Original subtitles

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NARRATOR: WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL YOU KNOW YOU'RE WATCHING

TELEVISION THAT IS EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL.

THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

NARRATOR: TODAY ON "VETS SAVING PETS", DR. BOYD OPERATES ON A

SPECIAL PATIENT...

DR. BOYD: WE'RE FIXING AN ACL TEAR IN A DOG, AND WE'RE DOING

IT ON MY DOG.

NARRATOR: ...A POMERANIAN NAMED ROSIE NEEDS HER CANINES CLEANED.

DR. FRENCH: OH, YEAH, THERE'S SOME YUCKY TEETH IN THERE.

NARRATOR: AND LULU THE BULLDOG COMES TO DR. JAMES WITH A HEAD

BOB.

SANDRA: HER HEAD JUST STARTED GOING...

DR. JAMES: OKAY.

IT COULD BE SOMETHING SERIOUS LIKE SEIZURE ACTIVITY.

NARRATOR: WITH OVER 20,000 PATIENTS EACH YEAR, THIS IS ONE

OF THE BUSIEST EMERGENCY ANIMAL HOSPITALS IN NORTH AMERICA, AND

THESE ARE THE SPECIALISTS WHO DEVOTE THEIR LIVES TO CARING FOR

PETS NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES.

THESE ARE "VETS SAVING PETS".

A PARTICULARLY PRECIOUS PATIENT IS AT THE VETERINARY EMERGENCY

CLINIC TODAY, ONE THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO DR. DEVON BOYD'S

HEART.

DR. BOYD: HI, MY NAME IS DEVON BOYD.

I'M A VETERINARY SURGEON HERE, AND I HAVE WANTED TO BE A VET

SINCE I WAS SEVEN, AND I USED TO CUT OPEN MY TEDDY BEARS, SEW

THEM BACK TOGETHER, AND COLOR THEM WITH RED MARKER ON THE

INSIDE.

MAN: THEY'RE PRESENTLY BEING HOUSED IN DEVON'S VETERINARIAN

COLLEGE.

DR. BOYD: SO TODAY, I'M DOING A SURGERY ON A BULL MASTIFF.

WE'RE DOING A TPLO, TIBIAL-PLATEAU-LEVELING

OSTEOTOMY.

ESSENTIALLY, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE FIXING AN ACL TEAR IN A

DOG.

WE CALL IT CRANIAL CRUCIATE LIGAMENT IN DOGS, BUT IT'S

ANTERIOR CRUCIATE IN PEOPLE, SO ACL.

IT'S ONE OF THE SURGERIES WE PROBABLY DO ABOUT SIX TO EIGHT A

WEEK, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT TODAY'S SURGERY

BECAUSE WE'RE DOING IT ON MY DOG.

HI!

HELLO!

SERGEANT IS A VERY SPECIAL DOG TO ME.

HE'S AMAZING.

HE'S HELPED ME THROUGH THE LOSS OF MY OTHER DOG, AND HE'S JUST

THE MOST LOVING, HAPPY-GO-LUCKY DOG I'VE EVER MET.

DO YOU WANT ME TO HOLD HIM?

YOU CAN HOLD HIM.

THEN HE WON'T ASSOCIATE ME WITH NEEDLES.

[LAUGHTER]

NURSE: HE'LL ASSOCIATE ME WITH NEEDLES.

THANK YOU.

DR. BOYD: YOU'RE OKAY.

HI NOW.

HI.

ALL RIGHT, NOW GO TO SLEEP.

NARRATOR: AS DR. BOYD LEAVES SARGE TO BE PREPPED FOR

ANESTHETIC, BACK IN THE LOBBY, A BULLDOG HAS ARRIVED WITH A

POSSIBLE NEUROLOGICAL ISSUE.

SANDRA: MY NAME IS SANDRA, AND THIS IS LULU, AND WE'RE HERE

TODAY BECAUSE LULU'S HAD TWO EPISODES WHERE HER HEAD STARTS

TO SHAKE.

SHE HAS A SWEET PERSONALITY, VERY LOVING.

THERE'S NOT A MEAN BONE IN HER BODY, AND SHE'S A WONDERFUL

ADDITION TO OUR FAMILY.

THE HEAD-SHAKING WAS JUST A VERY SUDDEN ONSET.

SHE HAS NO CONTROL OVER IT.

IT'S VERY BIZARRE.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY.

WE WERE REFERRED TO THE NEUROLOGIST.

