# Llama that is not gaining weight



## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

I have a lactating (barely) llama that has a 6 month old cria. She is barely nursing now. 

When I got her she was really emmaciated and untaken care of. She was being fed straw for feed.

She gets Alfalfa / grass twice daily with a mixture of zoo pellets, mixed lentils, rolled oats, and BOSS every evening also. She jsut does not seem to be gaining weight.

I am going to be deworming with Albon this weekend, as the vet advised it, do to fecals, but she said that it was so light that it is more of a precaution because of where she came from.

Does anyone know of something that I can give her to help her gain weight. I am just worried, as it is getting colder. I want to help her gain the weight!

Thanks
Allison


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## alyssa_romine (Oct 5, 2007)

Ask Stacey about fastrack(sp?) She will be able to help with that..I think you can give that to llamas.


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## samall (Oct 7, 2007)

Equine Senior horse pellets, and lots of it. Start with about a half coffee can per day but work her up to 3 full cans per day. My friend had a llama go down with heat stress and she came out of it, but she was skin and bones and had to put on weight fast so she wouldn't freeze during the winter. My friend consulted a vet that owns llamas and this was what she was advised to do. This all happened in the summer of '06, and the llama looks terrific now but they still give her extra feed (not as much, though). 

Right now I have an older girl that I'm trying to put weight on and that's what I'm using.


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

Perfect - I will pick those up tonight!!!

Thanks for the help!

I know that you can give Nutrical to cats and dogs - do they have something like it for llamas?

The cria is doing wonderful! Nice weight and everything!


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

The fastrack that was mentioned by Alyssa would be a wonderful addition to anyone's feeing regiment. 

I don't know all the ins and outs of raising llamas so I am glad samall is here, she knows her stuff!


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

What is fast track? Is it a powder? pellet? Paste?

She is so picky!!! She won't eat veggie, fruits, or bread.


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## PACE (Oct 8, 2007)

It's a powder, but it also comes as a paste I think. I give my goats the powder, 1 tablespoon each once a day, and they like it.


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

Cool thanks!


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

It comes in a granular powder but if you want to get it in their system faster there is a gel form of the product.

There is also a liquid form to put in their water. 

They have different fastrack formulas for different animals but it is basically just the powder form shaped into different things (like ground up finner, made into pills for dogs and cats etc). But there is a specific gel just for rumenant animals (cows, goats).


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## samall (Oct 7, 2007)

kelebek said:


> I know that you can give Nutrical to cats and dogs - do they have something like it for llamas?


I'm not sure what Nutrical is so I can't answer your question about that, but there is a product called DYNE that is available at Useful Llama Items that's supposed to be a high calorie supplement for animals that need to put weight on. I've never used it, but maybe it's the same type of thing? The website is http://www.useful-items.com & it's where I order almost all my llama supplies.

With the equine pellets....if she's too picky to try them on their own, try mixing them with her regular feed ration. We had to do that to get our old girl to eat them at first, she loves them now.


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## mystic's_mom (Oct 5, 2007)

I was going to mention the senior feed as well...Equine Merit has a wonderful senior diet...and it smells divine; I have a really picky horse, and even he couldn't resist it when I was switching him over to it (to boost his copper intake, as senior feeds have more vits\minerals) than normal feeds. 

Good luck with your llama girl!!! I love llamas! I can't wait to get my own farm again, so I can have a llama to protect my goatie herd!!!


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