(upbeat bright music) - [Christopher] In the heart of glorious North Yorkshire, lies the quaint market town of Thirsk.

(upbeat bright music continues) Here, the world's most famous vet, James Herriot, lived, worked, and wrote his best selling books.

His former surgery and home are now a museum, but his practice lives on nearby.

(phone ringing loudly) - Good Morning, Skeldale Vet Center.

- It's a great privilege really working in this practice, and it very much is in the footsteps really of James Herriot.

(machine shaking loudly) It makes me very proud really to be part of that heritage.

- [Christopher] Julian Norton is the Yorkshire vet.

- A-ha!

We have a wide range of different species that come in to see us, and that gives us this tremendous amount of satisfaction.

I don't think I'd have it any other way.

- [Christopher] Julian works alongside senior partner and former Herriot trainee, Peter Wright.

- Everything's Yorkshire, isn't it?

- There is no finer view in England.

I've had a long relationship with the Herriot practice, and I feel very privileged to work in the most famous veterinary practice in the world.

- [Christopher] Here, together with their dedicated staff, (cat meowing annoyingly) they treat animals of all shapes- - Right there, that's it!

- [Christopher] Sizes- - God!

- [Christopher] Types- - Ugh, crikey, get it off me.

- [Christopher] And temperaments.

(dog growling angrily) It's definitely not glamorous- - Oh, no!

- [Christopher] But, it's varied.

- And that goes back in there, like that.

- You're a little bobby-dazzler, aren't ya?

- [Christopher] It's rarely easy- - Ugh, crikey!

- [Christopher] As the Skeldale team carries on the Herriot tradition, treating all creatures great and small.

(upbeat bright music swelling) (birds chirping happily) (upbeat orchestral music) North Yorkshire enjoys summer's warm embrace.

(sheep bleating loudly) In lush meadows, animals lazily unwind.

(upbeat orchestral music continues) But, there's little time to relax at Skeldale- - This is a cat.

Oh, that's a cat.

- No, that's a cat.

- [Christopher] Where you should never scrub up until you're all set for surgery.

- I'm afraid I've got a confession to make.

You know what's coming, don't you?

- Oh no.

(asking question) (laughing amusingly) - I've left me glasses in me pocket.

- Rachel's nearest.

(laughing amusingly) - I'm sorry, Rach.

(laughing amusingly) Thank you.

(upbeat orchestral music continues) - [Christopher] Today, Julian's heading to see one of his favorite clients- (upbeat orchestral music continues) - There we go.

- [Christopher] Alpaca breeder, Jackie Barlow.

(upbeat orchestral music ending) - I hand mate them, so I select which boy for which girl and I put them in a pen together.

(slow pensive music) (alpaca bleating excitingly) If she sits down, she's ready to mate.

And if she doesn't, then she's pregnant and she'll spit at him.

I'm gonna take him away.

He's not gonna like it.

(laughing amusingly) (alpaca bleating excitingly) Come on, Bob.

I'm sorry, we're just testing.

See, he's quite keen, bless him.

Not today.

Come on.

Come on.

(alpaca bleating frustratingly) - [Christopher] Recently, Julian visited when Jackie's favorite alpaca was struggling to give birth.

- If the baby's presented incorrectly, there's a danger obviously of death for both mother and baby.

(gentle hopeful music) - [Christopher] Cinderella and her baby both survived- - [Jackie] I don't know how you did that.

- [Christopher] Thanks to their prince charming.

- You alright?

Do you remember me?

(Jackie laughing warmly) Yeah?

(baby bleating gently) Yeah, you're a very lucky little baby.

(slow pensive music continues) - [Christopher] Now, Jackie's worried about another of her girls.

- So, this is Nike, and I've only recently just got her.

We just put her in with the boy, she sat down and they started mating, and he couldn't get in.

It was a bit frustrating for him.

So, I realized that there was something wrong.

What are you looking at, Nike?

(slow pensive music continues) - Hello, again!

Alright.

(slow pensive music descending) It sounds like she's got what's called a persistent hymen, which is a membrane within the vagina that is intact.

And of course, if that's intact and it doesn't get perforated, then it means that she won't get pregnant.

Sadly, I think part of the problem is that male alpacas, whilst they're very handsome, they're actually not particularly well-endowed, are they, down there?

And I think often, the penis is too short to... - [Jackie] Well, it's very long, but it's not very thick.

- Is that right?

Long, but not very thick.

- They're really long, but they're like wiggly worms.

- Yeah, and you need to be a bit more robust to get in there.

(upbeat orchestral music) Yeah, she's definitely got a persistent membrane there.

Quite a thick membrane, actually.

That's why he's not been able to get in.

I'm gonna give her an epidural that will just numb everywhere around there 'cause this isn't gonna be as straightforward as most I don't think.

- Right, okay.

Do you think it might be a problem?

