[Alpacasite] Re: Anyone giving BVD vaccine?

Steve,

Thanks for the insight. I should have said, "no shows recently, only
males shown in the last year and a half, no outside breedings with
cria by side, and no pregnant females bought in from other farms."

I can certainly have alpacas previously exposed to BVD on the farm,
but they would be immune and not a source of future infection. At
least that is my current understanding.

While I've got you, given that you are now the resident alpacasite
expert on this disease perhaps I can draw upon your knowledge for
alpacasite? Here are some questions;

1)How good is the test(s) for BVD?

2)The vaccine available now (like every other vaccine;-) is bovine.
Does it work well in alpacas? How long is it effective? How sure are
we of this?

3)Thoughts vary on how important a pathogen BVD is in alpacas. Given
what you have been through, in your opinion what reasonable
precautions should the prudent breeder take as of 12/05? In theory,
any alpaca bred and raised on another farm then bought could be a
potential PI. Should we now test 10 year olds? And if they are
positive to the test, can we tell if they are persistently infected
of immune?

Thanks in advance for your further insight. Carol Pfister, if you are
out there feel free to jump in.

Neil
A Paca Fun Farm
Mt. Airy, Maryland
Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland
www.apacafunfarm.com

--- In Alpacasite@yahoogroups.com, sprucealpacas@a... wrote:
>
>
>
> Neil
> Unless you have tested your herd, I don't think you can make the
statement
> "No BVD here." It is a fallacy that all PI crias are sick. A PI
cria born on
> our farm in September is almost 3 months old now (no longer on my
farm but
> at a horse farm where it can be studied) and she is the "picture
of health".
> Never had diarrhea or a temperature, never lethargic; races around
the field
> like a race horse. It is only because another cria was sick that
we tested
> the herd for BVD and identified this girl as PI. PI cows can live
and
> reproduce for many years.
>
> You refer to shows as your exposure risk. There are many ways to
be
> exposed. Probably the best is outside breedings, especially when a
cria is at side.
>
> As far as vaccines, Dr Evans has been vaccinating herds for
years. See page
> 120 of his new book. He first identified BVD in 1988
>
>
>
> Steve McCarthy
> Spruce Ridge Farm
> Old Chatham, NY
> www.spruceridgefarm.com
>
>
>
>
> In a message dated 12/9/2005 10:14:24 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> mpcpneilp@a... writes:
>
> Since we are on the topic of vaccines, here's a question for the
list.
>
> I've been asked off-list twice in the last week if I am giving BVD
> vaccine. I'm not, at least not yet.
>
> Fortunately, since I'm still in the process of building facilities
at
> our new farm I haven't been to a show since MAPACA. No BVD here! I
> don't have to worry about BVD again until March, when I hope to
have
> the new farm finished, be moved in, and have the time to show
again.
>
> So, the question is, who out there is using BVD vaccine. What is
your
> experience? Does the vaccine provide any protection in alpacas?
Any
> adverse reactions to the vaccine?
>
> Neil
> A Paca Fun Farm
> Mt. Airy, Maryland
> Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland
> www.apacafunfarm.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

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