Simple Causes Behind Weight Loss in Your Llama: What Can You Do to Help?

By Erika Krauss, Reprinted from the GALA Newsletter, December 2007

How can I tell if my llama is losing weight? The first and most important thing to know about your llama’s health is how much should this animal weigh? This should be a question you ask about your animals when you first buy them. If, as a small-scale llama owner you do not own a scale, you can always ask a vet to weigh your animal in the future.

It is often difficult to check a llama's weight by sight because of the amount of wool coverage on the body. However, a simple and quick way to see if your animal is overweight is to check the angle of its backbone directly in front of the hips. When you first receive your animal, assuming it is a healthy weight, drape your hand, thumb on one side, four fingers on the other of the backbone in front of the croup. The angle made by those two opposing sides should be at least a 45 to 55 degree angle. The owner needs to account for each animal's specific body type, but if the angle is smaller or larger than that, the animal could be under or overweight. If you are still unsure about the animal's weight look at the chest: does it look full and jiggle when it walks? You can also feel for fat deposits in the lower end behind the armpit. If there are no fat deposits, then the animal is probably more underweight than your original assessment from the backbone test.

Cause of Underweight Animals

1. Underfeeding

In most of the northeast, up to six llamas can graze on a pasture of two acres, while the ratio of horses is only one animal to two acres. Llamas are known as the "wonder animal" for consuming the least amount of resources when it comes to surface area of pasture. However, this can make a severe generalization. This ratio is for an average size llama with average bodily needs. Get help from your local extension service to check the pasture quality, and have your hay tested every year. A llama's physical development may not end until age 4 or 5, so extra food and/or nutrients are needed in these critical years of growth. They will be mostly adding muscle and "filling out" at ages past 4. A llama older than 14 years old is susceptible to old age (an average lifespan of a llama being 20 years old), and older animals typically need some dietary supplements. Like any animal, it is difficult for llamas to assimilate nutrients without the proper vitamins. An essential way to keep all of your animals well-fed is by having a Ilama-specific loose mineral mix out for consumption at all times in their feeding area(s). As always, water is vital to their systems and if there are not adequate amounts of water for your llamas their health and weight will fail as a result.

Another time when llamas need extra food is if they are pregnant or nursing. While a dam's body is going through stages of providing for a fetus or cria, it needs the appropriate changes to diet. This information can be obtained from a local veterinarian or an accredited book such as Story's Guide to Raising Llamas or The Complete Alpaca Book. Always be ready for changing weather and have sufficient amounts of feed and water depending on the temperature, ventilation, humidity, precipitation and altitude of your area.

2. Age

As mentioned above, animals below or above their "prime" age can suffer if not fed appropriate amounts of food. While a cria or young llama is nursing, it needs to have extra food that is high in protein that will help the cria to grow. It is imperative that the dam has enough water to produce the amount of milk needed to feed the cria. If an owner notices that his/her young llama is not growing at a healthy rate (one-half to a pound per day in the first few weeks), consult a vet or try giving the dam extra food. If the cria is eating solid food and is not energetic, it may also be a sign that more food is needed.

Our geriatric llamas can have a few more problems in their old age than the juveniles. An older llama can have a hard time digesting or absorbing nutrients from its food. Sometimes they need more processed food, or grains with higher amounts of energy and vitamins, which can include things like beet pulp, oats, and alfalfa pellets.

Another problem commonly found in older animals is failing tooth structure. If your adult llama appears to not be chewing properly check for tooth decay or askew tooth erosion. Tooth problems can lead to problems grazing, chewing and digesting. A llama has three parts to its stomach. One stores food and allows it to be regurgitated and chewed again, which aids in digestion. If the balance of the body is thrown off, then digestion may not be complete within the body. What can result is not enough food or slow absorption of nutrients. An older animal may also be low in the hierarchy of a herd and it may be doubly difficult to obtain food because of the competition and tooth and/or mouth pain. Any age animal can always develop a tooth or jaw abscess that would inhibit eating and digestion. An overbite or under-bite may also prove to be problematic in some cases.

If you have an older llama that has problems with digestion and chewing her food thoroughly, mix a grain of one part alfalfa cubes, one part whole oats, and one part beet pulp and add hot water and let it sit for 15 minutes. This will create a mash that will be easily chewed by your geriatric friend.

3. Parasites

Underfeeding and age are common variables in a llama's health. Just as important are parasites. The kinds of parasites I will refer to in this article are intestinal parasites that live in the digestive path of the llama and consume the food the llama takes in. Parasites can live in young, old, underfed and overfed animals. Any animal that is exposed to a parasite of the digestive tract is susceptible to infestation. Most often, these parasites live with the llama and lay eggs that exit the animal with their feces onto the pasture. The way the parasites spread is when other llamas eat in the same area where the last animal defecated and bring the eggs or the young parasite into their body.

The sure signs of a parasite in the digestive tract are a bloated animal that seems to be eating the same amount or more than usual, but is gradually losing weight. (Bloating can be noted by sight or by how the animal moves, not by checking in front of the croup). If there is ever a suspicion that there are parasites in llamas, the easiest and quickest thing to do is to send a fresh fecal sample to the vet for analysis.

