Vet Day

Since our spring show schedule spans over 7 weeks, we couldn't do all the CVI's (certified vet inspection) in one vet visit. The CVI has to be done within 30 days of the show. We already attended the Best of the US Alpaca Show. That was our first spring show, and we did our CVI for that prior to that show. Our last spring show is the Great Midwest Alpaca Festival in Wisconsin on April 23/24, so today was the earliest we could get the CVI for this show (we could not have gotten this CVI when we were at the vet for the CVI on the Best of the US show). Next weekend we have the Indiana Alpaca Invitational. We could have done that CVI when we did our prior one, but we knew we'd have to come again for our last show, so we waited on this CVI. Today worked for both these shows. But it meant taking 7 alpacas to the vet for their CVI (6 are going to IN and 3 are going to WI, but one of the ones going to WI is not going to IN, so that makes 7 total). On the plus side, it was not snowing today like it was on our last vet outing. And, we are getting better at moving so many alpacas in and out of our trailer. No alpacas made an escape.

There is always the option to have the vet come to your farm. We did this back when we did not have a trailer. I could also see how this would make sense if you have more alpacas that need to see the vet than what you can fit into your trailer. You also might opt for this just to save the hassle of getting all the alpacas haltered and to the vet. I think I figured it out once that it costs an extra $80 to have the vet come out. I can halter alpacas and get them to the vet to save that (but then I tend to be frugal, I have more time and energy than willingness to spend money). But, we always under estimate how much time it takes to gather and halter and get the alpacas into the trailer. Today I timed it and it took us an hour! It would not have taken that long if we were leaving at a typical alpaca grain eating time. I feed them all their grain in the paddock, which is also where we gather them to catch and halter them. If I know we need them all ready to halter, I leave them in the paddock (like on a morning we leave for a show, I feed them, then keep them gated in there). Thankfully on mornings we leave for a show, we leave early, so we catch and halter them right when they are done with their morning grain. But today our vet appointment was at 1:30 p.m. I had an appointment for work early this morning, so I fed them at 6:30 a.m. I wasn't leaving them stuck in the paddock all that time (they do have hay, water and shelter, and a bit of room to roam, but still, that's a long time to keep them penned up). In the end we ended up having to put out grain even though it wasn't grain time to lure them into the paddock. Now we know, it's about an hour to get them together if they aren't already penned up in the paddock.

All our alpacas passed their vet exam. We have our CVI's and are ready for show time!