Do you think she might... - I think it'll definitely be a problem if we can't get it broken.

- Yeah.

- I mean, literally, she won't be able to breed if that's not sorted out.

(alpaca bleating loudly) (gentle orchestral music swelling) (birds chirping happily) (sheep bleating loudly) (upbeat orchestral music) (birds chirping happily) (hens clucking calmly) - Come on!

Here!

- [Christopher] Meet the Duckers.

- Ah, ah.

No, no girls, wait there.

(gate clicking shut) - [Christopher] Peter was at their farm in Thirsk recently- - Nice to meet you.

- A nice day to have some testicles removed, isn't it?

(laughing amusingly) - [Christopher] Teaming up with Julian to do what vets often do to young males.

- I don't think it's nice for him to see testicles when he comes around, is it?

That's taking the mickey, that.

(laughing amusingly) - You can't be overrun and you can't have them all into breeding, so you've got to do it really if you're gonna keep them.

(laughing amusingly) But, it's still something that you feel very, very... You relate to, let's just say, as a man.

So, I made myself scarce when the donkey got castrated.

I hung around to sedated it, and then I went off to work 'cause I couldn't face watching.

(laughing amusingly) (slow gentle music) - Come on!

Hey!

- [Christopher] On their family farm, one species is rather more special than the others for Mike and Rebecca.

- I've had goats since I was about 18.

And the first time Mike and I met, it was a blind date.

We went for a walk in my father's wood with a goat.

(slow pensive music) Don't let him go through there, darling.

Corner him, quick!

He had it in for Mike, so he kept sort of butting Mike as we were walking around with the dogs, and you know, with us having a nice walk.

And then, you got hold of him by the horn, didn't you?

- Yeah.

- But, what happened?

- The horn came off in my hand.

(laughing amusingly) It wasn't my fault at all.

(laughing amusingly) Trouble.

(gentle curious music) - [Christopher] Today, Mike's had to grab the goat by the horns again.

(goat bleating loudly) He's brought Charlie, their five-week-old pygmy, to see Peter.

- He's going to have his bits off.

(goat bleating loudly) As a fellow male, I do feel somewhat guilty (laughing amusingly) for having all these animals castrated, I must say.

But, I've been done myself, so it's all right, I can relate.

(laughing amusingly) They get a bit frisky and a bit keen to escape all the time when they're complete.

(gentle curious music continues) You naughty boy, you naughty boy.

He's already tried to cover his little sister who's younger than him.

(laughing amusingly) So yeah, he's very frisky, a bit of an escape artist.

- [Christopher] But, for young Charlie, there's no escape this time.

(laughing amusingly) - I got you!

(laughing amusingly) - Right, Charlie.

- Oh dear, oh dear!

Come on then.

- Charlie, Charlie.

(gentle curious music continues) (upbeat orchestral music) - [Christopher] Coming up, will Julian ensure that Nike can just do it?

- The things we do, eh?

- I never let it spoil a good meal I make.

(laughing amusingly) - [Christopher] Pygmy goat surgery has its perks for Peter.

- Whoa, look at that!

There isn't a vet this country that doesn't like a good abscess.

- [Christopher] And is all hope lost for working dog, Millie?

- It's cancerous.

She had only a couple of months to live.

So, I rang Julian up, and he said, "Yeah, come over straight away."

(upbeat orchestral music continues) (simple orchestral music) (birds chirping happily) - [Christopher] Julian is at Jackie's, trying to help a young would-be mum, Nike.

She isn't able to mate.

- There's quite a thick membrane, actually.

That's why he's not been able to get in.

I mean, literally, she won't be able to breed if that's not sorted out.

(simple orchestral music fading) - It sounds like it's gonna be quite involved, but it's worth a try because that's really all they want to do, they like to have babies.

Yeah.

(gentle pensive music) I know, I know.

- Hold steady, Nike.

- It's alright, we're not going to hurt her, we're going to give her something to numb the pain.

(gentle pensive music continues) - There's like a tiny, little, narrow opening.

- Yeah, not big enough.

- It's not really an opening at all, actually.

I guess my finger's doing the job that the male would've been doing, perhaps a bit more sympathetically.

I didn't mean to wink there, that was a fly landing on my eye.

(laughing amusingly) I've just made enough of a hole to get...

There we are.

See, these forceps have now gone through the hymen itself, and I can just actually open them up a little bit.

(gentle pensive music continues) The things we do, eh?

- I never let it spoil a good meal I make.

(laughing amusingly) - You don't mind what we're doing, do ya?

He says, "It's not my vagina you're fiddling with."

(gentle pensive music continues) Right, we've made some good progress now.

- [Jackie] Brilliant.

- Yeah, she's open now.

- Brilliant.

- I can get my little finger all the way in now.

- [Jackie] Right.

- So, that must be... That's 5/8 of an inch, isn't it?

