by Michael Shealy

    Marlice and I had gone for a load of hay on an autumn afternoon a little over two years ago.  When we returned and made the evening rounds to feed, we saw Viejito limping.  We called him Viejito (little old man) because he's a brown bay with a white "beard".  He was 14 months old at the time, a normal yearling, in with six other males around his age.

     The next morning, viejito was still limping, we called our Vet and he came and took an x-ray of the joint.  It was immediately apparent that our Vet couldn't handle the necessary surgery, etc, it was a complicated break, so I took Viejito to see the CSU staff.

    After more x-rays and several consultations, it came down to 1) a 5% chance of success repairing the joint with excruciating results if the repair failed, with another break/rupture being 95% sure, 2) amputation or 3) euthanasia. 

    I called Marlice and we decided on the amputation; just above the stifle joint.  The operation was a success, as far as that goes, and he came home with me two weeks later.  He'd been on scheduled morphine injections for the pain, and we couldn't handle that at home.  The bandage was very well executed and the incisions and stitches healed nicely.

    I wish it had been that easy, but it wasn't.  When we got him home, I set up a small corral-panel pen for him to spend a few days in, while I was able to make a larger, but still private pen.  During this first week after returning home, he took a dramatic turn for the worse.  From being able to hop around without pain, to obvious pain and inability to hold with his rear leg, thus sagging way down in the rear every time he wanted to move.  He could kush and stand without any problem, but as soon as he wanted to go forward, he sagged and his rear leg folded up.

    A call to the vet brought him and after palpating he took an x-ray (the next day) and found a broken pelvis.  Apparently, Viejo had taken a leap, as they are wont to do when frightened and in a kush position, and the torsional stress exerted from the single-legged leap, broke the pelvis bone in two places.  We think it was the neighbor's dogs at the fence barked him into useless flight. 

There was nothing the Vet could do about the pelvis.  Any operation would disable the only rear leg he had left.  So, it was suffer-through, or die.  We withheld judgment for a while.  Marlice praying for a miracle, me hoping it came soon. 

    Three months went by.  Viejo is still in pain and still sagging with the rear leg folding whenever he wants to go forward.  I'm caving in.  I start to vote strongly for euthanasia.  Marlice holds tight for a miracle, and we disagree as to how long this should take.  We fight.  This is the tough part for us, but the whole thing was tough for Viejo (which is what we now call him, .. old man).

    Well, six months after that first week, he had a change of mind.  A miracle.  I saw a light in his eye.  Really, like a bright flash.  Concurrent with this, he realized somehow that his erect stance, head held (llama) high ... strutting, was not efficient for walking in his situation.  His previous pacer's stride was no longer efficient, either.  His brain made the adjustments.  He started walking with his head held low.  He also started swinging his stump in rhythm with his left rear and switched his stride to opposite, like a horse walks.  IE, his left rear now syncs with his right front.  Llamas pace, rear foot syncs with front foot, have you noticed this? ... Meaning they walk with both feet on the left, then both feet on the right.

    Not long after, he was doing something you won't see any other (but 3/4 llamas) do.  Occasionally, he'll "wheel" his head around low, pivoting on his front two legs, picking up his rear end and turning 180º without touching (it) down. 

    He now resides as the (gelding) "herd sire" with the girls and babies.  He pronks, jumps, bucks, runs wildly with the rest of "his herd".  It's a miracle.  Every time I see this, I see back to the light in his eye. 

    He always eats last, is never on top, and spends much time "looking-out".  The celibate sire's life isn't that bad though, considering the alternative; it's a good life. 

    Sometimes those miracles take a while, but when they come, it's nice. "B^)
 

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