Scottish Vets Down Under

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A BBC TV channel for Scotland which will broadcast every evening and will show drama, factual, comedy and news programmes made in Scotland

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Factual: Pets & Animals

Documentary following two Scottish vets who have relocated to Australia.

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Scottish Vets Down Under: Series 1: Episode 5

Episode 5

Series 1

BBC Scotland - Scottish Vets Down Under, Series 1, Episode 5

Dr Mike works to save a foal with a hernia, while Dr Chris fixes a ferret.

Dr Mike performs a life-saving operation on a newborn horse with a hernia. Meanwhile, Dr Chris gets a sheep dog back to work, fixes a ferret and gives an adorable wombat joey the once-over.

In this episode, it’s Saturday morning and only emergency cases are seen at the animal hospital. Molly, a working dog from a sheep farm, is the first patient for Dr Chris. Owner Frank affectionately calls her 'the wonder dog', but a mishap jumping a fence has stopped her in her tracks. Molly has torn a hole in her skin which has been open for a couple of days and has become infected. Dr Chris needs to operate to clean the wound and assess the damage. He removes a damaged skin flap and swaps stitches in favour of more robust repairs to keep pace with the lifestyle of this active dog.

Meanwhile, at the equine hospital, Dr Mike and his partner Dr Sarah are concerned about a four-day-old colt with a hernia. The newborn’s intestines have come through a hole in his body wall and are sitting in his scrotum. There is a danger they can become twisted or trapped, which could prove fatal, and the gap needs to be quickly sewn up to alleviate those risks.

Back at the animal hospital, the next patient for Dr Chris is kept under close wraps. Neil from a local wildlife rescue centre has brought in Ava, a wombat joey who has been in the care of Neil and his wife Jo from a few months old when her mother was hit by a car. Today she needs to be checked for mange - a skin infestation caused by small bugs which cause the wombat to scratch, creating infections. It’s a major problem for these Australian native animals which if left untreated can eventually lead to death.

The next patient is Star, a ferret with a lump near her eye. Dr Chris needs to remove it surgically to stop it rubbing on the eye and causing ulcers. A little patient with a tiny lump is the perfect excuse for this tech-loving vet to break out a favourite gadget for the procedure – special magnifying glasses.

Scottish Vets Down Under: Series 1

A BBC TV channel for Scotland which will broadcast every evening and will show drama, factual, comedy and news programmes made in Scotland


Series following two Scottish vets who have established practices rural Australia.

Series following two Scottish vets who have established their own practices in a small rural community in Australia.

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Scottish Vets Down Under

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Episode 5

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