Health

Llamas are generally very hardy, and they require very little medical attention. They almost always give birth without intervention. Most llamas should never need to be seen by a vet.

Our llamas are a very healthy bunch. We have only had to call the vet out twice in the last three years.

Our llamas are not routinely vaccinated. The British Llama Society advises that llamas should be regularly vaccinated against bluetongue and clostridial diseases, but the evidence to support this is very limited. Our vet (who has somewhat surprisingly worked with llamas for many years) and the departmental veterinary service advised us that there is no tested vaccination against blue tongue approved for llamas. Also, the vaccination against clostridial diseases recommended by the BLS is a vaccine against types C and D, which specialist camelid vets state are not a threat to llamas. Llamas in South America and the USA occasionally contract Type A and B diseases, but no effective vaccine for these types is yet available.

Llamas can contract TB (as can cattle). There is no vaccination, and no evidence of significant risk to llamas from the disease – although in theory they could act as carriers.

Llamas can experience parasitic infections. Worms are not often a problem where there is sufficient land for the llamas to graze away from their droppings (llamas almost always use one or two areas in a field as communal toilet sites). We worm infrequently, using powdered horse wormer in low doses.