# HELP with newborn cria!!



## fezz09

I went out lastnight to check my ewes at about 8:30, and my rescue llama whom I was told was NOT pregnant, had a head and two front feet hanging out of her! :0 after about a half hour with zero progression my husband and I caught her and pulled the baby, it was a HARD pull. She has cleaned and seems like a doting mother. George(cria) however is alert and bright but still has not stood up... I have been feeding him colostrum I milked out of a ewe a couple days ago when she lambed. I'm going out to give him a shot of Selon-e... Is he doomed or just weak from the hard start in life? Any help would be wonderful thanks!


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## ksalvagno

Can you put them in a stall? If you set him up, will he stand at all?

I would be giving BoSe, B Complex and an ADE vitamin shot. A shot of Banamine wouldn't hurt either.


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## fezz09

Is Bose selenium? That's what Selon-e is. I will get him the a&d shot. I put a sling on him and he stood VERY wobbly for about thirty seconds and then fell over. He is kushed properly and can move his legs so he isn't paralyzed... Just seems kinda slow!


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## fezz09

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## Snowfyre

Have you tried holding him up and next to his mom to try and get him interested in nursing? Maybe using a towel sling? Also is there any breeders/rescues in your area with cria experience. We've had babies be down for a day and still get up. Does he have any teeth or are the ears floppy? He could be slightly preemie and the tendons and such loose from the lack of selenium. I'd not be completely freaking out while he's alert. Wish you were closer.


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## fezz09

I had him up with a sling... The dam hasn't been handled, I got her at the beginning of winter. This summer I planned on working with her! She is comfortable around me, but not quiet enough to stand while I try and get her floppy baby beside her to nurse! He has teeth and his ears are a little floppy but when he looks at something, they stand completely erect. The lady that gave her to me breeds llamas and swore up and down she wasn't pregnant even though I thought she was. She rescued 12 llamas, and all the females had babies. Even the ones she thought weren't pregnant. The only reason I got Giselle is because her ears are half gone from being born in the winter, so she couldn't be resold. 


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## ThreeHavens

The fact the cria can even do that is a positive thing. I would keep getting milk down him, either through mom or bottle. I agree that selenium may help strengthen him. I'll send a prayer up for him, adorable little thing.


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## fezz09

I gave him .5mls of Selon-e(selenium) in the muscle, stood him up for a bit and bottle fed him some more colostrum! Here's hoping he gets stronger!


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## ksalvagno

He looks quite selenium deficient. The B Complex and ADE vitamins will help as well. I would also give him a Vitamin E oil gel cap.

Get him up in the sling multiple times per day to walk. I mean at least every couple hours all day long. 

He will probably come around but it is going to take work and dedication.

I would also do the colostrum for a couple days. It has a lot of good stuff in it beyond the antibodies.


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## fezz09

Super thanks  I've been moving him with the sling and he is starting to walk a bit and stand for a couple minutes at a time! I will keep giving him the colostrum and I am going to town to get the a&d today! Thanks for all the help! Fingers crossed he pulls through... His name is George and were all getting fairly attached to the wobbly little fella!


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## fezz09

So I got some more pictures of him from behind... He is standing and even walking without the sling. Still very unbalanced! He reminds me of a windswept foal?! He will not be used for any breeding, so I'm hoping he will straighten out enough to have a good quality of life babysitting goats and sheep here! 















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## sweetgoats

Could his back end been dislocated? That last picture sure looks like it.


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## fezz09

I thought maybe a hip was out. But I can rotate and move his limbs all just fine!


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## ksalvagno

Looks like loosy goosey tendons and ligaments to me. In time they should all tighten up. He is a cutie!


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## fezz09

Haha geez I guess I could get some pictures of his face to post!! He is so cute and he is a really neat grey color with a bunch of silver on his feet and tail!


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## Chadwick

I'm sorry I have to ask, is cria the word for a baby llama?


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## fezz09

Yup it is!


