Camelid Reproduction Flashcards
When is puberty in llamas/alpacas?
environment, nutrition: in north america 1-1.5y in south america 2-3 years Males mature at 2.5-3yr breed when 65% mature weight alpacas 40kg llamas 60kg
Is there seasonality in camelids?
affected by nutrition and environment but NOT pohotoperiod
in north america non-seasonal
in south america (dec-march)
What is the female reproductive anatomy of llamas?
small repro tract
during the luteal phase, under influence of progesterone they lack tone in uterine horns and maximally curled????
What horn in llamas carriers the pregnancy?
left horn
but ovulation from both sides
What is the male preproductive anatomy?
fibroelastic penis, sigmoid flexure, cartilagnous tip
epididymides at top of testes
No vesicular glands (have others)
When are females seually receptve/submissive to male?
almost continuously (cant use behavior to monitor cycle)
HOw large do dominant follicles get?
10-15mm
Are llamas induced or spontaneous ovulators?
induced
When does ovulation occur after mating?
26-42hr after mating
how soon does LH start to peak after mating?
15 min, peaks 2-4hrs later, declines by 6hr
Why is there not a set follicular wave interval in llamas?
follicle can regress and make a short lived luteal structure
What is the interval of waves with a CL vs no CL
17d with CL
20d with no CL
What is the life of CL if not pregnant?
regression starts at 7d
When can pregnancy be diagnosed?
day 10
Do llamas depend on the CL throughout pregnancy?
yes
What is the mating behavior of camelids?
Males do not choose between receptive and non-receptive females
non-receptive females spit off advancing males
copulation lasts 5-20minutes
What are first service preg rates of camelids?
60-70%
How high can embryonic losses be under adverse conditions?
80%
What is the gestation length of alpacas and llamas?
alpaca 330d
llama 345d
What is the placentation of camelids
difffuse microctyledonary
Are twin births common in the camelid?
no
How can camelids be preg diagnosed?
- teasing 85% accurate
- rectal palp
- ballottement
- P4 assay (false positive from pyometria, persistent CL, spont ovul)
- ultrasonography
When can you visualize an embryonic vesicle in a preg camelid using U/S
18d
When can you see a heart beat by U/S in camelid
25d?
What are teh signs of parturition in the camelid?
- bagging up quite variable
- teats enlarge 1-3wk prepartum, waxing
- milk let-down 48hr before parturition
Do camelids have control of parturition?
yes, 90% occur between 7-11AM
what are cria born with?
epidermal membrane
What are the stages of parturition?
stae 1 2-6hr: separatin, humming, urination, getting up and down stage 2. 30-45 min appearance of fetal membranes stage 3 1-2hr
can camelids deliver in a caudal presentation?
yes, if there isn’t a leg back
what is the epidermal membrane
very thing paper like membrane that dries and desintegrates once cria born and they are dry under that membrane
may help in lubrication and quick drying
Is dystocia common or rare in llama?
relatively rare. less than 2% in peru
What is the most common cause of dystocia?
malpresentation
What are the most common forms of malpresentation?
forelimb and neck flexion 70%
caudal presentation with hind leg flexed 30%
What is the treatment of dystocia?
attend quickly
maybe sedate
Does uterine torsion happen commonly in camelid?
yes, have a large abdomen
quite common
last month of gestation
usually very near term
Does uterine torsion involve the cervix?
yes, like cow, unlike horse
What are the signs of uterine torsion?
colic, humming, separation fromm herd
What is the treatment for uterine torsion?
rolling, caesarian section
When do ovulatory size follicles devleop in postpartum period?
4-14d
When is there complete uterine involution in camelids?
21d
If everything is normal, when can rebreeding be performed in the llama?
15-20d
What are the indications for abortion/parturition?
mismating
bred at wrong time of year
save the female
Why is it relatively easy to induce abortion in camelid
they are CL dependent through pregnancy so can use 2 treatments of PGF2alpha
What are reproductive pathologies of camelids?
- retained placenta-uncommon
- vaginal prolapse-uncommon
- uterine prolapse-fairly common
What should you do with retained placenta in camelids?
treat if not passed by 24hr (maybe earlier better)
use oxyocin, gentle tugging
infusion of chorioallantois?–burns technique
antibiotics e.g. penicillin
What might uterine prolapse be associated with in some individiuals?
hypocalcemia
What is cystic ovarian disease??
large follicles >15mm
or hemorrhagic follicles
may not affect new waves, spontaneously resolve
may be more like hemorraghic anovulatory follicles in horse than cows cysts
How do you treat cystic ovarian disease?
hCG
GnRH–if don’t have access to hCG
What are the causes of metritis, endometritis, pyometra
over breeding
e. coli, strep zoo
What is the diagnosis of endometritris/metritis, pyometria?
history of repeat breeding vaginoscopy ultrasound cullture cytology biopsy
How do you biopsy a camelid?
similar to horse, shorter biopsy
hard to get through cervix but can use estradiol cypionate
bipsy left horn lateral wall
What are congenital abnormalities in camelids?
ovarian hypoplasia
congenital tubular anomalies
What are acquired repro abnormalities of camelids?
- ovarian tumors
- endometritis
- follicular cysts
- cystic CL
What is choanal atresia?
partial or complete separation of nasal and pharyngeal cavities
relatively common
lethal if complete
What are non-infectious causes of preg loss?
- twinning
- genetic and chromosommal anomalies
- hormonal (maternal rec. signal?)
- nutritional (toxicity-se, deficiencies-vit A, E, Cu, I, Se)
- stress–high temp
What are infectious causes of preg loss?
- toxoplasmosis
- leptospirosis
- chlamydia
- IBR, EHV1, BVD–>the big thing now, overblown?j
What is involved in the male breeding soundness evaluation?
- physical soundness
- semen quality
3 serving capacity
What is involved in physical soundness in male breeding soundness exam?
testes size:
congenital abnormalities: testicular hypoplasia, crypt, persistent frenulum , etc
How do you collect semen collection
- Female condum, vaginal aspiration/sponge
- artificial vagina using a dummy mount
- electroejaculation under heavy sedation (xylazine/ketamine)–N.A.
How is semen quality of camelids relative to other species?
generally poor relative to other species 40% normal 25% motile relatively dilute low total sperm
What is the serving capacity of camelids?
alpacas
copulation 22 min
clusters or urethral pules 1/min
What stocking density can you use of male/female ?
1 male to 30 females
(must alternate males every 10-14 d)–loss of interest
