Why Is My Lama Not Eating?

By Dr. Karen h. Baum
Little Doc's Veterinary Care

Dr. Baum, a native of Wisconsin, graduated from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. After completing an internship at Ohio State University, she moved to Cornell University to perform a Large Animal medicine residency. Dr. Baum then accepted a position at the College of Veterinary medicine, Virginia Tech, where she coordinated the planning, funding, building, equipping and operation of the Large Animal Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. After leaving Virginia Tech, Dr. Baum managed a llama herd and is now head of Little Doc's Veterinary Care.

When a llama or alpaca is off feed you have to consider why. The first thing to determine is if any spitting had been going on. Around feeding time is a common time for "spit-outs." Watch the animals to see if there is any fighting. When groups are changed there may be some discussions going on.

If one animal spits on another, you will often see a "C mouth." Llamas hold their mouth open to let it air out. They may drool or have spit dripping out. Both the spitter and the spittee can respond with a "C mouth." It is their way of saying "Yuck, this tastes terrible." They may pack leaves or hay in their mouth trying to rinse it out. Some animals will wipe spit mouth on the barn, other inanimate objects or you!

Make sure your lamas have enough space to eat. Some animals need more room than others. They like to have a bigger bubble of territory around them than others do. Younger animals may like to eat in pairs or groups and be closer to one another. This can be a support system for these youngsters to learn to eat. They do not want to miss anything. They also need to see what everyone else has.

Some crias do not start eating grain until after weaning. Some start nibbling on grain during the first two weeks of life; however, they do not get full utilization until after two months of age. The intake is good for them even early on as long as they do not get too much. After weaning it is more important for grain intake. This may not be critical if you have a balanced ration with hay, pasture and mineral supplement. The better quality (and often more expensive) grains are really concentrates which have the vitamins and minerals they need for growth and health.

Changing to a different grain or hay can put an animal off feed. If the whole herd refuses to eat, then you need to critically check your feed. Look for mold, mustiness, bad odor, weeds, prickers, debris, dead animal parts (especially in the hay), foreign matter, unusual types of grain or plant material or evidence of medication. The mill may not have cleaned out the hopper well enough after mixing a different batch of feed. Leftover medication or other additives can leave a bad flavor which your animals are not used to.

Be sure to make any feed change gradually, mixing old grain or hay with new over at least a week or two. how long it takes to make the switch depends on how different the feeds are which you are switching between. If it is a different batch of the same feed, then there should not be a necessary adjustment period as long as the formulations are the same.

A new addition to the herd may be intimidated by other members of the herd. They may be nervous about new surroundings. Try to get some of the feed they are used to start them off, then gradually switch to your feed. Very timid or sick animals benefit from a companion when moved to a new place. A change in feeding schedule can throw some animals off if they have been on a very strict schedule. Flexibility is a good trait to have.

Indigestion can be brought about by a change in diet or exposure to different plants. When an animal overeats, this can lead to indigestion or more serious consequences. Sometimes there is no apparent reason for indigestion. It is difficult to know exactly how much, what and when they ate something when they are on pasture or have free access to hay or supplements.

Hot or cold weather can also change eating patterns. Where the shade is can influence consumption in hot weather. Be sure to keep cool water convenient in hot weather and thawed, slightly lukewarm water available in cold weather. Too little water intake can lead to an impaction that can make the animal uncomfortable and off feed.

Make sure you have adequate housing for animals. Remember that they need more space in hot weather, and need room for air to circulate in shaded areas, perhaps near fans. Adequate shelter is also important in cold weather. Your goal should be that the animals be comfortable and have enough space to readily get to feed and water without disturbing the others. The more disruption there is, the greater the chance of spitting leading to "C mouth" and not eating. The more timid animals will be pushed aside and will be more stressed.

Stress can lead to ulcers, which can be painful and lead to anorexia (not eating). many other factors can lead to ulcers, many of which we do not understand or have no control of. Certain drugs are potentially ulcerogenic (ulcer causing). Your veterinarian should be aware of these. If there is risk in other species, there is potential risk in llamas and alpacas. Certain drugs are riskier in ruminants than in horses. Banamine is one of these. Adequate fiber in the diet may help prevent ulcers. Rapidly digestible, low fiber grain in high amounts can contribute to ulcers, indigestion, acidosis or even death.

