Quite a few books on llamas and alpacas have been published… often self-published. You can find them online. Some of the books cover both llamas and alpacas. (They are closely related, so a lot but not all information on one can help you with the other.)The links below go to Amazon, but you could also check eBay. Since these are older books and I haven’t kept this website current, do check used book prices. Sometimes resellers list books at really high prices.
. Other places to look, which I didn’t, would be alibris.com and abe.com — they have used books from thousands of booksellers all over the world.
Interlibrary loan through your local public library is another option for any of these books.
With its technical content and hefty price tag, not everyone will want Medicine and Surgery of South American Camelids, by noted veterinararian and researcher Dr. Murray Fowler. You may want a copy for yourself or to share with your own veterinarian. I remember the excitement when this book first came out.
It covers health care, disease, and surgery for llamas, alpacas, guanacos, and vicunas. Chapters include: general biology and evolution; feeding and nutrition; restraint and handling; procedures of clinical diagnosis; anesthesia; surgery; infectious diseases; parasites; multisystem disorders; the integumentary, musculoskeletal, respiratory, digestive endocrine, hemic, lymphatic, cardiovascular, reproductive, urinary, and nervous systems; the sense organs; neonatology; congenital and hereditary conditions; toxicology; conformation and gaits; and finally, disaster and emergency management.
The Camelid Companion: Handling and Training Your Alpacas and Llamas, by Marty McGee Bennett, is a good book on the topic. I watched Marty evolve her techniques over the years. The book can solve many a problem, not to mention motivating you to get out there in the pasture and see what you can do!
