ALPACA HERNIA BELTS
We have searched in the past for good quality alpaca hernia belts. This year, we have found a lovely local lady to us here in East Sussex who makes extremely durable, breathable, waterproof, made to measure alpaca coats. In addition she also makes hernia belts for alpaca or llama crias with umbilical hernias as shown below.
The circular area in the padded piece pushes up into the hernia allowing the body wall to close over in a few weeks depending on how big the hernia is. If anything is pushing out through the abdominal hole (and you can feel the crias gut moving) then the belts are excellent at resolving the hernia. If nothing is pushing through the hole you may not need to use a belt at all. For a large hernia (the width of two fingers) it might take up to 6 weeks to close over, less for a small hole. I start putting the belt on from the back end first (the single strap on one end of the belt) holding the bulge in the belt over the hernia area. Then, once I have fitted the whole belt (which must be secure), I undo the strap that goes behind the hernia to check it is in the right place or adjust the straps accordingly. The hernia mustn’t get trapped – so the straps need to fit snugly and can be adjusted every so often to allow the cria to grow. These instructions are purely how to fit an alpaca hernia belt. If you need advice over suitability, you should contact your vet.
The lady who produces them can be contacted at:Â threadshedss@aol.com or 07963 969720
She retails them for ÂŁ22.50 plus P&P