Our RCVS Recognised Specialist in Camelid Health & Production Claire Whitehead has been working with Camelid patients at referral level since 2002 and provides highly specialised consultation for a diverse range of clinical problems. Please ask your vet to call us for a consultation. If we can help, we will!
Owners | Vets | Planning Applications
IF YOU ARE AN OWNER of alpacas or llamas
If you are an owner and you have a sick alpaca or llama, please always contact your regular vet in the first instance as your vet will need to evaluate the case and decide on the most appropriate action, including provision of any emergency treatment. If your vet decides that they need some specialist advice, they can call me to discuss the case. In most circumstances, it is best for any consultation to be between Claire and your regular vet based on clinical examination and any diagnostic evaluation. Consultations will be chargeable at a rate of £200 per hour (+VAT) unless you are enrolled on our Annual Herd Health Package. In many cases, it could be possible to continue to care for your animal at home under the supervision of your regular vet and we can provide treatment plans to facilitate this. However, sometimes referral to a suitable facility may be required, depending on where you are located.
If you have a non-emergency case that you wish to discuss such as an animal with skin problems, please feel free to call us. However, we may advise you to call your regular vet first for assistance in managing the case: you may also request to bring a case to see us as a first opinion case and we will report back to your regular vet with any ongoing care recommendations.
If you have a general question about herd health (eg parasite control, nutrition, skin problems or general management), want to know the recommended dose for a particular medication or have a question about reproduction, Claire is available for advice and consultation by phone or email. This will be charged at her normal rate of £200 per hour (+VAT) unless you are enrolled on our Annual Herd Health Package.
If you are interested in receiving customized herd health advice, please contact us directly to discuss your needs.
IF YOU ARE A VET wanting advice or consultation
Claire is always available for advice and consultation by phone or email. This will be charged at her normal rate of £200 per hour (+VAT) unless your practice is enrolled in C-VISS – see below. Alternatively, if the client whose animal or herd you wish to call about is enrolled on our Annual Herd Health Package, you will be able to call for advice on their account.
We hope to release the Camelid Veterinary Information & Support Service (C-VISS) soon. We recognize that many vets do not have much experience with Camelid patients. Our aim is to help you as vets in practice to fill the gaps in your knowledge regarding camelids and support you in dealing with cases in the field. We also offer an increasing portfolio of diagnostics specifically for camelids. C-VISS will provide specialist advice and support that is pre-paid for by the practice in order to streamline the provision of care to your Camelid patients and their owners.
We also hope to be able to make training webinars and how-to videos available soon through our CamelidPro Training Portal. Check out our resources page too in case the answers you seek are already there!
Support for Planning Applications for Alpaca Breeders
Over the last 5-10 years, Claire has consulted on a number of planning proposals for alpaca breeders wishing to live on land that currently does not have a domestic dwelling. The most common issue that people have needed help with is to justify the need to live on site. If you wish to gain support for your planning application from us, we will need to visit your farm to perform a farm appraisal. Essentially this helps me to support your application in a more appropriate way as I am able to assess the general state of your farm and facilities and also evaluate the animals and your ability to care for them properly. I will normally write a report of my farm visit, which can be combined with herd health planning if desired, and a letter to submit in support of your application, addressing the key points that need addressing specifically for the planning officers, and I can appear at any planning hearings if necessary. Each planning application is quite unique, so please contact us to discuss your individual needs.