♪ ♪
DR. POL: Hello! What we got in here?
JOHN: Um, he'’s a semi-friendly cat.
DR. POL: Okay.
JOHN: Bandit'’s approximately four years old.
He'’s a feral cat.
[meow]
I know.
He's not really our pet,
but he stays right at our place all the time.
[meow]
DR. POL: Yes!
JOHN: We noticed every time he'd go across the yard
there'’d be little drops of blood, and he'’d be limping.
He'’s got one nail we think he'’s having a problem with.
[Dr. Pol groans]
[meow]
We'’re hoping that they can find out what'’s causing the problem.
[meow] DR. POL: Come here. Oh, you'’re fine.
[hiss]
Oh, come on.
[meow]
Yes, I agree.
JOHN: We know he's in pain,
so we want to get him taken care of.
He'’s got a cut or something.
DR. POL: No, no, they'’re growing into, see that?
JOHN: Oh, I see.
DR. POL: Yeah.
JOHN: So, you just need to trim them out.
DR. POL: Yep!
NARRATOR: Normally outdoor cats shorten their nails
on their own by scratching.
DR. POL: Just hold him like that, and we're doing fine.
This one got out of hand
and actually turned all the way around
and grew into the pad.
See, there'’s, see where that nail stuck in there?
JOHN: Oh, yeah.
Now that should heal up by itself?
DR. POL: Yeah, I'm gonna get some salve to put on there
and give him a shot.
If you can catch the cat and put some antibiotic salve on it,
would be real good.
But otherwise, you know, the cat will keep it clean,
and it'’ll heal up by itself.
Man, he'’s a good cat.
JOHN: He came to us as a stray,
we don'’t know where he showed up.
DR. POL: I know.
JOHN: Took quite a while for him to really cozy up to us.
DR. POL: Mm-hmm.
Bandit as a patient is real good.
A tame cat, I think, would put more up a fight
than what this one does.
Okay. Antibiotics.
Let him go in there.
[laughs]
That was easy.
JOHN: I'’m glad to find out it was that simple.
He just trimmed them all out,
and he should heal up real good, no problem.
♪ ♪
DONNA: Come on, Tank.
Come.
Tank is a Staffordshire terrier.
Let'’s go see doctor!
And he'’s a big baby.
Who'’s a little baby, huh?
I noticed that he started having problems
after playing catch with the granddaughter.
He was jumping like five feet in the air to catch the ball.
We'’ll have to get him a treat for being such a good boy.
Tank has had a problem walking, sitting, lying, he cries a lot,
and he'’s losing weight because he'’s in so much pain.
DR. LISA: Good morning.
DONNA: Good morning.
DR. LISA: Hi, kiddo.
TAYLOR: It'’s okay.
DR. LISA: So, tell me what'’s been going on.
DONNA: Started out with throwing the ball
in the air several times,
and he got like he was lame, like he overdid it.
It'’s a problem.
The leg is stiff when he goes to get down, and he cries a lot.
DR. LISA: Well, let's see if you can pull him out
from his little cave there.
But with that posture when they sit
with their butt tucked under and their legs straight,
it's usually 'cause they're trying to take strain
off of their knees a little bit.
Hey, baby boy.
DONNA: It'’s on your side.
DR. LISA: Okay, bud.
I know.
I know it'’s sore.
Yeah, I can feel a little bit of swelling
in his stifle joint.
He really doesn'’t want me to bend.
It's not uncommon for dogs to injure their cruciate ligament,
which is similar to a ligament in a human'’s knee.
He'’s caused some trauma to that ligament.
Probably when he was jumping around to get that ball,
he put too much strain on it
and it might have torn a little bit
or even ruptured completely.
There'’s a few options for managing this sort of injury.
Option A is really conservative.
That is an injury that can heal with time.
Really strict rest is important,
making sure that their pain is controlled
with lots of anti-inflammatories,
joint supplements to make sure that the joint
is as healthy as we can make it.
The big two are glucosamine and fish oil,
and then I'’m gonna send you home with some pain medications.
Something to consider would be,
like, taking him to be evaluated by a surgeon.
Option B is surgery.
There's a few different surgical options out there
to make the joint healthier in the long run.
It takes a long time for the injury to heal.
DONNA: House arrest for you, boy.
[chuckles]
DR. LISA: Yeah, just got to take it easy.
DONNA: Okay.
If the medication doesn't work,
then we can pursue other alternatives
like surgery or something.
NARRATOR: Donna's got her work cut out for her,
keeping Tank calm long enough to fully heal.
DONNA: It'’s gonna be hard! [chuckles]
Tank is a very active dog most of the time.
But he'll have his chewies and his snacks
and his medicine to make him feel better.
Lots of TLC.
Come on, let'’s go.
Want to go home?
Come on.
