Camelid health & welfare

How do you BCS camelids?

Reduction in BCS (BW) by:

½ (5%) = observe

1 (10%) = vet should see in next fortnight

2 (20%) urgent (vet out in next 2-3d)

What are the signs of abnormality in camelids?

• Ocular discharge

• HR, RR, temp

• Restless (rather than thrashing during colic like in horses)

What is the technique of taking bloods from a camelid?

• Go down the neck —> feel bony lateral protuberances of C5

• Slide finger medially to centre of neck —> in jugular groove (will not see vein rise)

  

• Insert needle just above your finger, parallel to neck

What are the different things to consider when treating camelids with fluids?

• 2ml/kg/hr + deficits, care w/ boluses (don't do for more than 30mins) —> susceptible to pulmonary oedema

• Care w/ glucose —> many cria are hyperglycaemic when ill, also a lot of adults insulin resistant

  • only add glucose if able to monitor twice a day

• Youngsters & Adults —> use alkaline fluids (hartmans)

When placing a catheter which location will you go for?

• Right jugular

  • (right is right —> L = closer to oesophagus & vagus n. —> if local reaction generated → nerve irritation)

• Top 1/3 of neck (less chance of hitting carotid)

• Skin nick before because skin is tough

• Always place down towards heart

• Can go for cephaliic in young crias that are still nursing —> more likely to cont. nursing because no jugular irritation

What classes as hypoproteinaemia & how can you rectify this?

• Albumin 20g/l, TP less than 40g/l

• Plasma transfusion

What do you think about this alpaca

• Stress lines under eyes & open mouth breathing

• Tensed facial muscles

• Stressed (leave this animal alone)

  • will become comatosed —> don’t surpass stress threshold

What do you suspect this is due to?

Bilat abdo distention:

• Free fluid in the abdomen

• SI obstruction

What are the common causes of colic?

• Phytobezoar (plant material blockage)

• Enteritis

• Spiral colon torsion

What piece of imaging equipment is best for abdo work up?

U/S —> shows several forestomachs present

not seen on rads

Where would a microchip be placed?

• L ear base, over cartilage

  • no longer in neck top 1/3 because can migrate

  • when scanning for microchip, scan entire animal

What vaccinations should you give?

• Clostridial

Others as required

• Bluetongue

• Orf, leptospirosis, salmonellosis

• Rota & Coronavirus, E.coli

• Abortion agents

booster q. 6months

What are the clinical signs ass. w/ endoparasites in camelids?

• Soft faeces (rather than D+)

• Ill thrift

• Anaemia (check eye w/ FAMACHA chart)

• Malaise & death

How many eggs in faeces for the different endoparasites indicate clinical infection?

• Trichostrongyle-type = 300-400 eggs/g

• Fluke, Nematodirus = 1 egg/g

• Haemonchus, Lungworm = any are noteworthy

  • present on farm —> watch forecasting period (correct weather conditions)

How can you aid reducing pasture contam?

Dung piles + poo-picking (like horses) —> frequently enough depending on hatching of larvae of parasites present

What are the wormer dose rates for camelids?

• Benzimidazoles

  • 10 mg/kg (= 2x sheep dose)

  • (albendazole never give more than this → toxicity; never give in pregnant)

• Levamisol (only if able to weigh, tox common if get dose even slightly wrong)

  • 6 mg/kg injection, 8 mg/kg by mouth

• MLs

  • Generally 1 – 1.5x cattle / sheep dose

  • Moxidectin for haemonchus —> 0.4 mg/kg oral (horse dose)

• Monepantel

  • 3x sheep dose

leave some animals untreated based on good BCS (don’t unnecessarily rely on drug tx)

When would you dose for fluke & what would you use?

• High forecast —> dose 6 weeks later

• Typical (sheep) —> Oct & Jan

• Closantel, triclabendazole, Albendazole (not in pregnant)

less suitable —> nitroxynil & clorsulon (not poss w/ combi product)

What are the coccidia that affect camelids?

