got in today, the youngest one is ten weeks old and our oldest one is six months old.
31:32So they're still very much at the beginning of their training journey.
31:36At this stage with them, it's all about them sort of exploring the new environment and also we've
31:42popped in some strange objects for them. So these puppies won't have seen these objects before.
31:47So I'm just interested in seeing their confidence levels, how responsive they are to their handler as well.
31:54We don't need to make them do anything they don't want to do, just letting them have a little explore.
32:01Just like other dogs, guide dog puppies have regular vet check-ups to prevent any health issues
32:07from becoming a reason they can't qualify for the top job. They've also got to master a lot of the techniques.
32:15So Maisie's our youngest puppy, so this is a really big thing for her. She's doing so well.
32:24Guide dogs began transforming lives back in 1931. Two innovative women from Merseyside,
32:31Muriel Crook and Rosamund Bond, started training dogs to support servicemen who'd lost their sight
32:37in the First World War. Over the years, it's grown from strength to strength.
32:44Breeding their own dogs and enlisting puppy raisers to care for more than a thousand little life
32:49changes each year. I'm Martin and I'm looking after Lucy. Lucy is 11 weeks old and so far so good. We had
32:58a couple of sleepless nights at the beginning, but she's sleeping through now and she's just starting
33:05to learn to be a life changer. Puppy raisers like Martin will care for these young apprentices
33:11for about a year. And during this time, the pups will undergo 24 weeks of training.
33:18My daughter is a primary school teacher and she likens it to her class. She gets them in September
33:23and she knows there's going to be tears in July when they move on. It's very similar.
33:31Once graduated, these pups will be matched with an owner, giving life-changing support.
33:36Dan Roberts was born with a hereditary eye condition, leaving him with total loss of sight in one eye
33:44and little vision in the other. This led to him being partnered with Labradoodle Luna six years ago.
33:53Unless I was assisted by my wife and my children, I just didn't go out. It's not a great healthy way to live.
33:59Luna is a perfect combination of clever and crazy. She's very aloof, extremely sweet and
34:12she's just got a heart of gold and I was very lucky that Luna thought I was all right.
34:17When I? Yes. Just the thought of being able to go for a walk and enjoy that walk,
34:25unassisted by another human, was really, really appealing. I didn't realize how amazing a guide dog
34:32could be in my life. All right, Luna, find the exit. Luna knows her left from her right and she gets that
34:41right 100% of the time. She's got a vocabulary of like 70 words. She knows to take me to the gym,
34:47she knows barbers, she knows the shops on our high street, she'll individually take me to those
34:51different shops. You can't swagger when you're walking with a white stick. It just doesn't look
34:56right. But you can when you're walking along with your dog. Luna's training and adaptability
35:03means she's a great source of comfort for Dan. She even enjoys going to work with him.
35:10I'm a hotel singer. That's what I've done for 17, 18 years now. So we rock up, don't we? And we sing
35:16songs to people and everyone ignores me and looks at you. She's changed my life in extraordinary way.
35:25She's like a fluffy miracle and I'm extremely grateful to guide dogs. I'm extremely grateful to Luna.
35:39The next patient to arrive at the vets to see Andy is six-year-old cockapoo Jobo and his owner Jane.
35:47Come on, Job. Here he comes. Right.
35:50Jobo has a pea-sized lump on his ear. But because he's quite an anxious dog, Andy needs to decide how
35:58best to tackle the issue. What I propose is we do a sedation. Once we have them sedated,
36:04we do a needle biopsy. If it looks cheesy like a cyst, then we just remove it as a cyst. If that's
36:11not what comes out, we can basically make a slide of it and send it directly off to some pathologists.
36:17The option then is he doesn't need to go home and then come back on another day. As a nervous dog,
36:22he gets priority. Get him in, get him recovered and then get him home with you as soon as possible.
36:27Okie dokie. How is he going to be with a little check over now? What we don't want to do is wind
36:31him up before you then pre-met him. I mean, he liked playing with you when he first met you. Do you want
36:34me to unwrap him from the winter? I'd keep him on. The thing that you've got, though, is dogs are smart and
36:40he might be fun playing with me when he knows there's no ulterior motives. So you know what this is,
36:44doesn't he? Yes, he does. He's too smart. It's fairly common for some dogs to show signs of anxiety.
