Llamas and camels Flashcards
What kind of ovulators are llamas?
Llamas are unique and don’t have a normal heat cycle. The female llama is an induced ovulator. An egg is released around 24 to 42 hours after mating and often fertilized on the first attempt. They may be bred at any time of year.
Also, note that llamas are also unique in that they mate in a kush (lying down) position, and mating lasts for 20-45 minutes.
A 3-year old llama presents to you with ataxia and hindlimb paresis that began in the hind limbs and progressed to the front limbs over the course of 2 months. Bloodwork is unremarkable, and vertebral radiography is within normal limits. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis shows eosinophilia. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Parelaphostrongylus tenuis
The meningeal worm (Parelaphostrongylus tenuis), also known as the deer worm or meningeal deer worm, frequently infects llamas and alpacas. The definitive host is the white-tailed deer, but llamas and alpacas are aberrant hosts and typically display neurologic signs that may include hypermetria, ataxia, stiffness, muscle weakness, posterior paresis, paralysis, arching neck, and circling. Clinical signs generally begin in the hind limbs and progress to the front limbs. The course of disease is variable.
The key to answering this question is recognizing the eosinophilia in the CSF fluid which suggests a parasitic infection. Taenia saginata is a beef tapeworm which can infect humans. The other choices are less likely in this case due to the CSF findings.
There may be a few questions on camelids on your board exam. There are a few diseases that are specific to them that are worth knowing a little bit about for your exam including choanal atresia and meningeal worm infections.