- Yeah, that'll be big enough, yeah.

- That's big enough for an alpaca's penis, I think, to get in.

- Yeah, yeah.

They're very long, up to a foot long.

- A foot long?

- Yeah.

- Seriously?

- Yeah, yeah.

They go right into the cervix.

- I though they were about that big.

- Yeah, they are at first, but when you see them come out, they're that long.

- Are they?

But, only very thin?

- Yeah.

- That's what you've got to look forward to, right, little girl?

- (laughing amusingly) It's very romantic.

(hopeful orchestral music) (birds chirping happily) (hopeful orchestral music continues) (simple orchestral music) - [Christopher] Back at the practice, Peter and Nurse Helen prepare Charlie for surgery- - [Peter] He's going to have his bits off.

- [Christopher] Despite his best efforts to escape.

(laughing amusingly) - I got you.

(laughing amusingly) - Right.

- Oh, dear!

- Interesting things, goats.

We don't see as many as we used to do.

We used to have quite a lot of goat keepers, and quite a number that used to milk the goats as well for household consumption.

(slow pensive music) - You won't get much goat's milk outta that goat.

(laughing amusingly) - No, no, I think the well will be dried out, won't it?

- [Julian] This is your specialty this, isn't it?

- Testicles.

- Testicles again.

- Well, some would say.

I know you sort of go for the bigger boy testicles.

(laughing amusingly) I know their limitations.

(vacuum sucking loudly) (slow pensive music) I'm just going to twist that around to ease it out, and pull.

I think in some ways, it takes out an awful lot of hassle in life if the testicles are removed.

There you are, Charlie.

Charlie's done.

(slow pensive music continues) - What's going on on his face here?

- Yeah, we'll need to just have a look at that.

- It looks like an abscess.

- It looks like a colonic abscess, doesn't it?

I wouldn't be at all surprised, there's some little marks there, if he's been bitten.

Possibly something like a lotus is how it got in there, which are often lurking around farm sheds.

(slow pensive music) Whoa, look at that!

- That's juicy.

- Lovely.

There isn't a vet in this country that doesn't like a good abscess.

(laughing amusingly) Very satisfying, aren't they?

- Definitely.

(laughing amusingly) It's like squeezing spots, isn't it?

- Ooh, it is.

(laughing amusingly) - And this will go a long way towards restoring Charlie's beauty.

Testicle's gone, abscess gone.

You're a lucky boy, aren't you, eh?

(upbeat orchestral music) - [Christopher] Charlie should now be a more pleasant goat to have around, as Peter knows from experience.

- I learned at a very early age that billy goats can be a bit whiffy sometimes if they remain entire.

And I remember taking my wife out for one of our first courting sessions.

I'd been treating a billy goat that day.

And no matter how you scrub, no matter how many times you change, you can't get rid of that smell.

Anyway, that could have been the end of a future marriage.

But, she was diplomatically very good about it, really.

And there's other things that she's commented on since that I smelt of, which I won't go into now.

But, I know it's true, but you sort of try and deny it, but you just know that it's right, really, you smell of it.

Anyway, we better get on, haven't we?

We better get on.

- Right.

(gentle hopeful music) - Hello, how are you doin'?

- [Christopher] At Skeldale, the role of the vet nurse is vital and varied.

(gentle hopeful music continues) - You're so cute, aren't you, eh?

Someone must be missing you somewhere.

- [Christopher] Zoe is giving some much needed TLC to a stray cat with a broken leg.

(gentle hopeful music continues) - You're a good girl, aren't ya?

It's quite an important part of looking after, well any inpatient, because they're gonna miss that sort of human contact.

So, it does help them as well when they're feeling pretty rubbish that you do groom them and give them a fuss.

It helps them to feel better.

And it helps my stress levels too, doesn't it?

It does, yes.

(gentle hopeful music fading) You just care for everything like it's your own.

really.

And if my dog went to a vets, I'd expect them to do the same.

Yes, you're talking to me now.

(cage clicking closed) (cat meowing gently) Meow.

(cat meowing gently) Meow.

I'm definitely fluent in cat.

I think all us are.

(playful pensive music) (playfully meowing) - [Christopher] But, although Zoe loves speaking cat and caring for poorly animals- - You're so sweet, aren't you?

- [Christopher] Like every job, vet nursing comes with its share of dirty work.

- Emptying the dog poop bin.

(slow pensive music) (uplifting orchestral music) - [Christopher] In such idyllic surroundings, farming in North Yorkshire can be rewarding- (cow lowing loudly) but it's hard work, and it breeds tough men and women.

Although, for farmers like Rodney Sheard, there's still plenty of room for affection.

- We just love animals, whether it's me sheep, me goats, me dogs.

I'm just born a natural farmer.

(uplifting orchestral music continues) The dogs are a big part of my life because a few years since after me dad died, I was at a very low point, and dogs got me going, they've given me something to live for.

