The vet called yesterday with the results of the necropsy (that’s a veterinary autopsy) on Mary. The immediate cause of death was septic shock due to a systemic infection of streptococcus zooepidemicus (phonetic spelling on the species). This bacterium is found in the mucous membranes of all ruminants. and it’s known to cause “Alpaca Fever” which apparently is exactly the same thing, so it’s not a big surprise to see it happen to a llama. I think she also said something about horses as well. So basically it just happened.
However the vet also mentioned that there were signs of chronic infection in lungs and abdomen. Whether this made her more vulnerable to the septic shock, who knows.
Finally, she also sent in samples of the skin problem on Mary’s legs (which is even worse on Misty). The report was “yeast infection”. The vet is researching this.
On the mega-catch front, Lisa brought back CO2 Friday. Those cylinders cost a pretty penny, but they seem to be helping: the black fly density around the house is down relative to the new garden or the sheep pens. I think I’ll try moving the machines farther out in the hope of expanding the zone of livability.