Why is she here?
Ruptured ligaments in her stifle knee joint has lead to a luxated patella...which basically means she has a dislocated knee cap, which currently resides high up on her femur. Without the ligaments to secure the patella in the correct position, she cannot extend (straighten) the leg and neither can she bear weight upon it, leaving her right hind leg to do all the work. She basically bunny-hops around the paddock.
How did it happen?
We had noticed several times after she had mated that she shook her left hind leg immediately after rising. We supposed, in our ignorance, that she was trapping a nerve, her leg had gone to sleep or perhaps she had a touch of arthritis. We now know that this is a sign of a luxating patella being pulled back into position automatically by the animal. However, this must have happened one time too many for her and her ligament finally ruptured.
Why did this happen?
We have seen a single black wolf prowling around the llama herd on a few occasions. We live on a fairly steep hillside and it is possible that she slipped on ice whilst running. She also suffered a miscarriage in April, which might also have been the result of a bad fall. Perhaps the surgery will reveal more information.
Initially we believed it to be a slight sprain as we could find no swelling, heat or other signs of broken bones or dislocation. We do not have access to a vet in this region, but we made several enquiries, yielding different ideas and solutions. hmmmm!
We gave Bella a selenium/Vitamin E injection as we live in a selenium deficient area.
We sought advice about parasites, but the symptoms did not match.
We managed to have a Horse Shiatsu/massage practitioner visit and spent two hours examining and manipulating her looking for a possible neurological problem. This is really good way of stretching the patience of a Llama, but Bella still bore our pulling and pushing with her usual placidity. On a subsequent session we finally tried her patience too far and I received my first ever direct-hit, llama spit. I won't tell you the message written in her eyes, but it was plain she had had enough for one day!
The nearest vet referred us to another veterinary about 4 hours distant, that possessed a mobile x-ray machine. A long day out and several radiographs later - we learned the true nature of the problem. Luxated patella or dislocated knee.
.......and then comes the problem of locating a surgeon who is sufficiently knowledgeable and confident to try ligament reconstruction on a Llama.
Prognosis?
At worst she will have to have the leg amputated mid-femur. We received various conflicting ideas about how well a camelid can survive on three legs. Actually 3-legged Llamas are not unheard of and we already have a sire with one completely useless leg!
At best, after a lengthy period of recuperation and much physiotherapy, she should be perfectly normal.
Luckily for us Bella is the sweetest llama imaginable and her suffering and man-handling, travels and manipulations, needles and nurses have all been taken in her usual good humour......well almost!:)
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