Llorelei Needs Here Own Thread -- She's Doing Terrific

[Baymule]

Vet didn't even call you back? and

How are they doing today?

 

[Goat Whisperer]

Sorry to hear you are having more trouble with the llamas! So sorry for the ones you lost

We have a friend who called a vet out when one of the goats were acting funny. The vet had no idea what was wrong with him, she gave some thiamine but didn't expect anything to happen. The goat was not improving at all. I saw the goat a few days later, and once I saw him I realized he had the classic symptoms of M. worm
They a treated him with Fenbendazole and banamine. He started improving but the neurological damage was already done so they had to send him to slaughter. I wish I had seen him sooner. He was their bottle baby so is wasn't easy

If you think its M worm go with your gut Hope they start improving soon

 

[SkyWarrior]

I assume they can get coccidiousis. I would do a fecal asap.

No sign of diarrhea. I'm pretty sure it's not coccidia.

Vet didn't even call you back? and

How are they doing today?

You got to love that, don't you? Yes, it annoyed me too, but not uncommon for the vets at this particular practice. I was actually busy today and ended up going to another (different) vet to pick up more banamine. Talked with the vet briefly while I was there. I suspect two things are going on. Long story short, Roland had choked on something before this all happened. Tons and tons of mucus coughed up. Started treating him with PenG. His brother was kind enough to tear into his ear and cause it to abscess. Then we hit -9 and that froze solid. So I managed to lance his ear when the temperature warmed slightly. Yesterday, I noticed they're anemic. (Yay! Cold and parasite load!) So, I redosed them with Ivermectin. I'm giving them iron and B-complex tonight. The vet recommended moxidectin instead of fenben, so I picked some up and gave that to them today. I'll be shoving banamine, probiotics, iron and B-complex in them. Roland gets is shot of penG. Both are in the barn and both are eating. That's a plus. I need them on their feet.

Oh, and Roland is drinking way too much water. I really do suspect an infection.

Sorry to hear you are having more trouble with the llamas! So sorry for the ones you lost

We have a friend who called a vet out when one of the goats were acting funny. The vet had no idea what was wrong with him, she gave some thiamine but didn't expect anything to happen. The goat was not improving at all. I saw the goat a few days later, and once I saw him I realized he had the classic symptoms of M. worm
They a treated him with Fenbendazole and banamine. He started improving but the neurological damage was already done so they had to send him to slaughter. I wish I had seen him sooner. He was their bottle baby so is wasn't easy

If you think its M worm go with your gut Hope they start improving soon

I honestly don't think it's meningeal worm, but stranger things have happened. Yeah, losing one llama to cancer and another to old age sucks. I don't need another death here.

 

[SkyWarrior]

Finally got hold of the vet. He was coming out our way, luckily. He was concerned it might be nematodirus -- a roundworm I hadn't heard about and hadn't read much about. The weight loss and hair loss were possible clues. Note that all the adult goats are fine, and the last necropsy on a baby goat yielded nothing. So, this is apparently a llama thing at the moment.

He drew blood on both Roland and Llorelei. Gave them banamine and B-complex shots (I had been giving banamine and B-complex, but apparently I don't have his super-dupper versions. He also gave oxfenbendazole for the possible worms.

Blood tests will hopefully show something. He remarked on their thinness, but we've been dumping hay and grain into these guys. Switched wormers a bunch. Did everything apparently right, but we need a real direction.

I am frustrated. Hopefully we can get them both over this. Roland is sketchy; Llorelei is better than he is, thankfully.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

Glad Llorelei is looking better. Fingers crossed!

Happy that the vet was able to get back to you! Hoping they have a quick recovery.