Indigestion, gas or other abdominal discomfort can cause anorexia. Besides intestinal pain there can be pain from the liver, kidneys, spleen, stomachs and the uterus or ovaries in females. Crias will sometimes become distended if they have meconium impaction and cannot defecate properly. This tends to occur one to three days after being born. Inactive crias may get gas or pooling of milk and go off feed. This can be a cause or an effect of being sick.

Being sick with a fever or toxic will make an animal go off feed. It is important to check the animal's temperature as soon as you see he/she is off feed. Watch for heavy breathing, distress, head down, weakness, laying down a lot or any other behavior change. Call your veterinarian right away to discuss the situation and set up an appointment. Do not wait until it is too late to call. It is better to have a visit early than to wait and have the animal crash. Many times it is your best chance at a cure to call early. If you wait it may be too late, as alpacas and llamas are stoic.

Being unable to prehend (pick up feed) can be caused by a number of possible causes. Any infection, abscess, parasite or tumor of the brain stem affecting specific nerves can cause this problem. Inability to chew or swallow can result in animals not being able to eat. Sores in the mouth, on the tongue or of the gums may hurt enough that the affected animal will not eat. Tooth problems, if severe enough, can also be the root of not eating. Paralysis or swelling of the tongue can make it difficult or impossible for the patient to eat. Classically animals with rabies become unable to swallow before dying.

Drooling can indicate excessive salivation or the inability to swallow. Both conditions are critical. Loss of too much saliva can lead to dehydration, acidosis and death. This has to be tended to immediately. Besides treatment of the underlying disease, it may be necessary to put the llama or alpaca on intravenous fluids to maintain hydration and acid-base balance. This needs to be addressed as quickly as possible and would likely entail hospitalization. Any disease involving the nerves, brain or brain stem will take several days to weeks to heal. It could take longer (months) for total recovery to occur so be patient and do not get discouraged.

There are cases of intestinal strangulation, volvulus, intussusception or hernias that may require surgery. Although horses are typically full of pain with these conditions, llamas and alpacas are more stoic and may not show much pain. It is easy to be fooled because lamas may kush and stop eating, remaining calm and fairly alert even though the situation is life threatening. That is why they sometimes seem to get so sick so fast.

Severe lameness, such as a broken leg, will put a llama or alpaca off feed. They are likely to lay down and stay put. They may be lying away from the rest of the herd because the others moved away while the afflicted animal remained in one place. They may be in too much pain to eat or drink, or it may be too painful to move. Maybe they know that the less they move, the less the chance of further injury. Once the fracture is stabilized they tend to do quite well.

Do not forget that animals sleep, too. During the longer days of summer you may be around your animals more and will see them sleep more. Also they tend to sleep more during the day in hot weather so they are rested to browse in the cooler evenings and nights. When they are sleeping or sleepy they do not eat or chew their cud.

Cud chewing is a positive sign. When an animal is into serious cud chewing, they will not ingest new feed. In essence they are rechewing, feed during cud chewing. They do this between periods of intake. If an animal drops its cud or slobbers when trying to chew its cud, this could indicate a problem. Some cuds will get stuck in the cheek between the teeth and the cheek skin, making a bulge.

Some animals will be more prone to choking because they eat too fast, not chewing well enough and not producing enough saliva. Certain feeds, such as rabbit pellets, are more likely to lead to choking unless moistened or mixed with other feed. Pelleted feeds need to be formulated such that they fall apart easily when eaten. Some animals need to learn to eat slower. Smooth rocks in their feed dish may force these individuals to eat more slowly as they pick the feed from between the rocks. During choking or following an episode the llama or alpaca will not eat. Once the choke is cleared and they have a chance to recover, they usually go back to eating.

Believe it or not some animals just do not eat as much as others. Some eat fast and take less time to eat. Some chew their cud more, or may be more interested in play or other activities. Keep an eye open for individual habits. Watch for changes in behavior. Note if it is an individual or a whole group. Call your veterinarian to discuss the situation and find out what to watch for. Keep track of changes.

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