Camelid Medicine Flashcards
1
Q
How do we BCS a camelid?
A
- Hands-on!!
- Ribs -> fat coverage
- Lumbar area - coverage
- Rear end -> cover over top of leg and abdo contour of animal from behind
2
Q
Where do we place catheters in them?
A
Jugular and carotid very close!!
Always check jugular blood before injecting
Right hand side the two vessels are slightly further apart
ALWAYS place needle downards
3
Q
Where do we sample blood ?
A
- Jugular- right upper/lower
- Cephalic in young animals
4
Q
Details on blood sampling ?
A
- Challenging as the jugular cannot
usually be seen or palpated - Palpated vertebrae 6/7 laterally
and palpate the trachea medially=
insert needle ‘blind’ - RHS- vein is further from artery
5
Q
IM injectiion?
A
not much muscle!
* Quadreceps
* Semitendonous- risk of damage to
siatic nerve
6
Q
SC injection?
A
- in front of shoulder
- Dorsal surface of scapula
7
Q
Describe stomach tubing camelids?
A
- Gag required to stop chewing the food
- Wooden gag
- Tube put over the back of dorsal
tongue and get alpaca to swallow - Nasopharyngeal tubing=high risk of
epistaxis
8
Q
Microchipping ?
A
- Commonly performed by the vet
- Not food producing animals in UK so can be microchipped for identity
- Left dorsal neck- 3-4
th vertebrae
9
Q
Teeth trimming?
A
- Common procedure
- May be required secondary to
malocculsion - Embryotomy wire
- Very good restraint
- Annual basis in problem animals
- No anaesthesia
10
Q
Claw Clipping ?
A
- Over grown feet common
- Used to being worn down but hard rocky
surfaces V’s soft footing in UK
11
Q
Abdominocentesis in camelids?
A
- Ventral midline approach
- A lot of intraperitoneal fat
- 90 degrees into abdomen to avoid going into fat
- Right body wall approach
- Unlikely to yield fluid sample unless significant abdominal
fluid present
12
Q
Liver biospy ?
A
- Right side approach
- 9
th intercostal space - 15-20cm from dorsal midline
- Aim needle ventro-medially (opposite elbow)
- Tru-cut biospy
13
Q
How much do camelids eat?
A
- Adults consume 1.5% of body weight as dry matter daily.
- Adults approx. 70Kg weight = 1kg dry matter!
14
Q
How much dry matter in grass vs hay?
A
Grass = 20% dry matter = 5kg of grass to eat enough dry
matter/day
* Hay = 90% dry matter = 1.2 kg/day
15
Q
Pasture for nutrition?
A
- Pasture will supply more energy, protein and fibre needs for
maintenance - Additional: growth, pregnancy, lactation may need
supplementation
16
Q
WHAT SUPPLEMENTATION IS KEY?
A
VIT D
17
Q
Are any drugs licensed in camelids?
A
nop
18
Q
NSAID?
A
Equine dose- Meloxicam/Flunixin/Ketaprofen
19
Q
POUR -ONs?
A
- Not well absorbed. Avermectins do not get absorbed in sufficient quantities. Injectable avermectins at 1/5x times dose
for cattle
20
Q
Oral anthelmintics ?
A
Unreliable
* Avermectins unreliable absorption but suggests using 1.5x times
cattle dose
* Oral Levamisoles are recommended against due to small
therapeutic doses- could be toxic
21
Q
IV fluids?
A
Care with overloading. Accurate weights and rates important!
22
Q
How many offsprings / year and how long is pregnancy?
A
- 1 Cria/year
- Pregnancy is 345 days. 11.5 months
23
Q
When are females mated?
A
3 weeks post-calving
24
Q
Cria weaning?
A
6months
25
What horn do 90% of pregnancies happen in ?
LEFT horn
26
MAting length?
* Prolonged mating period 20-25 minutes
* Male orgling
* Cush position
27
What kind of ovulators are they?
* Induced ovulators
* Ovulation occurs 24 hours post mating
28
What reproductive problems are common in camelids?
* Unable to conceive following multiple
mating's
* Continuously rejecting the male
* Abortions
* Visible abnormalities of the external genitalia
* Lots of congenital/inherited genetic problems
29
How can we induce ovulation ?
* Mating but no pregnancy- possibly repeat
breeder- no spit off even day 7
* hCG
* GnRH
30
What to do for Persistent CL/induction of abortion?
* Constant spitting off despite negative U/S
* 2 doses Cloprostensol 24 hour interval
31
Inducing parturition?
Prostaglandin + glucocorticoids
32
Dilation of cervix?
Oestrodoil - dilation 24 hrs later
33
Pregnancy diagnosis?
34
Describe parturition?
- Anterior presentation
- Cria can hang from mother for 10-15minutesnormal stage of partuirition
- Dam wont lick cria or remove membranes
- Cria sat up Kush withing 10-15 minutes of birth
- Suckle within 1 hour
35
Timings of each stage of parturition?
