ENTEROTOXAEMIA IS KILLING ALPACAS
We have seen a number of deaths from enterotoxaemia over the
past couple of months. This is unusual at this time of the year,
especially in such dry weather, but it is a reminder of the danger
posed by this nasty disease.
Enterotoxaemia (commonly called ‘Pulpy Kidney’)
is caused by the overgrowth of a particular species of bacteria
Clostridium perfringens) in the intestinal tract of many species
of animals, including alpacas, sheep, cattle and goats. This bacterium
produces a very potent toxin which causes severe systemic disease,
leading to rapid collapse and death. There are usually no warning
signs and there is no effective treatment. Typically, animals
appear perfectly healthy one day and then are found dead the next.
Usually deaths from enterotoxaemia occur mainly in the spring
and summer months when pastures are green and growing rapidly.
Alternatively, they can occur after a change of feed, especially
if there is an increase in the amount of fresh green grass or
hay being fed. These kinds of feed seem to set up conditions in
the animal’s gut which favour the growth of Clostridium
perfringens. As stated above, it is unusual to see enterotoxaemia
at this time of the year, because the pastures are dry and there
is little new growth. It is possible that the cases we have seen
recently are associated with supplementary feeding but this is
not always the case. It certainly does not mean you should stop
feeding hay as an alternative to grass, although it is always
wise to make any changes in feed gradually.
The good news is that most cases of enterotoxaemia can be prevented
by vaccination. 5 in 1 and 7 in 1 vaccines protect against Clostridium
perfringens Type D, which is the most common strain. Occasionally
there are cases of enterotoxaemia which are caused by other strains
of the bacteria but in my experience it is rare to see deaths
in animals that are up to date with their vaccinations.