36:53Exposing them to new things when their puppies can help reduce stress in adulthood, but it's
36:58always a good idea to get advice from your vet. And he's allowed to tell us that he's anxious
37:04because of all the places it's sensible to be a bit anxious. Yes, it is. It's like going to the
37:09dentist. Cool. So let's go through this consent form. Right. Does he have pet insurance? Yes. Yes.
37:14Perfect. And who's insured with? Pet plan. Pet plan. There we are. We're all ready to go.
37:18You look after him. That's your instruction. Listen, I promise.
37:27Jobo is a priority today, so Andy is eager to crack on with the procedure,
37:32and vet nurse Ella is assisting with the sedation. It does feel quite gritty.
37:40Andy soon discovers that the lump isn't a cyst and takes samples. They are scanned and sent straight
37:46to a pathologist, and the results are returned within minutes. It's come back as something called
37:52a trichoblastoma. So that is a benign in nature mass. They tend to grow with a bit of a cauliflower
37:58type appearance. We do really want to remove, because where it's located, behind the ear,
38:03they tend to get scratched. And if it ulcerates, then it can then get infected and then cause further
38:08problems. It's good news for Jobo. And now Andy and the team can start the procedure.
38:14And as it's such a small lump, it's a speedy process.
38:20Oh, they are some meeky blood vessels.
38:26Now the trick is getting this closed without nicking that huge blood vessel.
38:32Make sure this comes together nicely. Jobo being a bit of a sensitive soul means that we're making sure
38:38all of the sutures are kind of buried and they're dissolvable. So it means we're not going to have to
38:43remove them at a later date. Cool. Can I just get a tiny bit of skin glue, please? And then we're done.
38:48A bit of skin glue there. The reality is it was nice and routine and hopefully he'll recover nicely.
38:55Oh, I thought we were here about my allergies. No, no, it's fine. It can be about you.
39:13Fern Britain Inside the Vets, brought to you by Petplan Insurance.
39:25Border Terrier Dobby's castration and retained testicle removal was a success. He can now be
39:31discharged and go back to his owner, Jenny.
39:35Here he is. Hello, sunshine. Good boy, he says Dobby.
39:39You've gone from the one ball wonder to no balls.
39:42Hey, here you go, you're tired. It's been a big day, hey?
39:47So it is really important that he doesn't lick, so I will get you a suit and a brush collar.
39:51Get me a suit and a collar and we'll see how it goes. Good boy. Well done, mate.
39:55Good boy. These aren't foolproof in male dogs because they often can still get past it,
40:00but at least it's a little bit of a deterrent. Good boy.
40:06Super smart. What I'll do is I'll just tie it forward just because he's about to go outside.
40:12OK, he might cock his leg. Yeah, yeah.
40:15Well, in fact, he probably will. He'll hopefully be quite happy in there.
40:19Most dogs take to them quite well. As well as the protective suit,
40:23Dobby will have restricted exercise on the lead for 10 days to allow the wound to heal.
40:29There's a good boy. Great. Okie dokie. So we'll give you a ring to check in tomorrow
40:34and then we'll see him back in a week's time. Come on then, sunshine.
40:48Next to arrive at the practice are brother and sister Jojo and Billy, with their owner Willamine.
40:55Hello. Hi. How are you doing? Yeah, very good. Hi, guys. Do you want to come on through?
41:01Yes. We're ready for you. Do you want to come straight in? Come on, Jo.
41:05The family are due to go on their holiday soon, so have made an appointment to see James.
41:10So they've come down for their rabies vaccinations today, haven't they?
41:13That's right, yes. Yeah, great. What's your plans? Are you traveling with them soon?
41:18Yeah, in the summer we want to take them in the car and we're going to Scandinavia.
41:22Have they traveled before? Except from flying from the Bahamas.
41:27Oh, wow. What were they doing in the Bahamas? Well, we rescued them there. They were in a rescue home
41:36and we picked them out, took them home and lived with us for three years and then we brought them
41:43back to the UK from the Bahamas. And so now they're going to have a holiday in Scandinavia
41:49And you don't want a holiday without them? No, absolutely not. We've done holidays here
41:54within the UK and it's just lovely. They are family. Taking pets abroad is on the increase,
42:01with almost half of dog owners planning, or have already been on, a doggycation. But many pets find
42:08the change in routine stressful. So always decide what's best for them and make sure you check the
42:15rules of the country you're traveling to, plus what vaccinations are required.
