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Synopsis for UK Owners and Breeders
of the
2012 International Camelid Health Conference for Veterinarians
Written by Justine Shotton MRCVS, Larkmead Veterinary Group
&
Rebecca Edwards MRCVS, Towcester Veterinary Centre
The 2012 International Camelid Health Conference for Veterinarians took place at the Ohio
State University, from the 21st – 25th March. The conference comprised five days of fantastic
lectures from a number of world-renowned camelid veterinarians from many countries, as
well as some practical demonstrations.
British Camelids Limited again generously sponsored two places for UK vets; Justine
Shotton from Larkmead Veterinary Group in Oxfordshire and Rebecca Edwards from
Towcester Veterinary Centre in Northamptonshire were lucky enough to be chosen to attend.
There was a vast amount of information disseminated at the conference relating to the
cutting-edge medical and surgical aspects of camelid health, as well as information on
advances in camelid genomics, theriogenology (reproduction), worming strategies and new
and emerging diseases. We will aim to highlight the most relevant and useful points for UK
owners and breeders from the conference in the following synopsis.
Reproduction

The Premature Cria
An update was presented by Gerspach on a study of premature crias. It highlighted the signs
to look out for with a premature cria and also reminded us that camelids can naturally have a
reasonable variation in gestation length from as short as 320 days to as long as 360 days.
Premature crias are always vulnerable; the data showed a poorer outcome for those crias that
did not gain weight, did not receive camelid colostrum, had abnormal breathing or picked up
neonatal infections. These crias often need intensive veterinary and nursing care together
with plasma transfusions and should be monitored very closely. Early intervention should be
sought if they are not thriving.

Berserk Llama Syndrome
A number of speakers highlighted the fact that male crias (particularly llamas) which have
had extensive handling when young (e.g. bottle reared etc.) can become dangerously
aggressive when they reach sexual maturity due to a problem with imprinting on humans.
Synopsis for UK Owners and Breeders: 2012 International Camelid Health Conference for Veterinarians.
By Justine Shotton MRCVS & Rebecca Edwards MRCVS
2
Where possible, only the minimal amount of contact should be given to orphan males, and if
problems arise, then early castration may be warranted.

Embryo Transfer and Hormonal Therapy to Control Reproduction in Camelids
Miragaya presented a report on the current cutting-edge research into embryo transfer in
South American camelids using techniques such as in vitro fertilisation. He then went on to
discuss how we can use hormones to manipulate the reproductive cycle for example to
synchronise a group of female’s breeding cycles.

Reproductive Disorders in the Female
Tibary summarised the various reproductive disorders and difficulties encountered in female
animals when trying to breed alpacas and llamas. The most common reason for reproductive
failure is due to the animals being mated at the wrong stage of their cycle. Veterinary prebreeding examinations, which often include ultrasonography of the reproductive tract and
ovaries, are very useful, and can help to both ensure that your female is ready to breed and
that there are no problems that may interfere with fertility or welfare. These should be
performed on maiden females as well as females which have had crias and are due to be
rebred.

Reproductive Disorders in the Male
Tibary then went on to discuss potential reproductive problems in males. Again, prebreeding examinations at the start of each breeding season (or more frequently if indicated),
are vital to ensure a healthy and productive male. This will include a full physical
examination as well as measurements of the testicular size, a penile exam, and where possible
microscopic examination of the sperm. These examinations are particularly important before
purchasing a new male.
Tibary mentioned the selection of breeding animals and the importance of selecting animals
without any congenital defects was highlighted, as the heritability of most defects in camelids
is unknown. He went on to reinforce the idea that owners of breeding animals (particularly
males) select them from birth and have them examined frequently from a young age to ensure
they are fit for breeding when the time comes.

Reproductive Emergencies
Tibary also discussed how to handle reproductive emergencies to maximise the outcome and
welfare for both the adults and crias. Males may experience trauma to their genitalia during
fighting and can experience scrotal swelling due to heat stress and infections. Occasionally
mineral stones can form in the bladder or urethra which can block the passage of urine
resulting in males straining to urinate. Females can experience damage from the mating
Synopsis for UK Owners and Breeders: 2012 International Camelid Health Conference for Veterinarians.
By Justine Shotton MRCVS & Rebecca Edwards MRCVS
3
process and can experience a number of complications around the time of giving birth which
may warrant surgical intervention (e.g. caesareans and prolapsed vaginas/uteruses). In the
UK we should also be on guard against the possibility of Schmallenburg virus infection,
which may be able to infect camelids causing birth defects particularly of the limbs. The
conference also included step-by-step discussions of performing caesarean sections and
uterine prolapses in a field environment.
Synopsis for UK Owners and Breeders: 2012 International Camelid Health Conference for Veterinarians.
By Justine Shotton MRCVS & Rebecca Edwards MRCVS
4
Parasite Management