DR. JAMES: I HAVE A BUSY DAY IN NEUROLOGY TODAY.

I HAVE TWO REFERRALS COMING IN, ONE RIGHT AFTER THE OTHER.

FIRST UP IS LULU.

LULU HAS BEEN HAVING SOME HEAD TREMOR OR ABNORMAL HEAD MOVEMENT

ACTIVITY, SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOOK AT HER AND SEE IF WE CAN

FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.

HI, LULU.

HI, HI.

SO CAN YOU JUST DESCRIBE THE EVENTS TO ME?

SANDRA: IT'S HAPPENED TWICE.

DR. JAMES: YEAH.

SANDRA: AND HER HEAD JUST STARTED GOING...

DR. JAMES: OKAY.

SHE WAS SAYING YES?

SANDRA: YEAH, YEAH, BUT VERY EXAGGERATED.

DR. JAMES: OKAY.

OH, LIKE, A BIG MOVEMENT.

SANDRA: YEAH.

DR. JAMES: AND IT LASTED ABOUT TEN TO 15 MINUTES?

SANDRA: YES, IT DEFINITELY LASTED THAT LONG, YEAH.

DR. JAMES: AND THEN THE OTHER EPISODE WAS ABOUT TWO MONTHS

AGO?

SANDRA: TWO MONTHS AGO, YEAH.

DR. JAMES: OKAY.

SANDRA: MUCH SHORTER DURATION.

DR. JAMES: OKAY, AND HOW LONG DID THAT ONE LAST?

SANDRA: JUST A COUPLE MINUTES.

DR. JAMES: OKAY, SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO TAKE HER TO THE BACK

AND DO A NEUROLOGICAL EXAM, AND THEN I'LL COME BACK IN AND TALK

TO YOU ABOUT WHAT WE THINK IS GOING ON.

SANDRA: OKAY.

DR. JAMES: WHY DON'T WE START WITH WALKING HER BACK AND FORTH

THAT WAY.

DOCTOR: OKAY.

DR. JAMES: SO IN HER NEUROLOGICAL EXAMINATION, WE'RE

GOING TO WATCH HER WALK.

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK?

DOCTOR: I THINK SHE LOOKS NORMAL.

DR. JAMES: YEAH, SHE LOOKS NORMAL, PERFECT.

THE WAY THAT SHE'S REPLACING HER FEET IS TOTALLY NORMAL, AND THE

SAME THING WITH THIS HOPPING TEST.

SO WE'RE PUSHING HER OVER, AND HER NORMAL RESPONSE IS GOING TO

BE JUST TO HOP IMMEDIATELY.

SO IF SHE WAS ABNORMAL, WHAT SHE MIGHT DO IS LEAVE HER FOOT

THERE.

DOCTOR: YEAH.

DR. JAMES: LULU HAD A PERFECTLY NORMAL NEUROLOGICAL EXAMINATION,

WHICH IS GREAT.

SO IT SEEMS LIKE NEUROLOGICALLY, THIS DOG LOOKS LIKE IT'S ALL

NORMAL.

DOCTOR: SO WHAT'S WRONG WITH HER THEN?

DR. JAMES: WELL, GOOD QUESTION.

IT COULD BE SOMETHING SERIOUS LIKE A FOCAL SEIZURE ACTIVITY,

WHICH IS SEIZURE ACTIVITY COMING FROM A SMALL FOCUS IN THE BRAIN,

WHICH COULD BE REFLECTIVE OF A MORE SERIOUS UNDERLYING PROBLEM

LIKE A TUMOR OR MENINGITIS.

WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS OFFER MOM AN MRI JUST TO RULE OUT

ANYTHING STRUCTURAL IN THE BRIAN LIKE A TUMOR OR INFLAMMATORY

DISEASE INVOLVING THE BRAIN.

DOCTOR: SOUNDS GOOD.

DR. JAMES: OKAY.

NARRATOR: BACK IN THE LOBBY, THERE'S A TINY PATIENT WITH A

MOUTHFUL OF PROBLEMS.

LORENZO: MY NAME IS LORENZO DECURTIS, AND I BROUGHT ROSIE IN

BECAUSE SHE NEEDS A DENTAL CLEANING.

SHE'S 14 YEARS OLD.

DR. FRENCH: ROSIE IS GETTING UP THERE.

SHE'S AN OLD DOG.