Animals on pasture that are moved a lot, housed with other species, or on pasture near a wilderness area should be treated for parasites with an oral or injectable worming medicine. The advantage of an oral worming medicine is that it targets the parasites in the digestive tract. An injectable worming shot targets parasites living outside of the digestive tract, and can be just as important.

More information is being studied that suggests targeted deworming among small ruminant herds, or only worming animals that show positive test results, may be desirable. Parasites can become resistant to wormers over time. There has also been some research that suggests worming medicine can be harmful to an array of good soil organisms on the pasture when the medication comes out of the body in the fecal matter.

Llamas that are uncomfortable or sick are not fun to be around. A healthful llama is a happy llama! Please watch for any changes in your llama's behavior or body condition to effectively assess health of the individual and the herd.

Quick Recap

1. To see if your animal is underweight, use a quick method of feeling with your hand in front of the croup on the animal's backbone. Look for more than a 50-degree angle.
2. If you have an underweight animal, look at the age, condition of feeding ground (pasture/nutrient content), hay quality, and if parasites are suspected, get a fresh fecal sample to the vet for analysis!
3. Things to keep in mind are to monitor for parasites regularly, and to not hesitate to supplement regular grass or hay feed with grains ranging from processed llama pellets to whole oats and beet pulp.

Some excellent resources:

• Storey’s Complete Guide to Llamas
• The Complete Alpaca Book by Eric Hoffman
• Robert J. Van Saun
• www.luresext.edu/goats/library/field/WellsCO5.pdf

The last article is based on goat and sheep parasites. When reading about other small ruminant species in texts, you must remember that some parasites are shared while others are not. The best information found is specific to the camelid family. Knowing how similar species relate to your camelids helps to expand ideas to what other farmers are dealing with when it comes to nutrition and pasture health.

A Whole Farm Approach to Parasite Management

By Karen Nicholson of Stepping Stone Farm Alpacas

Internal parasites are a part of most every livestock producer's farm. Regardless of whether they are pasture raised or in a confinement setting, livestock will be exposed to internal parasites at some time in their life. In the Northeast, and in other humid climates, parasites can be a major problem for small ruminants, such as alpacas, sheep and goats.

So why adopt an organic approach to parasite management? Chemical dewormers are losing their effectiveness, with parasites developing resistance to them at an alarming rate. There are some parts of the country where internal parasites have developed resistance to all commercially available dewormers without new ones being developed. In our area where Meningeal worm is a threat and there is widespread use of Ivermectin, parasites that were formerly managed with this drug have grown resistant to it. Resistance means that not all the worms are killed during deworming. The surviving worms pass that genetic resistance on to offspring.

The growing concern about the resistance of internal parasites to all classes of dewormers has caused people to look for alternatives. By looking at the whole farm as an interrelated system, it becomes apparent that there are parts of the system that can be managed to decrease internal parasites and their effects. This management whole farm approach not only postpones the day when chemical dewormers no longer work, but it also increases the overall health of the individual animal (and future herd), and it may even decrease costs.

It All Starts with Prevention and Management:

1. Healthy, properly conditioned animals – Nutrition plays a major role in how well alpacas are able to overcome the effects of internal parasites. Quality feed, fresh water, minerals, managing stress and monitoring for condition are essential. Check weights/body score and mucus membranes and observe the herd regularly to monitor condition.
2. Stocking Density – By maintaining a healthy stocking density you decrease the overall infectivity rate of the farm. It also allows you to have more areas (pastures, etc) that you can rest for longer, creating more 'clean' areas. To calculate the optimum stocking density, you'll find a good worksheet at www.sarahflackconsulting.com.
3. Quarantine – When an animal comes or returns to the farm, keep it with a buddy in a quarantine area for one month while monitoring their health and doing regular fecals. This can protect your herd (particularly the geriatric, cria. weak or pregnant/lactating females) from parasite overloads and other disease.
4. Pasture Rotation – There could be an entire article alone on this subject. If we begin with an understanding of the interrelationship between the animal, the plants it eats, and the soil on which those plants grow, then it will become clearer how parasites infect the animal and how they can be managed so as not to cause as many problems. Narrowing it down to two subjects, there are: rotation for the health of the grasses and soils, and rotation to work with the lifecycle of parasites.
• Lifecycle of parasites
– Although some parasite eggs can live in the soils year round without a host, many of the parasites we are dealing with go through up to a 21 day lifecycle outside the host. The infected manure is dropped, three days later the eggs hatch into larvae searching for a host (the alpaca), and most die by 21 days if a host does not ingest them. Consider wildlife where parasite loads generally do not cause disease and death in the host because, instinctively, wildlife are on the move. The parasites have no host if the animal is no longer where the manure (eggs/occysts) was dropped. The same principle applies to livestock. If we rotate our animals every 2-3 days to new pastures and do not put them back on that same pasture for a minimum of 21 days, we are significantly decreasing the numbers of larvae available to be ingested. Ideally, you want to size your pastures so that they eat it down to not less than 2" in 3 days (or even better, 12-24 hours) as most larvae live in the bottom 1-2" of grass.
• Health of Grasses and Soils – Healthy soil grows healthy plants. Healthy plants provide good nutrition to animals. Unhealthy soils also have fewer of the beneficial organisms (beetles, earthworms, nematophasous fungi, etc) that can kill parasites. Chemical dewormers also kill most of these organisms that are working for you. Test, monitor and fertilize your soils as necessary. Grasses - overgrazing (below 2”) damages pastures as that alpaca will continue to graze the most vigorous and productive plants in the pasture down very short, which will stress the root system of the plant, in turn reducing the productivity of that pasture. If this happens every year, several years in a row, it can greatly reduce the amount, quality and the diversity of plants the pasture will produce. Overgrazing also cuts down on the animal's efficiency and dry matter intake, resulting in poor performance.
5. Cleanliness – Keep clean barns and pastures. Scoop manure twice daily or as often as is practical, and pile it in the current active compost pile. Actively composting your manure by creating the proper carbon/nitrogen mix will heat up the manure to 135 degrees and kill pathogens. Removing manure often keeps the alpacas from stepping in it and dragging it all over and ingesting larvae. Larvae migrate from the manure up to 12 inches.
6. Animal Selection – Select breeding males that exhibit parasite resilience. Resilience is the ability of the host (camelid) to maintain health during a parasite challenge. In most livestock production, resilience is one of several traits that are being selected for. By monitoring and keeping good records, we can most often detect which animals almost never shed eggs regardless of the parasite load of the rest of the herd. Typically, 10-20% of animals will always be heavily parasitized. 10-20% will be lightly parasitized, and 60-80% will fall in between. Identifying these genetic lines and selecting for them in our breeding will improve the health of our herd and the future herd. For example: don't put sires into production from sires/dams that either always have parasite problems themselves, or always produce crias that have parasite problems. An example of an effective parasite control program can be found in TN. Dennis Onks of Highland Rim Experiment Station has not dewormed the adult cattle on the farm in eight years. They are dewormed at weaning and not again. They have never shown any signs of internal parasites and their condition is excellent. These animals are on a high plane of nutrition, have a low stress level and are strictly culled on production. Producers who add parasite susceptibility to their list of selection criteria find that in 2-3 years, they have greatly decreased the incidence of parasite problems in their herds.
7. Encouraging Hardiness – Too much of a good thing can actually work against the animal. Ideally, you want an animal that can retain health when faced with adversity.
8. Other – Grazing multiple species together or rotating them behind one another can be helpful, as they are a dead-end host for each other's parasites. Chickens and ducks will also consume some of the parasites. Consider planting herbal lays (weedy pastures) and high tannin forages for improved gut function.

Then moves to Monitoring and Treatment…

1. Fecal Monitoring – Testing and monitoring animals is crucial to determining the progress and success of your parasite management program and in determining which animals are resilient and which are not. The ultimate goal is for the animal to develop immunity or resilience to parasites. NOT to be parasite free.
• Observation is one method – identify which animals always keep condition, have firm beans, etc. regardless of stress or the performance of the rest of the herd.
• Fecal Testing is another method of monitoring, and aids in identifying which animals are resilient and which always carry heavier loads. Sometimes it can identify a problem much more quickly than observation. Once parasites have been identified in a fecal test, they can be monitored by additional tests for increased/decreased loads, significantly reducing the number of deworming treatments. Consider doing fecal testing on-farm as it can get expensive.
2. Strategic Deworming – Treatment should be the last resort — that includes alternative and pharmaceutical treatments. Careful fecal monitoring instead of conventional seasonal or routine deworming should increase resilience and decrease parasite resistance to the drugs. Treat the individual animal, not the whole herd. Proper dosing is also important. If you do not knock out the parasite, but only knock it down, you are encouraging adaptation and resistance to the drug. If your vet doesn't specialize in alpaca care, make sure he/she is up to date on proper treatment and dosages. Put crias in a pasture with low-level parasites to give them low dose exposure so that they can develop immunity. Transition animals slowly from winter hay feed to pastures to not upset the gut and to slowly introduce the animal to pasture parasites that survived the winter. Give probiotics at times of stress, immune challenge, immunizations, and gut challenge. Do not move animals to new pastures until 12-24 hours after deworming to allow enough time for parasites to be killed and eggs to be expelled.

Summary

Parasite overloads are a symptom that there is sickness within the farm. It is disease in individual animals, but also an indication of imbalance or a problem on the farm. While implementing all strategies can seem overwhelming, slow changes can make dramatic improvements in parasite levels and the overall performance or the herd. If we were to choose the most effective methods they might be:

• Prevention – good nutrition is essential, grazing management and selecting resilient dams/sires to improve crias.
• Early Observation – catch symptoms of disease or ill thrift early thru routine observation of the herd. Trust your gut instinct. Use fecal monitoring as a preventative and monitoring tool.
• Treatment – as the option or last resort, but certainly when the animal's health requires it.

Karen Nicholson has a herd of ten alpacas at Stepping Stone Farm Alpacas in Stowe. While the information shared is not meant to replace the protocol set up by your veterinarian, these methods are being successfully used with many different types of livestock, including camelids. Any comments or questions can be directed to: Karen@stowealpacas.com.