[bleat]
DAVID: What?
DR. POL: David is bringing his goat in, named Lucy.
DAVID: Very friendly.
She follows me, she, uh, will lay her head on my lap
when I'’m sitting down to get pets.
Yep, that'’s her problem right there.
Well, the goat seems to have some sort of a urinary problem,
seemed to come and go,
so I brought her down to see what can be done for her.
DR. POL: Hello! DAVID: Hello!
DR. POL: A big Boer goat. DAVID: Yes.
DR. POL: Is she pregnant? DAVID: No.
DR. POL: What'’s going on?
DAVID: Well, I think she's got
a urinary infection of some sort.
DR. POL: She is dirtier than all get-out.
All over.
I have no idea where all this stuff comes from.
I'’ll find out.
Let me take her temperature and see if she pees
and maybe I'’ll check something.
What do you feed '’em?
DAVID: Free-range hay. [beeping]
DR. POL: Yeah, temperature'’s normal.
Now...
DAVID: She, she acts normal. DR. POL: Yeah.
DAVID: I mean, she plays and runs and...
DR. POL: Now, let me see if she wants to pee.
If you close down the nostrils on sheep or goats,
they get scared and they urinate.
Pee and I'’ll let you go!
♪ ♪
Nothing.
It didn'’t work in this case. I think she'’s too tame.
I wish I had some urine out of her,
but there'’s no way you can catch something.
No, those are her pellets, huh?
DAVID: Yeah.
DR. POL: Okay, I'’m gonna check this in the meantime.
If she pees, suck something up in this syringe.
DAVID: Alright.
DR. POL: I'’ll be back!
DAVID: I'm hoping, well, that we can find the problem
and solve it.
♪ ♪
DR. POL: I picked up some stool,
and I checked it underneath the microscope...
So, it'’s more manure than anything else.
...and then I find the cause.
He has to clean his barn.
Okay.
What we have here is coccidia.
Coccidia is an internal parasite,
it'’s a one-cell organism that gets transmitted very easily.
So, the prevention is to be clean.
Where do you have them housed? Are they in a pen?
DAVID: Yeah.
DR. POL: Have you cleaned out the pen lately?
DAVID: Not...
DR. POL: Okay.
Let's go inside, I'll get you medicine,
and I'’ll tell you how you have to clean out the pen.
Put her back in.
Because the coccidia get passed through the stool,
and when it's laying on the ground and they eat in between,
then they pick it up again.
The main thing is to prevent this reinfection.
So, get all the manure out, put lime down, put bedding down.
You have to kill those parasites on the ground.
And don'’t let them eat off the ground.
Okay?
DAVID: Okay.
DR. POL: The outlook is of course good
because it'’s treatable.
DAVID: I hope that Lucy makes a turnaround and cleans up.
Hopefully this'’ll do it, all will be well.
♪ ♪
[dog barking]
[meow]
WOMAN: Come on.
[bleat]
[door chime]
[clomping]
JASON: Take it easy. Take it easy.
DR. POL: Good boy, step.
JASON: There you go.
Good girl.
Well, I'’m here because we noticed
she's choking yesterday, Becca.
[snort]
You'’re alright, sweetheart.
DR. POL: So, she didn'’t drink at all?
JASON: No.
DR. POL: Okay.
NARRATOR: Although Becca can still breathe,
something is blocking her esophagus.
JASON: You'’re alright.
NARRATOR: She can'’t eat or drink.
DR. POL: So, what did you do yesterday?
JASON: Well, yesterday I gave her grain
about ten in the morning.
DR. POL: Yeah, with a lot of beet pulp?
JASON: Beet pulp.
NARRATOR: Beet pulp is notorious
for expanding and causing choke.
DR. POL: What we have to do
is flush that plug in the esophagus out.
Have you seen this done before?
JASON: I have. DR. POL: Oh, good.
So, we have to put the tube up his nose, into the esophagus.
JASON: You'’re alright.
DR. POL: And then you start flushing water in it,
trying to dissolve the plug.
[horse whining]
I'’m sorry, girl, but it'’s got to come out.
JASON: I'’m a disabled veteran, and my horses are rescue horses.
DR. POL: Her whole esophagus is filled up.
JASON: Starting that ranch is what got me up in the mornings.
[snort]
DR. POL: Holy cow.
Completely plugged.
JASON: He'’s got to fix her.
I just don'’t know what else to do.
[snort]
DR. POL: Oh, my gosh!
[snort]
DR. POL: These horses don't like to have choke,
they are nervous, and they are thirsty.
But drinking doesn'’t help because it comes right back up.
See that?
JASON: Mm-hmm.
DR. POL: How old is she?
JASON: I was told she'’s about 20.
She'’s a rescue, so I don'’t got much history.
I am very connected to Becca.