• Eimeria lamae

• Eimeria punoensis

• Eimeria alpacae

• Eimeria mascusaniensis

immunity decr. w/ age & stress

What is the most pathogenic cocci species that affect camelids?

E. macusaniensis —> 1 month PPP

When should you treat camelids for cocci?

• Early-born crias @ weaning (6mo i.e. late summer)

• Late-born crias @ 2-3 mo

  • early-born crias deposited oocysts onto pasture & contam

• Adults after stress

• Incoming animals

  (moving troughs can help)

What are the common types of mange that you see?

• Chorioptic —> inside thighs, back

  • surface dwellers

    

• Sarcoptic —> around head

  • burrowing

    

(skin scrape to distinguish —> interdigital space)

Starts with fleece loss, reddening → crusted lesions

Severe → v. crusted, thick, leathery lesions

How do you treat the different types of mange?

• Ivermectins

  • Injectable for Sarcoptic mange (invading mite)

  • Pour-on for Chorioptic mange (surface spreading mite)

• Typically 3-4 tx 7-10d apart

• Treat the whole group

What additional treatment may you need to give to the severe mange cases?

• Shampoo (keratolytic)

• Topical acaricide (Deosect, Frontline)

• Topical emolient

• Skin conditioner

• ABs (systemic)

• Steroid? if v. severe & not pregnant

• treat WHOLE group housed together for mites (even those not showing signs) & keep separate from rest of herd for 1wk

• pour-on highly toxic to aquatic life

Which flies affect camelids?

Nuisance & blow flies

What are the signs of blow-fly strike?

• Fleece stuck together

• Skin wounds

What is this showing?

• Munge —> hyperkeratosis

• Typically weaning age(6-8mo) & adolescent

• Idiopathic

• Symptomatic tx (like additional mange tx)

What would you need to rule out when you see this?

• Caseous Lymphadenitis caused by corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis

• Take sample & look before draining any assumed abscess

How is gastric ulcer diagnosed?

U/S will show thinning of compartment wall

Poss peritonitis & free fluid

If you suspect gastric ulcers how would you treat this?

• Systemic antacids (pantoprazole) —> not oral

• You can give these prophylactically if an animal is inapp

When should you suspect bovine TB in camelids?

resp dx, wt. loss, ext. swellings (near LNs), abscesses in lung/trachea/liver/spleen

• be aware of zoonosis (camelids spit at each other)

How is bovine TB diagnosed?

Serological testing —> Idexx + StatPak or Enferplex

• poor sens

What is the main ddx for anaemia?

Cardio-vascular compromise

• clinical indicator = pale MMs

• Pulse deficit

• Heart murmur

• Cold extremities

• Incr. CRT

What are the features of camelid RBCs?

When is a blood transfusion needed?

• Eliptical RBCs —> needs to have correctly calibrated machine to pick up

• Always do PCV manually

  • can cope with PCV of ~8-10% until need blood transfusion; cf to sheep & goats (10-15%)

    • 1L whole blood incr. PCV by ~5%

What are the different things that can cause anaemia?

• Chronic dx

• Haemonchosis, fluke

• Gastric ulceration

• Haemolysis —> nitrate / brassica

• Ivermectin tox

• Mycoplasma haemollamae

What is the difference between ataxia and weakness?

• weakness test —> lift leg → will see worse m. tremours on contralat leg

  • (swing phase of gait)

When can we castrate camelids & what is the preparation + pre-op procedures?

• Over 18mo

• In preparation, must be covered for tetanus (or use tetanus antitoxin pre-op) & concentrates withheld for 24hrs.

• Immediately pre-op —> ABs & NSAIDs

• Check that has 2 testicles!!

  • cryptorchids typically LHS & intra-abdo

what are the anaesthesia options for a castration?