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## ksalvagno

Also for a baby alpaca.


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## Chadwick

Cool! Do you say it kre-a ?


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## ksalvagno

Yes


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## luvmyherd

What a great little surprise. I hope he strengthens and does just fine. I had a little buckling this season who looked a lot like that and was unbalanced. We gave him and Mom selenium and vitamin E and after a week he is holding his own with the older kids.
Good luck.
( I didn't know the name for a baby llama either. Now I will know if I am at a baby shower where they play the game where you need to know what baby animals are called.)


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## Jessica84

I'm no help but I do want to say omg!!!! Can we say cute!!!! Now I'm even more eager for my alpacas to have babies if they will be even a third that cute. Congrats!!! I'm a little jealous lol


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## GoatGirlZ

soooo i ahve lots of alpacas so i have done this many times. dip his umbilical cord give the mom some extra food. MAKE SURE HE GOT ENOUGH COLOSTRUM. it is so so incredibly important in alpacas and lamas. i hope it all goes well. Good luck!!


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## oakshirefarms

He is a cute little fella. I have to say he is the first cria that I have ever seen! Learned something new today, may thanks for that. We will be routing for him!


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## fezz09

Well he is walking a lot better... Still haven't seen him nurse, but he is starting to refuse and really fight the bottle. Will get some more pics of him today!


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## Jessica84

If he's anything like a calf or kid goat that means he's getting enough to eat.


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## sweetgoats

I was going to ask how he is doing. I just hope he is nursing when you are not looking. He is sure a sweet little guy.


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## ksalvagno

Weigh him daily. If you don't have a scale, get a hanging fish scale. It needs to weigh in pounds and ounces or pounds and tenths of pounds. This is important because it takes too long to see weight gain in only pounds and they will go down fast.


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## fezz09

I will start weighing him today 








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## ksalvagno

What a cutie pie!


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## fezz09

Well... I still haven't seen him nurse... He was practicing his sprints lastnight and doing very well considering he needed help to get up, and could hardly stand on four legs!! He is one tough cookie! I tried to tie Giselle so he could nurse, but she flips out! Not because of him, she isn't halter broke, has never been handled until I got her... I was SUPPOSED to quiet her down this summer, this cria kind of added a ripple to the plan! She is a wonderful mom, just not used to being handled. I'm really hoping he will figure out nursing if I can keep him strong... I'm afraid that could be a pipe dream 


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## ksalvagno

Is he still taking the bottle?


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## fezz09

He still fights it, but he will drink a bit. I changed the nipple and seems a little easier to get him to drink some... Realistically he should be fairly hungry if all he had is the bottles I bring out!


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## ksalvagno

Once you start weighing him daily, you will know. I like the Pritchard nipple best for crias.


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## fezz09

I tried the Pritchard nipples and he hates them! I tried my other lamb nipple that came with the bottle I bought and it seems to work a little better. The Pritchard nipples seem to lose the flutter valve as soon as I wash them and then the milk just pours out of them!


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## fezz09

GEORGE IS NURSING AND RUNNING!!! His legs only have a slight bend!! He is doing amazing!!!


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## luvmyherd

So happy to hear that!!:stars: Go George!!!


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## ksalvagno

That is great!


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## fezz09

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## nchen7

great news! he's so darn cute!


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## ksalvagno

He is just too cute! Glad he is doing well.


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## oakshirefarms

Glad to hear/see the great news! The little guy looks like he is enjoying the world!


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## fezz09

Well here are a few pics of Giselle and George I took today! He is growing like a weed and his back legs are straightening out really nicely! He is so freakin cute, and he knows it lol






















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## ksalvagno

Now you are making me miss my llamas and alpacas. Too cute!


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## fezz09

At what age did you generally wean and start working with them?


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## ksalvagno

You can start working with him now. Wean after 6 months.


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## fezz09

Cool!! Thanks 


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## ShanLouise37

George is a cutie pie.


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## fezz09

Thanks! I'm pretty in love with him lol


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