Herbal Therapy in Llamas and Alpacas

By Donald Thompson DVM

This past September, Donald P. Thompson, DVM, CVA, was invited to speak at a veterinary conference in Chongoing, China on acupuncture point location and herbal remedies for cattle and camelids. His presentation covered protocols and techniques to treat a few common maladies in these food and fiber species. Along with cattle, horses, goats, dogs, and cats, Don has been working with camelids and their owners for twenty years in northern and central Vermont. His veterinary degree is from Cornell, then recently enhanced with his degree in acupuncture and his study of Chinese herbal formulas. The following paper is the portion of his presentation on camelids.

My final comments today will be concerning the emerging use of TCVM techniques in South American camelids, primarily llamas and alpacas in my practice. These are valuable animals in the United States worthy of having many treatment options at your disposal.
In dosing these animals with herbal formulas, one rapidly finds that oral administration is challenging, especially in adults. They rarely voluntarily consume the powder, but this route is worth trying first if the patient is not anorectic, offering the powder with grain. The very long, sinuous neck of camelids is used effectively to avoid oral administration of all but the smallest volume of liquids or suspensions. Llamas and alpacas may try to hit you with the head and/or neck in defense or may "cush," dropping to ventral recumbency to avoid you. Lastly, these animals will ward off your persistent advances with rapid, well-aimed expulsion of stomach contents, or "spitting" at you.

If attempting to treat these animals orally, I recommend dosage volumes comparable to that cited for cattle, due to the presence of the complex, three-compartment stomach. Administer small amounts of the total dose, tip the nose up slightly, and allow them time to swallow to avoid aspiration, then give more.

As an alternative to oral dosing, I have begun teaching my camelid owners to administer a much smaller dose--that of the horse--via rectal suppository. With the head either held or tied and the tail firmly raised, owners have found this route of administration to be technically simple and I have found it effective. The typical 30-gram dose of powder is mixed with a minimal amount of warm water, often 30-60 cc, to create a thick slurry. I use a 60 cc catheter tip syringe to deposit the slurry past the anus into the rectum in a minimal volume, trying to avoid creating the sensation of an enema followed by rapid expulsion and loss of the herbal.

While I have now treated many conditions in camelids both with acupuncture and with herbals, I would like to finish this presentation with what is an interesting case for me, lending hope for more such cases in the future. In the United States, we deal with many cases of paraparetic to paraplegic llamas and alpacas, which almost universally are presumed to be and subsequently treated as cases of meningeal deer worm, or Parclaphostrongylus tenuis, spinal disease.

Meningeal Worm (P. Tenuis) Myelopathy Life Cycle and Treatment

The life cycle of the meningeal deer worm is an interesting one. The definitive host is the white-tailed deer, common to the United States, especially in the Eastern part. Adult worms lay eggs in the meninges of the deer. The eggs then pass into the venous circulation and travel to the lungs, where they hatch into the L1 larvae. The L1 are coughed up, swallowed and passed in the deer's feces. These larvae invade or are ingested by terrestrial slugs or snails, which serve as an intermediate host. The L1 larvae develop into the infective stage L3 larvae in these gastropods over 3-4 weeks. When consumed by a susceptible aberrant species, including llamas and alpacas, the L3 migrate to the spinal cord and wander aimlessly, creating neurological disease (1).

I now treat these paralyzed llamas with two therapeutic goals in mind, the first being destruction of the invading parasite, the second being relief of Blood and Qi stasis in the spinal cord. Two Jing Tang Herbal formulas help accomplish these goals. Qing Hao Powder is responsible for destruction of the parasite, tonification of Qi and enhancement of Zheng-Qi and its immune function and Double P#2 is my choice for breaking down stasis in the spine, moving Qi, and relieving pain. The composition of each formula, as cited by Jing Tang, is as follows:

Qing Hao Powder (2,3)

• Atractylodes Bai Zhu: To tonify Qi and strengthen the spleen
• Codonopsis Dang Shen: To tonify Qi and strengthen Zheng Qi
• Licorice Gan Cao: To harmonize
• Dryopteris Guan Zhong: To kill parasites
• Astragalus Huang Qi: To tonify Qi and enhance immune function
• Omphalia Lei Wan: Kills internal and external parasites
• Artemisia Qing Hao: Kills and expels blood-mediated parasites
• Quisqualis Shi Jun Zi: Kills gastrointestinal worms

Double P #2 (2,3)

