be used to allow for a more thorough and careful job.
Microchipping
Microchipping is a method of identification and a popular practice in camelids. The preferred location is the top line or shoulder for two reasons: it is easy to insert the microchip under this loose skin, and it is easy to read once inserted. If the chip is to be inserted in the body, the same handling principles discussed for injections apply. If the microchip is to be inserted in the ear, it is recommended to prepare the animal by working with ears first and to use a neck wrap if available. Working ears can be done with a catch rope or handler helper at the top of the neck or with the animal haltered. Camelids tend to be ear sensitive, influenced by experiences within the herd. By slowly moving the hand from the head to the base of the ear and gradually to the tip, camelids will tend to accept gentle stroking (Figure 2.44).
Figure 2.44 Working with the ears helps facilitate easier haltering as well as medical treatment of the ears.
Earring
Earring is a technique that can be used to eliminate movement (Figure 2.45). Earring can be done humanely. If it is done correctly, it does not cause pain, but suggests to the animal that if it does move, it might be painful. The author compares it to someone holding my earrings firmly in each hand. It would not hurt but she can promise you she is not going to move around for fear that the movement might cause pain. The process involves squeezing upwardly and not twisting the base of the ear. The process of earring should not be painful. Earring preoccupies the animal and makes him reluctant to move. Hurting an animal by twisting the ears causes a fight; it does not prevent one.
Earring should not be used as a primary method for controlling an animal, but as a last resort. Times when this technique may be useful include placing a microchip in the ear. The animal must be still until the microchip has been inserted and the tool removed from the ear. If the animal tosses his head at the wrong moment, the tool used to insert the microchip can rip the skin of the ear. It is not possible to follow the movement of the ear and allow freedom of the head for this procedure.
The animal can be prepared for the earring by stroking the ear from the base to the tip with the bottom edge of the hand. If the animal is nervous, strokes should be faster at first and then slow down. A neck wrap is an extremely helpful tool for this procedure. A mini‐catch pen or trailer is ideal. Grasp the base of the right ear and squeeze up firmly. Make sure that the nose is pointed forward, the head is in line over the neck, that the neck is in a comfortable angle and in line with the body, and that the body is in balance over the feet. In other words, make sure your animal is in balance.
Figure 2.45 Earring humanely requires that the ear be squeezed but never twisted.
Sedation
Many medical procedures are uncomfortable but not painful. Furthermore, many techniques are performed quickly. Sedation should be considered for medical procedures that are painful, and those that are long. Animals that are particularly highly strung or agitated may benefit from sedation for procedures for which other animals may not require sedation. Animals that are not able to stand quietly in a chute without restraint are candidates for sedation. It is more preferable to sedate a patient than risk injury to helpers, the animal, or yourself. By successfully performing a procedure in a sedated, but conscious animal, the animal may learn that the procedure itself is not bad and sedation may not be necessary in the future. For details about sedation protocols, see Chapter 6.
Halter Fit
Improper halter fit creates a multitude of behavioral problems. Box 2.4 lists some common behavioral problems that can be related to poor halter fit. A camelid's small head, coupled with the leverage provided by their long neck, make proper halter fit trickier and more important. Improperly fitted halters can interfere with the animal's ability to breathe, eat, and ruminate.[5]
Box 2.4 Behavioral Problems Related to Improperly Fitting Halters
Animal misbehaves when on a lead rope
Animal kicks when being worked with
Animal spits and kushes inappropriately when being worked with
Animal is averse to routine, non‐painful procedures such as shearing, trimming toenails, giving injections, doing ultrasound exams, or any other medical procedure
Llamas and alpacas are semi‐obligate nasal breathers. They do not naturally breathe through the mouth unless there is no alternative. Camelids are either grazing or ruminating a significant percentage of the time; mouth breathing increases the likelihood of aspiration in these animals. Camelids have a SHORT nasal bone and soft cartilage for most of the length of the nose; the nasal bone on most adult camelids extends only about one inch rostral to the eyes. Downward and rostral pressure on the halter is likely to cause the halter to slip over the soft nasal cartilage where it will cause the cartilage to collapse and compromise the airway. Any indication that the halter can slip forward, off the nasal bone, and onto the soft cartilage where it may compromise airflow is likely to induce panic.
A tight noseband that encircles the mouth will limit the animal's ability to chew freely, a necessary requirement for eating and proper rumination. Since they are either grazing or ruminating a sizable percentage of the time, the animals are also chewing a sizable percentage of the time. Animals not able to do this may be prone to other issues such as malnutrition and weight loss.
Many llama and alpaca halters are not proportioned so that the halter can fit safely and comfortably. The noseband is often not big enough to permit it to slide all the way back on the sturdiest part of the nasal bone, which means it can compress the soft nasal cartilage. Even if the noseband is large enough, often there is not enough take up provided by the crown piece to keep the noseband in the proper place, allowing it to slip rostrally (Figures 2.46 and 2.47).
With the crown piece snug, there should still be slack in the noseband! Fitting the noseband means taking up extra slack, it does not mean tightening it around the nose. One or two fingers should fit inside the noseband of a fitted halter. A noseband that compresses the skin covering the bottom mandible or impedes the animal's ability to chew is uncomfortably tight.
Figure 2.46 The camelid skull clearly shows there is not much bone forward of the eye for a halter to rest on.