Poppy, Simba & Tulee

A little Cavachon called Poppy is rushed to see Professor Noel Fitzpatrick as an emergency after being hit by a car. She has a broken leg that in itself is not life-threatening - she’s been made stable with painkillers before she arrives - but when Noel’s team begin to check her over they discover she’s tachycardic, meaning her heart is racing very quickly and she’s struggling to breathe

“Oh lordy, look at those hips!” exclaims Noel when he meets Simba, a one-year-old Labrador brought to Fitzpatrick Referrals from Yorkshire by a besotted Sophie and her partner Kostas. Noel is shocked by the severity of Simba’s badly formed hips - they are in such a bad way that what should look like a ball and socket looks as flat as a saucer.

Nina brings in her nervous nine-year-old Basset Hound Tulee to Fitzpatricks. Tulee has a spinal problem caused by diseased discs in her back. Mum Nina is worried that Tulee has no quality of life as she is, as she is living in constant pain.