HELP: My Llama has a fever - ideas please.

jBlaze · #1 01/29/10, 10:47 PM

Sorry all, I have not been on here in a long time. Current situation is that we have a 5 year female llama that had a prolonged labor and stillborn cria. Now mama llama has a fever. She feels full with milk, but I don't know if I can grasp anything to relieve her. I do not know how to medicate her at all.
I can tell the fever because her ears are hot, and the other llama ears are cool. I did not take her temp.

I do fair enough with goats and horses, but i have no clue with a llama. That is my bad, I realize, we should have been prepared, we did not know whe was pregnant even. I feel horrible, and cannot afford an emergency vet fee.
If anyone can offer suggestions I will try to muddle through.
Thanks for looking.
Jean.

**gone-a-milkin** · #2 01/29/10, 10:50 PM

Okay, I dont know a thing about llamas, but when did she have her baby?

jBlaze · #3 01/29/10, 11:00 PM

Oh, sorry, she had it on Tuesday, so 3 days ago. Everything with that looked and smelled ok. (not putrid or anything)
She drinks and eats.
I have not been able to get out to check on her until today. DH has been doing most of the chores for the last 2 years. He takes care of everyone well enough, but not enough to know a problem or what to do.
I feel so bad.

jBlaze · #4 01/29/10, 11:04 PM

(sorry got a double post, trying to delete it. ?)

**gone-a-milkin** · #5 01/29/10, 11:07 PM

well, if she has a fever, she may have an infection. Could you tell if the cria was freshly dead, if you know what I mean. Did she clean out okay? Does she have a discharge at all?

It can take a while for the milk to reabsorb, that may not be the reason for a fever.

jBlaze · #6 01/29/10, 11:09 PM

Ya, cria looked newly dead - from the labor. Cleaned out ok, no discharge presently.

**gone-a-milkin** · #7 01/29/10, 11:11 PM

Llamas are like humans in the way they conceive right? they dont have "heat cycles" like cows/goats, etc. I think it is a lot harder to know their due date, short of an ultrasound. Dont be too hard on yourself.

If she is eating/ drinking she is not a goner yet. Is she still getting up and moving around?

jBlaze · #8 01/29/10, 11:15 PM

We rocked her up and walked her around the stall. She is seperated from the others for now. (I don't need her re-bred!)

I wish I knew what / how to give her for the fever.
I think i have horse banamine and butte, and maybe some biomyacin but no idea how to use it for her.

**gone-a-milkin** · #9 01/29/10, 11:15 PM

do you haveany any antibiotics handy?

jBlaze · #10 01/29/10, 11:17 PM

the LA 200 / Biomyacin. I have used it for goats, I don' even know how to give a llama a shot.

**gone-a-milkin** · #11 01/29/10, 11:23 PM

okay, I don't know the doses for a llama either.

that is where YOU get to guess, not me.

If it were me I would probably dose her with a broad spectrum antibiotic, and just keep an eye on her. That is my limited net-vetting skill here.

She needs help getting up, but gets up and eats and drinks. Her ears are hot, but she has no discharge. hm.

**gone-a-milkin** · #12 01/29/10, 11:30 PM

I would give her the LA200, I dont think that would hurt her. Give it the same way you give it to the other animals. Guess her weight. You are trying your best here and I have seen calves survive some amazing large doses of LA200.

What do you have to lose by trying that? If you get a vet, be sure to tell them what you did.

If you thought you could relieve her udder pressure, that would be okay too. Dont milk her out, but maybe just get a few squirts out of her, and smell it to make sure the infection isn't in her udder.

**gone-a-milkin** · #13 01/29/10, 11:47 PM

Are you reading the tiny writing on the bottle? <tiny giggle>

how much does she weigh? 2oo-300#? less? IDK.

I have seen many times where a dose of antibiotic will knock back a fever in a few hours. That is what I would do at this late hour on a friday night.

I have never milked a llama.

I wouldn't be afraid to try though.

jBlaze · #14 01/29/10, 11:50 PM

I'll see what we can do after I get the kids to bed.
~

**gone-a-milkin** · #15 01/29/10, 11:53 PM

Oh good luck with her.
Poor little mama llama...

I will be thinking of you guys.

jBlaze · #16 01/29/10, 11:58 PM

Oh, great, now I see this: (go to where it says injection sites) http://home.att.net/~lostcreekllamas/basiccare.html

Now I am scared to give her a shot.

jBlaze · #17 01/30/10, 12:24 AM

We just went out. She was still up, walked away from us - they are not friendly, so her walking away was more normal. Looked like there was fresh pee and poo, looked normal.

I was able to get some "milk" out, a couple of drops, smells like heavy cream, not bad. Her udder felt swollen, not just milk filled. (milk filled won't hold a dent if you press it, edema will - like just before my mare foaled 5 years ago. horse vet called that edema. this feels similar.) Is that normal?
I have milk goats, you have to milk them. Not milking is not an option for most dairy goats. So, I don't know how that is supposed to go.

I am happy that she was a bit more lively. I think getting her up helped lower her fever. They don't have wool on the belly, so she is cooler standing.

deineria · #18 01/30/10, 12:33 AM

It is very hard to give a llama a shot . . . it take two people and you have to be ready to go along for a ride and move with them. It is very hard.
I thought antibiotics went by weight, so dosage wouldn't be too hard, and it might be worth trying to give her an injection, but a fever alone wouldn't scare me as long as she acts okay. People, babies, children runs temps and usually the body just fights it and takes care of it.

Jyllie63 · #19 01/30/10, 06:34 AM

How is she doing this morning?

mamahen · #20 01/30/10, 09:13 AM

I helped my neighbor vaccinate her llamas. They are VERY wirey and can move in amazing ways! That neck has a mind of it's own. And they like to kick......

I've heard that llamas frequently abort. Did the cria look full term? I thought they could have a small dose of bute - but I am really not sure.