SO WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER HER HEART MUSCLE CONTRACTS AS WELL

AS IT USED TO, AND SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ANESTHESIA, WE

NEED HER HEART TO BE WORKING AS WELL AS IT CAN.

LORENZO: SHE GETS COLD BECAUSE SHE'S SO TINY.

SO WHEN IT'S, LIKE, FREEZING OUT AND I HAVE TO WALK WITH HER, SHE

JUST...

DR. FRENCH: OH, IT ZIPS?

LORENZO: YEAH.

IT'S LIKE, DOGGIE BAG!

DR. FRENCH: IT'S A LITTLE PIGGY IN A BLANKET.

LORENZO: YEAH.

DR. FRENCH: SHE LOOKS PRETTY GOOD FOR HER AGE, WOW.

LORENZO: SHE'S 14, BUT I TELL HER SHE ONLY LOOKS SEVEN.

DR. FRENCH: OH, YEAH.

THERE'S SOME YUCKY TEETH IN THERE.

SHE HAS A LOT OF TARTAR ON HER TEETH, BUT SHE ALSO HAS A LOT OF

INFLAMMATION IN HER GUMS, AND I'M SURE THERE'S PROBABLY ONE OR

TWO DEEPLY INFECTED TEETH.

LORENZO: I SEE HER PAW AT HER FACE.

DR. FRENCH: THAT'S THE DOG VERSION OF, YOU KNOW, DOING THE,

OH, MY GOODNESS, I'VE GOT A, YOU KNOW, SORE TOOTH.

SO WE SHOULD HAVE DR. WILLIAMS, THE CARDIOLOGIST, DO AN

ECHOCARDIOGRAM OF HER HEART SO WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HER HEART

IS DOING.

THEN DR. PETTIFER CAN FINE-TUNE WHAT TYPE OF DRUGS THAT WE'RE

GOING TO USE FOR HER ANESTHESIA SO THAT IT'S A HAPPY OUTCOME.

I'LL GO AND GET THEM TO COME AND GET HER.

LORENZO: OKAY, GREAT.

YOU KNOW, SHE'S JUST PURE LOVE.

SHE'S JUST, YOU KNOW, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.

DON'T WORRY.

DADDY'S DOING ALL THE WORRYING FOR YOU.

ERIC: ALL RIGHT, WE'LL CALL YOU AFTERWARDS.

LORENZO: OKAY, THANKS, ERIC.

ERIC: TAKE CARE.

NARRATOR: WHEN "VETS SAVING PETS" RETURNS, SARGE IS ALL SET

TO HAVE HIS KNEE REPAIRED.

DR. BOYD: IF THE TECHNIQUE IS NOT DONE PROPERLY, HE MAY HAVE A

RESIDUAL LAMENESS OR LIMP.

NARRATOR: LULU GETS HER DIAGNOSIS.

DR. JAMES: WHAT WE CALL A HEAD MOVEMENT DISORDER, AND IT'S

COMMON IN THIS BREED.

NARRATOR: AND DR. WILLIAMS MAKES SURE ROSIE'S HEART CAN HANDLE

THE ANESTHESIA NEEDED FOR DENTAL SURGERY.

DR. WILLIAMS: SO SHE'S GOT MITRAL VALVE DISEASE.

DR. FRENCH: IS IT SCARY?

DR. WILLIAMS: IT'S MODERATELY SCARY.

[BREAK]

NARRATOR: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC

NARRATOR: DR. BOYD WATCHES OVER SARGE AS HE IS ANESTHETIZED.

DR. BOYD: SOME MIGHT ASK WHY I WOULD DO THIS ON MY OWN DOG.

IT'S A TOUGH DECISION, AND I'VE DONE IT BOTH WAYS.

I'VE HAD OTHER PEOPLE DO SURGERIES ON MY DOGS, BUT I FEEL

LIKE IF I DIDN'T AND SOMETHING WENT WRONG, I WOULD FEEL LIKE I

DIDN'T PUT ALL MY EFFORT FORWARD TO TRY AND MAKE IT GO RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT, BIG GUY, YOU HAVE A GOOD SLEEP.

NARRATOR: SARGE IS MOVED INTO X-RAY SO THAT DR. BOYD CAN GET

THE IMAGES THAT ARE CRUCIAL IN PLANNING HIS OPERATION.

DR. BOYD: WE HAVE TO TAKE SPECIFIC MEASUREMENTS BECAUSE

THE TECHNIQUE IS VERY FINE-TUNED.

