The Yorkshire Vet, Julian Norton has a busy day bringing new life into the world and even gets a farmer to his date on time.

It all started first thing in the morning, with a whelping. The message that appeared on my phone before breakfast signified an early start – a Bassett Hound was struggling to give birth and required a caesarean section.

They were travelling from some distance away so both I, and the second on call vet had time for coffee and breakfast before we met at the practice to help bring new life into the world.

The op went incredibly well and, within the hour, there was a basketful of new pups. An early, but excellent, start to the day.

The rest of the day continued apace. It was my night on duty again and as evening surgery started, I was called to see a tup, who was having difficulty breathing.

This special ram had been examined and treated the previous day, but the phone call told of an anxious farmer:“I’m worried. He’s a bit better but not much and he cost me a fortune! He’s a belter of a tup and I just think he needs something else. Something a bit stronger.”

I set off as the sun was heading towards the horizon, armed with bottles and syringes and hope. If the sheep had not improved much after the first round of treatment, the prognosis could be grave.

Sheep, seemingly more than other animals, have a tendency either to live or die with not much in between.

But, when I arrived at the farm, the tup didn’t seem too bad. He was standing up, but was puffing and blowing like a January-gym recruit who has recently been introduced to the treadmill.

I hoped I could make him better. If not, the bright start to my day would be cancelled out. But the day wasn’t over yet – my pocket was vibrating with another call!

“Can you go to see Tom – he has a cow to calve?” read the message on my phone. I knew exactly where to go and exactly which Tom it was. I was faced with a drive from Easingwold to just outside Harrogate, where the stricken cow and farmer were. I set off in a rush.

By now, the farm was even darker than the last and the patient was ten times as big, so I knew I was in for a long evening.

I quickly realised she needed a caesarean and Tom was worried, both for his cow and for the state of his relationship.“I’m supposed to be going out tonight with my girlfriend. It’s her birthday and I promised. I’m already late. We should have set off an hour ago. She’ll kill me!”

All I could do was apologise and crack on as quickly as I could. Under ideal circumstances (and I mean ideal), a cow caesarean can be completed by an experienced cattle vet in under an hour.

Tonight, more than most, I needed to be quick and efficient, not just to save the calf and the mother but to rescue Tom’s evening. Luckily, the operation went like clockwork. The mother-to-be stood calmly and patiently whilst I made my incisions into her left flank. Fortune favoured us all as the calf was sitting easily in the left horn of the uterus, right under my incision.

It landed, spluttering and slimy, in the darkness of the collecting yard. It had gone to plan and new life abounded – it had been a good day. A very good day. And, yes, the young couple did make it to the restaurant in time!

*The Yorkshire Vet continues on Tuesday evening at 8pm on Channel 5.

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Thank you

James Mitchinson