Skip to main content

News and Media

Open Main MenuClose Main Menu
Veterinary students perform a physical exam on a Fleecy Friends Alpaca Ranch patient.

Camelid Care: OSU veterinarians foster herd health and train next generation

Thursday, January 2, 2025

Media Contact: Taylor Bacon | Public Relations and Marketing Manager | 405-744-6728 | cvmcommunications@okstate.edu

As the alpaca industry continues to adapt and evolve, veterinarians play a vital role in ensuring the health and well-being of these woolly animals.

At the Oklahoma State University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, veterinarians are not only working to serve camelid owners but also training the next generation of food animal veterinarians.

Alpacas are part of the camelid family, which includes camels and llamas, and have many distinct traits, such as their long necks and legs. Alpacas are native to South America but can be found elsewhere now because of their wool’s popularity.

In food animal medicine, routine care for camelids is fairly similar to other livestock. Typical care includes vaccinations, foot care, dental care and parasite monitoring, along with appropriate treatment when needed. For producers, working closely with their primary veterinarian for regular on-farm monitoring of weight, body condition scores, fecal consistency, fiber quality and eyelid color is critical for early detection of herd health issues.

While routine care plans are similar to other species, some may say it is even more important in alpacas and llamas.

“They are extremely sensitive to many ailments and are very good at hiding how sick they are until it is often too late,” said Dr. Alli Jennings, clinical assistant professor of food animal medicine and surgery. “Camelids are susceptible to many parasites and, if not addressed early, can decimate a herd.”

Crias
Crias, which are baby alpacas, receive care alongside their mothers at the OSU VMTH.

Jennings said in addition to camelidspecific diseases, alpacas are also susceptible to diseases of other species, such as meningeal worm infection, bovine viral diarrhea virus, alpaca fever (Streptococcus equi ssp zooepidemicus) and vector-borne diseases such as Eastern equine encephalitis and West Nile virus.

“Camelids are also very susceptible to minute changes in trace mineral profiles of forages, feeds, minerals and soil,” Jennings said. “They sink a lot of minerals into fiber production, so monitoring for issues in their mineral program is also very important.”

Some of the most common issues veterinarians see in adult alpacas are gastrointestinal parasites, secondary nutritional problems, trace mineral issues, meningeal worm infestations and heat stress. Jennings said some of the most common problems in young alpacas are parasites and sepsis, or systemwide infection.

“Regular checkups with a veterinarian enable us to catch problems early that may decrease the likelihood of severe disease or stop a problem before it affects the entire herd,” Jennings said. “Many issues are interconnected, such as trace minerals and GI parasite immunity, and keeping a close watch on them can drastically improve outcomes.”

Jennings emphasized the importance of preventive care.

“Appropriate preventive care and good herd health is imperative for the overall production and quality of life of the animals,” Jennings said. “Fertility and fiber production are directly impacted by the general health of the animal.”

For alpaca owners like Derek Smith and Julie Knox, owners of Fleecy Friends Alpaca Ranch, a close relationship with their veterinarians is vital to their herd’s health and business success.

Knox and Smith live two hours away from Stillwater but prioritize making the trip to utilize the knowledge and skills of OSU’s veterinarians.

Jennings said the Fleecy Friends Alpaca Ranch is an excellent example of how early preventative veterinary care can help prevent issues from affecting the entire herd.

Two of Knox and Smith’s alpacas, Marisol and Remington, recently had a trace mineral problem that led to decreased parasitic immunity, significant weight loss and nutritional issues.

“Through early detection and appropriate veterinary care, we were able to intervene in both individual animals and address a problem at the herd level before it led to significant losses,” Jennings said.

Currently, OSU VMTH provides clinical veterinary care for producers statewide. Jennings said several herds utilize the teaching hospital as the primary care provider, both on an in-hospital and field service basis.

“In addition to primary care, we function as the main referral institution for many practitioners across the state and even across state lines,” Jennings said. “We serve as the primary herd veterinarian and referral center for many camelid clients across Oklahoma and beyond.”

OSU veterinarians also staff llama and alpaca shows across the state and provide on-site veterinary care at those events.

“There are not many vets that specialize in camelids,” Smith said. “This is a growing industry, so I’m always trying to promote to the students to have some knowledge in this area because, more than likely, they are going to encounter an alpaca somewhere in their career.”

Jennings said camelid owners commonly comment on the lack of veterinarians who are well-versed in camelid medicine. Faculty and staff at OSU are actively addressing this need.

“Currently, we are working with Alpacas of Oklahoma to begin building a structured camelid program consisting of wet labs, extension opportunities at shows and more clinical opportunities for the students to improve awareness, comfort and interest in our camelid species,” Jennings said.

“We are actively working with our alpaca producers, shows and associations to build a program at Oklahoma State that can provide our owners with the resources they need to care for their animals, but also to provide a solid education for our students in camelid care.”


Photos By: Bailey White and Kinsey Reed

Story By: Taylor Bacon | Vet Cetera Magazine

MENUCLOSE