Interactions of Parasites, Body Condition Scoring, Nutrition and Reproduction
Dr Pugh presented an overview of how nutrition, reproduction and parasite infestations
interplay. The research shows that body condition scoring is a much better measure of
nutritional health and much more reproducible than weighing animals, and it was
recommended that all owners get into the habit of doing this regularly (ideally monthly, at
least every two months). Increasing the amounts of good quality forage in the diet is the best
way to increase the energy content for those animals that need to put on more condition. The
research showed that none of the herbal or natural wormers were effective and these products
should be avoided. The speaker also discussed the best management practices to minimise
resistant parasites being brought in to or developing on farms; these included quarantine
strategies and strategic dosage strategies together with worm egg counts and worm egg count
reduction tests.

Haemonchus contortus
Williamson and Cebra both reported on the current knowledge about Haemonchus, the bloodsucking worm which can cause weight loss, anaemia and death. The female Haemonchus
worm can lay up to 5,000 eggs per day when she is mature, so heavy infestations can be
devastating to herds. With a burden of 1000 worms in an animal, they will suck 1.4% of the
animal’s blood per day! It is also important to remember that the larvae can cause severe
disease before the parasites have matured and therefore before the faecal egg counts become
positive.
The speaker discussed the usefulness of “FAMACHA” cards as a tool to assess anaemia but
focussed mainly on the worrying degree of multi-resistance in these parasites to our wormers.
Resistance has developed over the years due to over-use of wormers, as well as inappropriate
or inadequate dosing. One study in the South East of the USA reported nearly 48% of farms
had resistance to all 3 main classes of wormer. Tests have been developed to measure the
effectiveness of wormers following their administration (so-called “Faecal Worm Egg
Reduction Tests”), and a 95% or greater reduction in worm eggs post-treatment confers
effectiveness of a given wormer. The USA study reported on 25 camelid farms with high
worm burdens, and showed a complete resistance of Haemonchus to benzimidazole wormers,
and an 88% resistance to ivermectin wormers. Levamisole (at the sheep dose) and
moxidectin appeared to be the most effective drugs to treat Haemonchus in this study,
although moxidectin was only effective when given orally (not in the injectable form).
Williamson also stressed the importance of only treating selected animals, i.e. those that are
anaemic, to minimise the use of wormers and preserve some ‘non-resistant’ worms (these
worms not exposed to wormers are described as in “refugia”) to dilute out the resistant
worms on the pasture. The UK is facing a similar crisis regarding anthelmintic resistance,
Synopsis for UK Owners and Breeders: 2012 International Camelid Health Conference for Veterinarians.
By Justine Shotton MRCVS & Rebecca Edwards MRCVS
5
and more information can be found on the SCOPS website, the principles of which are
equally applicable to camelids (http://www.scops.org.uk/).

Other gastrointestinal parasites
We are seeing resistance to anthelmintics (wormers) throughout the gastrointestinal parasite
species, so all of the advice about resistance, worm egg counts and worm egg count reduction
tests also apply to other gut parasites such as Nematodirus and Trichostrongylus.

Coccidiosis including Eimeria macusaniensis
Coccidial infections can be important in camelids but by far the most important is the large
coccidial parasite Eimeria macusaniensis, or E. mac for short. Cebra reported that
Coccidiosis is a major cause of camelid mortality in South America, and coccidial eggs have
been shown to infect crias as young as five days old. It is worth remembering that the large
coccidia such as E. mac may take up to 30-43 days to show up in faecal egg counts, but that
the parasites may have already caused significant disease in the animals before this time.

Mycoplasma haemolamae
Cebra discussed Mycoplasma haemolamae research. This is a blood parasite, which causes
anaemia and ill thrift. It seems to be more common in immunodeficient animals or those that
have other infections. It is thought to inhabit the animal for life once the animal has been
infected, and may exacerbate other disease problems. It could be transmitted by biting insects
or possibly lice, and there may be in-utero transfer. An infected animal may appear
uninfected and show no signs of infection on blood tests, until it is stressed, at which time the
blood tests become positive and the parasite can be seen on blood smears. Healthy animals
that have been infected by this parasite can show no clinical signs and not be anaemic, but if
they have another disease process going on (which causes mild anaemia), the parasite may
exacerbate problems and make the animal very anaemic. Oxytetracycline antibiotics help to
reduce the levels of infection but cannot eradicate this parasite.

