Since our vet who made farm calls has retired and a search in our area for another was unfruitful, we recently had to trailer two of our ‘pacas to CSU’s James Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Fort Collins CO for some diagnostics and treatment. Wow were they thorough! (And the bill was surprisingly affordable.) The other stars of the experience were the ‘pacas. Slim, senior gelding of unknown age, easily went into the catch pen, was caught without drama by midline catch. Oh rats, I failed to have a halter or handler helper ready but there was a hold anything hanging within reach on the pen and my good boy let me collar him with that and lead him easily into the trailer. He haltered well for unloading at the hospital even though I accidentally brought the left-hander's halter and had to reach over his neck to fasten it. He led well for the vet and students and tolerated quite an array of tests and procedures almost without objection. He did unload a big green wad in one student’s face (after I had said he never did that although he “talks” about it occasionally; ooops) during a particularly invasive procedure. Apparently that ended in laughter and no hard feelings, so we’re all good. Slim’s preliminary diagnosis suspects something nutritional, age-related, and/or allergic so we are starting at-home treatment with some changes in diet, supplementation, and isolation for an hour or two daily to make sure he gets his enhanced rations. And lots of observation. He is quite amenable to the new routine (well why not, it’s kind of like being the only one offered dessert every day). It will still take time to see and evaluate results. Tess, suffering from a facial abscess, loaded herself into the trailer at home and unloaded and led with the handler helper at the vet hospital. She was apparently a model patient for the students even though I cautioned them that she spits and kicks (hahaha). She has also been a good patient at home for her daily scrubs and anointments with fly repellant. Thank you, Marty, for all you have done to facilitate this! I am especially appreciative for the emphasis on antecedent arrangement. It makes all the difference. Just a reminder, we got the big things right – catch pen, trailer positioning, patience, a good “bank account” of gentle past handling – but messed up on some rather key "small" details: no halter and the wrong halter; items that, though small, can have a big impact.
