CHANNEL 4′s DOCUMENTARY The Supervet was back last night, with Laois man Noel Fitzpatrick at the helm of the groundbreaking practice in Surrey.
We’re used to the show – which focuses on the unique care given to pets who often seem to have spent all of their nine lives or dog years in one go – reducing us to tears, and last night was no different.
Twelve-year-old Springer Spaniel Floss was brought in in immense pain and unable to walk properly, which Fitzpatrick said could be the result of either a disc problem or a tumour.
Given Floss’s age, the vet advised her owners that while he would put her under anaesthetic in order to investigate her condition and carry out an MRI, if it turned out to be a tumour, it would be kinder to let her go.
Floss’s owner, who had just lost her father and was nursing a mother suffering from dementia, was inconsolable.
And the family said one last goodbye to Floss, just in case.
During Floss’s examination under anaesthetic there was a complication, with her belly filling with gas and fluid. Fitzpatrick moved quickly to relieve the pressure on her lungs, and Floss came around.
With the dog’s condition confirmed as an exploded disc, the Supervet felt that it was worth giving Floss a chance and carrying out surgery to fix her problem.
And… she made it!
All gifs via 4OD
