This is not meant in ANY way to replace your veterinarian.  Rather, this is intended to educate, so that you may be a better partner in working with your veterinarian in providing care for camelids.  Do NOT attempt to diagnosis any illness at home.  Any animal that you suspect may have a medical problem should be taken quickly to your veterinarian. 

Defects of any kind are scary, but not uncommon.  Due to the limited lamoid gene pool within the United States, it is not surprising that defects in llamas and alpacas are seen.  These defects probably do not occur at a higher frequency than in other livestock species.

Congenital simply means that it was present at birth.  A congenital anomaly can either be hereditary or can be caused due to an influence (like a toxin) during gestation.  Sometimes a congenital anomaly may not be readily apparent at birth, but none the less it is present.  A hereditary condition is also known as a genetic condition, meaning that it was inherited from one or both of the parents or that it is a point mutation in the animal which does not appear in a parent.  A teratogen is a substance, drug or virus that can disrupt normal embryogenesis, resulting in a defect.  In the case of teratogenesis, the defect is not inherited from the parents.  Fetal trauma can lead to congenital defects, like the incidence of Atresia Ani in cattle, associated with pregnancy palpation.  Little research has been done in camelids to distinguish the ultimate pathophysiology of defects.  At best we can extrapolate information from other livestock species.

The following is a list of congenital defects found in llamas and alpacas:

Choanal Atresia (restricted or blocked nasal passage)

Atresia Ani (absence of anal opening)

Atresia Coli (absence of colon)

Angular Limb Deformity (crooked legs)

Wry Face

Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD)

Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA)

Polydactyly (extra toes)

Syndactyly (fused toes)

Cleft Palate (abnormal opening between the oral & nasal cavities)

Gopher Ears

Tipped Ears

Umbilical Hernia

Supernumerary Teats (>4 teats)

Cryptorchidism (non-descended testicle)

Persistent Penile Adhesion 

Arthrogryposis (joint contracture)

Uterus Unicornis (1 uterine horn)

Hypoplastic Ovaries (abnormally small ovaries)

Double Cervix ( 2 cervices)

XXX (chromosomal aberation)

Intersex/Pseudohermaphrodite

Testicular Hypoplasia

Deviated Penis

[ Home ] [ Up ]

Send mail to salrllamas@colfax.com with questions or comments about this web site.

Copyright 2000-2008© by Jennifer Bowman.   All rights reserved.  No information or photos contained within these pages may be copied, transmitted or reproduced without written permission of the copyright owner.
Last modified: 07/22/08