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Scottish Vets Down Under

Series 1

Episode 1

Duration: 28 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC ScotlandLatest broadcast: on BBC Scotland

Available for years

Scottish Vets Dr Chris Allison and Dr Mike Whiteford are best friends who have traded life in the heart of Scotland for the bushlands of Australia. They have established their own practices in the rural community of Bendigo, with Dr Chris looking after the smaller animals, and Dr Mike specialising in horses.

In this episode, Dr Chris treats one of Australia’s most iconic birds: the wedge-tailed eagle. Local wildlife rescuer Neil has found the eagle sitting in an open field and unable to fly, and while there are no obvious signs of a wing fracture, Dr Chris wants an x-ray to be certain.

In the small rural town of Bendigo, Dr Chris is never far from his good friend Dr Mike, who runs the equine hospital with his fiancé, Welsh vet Dr Sarah Jalim. Their first patient of the day is a week-old foal with a serious facial injury. The young horse most likely had a run-in with a fence, resulting in a skull fracture that requires an operation. The vet team fears the foal may have a brain injury which could make surgery unsafe.

With over 350 mammal species native to Australia, Dr Chris regularly seeks out experts to increase his knowledge for when emergencies arise. He brings Dr Mike along on his field trip to the Kyabram Fauna Park to learn more about Koalas. Park manager, Lachlan, talks about the health concerns facing this tree-dwelling marsupial. Show less

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