[water splashing]
DR. POL: Dang it.
JASON: Doing good.
Not able to sleep last night.
I was feeling helpless.
You'’re okay, you'’re okay.
Becca is God'’s blessing to me.
Dr. Pol, he's my last hope.
[nickering]
DR. POL: Oh, that'’s it, spit it out, girl!
♪ ♪
What's coming out of her is the grain that caused the plug.
[snort]
Spit it out.
There's some solid plug in there,
I, that should have come out by now.
I just can'’t get through.
You just work until the water that you put in the tube
runs down by itself.
♪ ♪
NARRATOR: Until water flows into the stomach...
DR. POL: Not yet.
NARRATOR: ...Becca'’s blockage remains.
DR. POL: I don'’t know why that plug is so hard to get out now.
[coughing]
That'’s it, cough it up.
Yeah, see?
Now it goes down.
The water goes down, doesn't come back up,
so it should be in the stomach.
JASON: Okay.
DR. POL: Come on, got to go all the way down.
[gurgling]
[sighs]
[laughs]
JASON: Jeez.
♪ ♪
DR. POL: Okay, now...
no more of that beet pulp.
JASON: Mm-hmm.
I'm definitely gonna watch what we feed her,
not just Becca, but the other horses, too.
DR. POL: But we got it!
JASON: I'’m almost on cloud nine right now.
I was like a nervous wreck, and now I'’m just, I'’m floating.
I'’m floating.
She already looks a lot better.
[laughs]
Dr. Pol, he went to work, and he fixed her.
I can'’t express how appreciative myself and my family is.
He saved the day.
No, I'’m gonna start crying.
[chuckles]
Breathe easier, huh?
♪ ♪
KAYE: Okay.
Does someone want to help carry puppies?
[puppies whimpering]
I am bringing in my litter of puppies, I have six Lab puppies.
You better come first because you'’re a troublemaker.
Dr. Pol is gonna do a wellness check on the puppies,
make sure everything is looking good,
and he's also gonna microchip them
and give them their first vaccines.
[door chime] [puppies whimpering]
DR. POL: Hello.
WOMAN: Ready for some puppy love?
KAYE: I got six more!
[laughter]
DR. POL: These are just six-week-old puppies
that are just goofballs.
Huh whah whah whah whah!
Everybody loves puppies.
Put the first one on the table.
Kaye loves her Labradors, and she's really taking care of them
and makes sure that they go to good homes.
He is 11 and a half pounds.
KAYE: We're hoping everybody's perfect
and they come out with flying colors.
DR. POL: Lungs sound good.
KAYE: Okay.
DR. POL: I check these dogs over;
if anything is abnormal, it suddenly jumps out at you,
"Oh, wait a minute, look at this!"
But that doesn'’t happen many times.
And he is done.
KAYE: Alright, good job, buddy.
DR. POL: Why, thank you!
KAYE: Yeah, yeah, you, too!
DR. POL: They come in for their first vaccination at six weeks.
Next!
KAYE: Next. Here we go, buddy.
DR. POL: And she wants a microchip in them right away.
Ten and a half. Hee hee, get that tail down.
KAYE: He'’s my, he'’s my smallest one of this litter.
DR. POL: Yeah, but look at that tail!
KAYE: I know.
DR. POL: You put it underneath the skin,
right between the shoulder blades of the animal.
Yep.
And then check again, make sure it'’s there.
KAYE: Good job.
[puppy whining]
DR. POL: It'’s okay, buddy, oh, my gosh.
KAYE: Alright.
DR. POL: Last one? KAYE: Last one.
DR. POL: The one behind the chair, no?
KAYE: Yep!
[laughs]
Overall, they'’re a very well-behaved group of puppies.
DR. POL: She is as sweet as sweet can be.
KAYE: Nice, nice.
[beep]
DR. POL: There it is.
All these puppies are in good shape.
[whimpering]
KAYE: Perfect!
We know the drill.
These six puppies are gonna go home.
WOMAN: There you go, sweetheart.
KAYE: They're gonna go play outside for a while, get fed,
In a couple of weeks
their new families will be coming to pick them up.
You guys are done, aren'’t ya?
Big day at the vet!
[kiss]
♪ ♪
NARRATOR: Doc's next appointment is with Charles
and his ten-year-old dog Athena.
CHARLES: I'm really concerned about her.
She'’s really gone downhill.
SILAS: Dog. BETH: Dog!
CHARLES: She's dealing with arthritis, she's very sore,
her hips are really bad,
and her knees have been bad for a long time.
Give her "good dog."
BETH: Good dog.
CHARLES: I really worry that today might be the day.
♪ ♪
Hi, guys.
DIANE: Hi. DR. POL: Hello.
CHARLES: I really want my dad
to kind of give me some clarity on what, what to do.
