Please pray for Shakespeare
Wow, what a week – lots to write about!
The first thing that comes to mind is poor little Shakespeare (the alpaca, not the bard!). He has been, and is still extremely ill and is not out of the woods yet.
I was sitting at my desk on Monday morning and Johan phoned (from home) to say that S. was ill – unable to move and his legs were totally uncoordinated and thrashing around. He took him to the local vet (who had been trained in Australia so we assumed he was the only vet around who knew about alpacas) . Johan then came back and took the mom along. Alpacas are highly social animals and get very distressed if alone.
Any way the symptoms were – lack of muscle coordination, apparently blue colouring in the mouth and lack of ability to suckle – could not latch on.
He was treated with antibiotics etc and when I arrived at the vet late that afternoon he was lying down and totally unable to move – but eyes were bright. We moved him into the shade and went home and cried – he did not look good at all. The vet recommended that he be put onto a drip which, when I got home, I phoned the receptionist and told them to go ahead. On my way to my stained glass lessons, I popped in just before they closed- he had been put into one of those little cages, covered with a blanket and was surrounded by barking yapping dogs – his mother was freaking out in a small paddock between two buildings outside. It was pathetic, I lay down on the ground next to him, stroking his head and telling him he had to get well. When I went out to see Patricia she was frantic and could smell him on my hands. They make the most pathetic noises, like mmmmm mmmm. The vet had not been given the message about the drip but said she would do it. Quite frankly I didn’t think he’d last the night.
The next morning I phoned – told them they had to put him back with his mother, they would both end up with ulcers and stress related diseases if they were kept apart. Also what was happening about the mother – her milk would either dry up or she’d get mastitis if they didn’t do something. I also sent out an email to all the other alpaca breeders who sent in their ideas and experiences. One guy said he had had a similar case and the post-mortem had revealed pasturella. UNofrtunatly everyone kept referring to the animals in the past tense and even the vet in Daleside had referred to onlyt knowing what was going on when they did an autopsy.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, I lost my temper and had a very tearful temper tantrum at the vet and over the telephone – they just weren’t treating them correctly in my point of view – not from a medication side, but because they separated them and didn’t seem to be seeing them as a unit. I yelled at them “they are not sheep, you are treating them as if they were just a sheep! They’re NOT!!! So, they said if I thought they were incompetent then I should just come and take my animals away – which I did. Very unpleasant.
So, I phoned ONdestepoort who were full of bureaucratic claptrap and were phoning me back to say that Vet X could not see them without his superiors OK, who needed authorisation from the original vet etc etc so I told them to get lost and loaded them up in the bakkie and took them to my firend Lees – weeping hysterically all the time!
I picked him up to put him in the bakkie, his legs dangled, his neck drooped, it was awful.
Anyway, got them to Kempton Park, put them in a nice stable with a camera, we milked the mum (down on the ground, me lying on the neck (wearing a very pretty pale pink suit!), Lee on the back and Natalie milking!) and Lee fed S with a bottle – he could not grip or suck on the bottle either.
The next day – he was bottle fed again (God bless Natalie and Lee) and in the afternoon Lee mentioned to me that they had found some ticks on him – off to Google = ticks + alpaca + paralysis = eureka! Tick paralysis!!!!! Potentially fatal if the paralysis reaches the lungs. Symptoms fitted like a glove! So poor little S was given a Dectomax injection, smeared all over with Frontline (not appreciated) and all ticks removed – now we have to wait and see but at least we think we know what we are fighting now. So far it appears that he had been treated (with accompanying costs) for everything under the sun except for what he actually had! It all fell into place as soon as we noticed the ticks. And then we remembered, we were watching him leap and jump around on Sunday and noticed that the tip of his tail was drooping so were concerned that he had broken it – couldn’t see anything wrong so dismissed it only to wake up the next morning to find him unable to get up.
