Broken Leg on Elder Llama

Viejo came to us from the Alamosa rescue in December of 2022. He struggled to move then as we gently herded the 25 llamas towards our huge corral. He would lay down to rest every 25 feet or so and stop at the snow piles to hydrate since they had no water. Animal control called us after knowing of this dire situation after 4 years. Carcasses lay everywhere of the casualties of this rough life with no food or water for years. Who knows how big this herd once was on 160 acres of rabbit or sage brush. But Viejo, walking with a limp favoring his left hind hip, carrying a matted fiber blanket that nearly reached the ground like a train on a wedding gown, was a survivor. He has a fine featured face with gentle eyes and not very tall - maybe 5'4" including his ears when standing erect. 

Before we named him Viejo, during the rescue, I thought he was a female resting a lot while trying to get him towards the corral.

The video here first shows Viejo eating snow and moving to the next snow pile as I approach. The others in the herd are doing the same. They have never been handled and are not that afraid of humans but they are also weak and potentially malnourished. After several days of working with them, we managed to get them all loaded and taken to our sanctuaries. This is to provide some context as to where Viejo came from and his challenges in his life. Forward to almost two years later. 

When it happened, Viejo was in the large 5 acre field we now lease. Before the  leg break he was in a one acre field since the rescue that was right outside my door with 6 other males. Viejo is intact as is Wookie, a yearling from the same rescue who has medical issues and does not digest properly. They look alike and Wookie is in love with Viejo - sticks with him and eats with him. Viejo is a good grandpa, I think.  I got to know Viejo well and enrich his diet with alfafa. He still wont take any grain. All the Alamosa llamas had not ever had grain or supplements and they are all suspicious of it. A few, I have convinced after a year or more. But Viejo is old - so I think - because his front incisors are worn down almost to the pallet and his very long matted fiber looks like 20 years worth. He must have been starving a lot in his life to wear them down his teeth on sand or hard materials. 

The move from the field was challenging as I had to yet train Viejo and Uno, another adult gelding who was part of Viejo's family, to walk about 4 "blocks" to a new field. Uno had practice within the acre. Viejo, with his limp and his age, I left alone except for administering some medications occasionally. I gave him a quick course in leading with the halter and he was fabulous. I put him behind Uno, Wookie, and a couple other trained geldings for company; and he managed the walk along the ditch with culverts appearing now and then. With patience, not pulling, and allowing him to think about the situation, he came along a little wobbly, limping slightly and was joined with his pals at the new 5 acre space. A month goes by and all is well there. 

Viejo in the center with a trim joining his buddies in the newly leased 5 acre space.

Wookie following Viejo across the field.

There are 4 more yearlings we have been raising that I have been holding in a 1.5 acre space that I wanted to combine with the adult males. Then I could give the females more space. The yearlings are becoming sexually mature and have weaned. They have to be separated from the females and have been since they were about 11 months old. It was suggested by one of my mentors why not put them all together? Sounded good to me. That should also help the youngsters adjust well being managed somewhat by adult males and learn llama manners. 

I don't know what went wrong - I didn't see it happen. I had noticed that Viejo was keeping the yearlings in check and even chasing them a little to keep them from being annoying. I was surprised and impressed at his activity level. It did not occur to me that he could be harmed. The yearlings all ran away from him whenever I saw them interact. The field is a 10 minute walk from my house though so I don't get to observe as often as I want. It's a sad situation that we lost the near field. 

November 15, I am at the newly leased 5 acre field to feed and check on the llamas with my friend, mentor, and volunteer Jodi Addis. We amble up the field as I explain Viejo often stays separated up filed a ways so I can bring him alfalfa and the others are too far away to notice so they don't interfere. Jodi sees something weird with his foot. Oh God! It's definitely broken. I'm crying as I look at how he is holding it and not walking. He is standing on three legs. Jodi makes me answer her question - "What are you going to do with him?"
"I'm going to move him away from the others."
"Then what?", she wants to know.
"I don't know - stabilize his leg, I hope." 
Will we have to put him down? Is this fixable? What are the options? I'm crying and trying to think straight. I get a halter and Jodi assists with herding/walking him to the corrals. He can do it - hobbling on three legs. He is amazing - strong, not crying, not giving up, not fussing. I am just getting more scared at losing this amazingly resilient elder llama. Seeing him move three legged around, I decide we have to stabilized his leg. Jodi says she can help splint it. I love Jodi - she is always up for a tough medical situation and does not shy away from trying to help from the grossest wounds to broken legs, she is always there <3 !

Left rear cannon bone broken :-o

Viejo's Broken Leg
​Video

https://youtube.com/shorts/3-SZPydpkLo?feature=share

With a human splint meant for a human shin or ankle, Jodi and I manage to wrap it around his leg and then put vet wrap on it to hold it in place.

With his leg stabilized using an ankle/shin split I saved, Viejo is able to touch his toe to the ground a bit. He is feeling more confident as am I that we can transport him if we find a veterinarian willing to but a cast on him. Villiage Veterinary Hospital in Los Lunas calls me back fairly promptly. Dr. Jablinski is glad to hear it is his cannon bone - that could be cast. I am relieved she says to bring him in. I have a trailer with a ramp and since he did learn a little about leading recently, I think I can get him in the trailer. Going through this trauma with llamas always brings out the best in the llama, I feel. They seem to know they are being helped and they are usually very good patients if they know me. I don't mind spending the money on their treatment since they will become very loyal and trusting llamas after the trauma is over, if they make it. I am full of admiration for Viejo as he loads in the trailer. Getting the xrays was a piece of cake with him. He hung his leg off the edge of the trailer floor giving the best vantage for the mobile xray machine as if he know what we wanted him to do. 

Viejo walks with a cast video:

https://youtube.com/shorts/z31RVKu7-2E?feature=share