DR. POL: How'’s she doing?
♪ ♪
DR. POL: Hi, sweet.
CHARLES: What I'm really looking for
is just some clarity in, like, what'’s going on.
You know, I thought it was the end this morning.
She just turned ten years old,
which is at the end of a Great Dane'’s lifespan.
Over those ten years, she'’s been alongside me.
I think I'’m gonna name her Athena.
DR. POL: Hi, sweet, ho ho.
DIANE: Athena!
Getting to be such a big girl, aren'’t ya?
CHARLES: She'’s seen my family grow.
Go get it!
First with Beth...
Look!
...and then Abigail, and now Silas.
She'’s so good with him.
BETH: Ohh.
CHARLES: She was a mother figure for Atlas.
She taught that dog everything he knows.
Our family and our pack has grown tremendously,
and she'’s been a part of that.
Athena!
She'’s been my constant companion.
♪ ♪
DR. POL: Here, listen.
Get closer, that thing is only that long.
Hear that heart?
That'’s, that'’s clear now!
CHARLES: Yeah, a lot better.
DR. POL: Yeah.
CHARLES: You think it'’s the, the weather?
DR. POL: Yeah, that has a lot to do with it,
'’cause you know how weather affects arthritis.
CHARLES: I just, you know,
trying to make the right decision.
BETH: Good dog. DR. POL: I know.
CHARLES: I don't want her to suffer,
and I want to do the right thing,
but as long as she has a will to keep fighting,
like I also want to give her that opportunity, and that,
us that opportunity to spend some more time together.
DR. POL: So... we'll take it one day at a time.
CHARLES: Well, thank you for...
DR. POL: Yeah, that'’s all we do.
CHARLES: ...coming and... DR. POL: Yep.
CHARLES: Could I get your help for one other thing?
Can you give me a hand like getting her outside?
I'’d like to try to get her to go out and try to use the bathroom.
DR. POL: Come on, Athena, let'’s go.
Can you get up?
CHARLES: Good dog. BETH: Good job, kiddo. Wow.
CHARLES: I can'’t even believe she got up and went outside.
DR. POL: Boy, did she have to go.
BETH: Yeah! DIANE: Yeah!
DR. POL: And she hopped out by herself!
CHARLES: I was not expecting that, she did it by herself.
DR. POL: Funny, isn'’t it?
CHARLES: She couldn'’t even get up earlier today.
DR. POL: No.
Animals amaze people all the time,
and we saw that here.
DIANE: Oh, my gosh, I can'’t believe how well she did that.
DR. POL: Fantastic, girl, look at that!
BETH: I mean, we weren't sure last night
she was gonna make it through the night.
DR. POL: I know, I know.
CHARLES: She'’s alert, she'’s eating and drinking.
It'’s that will to live.
If she has the will to live,
I want to give her every opportunity
to, to continue with us.
DR. POL: She feels better again, so... a little bit more time.
Not yet.
We'’ll give her another few days, I hope.
CHARLES: I'’ll take it for as long as it lasts.
SILAS: [babbles] More!
CHARLES: One more.
BETH: No....five more!
CHARLES: Alright.
[Beth laughs]
♪ ♪
[birds chirping]
♪ ♪
[horse neighs]
[meow]
♪ ♪
[moo]
♪ ♪
LONNA: Dr. Strange is one of my son's 4-H steers this year.
BRANTLEY: He's funny,
'cause he has this little question mark on his head,
and he loves hay and he loves to play with all, all of them.
He got really sick.
[Dr. Strange coughing]
LONNA: His temp's still running about 105,
and you know, it'’s, it'’s not good.
It's new for me, so I'm doing the best I can
and had to call and ask for help.
♪ ♪
DR. POL: Hello! LONNA: Hey, Doc.
DR. POL: You got him tied up. LONNA: Yes.
DR. POL: If they kick me, can I kick them back?
No? Okay, I won't.
[laughs]
What'’s going on?
Still temperatures.
LONNA: Uh, yeah.
When I called you on Wednesday, he was coughing and stuff,
so I checked him again and he was 105 and a half,
and I've done...
DR. POL: Everything.
NARRATOR: Lonna has been treating Dr. Strange
with a host of antibiotics and fever reducers...
but he's still sick.
LONNA: We were wondering if he got a bug
at one of the shows.
Having sick animals is not what we want.
He's in 4-H to have fun and, you know, learn stuff,
and his animals are, you know, his stress relief.
DR. POL: 102.
LONNA: What? I can't even see it.
DR. POL: You have a thermometer that'’s off.
LONNA: Are you kidding me?!
DR. POL: Go get it!
LONNA: Go get the thermometer.
♪ ♪
[laughs]
♪ ♪
DR. POL: Let me listen to him for a second.
♪ ♪
His lungs don'’t sound good at all, though.
