It has been nearly five years since Lewis’ fateful injury. Lewis continues to do very well. Like his handlers he has grown over his target weight, but he continues to inspire and amaze us with his zest for living and his ability to overcome his disability (blindness).Lewis is always the first to greet new visitors to our farm–often demanding a back scratch before they can proceed to visit the rest of the llamas.

Eventhough Lewis has his own barn and stall, he still insists on spending most of his time on the main barn porch–the area where he was allowed to recuperate after he returned from OSU. While we would like to keep the cleanup away from the main entrance, we just don’t have the heart to lock Lewis out of this familiar turf.

OSU Vet School

We were able to visit Lewis Saturday at the OSU veterinary hospital. Lewis had succumbed to depression and loss of appetite over the last couple of days, and the staff brought Lewis an alpaca buddy from their research program to keep him company. Having another camelid friend in the stall definitely perked Lewis’ spirits. When we visited he was alert and eating well. After his wound was flushed and he received his antibiotics, we were able to take a short walk down the hallway. Lewis was interested in the occupants of the other stalls, and seemed more than happy to continue down the hall; perhaps to where he hoped the van waited to take him home! He reluctantly returned to his stall, where he was fed and we shared lots of hugs and back scratches. He seemed happy and we are thankful that the staff at OSU has made his stay there welcome and comfortable; and especially for his new friend!

Lewis and Laura

Antibiotic therapy and daily flushing will continue on Lewis and his progress closely monitored. Dr. Silveira is assisted by a team of veterinary students that have been giving Lewis the same special care that they would share with their own beloved pets. We hope he can keep his spirits up through all of this, and we know that their attention and care is a huge part of Lewis’ recovery.

Again we thank everyone keeping up on the internet for their supporting thoughts, emails and prayers!