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Warmer weather finally arrives in the Mournes. The racing season is getting underway and the vets face a rush of emergency operations.

Vet Maurice King and his son Cahir are called out to a colt recently bought at the horse sales. Ollie’s owner Fergal has high hopes for him as a racehorse, but before his training starts he would like to have him castrated. It is a common practice but a delicate task that requires just the right level of sedation to ensure it is painless while keeping the patient standing.

Downe Vets’ youngest vet, 24-year-old Miriam Campbell, heads to a pre-booked appointment with fourth-generation cattle and sheep farmer Paul Brennan. Paul needs Miriam to tell him whether two of his cows are pregnant. His farm is in a beautiful spot on the side of the mountains overlooking the Irish Sea.

In the town of Castlewellan, young sheepdog Ellie is waiting with owner Stephen to be seen at Castle Vets. Ellie badly tore her leg open on some wire the week before. A vet at a different practice stitched up the wound, but it became infected and her stitches have burst open. Specialist small animal surgeon Martin Fitzpatrick assesses Ellie and books her in for an urgent operation to try to save her leg.

In Downpatrick, the reception is bustling with pets and their owners. Whisky the chow-chow comes in with owner Gabriel to get his ears checked by vet Cahir, and Gabriel has another unusual pet in the boot of his car for Cahir to see.

On the road, senior vet Rachael Frew is on her way to a dairy farm to see a cow with a suspected displaced stomach. It is a life-threatening condition that can happen during calving. Rachael confirms the farmer’s suspicions by listening to the sounds inside the cow’s stomach. She decides to operate immediately and move the stomach back into place by hand – but it is a tricky operation and she has no choice but to ask the farmer to assist.