Pet patients: Behind the scenes at the PDSA

But the fear of expensive veterinary costs can cause even more upset for owners who may already be struggling to make ends meet.

But help is on hand for dogs, cats and 'small furries' like rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and even chinchillas.

When their owners have nowhere else to turn, the PDSA is there to support them by providing free and reduced-cost care for sick and injured pets.

The Telford-based charity, founded in 1917 by animal welfare pioneer, Maria Dickin, runs 48 hospitals across the UK helping 470,000 much-loved animals every year.

GALLERY: All creatures great and small are helped by the PDSA

And Weekend was invited behind the scenes of its site in St Matthews Road, Oldbury, known as The Marian and Christina Ionescu Centre Of Surgical Excellence, to meet staff and patients.

The dedicated team of highly-qualified veterinarians and nurses are ready to deal with everything from lifesaving surgery to vaccinations.

Staff can see an average of 135 pets on a working day and have treated as many as 196 during one particularly busy shift while almost 13,000 pets are treated every year at the hospital.

The £1.8million centre opened in July 2015 after the charity outgrew its old premises in Hagley Road West, Quinton where it had been based for 54 years.

"The old building was cramped and we had a tiny waiting room and just one operating theatre which wasn't ideal. Now we have lots more space to treat our pet patients.

"It's a 24-hour site and we are open 365 days a year so there is always someone to help in an emergency to treat sick and injured pets," says client services manager Sue Hanke.

There are six consultation rooms, a dispensary for medication, recovery wards for dogs, cats and 'small furries' and an x-ray room.

During a tour of the facilities which also includes two operating theatres, we saw some of the canine patients who were undergoing procedures.

They included a two-month old puppy that had swallowed a cat's catnip toy and had got stuck in the animal's intestine.

It could have proven life-threatening if the veterinary team hadn't acted quickly to remove it but the youngster is now recovering well from his misadventure.

"We do get a lot of animals who have foreign bodies. We had one dog that had swallowed an entire Kinder Surprise egg. The chocolate had long gone but you could see the egg casing on the x-ray.

"We also had a dog that had swallowed six miniature footballs. The owner kept buying new ones because they couldn't understand where they had gone.

"This is why we recommend supervising pets with toys and being aware of their behaviour with them especially if you know they are likely to snaffle something," Sue tells us.

A bulldog was also undergoing an operation after developing a deadly womb infection, known as a pyometra.

This condition which can strike without warning in unneutered female dogs is one that's frequently seen by the team.

"This is an easily preventable disease which can be avoided simply by getting a pet neutered. We're hot on prevention at the PDSA and a lot of what we do is about educating the public.

"There are a lot of myths about neutering which we try to dispel like a dog must have had her first season or have had a litter before she’s spayed.

"This just isn't the case, spaying before a dog's first season has the most health benefits. If you're not planning to breed from your dog, then it's best to get them neutered.

"Castration is also an option for male dogs and can help to calm them down. It also means you can walk them and let them off the lead without fear of them going after females and ending up with an unwanted pregnancy," says Sue.

There was also a shocking case of a cat that had appeared to have suffered a head injury. The team was saddened when an x-ray later revealed it had been shot with air gun pellet.

It was said to be touch and go for the moggie which was receiving oxygen treatment while staff investigated the impact of the trauma further.

While operations are taking place behind the scenes, vets are also carrying out consultations with animals and their owners.

Among those visiting the hospital was Viv Weir, aged 51, from Halesowen and her tabby and white cat Pempe, who she describes as her 'best mate'.

"He's so unique and he keeps me going. He means everything to me," she tells us.

Viv had noticed a suspected cyst growing on the moggie's neck which didn't seem to be bothering him but she wanted to make sure it wasn't anything serious.

Vet Freddie Allen, a graduate of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science at the University of Nottingham,checks him over and also weighs him.

He tells Viv that it looks like a harmless cyst and says she can continue to monitor it or they could take a sample and look at the cells under the microscope to try to discover more about it.

She opts for the latter saying she knows her pet is in 'good hands'. Speaking about the PDSA's work, she said: "I had been to the old hospital but this is the first time visiting this one. It's nice airy and it's good for the cats to have some space away from the dogs. I'm very impressed.

"It's great to have this place, it's a treasure. I don't know where we would be without it," adds Viv.

Also in the waiting room was 53-year-old Stephen Pike, from Great Bridge with his large German Shepherd Ricky. Despite his vast size, the grandfather of three assures us the nine-year-old is a 'gentle giant'.

"He means everything to me, I would be lost without him. He gets on well with the kids and grandkids - he's a family dog. He will do anything for a carrot - he loves carrots," Stephen tells us.

Ricky is visiting the vet to receive medication for a recurring skin condition but Stephen says his tail keeps wagging as he doesn't let it faze him.

"The PDSA are brilliant. They really look after Ricky. They are really help dog owners to look after their dogs," he adds.

Another dog needing a check-up is six-year-old Ozzy, who is a cross between a Jack Russell terrier and a poodle and appears to have a problem with his leg.

"He's hurt his leg. It's fine when he's tootling around but when he runs he holds his leg up," explains his owner Margaret Cheslin, 76, from Quinton.

She tells us her pet is full of character. "He likes to sit in the window and bark at anyone who goes past," says Margaret, who is also grateful for the help of the PDSA.

"I used to go to a private vet but it's very expensive when you've just got a pension. The vets here are all very nice and helpful," she explains.

Vet Freddie says there can be good days and bad days when dealing with sick and injured animals.

"We get attached to every pet and we want the best for every pet. It can be sad when they are beyond help and we have to think about their quality of life. It's a sad day when you see a lot of animals that need to be put to sleep.

"We do have success stories too. Before Christmas there was dog that had eaten 16 paracetamol, which was a crazy overdose.

"Staff weren't sure what would happen but after two or three days of high intensive inpatient care, they went home with their owner," Freddie tells us.

He says the team is committed to providing the best possible care for all of the animals they see and as well as educating owners about vaccinations and neutering.

"Everybody who brings their pet in is very attached to their pet. We've also had a few people bring in an animal they've found and adopted out of the goodness of their hearts. I think we are a nation of animal lovers," he tells us.