8 minute read
by Karen Oertley-Pihera, DVM
Karen Oertley-Pihera, DVM, MS
Cohutta Animal Clinic • Blue Ridge GA
Advertisement
Note: one “L” lama refers to both llamas and alpacas. (See “What Is A Lama Anyway?” on page 35 of this edition.
In 1992, after carrying my own backpack for half my life, I suggested to my husband that we get some llamas to start carrying our gear. Having been a small animal veterinarian for the previous ten years, I set about learning what I’d need to know to keep our llamas healthy.
On a road trip to our first llama association meeting, I read “Llama Medicine”, the first “little green book” by Dr. LaRue Johnson published in 1989 - all 231 pages - and remember thinking “This will be a piece of cake!! These animals hardly have any health problems!” (I remember being especially impressed with a photo of a 3 legged llama with a prosthesis, thinking how wonderful for a large animal to be able to deal with such a handicap and not have to be euthanized). Seventeen years and much more education later, I realize I had a lot more to learn to call myself a camelid veterinarian. But I remain convinced that over all, llamas and alpacas are “easy keepers” with relatively few medical issues compared to other domestic animals. Lamas are “tough” compared to other livestock, resistant to problems and stoic when it comes to health issues.
VETERINARY NEEDS: Before bringing your first animals home, establish a relationship with a camelid veterinarian in your area, or at least a veterinarian willing to learn. Both small and large animal veterinarians already have a lot of knowledge that can help with lama health issues, and there are plenty of resources available to teach them more. If your veterinarian is not ambulatory (not equipped for farm calls), you’ll need a trailer, van or even SUV to be able to transport sick animals to the hospital. A restraint chute on the farm can make many procedures easier. Another necessity is a catch pen or corral. Train your animals to come in to this area by feeding them there, so that you can round them up when it’s time for any veterinary or other procedures. Lamas are great at reading body language and it can be impossible to catch even a well-trained one out in an open pasture when it knows you’re up to something!
MONITORING FOR PROBLEMS: It is ideal to monitor your animals’ body condition on a regular basis to catch any health problems early enough to make a difference. Walking your animals across a scale once a month is ideal, but using a weight tape (“Dr. Z’s Llama Weight Tape”) is almost as accurate as a scale. You should at least handle your lamas frequently - feeling their backbones and ribs for amount of fat cover so you can assess weight gain or loss and intervene when needed. You also need to be aware of herd dynamics - there are usually bullies and low guys on the totem pole in every group - male or female. Be aware of these social issues and be sure you have enough feeding and watering stations so no one is deprived of basic nutrients.
SHELTER AND SHEARING: For information on basic housing and fencing needs, see the “Recommended Practices in Caring for Llamas & Alpacas” at the following web site:
https://icinfo.org/sites/camelid-sta.osumc.edu/files/docu-
ments/Practices2005FINAL.pdf. In the southeast, shelter from cold weather is less of an issue than providing shade and ventilation in the heat. Since lamas evolved at high altitudes in the Andes mountains where it is cold and dry, they can have problems adjusting to hot and humid climates. In most of the southeast it is essential that lamas be sheared in warm weather- sometimes more than once a summer. The more fiber you take off, the better. If show animals have only a barrel cut, watch them more closely. Fans, shade, good ventilation and misters can all help lamas handle the heat without stress.
DIET: Lamas have extremely efficient digestive tracts, requiring less nutrients than would similar sized sheep, goats or cows. They do well on a diet consisting mostly of forage- grass pasture or hay. Fescue should probably be avoided in late pregnant or nursing females as it might decrease milk production. Late pregnant or nursing females, growing young, older thin animals, and working (pack) llamas should have their diets supplemented with grain or lama chow. This supplement should not make up more than one third of their total diet, or a little over one pound of supplement a day for a 300 pound llama. Too much grain or chow can lead to stomach and metabolic problems. Most feed stores either carry or can order lama supplement formulated for your region. Fresh, clean water is also extremely important for your animals’ nutrition and health. Finally, your animals should have free choice (available at all times) lama mineral balanced for your geographic area.
TOXIC PLANTS: Plant poisoning is not common in camelids but does occur. Llamas are browsers and love to eat a little of everything, with the result being that toxins from poisonous plants are often diluted out by everything else they’ve eaten.
