By CELESTE BAUMGARTNER
Ohio Correspondent

SHANDON, Ohio — Despite the best efforts of their owners, animals can and do get themselves into trouble. John Francis recently found Denali, one of his family’s alpacas, not putting weight on a rear leg.
“Denali has a broken leg,” he said. “It was verified by our vet who said he had seen many llamas and alpacas, but had never seen one with a major bone broken.”

Denali was carefully loaded in the trailer for the drive to The Ohio State University, where he had surgery on the broken leg that afternoon.

Veterinary surgeon Dr. Andrew Niehaus put two pins through the upper leg and applied a fiberglass walking cast.
“The cast supports that quarter of the animal’s weight,” Francis said.

Denali stayed at OSU overnight and was brought home by his relieved owners the next day. The fiberglass cast is breathable, therefore not waterproof. So, Denali must be carefully watched – no dew or other moisture can touch the cast.

“We have to go back to OSU in two or three months,” Francis said. “They will take x-rays, take the pins out and put on a different type of cast so he will be walking and supporting his own weight. They want him to put weight on the leg because that stimulates growth in the bone.”

Healing will take longer because Denali is a mature animal. A cria, or baby alpaca, would heal faster.

Needless to say, Denali will be getting special attention this summer.