SO I HAVE TO KNOW HOW MUCH I NEED TO ROTATE THIS PIECE OF

BONE.

WE'RE TAKING A PIECE OF BONE AND WE'RE FLATTENING OUT THE

PLATEAU, THE WEIGHT-BEARING SURFACE OF THAT BONE SO THAT

WE'RE ESSENTIALLY ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR THE ACL IN A

WEIGHT-BEARING KNEE.

THE MEASUREMENTS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW HOW FAR TO

ROTATE THAT.

DOG ACL SURGERY IS ACTUALLY VERY DIFFERENT THAN HUMAN ACL

SURGERY.

WE'VE HAD TO SORT OF THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.

WE USED TO FIX THEM JUST LIKE THEY DO IN PEOPLE, SEW UP THE

TEARS, BUT WHATEVER CAUSED THE DEGENERATION IN THE FIRST PLACE

WOULD JUST DEGENERATE THE REPAIR.

NARRATOR: AS DR. BOYD FINISHES TAKING MEASUREMENTS, SARGE, NOW

UNDER ANESTHETIC, HAS HIS LEG PREPPED FOR SURGERY.

MEANWHILE, ROSIE PAYS A VISIT TO DR. WILLIAMS TO HAVE HER HEART

CHECKED.

ERIC: REGAN, I BROUGHT YOU A POMERANIAN BURRITO.

DR. WILLIAMS: THIS IS ROSIE?

ERIC: THIS IS ROSIE.

DR. WILLIAMS: HI, ROSIE.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S GET HER OUT OF HER LITTLE BURRITO PACKAGE.

BUT SHE HAD A HEART MURMUR, SO WE WANTED TO KIND OF KNOW WHAT

WE WERE DEALING WITH BEFORE WE WENT INTO ANESTHESIA,

CARDIOVASCULARLY SPEAKING.

SO WE DID AN ULTRASOUND BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR DRUGS CAN CHANGE

HOW THE HEART FUNCTIONS.

ONE OF THE MORE COMMON THINGS THAT WE SEE IN THESE GUYS AS

THEY GET OLDER, THESE SMALL BREED DOGS, IS THAT THEY CAN GET

SCAR TISSUE ON THE VALVES OF THEIR HEART, AND THEN THEY DON'T

CLOSE PROPERLY, AND THE BLOOD GOES BACKWARD WITHIN THE HEART,

AND THAT CREATES A MURMUR THAT WE HEAR.

SO THIS IS THE HEART VALVE OPENING AND CLOSING HERE, AND IT

SHOULD GO IN A NICE STRAIGHT LINE ACROSS HERE.

YOU SEE HOW MUCH IT'S BENDING BACK INTO THAT UPPER CHAMBER.

IT'S MAKING ALMOST A U-SHAPE, AND THAT'S QUITE ABNORMAL.

ERIC: HEY, DOC FRENCH.

DR. FRENCH: I THOUGHT I'D COME AND LURK.

HOW'S MISS MUFFET HERE?

DR. WILLIAMS: SO SHE'S GOT MITRAL VALVE DISEASE.

DR. FRENCH: OOH.

DR. WILLIAMS: IS IT A LONG PROCEDURE THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO

ON HER?

DR. FRENCH: I HATE IT WHEN YOU ASK THAT.

SHE'S GOT SOME BAD TEETH IN THERE.

LORENZO: FOR A 14-YEAR-OLD DOG, IT CAN BE QUESTIONABLE WHETHER,

YOU KNOW, SHE SHOULD HAVE HER TEETH DONE AT THIS POINT IN HER

LIFE, BUT SHE'S FAMILY.

DR. FRENCH: THERE'S JUST SO MANY THINGS TO BALANCE, OLD DOG,

SCARY HEART.

WELL, I GUESS IT'S NOT SO SCARY.

IS IT SCARY?

DR. WILLIAMS: IT'S MODERATELY SCARY.

DR. FRENCH: MODERATELY SCARY.

SO WE NEED TO SEEK OUT DR. PETTIFER, AND WE'LL MEET AGAIN

IN DENTISTRY.

DR. WILLIAMS: THAT SOUNDS GOOD.

ALL RIGHT.

DR. FRENCH: OKAY.

NARRATOR: AS ERIC TAKES ROSIE TO FIND DR. PETTIFER, BACK IN EXAM

ROOM 5, LULU'S OWNER IS ANXIOUSLY AWAITING THE RESULTS

OF DR. JAMES' NEUROLOGICAL EXAM.

