Alpaca Health
and Behavior

Sharing Information

We are in the process of putting an alpaca health and behavior section on our website because it is so important for us all to share our experiences as we learn about the alpacas together.  We will share our experiences in alpaca health and behavior and include resources to help new alpaca owners.

We have found the alpaca community to be so willing to help in times of need.  Over the years we've experienced many different things and have learned so much from other breeders by sharing their information with us.  In turn we would like to share our information with you.  We will include everything from breeding problems to different protocols that have worked and those that haven't.

Some of the topics we will start with are:

• BVDV and what we all can do to prevent it
• How to prevent heat stress - keeping alpacas cool in the summer
• Cria with umbilical hernia
• Male breeding problems
• Worming - what worked and what didn't
• Listeriosis Meningitis - Celine's story
• Behavior problems

Bovine Viral Diarrhea

Our first page in this series is on BVDV.  We started with this subject because we want everyone to be aware of the possible threat this disease may hold for the alpaca industry.  This disease affects the unborn fetus and if born persistently infected, the cria would have to be euthanized.  A situation that would be devastating to any breeder.  Please take the time to read up on BVDV and see how you can prevent this disease from spreading.

Alpaca Health

Your alpaca's health is extremely important and a good experienced camelid vet is worth their weight in gold.  If you are unable to find a camelid vet then find an excellent vet that is willing to learn.  Your vet can easily call one of the universities for help when needed.  Here in Oklahoma we rely on Oklahoma State University.  One thing to note is alpacas are very stoic and they can hide an illness from you without you realizing anything is wrong.  If your alpaca is down and appears sick, don't wait, call your vet immediately!

For more in-depth information on alpacas health we welcome you to visit our selection of alpaca books that we use as references.

We are not veterinarians and we are only sharing our experiences so please consult with your veterinarian first for protocols for your particular situation and for your area.  For expert advice please visit the Alpaca Research Foundation, Washington State University and Oklahoma State University.

If you have something you feel is worth while sharing with others please email us with the information and we'll be happy to either add it to our health and behavior pages or create a link to your site with the information.

Thank you for your time and help and we'll be adding more soon.