Snap! - Leg's broke.
December 21st 2011 23:49
Alpacas create rolling patches for themselves. They don't have lanolin in their fleece as sheep do, so rolling in the dirt helps weatherproof their fleeces. It works a treat too. You can go out after a downpour and the top few centimetres of their fleece will be sopping wet, but under that they're completely dry.
Anyway, the pacas here made themselves a rolling patch right next to a fence and were milling about there, patiently waiting for their turn and sending up thick clouds of dust as they each rolled about coating their fleeces in dirt.
I was in the shed - making some space for shearing when I hear this commotion coming from the paddock. It sounded a bit frantic (not just the usual jingling of a fence like when they stick their heads through or have a scratch against it). So I ran out and there's Maralyn standing near the rolling patch with her back leg crooked up at the hip at a peculiar angle.
Perfect! I figured it was probably either dislocated (unlikely), or a break. In any case there was no way she was using that leg anytime soon. So the vet was called and upon close inspection confirmed a compound fracture.
Options:
1. Put alpaca to sleep
2. Straighten it out, stick a cast on it and wait (8 weeks or thereabouts).
3. Operate and secure it up with metal pins etc.
The third option would also involve coming up with $2,000, so that reduced the options down to the other two - my immediate thought was to just put the poor animal to sleep.
OK, so:
she's an alpaca;
she's nearly 13 years old;
she's not worth much commercially;
we're not breeding alpacas anymore, they're just here to eat grass and look pretty now;
It could get horribly infected then we'd need to put her down anyway;
She'd be horribly miserable for 8 weeks (these types of animals live their lives expecting to be pulled down and eaten by predators, so she'd be freaked out having only 3 legs all that time);
no guarantee it would even heal.
But:
she's also given us lots of lovely crias;
she is a good natured and calm sort of alpaca (not a particuarly nervous type);
These critters can live to 25 years;
she's otherwise in good health;
She's bright and not overly distressed (considering).
So, we go with Option 2.
All strapped up, a BIG antibiotic needle to put stick in her and instructions to try to keep the cast dry! (HAH!)
She is a very sensible girl and has been spending a lot of time sitting or lying down. When she does stand up she's not putting weight on the leg at all, which is also a good thing. So fingers crossed.
The things we do!
Anyway, the pacas here made themselves a rolling patch right next to a fence and were milling about there, patiently waiting for their turn and sending up thick clouds of dust as they each rolled about coating their fleeces in dirt.
I was in the shed - making some space for shearing when I hear this commotion coming from the paddock. It sounded a bit frantic (not just the usual jingling of a fence like when they stick their heads through or have a scratch against it). So I ran out and there's Maralyn standing near the rolling patch with her back leg crooked up at the hip at a peculiar angle.
Perfect! I figured it was probably either dislocated (unlikely), or a break. In any case there was no way she was using that leg anytime soon. So the vet was called and upon close inspection confirmed a compound fracture.
Options:
1. Put alpaca to sleep
2. Straighten it out, stick a cast on it and wait (8 weeks or thereabouts).
3. Operate and secure it up with metal pins etc.
The third option would also involve coming up with $2,000, so that reduced the options down to the other two - my immediate thought was to just put the poor animal to sleep.
OK, so:
she's an alpaca;
she's nearly 13 years old;
she's not worth much commercially;
we're not breeding alpacas anymore, they're just here to eat grass and look pretty now;
It could get horribly infected then we'd need to put her down anyway;
no guarantee it would even heal.
But:
she's also given us lots of lovely crias;
she is a good natured and calm sort of alpaca (not a particuarly nervous type);
These critters can live to 25 years;
she's otherwise in good health;
She's bright and not overly distressed (considering).
So, we go with Option 2.
All strapped up, a BIG antibiotic needle to put stick in her and instructions to try to keep the cast dry! (HAH!)
She is a very sensible girl and has been spending a lot of time sitting or lying down. When she does stand up she's not putting weight on the leg at all, which is also a good thing. So fingers crossed.
The things we do!
Maralyn
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