Camelid

What does it mean when OWC's flip their tail?

They're in rut

How long after birth should crias attempt to nurse?

within 2 hours and suckling every 1-2 hours after

Life span

~40 years

Common dz's of camelids

*H*epatic lipidosis *O*besity *G*rain overload *D*iarrhea *J*ohnes disease *S*almonella *D*ental problems *G*iardia *A*bscesses *F*oot problems *C*ryptosporidium (HOG DJ'S Dont Give A Fuh about Common camelid dz's)

What other vaccines can be considered in endemic areas?

- *M*ycoplasma bovis (if exp. to cattle) - *E*HV-1 (if exp. to horses) - *L*eptospirosis - *C*hlamydia - (if exp. to sheep) - *R*abies - *O*ther clostridial dz's - *W*NV (MEL likes endemic CROWs)

What are the palpation locations?

- *W*ithers - Behind the *e*lbow - Between the rear and front *l*egs - *P*erineum *WELP,* they can be palpated anywhere!

In order to maintain appropriate body condition, what percentage of crude protein grass hay is required? What about TDN?

- 10-14% crude protein grass hay - TDN of 50-60%

What dz should not be vax'd for? What should be done with the animals?

- BVD 1 & 2 - Test and cull

Old World Camelids:

- Bactrian Camels (Camelus bactrianus) - Dromedaries (Camelus dromedarius)

What are the IM injection sites?

- Best given between semimembranosus and semitendinosus muscles - Sometimes triceps muscle used

What's the problem with the Parelaphostrongylustenuis parasite?

- Big risk that this can kill a camelid - Owners deworm routinely with ivermectin = bad for intestinal parasites - Target therapy in fall and early winter when dz is most commonly seen

What do you want to avoid when administering oral meds?

- Cheek pouch -- Can cause ulcers from prolonged drug contact

What cleaning solution is used to clean the navel for the first 24 hours of life?

- Chlorhexidine is preferred to iodine (which can cause dermatitis) - Supplemental selenium if appropriate for the area

How are catheters placed in females?

- Clean area, wear sterile gloves - Insert finger and feel ventrally for external urethral orifice - Withdraw finger slightly and insert catheter over finger to prevent insertion into suburethral diverticulum

Feet

- Don't have hooves - Have two-toed foot with toenails, and a soft footpad - Main weight of animal is borne by tough leathery sole-pads

Blood cells and Ab's

- Elliptical RBC - Neutrophil is predominant WBC - Have a unique Ab that lacks the light chain

Guanaco GC

- Exist as wild and domestic - Uniform coloration - Wide distribution - Prized coat

Male physical repro

- Fibro-elastic penis - Small diameter urethra - testes are "high" and held close to body wall

How do you restrain an alpaca?

- Handle as a group - Respond better to restraint by assistant - Can be trained to be haltered - Hold like in picture

Female camelid that has given birth

- Hembra - Dam - Mare

Management

- Herd animal's, do poorly if they're alone - Easy on fences - Can be housed with goats and sheep - Individual llamas used as sheep guard animals

What does it mean when SAC's: - Hum - Click & snort - Scream

- Hum: content, pain, anxious - Clicking and Snorting: mild aggression - Screaming: fear

Dentistry

- I3 - canine like tusk that needs to be cut cause causes damage in fights - Upper lip is split in two separately mobile sections

How are guanacos and vicunas restrained?

- IM chem restraint - Shoot them with blow guns or stick poles

What should be done if cria hasn't nursed within 5 hours?

- Initiate supportive care - Can be bottle-fed goat milk replacers with live-culture yogurt

Llama general charicteristics

- Largest of the SAC's - Banana shaped ears - Level back - High set tail - Used as pack animals

Vicuna

- Limited distribution to Andes high altitude - Smallest of the SACs - Finest fur - More graceful and delicate - Very prized coat only shorn every 3 years

What are the common camelid dz with no vaccines?

- Llama adeno - Alpa*c*a *c*orona

How much weight should llama crias gain per day? Alpaca crias?

- Llama cria - 250-500 g/day (remember they're the largest SAC) - Alpaca cria - 100-250 g/day Should double their weight by 1 mo of age

South American Camels

- Llamas (Lama glama) - Alpacas (Vicugna pacos) - Vicunas (Vicugna vicugna) - Guanacos (Lama guanicoe)

Uterine morphology

- Long horns and short body (like cows) - Epitheliochorial placenta (like mares)

General Traits

- Long slender necks - Legs are attached to the body at the top of the thigh only, rather than attached by skin and muscle from knee up

Which camelid CAN'T be catheterized and why?

- Male llamas - Prevented by membranous flap at the ischial arch

What do males do upon intromission?

- Male vocalizes (orgling) - Copulation may last 45 mins

Where do you aim for low neck venipuncture

- Medial to enlarged transverse process of 6th cerv vertebra - Aim towards center of neck

Dromedaries

- Old world camel - One hump camel (think dr*o*mo, *o*ne) - Short and thick hair (*o*ne length all year) - Used for riding and racing *o*n

Bactrian Camels

- Old world camel - Two humps (Think bac*t*rian - *t*wo) - Grow thick coat in winter, falls off in summer (*t*wo seasons) - More mild mannered (*t*amer) - Worth more than dromedaries (*t*wice as much) - Used to carry and *t*ransport heavy loads

Humps

- Only Old World Camelids - Store specialized fatty tissue - Provide fuel for survival - Well fed = upright hump - exhausted = floppy hump

Camelid poop

- Pellet poop - SAC's make dung pile, old world doesn't - SAC's wont graze near dung pile

History Questions

- Purchase and source - Transportation history - Stays off the premise? - Feeding and Water - Water Source - Management - Procedural History (vaccines, castration) - Stage of pregnancy or lactation

How do you restrain Llamas?

