Llama Surgery - Fast Recovery

Just a short progress report on Bella:

Just 12 days after major surgery for a luxated patella to a hind limb, Bella is now standing on her own without requiring assistance or encouragement.

This might seem like an insignificant fact to broadcast on the Internet, but this blog will hopefully provide essential information to people with animals with the same type of injury. According to the surgeon, there is only one previous medical reference to a luxated patella (dislocated knee cap), caused by a ruptured patella tendon, in a Llama and the treatment in that instance was euthanasia.

Euthanasia was the first choice offered to us for Bella. The thought was that camelids cannot live with only 3 legs and therefore could not recover from an operation of this magnitude. This is not a fault on the part of the veterinarian, because the vet relies on available information to make decisions on many illnesses and injuries, just as a doctor will prescribe remedies according to available information. No information available then no choice!

Well, it seems that llamas and alpacas can happily operate on three legs and there are many such instances. If Bella's operation fails, then she still has this option.

We are treading an unknown path just now - unsure how long recovery will take and what amount of assistance she will need. Once the cast has been removed she will need extensive physiotherapy whilst wearing a steel leg brace.........or maybe she will manage fine on her own.

These ramblings about Bella are dedicated therefore, to all other animals and humans experiencing similar challenges!