A Special Place to Treat Your Camelids A medical room in my barn, you say?  Yes, I know it may sound odd, but the benefits of having a special place to treat your camelids far outweigh to cost of supplies and initial time to organize it.  In an ideal world this room would be in the middle of the barn, easily accessible to both the owner and the animal in need of treatment.  I have personally seen treatment rooms on back porches, in sunrooms, in garages, and in one instance, the bedroom of a house.  Although I find the bedroom a little extreme, the point is that If you don’t live in the ideal world, there are other options available to you.  You need a safe, clean environment for your animal and a convenient area for you and your veterinarian. Want to read more of Dolores' article? Click on the following chapters:  The Essentials, The Design, Needed Supplies, General Supplies, The Vet Llama Basics For Dummies New Directions About the Author Unusual circumstances led to Dolores Gardner learning about the medical care of llamas.  When she bought her first one in 1986, there were no veterinarians in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex who would take care of this exotic creature.  For the next six years she and physician friend researched, learned and developed protocols for both their herds.   Dolores has an extensive background in nursing with 36 years experience.    Working several years in a large teaching facility expanded her knowledge base so that not much in medicine intimidates her.  She is comfortable performing many procedures on llamas and giving others advice, if they ask.  Her approach to care is based on her research as well as the extensive research of others.    She has also found care in llamas very similar to care in humans.   Before relocation to deep East Texas, she apprenticed to a camelid veterinarian.  She knew she was moving to an area where there was no llama-knowledgeable veterinarian within 100 miles.  She was concerned about emergencies that might arise before she established a relationship with a veterinarian.  This six month apprenticeship aided her in a dystocia emergency when her veterinarian could not come for two hours.   She is frequently called for advice from other llama owners and non-llama veterinarians.