The Alpaca Vet

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The Alpaca Vet

This page provides a more interactive link to my official website found at www.ukalpacavet.com.

The Alpaca Vet (legally known as Camelid Veterinary Services Ltd) provides training for owners and vets caring for camelids, consultancy and veterinary services for camelids. I plan to provide news about health issues affecting camelids, mostly in the UK and Europe, but also worldwide where applicable. I will also post information about upcoming courses and other educational events offered by Came

lid Veterinary Services. If you have specific questions about sick camelids, please email me directly.

01/06/2026

Training #3 is live: the 𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗗 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 (a clear process to follow).

Comment TRAINING and I’ll send you the link.

31/05/2026

Egg counts are useful—but not the whole story.

Free live Parasite Case Clinic Wednesday 3rd June.
Link in first comment.

30/05/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗽:

waiting too long vs treating without a plan.

Free live case clinic on Zoom - Wednesday 3rd June (replay for registrants).

Link below in the first comment!

30/05/2026

Parasites are one of the most common reasons alpaca owners feel blindsided by weight loss, weakness and “mystery” declines.

I’m hosting a free live Zoom training:
𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗮 𝗢𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 (𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗮 𝗢𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀)
Wednesday 3rd June, 8pm UK (replay available to registered attendees)

Comment 𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗘 and I’ll send you the registration link.

29/05/2026

𝗙𝗨𝗡 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗬!!! 🔥 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗮𝘀

In female alpacas, ovulation does not occur at a set point during a cycle as it does in many other species.

Instead, the physical act of mating triggers a cascade of hormonal changes that lead to ovulation.

During mating, an ovulation inducing factor (ß-NGF) that is present in the semen is absorbed through the wall of the uterus and this causes the female to release hormones that signal the ovaries to release an egg.

This process ensures that ovulation occurs at the most favourable time for fertilisation.
Because ovulation occurs shortly after mating, the timing between s***m and egg is highly synchronised. This increases the likelihood of successful pregnancy.

Nature has designed an efficient system to ensure reproduction occurs when conditions are right.

Did you know alpacas rely on mating to trigger ovulation? Let us know below!

29/05/2026

Training #2 is live:

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 (and why problems keep coming back).

You'll find the link in first comment.

28/05/2026

𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 🌿

As we move towards the end of May and pastures continue to change, it’s worth taking another look at your herd’s feeding setup.

Alpacas and llamas need at least 3ft (90cm) of trough space per animal to help prevent stress, crowding, and competition during feeding time.

When feeding areas are too tight, lower-ranking animals within the herd hierarchy are often pushed away — which can lead to nutritional imbalance and unnecessary tension in the group.

A few simple adjustments now can support healthier, calmer feeding as we head into the next season. 💚

For more practical, expert-backed camelid care advice, the The Camelid Care Handbook is an essential resource for alpaca and llama owners.

👉 You can order this online at your preferred online retailer… But if you’d prefer to support the author over filling Jeff Bezos’ pockets (!), order from our website if you’re in the UK (with free shipping!) https://www.ukalpacavet.com/.../the-camelid-care.../
or from my own personal online bookstore if you’re outside the UK: https://books.by/the-alpaca-vet

28/05/2026

Free live training on Zoom:

Parasite Case Clinic (replay for registrants): Wednesday 3rd June, 8pm UK time.

Link in first comment.

28/05/2026

Many owners feel the stressful part is over once the cria is delivered.

But in reality, some of the most important monitoring starts AFTER birth.

Those first few hours are critical for:
• nursing
• colostrum intake
• bonding
• temperature regulation
• and recognising subtle weakness early

This is Part 6 of my Cria Season Series for alpaca and llama owners.

Next:
the first 6–24 hours after birth — and why this period is so important for cria survival.

27/05/2026

𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗔 𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦 • 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝟲

The cria is born…
everyone relaxes…
and then some of the most important monitoring gets missed.
Many serious newborn problems do not begin DURING the birth itself.

They begin afterwards.

In the first few hours after delivery, some of the most important things to monitor include:
• breathing
• responsiveness
• attempts to sit and stand
• bonding behaviour
• nursing behaviour
• warmth
• and whether the female passes the placenta normally.

One particularly important point:
owners often assume that because a cria is standing, it must also be nursing successfully.

That is not always true.

A cria may:
• appear bright
• stand repeatedly
• search around the udder

…and still fail to consume enough colostrum.

Those first feeds matter enormously because the cria relies on colostrum antibodies absorbed during the first hours of life for immune protection.

This is also the point where subtle weakness, prematurity or poor maternal behaviour may first become obvious.

This is Part 6 of my Cria Season Series for alpaca and llama owners.

Next:
the first 6–24 hours after birth — and where many serious newborn problems actually begin.

Address

The Old Barracks, Lady Grove, Goring Heath
Reading
RG87RU

Telephone

+44 (0) 1491 680313

Website

http://www.ukalpacavet.com/

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