• Morinda Ba Ji Tian: Warms Yang, tonifies the kidney
• Psoralea Bu Gu Zhi: Tonifies Kidney Yang and strengthens bone
• Peony Chi Shao Yao: Cools blood, resolves stagnation
• Ligusticum Chuan Xiong: Activates blood, resolves stagnation
• Angelica Dang Gui: Nourishes and activates blood, resolves pain
• Lumbricus Di Long: Clears internal wind and detoxifies
• Cucommia Du Zhong: Strengthens the back, tonifies Kidney Yang
• Aconite Fu Zi: Warms Yang and the channels
• Licorice Gan Cao: Harmonizes
• Cibotium Gou Ji: Tonifies Kidney Yang and the channels
• Drynaria Gu Sui Bu: Strengthens bone and tonifies Kidney Yang
• Carthamus Hong Hua: Moves blood, resolves stagnation and stasis
• Astragalus Huang Qi: Tonifies Qi
• Strychnos Ma Oian Zi: Activates channels, relieves pain, clears Wind-Damp
• Myrrh Mo Yao: Resolves stagnation and relieves pain
• Cyathula Niu Xi: Tonifies kidney Yang and strengthens rear limbs
• Scorpion Quan Xie: Resolves stagnation
• Olibanum Ru Xiang: Resolves stagnation and relieves pain
• Notoginseng Tian San Qi: Moves blood and stops hemorrhage
• Lindera Wu Yao: Moves Qi and relieves pain
• Dipsacus Xu Duan: Strengthens bones and ligaments, tonifies Kidney Yang
• Draconis Xue Jie: Resolves stagnation

To reiterate, I instruct the patient's owner to administer each of these formulas as an aqueous intrarectal suppository at 15 grams (2 tablespoons) of each twice a day for up to one month. These recumbent animals are very easy to treat in this manner and, based on the first few patients that I have treated as such; results appear positive in comparison to my previous efforts using a Western pharmaceutical protocol. Such a protocol commonly includes any or all of the following: Fenbendazole, Ivermectin, flunixin meglumine, thiamine, vitamin E, selenium and cyanocobalamin. Using the Western and Eastern treatment modalities may prove to compliment each other in future eases.

References

1. Anderson, D. (2002). Parelaphostrongylus Tenius (Meningeal Worm). Retrieved on July 20, 2008 from http://www.vet.ohiostate.edu/docs/ClinSc i/camelid/mening.html
2. Xie, H. (2004). Chinese Veterinary Herbal Handbook. Reddick, FL: Chi Institute
3. Xie, H. (2008). Dr. Xie's Jing-tang Herbal, Inc. Retrieved on July 21, 2008 from http://www.tevmherbal.com

Thoughts on Deworming

By Kristy Brawn DVM
Reprinted from The Orgler, Wisconsin Organization of Llama Enthusiasts, February 2007

Parasite control has become a looming issue in our industry and ever-present questions at veterinary panel discussions. Parasite control programs vary based on the density of population (number of animals in a given area), the length of time that species has been on the same pastures (virgin pastures versus overgrazed yards), soil types (sandy soils are less conducive to parasite larvae/egg arrival than are heavy soils), parasites with other host species or parasites endemic to an area (meningeal worm and liver flukes) and "animal traffic" (a closed herd when there are no new animals and no movement versus a herd that shows, does outside breedings, "animal dealers," etc).

A few basic thumb rules:

1. Where there is grass, there are worms.
2. The more animals in an area, the higher your parasite exposure.
3. Coccidia become more of a concern the longer a species is in an area.
4. The more animals move on/off your farm, the more at risk you are for parasite infestation.
5. Formed stool does not mean your herd is parasite-free.
6. Fecal exams are an important management tool.
7. Use appropriate drug dosages--do not under-dose!
8. Proper doses and product rotation decreases the likelihood of resistance.

I hate to give a parasite control strategy for everyone to follow because it just won't fit every herd. If you have meningeal worm as a threat in your area, then your deworming must be more aggressive and timely and the importance of product rotation is far more important. If you have sandy soil or conditions are arid, you can get by with far fewer dewormings and a different rotation of products.

Generalities:

Meningeal threat - whitetail deer and snails/slugs are a part of the lifecycle of meningeal, so conditions conducive to snails/slugs increase your risk (heavy soils, standing water, leaf litter, down grasses, shady area, etc). Estimated 30-100 days for parasite to reach the spine.

Plan:

1. Deworm at 4-week intervals with Ivermectin products or 6-week intervals with Dectomax to kill parasite migration. Start with spring thaw and discontinue with 6" frost in winter or snow cover. Some plans have been suggested to use strategically timed doses of Avermectins (wet spring and fall) - this does not work in heavy infested areas - I did a test group for this strategy and had meningeal infections from April to December - decide if the value of the animal is greater than the risk of infection.
2. It is imperative to use a different family of dewormers 2-4 times per year to kill parasites not sensitive to the Avermectin class drug (Ivo and Decto) - Fendbendazole or Albendazole both also kill the larvae and are more effective against many of the internal parasites. The number of dewormings with these products varies based on stocking density and fecal exam results.

Non-meningeal areas - internal parasites are the biggest risk - see factors above regarding density and animal movement and combine with fecal exams to deter-mine appropriate scheduling.

Plan:

• Two weeks before pasture turn-out
• Mid-summer (July) End of grazing season
• Fecal exams periodically to monitor levels and need for dewormings

Liver Fluke threat: Geographical maps help to delineate the areas where flukes are a threat. Swampy areas, wet soil and water bodies increase the threat of flukes.

Plan:

Consider combined meningeal threat if appropriate and then 6-8 week dewormings either: 

• Ivomec Plus or Ivomec F (Ivermectin plus clorsulon)
• Valbazen (albendazole) 

Tapeworms: Valbazen

High doses of Fendbendazole

High doses of Pyrantel

Suggested drug dosages

There are minimum suggested dosages - certain parasite conditions may necessitate higher levels and newer research may also change suggested dosages.

