From The Alpaca Book by Eric Hoffman and E. Murray Fowler, DVM:
Pages 212-213
Five types of Clostridium perfringens are known to affect animals. ... Alpacas are known to be susceptible to types A, C, and D. ... Type A enterotoxemia will be emphasized because it is a serious problem in South America and there is evidence that it has also occurred in North America.
...
Prevention
... Vaccination for Type C & D is commonly available in North America, but, in the case of the alpaca, there is no confirmation that protection has been obtained. No suitable vaccine against Type A toxin is available.
Type A enterotoxemia
Type A enterotoxemia is the most serious disease of neonate alpacas in Peru. ... (***See above!)
Type C enterotoxemia
...
Experience with Type C enterotoxin in North American alpacas and llamas is of a different nature. No outbreaks have been reported; rather sporadic cases here and there. Infection is usually observed in the neonate of less than two weeks of age that is nursing a mother with high milk production.
Type D enterotoxemia
Type D enterotoxemia (overeating disease) has not been diagnosed in alpacas in Peru, and only sporadic cases have been reported in North America. Type D enterotoxemia is a serious disease of feedlot cattle and sheep, or in animals on lush pastures, or those being overfed with grains.
Vaccinations Commonly Used in Camelids
CD/T
▪ Clostridium perfringens type C, D, and C. tetani
▪ A commonly used vaccine. C. perfringens has been implicated in diarrhea and sudden deaths in crias and occasionally adults. All animals are at risk for tetanus following infection primarily through wounds, castrations, etc.
▪ One common vaccination schedule is vaccination of adults yearly; pregnant females 4-6 weeks prior to parturition; crias at 3-4 months old and again 4 weeks later then yearly thereafter.1 Other protocols are also used and can be tailored to suit individual farm situations.
This is new info since I last visited their site:
Clostridium perfringens Type A Toxoid
▪ Recently developed vaccine for use in cattle.
▪ Evaluated at WSU VTH on alpacas
1. No vaccine site reactions were seen.
2. This product was NOT evaluated on pregnant animals.
3. Titers were measured and results indicated an immune response occurred but the degree of protection provided is unknown at this time.
A very influential breeder in Northern California says she does not give CD&T vaccines, last time I saw her respond to the CD&T question on a discussion group, probably for the reasons given above. I, for one, respect her wisdom, and since we don't feed grain, we have a very low risk of enterotoxemia.
If you're mainly concerned about tetanus, which we all should be, it is available as a single vaccine through your vet or some online mail-order retailers:
And they also sell rabies vaccine:
I don't know if your state requires livestock to be vaccinated for rabies by a vet, but if not, this is the place to get your vaccine!
By the way, Botulism protection IS NOT obtained through CD&T vaccine. How many times do I have to go through this? Botulism is Clostridium Botulinum, NOT Clostridium perfringens type anything, or even Clostridium tetani. Totally different strain of Clostridium altogether. Wikipedia gives a very nice tutorial on them all, look it up. There is no vaccine for Botulism. It is treated after diagnosis.
NO protection to botulism is given through CD&T vaccines. There is no vaccine for Botulism. The C in CD&T is for clostridium perfringens type C. Type C. The D is for clostridium perfringens type D. The T is for clostridium tetani. That's it, and that all it will ever be. The C is not for all types of clostridium.