Mange mites
McCaslin reported an update on Chorioptic mange infection of camelids. While Sarcoptic
mange (another form of mite) is readily treated with ivermectin injections, the Chorioptes
mites are relatively resistant to this. The report highlighted the need to include treatment of
skin problems with Frontline spray, to directly kill these mites. The speaker also reported
that certain individuals seem to suffer much more with these mites than others, which may be
due to a poor immune system or other concurrent diseases, but could well be that these
individuals are just hypersensitive to the mites’ attacks. Another problem with mange is that
carriers of the mites can appear to have no symptoms whatsoever, so it could be brought into
your herd without you realising after the purchase of new stock. Spraying the feet (the area
between the toes is a particular favourite hiding place for this mite) with Frontline spray
Synopsis for UK Owners and Breeders: 2012 International Camelid Health Conference for Veterinarians.
By Justine Shotton MRCVS & Rebecca Edwards MRCVS
6
before new animals are released into the herd and before going to or returning from shows
would be one good way to try to minimise the risk of bringing it onto your farm.

Anaplasma phagocytophilum
Anaplasma is an emerging parasite that lives inside the white blood cells (immune cells) of
camelids and other animals. It is transmitted by ticks and can cause a variety of clinical signs
including anorexia, weakness and lethargy. The treatment is with an oxytetracycline
antibiotic.
Synopsis for UK Owners and Breeders: 2012 International Camelid Health Conference for Veterinarians.
By Justine Shotton MRCVS & Rebecca Edwards MRCVS
7
Genetics and Congenital Diseases

Camelid Genomics
Raudsepp reported on the current developments in sequencing the camelid genome and also
highlighted how camels and South American camelids are still genetically very closely
related despite evolving for different conditions on separate continents for the last 11 million
years. They have been domesticated for as long as the other domestic species but have been
one of the last domestic species to have had their genome sequenced.
The speaker highlighted that alpacas are a model organism for biomedical research as there
are 30 genetic conditions in camelids that could be compared genetically to similar conditions
in people.
The alpaca genome project is underway in an effort to help us to learn more about camelid
genetics and therefore help us develop tools which we can use in breeding healthier and more
productive animals, for example by finding out genetic markers for heritable conditions such
as choanal atresia as well as markers for fibre quality and coat colours.

Congenital Problems
Camelids seem to have more congenital defects than other farmed species, which may reflect
the bottleneck in their gene pool during the Spanish invasion of South America. Speakers
reported on prematurity issues, as well as congenital problems including complex congenital
heart malformations. Interestingly, camelids show some heart defects not found in other
domestic species which are, however, found in man. Some congenital defects have been
proven to have heritability, others not. It would be wise to remove an animal from breeding
if it produces more than one offspring with a form of congenital defect. Choanal atresia is a
problem whereby crias are born with abnormal nasal architecture, preventing them being able
to breathe normally. Unfortunately, even surgical treatment of this condition does not
produce good results, and it is recommended that these crias be euthanased at birth. This is
one of the congenital conditions that has been shown to have some hereditary components, so
animals breeding more than one cria with this defect should not be bred again.
Synopsis for UK Owners and Breeders: 2012 International Camelid Health Conference for Veterinarians.
By Justine Shotton MRCVS & Rebecca Edwards MRCVS
8
Other Diseases and Health Concerns

Musculoskeletal Problems and Dentistry
Pentecost presented her research on musculoskeletal problems which can occur in camelids,
including bone fragments causing lameness, tooth root abscesses and fractures. A number of
speakers also discussed the management of camelids’ teeth, including correcting overgrown
incisors and managing fighting teeth.