Intestinal worms:

• Ivermectin products: 2cc/100# subQ (400mcg/kg)
• Dectomax: 2cc/100# subQ (400mcg/kg)
• Fendbendazole: Liquid - 10cc/100# orally (20mg/kg - note: this is 4x the label dose)
• Fenbendazole: Paste - 4x body weight (20mg/kg, - so a 1250# horse tube will deworm a 300# llama)
• Fenbendazole: Granules - 4x body-weight (20mg/kg - so a 500# equine packet deworms 125# of llama)
• Albendazole: Liquid - 8 cc/100# orally (20mg/kg or twice the label dose for cattle)
• Albendazole: Paste - 2x body weight (20mg/kg - so 500# cattle dose will deworm a 250# llama)

External parasites:

• Ivermectin and Dectomax as above
• Cyclence - pour on at cattle dose for lice and fly control

Other topicals as needed for specific parasites - ask your veterinarian for doses - in general if it is safe for use in lactating cattle, it will likely be safe for camelids, but check first!

Coccidia:

• Amprolium (Corid) at label dose for 7- 10 days
• Sulfaquinalones at label dose for 7-10 days
• Deccox at sheep dose used strategically for control
• E. mac - different drugs apply

Fecals, fecals, fecals!!!

The only way to know if you are doing a good job with your internal parasite control is to run routine fecal exams. Centrifuge concentration methods of fecal exam are needed to be sure we identify all possible eggs. Routine small animal flotations may miss many egg types and quantities - with the centrifuge method we not only identify the types of eggs present, but also get an estimate of eggs/gram and use this to assess your infection level. Composite tests can be run on groups - routine samples can be run anytime to assess infestation levels. Samples should be taken 10-14 days post-deworming to be sure that you are eliminating parasites. Note: if a sample is found positive on an individual animal, the whole group should be treated even if no other animals show symptoms.

The Infamous Meningeal Worm

Compiled by Terry and T. Audean Duesphol, Editors of the LAMA Letter, Newsletter of Pennsylvania Llama and Alpaca Assoc. Spring 2000

"The meningeal worm or brain worm should be (expected) wherever white-tailed deer graze lama pastures. The primary host is the white-tailed deer; the inter-mediate host is snails and slugs, and the aberrant hosts are lamas, sheep, goats, etc. The parasite may occur in any state or region where white-tailed deer roam. Larvae cause a severe reaction in the spinal column which interferes with nerve impulses causing loss of muscle control, incoordination, paralysis, and sometimes death." (Evans, C. Norman, DVM Veterinary Lama Field Manual. 1997.)

"The meningeal worm (Parelaphostrongylus) should be considered as a possible diagnosis for a down llama in the eastern United States and Canada where white-tailed deer are found. The llama accidentally ingests infective Parelaphostrongylus larvae in a snail. The worm then migrates up the llama's nerves to the spinal cord and ascends towards the brain. Serious inflammation occurs along the spinal cord in response to the worm migration. Signs begin as rear leg weakness and incoordination and can lead to complete paralysis and death. Your veterinarian should be called as soon as any signs of incoordination are seen so that prompt treatment can begin to try to save the animal's life.

Prevention includes fencing-off llamas from deer and decreasing snail populations around llamas." (Hoffman, Clare, DVM and Asmus, Ingrid: Caring for Llamas and Alpacas : A Health Management Guide, Second Edition, 1996.)

"Parelaphostrongylus is a natural parasite in white-tailed deer. This means that no disease occurs in the deer. The worm is passed from an infected deer through its feces, then develops in a snail which subsequently may be ingested by another deer. The llama or alpaca may become an accidental or abnormal host when it inadvertently eats a snail or slug containing the infective worm. Parelaphostrongylus migrates along the central nervous system thus causing neurologic abnormalities in the llama. Signs include incoordination, paralysis, knuckling or dragging of limbs, blindness, and the disease may worsen to the point of death." (Hoffman, Clare, DVM and Asmus, Ingrid: Caring for Llamas and Alpacas : A Health Management Guide, Second Edition, 1996.)

Dosages, Dosages, What to Do?

By the Duespohls

If you have been reading about parasites recently, there are a great many articles identifying exact dosages for the prevention of meningeal worm infestation. Reputable local and regional veterinarians are advocating a wide range of recommended dosages, which could totally confuse the camelid breeders. At the March PLAA meeting, Dr. Nikki Baird surprised many of the attendees by announcing that research in this area has proven that the previously accepted dosage of Ivermectin was not high enough to prevent the animals from being infected by the meningeal worm. He informed the group that the new recommended dosage was 1 mL per 70 lbs or 1.5 mL per 100 lbs.

In an effort to reinforce the importance of administrating the proper dosage of Ivermectin, Dr. David Anderson was contacted and requested to address the research occurring at Ohio State University in this area. Dr. Anderson's response to the request follows:

Parasite Research At OSU

By David E. Anderson

As you know, we have been performing parasite research fairly intensively for the past 2 years. I would like to share some of the findings we have.

