the animal to move its body freely even when restrained by the head. It is theorized that a snug neck wrap creates a heightened physical connection between the head and the rest of the body, or it might act as a distraction to the animal. Sometimes, the neck wrap does not have any effect on the animal, but in the author's experience, working with many difficult animals, she has experienced amazing transformations using the neck wrap. To be most effective, the neck wrap should be put on before working with the animal. The neck wrap should be applied inside a confined area (Figures 2.17 and 2.18).
Figure 2.15 Demonstration of application of the handler helper to an alpaca to aid in controlling the animal. The tool makes it easy to balance the animal while offering some distance from the handler. You can also leave the handler helper on while the animal is in a pen making it easier to re‐catch the animal later.
Figure 2.16 Alpaca with the handler helper in place.
Figure 2.17 Application of a neck wrap to an alpaca to help keep the animal calm.
Trimming Toenails
Trimming toenails should be done routinely, and may be performed by the owner, shearer, or veterinarian. Properly trimmed toenails are important for the health of the animal and esthetics. Likely, a major reason that this procedure is challenging is that the animals are not taught to accept having their legs handled before attempts are made to pick up their feet. In other words, we must not ask an animal to pick up his feet before we teach him to pick up his feet.
Camelids frequently exhibit adverse behavior during toenail trimming. The reason for this is unknown but it may be because they use their legs as their primary means of defense (running from dangerous situations), and they are instinctively protecting their major defense mechanism. It is also important to note that male camelids frequently bite the legs of other males during fighting, and females to encourage them to cush for breeding. In addition to these factors, there is an inherent problem in how humans handle their feet and legs, inciting fear in these animals.
Figure 2.18 Alpaca with neck wrap in place.
The actual trimming of toenails does not require much time, or any specialized tools and it does not have to hurt. It does not require any particular skill or strength to snip off the extra growth of a toenail, particularly when animals have been standing on damp or wet grass. “Nibbling” rather than cutting big chunks is recommended to avoid quicking the animal, which is painful. If small “nibbles” are removed at a time, any mistake will be a small one. The quick grows along with the toenails so you cannot assume that you can take big hunks off even if the animal has exceptionally long toenails.
Holding the leg and foot long enough to trim toenails is commonly the most challenging part of the toenail trimming procedure. Llamas and alpacas learn quickly how effective it is to simply lay down and hide their feet very tightly under their body or to fight so hard that it becomes impossible to get near the legs or feet.
Veterinarians do not have the luxury of multiple sessions with the animal to teach him to accept toenail trimming and most owners with a herd of animals will not take the time to completely desensitize all of their animals. Fortunately, there are things you can do that will help make the process easier for you when you trim and avoid making the process traumatic for the animal thereby making the next round of trimming harder.
Sedation is highly recommended for difficult animals. Camelids hate restraint, and a fight over toenails will not be quickly forgotten and may affect how the animal feels about other handling tasks. Escape and evasion techniques learned in the process of having its toenails trimmed can be employed to thwart haltering and other handling chores at a later date. The author has spoken with many veterinarians who were able to successfully wean an animal off sedation. What does not work is hoping that repeated horrible experiences will somehow result in cooperation.
Success with toenails is best achieved by using the principles of balance and a no‐restraint approach to catching (see the midline catch, handler helper, and containment above). Animals do not feel safe if they are not in balance, falling down is the WORST outcome. Most toenail fights are a result of humans making the animal feel vulnerable and out of balance. More detail on these techniques follows. The author's personal favorite for trimming toenails is to work inside a trailer, but any small sturdy space will work better than tying. The most crucial element of the setup is to create a way of limiting movement without tying the animal tightly or using physical restraint. Trailers are small, sturdy and have a top, which limits the animals' inclination to jump. A neck wrap can be helpful, but success is mostly about BALANCE! A camelid's legs are their escape equipment and as such are crucial to their survival. Working in a way that makes a camelid feel as if they might fall is going to cause panic and the animal will do everything he can to escape. To help the animal feel safe and help him maintain control of his own balance always work so that the animal is standing next to a panel and NEVER between two humans. If you have a helper, his job is to act as a “balance spotter” – that means to help the animal keep his own balance and NOT to be dependent on the human. The handler at the head will make small corrections using the head/neck to help the animal keep his own balance. The toenail trimmer will keep the foot under the body in a natural position and will pay attention to signals that the animal needs a break and allow it to have its foot back. A camelid in balance is standing so that its head is lined up with its neck, its neck is in line with its body, and the body is held naturally over the feet, similarly to the way a judge wants to see an animal stand in the show ring. If your helper is not actively helping the animal keep its balance, chances are he will be inadvertently causing the animal to be off balance. A light support using the bracelet described previously is a great technique and can be combined with the handler helper at the top of the neck, combined with a flat hand under the jaw as a support, to offer more distance and the animal will not feel as threatened. Another way to help ensure you are not disrupting an animal's balance is to use a holster strapped to your lower leg (Figure 2.19).
Figure 2.19 A holster on the lower leg, can be useful when trimming feet to allow retrieval of the trimers while maintaining the animal's balance.
With a holster on your leg, you can use one hand on the top line to shift the animal's balance as you lift the leg with the other hand. In this way, you can help the animal feel safe and in balance as you work with its feet. The animal's weight should remain on the leg until you ask the animal to lift the foot. Another balancing technique for