[AlpacaTalk] RE: Emergency - Is anyone on?
<<It's late and stores are closed. It sounds like an allergic reaction.
How about epinephrine? She might have been bitten by something.
Without knowing more information it's hard to give any kind of
credible advice that definitely won't hurt the alpaca.
Call another vet!
>>
Thanks to everyone who wrote me last night - what a great group of folks
here. I am very grateful for the late night support system.
The vet did call back (I had rang her cell and her home phone).....to
her credit - But stated that she could be of no help (and was plainly
miffed at being awoken at such a late hour); that "she could hardly keep
up with all the info on dogs, cats and horses and certainly did not have
time to learn another species". She suggested I "use the University as
they are the ones with the knowledge". Keep in mind I am single with 2
young children; the University is hours away (the vet lives literally
walking distance from me) and I have no vehicle to transport an animal
in at this time....which she knows since she suggested the University
for the eye injury.
Thank you Jennifer for suggested she did me a favor as many med dosages
that are safe for horses are not for alpacas. I was quite upset when
the vet basically refused to help.
I asked if there wasn't some anti swelling med/injection as at that time
I was terrified I was looking at possibly her esophagus swelling and
cutting off her windpipe. The vet, who lives within walking distance of
me, suggested I go out to the highway to the truck stop, with my 2 young
children in the middle of the night, and buy some benedryl to
administer. She muttered possible rabies (I already told her no foaming
or discharge from her mouth). I thought perhaps tetanus.
So, being as I could not drag my 2yo out to a truck stop that time of
night.......
gusto. Once I got the halter off (which I normally do NOT leave on, but
have as I have to catch here every few hours for the eye drops), the
rigidity loosened and her lower lip went floppy, like "pouty mouth".
But this particular alpaca *never* has pouty lip.....she just is too
regal to mix it up with the others and get herself all upset. And there
was the swelling.
Once she ate and started her pacing at the gate.....as I normally turn
her out to pasture after the midnight eyedrops - I decided to let her go
out with her friends, seeing as I was getting no vet help and didn't
know of anything I could do for her. I wasn't going to stress her more
by keeping her all night out of her pasture and away from her
friends....who do "hang around" most all day close to where she is, but
outside the catch pen.
I sweated it and wished over the next hour that I had not released her
as I wanted to see how it was doing. But out in the dark wooded pasture
in the middle of the night I knew I didn't have a prayer of getting her
in so I could look at her.
Didn't sleep, just lay there waiting for daybreak. As soon as I could
see I was out and she was laying at the hay bale chewing her cud. Back
to bed to finally sleep for an hour. Just went out to feed her and
examine. The swelling is down about 90% and she is acting normal.
There is some sort of sore under her chin, possibly from the halter
rubbing her; but I have abscess on the back of my mind and will examine
that more closely a little later. I think she got stung by something.
But again I obsess.....what in the world could have stung her so late at
night to cause such a severe reaction....
girl, as have they all, has lived in this pasture her whole life and we
have never had a problem at all. I am beginning to think a pox has come
upon their pasture.
I have been inundated this year with mice taking over the house and
chewing into all the food, roaches (which I've never had in here
before), moths have completely destroyed all the food in both my
pantries - which I moved to get away from the mice, I keep cleaning it
all out and they just keep on coming. I've had a terrible flea outbreak
in the house this past month - again something we never have thanks to
Advantage. The moisquitos have been awful; we have had more snakes than
I have ever seen around here, and the horseflies have been particularly
bad this year....really actually chasing the alpacas around. Then
there's the rooster. My goodness I feel like a pestilence has come upon
my farm. And here comes Hannah. I just heard them on the radio saying
that even North GA (where I am) can expect flooding and to be prepared
with emergency kits and prepare for loss of power. Fun.
Thanks again everyone for the support and encouragement. And once again
I am reminded why I have not bothered with vets for the past few years
and have just buried my dead.
Janice
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posted by Chaddo at 5:41 AM
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