8 month old cria down - dying -- pls help! -- maybe it's the tree!

[Shiloh Acres]

My 8 mo old male cria didn't come for his feed today and I found him lying on his side in his shady spot.

He's breathing but cannot even lift his head. I can't find any cause. His temp appears to be low - pads feel cold. Legs are ... They move too freely, ESP front ones. Very loose. No signs of diarrhea. No sign of bloating.

I know this isn't much. He was fine yesterday. I'm at a loss what to even check for. He won't eat or drink. Too weak. He knows I'm there but doesn't even try to get up. Barely raised his head only once. He's pretty comfortable with being handled though.

I'm going to go check his temp and see if I can time his resps. Wanted to ask first so I can know what else to look for.

Just no info except he's down, chilled, very very weak. I don't have any ideas. The adult female is fine. He's unsheared, temp was low 90s here briefly yesteday but he was fine through weeks of 105 weather. Goats all seem fine too. All eat pretty much same hay and browse but diff feed. He can't get their minerals.

Thanks.

 

[ksalvagno]

I would start with Banamine if you have it. Is the any possibility that he somehow got injured? It is too quick for Meningeal worm. Also if you have some gastroguard or Sulcrafate, I would some of that into him.

Did he get his vaccinations? The other thing that comes to mind is clostridium or he ate something poisonous.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

I don't have any of those. . Vet wouldn't hive me banamine when I asked. I'll try another vet but it's a drive and I'll have to leave him. Will call and ask on the others. Thanks.

 

[ksalvagno]

The Banamine is 1cc per 100 lbs. The Sulcrafate is 1 tab per 50 lbs. The Gastroguard would be 2-3 clicks. If you can, I would really get the Banamine. If you can get a bottle of Banamine, I would get one and keep it in the refridge. It always comes in handy.

I don't understand these vets that won't sell a bottle of Banamine to livestock owners. I guess I'm really lucky. I can pretty much get what I need/want. There are some drugs that the vets legally can't sell to the average person but I don't need those drugs anyway.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

No vacs.

They ate from a tree yesterday that maybe wasn't in their reach before. Leaves long thin and pointed. Looks like hackberrry which they love except no berries and is covered with thorns.

I don't think anything else could have poisoned him. They do eat from the center of a round bale and it finally rained a couple of days last week. But the bale didn't seem to absorb water at the top. A RIR hen has taken to flying up there past 3 days. But it's a huge bale. He can't even reach the top.

I have not read on clostridium. I'll look it up. Thank you.

 

[ksalvagno]

A CD/T vaccine prevents the clostridium problems. Not sure if that is the case but it could be. Also, whatever that tree is could have been poisonous for the alpacas. If you can get some of that charcoal to give him, that would be good.

If a bale of hay was moldy, it would take more than a day to hurt the alpaca. I'm really suspecting that tree that they ate from. Also, they don't have any access to sunflower seeds do they? I found out on AlpacaNation that an overload of sunflower seeds killed a few alpacas in someone's herd.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

No sunflower seeds he could have gotten to. Or at least no more than one or two accidentally carried in and even that's doubtful. It's a llama btw. Can't believe I forgot to say so. The breeder might have given cdt actually. Sorry I am so scatterbrained thinking about it all. I can't get the breeder. He's at work.

Trying to find out what the tree is. I think hay is fine. I pull some fir the boy goats every day and I never noticed any problems. I do check.

Thank you. Still trying to track down those meds and I'd that tree. Thanks

 

[ksalvagno]

Llama or alpaca doesn't matter, they get the same meds with the same dosages. I hope you are able to get the meds and the little guy pulls through for you.

 

[ksalvagno]

Are there any farms around you that might have the Banamine? Maybe a local farm would be willing to sell you a syringe of it.

I just thought of this. Are there ticks in your area? Someone posted on this forum about their llama having a tick paralysis.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Tick is first thing I thought of but ... He is weak in the neck too. Not sure?

Feed store is out of or hasn't heard of those. . Gave me a mans name nearby that raises them. He thinks it's worms. Said he lost half a herd just that way years ago (he thinks so cuz they run with goats and truly there is one goat I can't seem to get cleared that I'm been considering culling -- her eyelids always white). He said I should give 3cc cydectin orally and water w electrolytes and try to feed him briars. Maybe b-12. And 1ccper 100 lb cydectin for the female - who should be pg.

So far I can't find anyone with any of those you suggested.