To verify your vet will be totally prepared to give you the most valuable information for
your situation, consider the following questions before you call. The more information
you can provide to your vet the better for the most accurate diagnosis.
1. Evaluate the situation visually
Are the eyes dull or watering?
Is the animal able to stand?
Is the animal eating? Drinking water?
Does the animal have diarrhea?
Constipation?
Are the gums bright pink or dull
and/or yellow?
Is the nose running?
Does the animal walk normally?
Limping? Act drunk?
Take the temperature. Is it normal?
Listen to breathing. Is it labored?
Fast or slow?
Is there any mucus discharge from
nose, eyes, rectum, or vagina?
Is there any apparent physical injury?
What is your gut feeling about
the problem?
2. Evaluate events
Have you just returned from a show?
Have you brought any new animals
onto the farm?
Has there been a drastic change in
the weather?
Have you changed feed or mineral
supplements?
Is the animal pregnant? How
far along?
Could the animal have been exposed
to poisonous plants?
How long since the animal has been
wormed? Vaccinated? Sheared?
Once you have considered all of the above you will have enough information to call a
vet or treat the animal. If the animal is down and cannot get up, try to get it to a sheltered
area and call your vet immediately. The carry sling is a great tool for moving down animals.
It you don’t have enough people to carry the animal, roll it onto the sling and drag it to
shelter. The more of the above questions you can answer when you call your vet the better
he or she will be able to assist with the problem.
Reprinted from Lincolnland Lama News Aug 2010