Fracture management in alpacas and llamas

Camelids are considered to be excellent patients for the treatment of orthopedic injuries. Clients will usually opt for treatment because of the relative high commercial value of most camelids. For these reasons, the veterinary surgeon has a full repertoire of internal and external fixation techniques to choose from when determining the ideal repair option. Complications to fracture repair are frequent and include lameness, osteomyelitis, malunion, delayed union, nonunion, sequestrum formation, and implant failure. When irreversible damage to the neurovascular bundle has occurred, limb amputation, with or without a prosthetic device, may be an alternative to euthanizing the patient.