The Alpaca Vet

Home
United Kingdom
Reading
The Alpaca Vet

Call Directions Website

This page provides a more interactive link to my official website found at www.ukalpacavet.com.

The Alpaca Vet (legally known as Camelid Veterinary Services Ltd)

Empowering camelid owners with the confidence and knowledge to overcome fear, take control of their animals' health, and enjoy the freedom that comes with proactive care. I plan to provide news about health issues affecting camelids, mostly in the UK and Europe, but also worldwide where applicable. I will also post information about upcoming courses and other educational events offered by Camelid Veterinary Services. If you have specific questions about sick camelids, please email me directly.

14/10/2026

🚨 Fly strike season is NOT over yet.

With recent wet weather, warm temperatures and lots of flies still around, alpacas and llamas in the UK remain at risk.

Please keep a close eye on your animals and watch particularly for:

- wet patches in the fleece
- wounds
- soiled areas
- diarrhoea
- changes in behaviour

If you spot a suspicious wet patch, don’t assume it’s just rain. Catch the animal, part the fleece and check the skin carefully.

If maggots are present, this is a veterinary emergency. Prompt treatment is essential, and any animal that is dull or lethargic may need urgent veterinary support.

Please save and share this post — it could help prevent a great deal of suffering.

13/10/2026

🚨 FLY STRIKE ALERT – IT'S OCTOBER, BUT THE FLIES HAVEN'T GONE AWAY! 🪰🦙

With all the recent wet weather and temperatures still reaching ~17–20°C here in the UK, we're experiencing conditions in which fly strike remains a very real danger to our alpacas and llamas.

And with so many flies still about, please don't let your guard down just because it's autumn!

⚠️ What should you be looking for?

🔍 WET PATCHES ON THE FLEECE – One of the most important warning signs. A localised damp or discoloured patch anywhere on your animal could indicate fly strike developing underneath. Don't simply assume it's rainwater!

🔍 WOUNDS OR SKIN DAMAGE – Even relatively small wounds can attract flies to lay their eggs.

🔍 SOILED FLEECE – Particularly around the tail and hindquarters of animals with diarrhoea. These areas are especially attractive to flies.

🔍 CHANGES IN BEHAVIOUR – Restlessness, irritation, repeated looking at or biting at one area, or an animal that seems unusually quiet or uncomfortable.

❗ If you notice a suspicious wet patch, you MUST examine that animal individually.

Don't rely on looking from a distance. Catch the animal, part the fleece and examine the skin carefully for eggs, maggots, wounds or signs of irritation.

Fly strike can develop rapidly, and the damage caused by maggots can become severe in a surprisingly short time.

🚨 If you find maggots, contact your vet immediately. Fly strike is a veterinary emergency and prompt treatment is essential. If you want to treat this yourself, you need to be able to clip around the area of the wound so that you can expose the edges, pick off all the maggots that you can see and then apply an appropriate insecticide to prevent further hatching of eggs. Some products can be used for treating fly strike, and others are used for prevention of fly strike - make sure you use the right one. But if your alpaca or llama is at all dull and lethargic, you really need your vet to give IV fluid support: your animal may be in toxaemic shock and may need antibiotics too.

✅ My advice: Make a point of checking every animal in your herd closely every day while these conditions persist. Pay particular attention to animals with wounds, diarrhoea or any suspicious damp areas of fleece.

A few minutes of careful observation could prevent a great deal of suffering.

Please SHARE this post with other alpaca and llama owners. Just because we're well into October doesn't mean fly strike season is over!

12/10/2026

🛑𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆🛑

Meet 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 👢🧼 — the smart footdip that removes guesswork and waste.
Accurate disinfectant dilution every time, built-in measuring, and a durable, easy-to-use design.

✅ Better disinfection
✅ Less waste
✅ Easier compliance
✅Lid prevents dilution from the rain

💡 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗧𝗶𝗽: In winter, mud can be a constant issue... If you put your muddy boots straight into the foot dip with the disinfectant, you'll quickly neutralise the disinfectant and have to change it more quickly. Disinfectants are expensive! So save money by putting a separate bucket next to the boot dip with a handy brush right beside it so that you can remove any mud or faecal matter BEFORE dipping your feet into the disinfectant. This will keep it effective for longer as well as save you money...

Protect animal health.
𝗙𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲.

𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗹𝘂 𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝘆!

