A six-month-old collie appears to have a developmental deformity where the bones in its elbows don't fit together, but after CT scans, Noel sees that the situation is even more complex. A Burmese mountain dog has a painful bulging disc, which Noel hopes to replace with a bespoke titanium spacer screw, while cat Elmo has a complex fracture to its left back leg after being hit by a car.

A French bulldog is brought in after collapsing and struggling to move, and after a full medical assessment, Noel realises an exploded disc in the dog's neck is pressuring its spine to such an extent it is slowly causing paralysis. The vet also treats an excitable Staffordshire bull terrier suffering from a problem where the bones in its elbows do not fit properly and a cat that has been shot with an airgun.

Noel treats 15-stone English mastiff Bear, who has a ruptured ligament in his knee - but as the dog goes into theatre, a major team effort is needed to get this massive patient through surgery. Siamese cat Bluebell is rushed in after being hit by a car and golden retriever Henry is suffering from a chronically damaged spinal disc.

The pioneering vet treats a 10-year-old beagle unable to stand on its back legs, and when a scan reveals the canine has two diseased discs between three of its neck vertebrae, he operates to fuse the bones. He also fits a bionic knee in an 11-year-old labrador with bone cancer in its leg, and treats a bulldog puppy that has been run over by a car.

A two-year-old dachshund is rushed to Fitzpatricks by a distraught friend of the owner after being run over by a driver and sustaining life-threatening injuries. A couple arrive with their nine-year-old schnauzer, which is booked in for complex spinal surgery after an earlier operation on its knee, and the owners of a shih tzu bring in their pet, which has been injured in an accident at home.

Documentary looking back at some of some of Noel Fitzpatrick's most memorable cases and catching up with the animals at the heart of the stories. Up first are puppies, including four-month-old West Highland terrier Rodney, who had been born without back feet, bulldog puppy Chica, who required urgent surgery to repair a serious elbow fracture, and Rottweiler puppy Elvis, who was given a unique spinal implant developed by Noel.

A look at some of the extraordinary, life-saving surgeries Professor Noel has performed

A look at some of the strong family bonds between the animals Noel treats and their owners

A look at some of the life-changing surgeries Noel has performed to save his patients