Hi Heidi,
That's cool, just be sure to keep looking on both the top and the bottom every year at shearing! I wrongfully assume that everyone shears just like we do by laying down the alpacas, even though I know that not everyone does it that way.
Do not be tempted to "feel' if they are there. From personal experience, I can assure you that they are like razor blades, for I got cut while administering panacur once!
Laurel
Tim & Laurel Shouvlin
Bluebird Hills Farm
3617 Derr Rd.
Springfield, Ohio 45503
bluebirdhills@voyager.net
www.bluebirdhills.com
937-206-3936
----- Original Message -----
From: Radched@aol.com
To: AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2007 9:17 PM
Subject: Re: [AlpacaTalk] Fw: trimming feet etc, trimming teeth
Hey Laurel,
I wanted to get his fighting teeth done this year at shearing time but our shearer does it while they are standing, so didn't get a chance. His teeth must have been done before (the tip anyway - he is 4 now), because when I looked earlier this summer, the one I saw looked like a spade. I basically was looking quickly before I put him back in with the other boys to make sure there wasn't anything there, and when I saw one that might hurt other animals, I didn't look anymore.
I don't have a dremel yet, or the OB wire, so maybe having the vet give me a hand would be a good idea.
Heidi Christensen
WingNut Farm Alpacas
Graham WA
(253) 846-2168 or (253) 592-0200
www.wingnut-alpacas.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Shouvlins <bluebirdhills@voyager.net>
To: AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 6:16 am
Subject: Re: [AlpacaTalk] Fw: trimming feet etc, trimming teeth
Hi Heidi,
I dunno about you and your son doing them. We do them annually at shearing. You only have to remove the tips of the canines once. Alpacas can be pretty strong when you are working around their face. At shearing we have the advantage of almost total restraint. You only have to do each canine once. The objective is just to take off the sharp, razor-like point. Once you have done that it is good for life.
The catch is that you need to check at least every year for 3 to 5 years. We check well at age one, but usually they are just erupting and trimming is not possible. At age two, you usually have something to hook the wire around and it takes just a second, sawing back and forth. We use a rope dog toy to prop the mouth open and then attach the wire to a couple of sticks or dowels, just by wrapping it around. They do have holders and I bought a set at the AOBA show last year.
The problem is that a new sets of canines will erupt for the next couple of year. I have heard of one case of a male with 4 sets, top and bottom, so you need to check thoroughly for the first 6 years of life, if not 7.
I have never had any luck with the OB wire on incisors because there was nothing to get the wire hooked around. I have tried the dremel, but couldn't get the right angle, but that is a user problem, not the dremel's and lotsa folks have great success using that.
The toothamatic device is pretty cool in my book. I would be concerned about using anything that just doesn't cut cleanly without alot of pulling pressure, out of fear of cracking the tooth I am cutting. I also would never use hog nippers that chip off the tips. that can definitely cause cracking of the tooth.
As for outright removal of the canines, that seems over the top and pretty unnecessary especially when you think about risks of anesthesia, infection, and the expense over 3 or 4 years.
Laurel
Tim & Laurel Shouvlin
Bluebird Hills Farm
3617 Derr Rd.
Springfield, Ohio 45503
bluebirdhills@voyager.net
www.bluebirdhills.com
937-206-3936
----- Original Message -----
From: Radched@aol.com
To: AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2007 11:31 PM
Subject: Re: [AlpacaTalk] Fw: trimming feet etc, trimming teeth
I was just going to ask about fighting teeth, knowing that the toothomatic won't work on them.
OB wire has handles right? How do you keep the mouth open, or do you even need to (with fighting teeth). Lastly, for the dremel, what tool do you use, and is it the same for fighting teeth and for incisors.
I have a boy who needs his fighting teeth trimmed, and a couple youngster who should soon. I'm hoping I can hold them and my 11 year old can do the wire - not something I would try with a toothomatic :)
Heidi
Heidi Christensen
WingNut Farm Alpacas
Graham WA
(253) 846-2168 or (253) 592-0200
www.wingnut-alpacas.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Heather Zeleny <alpacatalk@westwindalpacas.com>
To: AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tue, 9 Oct 2007 8:18 pm
Subject: Re: [AlpacaTalk] Fw: trimming feet etc, trimming teeth
I just have to put in my 2ยข here regarding the toothamatic. I think
they're dangerous and very scary. I have extremely good results with a
new OB wire to trim the incisors and sometimes long fighting teeth, and
we also use a dremel tool for fighting teeth. By the way, someone
recommended removing fighting teeth... I suppose you can do that and it
will preclude ever having to trim them again, but I've never heard of
that actually being done. All alpaca breeders who speak of fighting
teeth talk about trimming them as needed.
Back to the OB wire. It takes 30 seconds or so with the wire if it's
less than 10 years old, ;> and it's noise-free. I've heard of people
trimming way too close with the toothamatic and having serious bleeding
from either cutting gums or cutting the teeth too short. I don't know,
it's just not worth the risk. The wire is great, low-tech, quiet, and I
can see exactly what's going on and can stop before some horrible
accident happens. Also, the wire is about $10 and the toothamatic deal
is over $100. And a dremel runs about $40-60.
Heather
Heather Zeleny
West Wind Alpacas
Eugene, OR
Holistic Farm and Elite Fleece
Home of Avatar's West Wind Scirocco, El Bello's Padrรฉ, Pluro grandson
Sienna Illusion, and true black full Bolivian Cosby of Chelsea Farms!
http://www.westwindalpacas..com/
http://www.alpacanation.com/westwind.asp
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/AlpacaTalk/join
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