Neonatal Seminar

Alpaca Neonatal Seminar
Presented by Cheryl DeWitt, DVM

Biography: Dr. Cheryl DeWitt, DVM is an associate veterinarian at Camelid Veterinary Services. She attended North Carolina State University for graduate studies, then relocated to Ohio to work in camelid medicine.
She has also been an active participant in Dr. Stephen Purdy’s Nunoa Project in Peru, a program to establish
self-sustaining programs in the areas of: support for underprivileged children and herding families, veterinary
assistance for livestock, and tourism for the Nunoa area.

Birthing is a joyous occasion for all breeders. We all look forward to this season with great anticipation. If this
is your first cria (baby alpaca) soon to be born on your farm we want you to be ready and able to assist the
dam in the event she has any difficulty. There is nothing like watching these wonderful little alpacas come into
this world. The scenario we all want to see is the cria sitting, standing and nursing within hours of birth. Increase your confidence in learning to deal with emergency situations that may arise. The facts and simple
techniques you learn at this clinic may help you save that valuable cria. Take the time now to learn before it’s
too late. Will you be ready???

Class Summary: This clinic will be comprised of a morning lecture with a power-point presentation, to cover
female reproduction/breeding; reproductive anatomy and physiology, breeding and pregnancy diagnosis options, gestational development, care of the pregnant dam, normal and abnormal criation and care of the newborn as well as the high-risk cria.

The afternoon will include a “hands-on” wet-lab using uterine simulation. Registrants will be challenged to deliver the cria safely by diagnosing the contents of the uterus, discuss a proposed delivery plan, identify and
correct dystocias. This is a class to understand normal breeding and birthing as well as emergency training to
help recognize a dam in distress, identify and reverse a uterine torsion and other emergent situations – and a
lot of fun learning!

Summary of topics include:

Reproductive cycle in the Female; optimum time to breed; infertility issues
Behavior Testing
How a dam prepares for birth; nutrition/feeding during pregnancy
When to vaccinate, deworm the dam
Supplies to have on hand
Preparing for delivery
Three stages of labor
Reproductive emergencies, and signs that ‘something may be wrong’
Managing a malpositioned birth
Postpartum care
Care of the newborn healthy or premature cria – Indications of problems in crias such as choanal atresia
(closed nasal passages), heart or lung problems, hypothermia, diarrhea, dehydration, limb deformities, hernia, vaccinations and more…
The importance of colostrum
Lactation

If you have taken this class before, do consider a refresher. Dr. Dewitt will be presenting new material this year on cria-care. We hope that you can attend! If you have never attended a Neonatal Seminar-and you are expecting Cria….plan to attend. BE PREPARED!