DR. JAMES: SO I'M JUST GOING TO GO TALK TO LULU'S MOM ABOUT WHAT

WE THINK COULD BE GOING ON WITH HER, AND THEN WE'LL DECIDE

TOGETHER WHAT THE NEXT STEPS WILL BE IN TERMS OF WHETHER WE

NEED TO DO ANY FURTHER DIAGNOSTICS OR NOT.

THE GOOD NEWS IS NEUROLOGICAL EXAM WAS TOTALLY NORMAL, AND

YOUR DESCRIPTION SOUNDS VERY SIMILAR TO THIS CONDITION THAT

WE SEE OF WHAT WE CALL A HEAD MOVEMENT DISORDER, AND IT'S

COMMON IN THIS BREED.

IT USUALLY DOESN'T REFLECT ANYTHING BAD THAT'S ACTUALLY

GOING ON, AND WE DON'T REALLY KNOW THE CAUSE OF IT, BUT IT

OFTEN WILL JUST GO AWAY.

IN CASES WHERE IT CONTINUES TO GET WORSE, WE CAN TRY THEM ON

SOME KIND OF ANTICONVULSANT AND SEE IF IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE,

BUT IN MOST CASES, IT GOES AWAY AND WE DON'T NEED TO DO THAT.

SANDRA: RIGHT, SURE, SURE.

DR. JAMES: SO THE POTENTIAL BAD THINGS IT COULD BE ARE SOME KIND

OF PARTIAL SEIZURE ACTIVITY OR PERHAPS SOME KIND OF CEREBELLAR

ABNORMALITY.

THE CEREBELLUM IS THE PART OF THE BRAIN THAT CONTROLS FINE

MOTOR MOVEMENT.

IF YOU NEED MORE PIECE OF MIND, MAKE SURE THERE'S NOTHING GOING

ON IN HER BRAIN, WE CAN ORGANIZE AN MRI FOR HER.

SANDRA: OKAY.

DR. JAMES: I WOULDN'T SAY THAT WE NEED TO DO THAT NECESSARILY

AT THIS TIME.

SANDRA: OKAY.

DR. JAMES: I THINK IT'S OKAY IF SHE DOESN'T.

I'M PRETTY SURE THIS IS JUST THIS HEAD-BOBBING DISORDER THAT

WE SEE IN BULLDOGS AND THAT LULU IS GOING TO BE JUST FINE.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE AN MRI DONE OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO SORT

OF WAIT AND SEE?

SANDRA: I'M COMFORTABLE WITH WAITING.

DR. JAMES: YEAH, YEAH.

CERTAINLY, IF SHE DEVELOPS ANY OTHER SIGNS THAT WE'RE WORRIED

ABOUT, THEN WE CAN PURSUE DIAGNOSTICS THEN, BUT AT THIS

POINT, IT'S PERFECTLY FINE JUST TO WAIT AND SEE HOW SHE DOES.

YEAH, YOU DID.

IT'S GREAT RELIEF.

I FELT VERY CONFIDENT IN HER ASSESSMENT.

NARRATOR: WHILE LULU AND HER OWNER LEAVE THE VEC WITH A SIGH

OF RELIEF, OVER IN THE O.R., SARGE IS NOW PREPPED AND READY

FOR DR. BOYD TO BEGIN HIS PROCEDURE.

DR. BOYD: SO THE RISKS INVOLVED IN THIS SURGERY IS THAT IF THE

TECHNIQUE IS NOT DONE PROPERLY, HE MAY HAVE A RESIDUAL LAMENESS

OR LIMP.

ALL RIGHT.

WE NEED TO CUT THE SHINBONE IN A SEMICIRCULAR WAY AND ROTATE THIS

TINY LITTLE PIECE OF BONE AROUND THE CENTER OF ROTATION OF THE

JOINT AND FIX IT IN A NEW POSITION.

AND THAT NEW POSITION, ESSENTIALLY, ALTERS THE PHYSICS

OF THE KNEE SO THAT THE DOG DOESN'T NEED THE ACL AT ALL.

THAT'S HEAVY.

IT'S A BIG BONE.

SARGE, YOU EXHAUST ME, HOT DIGGITY.

OKAY, I THINK WE NEED TO DO THAT.

WE ARE SO ALMOST THROUGH YOUR BONE.

THERE WE GO.

NOW WE'RE THROUGH.

