# LLama emergency/put her down?



## ihedrick (May 15, 2005)

Hope someone has some advice for me, because I don't want Dolly to suffer. Dolly was found this morning laying down with her head stuck through a hole in the fence. She was still alive, but according to my teen who checked animals last night; I got two stories...she was in the field eating and she was lying down sleeping. I tend to believe she was stuck in the fence last night and through the night until this morning.
Anyway, I pulled her out away from the fence and she tried to get up but couldn't. SO I blanketed her as it had began to snow and put some food and water near her...thinking that being outside of her shed in the cold may have erally gotten to her. I know with horses they can't lay down long or it will kill them. Is it the same with llamas? She won't even try to get up now and did not even eat her regular ration of pellets or hay. She still has the blanket on to help keep her warm. I don't want to drag her to the barn because I may hurt her. I've tried helping get her up with some tie down straps and a friend and I lifting both ends but she just didn't seem to have her sea legs.
I don't want her to be suffering and the other animals have just be hovering near her and I feel that they keep asking me to please do something for her. And I am out of ideas. Should she be able to get up after being down for so long or has it been too long and she should be put down? I hate the thought of putting her down, but will have to do what is necessary. Otherwise she has been healthy and happy up until this.


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## GoldenWood Farm (May 31, 2003)

I am not sure about if Llamas are like horses in that respect. If I was you I would bring some food and water to her make sure she is warm and covered and then give her a few hours and see how she does. Is it possible her legs are numb from the cold? Any way you might have a vet come out and see her? A vet that knowledgable with Llamas that is.

I am sorry about Dolly  . I wish I knew more.....

MotherClucker


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## KimM (Jun 17, 2005)

I don't know much about about llamas but it sounds like if you could sling her up for a few days, she might come out of it. Does someone near have a tractor with a loader bucket to lift her up? Can you give her some molasses in a drench to help give her energy? :shrug: 
Did you have you vet look at her?


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## ihedrick (May 15, 2005)

Wish there was a llama vet. And the only thing a vet around here will do for the goats is a health check up. Seems kinda stupid that the vet could check the health but not treat it.
She still has her feed and water near her. I have rolled her to her other side hoping that my get some circulation going. But she didn't seem too happy.
I may have to hunt down some strong guys to help carry her to the shed so i could put her into some kind of sling. I don't think there is a problem with her legs being cold as llamas lay on their legs and they were under her and her thick coat.


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## GoldenWood Farm (May 31, 2003)

Maybe not numb from the cold but more along the lines of her laying on them all night could make them numb from not using them? I would try and sling her up though. Maybe rub her legs to get the circulation going?? 

Hope she snaps out of it soon  .

MotherClucker


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## Jen H (Jun 16, 2004)

I think I'd go with the sling idea. Does anyone near you have a bucket loader that could lift her up and take her weight with people to walk along next to her and sort of guide her along to get her to the barn?

I also wonder if maybe she tripped last night or something to get her head wedged in the first place?


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## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

wonder if she hurt her back trying to get out of the fence??? does she move at all?? her legs, her backend, her neck ect???


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## stacygoats (Nov 24, 2005)

I'm not sure about llamas, but if she can hold her head up I'd be syringing warm water w/mollases, coffee, whiskey or something into her to create a boost her energy. What kind of sugary snacks do llamas eat, how about animal crackers?

Can you roll her onto a tarp and then drag the tarp into the barn?


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## Cloverbud (Sep 4, 2006)

I would try getting her in the barn, some probiotics, and warm water w/ molasses or Karo syrup as a start. Any chance of getting some football players to give her a boost to the barn?


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## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

ive read llamas can break their necks fairly easy. it seems to be she is in pain if she didnt like to be turned. it sure wouldnt hurt to get something into her.


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## ihedrick (May 15, 2005)

She's still in the same spot. Waiting for some perple to call back so I can get them over here...football game going on tv so I guess they aren't answering.
Anyway, she was moving her head and neck to eat some hay and grain earlier this morning. SHe hasn't eaten much since. Earlier when she was trying to get up she was moving all four legs. It just seemed like she couldn't get them to function. When I have shifted her weight she'll let me move her legs, but I have been afraid to straighten them in case she does try to jump up then she may break one.
I don't think she fell into the fence as it was not really damaged. Looked like she just thought the grass was greener! And llamas do love to lay down and munch. Maybe she had watched the goats sticking their heads through the fence too much checking for holes to sneak out through.
Atleast she hasn't been making any weird noises...and hasn't tried to spit on me..yet.


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## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

it seems kinda odd that she wouldve gotten stuck in the fence--never seen my llama do that. have you wormed for the menegial (sp) worm?


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## goatmarm (Nov 19, 2005)

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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I think I would go with the warm molasses water to give her an energy boost.