You'’re right.
LONNA: He'’s been coughing quite a bit.
DR. POL: You see that around this time of year
with up and down temperatures,
and what I like to do
is, you know, put '’em on some kind of medicated feed.
That way they have a continuous little amount of antibiotic.
LONNA: Okay.
DR. POL: And no shots, and you do it for four weeks.
LONNA: No offense, I'’m over giving shots.
[Dr. Pol laughs]
NARRATOR: Time to test...
DR. POL: Okay, is this long enough, you think?
BRANTLEY: Yeah. LONNA: Yeah?
♪ ♪
DR. POL: 102.
NARRATOR: Their thermometer isn't broken;
Dr. Strange's fever has.
BRANTLEY: I'm feeling a lot happier
that he'’s getting better.
DR. POL: Okay!
NARRATOR: An anti-inflammatory now
in addition to the antibiotic feed
should get Dr. Strange out of his slump.
DR. POL: Because one has it,
my suggestion is use the same feed for all three of them.
Top-dress it.
The three of them getting half a pound a day.
LONNA: Okay.
DR. POL: Sprinkle it over the top.
LONNA: Okay.
DR. POL: See ya later. LONNA: Thanks, Doc.
DR. POL: And good luck, everybody.
LONNA: Yeah, we need it.
DR. POL: Outlook for these calves is good.
They are not that sick, so I hope that they'll be growing
and then they can go to the fair.
♪ ♪
[squeak]
♪ ♪
[horse snorts]
♪ ♪
DR. LISA: Hello!
CLYDE: Hello. Are you ready?
DR. LISA: Oh, I don'’t know.
CLYDE: You got your boots on, that'’s good.
DR. LISA: [chuckles] Clyde called the clinic.
He has a calf down.
Hasn'’t felt well the last few days, or just...
CLYDE: We just picked him up on Sunday.
DR. LISA: Okay.
They just got this calf a few days ago,
all of the sudden he seems like he'’s pretty sick.
CLYDE: Didn't seem to be bloated,
so I didn'’t panic about bloat, I didn'’t think.
DR. LISA: No, not really.
CLYDE: When I first got here this afternoon,
I thought it was dead when I crawled over the fence.
DR. LISA: He'’s kind of skinny.
At first, I didn'’t even really think he was breathing.
I didn'’t see any signs of movement.
He looked pretty down and out.
Things are not looking good.
DR. LISA: And the other ones are acting okay,
or is this the only new one?
CLYDE: It's the only one.
The rest of them are well and healthy.
DR. LISA: Typically, if a calf is down,
they have to be really, really sick,
so something pretty serious must be going on.
[beeping]
His temperature is pretty high.
♪ ♪
Uh, his lungs are real crackly.
And he'’s got a lot of this nasty stuff coming out of his nose.
CLYDE: Yeah.
DR. LISA: Calves, their immune systems
aren'’t very strong to begin with.
And the weather lately has been pretty wet, pretty cold.
That all combines to make a, a perfect storm
for cases of pneumonia.
And that's not uncommon if they're moved to a new place,
they're stressed and their immune system
kind of isn't working the way it's supposed to.
I'm gonna treat him with antibiotics
and an anti-inflammatory.
We'’ll do what we can.
CLYDE: Yeah.
DR. LISA: But he looks pretty bad.
The key part of treating pneumonia
is starting him on some antibiotics,
and then I want to reduce
some of the inflammation in his chest,
reduce that fever a little bit so that he can breathe better.
What would be great
is if we could move him into a sheltered area,
someplace he can be in a thickly bedded straw pack
to keep him warm.
If you have a tarp or something like that,
I could help you drag him.
If this calf is spending too much energy
trying to stay warm,
he's not gonna have enough energy
to fight off this illness appropriately
and he'’s just gonna get worse.
You can do it!
CLYDE: Just lay that tarp underneath his belly, Reg.
Whoa.
DR. LISA: Oh, watch out!
CLYDE: [chuckling] He'’s not ready for that, I guess.
[chuckles]
DR. LISA: Oh.
CLYDE: The calf decided he was gonna take a trip
and took me with it for a little while!
[chuckles]
You'’re more active than I thought, fella!
DR. LISA: Alright.
This calf weighs quite a hefty amount,
so getting him from one place to another
is certainly not easy.
It'’s kind of slidy, I guess!
CLYDE: Yeah, you'’d think it'’d get easier!
Found out a 500-pound calf don'’t slide good in the mud.
[chuckles]
DR. LISA: Ah!
CLYDE: How was that for a ride, kid?
DR. LISA: Alright.
NARRATOR: The calf needs a dose
of fever-reducer every 12 hours.
DR. LISA: After you've treated him for a few days,
check his temperature.
If it's less than 102, he doesn't really need any more,
but if it'’s still high, I would keep doing it.