And dogs give you 110% affection.

They're always there for you.

And there's somebody you can talk to and they're very good listeners.

(slow pensive music) - Yes, just have a seat, I've got you booked in.

- [Christopher] Today, Rodney's here with Millie, mum to his other three collies.

- She's part of the family and she's a working dog.

Oh, she loves to work.

(slow pensive music fading) (gentle acoustic music) - [Christopher] But, Rodney's trusty old working dog is not well.

- It's a tumor in the mouth.

I took her to me local vet and he said it's cancerous.

(gentle acoustic music continues) He said she had only a couple of months to live.

And I thought, "Well, I'll just give her a bit longer."

And when she got poorly, I thought then I'd make a decision to put her down.

And it was me son that said, "Why don't you have a second opinion?"

He says, "Go see goat man."

I says, "Who's goat man?"

- [Christopher] The goat man is Julian.

- They're very cute, I must say, look at them.

- [Christopher] After he dealt with Rodney's five naughty kids- (goat bleating gently) - This goat here is chewing the anesthetic machine.

Oh, see, you have a nice we on my floor, perfect.

- [Christopher] Orphan lamby posed a more serious problem.

(slow pensive music continues) - Blimey, that's the mother of all rectal prolapses, isn't it?

Which is gonna be difficult to fix.

- [Christopher] But thankfully, Julian was able to save her.

(sheep bleating gently) - So, I rung Julian up, and he said, "Yeah, come over straight away."

And he said, "Yeah, I know an operation."

So, that's where we are today.

(gentle piano music) - Do you want come through?

Hi, Millie.

You're a good girl, aren't ya?

You're my mate.

Is she always friendly like this?

- Yeah.

(laughing happily) - So, this big, bulging, pink and purple thing sticking out of Millie's lower jaw is the tumor.

It's the kinda problem that if you don't operate, then you're really in a pickle.

It just gets bigger and it gets more invasive, and poor old Millie will eventually need to be put down.

And usually, that's over the course of a few weeks rather than a few months, they tend to be quite aggressive.

But, luckily for Millie, that lump's right at the very front of the mouth, so we'll be able to take the chunk of jaw away and hopefully take with all the tumor that's with it.

(gentle piano music continues) As long as we can get all the growth away, then that should be a cure for her.

And she's obviously a happy little dog, and hopefully she'll continue to be a happy dog after the surgery's finished.

She's lovely, isn't she?

- [Rodney] Oh yeah, she's very affectionate-like, yeah.

- You don't know what we're gonna do though, do you, Millie?

We're gonna take part of your jaw away.

(slow pensive music) She's one of those collies that just wants to sit with you all the time and wag her tail.

Ooh, dear.

It's alright, we'll sort you out.

- Today, I'm gonna be anxious.

- Come on, Millie, this way.

(slow pensive music continues) - [Rodney] I hope everything goes alright.

- Come on, let's lift you up.

Crikey, you're heavier than you look.

- I won't be able to concentrate on anything else till the operation is done and I see Millie again.

(slow pensive music continues) - She looks a bit worried, doesn't she?

For the first time.

(slow pensive music continues) Good girl.

(upbeat orchestral music) - [Christopher] Coming up, Millie faces life-saving surgery.

- It looks like something that you might get from a DIY shop.

- [Christopher] And will Nike become a mum?

- Steady, old girl.

Doesn't like being scanned, does she?

- No.

(upbeat hopeful music) - [Christopher] At Skeldale, remaining calm is crucial when the pressure is on.

- A proper shave.

Can you do me after you're finished?

- I think these might be a bit rough on your face, especially with these on there.

- [Christopher] When Farmer Rodney brought his much loved working dog, Millie, to see Julian, he feared he would lose her.

- It's cancerous.

- So, this is the tumor.

It's the kinda problem that if you don't operate, poor old Millie will eventually need to be put down.

Is she always friendly like this?

You're a good girl, aren't ya?

- [Rodney] Yeah.

(laughing happily) - [Julian] It's grown rapidly.

I saw it last week and it wasn't as big as that, so it was grown pretty rapidly.

- [Christopher] Julian's performing complex surgery, hoping to save Millie's life.

- It's a bloody awful thing, isn't it?

- Yeah, especially... At least it's there though, it's right on the front.

'Cause if it was anywhere else, we'd be a bit snookered.

- It would, wouldn't you?

Yeah, that's one consolation I suppose.

- So, the procedure we're about to do today is a rather grand-sounding procedure, it's called a rostral hemimandibulectomy.

But, it's pretty basic.

We're removing the front part of Millie's jawbone, and that will with it remove the tumor.

So, this is the oscillating saw.

It looks like something that you might get from a DIY shop, but it's for cutting through bone.

(upbeat hopeful music) It's a messy surgery, it's not glamorous in any way.