Tuberculosis (TB)
Zanolari presented an update on TB in the USA. TB was discussed as a worldwide problem,
but it was recognised that this disease is much more of a problem for us in the UK; the
prevalence of TB in Ireland and the UK were mentioned as being the highest in Europe.
Camelids can be infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the agent responsible for cattle TB.
This is potentially infectious for humans who may come into contact with infected animals.
Complete eradication of this disease is near-impossible due to a variety of wildlife vectors;
however the USA is currently deemed free of TB (but it is present in South America). The
role of badgers as maintenance hosts in some areas of the UK was mentioned as an example
of how wildlife reservoirs of the disease can impede the success of control programmes in
livestock and the resultant eradication of the disease. We have seen an increase in cases of
bovine TB in the UK, particularly in the last five years as testing has increased. The skin test
used routinely in cattle has not been standardised for camelids and may give false negative or
positive results, so efforts are underway to try to develop new strategies for testing our
camelid species reliably, including blood tests. The disease tends to be of slow progression
giving chronic wasting-type symptoms, although almost any symptom can be seen with a TB
infection depending on which body systems have been affected. Clinical signs in confirmed
(M. Bovis) tuberculosis cases in camelids have included chronic weight loss, teeth grinding,
respiratory distress, discharging skin lesions, anorexia, lethargy or agitation, muscle
weakness, recumbency and/or death with no premonitory signs.
While we are faced with an increasing challenge from this debilitating and zoonotic disease
here in the UK, with unreliable tests currently available for South American Camelid species,
we must focus on keeping the disease out of our herds and the main way to do this is by
employing strict biosecurity measures. The work undertaken recently by Animal Health and
Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) on behalf of The British Alpaca Society, the
British Llama Society and British Camelids Limited was referred to as a further source of
information on TB testing in camelids.

Update on Medicines and Surgery for Camelids
The conference included a number of updates on current medicines and their dosages which
are safe for use in camelids, and also which drugs should be avoided. There was also
Synopsis for UK Owners and Breeders: 2012 International Camelid Health Conference for Veterinarians.
By Justine Shotton MRCVS & Rebecca Edwards MRCVS
9
extensive discussion on current best-practice techniques for surgical procedures such as
fracture fixation, airway and ocular surgery, and abdominal surgery.
Management of long bone fractures
Camelids can make good patients for fracture repairs due to their relatively low body weight,
calm temperament, good tolerance of fracture fixation devices, their ability to walk on three
legs and their high tolerance of recumbency. Emergency assessment and management of the
patient, fracture diagnosis, reduction and repair as well as complications were all discussed.
Airway and ocular surgery
Respiratory diseases are relatively uncommon in camelids, and they are less susceptible to
pneumonia than ruminants. However, because camelids are inefficient at breathing through
their mouths, respiratory problems (particularly when they affect the nasal passages), can be
very serious, even life-threatening. Choanal atresia was emphasised as a particularly serious
condition (please see above for further information).
Gastrointestinal surgery
Gastrointestinal diseases are a significant cause of camelid illness, but the recognition of
these conditions can be more challenging than in other species as camelids show relatively
subtle signs of disease. It is important to remember that signs of colic may be due to
conditions involving organs other than the gastrointestinal system, however, the signs to look
out for can include: Vocalisation, teeth grinding, getting up and down, refusing to stand,
rolling, flank-watching or kicking, unusual posture, depression, high temperature, anorexia,
increased heart and respiratory rate, reduced faecal output, dehydration and regurgitation.
Cervical vertebral surgery
In the United States, neurological problems in the cervical spinal cord are most commonly
caused by the meningeal worm larva. However, in the UK where this parasite does not occur,
congenital vertebral malformations or cervical vertebral injuries are the most common causes
of neurological deficits originating in the cervical spinal cord. Management of these cases
may be surgical or non-surgical. The applications, advantages and disadvantages of each
were discussed.
Synopsis for UK Owners and Breeders: 2012 International Camelid Health Conference for Veterinarians.
By Justine Shotton MRCVS & Rebecca Edwards MRCVS
10
Veterinary Networking and Knowledge Sharing on Camelid Health
A number of case-based discussions were had throughout the conference and the idea of
sharing clinical information relating to camelids through good communication was
highlighted. Veterinarians are encouraged to join their country’s camelid veterinary societies
where this sort of knowledge transfer can take place both in the form of conferences and webbased forums for clinical discussion. Any owners and breeders whose vets are not members
of these societies are encouraged to join, to help to disseminate the knowledge of camelid
medicine throughout the country.
I would like to offer my deepest thanks to British Camelids Limited for sponsoring my
attendance at this fantastic conference, and to the British Veterinary Camelid Society for
selecting my application. It was a wonderful experience and I hope that the information I
have gained from the international experts will be helpful in promoting the health and
welfare of our camelid companions here in the UK.
Justine Shotton
My sincere thanks go to British Camelids Limited for giving me the opportunity to attend the
International Camelid Health Conference 2012 and to the British Veterinary Camelid Society
for selecting my application. I am excited to be able to share information from the conference
with the camelid community in Northamptonshire and beyond and hope that this will have a
positive impact for our camelids and their owners here, “across the pond”!
Rebecca Edwards
Synopsis for UK Owners and Breeders: 2012 International Camelid Health Conference for Veterinarians.
By Justine Shotton MRCVS & Rebecca Edwards MRCVS