The Alpaca: A Medical Marvel

(Published in the 1999-2000 Alpacas Magazine)

By Randy Larson, DVM

After a lifetime of working around animals, including 30 years of mixed veterinary practice, the logical approach to life would be to get away from animals, right? Well, not exactly. My wife Jan and I were blessed with three fine children and the last left for college the same year we sold our small cattle and sheep herds. We felt some obligations lifted from our shoulders that had always been a concern when we wanted to go away for a weekend or to a vet conference. Until we met the alpaca, that situation seemed fine.

Then, after more than a year of reading, visiting alpaca owners, and thinking, we could see that owning and caring for these creatures would be an experience we wanted to enjoy. They have much to offer and have certainly provided a source of satisfaction for us. As we looked at the history of the alpaca, we could see a medical marvel. This creature had provided the Incas with fiber that is considered elegant to this day. The scientific marvel is the fact that the nutritional and medical demands are minimal while producing this impressive fiber. The marginal plant life available for food in the Andes Mountains is easy to reproduce in the poorest of pastures in the United States. By feeding better diets available here, we expect the productive life span in the U.S. to be longer than is customary in South America. Activity in nutrition research will undoubtedly provide answers that will continue to improve productivity. Of particular interest are the numerous anecdotal reports of response to zinc and selenium as additives in diets, many at levels much above those used in domestic ruminants.

Another area that promises to reveal many interesting developments is the area of infectious diseases. Most common viral diseases of ruminants do not appear to cause serious problems in alpacas. Bovine virus diarrhea (BVD) is an example of a significant disease of cattle that causes undetectable problems in alpacas. BVD and other common cattle viruses just do not cause problems in alpacas. Severity of BVD in cattle is compounded by stress, animal density, and diseases complicating the initial viral infection. Stress, overcrowding, and poor nutrition may trigger alpacas to become more susceptible to other conditions, which are always good reasons to care for our animals properly. It has been fulfilling to treat these animals because of their prompt and positive response to medication. Being somewhat stoic, they become very ill before complaining or showing symptoms; yet upon medical intervention, they respond well.

Foot and Mouth Disease virus is another concern to be addressed in any discussion of viral diseases of alpacas. Foot and Mouth Disease is present in South America, but has been eradicated from the United States for many years. This disease can be devastating to cattle and pigs because of the severe lesions between the toes and on the tongue of affected animals. Obviously if they canÍt walk or eat, there will be severe consequences. Add to that the fact that the virus can travel as an aerosol (through the air) up to 50 miles (!) Ü we do not want it in the U.S. This makes up part of the reason for the long and intense quarantines for animals that were imported. Interestingly enough, research seems to support the observation that alpacas can be infected with the virus, but do not develop severe lesions like cattle, sheep, and pigs. Furthermore, study has shown that alpacas are quite resistant to the effects of this virus.

The physical adaptations that alpacas have are remarkable. Their precocious offspring are born after a long gestation period (11+months), ready for the world. They are born remarkably strong, up nursing aggressively in less than an hour, and are trying to run in their first few days of life. Their herding instincts are useful in finding suitable pasture for a group, as well as providing security through strength in numbers. In addition to obvious adaptations of feet, fiber, eye, and structural characteristics, the physiology of water conservation is worth noting. Dromedary and Bactrian camels are very refractory to dehydration (that is, able to recover from periods of fluid loss), and their relative, the alpaca, has similar tendencies. The lessened effects of fluid loss and ability to reverse dehydration are significant when compared to other domestic animals. This needs to stay in the ïdonÍt try this at homeÍ category of interesting facts. Even though water deprivation is less injurious to camelids, they perform better when they are not wanting for anything!

The next medical wonder is the fact that 90% of alpaca births occur in daylight hours. Experienced breeders comment that most of the night births are problems, so the percentage of normal, unassisted births in the daylight hours is even higher. What a fortunate thing for Mother Nature to have blessed us with! As veterinarians, we work very hard to get other species to give birth during times that we can assist with this process. Timed feeding and hormone treatments are used in food animal medicine to induce the onset of the birth process, to give the newborn and mother the best chance of a successful birth. Obviously, the naturally occurring daytime births in alpacas save some anxiety and sleepless nights for the owners of these valuable females. The mechanism is not completely understood, but one possibility is control by the hypothalamus (an important nerve and hormone center at the base of the brain). Final regulation of the process seems to be a voluntary activity.

When all these factors are put together, we see a very desirable package. The alpaca can be considered a companion animal that is pleasing to be around. Some have clear duties of reproduction, fiber production, and the addition of color and beauty to a rural setting. Some are little fiber factories, some are strictly pets, and many are combinations of both. The common thread is that they are easy to care for. Once their basic needs are met, they thrive. By providing shelter from extremes of weather, fresh drinking water, and reasonable food supply, we can comfortably watch them fulfill our expectations. Whether an owner has two or two hundred, the intense management required for some species is not needed for alpacas. The alpaca is a companion animal that can contribute much to man, as well as being a medical marvel!

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