36
Describe Dystocia in CamelidS?
* Hygiene
* Same approaches as ruminants
* Gentle
* Less room available in pelvis
* Manipulation generally easy and successful
* Caesarean section can be indicated
37
What postpartum issues?
* Mastitis is rare
* Retained membranes are rare but can be serious if untreated.
* Hypocalcaemia rare
38
What basic neonatal knowledge?
* 6-8 Kg at birth
* Dress naval with iodine after
birth
* Hypothermia and Hypoglycaemia
soon after birth common
* Born May/June/July
39
What neonatal issues can we see?
**Prematurity**
Teeth not erupted
Floppy ears
Unable to stand or hold head up
Low birth weight
Down on pasterns
40
What immunity at birth?
Cria born with no immunity!
41
Failure of passive transfer?
Routine monitoring
* Or sample some at risk cria
* Total Protein (TP) used to obtain a crude way to assess passive transfer
42
Failur eof passive tansfer - what values of TP?
43
How much colostrum in first 12hrs ?
10%
44
Tx for failure fo passive transfer?
Plasma transfusion 300ml IV
Plasma provided by another adult from the herd
Can be given IV, Stomach tube ?? or Intraperitoneal
45
Plasma transfusion - how to do it?
* Take whole blood
* Centrifuge blood
* Decant plasma- syringes or into fluid
giving bag
* Can freeze and thaw with care@
46
What donors for plasma transfusion?
* Donor animals- well condition
animals doing no ‘work’ usually
wethers
47
HOW MUCH BLOOD?
t 0.5-1 L blood
48
What common neonatal conditions?
* Congenital defects
Choanal atresia
Umbilical hernias
Cleft palate
Atresia ani
Musculoskeletal defects
Wry face
* Umbilical infections
* Joint ill
* Septicaemia/meningitis (secondary to FPT)
* Hypothermia/hypoglycaemia
* Diarrhoea
49
What common medical problems in camelids?
* Vitamin D deficiency
* Ectoparasites/parasitic skin disease
* Endoparasites
* Tooth root abscesses/Osteomyelitis of the jaw
* Mycoplasma
* Bovine TB
50
Who is more suceptibel to Vit D/ Hyophosphspatemic Rickets
* Cria born in late summer/early autumn
* But all cria are susceptible
* Dark coated animals
51
CLS of Vit D def?
* Shifting leg lameness
* swollen joints
* angular limb deformities
* reluctance to move
* ill thrift
* poor weight gain
52
Diagnosis of Vit D def?
* History and presentation
* Low blood phosphorus/Vitamin D
* Xray- bone density/growth plates
53
Tx/Prevention Vit D def?
* Vitamin D supplementation
* CARE: toxicity
* Routine administration of Vitamin D
done regularly now
* Every 3 months for growing Cria
* Twice annually for breeding
females
* Surgical correction?
54
What Parasitic skin dx can they get?
- Sarcoptic mange
- Chorioptic mange
- Psoroptic mange
55
What do we often see?
* Often see a combination of one or more of these mites in one infestation
* Seen on head, nose, ears, feet and legs and under armpits, perineum and inguinal areas
* Secondary bacterial infection with significant crusting of skin seen.
56
What signs of parasitic skin dx?
Hair loss, erythema, pruritis, scaling and
crusting
57
Diagnosis of Parasitc skin dx?
* Different areas affected/patterns of disease with each mite
* Difficult to diagnose from this alone
* Deep skin scrapes
58
Tx of parasitic skin dx?
First line:
* Injectable avermectins q7-14 days
* Repeated injections
* Topical therapies
* Pour-on?
* Pasture management
* Fipronil?!!
* Treat whole herd?
59
What other skin conditions fo they get?
- Zinc-responsive dermatitis
- 'Munge"
- Orf
60
Zinc-responsive dermatitis - describe?
* Alopecia, scales, thick crusts, hyperkeratosis
* DDx Parasitic skin disease
* Improves with Zn treatment
* Suspect over-diagnosed?
61
describe 'munge'
* Idiopathic nasal/perioral hyperkeratotic dermatosis
* Secondary infection
* Painful
* DDx parasitic skin disease
62
What endoparasites are they prone to?
Susceptible to nematodes, cestodes, trematodes of sheep, cattle and goats including live
fluke.
* Remain susceptible throughout lifetime
* Routine FEC
63
What effect of communal dung?
limits larvae spread onto pasture if no co-grazing
* Increased larvae when co-grazing with other species
64
CLS of endoPs?
Weight loss, diarrhoea, poor growth, ill thrift
65
Dx of endoPs?
Faecal float
66
what can haemonchus cause?
severe anaemia in alpacas
* Usually not causing diarrhoea
* PCV <10%
67
what faecal egg test ?
McMasters may not be
sensitive enough for camelids
Modified Stolls Test= sensitive
to 5 epg
68
Control of endoparasites?
* Oral ivermectin anthelmintics ineffective.
* Injectable ivermectins are effective and first line.
