Tricky Tinfoil Tip
by Elise Atkinson.

     A good thing to have on hand/in your 1st Aid Kit, is a BIG roll of heavy duty tinfoil. I've always had a survival blanket on hand...and they are really good.

     But if you have an animal 'down' and/or chilled, and you have to try and get the temp up pretty damned quickly, use tinfoil first....scrunch it around the body and neck and legs, every where you can scrunch it on, then a blanket. It will bring the body temp up really a lot more quickly than a survival blanket.

     Once the animal is well warmed you can remove it but be careful the temp doesn't drop again because of cool air. Replacing with your survival blanket and a wool blanket at this stage is probably a good idea.

     I have used this technique, after trying with a survival blanket 1st.... it was the tinfoil that brought the heat back into this animal… and it is almost immediate… within minutes anyway!!!! Write it on your shopping list, then put it in the shed so you don't use it for the garlic bread or anything!!!!!

Tips and tricks for desensitising Llamas
Suggestions from Julie Insley

    As llamas need their feet and legs for running and their head for balance and thinking they tend to be the last things they want people messing around with.  Unfortunately for them it is important for us to be able to handle their heads for haltering or possibly medical intervention and their legs to trim toenails.

There are numerous methods to try to accustom your llama to your touch but ultimately "Whatever works for you and your llamas" is best.

Hand in sock: Many llamas find this less threatening than a grasping open hand.

Wands: Available from Tteam supplier and used to gently stroke over the llama.

Broom or plastic rake: Sweep or rake around feet getting progressively closer.

Toilet brush or feather duster: Soft and has a long enough handle not to be kicked.

Water: In the summer months we are hosing down their legs and under their bellies to keep them cool and have found this helps with desensitisation also.

Leaf blower: The leaf blower is used to blow dust and debris from the fibre before shearing, it also helps to desensitise the llamas to loud noises and air blowing on their legs.

Rope: Hang lead ropes over their back so the ropes bump into their legs.

Towels: Can be draped, dragged, rubbed and flapped over the entire llama.

Pantyhose or bandage: Can be run or tied around neck, legs and belly. 

Grooming: Not only is brushing a good way to spend quality time with your llamas it also helps in desensitising them.  Start with their favourite spot for a scratch and work your way around the body.

There are sure to be plenty more I haven’t heard of or tried.  If you have a good trick that helps with desensitising let me know.

Obituary: Farewell to a friend.
by Julie Insley

     Lima hadn't been with us long, barely eight months, but it doesn't make it any easier when you lose them.  He arrived as a result of a series of unfortunate events that had thrown his life into chaos.  After seven years as a stud with his own little harem it abruptly came to an end with a suspected dog attack that sent the herd of seven llamas on the roads.  They were eventually rounded up and five were re-homed, unfortunately the facilities were inadequate for a stud male to be housed so close to his yearling sons. The new owners couldn't tolerate the screaming and fence pacing, so Lima was gelded and gifted to me along with his two sons.  Lima was paddocked with the large stud males and the two boys went into the geldings/young males' paddock.  I called him the "streetfighter" when he first arrived, although my males were considerably bigger the intensity Lima displayed ensured my boys didn't take him on.  It was doubtful he'd ever been halted or led before but with one testing time on an inner tube and a couple of short leading lessons he surprised us with his eagerness to learn.  We admired his intelligence, agility and sense of humour and looked forward to years of enjoyment with him.

     One day in March Lima wasn't running for his food, he still ate it but wasn't his energetic self, he was losing weight and losing his appetite.  The vet was called and blood tests were done and when the results came back and showed severe liver damage we knew there was no hope.  Lima was euthanised and an autopsy done.  It was important to me to know why he had died as there were 43 other llamas I was worried about.  It is facial eczema season in March and the thought that this could possibly have been the reason for the liver damage concerned me.

Chemistry Report

LIMA

37       CK  (0-56)

382 AST  (127-420)

92 GDH  (1-30)

425 GGT  (7-27)

18 T.Bil  (0-1)

76 T.Protein  (50-74)

29 Albumin  (29-51)

47 Globulin  (13-31)

428 S.Creatinine  (97-256)

30.6 Urea  (1.7-6.2)

7.5 Phosphate  (0.8-2.4)

2.34 Calcium  (1.90-2.60)

2.02 Magnesium 

0.1 BOH 

144 Sodium  (148-158) L

8.7 Potassium  (3.6-6.0)

0.6 A/G Ratio 

11       S.Zinc  (9-20)

Normal levels are shown in brackets. The results in bold are the ones higher than normal. Note that Lima’s GGT and GDH results are extremely high these are ones that denote liver function. Also note Lima’s S.Creatinine results is also extremely high, this indicates he was in renal failure.

Laboratory Note:

      We aren't sure what to expect with serum zinc post zinc dosing. If llamas are like cattle and sheep (and we have no information to suggest they are not), then this level suggest not a lot of extra zinc is been ingested by this animal.

The following relates to cattle and sheep for your reference:

Serum zinc levels in normal sheep and cattle, and in those dosed with zinc compounds are:

Normal 9-20 umol/l

Facial eczema control 18-34 umol/l

Toxic levels 27-92 umol/l

Abomasal injury may result in levels 10 times the toxic range quoted.

Note that these levels relate to zinc salts being drenched. In cattle administered zinc boluses, serum levels up to 150 umol/l have been found without clinical signs of toxicity.

Llama Tissue Histology Description Gross Examination:

Two pottles number-one has two pieces of liver C1/2P, number two liver and pancreas C2/2P. The liver has a nutmeg appearance.

Histologic Description: Liver;

This is infiltrated with multiple nodules of high anaplastic epithelial cells arranged in small clumps and irregular shaped tubules. There are variable amounts of fibrous stroma. The epithelial cells have indistinct cell margins, a high nucleus to cytoplasm ratio, marked anisocytosis and marked anisokaryosis. The nuclei are round to irregular shaped, vesicular and often have a prominent nucleolus. There are up to seven figures per high power field (average of three).

Pancreas;

There is some oedema of the interlobular connective tissue.

Diagnosis:

Cholangiocellular Carcinoma

Description from an online dictionary.

Cholangiocellular Carcinoma,   a rare hepatocellular carcinoma arising from the cholangioles, composed of tumor cells resembling the epithelial cells of the cholangioles arranged in cords consisting of two layers of cells surrounding a minute lumen.

In laymans terms Lima had Liver Cancer.

I’m glad I didn’t bury the problem and got an autopsy done.  It put my mind at rest this wasn’t something likely to affect the others. and if it had been something contagious or able to affect others, I at least had the knowledge to start dealing with it.