42. camelid medicine 1

llama fiber types

• ccara: short and medium woolled

• tampuli: long or heavy woolled

alpaca fiber types

• huacaya: short, dense, puffy “teddy-bear like”

  • crimp or crinkle found throughout fleece

  • shorn yearly

• suri: silky, no crimp

  • “pencil-like” locks; hang down in “dreadlocks”

  • shorn every 2 yrs

which teeth are the fighting teeth?

• upper 3rd incisor

• upper and lower canines

what are the compartments of the camelid stomach?

C1 (rumen-like), C2, C3 (abomasum-like)

which nematodes make up the “HOT” complex?

affect C3

• haemonchus

  • anemia, hypoproteinemia, blood loss

• ostertagia (teladorsagia)

• trichostrongylus

  • “OT” → weight loss, ill thrift, hypoproteinemia

small intestinal endoparasites

nematodirus, cooperia, trichostrongylus

• weight loss, ill thrift, hypoproteinemia, rarely diarrhea

• nematodirus: poor growth, diarrhea in crias

large intestinal endoparasites

trichuris, oesophagostomum, capillaria

• enteritis and diarrhea — often bloody

• whipworms: poor growth, diarrhea, blood loss — esp. camels!

nematode monitoring strategies

periodic monitoring very important; no universally accepted protocol; herd-size dependent

• fecal egg counts

  • small herds (10-20 animals) → test all

  • larger herds: test ≥ 10% of herd (at least 10-20 animals)

    • target breeding females, young animals

  • test varying ages, lower BCS animals

  • minimum of 2-3 times a year

• FAMACHA

  • used to detect haemonchus infected animals

• fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT)

  • used to detect resistance to anthelminthic class / type

avermectins — safety & efficacy

ivermectin, doramectin, moxidectin; only moxidectin vs. whipworm

• moxidectin

  • use in crias > 4 months, not safe if younger

  • moderate margin of safety

  • may cause coughing after administration

  • do not use unless resistance nematodes are documented in herd

fenbendazole & albendazole — safety & efficacy

• fenbendazole

  • safe for all ages and if pregnant; high dose safe in all ages

• albendazole

  • do not use if pregnant or <50 lbs

  • can cause liver failure in young crias or if given in multiple doses

levamisole & pyrantel pamoate — safety & efficacy

• levamisole

  • oral route safer than SQ; must be dosed accurately

  • not recommended in lactating animals

  • only use if no other drugs work

  • not good for whipworms or lung worms

• pyrantel pamoate

  • do not use with levamisole

  • moderate margin of safety

eimeria lamae — signalment

• primarily causes clinical disease in crias < 8 months old

  • may become infected shortly after birth

  • illness usually occurs before 4 months of age

  • incubation period ~3-4 wks → at least 3 wks old to see clinical signs

• older camelids (>1 yr) more resistant unless overwhelming exposure or immune-suppressed

eimeria lamae — clinical signs

variable

• lethargy

• anorexia, weight loss or poor gain

• mild catarrhal to hemorrhagic diarrhea

• dehydration

• sudden death due to dehydration & shock

eimeria lamae — treatment

• amprolium (corid)

• decoquinate (decox)

• ± sulfadimethoxine

• ± thiamine → recommend supplementation in camelids to prevent polioencephalomalacia

e. mac — pathophysiology

• slower maturing → long pre-patent phase (32-35 days)

• damages intestinal epithelium

• inhibits epithelial regeneration

• exposes intestine to secondary bacterial or viral invasion

• most common coccidial cause of death in N. america

e. mac — signalment

all ages, but primarily adults show clinical disease

e. mac — clinical signa

• subclinical shedding to severe protein losing enteropathy

• ill-thrift syndrome; weight loss

  • anorexia, lethargy, weakness

  • enteritis

  • PLE

• ± colic, diarrhea

• ± translocation of bacteria / toxin

  • other organ signs

  • dyspnea, dysphagia, drooling

  • ascites

  • neurologic signs

e. mac — clinical pathology

• hypoalbuminemia

• panhypoproteinemia

• mild anemia

• high AST, blood glucose, lactate, NEFA, ketones

• low serum potassium, sodium, chloride

e. mac — other diagnostics

• fecal tests — challenging

  • clinical disease may be seen in prepatent phase

  • very large coccidian; pear or watermelon seed shape

  • double centrifugation, concentrated flotation test → false negatives are common

• intestinal biopsy or necropsy

e. mac — treatment

• ponazuril (marquis) + amprolium (corid)

• supportive care — thiamine

e. mac — control

• good hygiene is essential

• feed off ground

• young crias = biggest shedders

• e. mac on herd screening = positive herd

• test suspect animals

• test and quarantine new arrivals

mycoplasma haemolamae — clinical presentation

• rickettsial organism

• usually secondary pathogen & asymptomatic until stressed

• clinical presentation

  • parasitemia with minimal clinical signs

  • anemia, poor weight gain, chronic diarrhea

  • once infected, camelids may become chronic carriers for life

mycoplasma haemolamae — diagnosis & treatment

• diagnosis: PCR more sensitive than blood smear

• treatment: treat primary condition

  • oxytetracycline: parasitemia is not permanently cleared by standard tetracycline regimen used in camelids