What happens when your beloved pet gets sick? Go behind the scenes for this offbeat, sometimes humorous, sometimes sad portrait of pets, their owners and their vets. From racehorses under the knife for cancer, to Manhattan hounds on Prozac, to a gorilla needing a physical, you'll view the mini dramas that unfold everyday in homes, zoos and veterinary hospitals. Follow fourth-year students at Tufts Veterinary School as they learn the latest cutting-edge technology, the skill of counseling owners, and the science of saving lives.

Meet Schatzie, for example: An eight-year-old German Shepherd, he’d play Frisbee all day if it weren’t for an arthritic hip. Sit in during his surgery as he gets an artificial joint that will have him frolicking soon with his friends.

And how about Wilbur: What do you do with a bossy pet pig whose nipping is out of control? You call in an animal behavioral expert--and hope the owner can follow orders: Stop spoiling him with belly rubs and learn how to just say no.

Or take Vip--if you can. The 450-pound, feces-hurling gorilla is none too happy that his check-up is due. A dozen specialists are on hand to calm him with blow darts, administer anesthesia, and--in less than an hour--do fertility tests, dental work, blood samples, x-rays, and a very-high-tech heart exam.