- Ropes, plastic pipes or outstretched arms - Approach from left - Don't touch their heads - Dont make eye direct eye contact (threatening) - Basically gang up on them like these guys - Can train to handle in a chute

Which camelid group uses communal dung piles?

- SAC's

Alpaca GC

- Smaller - "spear-shaped ears" - Lower set tail - Sloping rear end - Have more of a hump to their back - Fiber producing

Is nail trimming required?

- Some individuals rarely need footcare, others require trimming ever 2-3 mo

SAC: What's special about spitting?

- Spit if subtle warnings ignored. - Spit 1st compartment stomach contents straight ahead.

What material should be used for bedding and why?

- Straw should be used -- Have to make sure they don't eat it - Shavings are hard to remove from coat

OWCs Vitals: - Temp - HR - RR

- Temp: 96.8-98.6 (morn) 100.4 (noon) and up to 107.6 max - HR: 32-36 (relaxed) 44 (nervous) - RR: 5-8 (winter) 10-12 Summer

SACs Vitals: - Temp - HR - RR

- Temp: 99.5-102 (up to 104 when hot) - HR: 60-90 - RR: 10-30

What makes venipuncutre more difficult in these animals?

- Thicker skin in cervical region - Jugular vein lies deeper - Ventral projection of the transverse processes of cervical vertebrae to protect underlying structures -Protective adaptions preventing bite wound exsanguination

What does it mean when OWC's have their head up/back?

- Threat display - Flehmen

Digestive system

- Three chambered - Compartment 1, 2 and 3 - Regurge and re-chew (extract E from poor quality forage better than ruminants)

When do SAC's lay in sternal recumbency

- To rest - When they find something unpleasant (nail trim or venipuncture)

What makes male SAC's imprint and why is it dangerous?

- Too much affection when bottle-feeding - Treat humans as another male camelid and offensively attack - Castration doesn't help behavior

What vocalization do OWC bulls make when they're in rut?

- Unique vocalization made by blowing air through the dulaa (diverticulum off the ventral aspect of the soft palate) - Remeber SAC's vocalization is orgling

Where is SQ injection given?

- Usually cranial to shoulder - Can give caudal to elbow

How much do they eat per day?

1.4-1.8% body weight

Average birth weight

18-33 lbs for llamas 90 lbs for camels and dromedaries

Rumination rate

2-4x per min - Increase after eating - Best herd left side

Gestation period

342 +/- 10 days

Weaning period

6 months

Puberty

6-8 months

Chromosomes

74

What's chukkering?

Alpaca held in the kush position by a soft rope around the hind legs

Order

Artiodactyla - Even toed ungulates

Which parasite is species specific?

Eimeria

Proper breeding ages

Female usually not bred until 18 months but can be bred at 1 year Males not bred until 2-3 yeard old

How long can fleece take to grow?

Can take 18 months, don't clip for venipuncture unnecessarily

What parasite ruins camelid fiber and if left untreated it will kill the camelid?

Chorioptes mange

Llamas should be vax'd for what? What's the frequency?

Clostridium C, D & T - Give 3-4 mo - Booster 1 mo later - Re-vax annually

Baby camelid (<1 year old)

Cria

When should camelids be castrated?

Do after 2 years If done earlier, can see skeletal defects or weakness

Where is venipuncture done?

Low neck High neck

Which site (low or high neck) is used for IV cath placement?

Low-neck High-neck can only be used for collecting venous sample

Male Camelid

Macho or Bull

Female camelid that hasn't given birth

Maiden

What direction can OWC's kick?

Many directions. Side, back, whatever.

What parasites do camelids share with sheep, goats and cattle?

Nematodirus, Trichuris, Haemonchus

Can you perform a pulse eval on a camelid?

No

Estrus cycle

No estrus cycle. They're induced ovulators

What are camelids missing in their eyes?

No tapetum

How can you tell that a SAC is pissed?

Nose in the air and ears back

Litter size

One

Estrus period

Ovulate 24-36 hours after breeding

Hospital Management: Recommendation

Owner bring fresh feces to begin dung pile

How is BCS assessed?

Palpating the amt of tissue over lumbar vertebrae BCS scale of 0-5

Where is high neck venipuncture done?

Blind stick Landmarks are: - Mandible - Sternohyoideus - Omohyoideous Advantage - less likely to accidentally hit carotid

Castrated male

Gelding

Which SAC's have prized fur?

Guanaco - prized (pictured) Vicuna - finest fur, has *very* prized coat

Group of camelids

Herd

What are the two breeds of alpaca's?

Huacaya - Shorter, crimped fiber Suri - Longer fibers with no crimp

Which SAC is the largest?

Llama (Look at those banana shaped ears)

What direction can OWC's spit?

Side and forwards

Father camelid

Sire

What stance do females do when they're receptive?

Sternal recumbency (cush or kush) allowing the male to breed

What change in diet is required for late gestation/heavily lactating females?

TDN of 65-70%

When do SAC's lay in lateral recumbency?

To rest

Which SAC is the smallest?

Vicuna

Weaned camelid

Weanling