• Local infiltration

  • max 6mg/kg

  • along median raph ± intra-testicular

  • stand to side so don’t kick you

• Triple stun (heavy sedation = ketamine + butorphanol+ xylazine) (± local)

• Caudal epidural —> 1ml/45kg BW

How should the alpaca be prepared for castration? (restraint wise)

• Tie out like horse

• Nose below larynx —> regurg will run out of mouth

• Blindfold —> keeps deep & still

• Duct tape fleece out of way of scrotum in llamas

^^^ chuckering --> tie each back foot out of way but possibility of myositis if animal not deeply sedated enough & struggle against restraint

^^^ opened tunica vaginalis = prolapses out, so closed technique —> if accidently go too deep —> clamp tunica for 2mins, trim excess, to avoid prolapse → skin can heal properly

open castration complications = haemorrhage, infection etc.

What are the haemostasis options for the blood supply of the testicles?

• Ligature (above pampiniform plexus)

• Clamp (above pampiniform plexus)

• Twist & pull

What are the top 3 differentials for weight loss?

What is the birth weight and weight for month after birth of camelids?

Double birth weight (7-8kg) in first month of life then 5kg incr. per month

What are the ddx of a 4mo cria that has a BCS 1/5, BW 14kg, systolic heart murmur, small faecal pellets, urination not observed, -ve fluke & salmonella, 100 strongyloides epg, <50 coccidia epg?

• Congen problem? —> underweight

• Maladjustment syndrome

• Malnutrition —> milk, C1 development

• Parasites (esp. coccidiosis)

• Immunodef syndrome

• Iodine def

• additional acute problem?

When is it indicated to trim the incisors?

• Low BCS, quidding

• Use embryotomy wire or power tool (+ water to stop overheating of tool)

• Care not to expose pulp cavity (sensitive) —> shine torch through teeth to see, and stay above when trimming

What are the difference between retained deciduous vs permanent incisors

• Deciduous = whiter, taper towards gingiva

• Permanent = dirtier, parallel sides

what is this a presentation of?

How can this be investigated?

Dental dx

• DV, lateral, 45 degree oblique views on rads

• Routine check by owners —> roughness in bone?

How can cria be sedated?

0.1mg/kg butorphanol + 0.2mg/kg diazepam

no xylazine because can’t negate cardiotrophic effects

What cuffed ET tube size can be used in adults vs weanlings?

What flow rate is needed on the anaesthetic machine?

• Adult = 9-12

• Weanling = 5.5-7

2-3L flowrate on closed circuit

What can be used to induce?

• Xylazine or detomidine ± butorphanol + ketamine

• Or propofol

• Alfax to premed

maintain on gas /double drip

What is important to consider when extubating after GA?

Extubate as late as poss to avoid oedema → will struggle to breathe

What analgesia can be used for camelids?

• Fentanyl patch q. 72hrs; 12hrs to peak

• Butorphanol IV or IM, 60mins to effect

• Buprenorphine IV or IM, 6-7hrs to effect

• Meloxicam q. 48-72hrs, 22hrs to peak

What are the causes of abortion in camelids?

Non-infectious & infectious causes same as in sheep & cattle

What are common malpresentations of dystocia?

What can help you deal with dystocia?

• Foot/lower limb caught on pelvic brim

• Carpal flexion

• Head deviation, neck flexion

• Breech —> posterior presentation w/ hip / hock flexion

• Twins

• C section is an option to deal w/

What is the protocol for a caesarean section?

• Local anaesthetic used over GA

  • fluids needed for good GA

• sedation (detomidine, butorphanol = don’t affect dilation)

• don’t take any longer than 15min trying to get cria out manually —> plan B = C section

• spleen more cd. than in cattle & sheep = will be incorporated into incision

• keep fleece out of way w/ ductape

• gentle tissue handling —> lavage, don’t swab

When are foetal membranes usually passed? and when is it considered retained?

• Usually passed after 1-3hrs and should weigh from 800-1000 grams

• Retained means longer than 6hrs —> give gentle pull, oxytocin, systemic check (temp)

• No ABs unless develop temp (necrosis needed for placenta to come out)

What are some other peri-parturient complications?

• Uterine torsion

• Vaginal prolapse

• Uterine prolapse

• Mastitis (rare) —> systemic so needs aggressive tx

• Endometritis —> too freq breeding?

What does a cria need if it has D+?

• Oral Na+ (don’t lose as much as calves)

• IV