I don't know for sure if he's gonna pull through,
but keeping him warm, some TLC,
give the antibiotics a chance to work.
Fingers crossed.
And we'’ll see.
It's really kind of up to him now to fight the disease,
and we'’ll just have to do the best we can to support him.
CLYDE: I'’ve seen them a whole lot worse come out of it, so.
DR. LISA: That'’s true, yep, yep.
CLYDE: Yeah.
Pretty optimistic. I am, anyway, 'cause like I said,
I'’ve seen them a whole lot sicker over the years.
♪ ♪
DR. NICOLE: Good girl.
[puppy whines]
♪ ♪
DR. BRENDA: Hello, how are you?
DR. LISA: Hello!
DR. BRENDA: It could be worse, it'’s only on half of his face.
DR. NICOLE: Good girl, thank you.
Okay, thank you.
WOMAN: You'’ve got a stinky face, yes, you do!
[slurping]
DR. BRENDA: Hi, Danny, it'’s Dr. Brenda.
DR. NICOLE: Can I carry you?
You can hide in my sweater, I promise.
[slurping]
MEGAN: Let me help you out there.
DR. LISA: Sorry. [laughter]
[door chime]
[meow]
MICHELE: Mea is a calico cat, she'’s kind of fussy.
Little bougie.
Hi, we'’re here to see Dr. Brenda.
[meow]
You'’re fine.
She likes her food dish a specific way,
she likes the step cleared off if it's snowy.
[meow]
She'’s just really particular.
[door opens]
DR. BRENDA: How's the kitty doing today?
MICHELE: Ah, she'’s actually pretty calm right now.
She's got a little, um, bite on her head,
we're not sure if it's a tick or another animal,
but it'’s gotten a little infected.
DR. BRENDA: Alright here, babe.
Is she eating and acting okay that way?
MICHELE: Yep, she'’s been fine.
DR. BRENDA: Have you been leaving her in,
or did you let her out?
MICHELE: Um, she doesn'’t go very far, but she'’s been running out.
DR. BRENDA: Okay.
The spot on the top of her head
is either a bite or a puncture wound,
and right now it'’s oozing.
Something abscessed, yeah.
MICHELE: She also has this little spot on her ear
that makes me wonder if she did get into a little tussle.
DR. BRENDA: Yep, yeah, there's like an old scratch
or something there.
MICHELE: And that was about the same time, this little...
DR. BRENDA: Yeah.
There, that gets most of the ickiness off.
So I think Mea's problem is probably from a cat fight.
She's an indoor/outdoor cat,
so it'’s very possible she was outside and got bit.
This will just help make it
not quite so oozy or bloody anymore, hopefully.
[meow] Hang on, sweetie, I know.
MICHELE: Good girl.
DR. BRENDA: And then we'’re gonna give her an injection here.
One little poke, and this antibiotic
will last about seven days.
MICHELE: Okay.
DR. BRENDA: If it's a little bit drippy or oozy,
you can clean it with peroxide again.
So, this is something that should heal fairly quickly,
there's no long-term side effects from this,
and life should be good for both of them very shortly.
Okay, we are done in here.
MICHELE: Well, look at that!
That wasn'’t too painful, was it?
It looked a whole lot worse than what it was.
[door chime]
Thanks, Brenda!
DR. BRENDA: You'’re welcome.
♪ ♪
[kiss]
WOMAN: Hi, buddy!
Not feeling too good, are you?
KAYE: No!
NARRATOR: Kaye is back.
WOMAN: Alright, if you just want to just go on in there.
KAYE: Thank you much.
WOMAN: You'’re welcome.
NARRATOR: Something'’s wrong with one of her pups.
KAYE: There's a good baby. Come here, puppy!
One of the puppies that I've raised, named Otis,
has what appears to be a rectal prolapse.
It showed up last night, and he still has it this morning.
Come here, pup!
His stool was loose last night from what I could tell,
and he did throw up in the night.
NARRATOR: Otis is supposed to go to his new home
in just a few days.
KAYE: I am concerned, you know, I was up with him all night.
♪ ♪
Hello, Dr. Pol.
DR. POL: Hello! How bad?
KAYE: Not terrible, and I tried to get it back,
but I can'’t get it in.
He had diarrhea yesterday.
He threw up like two leather shoelaces
and a piece of shavings.
I know!
They'’re rascals.
DR. POL: What I see here is a puppy with a red ball
on the top of the anus.
And pushing it in doesn'’t work.
See, it'’s just a little irritation.
This is not really a prolapse.
This is more like a hemorrhoid than anything else.
When you look at it, this is just a hemorrhoid
because it's outside the dog
and it is not part of the lining of the rectum,
which would be a prolapse.
NARRATOR: Both hemorrhoids and prolapses
are caused by straining.
