The clinic will be taught by Dr Cheryl Dewitt.
Dr Dewitt graduated from North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine. She specialized in camelid reproduction in her practice (Camelid Veterinary Service) in Bluffton, Ohio for 20 years. She has worked in the Nunoa Project in Peru for several years and has done some research on vicuna in South America as well. She is an acknowledged expert in camelid reproduction and neonatal care.
This class is probably one of the most important classes you can take (if not THE most important one) concerning alpaca care. The lecture includes so much mportant information. Here is a list of topics being covered:
- Reproductive cycle of the female Behavior testing
- When is the optimal time to breed/rebreed?
- How a dam prepares to birth
- Nutrition before, during, and after pregnancy
- Vaccination and deworming recommendations during pregnancy
- Preparing for delivery
- 3 stages of labor
- Supplies to have on hand
- Reproductive emergencies and how to recognize them
- What can you do during a dystocia (a malpositioned birth)?
- Post Partum care for the dam
- Care of the normal newborn
- Premature crias
- How to recognize sepsis, choanal atresia, heart or lung problems, hypothermia, dehydration, cria diarrhea
- What to do/not to do about limb deformities
- Vaccinations for crias
- Critical Colostrum
- Lactation
- Infertility Issues
The hands on wet lab involves using a simulation of a uterus to enable you torecognize a dystocia and learn to correct it. You will also learn how to place a gastric tube into a newborn cria safely. The experience you get from this can and will save a life.
The wet lab is limited to 24 participants. You may sign up for the lecture separately but the experience of diagnosing and correcting the dystocias is priceless. I would strongly encourage anyone considering having alpaca crias to do this entire course.
