Well, the A,D & E injection attempt on the difficult girl didn't go as well as the lambivac injection had done previously. Instead of just myself and my husband I had a few other helpers that day and it was too difficult to keep everything and everyone calm. We only managed to get 1ml into her and then I called a halt as she began to shake and bounce around and required the force of more than one person to hold her.
So I've decided to work with her 3+ times a week on my own for another 3 weeks before trying to inject her again. I'm being very patient and just standing with her in the pen, putting my arm out and doing some gentle TTouches and holds on her neck. No spitting at all today!
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
A,D & E, Lambivac, Toe-nails and Camel Whispering Update
The clocks have gone back so now is the time to start dosing everyone with A,D & E. I'm using Hipravit this year (supplied by Inca alpacas) as I prefer an injectable to a drench (more reliable and no scary choking). It's also time for the lambivac vaccinations so we've set to and got everyone done, throwing in a pedicure for free.
Getting all of our herd done was no problem (well, not much, we have a kicker who has curly toenails - always tricky). But tackling the challenging girl in the herd I manage is another story (see previous posts). She needed her lambivac but I didn't want to undo all the work I've been doing with her by having to man-handle her. So my husband and I caught and held her as gently and quietly as possible. She spat like billyo but managed to stand for us with my husband just holding her neck and steadying her body (it helps a great deal if the alpaca is balanced on their legs properly). The gentle approach definitely worked, but after the injections she started to get too stressed to handle without force so I trimmed the ends off her toenails just as she stood, distracting her with a bit of camelibre.
Even though we've been on holiday so camel whispering sessions have been limited, I can now stand in the pen with this girl and hold her around the neck while she remains quiet so there has been good improvement. A,D & E injections on Friday will be the next test.
Getting all of our herd done was no problem (well, not much, we have a kicker who has curly toenails - always tricky). But tackling the challenging girl in the herd I manage is another story (see previous posts). She needed her lambivac but I didn't want to undo all the work I've been doing with her by having to man-handle her. So my husband and I caught and held her as gently and quietly as possible. She spat like billyo but managed to stand for us with my husband just holding her neck and steadying her body (it helps a great deal if the alpaca is balanced on their legs properly). The gentle approach definitely worked, but after the injections she started to get too stressed to handle without force so I trimmed the ends off her toenails just as she stood, distracting her with a bit of camelibre.
Even though we've been on holiday so camel whispering sessions have been limited, I can now stand in the pen with this girl and hold her around the neck while she remains quiet so there has been good improvement. A,D & E injections on Friday will be the next test.
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