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Friday 5 April 2013

Tidying up the loose ends

A quick summary:-

After nearly a week of steady improvement , Aberlour died. I was astounded and very very sad, he stood up for a little while and was pooping and peeing fine , and within an hour he was dead! The pm showed nothing unusual , a mystery, and a very sad end to a life with so much potential. I have possibly 3 cria of his expected this spring with genetics from the great Czar , so I really hope that everybody holds on and that spring finally does come with a whoosh and a bang that we all need.

As you might expect I was pretty down in the dumps after loosing Veronica and Aberlour, and it was with fear and trepidation that i checked everybody every morning . Imagine my horror when I found Bijou and Esti ( my bottle baby) both scouring badly . Fecal tests were rushed off , and came back saying a small burden of cocc and round worm . Our vet seemed largely unconcerned by the numbers - I was not , so we treated aggressively for both and I am pleased to say that both are doing well.

Really could do with some warmer weather and some grass , another load of hay is being delivered tomorrow which will bring our consumption to almost double last winter! Sugar beet and alpha pellets are being consumed like they have gone out of fashion , dried grass is also on the menu .We're hanging on in there , but spring has got to come soon , hasn't it?

4 comments:

A Country Chicken said...

So sorry to hear about Aberlour :( you poor thing, what a terrible time you have had. Things will get better soon :) Lisa

Unknown said...

So so sorry to read your sad news. I know the heartache and feel for you deeply.

I am concerned that so many vet still don't understand that alpacas do not tolerate worm burdens at levels that other species can. That is the reason that the VLA changed to measuring eggs to levels less than 10 in alpacas rather than the less than 50 that they used to do.

Debbie, Barnacre Alpacas said...

I feel for you, having had a pretty awful time myself I too long for spring and hopefully some grass growth and a bunch of thriving animals!

Take care.

Unknown said...

I am so sorry to read this Suzanne and I know that dreadful, helpless feeling. I hope you have happier times ahead.

Incidentally the reason that the VLA changed egg counts for alpacas to less than 10, rather than less than 50 eggs, is because we now know that alpacas have a low tolerance. When will vets recognise this!