SO NOW WE'RE JUST DETERMINING HOW FAR WE HAVE TO ROTATE HIM TO

GET THE DESIRED DEGREE TO A .25 MILLIMETERS.

DOCTOR: SO DO YOU ASSEMBLE YOUR OWN FURNITURE, TOO?

DR. BOYD: ANY CHANCE I CAN GET MY HAND ON A DRILL AND A

SCREWDRIVER, I'M IN.

I WAS ALWAYS JEALOUS AS A GIRL BECAUSE MY BROTHER IS A COMPUTER

ENGINEER, AND HE'S VERY MECHANICAL, MY DAD, AND THEY

USED TO SIT AND BUILD DECKS TOGETHER.

AND I REMEMBER GOING UP TO THEM LIKE, "TEACH ME, TEACH ME.

I WANT TO USE THE TOOLS, TOO."

AND I THINK THEY KIND OF THOUGHT I WAS JOKING, BUT I REALLY

WASN'T.

NARRATOR: AS DR. BOYD CONTINUES TO REASSEMBLE SARGE'S KNEE,

ROSIE'S TEST RESULTS ARE IN, AND IT LOOKS GOOD.

DR. PETTIFER: HELLO, SHARON.

DR. FRENCH: HELLO, DR. PETTIFER.

HOW ARE YOU?

DR. PETTIFER: GOOD.

I THINK THAT EVERYTHING LOOKS PRETTY GOOD.

UREA IS JUST MILDLY ELEVATED.

SO I THINK WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE.

I THINK REGAN IS HERE.

SO WHAT DID YOU FIND?

DR. WILLIAMS: SO WE HAVE A PRETTY SEVERE MITRAL VALVE

PROLAPSE, AND HAVING SAID THAT, THE CONTRACTILITY, THE STRENGTH

OF HER HEART IS QUITE GOOD.

DR. FRENCH: BASED ON WHAT HER HEART IS DOING, THAT TELLS US

WHAT KIND OF FLUID THERAPY WE NEED TO USE SO THAT, YOU KNOW,

WE CAN GET HER MOUTH CLEANED UP, BUT NOT CREATE ANY PROBLEMS.

DR. PETTIFER: OVERALL, I THINK THAT SHE'S A REASONABLE

CANDIDATE AS LONG AS WE TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTION.

DR. WILLIAMS: WE'RE JUST A LITTLE BIT CAUTIOUS SOMETIMES

WITH THE AMOUNT OF FLUIDS WE GIVE DURING SURGERY, BUT IT'LL

BE RELATIVELY LOW RISK.

SHE GOES, OH, MY GOODNESS.

CAN I STAY -- CAN I STAY IN MY BAG?

DR. PETTIFER: WELL, THAT'S WHERE I'D BE STAYING.

DR. FRENCH: SAFER IN HERE.

ALL RIGHT.

THAT'S A GOOD LOOK FOR YOU, THE POMERANIAN.

ERIC: YEAH, I'VE HEARD THAT A COUPLE TIMES TODAY CARRYING HER

AROUND UNDER MY ARM.

HI, ROSE.

NURSE: OH, DON'T GIVE ME THAT FACE.

NARRATOR: WHEN "VETS SAVING PETS" RETURNS, DR. BOYD FINISHES

UP WITH SARGE'S KNEE SURGERY.

DR. BOYD: I'M A SWEATY MESS, BUT WE ARE DONE.

NARRATOR: AND DR. FRENCH FINDS THAT ROSIE NEEDS MORE THAN A

TEETH CLEANING.

DR. FRENCH: SHE ACTUALLY HAD ABSCESSED TEETH ON BOTH SIDES OF

HER JAW.

[BREAK]

NARRATOR: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC

NARRATOR: IN O.R.

2, DR. BOYD PRESSES AHEAD WITH SARGE'S KNEE SURGERY.

DR. BOYD: I PUT ON A BONE PLATE AND SCREWS TO SOLIDIFY THE BONE

IN ITS NEW POSITION, AND WITH SERGEANT, BECAUSE HE'S SO BIG, I

PUT ON TWO PLATES BECAUSE HE'S SO HEAVY.

HE'S ABOUT 140 POUNDS.

WOW, I NEED A SHOWER.

ALL RIGHT, LITTLE KNEE, LITTLE BIG KNEE.

ALL RIGHT.

I'M A SWEATY MESS, BUT WE ARE DONE.

SO NOW THE WAITING GAME, FINGERS CROSSED.

