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The Digestive System of the Llama and Alpaca

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Stomach Atony. Presents as: decreased or complete cessation of food consumption ... Stomach Atony. Treatment: treat primary disease. supportive care ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: The Digestive System of the Llama and Alpaca


1
The Digestive System of the Llama and Alpaca
  • Dr. Melissa Bruski
  • Dr. Christine Malinowski

2
Normal Digestive System
  • Unique Characteristics
  • Foregut fermentation
  • Rumination

3
The Upper GI
  • Lips
  • Tongue
  • Nares

4
The Upper GI
  • Teeth
  • Incisors
  • Cheek Teeth
  • Llamas
  • vs.
  • Alpacas

5
GI Compartments
  • Nomenclature C1, C2, C3
  • C1
  • Cranial sac
  • Caudal sac
  • C2

6
GI Compartments
  • C3
  • Tubular and glandular
  • pH changes
  • Permanent nonpermanent folds
  • Contraction cycles
  • Duration 2 minutes each

7
Lower GI Components
Im supposed to eat this??
  • Adaptions to poor feed
  • Urea recycling
  • Nutrient absorption
  • Overfeeding is dependent on the quality of forage

8

9
Lower GI Components
  • Small intestine
  • Almost 12 m long
  • Cecum is midline running into pelvic inlet (10 cm
    x 5 cm)
  • Large intestine
  • Spiral w/ many coils
  • Diameter from 5 cm ? 2 cm
  • Colon

10
Signs of GI Disease
  • anorexia
  • dysphagia
  • regurgitation
  • emesis
  • abdominal distension
  • ileus
  • atony
  • colic

11
Anorexia
  • Internal factors
  • oral or pharyngeal ulcers
  • dental pain
  • colic
  • gastritis
  • External factors
  • unsuitable feed
  • psychologic ostracism

12
Dysphagia
  • Presents as
  • drooling of saliva
  • retention of feed in the oral cavity
  • fetid odor originating from the oral cavity
  • gagging/retching

13
Dysphagia
  • Due to
  • pharyngitis/esophagitis
  • pharyngeal abscesses or tumors
  • esophageal obstruction
  • stomach overload
  • bloat
  • congenital defects
  • choanal atresia
  • cleft soft palate

14
Abdominal Distension
  • Causes
  • excessive fat
  • excessive gas
  • accumulation of feces
  • advanced pregnancy
  • A thorough physical will help determine the
    cause.
  • A thorough rectal is not possible.

15
Ileus
  • Dynamic
  • spastic
  • constriction around feces
  • paralytic
  • intrinsic disorder of GI motility
  • Mechanical
  • peritoneal adhesions
  • tumors
  • torsions
  • internal hernias

16
Ileus
  • Post-operatively
  • peritonitis
  • ischemia
  • overstretching
  • ingesta
  • gas

17
Regurgitation
  • May be voluntary
  • threat
  • defense
  • Esophageal or laryngopharyngeal stimulation
  • Passive
  • anesthesia
  • recumbancy

18
Emesis
  • Due to the elongated soft palate it is very
    common for ingesta to pass into the nasal cavity.
  • rhinitis
  • obstruction
  • aspiration pneumonia
  • Causes
  • C1 overload
  • gastritis
  • diaphragmatic hernia
  • partial esophageal obstruction
  • poisonous plant ingestion

19
Stomach Atony
  • Usually affects C1-C2
  • Causes
  • grain overload
  • indigestion
  • feed changes
  • prolonged antibiotic therapy
  • spoiled feed
  • gastric ulcers
  • obstruction

20
Stomach Atony
  • Presents as
  • decreased or complete cessation of food
    consumption
  • loss of body condition
  • depression
  • may see other GI signs
  • Diagnosis
  • Lack of C1 sounds

21
Stomach Atony
  • Treatment
  • treat primary disease
  • supportive care
  • 3-5 days of anorexia may cause death of rumen
    flora so transfaunation may become necessary.

22
Transfaunation
  • 0.5-1L of camelid C1, or strained sheep or cow,
    rumen contents is administered to aid in regrowth
    of rumen flora.

23
Colic
  • very stoic about pain
  • signs
  • teeth grinding
  • rolling
  • kicking at belly
  • anorexia
  • depression
  • pained facial expression

24
Ulcers
  • usually a secondary problem
  • most common in the acid secreting distal portion
    of C3 and proximal duodenum
  • may be partial or complete thickness

25
Ulcers
  • Presents with
  • decreased food consumption
  • intermittent to severe colic
  • depression
  • May also have
  • secondary pneumonia
  • peritonitis

26
Ulcers
  • Etiology
  • unknown
  • stress??
  • Diagnosis
  • no good pre-mortem test available

27
Ulcers
  • Treatment
  • Resolve primary problem
  • Stress reduction
  • Sucralfate
  • Omeprazole
  • H-2 blockers
  • cimetidine/ranitidine
  • Supportive
  • fluid therapy
  • prophylactic antibiotics

28
Selected Bibliography
  • Fowler, Murray E., DVM. Medicine and Surgery of
    South American Camelids Llama, Alpaca, Vicuna,
    Guanaco, 1st edition. Ames Iowa State
    University Press, 1989.
  • http//www.mazuri.com/llamalink.htm
  • http//www.purdyvet.com
  • http//www.merckvetmanual.com
  • Johnson, LaRue W. Update on llama medicine.
    Philadelphia Saunders, 1994.

29
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