(upbeat hopeful music continues) It's always harder than you expect and much more solid than you expect.

- She's has a steady rate and respirates quite high, but that's sort of been steady all the way through.

If it was quite sort of low and then it suddenly shot up, or it went either way, then we needed to do something.

But, she's been really stable all the way through.

(gentle tense music) (saw buzzing deliberately) - We must be nearly through now.

There we are.

Excellent.

(gentle piano music) Look at that.

So, that's the tumor there.

It's all within the gum and within the bone.

So, having cut out this now, that should be all of it out.

- So, that's the difference between life and death, isn't it?

- Exactly, yeah.

- There's no other alternative to this.

- Yeah, no.

This is like being James's Bond, screwing a silencer onto the end of your gun.

But usually, you have to leave two parts of the jaw separate.

But in this case, I'm hopeful we can actually reattach the two pieces of bone that we've separated.

Hopefully, this will work, and if it does, then she'll be back to full health and eating much more quickly than otherwise she would be.

(gentle hopeful music swelling) Right, that's us done now.

I'm confident that we've got all of the tumor out.

So, I think there's every chance now that she'll go on to make a full recovery, and it's hugely satisfying.

She was a dog with a poor prognosis until this morning, and she's now, fingers crossed, cured.

So yeah, it doesn't get much better than that.

(gentle hopeful music swelling) (uplifting piano music) - [Christopher] Near Thirsk, Horticulturalist Martin Fish, and his wife Jill, share their garden with some feathered friends.

(hens clucking happily) - Well, we've got hens.

I've always kept hens wherever we've lived.

And they've all got character, and they're just fun to be around.

I love 'em.

I can't imagine not having hens, to be fair.

- [Christopher] While the hens are enjoying life with the Fishs, Martin can see something's not right with one of his flock.

- The problem with the hen is this poorly eye that it's got.

I just noticed one day that the eye had closed, and it was just leaning a bit to one side and just lost a bit of life.

- [Christopher] With the hen showing no signs of improvement- - Oh, hi.

- Hello.

- So, this Fish at work.

- Hello.

- Always.

- [Christopher] Martin's asked Peter to take a look.

(uplifting piano music ends) - [Martin] This is her.

- Yeah.

- As you can see, she's just looking a bit listless and- - Head off to one side.

- She never seems to want to eat.

I mean, she won't pick any corn up or feed out the feeder.

- Yes.

- So, I sit with her for 15 minutes twice a day and feed her.

- [Peter] Aw, would ya?

- I'm not seeing her drinking 'cause normally in the morning, they all gather around and have a drink.

- Yes.

(hens clucking gently) I'm going to ask a massive job of you now.

- Yeah?

- I'd like you to catch her.

- Would you now?

- [Peter] Please.

- Is that not your job?

- No, no, you're mistaken, sir.

(laughing amusingly) - So, you're not coming in then, I'm bringing her out?

- I'll look, I'll come in and help.

(comedic pensive music) - I gotcha.

I gotcha.

- Oh, well done.

- Oh, there you go.

- Well done.

Hmm.

That eye is very cloudy, isn't it?

I think this is viral.

There's an infection in that eye, you can see, and there's a small focus there of pus in that eye, and that's why her head's tilted as well.

So, it's neurological as well.

I think it might be worth trying her on some antibiotics.

And what I'll do, I'll injector her- - Yeah.

- And I'll give you some tablets to put her on.

I'll listen to ya.

(slow gentle music) - Just make sure you get this in the hen and not in my arm.

- Yes.

Well, if you feel a stabbing sensation, just let me know.

Now, this is just the antibiotic.

(slow gentle music swelling) (laughing amusingly) - So, do I have to administer the tablets?

- Yes.

I'm gonna give you a demo.

The best way to to administer these is to put your fingers on either side of her, and then just pop it in, and then she should swallow it.

- [Jill] You made that look very easy.

- Which is more or less how I've been feeding her.

- Yeah.

I'm gonna leave you a syringe, which will make it easier for getting fluid into her.

- Thank you very much.

(slow gentle music continues) There you go.

- Now, I've left Martin and Jill some antibiotic tablets to go on with.

I'm fairly confident within a couple of weeks, she could be back to normal.

(slow gentle music continues) (hens clucking gently) (slow piano music) - [Christopher] At the surgery, working dog, Millie, is coming 'round after her operation.

- Sorry, I'll leave you alone.

- [Christopher] Julian had to cut out part of Millie's jaw- - We must be nearly through now.

- [Christopher] To remove her cancerous lump.

- There we are.

Excellent.

Look at that.

(slow piano music continues) - [Christopher] Just a few hours later, Millie is wowing Zoe with her powers of recovery.

- Good girl!

(laughing warmly) Clever girl!

You are so clever!

Does it hurt?

Are you bit sore?

