Veterinarian
If you are bringing your alpaca to your farm from another state you need to be sure that your breeder provides you with a Health Certificate before crossing the border. Check with your local Veterinarian for details before you transport. Flys are generally not a problem for your alpacas. You will frequently see your alpaca rolling in loose dirt in your pasture or paddock. This helps keep your animal "dusted" and most bugs away. Mosquitoes are not a problem either. We have yet to witness a mosquito on any of our alpacas. We vaccinate our horses against West Nile and our dogs against Heart Worm. But we have no need to do either with our alpacas. Our land is not in an area that is frequented by ticks. However, a neighboring ranch that is on a river almost lost some of their alpacas due to Rocky Mountain Fever. We are told that their alpacas completely lost control of thier back legs. When taken for an exam ticks were found and their animals were treated successfully. There is no vaccination against ticks. It is important to check with your Veterinarian for recommended immunizations and dosage. Our Vet has us administer an annual vaccination to all our alpacas in the spring when we shear. This protects them from vaious digestive parasites and diseases they may pick up from the pasture. We also give them a liquid wormer by mouth at the same time. If you breed your female alpacas, having your Vet complete an ultrasound is the only sure way to determine pregnancy. You can purchase your own ultrasound machine but it is very expensive. You do not need to have an ultrasound completed for health reasons. It is necessary if you are selling your female as "bred". If you provide stud services on your ranch, you will need to ensure that the female you bred for another alpaca owner is pregnant. Our alpacas are ARI registered. In order for our cria to become registered we need to send a blood sample for testing with our application. We are comfortable with drawing this sample ourselves. A simple prick in the right place on the ear will give you enough blood for registration purposes. Larger blood samples for TB testing or crossing state lines require a Veterinarian to draw. Your stud males will need to be monitored for fighting teeth. Males will attack each other when open females are around. They can cause each other quite a bit of damage if these teeth are not removed. You may do this yourself or take them to a vet. The mouth and teeth of all animals should be checked on a regular basis and any problems referred to a Veterinarian. If an overbite is severe your Vet may be able to trim your animals teeth if you can not do this yourself. It is possible for your alpaca to get a seed or piece of grain stuck in their cheek or soft tissue of the mouth. This seed will then form an abscess and need to be treated. If you have a male alpaca with undesireable traits it is best to have them gelded. Have your Veterinarian take care of this for you. An alpaca is not "banded" as cattle are. Be sure to check your alpacas skin on a regular basis. Bare or open areas, loss of fleece, etc. need to be examined. Follow your Vets' recommentdations for severe cuts. Choosing an Alpaca , Land , Feeding , Hands on Care , Alpaca Care , |
Veterinarian availability is essential for the care of your animals. Alpacas are generally disease free but can have problems as well as every day needs.