Diseases and causes of death among camelids in Sweden
Camelids, especially alpacas, have increased in popularity during the last decade, with the result that they are more frequently encountered by field practicing veterinarians and pathologists. Knowledge regarding their health care and their diseases under Swedish conditions is, however, limited. Thi...
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| Formato: | First cycle, G2E |
| Lenguaje: | sueco Inglés |
| Publicado: |
2014
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://stud.epsilon.slu.se/7508/ |
| Sumario: | Camelids, especially alpacas, have increased in popularity during the last decade, with the result that they are more frequently encountered by field practicing veterinarians and pathologists. Knowledge regarding their health care and their diseases under Swedish conditions is, however, limited. This became clear in a postal survey among Swedish alpaca owners conducted in 2008. To improve knowledge about camelids in Sweden, this study has examined 107 necropsies, including 93 alpacas and 14 camels, conducted at the National Veterinary Institute (SVA) in Uppsala and at Eurofins in Kristianstad and Skara during the period 2001-2013. The study has shown that camelids in Sweden suffer from diseases similar to those previously reported in other countries in Europe and North America. The digestive tract was the most common organ system affected, with parasitic gastroenteritis and liver disease being especially prevalent. Perinatal deaths were also common, especially in alpacas where abortions and neonatal septicaemia were common causes. One interesting group of animals identified in the study was weaning alpacas of which the majority had died from emaciation during late winter or early spring. For adult alpacas and camels, causes of death were almost equally divided between medical and infectious causes. Many of the diseases were considered acute by the owners and veterinarians but were later shown to be chronic conditions that had become acute. This study has revealed similarities with camelid populations in other European countries as well as in North America regarding diseases but it has also identified some areas of concern regarding mainly diagnostic and pathological procedures for which specific applications have been listed. |
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