KAYE: So, it'’s gonna have to just go down.
DR. POL: Yeah.
So, what we have to do is, you know, buy a cream
that will shrink these hemorrhoids.
It takes the fluid out and it will go away.
NARRATOR: Injectable and topical anti-inflammatories
should provide relief for little Otis.
KAYE: I'’m thankful that'’s just all it is.
That'’ll be a much easier solution than a prolapse.
DR. POL: Okay, sounds good.
KAYE: Thank you.
Dr. Pol's very realistic when he's treating your pets.
Big boy!
You know, I trust him.
There ya go, buddy.
[door chime]
♪ ♪
CHARLES: Oh, look at Athena.
She really had a hard time walking actually
on her front end earlier today.
And I, I just can't help but feeling that, like, her,
she'’s shutting down a little bit.
I, I want my dad to come, and again, you know,
rely on his judgment and his medical advice,
and this is gonna be a family decision,
but I'm going into this
just feeling a... a lot different about where we'’re at.
♪ ♪
[barking]
CHARLES: Hello.
DR. POL: Hi, sweet.
CHARLES: Another day, another evaluation,
but, you know, she's definitely not in the same place
she was Tuesday.
DR. POL: Not at all, a lot worse.
CHARLES: She hasn'’t really moved.
I think her body is just failing a little bit.
DR. POL: Completely.
♪ ♪
[sighs]
CHARLES: How'’s her heart?
DR. POL: Not good.
See how her eyes are sunk in?
She'’s not, she'’s not there anymore.
♪ ♪
It'’s not fair.
CHARLES: No.
DR. POL: It'’s okay.
♪ ♪
CHARLES: Let's have the kids come and say goodbye
and everyone get a chance to say goodbye.
I'’m gonna go get Abigail.
Abigail.
We got to come and say goodbye to Athena, okay?
I know, I don'’t want to say goodbye, either.
ABIGAIL: No!
BETH: Would you like that?
CHARLES: It'’s okay to be sad.
[Silas babbling]
ABIGAIL: Mommy!
BETH: You'’re a good girl, Athena.
You'’re a good girl.
[shushing]
♪ ♪
[crying]
CHARLES: Goodbye.
♪ ♪
[kiss] I love you.
♪ ♪
DR. POL: Go to sleep.
♪ ♪
It'’s okay, girl.
You don'’t feel anything anymore.
♪ ♪
[Charles sobbing]
She'’s gone.
♪ ♪
[crying]
CHARLES: She was great.
DR. POL: She was yours.
♪ ♪
CHARLES: I loved her very much.
DR. POL: But it was time.
CHARLES: Yeah. It was time.
[weeping]
♪ ♪
[birds chirping]
♪ ♪
[horse snorts]
JASON: Oh, hi.
This place is Saving Grace Ranch and Rescue.
Not just rescuing the horses, but the horses rescue us.
Hi. [kiss]
[cough]
DR. POL: That'’s it, spit it out, girl!
The horse cannot drink, can't eat,
'’cause something is stuck in the esophagus.
Got to go all the way down.
[gurgling]
[sighs]
[laughs]
JASON: Jeez.
I'’m almost on cloud nine right now.
♪ ♪
You'’re alright.
I just realized I probably sounded like a goofball,
'’cause I was just in awe.
You'’re okay, sweet girl.
Becca was choking for about 14 hours.
I thought she was gonna have to be put down.
[snort]
It'’s alright.
I'm a disabled veteran, United States Marine Corps,
and my PTSD, my depression, I was struggling.
Alright, go ahead.
So, when the horses came to us,
it was a whole new purpose for me to get up in the morning.
We had to save them.
Make sure they get fed, take care of them.
It helped me out so much.
This is our sanctuary.
We find grace here.
♪ ♪
TAYLOR: Alright, come on, little one.
Oh, boy.
DR. LISA: Mushi's owner Taylor
is bringing her in for an exam today.
Hello.
TAYLOR: Hello. STEFANIA: Hey!
DR. LISA: How are you guys doing?
TAYLOR: Oh, we'’re doing.
DR. LISA: So, tell me what'’s been going on.
STEFANIA: She'’s been vomiting a lot more lately.
She'’s been drinking a lot more water.
When she poops her poop, she yowls.
NARRATOR: Mushi'’s maladies are mounting.
STEFANIA: Also, she might still have an ear infection.
DR. LISA: Okay.
I'd like to do some blood work on her
with her drinking more water
just to check her kidney function
and make sure that there'’s nothing going on there.
Has she been scratching at her ears?
STEFANIA: A little bit.
DR. LISA: That one looks a little goopy in there.
Take a look at this under the microscope.
NARRATOR: First step: analyze the sample from Mushi'’s ears.
DR. LISA: Don't look too bad,
but there is a mild, um, bacterial infection
in both ears, it looks like.