Meningeal Worm Protection

Our pharmacology research indicated that the injectable Ivermectin (IVR) is absorbed well into the blood stream and provides blood levels for about 20 days. Thus, injectable IVR can be given every 30 days for meningeal worm control. Oral IVR gets absorbed less well and provides blood levels for about 12 to 14 days. Therefore, a dosing interval of 21 days is expected for oral IVR. Pour-on IVR is essentially not absorbed and would NOT be expected to provide protection against meningeal worm infection.

LAMAS Editors note: At a veterinary Conference at OSU in Dec 2004, Dr. Anderson indicated that injectable Dormectin (Dectomax) can be given at the same levels as IVR i.e. 1cc / 70 lbs, but provides blood levels longer than IVR. Therefore, Dectomax can be injected every 35-42 days. Plus it doesn't sting like IVR.

Intestinal Worm Protection

We have found that Ivermectin at 1 cc per 100 pounds body weight does not do as good a job as we would like in eliminating some intestinal worms. Of particular interest are whipworms and Nematodirus worms - these can cause severe problems including weight loss and low blood protein. At 1.5 to 2 cc per 100 pounds, we see a better response, but these two worms can persist. The same is true for Dormectin - no real difference between it and IVR.

We have found that fenbendazole (Safeguard or Panacur) given at label doses (cattle 5mg/kg, sheep 10mg/kg) does not do as well as we would expect. At 20 mg/kg we see excellent response and the whipworm and Nematodirus are controlled. Thus, we use 1cc per 100 lbs of the 10% suspension when using Safeguard. If there is an established whipworm problem, you probably need to use this product 3 to 5 days in a row!

We do not feel that fenbendazole is reliable in preventing meningeal worm infection, as is IVR. Thus, we are currently recommending that you use IVR monthly to prevent meningeal worm infection and use fenbendazole every 3-4 months to control whipworm and Nematodirus. As always, consult with your veterinarian and have fecal egg counts and parasite identification done to see what types of worms you have on the farm. This is critical to developing a FARM SPECIFIC parasite control strategy.

If you have a low stocking density, you may find that you do not need to deworm as much. If you have a high stocking density, you may find that things are getting out of control!

The Ohio State University Veterinary Hospital Treatment Plan for Meningeal Worm

This is the treatment plan for meningeal worm disease that was approved by the doctors at OSU in August 2005 for the use in a suspected case of meningeal in this area. The amounts of drugs given below are for a 350-pound llama. Dr. Anderson no longer includes the use of Dectomax or Ivomectin for the first three days of treatment because he believes that those drugs do not cross the blood/ brain barrier. However, the use of these drugs is believed to effectively kill any larvae that could be in the system to prevent them from entering the spinal cord in the first place.

Medicines and supportives:

• Banamine - Give SQ, 3cc 2x/day for 3 days and then 1x/day for 3 days (to minimize inflammation and pain)
• BOSE - 5cc used only once as a single injection, SQ, (to improve tissue healing)
• Safeguard Liquid - 90cc 1x/day for 5 days (to kill infective Meningeal Worm Larvae in the spinal column)
• Probios - 2x/day, one click each time for 7 to 10 days (to maintain a healthy stomach bacterial environment)
• Vitamin E - At least 1000mg/day for a couple of weeks then cut back to 400mg/day for a few months (to promote muscle and tissue healing and re-growth)
• Prilosec - (Gastroguard or Omniprosole) 1 tab crushed with treat 1x/day for 10 days (to prevent ulceration of the 3rd stomach compartment)
• Vitamin B - Give SQ, 3cc injection, 1x/day for 2-3 days depending on situation (to promote healthy appetite and energy level and maintain thiamine levels – is especially useful in hot weather when heat stress can become a factor with a camelid that is down)
• Gatorade - If suspected MW happens in summer, give 120cc/day for 2 days (to help maintain healthy electrolyte level) 

Physical Therapy:

• Llama should be made to rise every 3-4 hours to maintain circulation and muscle health. Use sling device if necessary.
• Massage the left rear leg (most compromised leg) every 3-4 hours until he is returned to a normal state of being able to rise and ambulate with minimal incoordination. This is essential to keep muscles from becoming contracted and to improve circulation to boost healing.
• In hot weather keep as cool as possible. Monitor temperature.
• Maintain access to cool , clean water at all times. Put water bowl where llama has free access to drink, even if llama is in sternal (cushed) position. Keep as hydrated as possible. Urinations are a good sign according to the doctor - many times the ability to urinate becomes compromised with meningeal worm. Monitor to be sure urination continues. Do not allow llama to lie in wet bedding - wet bedding can lead to urine scald.
• Feed the best grass hay available. Observe to be sure he is ruminating (chewing cud).
• Keep one or more of his buddies with him at all times.
• Prayer: no need for discussion.

(This article was submitted to the GALA Newsletter Oct 05 Issue by GALA member Cynthia Rossi. If you have any questions concern-ing this article, please contact her directly.)

