Hairballs!

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Permalink Reply by Jeannie on January 31, 2009 at 10:51pm

Hi Kevin.....I am so sorry for your loss......It's always hard to lose one of these furry friends.....This has been an eye-opener for me, I did not realize that alpacas could get hairballs. Hairballs....I think of cats! So with alpacas, when the hair is digested, there is no way of passing it thru the system, it sits and accumulates? Is there anyway of "diagnosing" this problem and anything that can be done to help it pass??? Thanks for sharing this information. Jeannie

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Permalink Reply by Rick Horn - All American Alpacas on February 1, 2009 at 1:48am

Hi Kevin and Janet,
Sorry for the loss.
It's usually called a bezoar, or more specifically, a trichobezoar if it's hair.
How did it happen? Crias nibble on topknots. They take hay from other alpacas' fiber. They nibble on mom to get her up so they can nurse. All of those behaviors cause all crias to ingest fiber.
It is my opinion that it needs one more factor to cause a problem, inadequate hydration.
The diarrhea that she had would dehydrate her and allow the bezoar to form.
I'll admit, I never would have considered watching for signs of a bezoar after a minor bout with diarrhea, but I'll add it into my watch list now.
Symptoms of a bezoar would normally be stomach discomfort. The problem is that alpacas, even crias are stoic, so it may be too late by the time it's noticed. An ealier test would likely be capillary refill to determine hydration.
I've lost an adult female that tubing would have likely saved, and saved a few by tubing.
If I have any indication of dehydration or stomach discomfort (barring pregnancy issues), I immediately get a tube.
I may have tubed some that didn't need it, but they are alive and have forgotten about it.
Again, sorry for your loss, but the fact that you posted about it may help others in the future

Rick
--
Rick & Pati Horn
All American Alpacas
35215 Avenida Mañana
Murrieta, Ca. 92563
http://aaalpacas.com/updates.html
(951) 217-0306 Fax (951) 679-8696
Life is good!

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Tapply on February 1, 2009 at 11:00am

Our vet thinks that with the amount of "hairballs" and the size, this had developed for a long period of time. She never had any signs of stomach upset or showed that she had any pain - the only indicator was the diarrhea (6 days before) and he is quite sure that was due to the fact that nothing else could get through the stomach as it was completly full. There was no way without surgery if we had even predicted it, that she could have been saved. More to add to the what if senerio when they come down sick!

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Permalink Reply by Rick Horn - All American Alpacas on February 1, 2009 at 11:15pm

Hi Kevin and Janet,
I did see the pictures on the bezoars, but it was tough to judge the size.
Do you per chance have measurements?

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Permalink Reply by Janet Tapply on February 2, 2009 at 12:12am

I don't have and I gave the hair balls back to the vet for his "collection" I am sure I can get them without any problem and will post the information once I get it.

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Permalink Reply by Dusty Creek Ranch on February 2, 2009 at 10:23am

This topic has caught my attention now. I have a 3 week cria that keeps chewing on his mom's fleece. Sometimes I'll catch him so deep in her fleece I can't see his eyes. At first I thought he might be sucking on it, but I haven't heard any sucking noises. I don't see any chewing action, but I have began noticing tufts of what looks like mom's fleece scattered around the pen when I am cleaning. Everything else about him is normal. Maybe it's just a "vice" he has created?

Susan

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Permalink Reply by Janet Tapply on February 2, 2009 at 10:31am

I never saw any tufts of fleece any where nor did I ever see any hanging out of her mouth. It really is an issue as I have heard of other alpacas that had died because of hair balls being further down in the spiral colin. From what I have heard when the hairballs get down this far, surgery is very difficult and of course very costly. Not sure how you can keep them from doing it as you can't be with them 24/7.

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Permalink Reply by Denise Trotter on August 19, 2009 at 10:18pm

Hi Kevin,
I know it's been a while since this chat began but I just came across it. I'm also very sorry for your loss and know how hard it is. We too lost a cria due to hairballs in the lower 3rd stomach compartment. She was about 2 months old and we noticed she was always nibbling on the Mom's tail but just thought she was playing or getting hay out. We had her off with her Mom at another farm being bred when we got the phone call that she became listless and laid with her legs out to the side of her. She drank lots of water but did not seem to be going to the poop pile anymore. We rushed her to CSU in CO for a very expensive surgery and she was on the road to recovery when she took a turn for the worst a day later. Her sutures ruptured and she was slowing leaking abdominal fluid and went into peritoneal shock and went blind. We ended up putting her down that day. It was a very painful and expensive lesson. So, now whenever I see a cria even nibbling at the slightest, I run them off and pray we never have to deal with that again. Thanks for sharing your story.

Denise

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Permalink Reply by Autumn Sun Alpacas (MLivingston) on September 18, 2009 at 4:21pm

Janet and Kevin -- sorry to hear about your cria and thanks for sharing it with us to help us learn. I too often seem some of the cria "playing" with fiber and thought nothing of it. I will be more watchful... Mary

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