Then next step is steal her away to get some blood.
There's quite a few diseases
that can cause cats to vomit more than they should,
and I want to rule out those serious diseases
before we decide on a treatment plan.
NARRATOR: When Dr. Lisa looks to draw blood...
DR. LISA: Ooh!
AUTUMN: Oh, my.
[meow]
AUTUMN: Oh, I will protect you.
DR. LISA: Once I have Mushi in the back
and I'm getting her blood drawn,
I can see she's missing quite a bit of hair on her belly,
her skin looks kind of pink underneath,
and she has a lot of dry flakiness.
NARRATOR: Mushi is licking her stomach raw.
DR. LISA: I'’m sorry.
AUTUMN: I was gonna say it's all better now,
but we'’re gonna clean your ears, too.
DR. LISA: Her ears are also pretty dirty,
and this combination of things makes me think
that she might have an allergy to something in her environment,
and I'm wondering if the overgrooming
I can see that she's been doing
is contributing to her vomiting symptoms.
No!
AUTUMN: Oh, so glad I had my mouth closed.
DR. LISA: Sometimes if cats are itchy
and they're licking themselves all the time,
they'’re ingesting way more hair than they should be.
It causes quite a bit of irritation in their stomach,
and then they puke up a giant hairball.
I'’m sorry, kitten, I'’m gonna take you back to mom and dad.
Alright, we got her ears all cleaned up,
the blood work all looks normal.
Really all I'm finding is that Mushi is quite itchy
and uncomfortable and has an ear infection.
She's having a little bit
of an allergic reaction to something.
I'm gonna treat her with a steroid
and see if that makes her more comfortable.
I'm also gonna give her a dose of some nausea medication
just in case her stomach'’s a little upset.
But I think the primary issue is that she's itchy,
so she's been licking herself,
and that'’s probably making her throw up.
We're gonna treat her with some anti-inflammatories
to reduce the itch.
Hopefully the steroids will make it
so she's not ingesting all that hair,
and everything will calm down.
I know. [meow]
TAYLOR: Oh, hey, it'’s okay.
DR. LISA: As well as some ear medications.
That'’s it, I know.
[meow]
TAYLOR: Hey, you'’re... Okay, alright, you'’re set.
DR. LISA: She'’s had a tough day.
We used up all of her kitty minutes.
Alright, you can come on out to the front,
I'’ll get your ear drops for you.
Dogs and cats can be allergic to as many things as people can.
You just put the drops in once a day, rub it,
do that for like a week or so.
TAYLOR: Okay.
DR. LISA: Something down the road
that her owners could consider is doing some allergy testing,
maybe doing immunotherapy
just like they do in people that have allergies.
TAYLOR: Alright, thank you. STEFANIA: Thank you so much.
WOMAN: Yep, you guys take care. TAYLOR: Yep.
DR. LISA: But for right now we just want to make sure
that Mushi is comfortable.
♪ ♪
[oinking]
♪ ♪
[horse nickers]
♪ ♪
CLYDE: Can that little guy reach the hay?
REGGIE: Yeah.
CLYDE: He was really sick.
DR. LISA: I think he'’s got pretty bad pneumonia.
I don't know for sure if he's gonna pull through,
but keeping him warm, some TLC,
give the antibiotics a chance to work, and we'll see.
♪ ♪
CLYDE: I'’d say he'’s doing real good!
Even in the mud!
[laughs]
He couldn'’t get up, he was down, and I thought he was a goner.
But in about two weeks, he got on his feet
and was bellerin' and wanted back out.
Looks good chewing his cud!
Yeah, it turned out good.
It turned out good.
Come and get it, you little fart!
♪ ♪
CHARLES: Come here, bud.
It'’s been a couple of months since Athena passed away.
And her presence is definitely still missed.
[groans] Come on, sweetie.
DR. POL: Look at this, Diane!
[laughs]
CHARLES: I'll always have a place in my life for Athena.
She was with me for a decade of my life.
Come on, sweets.
I'’m very thankful to have had those ten years.
Come on, Atlas, come on, buddy.
But you know, time begins to heal those wounds.
BETH: Atlas! Come on. Hi!
CHARLES: Atlas and Athena were very close.
Think you'’d get along with Athena?
It was a parental/puppy type of relationship.
Atlas, sit.
Alright, one more.
He always looked to her to know how to act.
[laughs]
Two more, Athena and Atlas.
BETH: Hey, buddy! Are you gonna play?
He's been very attentive to comforting us.
Hi, buddy.
Oh, that'’s a good boy.
It doesn't heal the wound,
but it definitely helps bridge the gap
that you feel in your life.
It will always hurt a little bit,
but at the same time, it was so rewarding.
♪ ♪
Captioned by Side Door Media Services