To Deworm or Not to Deworm… the Meningeal Worm Question

By Lindsay Chandler

In this issue, I have featured articles about the meningeal worm, what it is, how it spreads, it affects our llamas, and what to do if an animal gets it. I admit I used to be pretty lax about my routine. We've had llamas for 20 years, we have deer, and we have wet pastures. For a long time, it did not seem as if our deer had the worm. Very few cases occurred in this area. This all changed a few years ago, when I started hearing about losing llamas and alpacas to this parasite. The scariest concern to me was the fact that the cases happened in January & February. I had always done my last shots in November, after the ground froze and when my llamas were in their winter barn, then I would wait until May to start the shots again. How can the animal get it in February?? The slugs should be deep in the soil or frozen!! This is a question yet to be answered. Can the parasite survive in the animal, wait until Ivermectin is out of its system, then attack?? Can it be in the hay?? Or are we dealing with something else?? Often, a case of meningeal worm infection occurs after we slip a little on our shot routine. If the whole herd is behind on shots, the whole herd is eating in the same pasture, and the deer scatter their pellets, with lots of slugs around... Why do we have only 1 case out of a herd of 30?? I rarely hear about more than 1 case occurring in a herd at one time. It is almost as if it is "luck of the draw" (or unluck). I personally feel there are still many questions concerning this parasite, but I now give shots to the whole herd every 5-6 weeks faithfully, and continue all winter.

So the next worry is about parasites becoming resistant. When the Ivermectin type drug first hit the market, we were told that the way it worked, there was no chance of the parasite building a tolerance to the drug... but my belief was and is Nature Will Find a Way. Years ago, there were rumors of parasite resistance in Oregon, but not much was said about it. If you have meningeal worm, you have to use this chemical. What else can we do?? I'm afraid what else can happen has begun. For the whole story, check out the new issue of LLAMA LIFE II, winter 2005-06 Issue 76. The article is “Dewormer-Resistant Parasites Threaten Herds, a Georgia Breeder Fights Back,” by Gayle M. Woodsum. To summarize the information, the recipe for disaster was:

1. Excessive rain, causing the parasites to float to the top of the pasture grazes.
2. Heat lingering into September. The llamas thus congregated near fans, creating congestion and fewer dung piles, thus the parasites gathered also.
3. Resistance to dewormers. The parasites that infected this ranch were "haemonchus, a particularly deadly, blood sucking stomach parasite, and coccidia, a protozoan parasite known to inhabit wet areas with congested animal conditions, and usually problematic in young or previously compromised llamas." This ranch, with many years of a healthy herd that never had a case of coccidia before, now became a "helpless victim." This farm, through the diligence and work of the owners and vets, took "all the factors they had discovered about their situation, including knowledge of their own llamas, and step into action for both the short and long term".

For short term saving the infected animals, check out the article.

Long Term Answers

• Find the parasites. Regular microscopic checking of each individual's feces is mandatory, treating the animal with parasites, not a blanket procedure for the whole herd.
• Consider changing deworming products.
• In areas where white-tailed deer thrive, you must still utilize the prescribed treatment for meningeal worm prevention. This ranch has chosen to not give shots as frequently as in the past. They have added a perimeter fence. (Editor’s Note: Poultry, ducks and guinea hens are also great to keep populations down.)
• Be fastidious in deworming procedures. The "llamas to be dewormed are fasted the night before and not fed until the afternoon following administration of the dewormer. They are kept on a dry lot for 24 hours following treatment."
• Increase quality and type of feed supplements. "Hay with high tannins present is mixed into hay consumed by the entire herd." Results of research on small ruminants state that, "short term consumption of a forage containing condensed tannins reduces fecal parasite egg output". Working with experts, they also designed a new mineral mix including extra vitamin C &B, thiamine, detoxins and probiotics Cleanliness is crucial. Enough said!

I highly suggest that everyone read the original article. So, what to do? We do need to treat for the meningeal parasite… I guess it is a gamble and each owner gets to choose. Deworm less frequently, and see if one of your animals gets the parasite, or deworm every 5-6 weeks, but chance resistant parasites later… To deworm or not deworm, that is the question.

Meningeal Worm Alert

By Lindsay Chandler

Are you treating for the prevention of Meningeal worm?? In my travels, I've discovered more & more folks are not! So.... here are the basics.

Meningeal worm is a parasite of the white tail deer. When it gets into a llama or alpaca, it can cause paralysis leading to death. It is preventable by a strict routine of Ivomectin every 3-4 weeks or dectomax every 45 days. The dosage is 1cc per 70 lbs injected into the llama. Pour on does not work. Symptoms of meningeal begin as a weakness in the hindquarters. If you see any strangeness in the hind end, treat for meningeal first, then look for alternatives such as injury. Treatment is cheap, and you can't overdose. I've been told a few different routines of treatment, but most are similar, just varying on the days not the dosage.

Treatment:

3x the dosage of Ivomectin for 5 days.

3x the dosage of panacur for 5 days (some vets alternate the days btw panacur & Ivomectin)

Banimine for pain and swelling

DMSO to get the dewormer into the llama’s system quickly.

Contact your veterinarian; keep a supply of panacur, Ivomectin and banimine on hand.

ALERT: Generally, we've all assumed that once the ground freezes, that the llamas are safe.... Not Anymore!! I've heard of 4 cases in Maine in February and a possible 1 in January in VT. I for one will be continuing prevention through the winter.