But it pays to be familiar with potentially dangerous plants in your area. Walk your pastures frequently to see what is popping up. In the southeast, laurel, rhododendron, bracken fern, horse nettle, dog hobble and cherry trees can be a problem, as well as many ornamentals like yew, jasmine, oleander, azalea and boxwood. Keep these plants out of your pastures and out
of reach over the fence. See “Green and Safe” on pages 36-39.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE: Infectious diseases are not common in North American llamas and alpacas, making their vaccination needs simple. Basic recommendations include a Clostridial vaccine - at least Clostridial perfringens types C & D and Tetanus, like in a “3-way” CDT vaccine. A “7-way” or “8-way” vaccine including protection against more types of Clostridia is better in venomous snake territory. Vaccines should be started at birth and boosted at 2 months and weaning, then repeated annually.
Rabies vaccination is very important if rabies occurs in wildlife in your area. Other vaccines like Leptospirosis, Equine Herpes Virus, West Nile and others may be warranted as circumstances indicate - ask your veterinarian.
Contagious viruses causing respiratory disease or diarrhea have occasionally been an issue during show season, with the stress of transportation and being away from home at a show most likely contributing to an animal’s susceptibility. Good veterinary examinations performed for health certificates before shows should help prevent these outbreaks.
BVD (bovine viral diarrhea) has been a concern in alpacas. Show associations and breeders may require screening of individual animals to determine if they are carriers and pose a risk to other animals.
NAILS AND TEETH: Unless you have extremely rocky terrain or a lot of cement flooring, your lamas will need periodic nail trimming. Their nails should not extend downward below the level of the footpad and should not curve to either side. Untrimmed nails can lead to serious foot problems and lameness. It pays to train lamas to stand for nail trimming from an early age. The trimming can be accomplished easily with a small hand held plant pruner.
Males housed with other males should have their “fighting teeth” trimmed starting at about 2-3 years of age. Intact males will need these trimmed every couple years, geldings less often or not at all. There are 6 of these very sharp edged teeth in a lama’s mouth- 2 upper and 1 lower on each side. Trimming prevents injuries among males battling for territory or dominance. Your veterinarian can trim these with sedation and a cutting wire or Dremel® tool.
Alpacas may need their front teeth (incisors) trimmed every year as these teeth continue to grow throughout life. Geriatric llamas and alpacas can have dental issues requiring veterinary attention and teeth “floating”. This is not nearly as commonly needed in lamas as it is in horses. Tooth abscesses can occur in premolars or molars, leading to swelling on the face or jaw, necessitating antibiotics and/or extraction.
PARASITES: Internal and external parasites (worms, coccidia, lice, mange mites and ticks) can occur in lamas causing weight loss, diarrhea, anemia, nervous system symptoms and skin problems. There are regional variations with some parts of the country having very few parasite problems and others, including the southeast, with the potential for a lot of parasite issues. A “routine deworming program” appropriate for all farms is no longer recommended, except for meningeal worm prevention in areas with white-tailed deer. Intestinal parasites should be monitored on a farm-by-farm basis, with frequent fecal examinations being key. You need to work closely with your veterinarian to assess the level of parasite problems in your animals and develop control measures on your farm.
BIRTHING: Only about 5% of all lama births are dystocias (difficult deliveries requiring intervention). The vast majority of births are problem free with the babies (called crias) being born conveniently during daylight hours with no help at all from us.
All in all, llamas and alpacas are easy to raise and have few veterinary problems requiring our help or veterinary intervention. Being a llama owner and a lama veterinarian are both a pleasure with these wonderful and hardy animals.
For more in-depth information on any of the above topics or other health care issues, you and your veterinarian can check:
• Alpaca Field Manual by Dr Norm Evans • American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners web site......................................................................www.aasrp • The Complete Alpaca Book by Eric Hoffman • International Camelid Institute website.......................www.icinfo.org • Llama and Alpaca Care - Medicine, Surgery Reproduction, Nutrition and Heard Health by Drs Cebra, Anderson, Tibary, Van Saun, and Johnson • Medicine and Surgery of South American Camelids by Dr Murray Fowler • Veterinary Clinics of America: Food Animal Practice Llama Medicine Vol 5 No 1, 1989 and Update on Llama Medicine, Vol 10 No 2, 1994