Sylvia, this dog has had half its jaw taken off this morning, and she's eating.

- Aw, good dog.

- You gonna have some more?

Clever girl!

(laughing happily) (gentle string music) It really is amazing.

Like, every animal's different after their anesthetic, but she's just...

I think it's when the dogs' characters come through when they're recovering from surgery, and you can tell she's just so loving.

I mean, she is gonna be sore.

I know what it's like when two teeth are taken out, nevermind half her jaw.

It's fine.

Yeah, it's great.

It's good, isn't it?

Your dad's gonna be pleased.

(gentle string music continues) - It's been a stressful afternoon, really.

It's been harder than a wee slamming, actually.

(laughing hopefully) (gentle sting music continues) - Hi, Millie.

Okay, you look very well.

- She looks really good, don't she?

- Doesn't she?

Yeah, yeah.

- Yeah.

(gentle string music continues) - Alright, so she's good to go I think.

Come on, Mill.

Good girl.

(gentle string music continues) You ready for home?

Hey, you're talking?

You're being good, aren't ya?

Yeah.

Do you miss me?

- It's actually gonna be less painful now that the tumor's out than it was before.

So, you won't find that there's any major problem at all.

She'll be better, if anything.

She wants to stay with me though, look.

- Yeah, aye.

- I've got myself a new dog.

- A new friend.

- Eh?

You're a good girl, aren't ya?

(gentle string music continues) - She looks happy enough, doesn't she?

She knows that she's going home, probably.

(gentle string music fading) (upbeat orchestral music) (wings flapping rapidly) - [Christopher] Near Thirsk, after Peter treated the poorly hen belonging to Martin and Jill, is everything in the garden rosy?

(upbeat orchestral music swelling) (hen clucking happily) - So, I'll just see if I can grab her.

(gentle piano music) (hen clucking gently) Look at her now.

Yes, fully recovered.

- She's fine.

- She's scratching, she's with the other hens.

The eye is now open and she's back to normal, just running with the rest of them.

And she's laying eggs, which is a sure sign that she's back on full form again.

So yeah, it worked really well.

- I want her to lay lots of eggs 'cause I do a lot of cake baking, so that's what she's there for.

So hopefully, she'll keep on laying eggs now.

- Yeah, she's gotta earn her keep, you know, we're feeding her, so we need eggs every day.

(clicking happily) (birds chirping happily) (bright string music) - Hi, Julian!

- Hi, Nike!

- [Christopher] When Julian last met Jackie's alpaca, Nike, she wasn't able to mate.

- There's like a tiny, little, narrow opening.

- [Christopher] But, he soon put his finger on the problem.

- I can get my little finger all the way in now.

- Right, yeah.

- That's big enough for an alpaca's penis, I think, to get in.

- Yeah, yeah.

She's a bit apprehensive about seeing you again.

We're scanning Nike today.

We mated her about six days after Julian removed the hymen, so that was successful.

(slow pensive music) So, he did 20 minutes.

- 20 Minutes, that's pretty impressive.

And who was the lucky lad?

- That was Luca, yeah.

It was much better, he could get right in.

(slow pensive music descending) - [Julian] The scanner's workin'.

- I am hoping she's pregnant 'cause if not, we could have an issue.

But yeah, fingers crossed.

(slow pensive music continues) - Steady, old girl.

She doesn't like being scanned, does she?

- No.

- Does she think I'm gonna go fiddling around with my fingers again?

- Yeah.

- She is pregnant.

- Is she?

- Oh, brilliant!

- Excellent.

Absolute 100% definite.

You can see the crea there, up in the left.

- Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Oh, it's tiny, isn't it?

- [Peter] Yeah.

(animals bleating noisily) - Are you happy with that, Jackie?

- Yeah, I'm really happy.

That's great news.

(laughing happily) - Even though it wasn't me that did the business, I kind of feel quite involved with the whole process.

- [Jackie] You facilitated it, yeah.

- Exactly, yeah.

'Cause she'd have never got pregnant otherwise.

- [Jackie] Oh, no.

So, Lucas's grateful as well.

- I'm delighted.

I feel almost like a proud father in some ways.

(Jackie laughing amusingly) It's quite a nice feeling.

- Well, Luca's pleased, I think.

Well, I think he'd be more pleased if she wasn't and he could have another go.

(laughing amusingly) - Excellent, pleased about that.

- [Jackie] Good result.

- I'll see you in nine months, hopefully.

- Yeah.

(laughing happily) Thanks a lot!

It's quite a long time to wait, but yeah, worth waiting for.

(gentle string music) - Every time we see a scan with a baby in there, I think it really does give us a big lift.

It's a great thing to be able to be involved with.

So yeah, it's a nice day.

(gentle music ends) (curious string music) - [Christopher] Still to come.

- Oh, you little... - [Christopher] What's that coming over the hill?

- [Danny] That's why he's called Monster.

