I think I may have found the cause of Koo's problem by accident. A couple of days ago, I was cleaning the goat pen and had their gate open when Koo rushed in and made a beeline for their salt/mineral brick. He licked away on it as best he could. Llamas can't stick out their tongues so it makes licking on a salt lick difficult. He licked and licked and licked. Forever. I finally took it away from him as I was concerned about him getting too much at once.
That evening I googled "llama eating a lot of salt" and this article came up.
It hit home. Poor Koo wasn't getting salt. I didn't know salt was so important to him. He used to have access to the salt block but a few weeks ago I moved it undercover in the goat shed before the rains came and he could no longer get to it. I didn't know he even used it.
The next morning he was up to greet me when I entered the pasture. He followed me to the feed shed.
He ate his breakfast...with a little salt added.
"I love Google"
8 comments:
Really???????? I don't suppose there is enough in sheep minerals? I think I get a salt lick tonight.
Oh, good! Glad it something so easily fixed.
Yay! Koo-Koo-Ka-Choo! Maybe you should make him a PVC feeder with loose minerals! So glad he is on the up and up!
YAY!!!!!!! Great news! Good job llama mama :-)
Im glad hes back to his normal self.
Ooo that's great news! We all like salt here too but my lady never knew that lack of it could make a llama sick! The things we learn! xoxoxo
Thank You! I am so happy that he is feeling better. We have free choice minerals, loose in a feeder in the barn, and a mineral/selenium/salt lick that any of the sheep and llama (Fuzzy) can have. It never crossed my mind that they need so much salt. I am so glad that he is feeling better!
yea! so glad it's an easy remedy :)
That is great news!
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