AVS 471 South American Camelids

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AVS 471South American Camelids
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General Taxonomy

• Class - MAMMALIA
• Order - ARTIODACTYIA (even-toed ungulates)
• Suborder - SUIFORMES (hippos, swine, peccaries)
• Suborder - TYLOPODA (camelids)
• Old World genus and species
• Camelus dromedarius
• C. bactrianus
• New World genus and species
• Lama glama (Llama)
• L. pacos (Alpaca)
• L. guanicoe (Guanaco)
• Vicugna vicugna (Vicuna)
• V. vicugna mensalis (Peruvian)
• V. vicugna vicugna (Argentine)
• Suborder - RUMINATIA (cattle, sheep, goats,
  deer, giraffe, water buffalo, antelope, bison)

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Introduction

• Lama genera South American Camelids (SAC)
• Vicuna placed in separate genera because they
  have open-rooted incisors.
• All four species of SAC are indigenous to the
  South American high plains and Andes mountains
• All except Gaunaco have been domesticated and
  used for food, fiber, and beast of burden
• Recipes

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Nomenclature

• Adults
• Intact male - Males
• Intact females - Females
• Birth to weaning (4-6 months) - Cria
• Weanling to adult - Juvenile
• Castrated male - Gelding
• Group - Herd or Flock
• Old World camelids bulls, cows, calves

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Vital Parameters
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Llamas versus Ruminants

• Evolution
• Evolutionary paths diverged 40 million years ago
• Blood
• Llamas - small elliptical erythrocytes (RBCs)
• Ruminants - larger round RBCs
• Predominant leukocyte (WBC)
• Llama - Neutrophil
• Ruminant - Lymphocyte
• Foot
• Llama - toenail and soft pad (P3 and P2
  horizontal)
• Ruminant - horn

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Llamas versus Ruminants

• Digestive System
• Both anterior fermenters
• Differ greatly in evolutionary development of the
  fermenting compartments with regard to anatomy,
  motility, and dentition
• Llama - 3 compartments (C1, C2, C3)
• Ruminants - 4 compartments (Rumen, Reticulum,
  Omasum, Abomasum)

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Llamas versus Ruminants
Reproduction
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Llamas versus Ruminants

• Respiratory System
• Llamas have a long soft palate ? difficulty
  breathing through their mouths Not so for
  ruminants
• Urinary System
• Kidney is smooth and elliptical similar to sheep,
  not lobed like cattle.

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Llamas versus Ruminants

• Parasites
• Certain parasites are unique to llamas
• Lice, coccidia
• Share GI Nematodes with ruminants
• Susceptible to nasal bots from sheep and deer
• Infectious Diseases
• Hardy, infectious diseases appear to be less
  common than in other ruminants
• Some cross-species infectious conditions, e.g.,
  Brucellosis, Bluetongue, EHV-1, Contagious
  ecthyma, and BVD

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Nutritional Requirements

• Not as well described as for other species
• Similar to sheep
• Very adaptable to many diets
• Consume 1.8-2.0 of BW as DMI
• 300 lb. Animal 6.6 lb., 90 DM feed
• Must feed to meet requirements of production
  within these guidelines (e.g., pregnancy,
  lactation, growth, or maintenance)
• 1.5-2.5 x greater requirements during late
  pregnancy, lactation, and/or heavy work
• CP (8-16) depending on level of production
  Alpacas have higher protein requirements due to
  fleece production

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Nutritional Requirements

• Average local grass hay feed analysis
• CP ? 7-8
• Acceptable for maintenance, but not for
  production
• Hence, we must supplement with additional protein
  and energy
• Llama/grain pellets
• Alfalfa hay
• Llamas and Alpacas fed solely alfalfa hay tend to
  readily become overconditioned

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Hydration

• Water Consumption
• 1 gallon per 100 lb. BW per day
• Clean, fresh water essential
• Finicky drinkers

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Vaccination Programs

• Based on many factors
• Herd (closed vs. open)
• Historical or current disease
• Endemic diseases
• Other species on farm
• No licensed products available for vaccination of
  Llamas or Alpacas in USA

