Alpaca blood tests

Well it was that time of year we all dread, and I'm sure we can count our vet Andres as one of the "dreadies" also!  The date was planned for the testing of TB and brucellosis, plus the annual jabs for the dogs too.  As the two mastines suffer with terrible travel sickness.... not that we can even get them into the car in the first place, Andres comes and does it all in one go, well it all takes quite a lot of goes really!

Leading up to the dreaded day we make the most of alpaca cuddling, kissing and smelling (ooooh they smell lovely).  Well ok that's just me then!  We even make the noise like clippers to try and prepare them for the real thing.  Sadly nothing can really prepare them for the real thing.  I'm not sure if they recognise Andres, or if it is just his shaving equipment is louder than the one we try and emulate, but the majority of our alpacas leap about more like blooming kangaroo's.

We began with the boys and, well all alpaca owners know how difficult it can be to get a needle in their teeny weeny veins, and most of them took a few attempts.  Andres had his nephew with him to assist.  He is in his last year at the Cordoba Vetinary College in Cordoba.  I'm pretty sure he will not be advertising his services for alpaca owners unless he really has too.  Poor guy got kicked quite a few times.  To be fair the alpacas were not purposely kicking him, however the shaver Andres was using, often tickled the backs of the alpacas legs, so their reaction was to kick.  Cor I bet he had some bruises!!!

Slowly we got through the alpacas, the girls were much better behaved I must add, so now it was time for the dogs.  Most the dogs are extremely pleased to see anyone, and even Andres.  Sadly though not our Arthur, one of the mastines. Last year was terrible, when he is on his back legs he reaches nearly 6 foot tall, but he ran and hid like a baby, when he saw him.  I think he has flash backs of his castration that took place in our apartment just a couple of years ago!  Andres did try again to give him his injections, but he just gets so nervous and upset Andres allows Alan to do it, and he is fine with that.

Thank goodness that's over for a while!

Andres favourite alpaca, Cassandra

And his nightmare, the handsome Arthur!