You can't be sure what you will find the next time you go down to the alpaca corral.This week I found a young female with a limp - was it time to call the vet or could I deal with it - and what was I actually dealing with?Here is a simple approach I took to assess and do a differential diagnosis of her condition. Hopefully it might prove useful to you too should you discover something unexpected when you next visit your alpacas.General pointsAre you out of your depth already and need a vet?Do you need someone to help you?have you got everything you need? (e.g. headtorch or disposable gloves, or water)---------------------------------Separate off the animal for examination if possible.Small spaces are better than large - use a catch pen constructed with alpaca hurdles (taller than sheep hurdles).---------------------------------Start with the obvious - blood, pus, wound, thornClarify the specific location of pain or problem - knee, foot, joint, pad etc.Be gentle and move the joints checking for a responsekeep calm---------------------------------if not severe or acute, can you wait and observe laterdo they need to be 'kept in' with a companionthink when it started and if there was anything different at that time - e.g. hedge trimmingTake awaysAm I out of my depth and do I need assistance?What can I do to check the nature of the problem and narrow down its source? Start simple.What can I rule out?Next steps? e.g. watch and wait; arrange for a vet visit; ask someone for [email protected] a voice message 

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