|
North West Camelid Foundation |
|
Herd Health Seminar Committee
Val Starr, Chair Dr. Pat Long Celia Erion Mary Jo Walker
Dr. Chris Cebra, OSU Vet CollegeLiaison |
|
NWCF Herd Health Seminar March 3rd, 2011 By Mary Jo Walker
The seminar was held at the Benton County Fairgrounds, outside Corvallis, and attracted more than 60 llama and alpaca owners from the Northwest. Speakers were WORLD RENOWNED for their expertise in camelid health:
¨ Dr. Chris Cebra from Oregon State spoke about parasites in the Northwest. ¨ Dr. Danny Scott from Cornell University in New York is an expert in large animal dermatology, and addressed different skin disorders that are common in llamas and alpacas. His enthusiasm for his chosen specialty was evident and refreshing. ¨ Dr. Stacy Semevolos presented an update on her study of dropped pasterns that was funded by the NWCF. ¨ Dr. Suzanne Steiger presented research updates from OSU regarding her work with Computed Tomography, to help reduce invasive exploratory surgery in camelids, also funded by the NWCF.
After lunch, participants split into two groups.
¨ Dr. Claire Whitehead, from the United Kingdom discussed vitamin deficiencies, specifically Vitamin D and related conditions. ¨ Dr. Karen Timm a retired OSU professor, discussed the care of Geriatric camelids. ¨ Dr. Beth Valentine addressed the possibility of strokes in camelids. ¨ Dr. Robert Bildfell spoke about the affects of cryptococcus in camelids. ¨ Dr. Jane Vaughn from Victoria, Australia shared her knowledge of camelid reproduction. Her specialty is embryo transfer in alpacas. She also addressed nutrition. |
|
The seminar concluded with a vet panel, fielding various questions from attendees. Drs. Pat Long, Paul Jones and Scott Lubbers offered advice and insight. Participants agreed that the information learned throughout the day was valuable, and many expressed an interest in continued bi-annual health seminars such as this.
The quality of speakers wouldn't have been possible without funding from several sources. Glen Pfefferkorn covered the cost of one of the speakers. The Willamette Alpaca Breeders Association and Columbia Alpaca Breeders Association each made generous cash donations to help defray seminar expenses. The Willamette Valley Llama Association donated funds to help pay for speakers. Any proceeds were added to the NW Camelid Foundation, for use in future health research projects. |
