Nat Geo Wild has a built-in week of stunt programming to be thankful for this November. The cable channel is returning its Vetsgiving for a second year, TheWrap has learned exclusively.
The second annual celebration of (TV) veterinarians kicks off Monday, Nov. 22 and runs through Sunday, Nov. 28. The lineup includes new episodes of “Heartland Docs, DVM,” “Critter Fixers: Country Vets,” “Hatcher Family Dairy,” “The Incredible Dr. Pol,” “Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet” and “Vets on the Beach.”
Plus, Nat Geo Wild will preview its newest vet series, “Pop Goes the Vet With Dr. Joya.” Sounds good, right? Well, that’s because you haven’t read the series’s description yet.
A fair warning here: you might not want to. But for the brave… “Dermatologist Dr. Joya Griffin sees it all—from impacted earwax to oozing cysts to massive hair loss, there’s no case too mysterious or bizarre for this Kentucky-based doctor as she investigates the largest organ in an animal’s body—the skin.”
Super gross, yeah. But not all of it is about pus — watch a safe-for-weak-stomachs clip via the video above.
Buttercup turns out just fine.
“Veterinarians deserve recognition for the important work they do to care for our pets, livestock and wildlife,” Janet Han Vissering, senior vice president of development and production at National Geographic Partners, said in a statement. “Nat Geo Wild’s Vetsgiving is our way of showing them how much they are appreciated, especially the dedicated professionals featured in our veterinarian-focused programs.”
Vetsgiving programming begins each night at 8/7c. Below is the lineup — all loglines are in Nat Geo Wild’s own words.
Monday, Nov. 22
“Critter Fixers: Country Vets”
Lifelong friends Drs. Vernard Hodges and Terrence Ferguson are back for another wildly extraordinary new season of their hit series “Critter Fixers: Country Vets.” The docs, who own and operate Critter Fixer Veterinary Hospitals, located 100 miles south of Atlanta, work around the clock with their loving staff to bring heart, soul and a lot of humor to their treatment and care of more than 20,000 patients a year. Between emergency visits to the office and farm calls throughout rural Georgia, this special team constantly encounters unique cases. For the Critter Fixer team, there is no such thing as “normal.”
Tuesday, Nov. 23
“Heartland Docs, DVM”
In Hartington, Nebraska, Drs. Ben and Erin Schroeder put thousands upon thousands of miles on their truck as they crisscross America’s Heartland, employing their expertise to treat all creatures great and small. From furry pets at the clinic to herds of cattle by the hundreds, few vets have the skill and heart to take on the unique challenges that come their way every day. Whether they are up against intense summer heat, bitter cold, white-out blizzards or impassable roads, the Schroeders will do whatever is necessary to treat animals in distress, including opening their clinic on the weekends with the help of their sons Chase and Charlie or making farm calls in the middle of the frigid night. The Schroeders’s dedication to their hometown, and the animals that are a part of it, is what makes them invaluable members of their local community.
Wednesday, Nov. 24
“Hatcher Family Dairy”
The Hatcher Family Dairy is an animal-packed docuseries that follows the wildly unpredictable, often funny, and always charming lives of the Hatchers. With a six-generation dairy farm, a menagerie of animals, a creamery and a vet clinic, this family is always on the go! The Hatchers are a rare gem in today’s society: a family that lives together, works together and still wants to spend their free time together. It’s farm, animals and family, creating pure feel-good entertainment.
Thursday, Nov. 25
“The Incredible Dr. Pol”
In this season of “The Incredible Dr. Pol,” it’s piggies, ponies and puppies; heifers, horses and hounds; goats, geckos and geese; whether it’s a dose of TLC, urgent critical care or after-hours emergencies, Doc Pol and his team are on call … all day, every day. Doc hustles to a nearby farm in a bid to save a cow in labor struggling to deliver her twins! Daisy the Labrador suffered a painful injury in an accident, but in Doc’s care, she’ll be good as new. It’s another season where heroics are on display every day as this dedicated team answers the call for help. We laugh, we cry, and we raise a glass to Doc as he celebrates 50 years of veterinary service to animals small and large in central Michigan.
“Pop Goes the Vet With Dr. Joya”
Series Sneak Peek at 11/10c and Saturday, Nov. 27, at 10/9c
Pus, gunk and goo! Leading veterinary dermatologist Dr. Joya and her protégé Dr. Jeff see it all in their Kentucky-based animal dermatology clinic. From impacted earwax to oozing cysts to massive hair loss, there’s no case too mysterious or bizarre. They put on their detective hats and investigate the largest organ in an animal’s body—the skin—to get our four-legged friends back to living their best lives.
Friday, Nov. 26, and Saturday, Nov. 27
“Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet”
Making house calls in the far reaches of the Great North is a daunting task in the least, considering hundreds of miles may separate the houses. That challenge doesn’t stop Dr. Michelle Oakley from performing her many duties as a veterinarian in one of the most rugged environments on Earth. In addition to running an animal clinic in Haines, Alaska, she makes house calls, sometimes driving for long stretches through desolate wilderness to check on a patient. This series documents how Dr. Oakley juggles being a full-time vet, wife and mom with a sense of humor and devotion.
Sunday, Nov. 28
“Vets on the Beach”
No day is ordinary for these dynamic vets across the Australian coast as they tackle cases like no other. Adorable pets face major problems – from a dog with a fishhook caught in his tongue to acupuncture for a spine injury. But pets aren’t the only patients on the docket. Aging elephants, orphaned kangaroos and sick wallabies need these superstar vets’ attention too.