Camelaides

Camelids, mainly alpacas and llamas have become increasingly more popular across the UK and all Europe over the past 30 years. Here they are mainly bred as pets and for their excellent fibre and represent great companion animals, both for the owners and the other animals. They are originally from South America.

Alpacas and llamas need shearing on a regular basis. They are originally native to a cool and dry climate, in our warm and humid regions this prevents both overheating during hot months and excessive humidity and weight during wet days. Shearing is usually done at the end of spring from May to July, annually in alpacas, annually or every other year in llamas. It is usually performed by trained shearers. Shearers will also check toes and trim, them if necessary. This will depend on the type of ground they are usually kept on and they might need more trimming during the rest of the year.

Female alpacas and llamas are usually bred from 20/24 months onwards. Their gestation is usually 330-340 days long, but pregnancies lasting up to a year are not uncommon. It is essential that cria get an adequate amount of good quality colostrums in the first 6 hours after birth ((5-10% of their body weight). Camelids are highly susceptible to gastro-intestinal worms, fluke, coccidian and ectoparasite infestation. To avoid worm burdens and at the time to avoid excessive, blind use of anthelmintics, it is recommended to faecal test them for worms and fluke at least 2/3 times a year. Individual and pooled samples can be tested and this can be done as a screening of the herd. Or on those animals who present clinical signs (diarrhoea, weight loss or anaemia).

Camelids are also very sensitive in their skin and fibre and prone to ectoparasites infestation. These usually display with loss of fibre, itch inflamed skin and scabs. Examination and skin scrapes are recommended for skin conditions, to identify the parasites promptly and treat them appropriately.

The main vaccination for camelids is the vaccination against clostridial diseases. Thes include tetnus, pulpy kidney, blackleg, clostridial enterotoxemia. There are no vaccinations  licensed for camelids in the UK. However multivalent small runinamt clostridial vaccines can be prescribed by vets. These are usually started from 3 months of age onwards and consist of a primary course of two injections given 4 weeks apart, followed by annual booster.

Camelids are susceptible to Mycobacterium bovis and can develop TB, alongsid3e cattle.

Animals that develop TB do not always develp clinical signs or, instead, it might take years before the disease becomes clinically evident. The incidence of TB in camelids is low in the UK. Therefore they are not routinely tested for surveillance purposes like cattle. However keepers might be required by government authorities to test their animals in particular situations such as for diagnostic purposes in herds where TB has previously been found for continuity with positive herds or for movement reasons.

At Wern Vets we offer routine and 24/7 emergency consultations on farm or at our surgeries for individual or herd problems. For a wide range of services such as medical and surgical cases, lab testing (in house and referral, blood and faecal tests), herd plans and husbandry consultations and TB testing.