* Levamisoles low toxic dose in camelids
* Fenbendazole largely ineffective due to resistance
* Pasture rotation/management
* Avoid co-grazing with other ruminants
* Regular FECs
69
Which coccidia are camelids prone to?
Small coccidia
E Punoensis
E alpacae
A lamae
* Large coccidia
E macusaniensis (tear shaped oocyst)
“E.mac”
E ivitaensis
70
Disease from small coccidia?
* Small coccidia causes disease in younger
alpacas with higher counts seen
* Counts > 200epg unusual/clinically relevant
71
What do we see with 'EMac'
- Any age affected
- Cause of death within 2-3 weeks
- COlicn WL, ill thirft, tenesmus, D+
- All ages affected
72
Dx & Tx of 'EMac'?
Dx- clinical signs/ faecal float?
TMPS
Toltrazil (Baycox)
73
Describe tooth rot abscess?
* Common in camelids
* Mostly cheek teeth affected
* Food particles penetrating into the periodontal ligament
* Usually associated with eruption of the permanent molars (age 4)
* Actinomyces spp- gram positive, facultative anaerobe
* Ecoli- gram negative facultative anaerobe
* Bone involvement
74
CLS tooth rot abscess?
* Swelling along mandible
* Salivation
* Weight loss
* Pain on Palpation
* Ocular discharge
75
Medical dx of rooth abscess?
* Long term antibiotics
* 6-8 weeks
* 50% success??
* Most tolerated drugs?
* Analgesia- NSAIDs
76
Surgical tx of tooth rot abscess?
* Tooth extraction
* Tooth splitting
* Tooth root resection
* Referral surgery options
* Lateral alveolar plate resection
77
What strain of Mycoplasma causes dx?
Mycoplasma haemolamae
78
Describe Mycoplasma haemolamae?
* Parasite in erythrocytes
* Transmitted through arthropod vectors/lice/ticks
* Opportunistic pathogen? Comorbities?
79
CLS of Mycoplasma?
* Lethargy, anaemia, recumbent, weight loss, death, all ages affected
* Subclinical
80
Diagnosis of Mycoplasma?
* Clinical suspicion
* Blood smear & stain- evidence of parasite
* Blood smears made on farm- organisms drop off
* Small numbers found in clinically normal animals
81
Tx fo mycoplasma?
* Oxytetracyclines + supportive therapy- blood transfusion?
* Chronic carriers after resolution of clinical signs?
82
What signs on smear?
Mild- severe regen or non regen anaemia
83
Which stomach gets gastric ulcers? why?
C3-> * Stress- hospitalisation, kept alone, weather, otherwise unwell
84
CLS of Gastric ulcer?
Teeth grinding
Salivation
Inappetence
colic/laying down a lot
Melena
Full thickness= rupture, acute abdominal pain peritoneal contamination,
peritonitis and death
85
Dx Gastric ulcer?
Ultrasound shows thickening and oedema of C3 mucosa
86
Tx of Gastric ulcer?
Drugs in other species don’t work well- oral omeprazole doesn’t alter pH so
not effective
Sulcrafate
Pantoprazole (proton pump inhibitor)
Ranitidine (H2-receptor antagonists
87
Describe Hepatic lipidosis?
* Fatty Liver
* Mostly associated with negative energy
balance
* Fat deposits mobilised and transported
to liver
* Excessive accumulation of triglycerides
in hepatocytes
88
Who does hepatic lipidosis affect?
* Males and females
* May be pregnant or lactating
* Not always in fat animals
89
Diagnosis of Fatty liver?
* Biochemistry, liver biopsy
* Liver insufficiency
* Coagulopathy
* Elevated liver enzymes-AST and bile
acids
90
Tx & Pg?
* Heptatic support- fluids, glucose
* B vitamins
* Increased energy diet- pregnancy
poor pg
91
CLS of fatty liver?
Lethargy
Depression
Ataxia
Recumbency
Abortion
Anorexia
92
Which clostridial diseases are they prone to?
Susceptible to Clostridium
perfringens C & D
* Well recognised in camelids
93
Vaccination against clostridial dx?
* Early vaccination from 6 weeks+
* Twice annual vaccine
* Poorer immune response
compared to other species so
need repeat dose more regularly
94
What do each strain of clostridia cause?
Clostridum perfringens type Centeritis and enterotoxaemia
Clostridium Perfringens type DEnterotoxaemia/neurological
disease
95
Describe TB in Camelids?
Bovine TB
* Lungs, lymph nodes, udder etc
* High incidence of TB in cattle= more likely in alpacas
96
CLS of TB?
* Often subclinical
* Exercise intolerance, chronic persistent coughing, respiratory signs, anorexia, weight loss,
weakness, lethargy
97
Dx TB?
* Intradermal test
* Blood test- Enferplex
* Not routinely done in UK like cattle
* Need to be an OV for this and get prior authorisation from APHA
* Like cattle: Tests aren’t 100 sensitive: False negatives