Being emotionally drained and exhausted the next morning after my tirade, off I went to the British High Commission in Pretoria to get my passport renewed. Mistake. This had already been a long saga thanks to the British National Health system. My mom had had a minor heart attack 2 weeks ago – had to happen just as my passport expired. So I was very nervous that I would suddenly have to make a quick flight over to the UK. I phoned and was told that things could be speeded up if I had a letter from the doctor. Sounds simple but took almost 2 weeks – even with my cousin phoning, visiting, asking etc on my behalf! As she said “You’d be quicker forging one than trying to get action out of this lot”! Many thanks to Linda for her perseverance and help – especially for visiting my mum!
So, as I say, off I went to Pretoria – found the place and sat in the queue – no 24… took about an hour and then it was my turn! Now, I had had my photo taken – smiling, then a friend said that would not be accepted so I had another one taken – not smiling. Now either because of my facial structure, big teeth or whatever, in repose my lips do not close = teeth showing ever so slightly! Immediately the counter assistant said, these photos are not acceptable! AAAARGH! OK, keep calm. Then she rejected Samantha’s application. Sam had previously been on my passport which necessitated supplying all the documents etc when that happened – but now that she needed her own – I need to supply all the birth certificates etc again. OK, deep breath, then the cashier said that only cash or a bank issued cheque was acceptable – and the prices were going up tomorrow and actually had already gone up since I last enquired. Another deep breath – out in the sun, into the car and followed the arm waving of the parking assistant – straight onto the highway to Polokwane instead of to the shopping centre where there was a photographer. Had to get off at the next offramp (had to pay a toll to get off the road that I had never wanted to be on in the first place) and then navigate back through the wilderness of Pretoria and its one way roads – so in the end it took me 3 hours to get sorted out. Not the thing to do when one is feeling fragile and emotional!
But there is some very good news – I am now in my second week of weight watchers and have lost 3 KGS!!!!! It is so nice to have comfortable clothes again, but there are still great piles of clothes that don’t fit….. 5 more weeks to go. I have just never lost the weight that I gained 2 years ago due to our UK trip – all those toasted teacakes and pub meals, and it just slowly slowly kept piling on… so now I have admitted that I can't do it myself and go to weight watchers – they come to out offices once a week to weigh us.
Latest news of Shakespeare - not looking good, losing appetite. 4 days of stress, paralysis etc is taking its toll. Will keep you posted.
Wow, what a week – lots to write about!
The first thing that comes to mind is poor little Shakespeare (the alpaca, not the bard!). He has been, and is still extremely ill and is not out of the woods yet.
I was sitting at my desk on Monday morning and Johan phoned (from home) to say that S. was ill – unable to move and his legs were totally uncoordinated and thrashing around. He took him to the local vet (who had been trained in Australia so we assumed he was the only vet around who knew about alpacas) . Johan then came back and took the mom along. Alpacas are highly social animals and get very distressed if alone.
Any way the symptoms were – lack of muscle coordination, apparently blue colouring in the mouth and lack of ability to suckle – could not latch on.
He was treated with antibiotics etc and when I arrived at the vet late that afternoon he was lying down and totally unable to move – but eyes were bright. We moved him into the shade and went home and cried – he did not look good at all. The vet recommended that he be put onto a drip which, when I got home, I phoned the receptionist and told them to go ahead. On my way to my stained glass lessons, I popped in just before they closed- he had been put into one of those little cages, covered with a blanket and was surrounded by barking yapping dogs – his mother was freaking out in a small paddock between two buildings outside. It was pathetic, I lay down on the ground next to him, stroking his head and telling him he had to get well. When I went out to see Patricia she was frantic and could smell him on my hands. They make the most pathetic noises, like mmmmm mmmm. The vet had not been given the message about the drip but said she would do it. Quite frankly I didn’t think he’d last the night.
The next morning I phoned – told them they had to put him back with his mother, they would both end up with ulcers and stress related diseases if they were kept apart. Also what was happening about the mother – her milk would either dry up or she’d get mastitis if they didn’t do something. I also sent out an email to all the other alpaca breeders who sent in their ideas and experiences. One guy said he had had a similar case and the post-mortem had revealed pasturella. UNofrtunatly everyone kept referring to the animals in the past tense and even the vet in Daleside had referred to onlyt knowing what was going on when they did an autopsy.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, I lost my temper and had a very tearful temper tantrum at the vet and over the telephone – they just weren’t treating them correctly in my point of view – not from a medication side, but because they separated them and didn’t seem to be seeing them as a unit. I yelled at them “they are not sheep, you are treating them as if they were just a sheep! They’re NOT!!! So, they said if I thought they were incompetent then I should just come and take my animals away – which I did. Very unpleasant.