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## llamaqueen (Feb 22, 2006)

I would go with the sling idea. We have raised llamas for a long time and I have never had one get stuck in a fence all night, but we have had a few heat stress over the years, one very severely. The one that was severe was one of our favorites so we did everything we could. This included rigging up a pully in our barn and making a sling with some boards and some old carpeting. We used our loader bucket to pull her up several times a day and exercise her legs. One day when it was really nice we decided to carry her out to let her eat grass. Halfway out the door she started walking on her own! Still have her today! So, if she is acting fine otherwise, I would try the sling idea and raise her up and move her legs. That is a good sign if she is trying to move them when she was lifted up. Its not a good idea to leave her lying down and expect her to get up on her own. I know people who have done this with heat stressed or sick/weak llamas and they have lost them. Where in Virginia are you located? I will pm you some phone numbers for Ohio State and for a veterinarian in KY that is great with llamas. Let me know where you are located and I will try to find some other llama folks in your area and maybe they can tell you who they use that is llama knowledgeable.


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## dcross (Aug 12, 2005)

You might be able to get her up by holding her mouth and nose shut so she can't breathe. We do it to cows sometimes when they have to get up for their own good but aren't willing to put much effort into it.

It's not easy, and I've never tried it on a llama, and I would do it VERY carefully to make sure you aren't doing more harm than good.


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## oberhaslikid (May 13, 2002)

This is what my little doeling did a few months back with Mengiel worm better check it out That would be my Guess too.I have never delt with anything such as this and this is my second doe this past year its bad this past year.I would get some wormer in her now.Get her inside and out of the weather.
I gave to my doeling Ivermectin 3 days and Safeguard for 5 days and double the dose.I didnt think she was gonna come out of it so I got the neighbor to help me get her out to where we were gonna do the deed and he sat her down and she took off WALKING.I took her back to the barn and she got stronger everyday is now back with the herd. I also gave BoSe and vit B.


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

I like the tarp-n-pull idea; I have seen it done with weak horses. If she "rolls", like you said, then the tarp would go behind her along her spine. Then, roll her over onto it. I would actually attempt this with a 4x4 truck to pull with; primarily because we have no tractor  ...

And like another person said.... SOME livestock animals are pretty stubborn, and simply don't WANT to get up.... just the activity and discomfort of being rudely handled will get these kind up sometimes.... :bdh:


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## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

can we get an update on your llama?


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## Gailann Schrader (May 10, 2002)

If the wire was tight on either side of her head it may have constricted the blood flow and she can't FEEL her legs/body properly.

Massaging may just do it...

Good luck!


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## JR05 (Jan 1, 2005)

We have had some problems with our llamas not being able to walk on the ice. Last week we have a terrible ice storm here. The whole pasture was covered in 4" of ice and one of the llama couldn't stand up on it. He ended up breaking off his front hoof toes(?) bleeding all over the place. We took hay and water out to him but it was like he decided that he wasn't going to walk on the ice and that was it. A neighbor got his 4x4 truck and a tarp and we rolled him on to the tarp and pulled him to the barn. It took a couple of days but he finally started moving around and is now staying close to the barn as we have had more bad weather, 5" snow! If your llama was confined for that lenght of time she might just be very sore and scaried to move as ours was. After she is warm and feels safe again she might be alright. If you haven't wormed her recently then I would as a precausion. We had a worm attack 2 years ago and almost lost our llamas. The vet used Ivermection injection and bio-mycin to prevent any infection or swelling. Good luck and keep us informed.

jr05


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## Terry W (Mar 10, 2006)

GET HER INTO THE BARN ON DEEP BEDDING!!!! GET HER WARM AND DRY!! The biggest tempereature killer in the camelids is heat stress-- but if she was down all night, the hypothermic action of being on cold ground will get them just as easy-- Her coat gets wet, she will chill-- and badly!!! SHe may ver well now have compromised circulation in her legs, but camaelids need to be sternum down for loger periods, so sling her up, if you ccan, with a sling that is not binding around her belly, and be sure to support the front of the chest-- feet resting lightly in the ground is a help-- encourages her to use them, improving ccirculation--

Think of a cow that has gone down--,as well-- nerves pinch-- and that can be the determining a factor as to wether or not a needle full of euthasol is actually needed.

here, in Ohio-- the oNly llama vets are MIles away-- the camaelid people have to rely on word of mouth for treatment methods..


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## titansrunfarm (Aug 14, 2005)

Where in VA are you? Maybe we can help you get her in?


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## Sweet Goats (Nov 30, 2005)

What is the latest on her? I had a neighbor that had a horse stuck in a hole and he couldn't get up at all. We couldn't roll him over so we did everything we could making noise and all to scare him to get up. He finally did. It took my dog barking at him and nipping him in the butt but he did get up.
Please keep us posted.


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## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

been thinking of your llama and wondering how she fared??????


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