WE'LL JUST WAIT FOR THE POST-OPERATIVE X-RAYS.

YOU THINK EVERYTHING WENT WELL, BUT THE X-RAYS ARE REALLY GOING

TO TELL YOU HOW WELL IT WENT.

NARRATOR: OVER IN DENTISTRY, DR. PETTIFER KEEPS A CLOSE EYE ON

ROSIE'S CONDITION WHILE DR. FRENCH BEGINS HER WORK.

DR. PETTIFER: LOOKS LIKE SHE'S RESPONDING WELL.

SO CALL ME IF YOU NEED ME.

DR. FRENCH: THAT, I WILL.

DR. PETTIFER: OKAY.

DR. FRENCH: THANK YOU.

OH, THAT'S WHY SHE'S PAWING.

OH, LOOK AT THAT.

NURSE: OH, IT'S TOTALLY LOOSE.

DR. FRENCH: IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR US TO HAVE SOME SURPRISES.

SHE ACTUALLY HAD ABSCESSED TEETH ON BOTH SIDES OF HER JAW.

THE TEETH WERE ACTUALLY INTACT, SO THE TEETH WEREN'T BROKEN, AND

THE NERVE WASN'T EXPOSED, BUT THOSE TEETH HAD DIED OVER TIME,

AND SHE HAD BIG ABSCESSES ON BOTH SIDES OF HER JAW.

ALL RIGHT, LITTLE DOG, HANG IN THERE.

AS SOON AS I GET THIS -- OH, I GOT IT.

OKAY, WE ARE GOOD.

I AM CLOSING.

PRAISE, PLEASE.

NURSE: OH, THAT'S FABULOUS, YAY.

[LAUGHTER]

DR. FRENCH: BOY, THIS DOG IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH HAPPIER IN A

FEW DAYS.

NARRATOR: AS DR. FRENCH BEGINS TO WAKE UP ROSIE, SARGE IS

BROUGHT IN FOR MORE X-RAYS SO THAT DR. BOYD CAN DETERMINE IF

THE SURGERY WAS A SUCCESS.

DR. BOYD: NOTHING YET.

THEY'RE LINING IT UP.

THIS IS THE WAITING GAME.

I'M NERVOUS.

I AM.

DOCTOR: IT'LL BE FINE.

DR. BOYD: OKAY.

DOCTOR: I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD DO SURGERY ON MY OWN DOG.

DR. BOYD: IT'S HARD.

IT'S STRESSFUL.

DOCTOR: BUT THEN, LIKE, TRUSTING SOMEONE ELSE AND...

DR. BOYD: WELL, WHICH ONE IS HARDER?

EXACTLY, SO YOU'RE SORT OF, LIKE, STUCK IN A ROCK AND A HARD

PLACE.

SO HERE WE GO.

WE GOT ONE.

THERE IT IS.

DOCTOR: IT'S FINE.

DR. BOYD: LOOKS GOOD, THOUGH, FROM THIS VIEW.

DOCTOR: IT'S, LIKE, NICE FIVE OR SIX DEGREES.

DR. BOYD: IT DOES LOOK LIKE A GOOD FIVE OR SIX, AND HE WAS A

PARTIAL TEAR, SO, HOPEFULLY, HE'LL STAY THAT WAY.

ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GOOD.

THANK YOU.

YEAH, THEY LOOK GOOD.

I'M HAPPY WITH THEM.

SO EVERYTHING WENT REALLY WELL.

I'M HAPPY WITH THE POST-OPERATIVE X-RAYS.

I CAN TAKE A BIG SIGH OF RELIEF, AND HE HANDLED THE ANESTHETIC

NICELY, WHICH IS A BIG WORRY, TOO.

SO I'M REALLY HAPPY WITH THAT.

HE STILL HAS TO WAKE UP, AND WE'LL SEE HIS RECOVERY.

HE'LL BE HERE FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, AND THEN WE'LL COME IN AND

DO SOME PHYSIOTHERAPY ON HIM AND GET HIM STANDING AND WALKING,

AND THAT'S THE TRUE TEST OF MY WORK.

NARRATOR: WHEN "VETS SAVING PETS" RETURNS, ROSIE'S OWNER

FINDS OUT HOW SURGERY WENT.

LORENZO: I WAS SCARED, BUT I DID HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE IN DR.

FRENCH.

DR. FRENCH: SHE DID GREAT.

LORENZO: SO GOOD.

DR. FRENCH: SHE'S SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU.

