Camelid First Aid
On-Farm Emergency Treatment of Alpacas & Llamas
3-22-02
Unfortunately, emergencies occasionally occur on the farm.
The successful resolution of any emergency depends upon our ability to recognize
and effectively deal with the crisis. The typical "on-farm"
emergencies may include wounds, choke, eye injuries, obstruction of breathing in
new borns, and birthing difficulties. Today, let's discuss wounds.
Many owners have dealt with lacerations, abrasions, and other injuries caused by
fighting, becoming entangled in fencing, falling, or malicious attacks by
animals or people. There are some rules-of-thumb we try to follow when dealing
with these injuries. If the injury has resulted in debilitation of the animal or
the animal is unable to ambulate (e.g., a tendon laceration), the injured llama
or alpaca should be made safe from continued trauma and the nearest veterinarian consulted. Sometimes, the best
action is to not move the patient until the veterinarian has examined him/her.
Moving can increase the severity of the injury and may result in a wound that is
far worse than the original injury. If the animal is traumatizing itself by
thrashing, then he/she should be moved to shelter or an area that has deep
bedding. If you can keep the animal calm you should do so, but remember not to
get yourself injured in the process! You should consult your veterinarian for
all wounds that are full thickness through the skin (you can see muscle or fat
through the wound). These injuries may be completely or partially restored if
the veterinarian can treat the wound within 12 hours of injury. After this time,
treatment becomes more complicated because bacteria have time to establish an infection in
the tissues adjacent to the wound. While waiting for the veterinarian, you may
rinse the wound with clean water to flush out any debris, but you do not want to
put any antiseptics or ointments into the wound. Water soluble ointments (e.g.
Furacin) are O.K. to use because they are easily washed out of the wound.
However, lanolin or petroleum based antiseptics may not be able to be cleaned out of a wound, thus preventing suture
closure of the wound.
If the wound is bleeding and is located on a limb, you may place a pressure wrap
on the wound. This is done by applying a non-adherent dressing to the wound,
wrapping a thick pad around the limb, wrapping the bandage with roll gauze using
firm pressure, and wrapping over this with a non-adhesive wrap using more firm
pressure. If the wound is located on the body, a similar bandage may be placed.
Direct pressure may be applied to wounds on the head, but you should be careful not to apply excessive pressure.
If the animal violently resists your efforts, the best thing to do is to put
him/her into a quiet stall and wait for the veterinarian.
Wounds can be easily dealt with by planning ahead. A "First Aid" box
should be kept on the farm and contain necessary emergency medical supplies. A
large tackle box, tool box, or plastic storage box are ideal for holding items
in a clean dry place. The box should be examined every six months to be sure
that appropriate supplies are still in usable order.
The following is a list of supplies you may want to keep on the farm.
Emergency Medical Supplies
Category
Item
Number In-Stock
Bandages:
Sheet Cotton or Quilt Wrap
4
Roll Cotton - 1 lb
roll
1
Vet-Wrap or Ace Bandage
(2")
4
Vet-Wrap or Ace Bandage
(4")
4
Gauze roll (stretch type; ( 2")
4
Gauze roll (stretch type;
4")
4
Gauze
Pads
100
Bandaging
Tape
2
Elastikon (4")
2
White Tape
(2")
2
White Tape
(4")
1
Telfa Pads
(4")
4
Telfa Pads
(6")
4
Topical Antiseptics:
Nitrofurazone Ointment
1
Povidone-Iodine
Ointment
1
Triple Antibiotic Eye Ointment (without
steroid) 1
Cleansing Antiseptics:
Betadine Scrub (16 oz)
1
Betadine Solution (16
oz)
1
Alcohol (Isopropyl;16
oz)
1
Hydrogen Peroxide (16
oz)
1
Miscellaneous Supplies:
Fleet Enema
2
Oxygen bottle or
Abu-Bag?
1
Bandage Scissors
(7")
1
Catheter tip syringe (60
cc)
2
Red Rubber Feeding tube (10 or 12
French)
1
Rubber gloves
(pair)
2
Clean Bucket (stainless
steel)
1
Tool Box; or Tackel Box; or Rubber Maid
1
Ask your veterinarian to discuss the best methods to utilize your first-aid box so that it can be customized to your farm. Remember, your
ability to handle emergencies is only as good as you are prepared to be.
David E Anderson, DVM, MS