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Vaccination Programs

• Basic program
• Clostridial disease vaccine
• CD/T
• 7-way Tetanus (Covexin 8)
• Other possible vaccines (based on disease
  prevalence in herd/area)
• EHV-1
• Leptospirosis
• BVDV
• IBR
• E. coli
• Not wise to use MLV vaccines designed for another
  species

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Reproduction

• Puberty
• Males - 12-15, but up to 36 months
• Females - 12-13 months
• Gestation 11 months
• Abortion Diseases
• EHV-1
• Causes respiratory, neurologic, and abortion in
  horses
• Transmission - initially acquired from horses
• Camelids fully susceptible
• Abortion usually mid-gestation
• Vaccine sometimes used

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Reproduction

• Abortion Diseases
• Leptospirosis
• As susceptible as ruminants
• Organism may be found in environment
• Transmission - contamination of feed and water
  sources with organism
• Abortion usually mid-gestation
• Cattle vaccines can be used in camelids
• Brucellosis
• Pine needle abortion

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Newborn to Weaning

• Dystocia
• Rare
• Causes - same as other ruminants
• Fetal
• Maternal
• Mechanical
• Passive Transfer
• FPT ? increased risk of neonatal disease
• Most common with primiparous dams (low production
  and poor mothering ability
• Most common gram (-)ve sepsis
• Sepsis ? sudden death, joint ill, meningitis,
  anterior uveitis

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Newborn to Weaning

• Passive Transfer
• Measurement of IgG level first week of life
• Supplement with goat colostrum in first 24 hours
  if inadequate supply from dam
• Treatment Plasma IV or IP
• Congenital/Genetic Diseases
• Many defects, often fatal
• Cardiac anomalies, cleft palate, limb
  deformities, etc..

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Newborn to Weaning

• Starvation
• Common cause of debility and death in crias
• Weigh daily (1/2-1 lb. gain per day)
• Mothers may have inadequate milk or cria may not
  be suckling

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Newborn to Weaning

• Vitamin D deficiency (Winter Baby Syndrome)
• Common condition in PNW in crias born in winter
  months
• Decreased sunlight ? Decreased Vitamin D stores
• Young rapidly growing animals at greatest risk
• Metabolic bone disease (hypophosphatemic rickets)
• Breed for birth in Spring or Summer
• Vitamin D supplementation in late Fall Winter
  crias

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Newborn to Weaning

• Vitamin E/Se Deficiency
• White muscle disease
• Breakdown of skeletal and cardiac muscle
• Deficiency common cause of ill-thrift and
  increased risk of infection
• Diarrhea
• Susceptible to many of the agents discussed in
  ruminants
• E.coli, Salmonella sp., Rota- and Corona Virus,
  Parvovirus, Coccidia, Giardia

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Newborn to Weaning

• Diarrhea
• Physiologic effects
• Dehydration, electrolyte changes, acidosis,
  energy deficiencies
• Treatment
• Correction of dehydration, acidosis, electrolyte
  changes
• Energy supplementation
• Prevention
• Good management sanitation
• No approved anti-diarrheal vaccines
• Calf E. coli vaccines may be of some benefit

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Clostridial Diseases

• Tetanus
• Clostridium tetani
• Organism in environment
• All ages susceptible
• Exposure through contaminated wound, e.g.,
  castration site
• Symptoms due to neurotoxins produced by organism
• Treatment difficult Disease often fatal
• Vaccine
• Colostrum

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Enterotoxemia

• Highly fatal disease
• Organism proliferates in intestine of susceptible
  animal
• All ages susceptible Younger animals gt Older
• Affected individuals usually in good nutritional
  condition and have access to concentrate diets or
  lush pasture.
• Clinical disease ? Death usually occurs
• Specific antitoxins available rarely reverse
  disease
• Vaccine

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Parasitic Diseases

• All ages susceptible
• Young animals frequently most severely affected
• Parasites include
• Stomach and intestinal worms
• Liver flukes
• Nasal bots
• Meningeal worm
• Prevention
• Routine worming with standard anthelminthics

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Trichuris ovis
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Cryptosporidium parvum
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Weanlings

