Bella - Unable to Cush

Just a brief update on Bella's situation today.

Bella has been getting around quite well with her hind left leg in a cast. Unfortunately, two days ago she appeared to be in some discomfort - her neck was crooked, her ears were down and she remained standing in one spot.

We gave her a careful examination, but could find no obvious problems or signs of distress. (she is such an amazingly well behaved llama that we can do anything to her without a flinch!)

We tried to encourage her to cush by holding her legs, but to no avail. She did finally cush when we put a lead rope on her neck and pulled. However, she remained down for only 30 seconds, before leaping to her feet again.

We manually evacuated her bowel as she seemed to have some difficulty herself, but no real concerns there and the 'bean factory' still seems to be running!

Her temperature was 39.2 which is just a shade above normal, but then so is the weather.

Nothing to do but wait. She remained standing for about 40 hours before finally getting down. She actually stayed down for around 3 minutes, but the pain was obviously too much and she got up again. Apart from the obvious cast-formed leg, her mobility seems normal. What can it be?

An hour later she cushed again for about ten minutes and then again a little later, but this time only the front went down and she remained like this for a minute or more. Finally, a clue to the problem! Her right hind leg is obviously painful to bend and painful to sit on.

This isn't good news. We have examined every inch of her leg and can find no swelling, heat, lesion or sore.

She is grazing and eating normally and yesterday and this morning she seems perky and is walking around the small isolation paddock - perhaps even more mobile than she has been to date.

We will have to wait and see what happens as travelling is out of the question for her right now, without being suspended.

Any clues anyone?