Have they ever been tested for Johnes? I don't think this is what is causing the issues but you may want to look into it if they are still dropping weight. It seems to popping up more and more. Many in the goat world don't see the need to test....I am worried that the goats are going to end up like the cattle, I believe it is 86% of cattle have the disease

Why haven't you had a fecal run? I know M worm wont show up but most others will, including nematodirus. I know the vet bill can get pricey quick but it seems like it would be better then shooting in the dark I though Fenbendazole treated nematodirus anyway... Maybe a different dosage is needed

I know you probably can't do it now, but you should look at running your own fecals. You can get a good kit for under $200 and its easy to do

 

[SkyWarrior]

Glad Llorelei is looking better. Fingers crossed!

Happy that the vet was able to get back to you! Hoping they have a quick recovery.

Have they ever been tested for Johnes? I don't think this is what is causing the issues but you may want to look into it if they are still dropping weight. It seems to popping up more and more. Many in the goat world don't see the need to test....I am worried that the goats are going to end up like the cattle, I believe it is 86% of cattle have the disease

Why haven't you had a fecal run? I know M worm wont show up but most others will, including nematodirus. I know the vet bill can get pricey quick but it seems like it would be better then shooting in the dark I though Fenbendazole treated nematodirus anyway... Maybe a different dosage is needed

I know you probably can't do it now, but you should look at running your own fecals. You can get a good kit for under $200 and its easy to do

I don't think llamas can get Johnnes. I will check on that.

Second, this all happened Thanksgiving week. I tried to get the vet out here earlier but he didn't call me back. I am about 40 miles from a large animal vet who will look at llamas.

This issue started showing up when we got the three boy llamas. I had been on the phone to the vet when Rico was dying and he told me point blank it was cancer. A necropsy revealed cancer.

Sid was 21. Llamas are lucky if they see 20. Most die somewhere around 15. We put him down ourselves because the sudden temperature drop simply was too much.

Right now, I'm still paying off $1000 in vet bills. These include a necropsy on a goat that shows nothing. Nothing.

Running fecals right now isn't cost effective especially with blood work.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

Oh I completely understand @SkyWarrior! Please don't take it as judging or criticizing! Sometimes the tone gets misinterpreted when its typed vs actual talking I know you take great care of your animals and do whatever you can!

You know way more about llamas then I do, I'm just throwing ideas out.

I know you have really been through it with your critters this year. Next year HAS to be better, right?
I knew it wouldn't be a good time to buy a scope etc. I was just mentioning it for future, once the vet bills are paid and you have some extra cash to spend.

Yes, llamas can get Johne's. This is a good article. You can get more in depth info if you wish. I don't think their %'s for the cattle have been updated. But it is still good info nonetheless
http://dec.alaska.gov/eh/docs/vet/Disease/JohneWeb3-07.pdf

 

[SkyWarrior]

Oh I completely understand @SkyWarrior! Please don't take it as judging or criticizing! Sometimes the tone gets misinterpreted when its typed vs actual talking I know you take great care of your animals and do whatever you can!

Sorry to sound annoyed. I've been going through hell with these animals and trying to come up with something that makes sense.

I know the vet took a fair amount of blood, so if things look puzzling, I might ask him about Johnes. But, I really wonder how that would work with a pen full of fat goats which the llamas hang out with.

You know way more about llamas then I do, I'm just throwing ideas out.

I know you have really been through it with your critters this year. Next year HAS to be better, right?
I knew it wouldn't be a good time to buy a scope etc. I was just mentioning it for future, once the vet bills are paid and you have some extra cash to spend.

Well, I feel sort of like an idiot for not knowing about nematodirus. I mean, I know about roundworms, whipworms, tapes, hooks, pins, coccidia, meningeal, bots, and just about everything else, and I go mental over one type of worm because I thought "just another roundworm..."

I hope this next year is better. Losing two dogs, two llamas, 6 baby goats, and one cat due to various illnesses does make life difficult. I do have a bunch of healthy goats, which isn't awful and our new Malamute is active and crazy. But If it's all the same, I'd rather have less drama.

 

[Baymule]

Sometimes it all hits you at one time. One after another until you feel like it will never end.

 

[BlessedWithGoats]

Aww! I'm sorry for all the losses you've had this year!

Hope your llamas get better real soon!