[AlpacaTalk] Lumpy Jaw - Actinomycosis bovis responsible for teeth
Hi there - I can't quite believe it -but my young Alpaca with the
exposed teeth has been diagnosed with Lumpy Jaw and she may not make
it. I did an internet search and didn't find much so wanted to post
this for others to learn - most of you probably know about this
already and maybe to correct me if I get the facts wrong.
I got Clover [solid black] in February, already shorn. I
deliberately was "hands off" with her until she settled, which she
has now. When I first saw her last year I loved her - no teeth
showing and I even posted on this site asking about her behaviour
and if I could "tame" her.
Anyway, since Feb she has been with me and doing well. We had two
weeks of miserable weather in early August and she lost condition,
but so did the others. I started to notice her teeth a few months
back - but lately they are almost always noticeable.
My first indication of a problem was when I found a large scab in
the paddock with long black fleece - i.e. obviously not the remains
of an abortion. I puzzled over this and examined all my animals as
well as I could - blacks are hard to see weeping sores etc on.
A week after I found the scab I got them all in the yards to check
their undersides - thats when I found what I thought was an abcess
on Clovers chin. The scab had obviously come away from the chin and
at the edges it was still a bit pussy so I cut the fleece away to
open it up as much as possible. This was last Sunday and my vet was
away until Wednesday this week (Sept 3rd).
On the Monday (yesterday) I couldn't concentrate at work - I was
bothered by the fact that there were MULTIPLE leisons - abcessess
tend not to develop like that unless there are multiple abcesses -
it just didn't seem right to me - although I didn't stress Clover
but feeling her jaw - I did notice her jaw was swollen.
By 10am Monday I had worked out that something very bad was wrong
and she needed a vet ASAP. I got a vet to come that afternoon and
sure enough he found a swelling the size of an orange and
immediately identified it as Lumpy Jaw - he had seen it in cows.
She is on two types of antibiotics - penicillin and another to
target Actinomycosis bovis [I can't remember the name]. She has
already lost more condition than the other alpacas - and the teeth
showing seems to be due to the deformed jaw.
The vet was not positive about her future - if all the bugs can be
killed in the jaw she will remain permanently deformed. When there
is lots of grass etc she may well do ok and only lose condition when
the grass becomes shorter - of course she can eat hay ok and nuts
too.
When the vet left, to my horror she got "worse" - in that she kept
sitting down. I hoped it was a combination of stress and a sore
rear end from her injections - she seemed a little wobbly to me too
and this morning - although up and about - maybe slightly wobbly.
Can anyone out there advise me on what I could give her to eat to
perk her up a bit? She is supposedly pregnant, due December.
Thanks for listening - I have cut and pasted a bit about lumpy jaw I
found on the internet below.
Mandy
New Zealand
"Actinomycosis or lumpy jaw produces immovable hard swellings on the
upper and lower jawbones of cattle, commonly at the central molar
level. It is caused by an anaerobic micro-organism, Actinomyces
bovis. The bacterium invades tissue through breaks in the lining of
the mouth caused by eating rough forage. The tumor-like swellings
develop slowly and may take several months to reach a noticeable
size. Lumpy jaw may be well advanced before external signs are
visible. The lumps consist of honeycombed masses of thin bone
filled with yellow pus. If neglected the swellings may become very
large. In advanced cases openings develop and discharge small
amounts of sticky pus containing gritty yellow granules.
Difficult breathing due to involvement of the nasal bones may be the
first sign. As the disease progresses, chewing becomes more
difficult and painful, resulting in loss of condition.
Occasionally, the soft tissues of the head and alimentary tract can
be involved. Lesions in the alimentary tract give vague symptoms of
indigestion, often with chronic bloat.
The most common treatments are iodine therapy or tetracyclines.
Treatment is often ineffective.
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posted by Chaddo at 2:48 PM
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