- [Christopher] And is working dog Millie- - You'll need to stay still whilst we take those stitches out.

- [Christopher] Fit to return to her flock?

- Hey, comin'?

(curious string music ends) (simple orchestral music) - [Christopher] When wild animals come to Skeldale, they're usually frightened and confused.

(animals crying loudly) But then again, Monster isn't your ordinary hedgehog.

- Whoa!

He is a big boy, isn't he?

- [Christopher] Rolling up into a ball is for wimps.

(laughing amusingly) - That's a hedgehog and a half, isn't it?

He's a beauty, isn't he?

Have you seen him, Silvia?

- I have, I've been watching him- (dog crying loudly) - [Christopher] Monster has been brought in for a checkup by dedicated hedgehog helper, Danny.

(laughing amusingly) - I told you, that's why he's called Monster.

He was in the middle of the road, close to death, and he had the most awful cough, and pneumonia, ticks, and worms.

For six months, I nursed him.

I had him for a couple years, and then he disappeared for eight whole months.

I thought, "He's gone.

Something awful's happened to him."

And then, two nights ago, he scratched the back door and he was in the conservatory.

I was like, "Oh my god!"

As soon as he bit my toe, I was like, "It's definitely him."

And then, I picked him up and I was like, "Hello, fella."

There's only one Monster.

(slow pensive music) - He's come back in pretty good nick though, hasn't he?

- He really has.

- [Peter] He's a character, isn't he?

- He's brilliant.

- [Peter] He's very- - He's been mowed before.

He's had his head stuck in the TV speakers, and I had to cut a few spikes off his back.

- These little fells are in massive, massive decline.

(Danny exclaiming loudly) And pretty soon, we're not going to have hedgehogs.

And it's down to mainly the fact that we're concreting over our gardens.

People don't garden to the same extent anymore and provide a suitable habitat.

And also, they fence their gardens around so it's like Fort Knox.

And then, the cat go from garden-to-garden as they should do.

They're going across roads.

Sadly, they don't always make it across the road.

(slow pensive music) I can't really see any fleas there.

- In the past five years, I'll tell ya, I've only had two hedgehogs out of about 25 that had fleas.

It's ticks that have been the problem.

Actually, we've got one here, Peter, we've got two.

Two little ones there.

- You're quite right.

Should we make sure we get them?

- Yeah, we'll get 'em out now.

- That's it.

- Brilliant, that's one.

Sorry, little fella.

- Ticks are horrible little things, really.

They suck the blood outta them.

With a large tick burden, animals can become quite anemic, especially little hedgehogs like this.

(slow pensive music continues) - We got the head as well?

Yeah, yeah.

- Yeah.

- [Christopher] With Monster sorted, he's ready to go and do his bit for hedgehog conservation.

- Last year, he brought a lady home, and he even brought into her into the conservatory to show her where the food bowls were.

- So, are you saying he wined and dined 'em before he had his evil way?

- Of course he does.

He takes, 'em to the best restaurant, and then he takes him to his little pad and then off they go.

And let's hope there's a few little Monsters around the village.

- Well, let's hope so.

- I really do.

(slow pensive music continues) Oh, you little... Look at him!

(laughing amusingly) Ooh!

- He can move, can't he?

(exclaiming surprisingly) I think we might have to muzzle Monster (laughing gently) in future when he comes in.

But, what a lovely character.

The hedgehogs generally tend to be quite shy, a bit reticent, or roll up into a ball.

But, he's having a strut around the surgery as if he owns it.

Joking apart though, it is a very serious issue, the massive decline we've got in hedgehogs.

- Come on then, good chap.

- He's a bit of a Casanova of the hedgehog world, by the looks of things.

So, we need characters like Monster about really.

And I think he'll do the hedgehog population proud.

(slow pensive music continues) (car revving gently) (bright piano music) - [Christopher] With stunning views across North Yorkshire, Mike and Rebecca Ducker love their farm in Thirsk.

(gate clicking gently) - The joy of gates.

(got bleating loudly) - [Christopher] But, although farm life offers plenty of variety- - Three little eggs.

(laughing happily) - [Christopher] The arrival of new life here has become a little predictable.

- We have had a glut of boys, I'm afraid.

A bit like us, we've got four sons.

- Yes - Yes.

- We just don't do girls.

- Don't do girls around here.

- [Christopher] Charlie, the pygmy goat, was their last little boy- - He's going to have his bits off.

- [Christopher] To meet Peter.

- To ease it out, and pull, and separate.

That's it.

(bright piano music continues) (goat bleating loudly) - This is Mary.

Mary's called Mary 'cause she never stops... (imitating got bleating) (goat bleating loudly) Yup.

And she had Charlie.

- [Christopher] Now, he should be a fresh-smelling goat.

And he'll be calmer, eventually.