LORENZO: OH, YES.

NARRATOR: AND SARGE GETS READY FOR REHAB.

DR. BOYD: HE'S GOING TO GO INTO HIS PHYSIOTHERAPY AND GET SOME

UNDERWATER TREADMILL ACTIVITY GOING.

THE GOAL IS TO BUILD THEIR MUSCLE MASS IN A CONTROLLED WAY,

SO THE WATER TAKES THE WEIGHT OFF THE JOINTS.

[BREAK]

NARRATOR: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC

.

NARRATOR: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC

NARRATOR: ROSIE IS ABOUT TO GET HER WALKING PAPERS.

LORENZO: I'M WAITING FOR ROSIE.

I'M KIND OF ANXIOUS BECAUSE I FEEL REALLY GUILTY LEAVING HER.

SHE'S THE LOVE OF MY LIFE, SO...

DR. FRENCH: THERE HE IS!

LORENZO: PRETTY!

DR. FRENCH: THERE WE GO!

LORENZO: HI, PRETTY.

DR. FRENCH: OOH, SHE GOES, OH, MY GOODNESS.

OH, SHE'S GREAT.

SHE'S A BIT DROWSY.

LORENZO: ROSIE IS GOING TO BE GREAT.

SHE HAD A FEW TEETH REMOVED.

I WAS SCARED, BUT I DID HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE IN DR. FRENCH.

DR. FRENCH: SHE DID GREAT.

LORENZO: SO GOOD.

DR. FRENCH: SHE'S SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU.

LORENZO: OH, YES.

DR. FRENCH: IT'S ALL BEEN A HUGE SUCCESS, SO I'M PRETTY HAPPY TO

SEE THAT, MAKES MY DAY.

LORENZO: THANK YOU SO MUCH.

DR. FRENCH: ALL RIGHT, SHE DID GREAT.

LORENZO: FABULOUS, THANK YOU.

DR. FRENCH: ALL RIGHT, TAKE IT EASY.

BYE, ROSIE.

LORENZO: LET'S GO HOME, PRETTY.

SHE'S 14 YEARS OLD.

SO, HOPEFULLY, WITH THIS PROCEDURE, SHE'LL LIVE FOREVER.

NARRATOR: ROSIE GOES HOME A HAPPY AND PAIN-FREE DOG.

TWO WEEKS AFTER HIS KNEE SURGERY, SARGE BEGINS HIS

REHABILITATION.

DR. BOYD: HE'S USING THE LEG BEAUTIFULLY.

THE INCISION HEALED UP REALLY WELL, SO...

WOMAN: HI, SARGE.

HI, SWEETHEART.

DR. BOYD: THESE ARE ALL YOUR FRIENDS.

ARE YOU READY TO GET IN THE TUB?

HE'S GOING TO GO INTO HIS PHYSIOTHERAPY AND GET SOME

UNDERWATER TREADMILL ACTIVITY GOING.

THE GOAL IS TO BUILD THEIR MUSCLE MASS IN A CONTROLLED WAY,

SO THE WATER TAKES THE WEIGHT OFF THE JOINTS THAT ARE HAVING

PROBLEMS.

IT'S DEFINITELY FUNNY TO SEE THEM GO IN FOR THEIR FIRST TIME,

THOUGH, BECAUSE THEY GO INTO THIS GLASS CAGE, AND THEY'RE

LIKE, WHAT'S GOING ON?

AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE WATER STARTS TO RISE FROM THE

FLOOR, AND THEN THE FLOOR STARTS TO MOVE.

BUT IT'S AMAZING HOW DOGS ADAPT, MOST DO.

MY OLD DOG SORT OF SPLAYED OUT AND HELD THE GLASS ON THE SIDE

AND WOULDN'T TOUCH THE FLOOR UNTIL IT STOPPED MOVING, BUT

SERGEANT LOVES IT.

HE JUST CAN'T WAIT TO GET IN THERE.

NURSE: FOR TWO-AND-A-HALF WEEKS AND FOR BEING SUCH A BIG DOG,

THIS IS PRETTY AWESOME.

DR. BOYD: YEAH.

NO, I'M REALLY HAPPY.

THIS IS A GOOD WAY THAT WE CAN GIVE HIM A LOT OF ACTIVITY, BUT

IN A CONTROLLED WAY SO WE DON'T HURT HIS LEG.

LOOK AT YOU HAVING FUN IN THERE.

[MUSIC]