A parasite is any organism that lives in or on a host and receives nourishment from that host.  There are a host of parasites that infect different animals, including humans!  YUCK! 

So, how do parasites affect the host?  Primarily they feed off of their host and compete for nutrients with the host.  They also can cause irritation, distress, tissue damage, metabolic disruption, induce anemia, secrete toxins and transmit disease - sometimes even to people - zoonotic infections!

Here I will address the major parasites found in camelids.

1) Nasal Sinus: Cephenymyia

2) Brain & Spinal Cord: Meningeal worm

3) Ectoparasites (Skin parasites):  Mites (Chopioptes & Sarcoptes) & Lice (Microthoracius & Damlinia)

4) Liver: Flukes (Fasciola & Fascioloides)

5) Rumen (C-3): Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, Camelostrongylus, Ostertagia, Marshallagia

6) Small Intestine: Emieria, Monieza, Cooperia, Trichostrongylus, Cryptosporidium, Nematodirus, Giardia, Strongyloides

7) Cecum & Colon: Trichuris, Osophagostomum

8) Muscle: Sarcocystis, Toxoplasma

Common Anthelmintics - These drugs are available under a variety of commercial names but the drug names are:  Albendazole, Fenbendazole, Doramectin, Ivermectin, Menbendazole, Levamisole, Thiabendazole and Pyrantel pamoate. 

Consult your veterinarian for proper parasite diagnosis, the anthelmintic that should be used and the dosage.

How does a veterinarian know what parasites a llama has?  For external parasites, a physical exam may reveal the little creepy crawlies like lice or mites nestled happily in the fiber of the animal, close to the skin.  The diagnosis of mange requires a closer look.  A much closer look in fact, this requires a skin scraping and then observation under a microscope.  For internal parasites, a fresh (less than 2 hours old) fecal sample can be examined by fecal flotation or direct smear.  Fecal flotation are the most commonly used diagnostic tool for examining feces.  This test concentrates the parasite eggs onto a slide which can be reviewed by the veterinarian.  If a blood born parasite, like Babesia, is suspected then a blood sample is required to be sent to a qualified lab for accurate diagnosis. 

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Last modified: 07/22/08