大象传媒

With winter giving way to spring, and the year鈥檚 earliest lambs and calves born, the vets begin to feel the pressure as they enter their busiest period.

In Castlewellan, the Castle Vets team receive up to 50 call-outs every day. The hefty workload is tough enough for the most experienced vets, but newly qualified Patrick is straight in at the deep end as he starts his day with an especially difficult case. He has been called out to help a farmer whose much-loved cow has been struggling all night with a difficult labour. Patrick discovers her calf is breached, and he has to reposition it if it is to be born naturally. But once it is in the correct position, there is a surprise waiting that is about to make Patrick鈥檚 job twice as precarious.

Back in Castlewellan, vet Maeve is running the walk-in clinic when a farmer arrives with a two-week-old lamb that has developed a limp. Some antibiotics and a dose of anti-inflammatories will help the lamb back on its feet, but Maeve notices something more serious - the lamb鈥檚 eyes are milky white. Maeve has to use all her expertise and knowledge to save the lamb鈥檚 sight.

Fifteen miles down the road, Downe Veterinary Clinic is the area鈥檚 oldest practice. Vet Nuala is seeing David the hamster. He has been brought in by his owner, schoolgirl Lauren. David has a large tumour on his side, and Nuala decides the safest treatment is to remove it. But putting a tiny animal under anaesthetic is a risk, so Lauren must wait anxiously and hope David makes it through.

Meanwhile, Darren, one of the youngest members of the Castle Vets team, treats a greedy cow that has broken into a feed shed and eaten an entire sack of meal. The farmer is worried she will be left badly constipated, a condition that can put a cow鈥檚 life at risk. Darren examines the animal and decides the best treatment is a 40-litre dose of laxatives before sending her back to the field to wait for the inevitable.