Hi! Does anybody know if the worms Nematodirus battus and Trichuris sp. are dangerous to alpacas? Swedish elks are dying like flies from Trichuris but Roe deers are quite all right, I have been told from specialized vets. The alpacas on our farm are originating from Chile (coming to us in three different imports) and in all three groups there are eggs from the mentioned species, not a big quantity but still. We have always taken faecal samples twice per year before worming and according to the result we have got the advice that worming has not been necessairy so for more then 2 years we have have not wormed (but last time we did we used Eprinex pour on). Now other specialists have looked at the result from the faecal analyses and that is why I now would like to hear if somebody in this forum know more. If these species are so extremely dangerous to elks they may also be unhealthy to alpacas. I should also add that we have never had the slightest problems with worms. About a month ago we had 45 alpacas coming directly from Chile to us (presently isolated at a neigbour farm until different tests are ready, for intance Johne´s disease and TB, before we take them home to and let them with the other alpacas) and they were recently wormed before they came to Sweden (unfortunately I still do not know which product was used and how it was given). From a Swedish vet we got the recommendation to take faecal samples in order to see what these alpacas may have brought with them from Chile in terms of parasites. It turned out that there were eggs from the above mentioned species, again not much at all but some. In order really to get rid of them I got the advice to worm and after 10-12 days take new samples. We gave about 6-7 ml Dectomax pour on per alpaca and after 12 days we took the feacal samples. To everybodys big surprise there were no change whatsoever in the amount of eggs (I should also add that the lab now use Stolls super saturated sugar solution, Marty!). From other vets we have always got the information that pour on-products work very well for worming and as I am not a vet myself and cannot say that giving injections is my favourite occupation I have always thought that pour on-products are so handy (we use a syringe without needle and put the product directly on the skin on 5-6 places on the back from neck to tail). Now I was told that because of the fact that alpacas do not have the fat lanoline in the fleece pour on-products do not work!!! Evidently it is the lanoline that somehow make the pour on-products diffundate to the whole body. Which also was proven by the latest faecal samples. Is this a common knowledge to everybody out there or is it only in Sweden this is new information?!? So now next step is to worm all our alpacas again, oral or injecting. The vets are now looking for a suitable product for us. So a summary of this post is 1. Are Nematodirus battus (and also sp) and Trichuris sp dangerous to apacas? 2. Should pour on-products not be used for worming? And for mites? 3. What is best, oral or injecting (IM or SQ) the product? To us this was a huge awakening and I guess also to many Swedish vets - if it is true! I want to underline that I am not accusing any vets for not knowing all this as we have so very few camelids in our countries up here and consequently the experience is not big. I am really looking forward to all answers! Thank you in advance! With best regards, Ann Marie Santesson Gerber Sweden