(energetic guitar music) (goat bleating happily) - It's the first time I'd done it, (laughing gently) actually taking one of them in to be castrated.

I felt very sorry for him.

But, I have to say, the amazing thing is within 24 hours, you wouldn't know it had been done.

(energetic guitar music ending) (gentle guitar music) - [Christopher] The newest male arrival on the Duckers' farm might just be spared the Skeldale trip.

(gentle guitar music continues) - This one has a good future as being a a stud goat.

(gentle guitar music continues) He'll have lovely long white feathers and beard, all gingery and white.

They'll be gorgeous.

(baby bleating loudly) He might just escape the knife.

(laughing happily) - So, the moral of the story is if you look good, you escape the knife.

If you don't, you get done.

(laughing amusingly) (gentle guitar music fading) (birds chirping happily) (calm string music) - [Christopher] Farmer, Rodney Sheard, is back with sheepdog, Millie, and she means the world to him.

- Well, she's back to family life.

Well, all me dogs are part of family life, really.

So, although they're working dogs, they're still part of the family.

- [Christopher] Without surgery, Rodney's faithful old friend didn't have long to live.

(saw buzzing deliberately) 10 days ago, Julian removed part of Millie's jaw, and with it, a cancerous lump.

- I'm confident that we've got all of the tumor out.

- So, that's the difference between life and death, isn't it?

(calm string music continues) - Rodney, do you want to come see?

(calm string music swelling) She looks brilliant, doesn't she?

She's obviously coping pretty well.

And she's been eating without any problem?

- Oh, any problem.

- She's such a tough dog, isn't she?

(slow pensive music) The biggest problem we've got now though, old girl, is you'll need to stay still whilst I take those stitches out.

And I don't know whether you will.

She says, "I don't mind, as long as I'm with you."

She's my new best mate, I think.

- Yeah.

- Eh?

Are you good girl?

(slow pensive music continues) Get your tongue outta the way.

She's a brilliant dog, but she just doesn't like staying still, does she?

- She doesn't.

- That's it, good girl.

Millie, Millie.

That's it.

Shh, nearly there, nearly there.

This looks excellent, yeah.

I've just got the final stitch out there.

But, you can see what we've done there.

This was the area of jaw where the tumor was.

You can see her gum's slightly wonky, but really cosmetically, that looks pretty excellent I would say.

And from a functional point of view, she can eat perfectly normally.

And so, had we not operated, well, it would've been curtains I think for her.

- Yeah, mm-hmm.

- And now we've taken that all out, it's not showing any signs of regrowth so this is good.

This is what we call a cure.

And Millie lives to fight another day.

Eh?

So, that's perfect.

And it's great when you do this kind of thing in a dog that clearly appreciates greatly what you've done.

It's a wonderful feeling.

Isn't it, Millie?

The only trouble is I won't need to see you anymore, which will be a shame.

(flowing guitar music) - [Christopher] Three months later, and Millie has no time to miss her old pal, Julian.

(flowing guitar music continues) (sheep bleating loudly) - Yeah!

Look back!

Come-bye!

Lie down, lie down!

Look back!

- [Christopher] As well as sorting out sheep, she's got her own children, and Rodney's grandchildren, to keep her busy.

(flowing guitar music continues) (water running gently) - Hello.

- [Rodney] She were poorly before she went to vet's, weren't she?

- Yeah.

- We didn't realize how poorly, did we?

- She got a bit sad.

- But, Julian made her better, didn't he?

- [Rodney's Granddaughter] Yeah.

- He's a good vet, isn't he, Julian?

Isn't he?

Your best friend.

We were worried 'cause we didn't wanna lose you.

Eh, we didn't wanna lose you, did we?

- I'm very happy because she's my favorite dog.

(gentle heartwarming music) - She wanted me near.

I brought her out and a second opinion, and it's a happy ending to all of this because I love me dogs.

(gentle heartwarming music) Lie down, lie down!

Look back!

(gentle heartwarming music continues) Come-bye!

That'll do!

Good lass!

Here, come.

(clapping hands warmly) (Millie panting happily) (conversing gently) Good lass.

(sheep bleating loudly) (gentle heartwarming music fading) (gentle hopeful music swelling) - [Christopher] Next time- - There's actually maggots living in the dead tissue.

- [Christopher] Julian's called to an equine emergency.

- I can't say I've ever seen anything quite as bad as this before in a horse's foot.

- [Christopher] Peter and the team hear the pitter-patter of tiny paws.

- I think we're on six.

- Oh, absolutely fantastic!

How lovely.

(cows lowing loudly) - [Christopher] And Julian and Peter head to the Great Yorkshire Show.

- So, what's your money on?

- Look how fluffed up his tail is.

- He can't go on a fluffy tail.

(gentle hopeful music continues) (gentle hopeful music continues) (gentle hopeful music slowing) (gentle hopeful music fading) (no audio)