So, I phoned ONdestepoort who were full of bureaucratic claptrap and were phoning me back to say that Vet X could not see them without his superiors OK, who needed authorisation from the original vet etc etc so I told them to get lost and loaded them up in the bakkie and took them to my firend Lees – weeping hysterically all the time!
I picked him up to put him in the bakkie, his legs dangled, his neck drooped, it was awful.
Anyway, got them to Kempton Park, put them in a nice stable with a camera, we milked the mum (down on the ground, me lying on the neck (wearing a very pretty pale pink suit!), Lee on the back and Natalie milking!) and Lee fed S with a bottle – he could not grip or suck on the bottle either.
The next day – he was bottle fed again (God bless Natalie and Lee) and in the afternoon Lee mentioned to me that they had found some ticks on him – off to Google = ticks + alpaca + paralysis = eureka! Tick paralysis!!!!! Potentially fatal if the paralysis reaches the lungs. Symptoms fitted like a glove! So poor little S was given a Dectomax injection, smeared all over with Frontline (not appreciated) and all ticks removed – now we have to wait and see but at least we think we know what we are fighting now. So far it appears that he had been treated (with accompanying costs) for everything under the sun except for what he actually had! It all fell into place as soon as we noticed the ticks. And then we remembered, we were watching him leap and jump around on Sunday and noticed that the tip of his tail was drooping so were concerned that he had broken it – couldn’t see anything wrong so dismissed it only to wake up the next morning to find him unable to get up.
Being emotionally drained and exhausted the next morning after my tirade, off I went to the British High Commission in Pretoria to get my passport renewed. Mistake. This had already been a long saga thanks to the British National Health system. My mom had had a minor heart attack 2 weeks ago – had to happen just as my passport expired. So I was very nervous that I would suddenly have to make a quick flight over to the UK. I phoned and was told that things could be speeded up if I had a letter from the doctor. Sounds simple but took almost 2 weeks – even with my cousin phoning, visiting, asking etc on my behalf! As she said “You’d be quicker forging one than trying to get action out of this lot”! Many thanks to Linda for her perseverance and help – especially for visiting my mum!
So, as I say, off I went to Pretoria – found the place and sat in the queue – no 24… took about an hour and then it was my turn! Now, I had had my photo taken – smiling, then a friend said that would not be accepted so I had another one taken – not smiling. Now either because of my facial structure, big teeth or whatever, in repose my lips do not close = teeth showing ever so slightly! Immediately the counter assistant said, these photos are not acceptable! AAAARGH! OK, keep calm. Then she rejected Samantha’s application. Sam had previously been on my passport which necessitated supplying all the documents etc when that happened – but now that she needed her own – I need to supply all the birth certificates etc again. OK, deep breath, then the cashier said that only cash or a bank issued cheque was acceptable – and the prices were going up tomorrow and actually had already gone up since I last enquired. Another deep breath – out in the sun, into the car and followed the arm waving of the parking assistant – straight onto the highway to Polokwane instead of to the shopping centre where there was a photographer. Had to get off at the next offramp (had to pay a toll to get off the road that I had never wanted to be on in the first place) and then navigate back through the wilderness of Pretoria and its one way roads – so in the end it took me 3 hours to get sorted out. Not the thing to do when one is feeling fragile and emotional!
But there is some very good news – I am now in my second week of weight watchers and have lost 3 KGS!!!!! It is so nice to have comfortable clothes again, but there are still great piles of clothes that don’t fit….. 5 more weeks to go. I have just never lost the weight that I gained 2 years ago due to our UK trip – all those toasted teacakes and pub meals, and it just slowly slowly kept piling on… so now I have admitted that I can't do it myself and go to weight watchers – they come to out offices once a week to weigh us.
Latest news of Shakespeare - not looking good, losing appetite. 4 days of stress, paralysis etc is taking its toll. Will keep you posted.
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