• Nutrition
• Adequate energy and protein nutrition necessary
  for proper development
• Excessive nutrition ? Metabolic disease, e.g.,
  bone disorders
• Castration
• Usually performed in first year of life
• Delays growth plate (physeal) closure in long
  bones ? Taller animal when castrated prior to
  maturity

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Adults

• Nutrition
• Maintenance
• Pregnancy
• Lactation
• Body Condition Scoring
• Not limited to adults
• BCS allows assessment of nutritional status of an
  animal
• Increasing, decreasing, or maintaining
  nutritional status can be easily assessed through
  BCS

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Diseases

• Digestive
• Often mutlifactorial, rarely caused by infectious
  agents alone
• Colic
• Abdominal pain
• Source Digestive tract, uterus, urinary tract,
  other abdominal organs
• Intestinal impactions, ulcers, uterine torsion,
  and intestinal accidents are the most common
  causes of abdominal pain.
• Treatment Medical/Surgical

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Diseases

• Digestive
• Diarrhea
• Infectious diarrheas rare
• Salmonella
• Parasitic causes of diarrhea
• Intestinal worms
• Liver flukes
• Whipworms
• Ulcers
• Stressed animals
• Colic
• Suspect in any stressed camelid (concurrent
  disease, fractures, etc.)

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Diseases

• Respiratory
• Viral/Bacterial
• More common in maturing animals
• Possible infections include
• Streptococcus equisimilis (most likely equine in
  origin)
• Respiratory disease and peritonitis common
• EHV-1
• Equine in origin
• Reproductive, respiratory and neurologic disease
  possible
• May manifest as optic nerve degeneration ?
  Blindness (unilateral or bilateral)
• IBR (?-herpesvirus)

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Diseases

• Llama Immunodeficiency Syndrome (JLIDS)
• Genetic disease leading to defective immune
  system
• Appears to be a B-cell dysfunction
• Weanlings to young adults most often affected
  (Juveniles)
• Low Ig levels lead to increased risk of
  infectious diseases, particularly respiratory and
  neurologic disease
• Always eventually fatal

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Diseases

• Skin
• Parasites
• Lice
• Sucking and biting
• Mange
• Sarcoptic mite
• Bacterial skin infections
• Dermatophilus congolensis (Rain scald)
• Crusty skin lesions on dorsum (back)
• G organism Gram stain lesion ? Box car-like
  chains of G organisms
• Fungal skin infections
• Ringworm

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Diseases

• Skin
• Nutritional Deficiencies
• Zinc
• Thickened skin on legs
• Most likely due to malabsorption of Zn
• Only occurs in individuals within a herd
• Nervous System
• Ear Infections
• Respiratory diseases (viruses/bacteria) ? Damage
  ciliary clearance allowing ascension of organisms
  to middle ear ? Vestibular symptoms ? Infection
  may penetrate to brainstem.

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Diseases

• Nervous System
• Meningeal worms
• East of the Mississippi River
• Carried by white tail deer
• Snail intermediate host (source of infection)
• Some respond to treatment with Ivomec
• Miscellaneous Conditions
• Spinal abscesses
• Brain abscesses
• Rabies
• Listeriosis

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Diseases

• Musculoskeletal
• Clostridial myonecrosis
• Fully susceptible to Clostridial agents that
  cause muscle diseases in ruminants
• C. chauvoei Blackleg
• C. septicum, C. sordelli Malignant Edema
• Others
• Rapidly fatal
• Wound or bruise ? Anaerobic tissue ?
  Proliferation of Clostridial spores ? Disease
  characterized by swelling, pain, lameness,
  necrosis, edema and tissue emphysema ? Debility
  and death
• Vaccine is preventative in most cases

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Diseases

• Musculoskeletal
• Traumatic Injuries
• Fractures
• Ruptured muscles
• Angular limb deformities
• Congenital
• Prematurity
• Vitamin D deficiency
• Nutrition
• Often require surgical correction

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References

• Parish SM. VMS 261 Lecture Notes
• Fowler ME. 1998. Medicine and Surgery of South
  American Camelids. 2nd Edition