42:22A rabies vaccination in the UK, a single vaccination is valid for three years.
42:27So we just do one today, then that as a vaccination will protect the dogs for three years from today.
42:33But interestingly, we need to then wait 21 days minimum before we're legally allowed to set
42:39up any sort of travel moving from the UK over into the EU or any of the other listed countries.
42:44But once that 21 days has passed, what you can then do is come down for what we call an animal
42:50health certificate. And then you need to then see a vet within one to five days of your return
42:55in that country to have a table and treatment to be able to come back to the UK. So there are
43:00quite a few steps. So, yes, I'm just waiting for this and then I shall be in the car across the ferry and
43:08yeah we're going we're going to do Scandinavia this summer. I should have seen that written
43:13all those in our faces. They've got the sweetest faces, Jojo's smiling.
43:20Before James goes ahead with the vaccinations, he needs to check Jojo and Billy are microchipped,
43:26an essential requirement for travel and give them both a once-over.
43:31OK, that's fine.
43:32Hi. All good for that?
43:34I'm happy with her, yeah. So let's give her the rabies vaccination.
43:37OK.
43:38So it's just up in the scruff, yeah. So we'll post a treat at that end.
43:42There we go.
43:43Good girl. Well done, Jojo.
43:46Good girl. There. She's like, just give me the treats.
43:52Right, let's give Billy his vaccination as well.
43:54OK, right, should we do it here? This is beautiful.
44:01She's like, is that a treat? Can I eat that? Well done, team.
44:05Right, so that's the vaccination's done.
44:07Yep. So the next step will be when you have a definite travel date,
44:12as long as it's 21 days from today, beyond that,
44:15we can then book you in for the certificate appointment.
44:18Great. OK, well, bon voyage.
44:21Wonderful. Thank you very much.
44:31It's been an action-packed day at the surgery, but before the team can finish,
44:36Ruby has arrived to collect her Cocker Spaniel, Naya.
44:41Here she is. Hi, little girl. Hello, puppy. How are you, Naya?
44:46Here she is. Oh, she's not interested.
44:47Yeah. Come on, darling. She's got a U-print.
44:49Who's been a good girl?
44:51James did an amazing job.
44:53Yeah. He was so calm all through.
44:56Thank you, James. She's been very well-behaved.
44:57She was, wasn't she? She was really good-behaved, yeah.
44:59I probably wouldn't necessarily walk her today. No, I wasn't going to.
45:01Just keep it nice and rested. Keep it covered, keep it clean, keep it dry.
45:05I'm sure she'll heal up. How long does that stay on for?
45:07So we'll keep that on for maybe a couple of days.
45:09Uh-huh.
45:09But it might peel off on its own.
45:11Yeah. So, uh, so don't worry too much, but...
45:13That's okay then. Hello, puppy. How are we?
45:16I was a very good girl, mommy.
45:17So we'll give you a call when we've got the results back.
45:19Excellent. And we'll see you next week for a post-op check.
45:21Excellent. Thank you so much.
45:22OK. All right. Pleasure, no worries.
45:24Thank you so much for watching over her.
45:25Very nice to meet you, Ruby.
45:26Thank you. Thank you so much.
45:27Oh, bye-bye. Really nice to meet you.
45:29And you. Bye-bye now.
45:30Bye-bye now.
45:31OK. See you soon. No worries.
45:33Thank you. Take it easy.
45:34Success. You're so cute.
45:36Another one. Yes. Well done.
45:37We need you to stick around.
45:39I think you're a good omen in this practice.
45:40Do you think so? I do.
45:41Sadly, I can't stick around, but my goodness, I've enjoyed my time here inside the vets.
45:53Now I'm in love with her.
45:54Oh, look at you two.
45:57Hey, wobble chops.
45:58Just having a nice little snore.
46:00Oh.
46:01This is great news.
46:03Oh, I love liver breast.
46:11This is Arthur, the most chilled cat I think I've ever met.
46:16And I've enjoyed meeting all the animals that we've met over the last few weeks,
46:20big or small, young or old.
46:22They've all been adorable, and they've all had one common denominator,
46:26and that is that they have owners who simply adore them
46:29and will do anything in their hour of need to help them.
46:33The vets here have been incredible.
46:35They treat their patients with such wonderful respect.
46:39And you know what?
46:41The bond between animal and human is so strong and very much alive and kicking.
46:55The bond between animal and human is so strong and very much alive.
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