Last updated 03/06/2010

300 Beaumont Highway

Lebanon, CT 06249

Phone: 860-423-0380

Email: ebender@snet.net

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PARASITE INFOMRATION

One problem that is surfacing nationwide is parasites and their resistance to wormers. For years, here in the East, we were told to worm monthly for Meningeal Worm with Ivermectin or Dectomax and quarterly with Panacur or Safeguard to prevent “the worms that Ivermectin or Dectomax didn’t cover” Now, we have drug resistant parasites. Ivermectin and Dectomax no longer work on stomach worms and Panacur or Safeguard isn’t working well on Strongyles or Nematodirus. So what do we do?

First, below is what works for us. Please contact your local Vet for recommendations on wormers and dosages to fit your circumstances.

Most important, you need to find out what parasites your llamas have. I strongly recommend running fecals on each and every individual llama in your herd. This can seem like a huge task if you have a lot of llamas, but if you break them down into groups it’s not as bad as it sounds and can be done.

Materials you will need:

Microscope with at least 10X and 40X powers. I recommend a binocular one (2 eye pieces). It’s easier on your eyes if you spend a lot of time at the microscope (which you will) I also recommend a mechanical stage. It will make checking the slide easier as well.

Slides

Cover slips

Tea strainer (finer mesh, less vegetation, easier to see) used for fecals only

15 ml test tubes

Plastic sandwich bags (to collect and mix poop in)

Sugar solution (directions below)

Small scale that weighs in grams.

Not necessary but will make things easier, a centrifuge. You will want one with adjustable variable speed (needs to spin at least 1500 RPM) and can take 15 ml tubes. Shop around. I’ve seen the same centrifuge sell for anywhere between $245 and $420.

Sugar Solution Formula:

1 lb granulated sugar

12 fluid ozs tap water

Combine sugar and water in sauce pan. Heat mixture slowly until clear. DON’T BOIL

TO PREPARE SAMPLE

Place about 5 grams fresh or refrigerated feces sample in small beaker, plastic cup, or sandwich bag.

Add 95 grams of water. (To make a total of 100 grams)

Stir or knead and thoroughly break up sample

Pour through ordinary tea strainer into second container

Pour fluid from second container into 15 cc tapered test tube.

Pour out left over solution

TO CONCENTRATE EGGS

WITH CENTRIFUGE

Centrifuge at approximately 1500 rpm for 5-10 minutes.

Pour off liquid in test tube.

Fill test tube with sugar solution.

Stir solution in test tube.

Centrifuge again at 1500 rpm for 10 minutes

If centrifuge is a free swinging unit, cover slop can be added prior to centrifugation. If centrifuge is a fixed head unit, cover slip is placed on the top of the test tube following centrifugation and allowed to remain in place 3-4 minutes. I usually allow the cover slip to sit for 30 minutes or more to allow time for the “heavy” eggs to float to the top.

To place cover slip on test tube, first add sugar solution to the tube until it is full enough to place 22mm square cover slip to top. (There should neither be an air bubble under the cover slip nor should the material overflow so that it runs down the side of the tube.) Allow meniscus to rise above the top of the test tube.

Remove the new cover slip by lifting straight upward and place it on a microscope slide. (f properly done, there should be a good thickness of material under the cover slip.)

WITHOUT CENTRIFUGE

Add sugar solution to the vial allowing the meniscus to rise above the opening.

Place a cover slip over the material.

After 3 hours, remove the cover slip with a deliberate upward movement and place on a microscope slide for reading.

The samples can be left up to 6 hours on the bench with no loss of accuracy, or the slides can be placed in the refrigerator overnight and read the following morning. Care should be exercised when carrying out the manipulations in order to avoid air bubbles.

Okay, now we’re ready to look at our samples under the microscope. You want to look at the entire slide. This takes a lot of patience as it can get boring. However, you may find only one egg of a particular type of parasite, and it may be anywhere on the slide, so it’s important to check the whole thing. Now, what are we looking for?

STRONGYLES:

There are many types of “strongyles” or Round Worms that cannot be differentiated by egg shape alone. Fortunately the treatment is similar for all. These parasites can cause stunting, weight loss, and diarrhea especially in juvenile animals.

NEMATODIRUS:

Nematodirus spp. Eggs are approximately 2 times the size of strongyle eggs. The parasite is a low egg producer so any eggs present indicates a significant infection and should be treated. This parasite can cause poor growth and diarrhea especially in crias.

WHIPWORM:

This parasite causes poor growth, diarrhea, and blood loss. It can severely debilitate crias. This parasite is somewhat resistant to the ivermectin-type products but the benzimidazoles such as fenbendazole and albendazole are effective at the high end of the dose range. This parasite requires 3 weeks in the environment to become infective and is very difficult to remove once present. The prepatent period is unknown.

The color on this picture is more accurate to what you see under the microscope

COCCIDIA (Eimeria alpacae, Eimeria lamae, Eimeria macusaniensis– EMac, Eimeria Punoensis)

A parasite problematic for crias less then 1 year old and naïve (previously unexposed) or immunosuppressed adults. There is no cross protection between species so adults can be infected and develop clinical disease from a different species. Due to developing drug resistance and the inability to completely eliminate the parasite from animals, treatment is only recommended if oocyst counts are significantly high with the presence of diarrhea. Infection is through the fecal-oral route and can occur in as little as 4 days if oocysts are exposed in cool, moist pastures. Pasture management is a key factor to reduce exposure to susceptible animals. The oocysts die in warm, dry pasture in 20-30 days but can persist for years in cool, damp environments. The prepatent period (time from ingestion of the oocyst to shedding in feces) is variable among species but ranges from 10 days for Eimeria punoensis to 33 days for EMac. Oocysts cause diarrhea by damaging intestinal cells. After anthelmintic treatment is finished, feces may remain loose until the intestinal lining is repaired. In severe infections, stunting or ill-thrift with continued diarrhea may occur due to permanent damage to the intestinal lining. Contact your veterinarian if severe diarrhea occurs since dehydration can rapidly lead to death especially in warmer weather conditions.