👉 Order your 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗱𝗶𝗽 today via the link in the first comment.

11/10/2026

One of the more random things I do that people won't be aware of is that I review papers that people wish to publish. This is because I am a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine for Large Animal, and also because I'm a recognised Specialist in my field (Camelid Health & Production).

I don't get paid for this and it is seen as a service to your community. Each paper probably takes about 2-3 hours to read and review. You don't have to do this, but it is always interesting to get to see these papers and find out what people are researching - and of course you get to see it before anyone else! You provide critique on the scientific methods and claims of the researchers and can help ensure that published papers are written in a form that is understandable and clear. For example, clarifying a point that the authors are trying to make - or getting the authors to properly justify something that the research doesn't actually support. Some papers need major review, some minor, and some need to be rejected completely.

I just received a couple of certificates from Wiley, one of the publishers, for a few papers I reviewed in 2025. ☺️

10/10/2026

🍂 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 = 𝗩𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗗 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲

For camelids living at higher latitudes, winter Vitamin D supplementation is an important part of preventative health.

Growing alpacas are particularly vulnerable to deficiency and can develop rickets — but supplementation needs to be calculated properly.

✅ Know the animal's weight
✅ Know the concentration of your product
✅ Use the correct dose

Because — as we'll discuss next — 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.

09/10/2026

𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗬!!! 🔥 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲

Good dental health is essential for efficient digestion in camelids.
Alpacas and llamas rely on their teeth to properly chew forage before it enters the digestive system. If teeth become misaligned or worn unevenly, the animal may struggle to process food effectively.

Dental problems may go unnoticed until the animal begins losing condition.
Regular dental checks help ensure animals are able to chew comfortably.

Important reasons to monitor dental health include:

𝟭. 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘆
𝟮. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
𝟯. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝗷𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀
𝟰. 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Veterinary examinations can detect dental issues early and prevent long-term problems.

Healthy teeth play a vital role in keeping camelids thriving.

When was the last time you checked your alpacas’ teeth? Tell us below!

Image taken from: Spurgeon’s Color Atlas of Large Animal Anatomy

08/10/2026

🍂 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸.

As the air turns cooler, the days grow shorter and autumn settles in, your camelids’ needs may begin to change too.

Now is a good time to review the essentials: body condition, nutrition, parasite control, feet, teeth and overall herd health. Small issues can be easy to miss, but spotting them early can make a real difference to your animals’ comfort and wellbeing through the colder months.

The Camelid Care Handbook brings together practical veterinary guidance shaped by more than 20 years of clinical experience, helping you understand what to look for, what to monitor and when action may be needed.

Whether you keep alpacas, llamas or both, it’s a trusted resource to help you care for your herd with greater confidence throughout autumn and beyond.

🦙🍁 A little seasonal preparation now can go a long way towards a healthier, happier herd.

👉 Discover The Camelid Care Handbook via the link in the first comment. 📘 Available in Paperback & Kindle. You can order online at your preferred online retailer… BUT if you’d prefer to support the author over filling Jeff Bezos’ pockets (!), order from our website if you're in the UK (with free shipping!), or from my own personal online bookstore if you're outside the UK. You'll find the link on my website page for that!

07/10/2026

🌧️ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴… 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼.

After months of unusually warm, dry weather, we're suddenly moving into colder, wetter conditions.

That change matters.

Cold, rain and wind all place extra demands on the body. An alpaca that has been quietly compensating for a parasite burden, poor body condition or another underlying health problem may suddenly struggle — and appear to become ill almost overnight.

And the rain changes things on the pasture too.

Increasing moisture creates much more favourable conditions for parasite larvae, so now is *not* the time to take your eye off parasite monitoring.

But please don't respond by automatically worming the whole herd.

👉 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁. 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀.

Faecal egg counts help you understand what's actually happening in your animals and allow treatment decisions to be based on evidence rather than assumption.

At The Alpaca Vet, our faecal testing uses a *high-sensitivity method, and your results are interpreted by a camelid specialist — because an egg count is far more useful when you understand what it means for *that animal and that herd.

🦙 If you've been meaning to check your alpacas, this change in the weather is a very good prompt.

𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿. 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁. 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆.

➡️ Send your faecal samples to The Alpaca Vet for specialist camelid faecal testing — click the link in the first comment to get started.

06/10/2026

🔬 𝗙𝗔𝗘𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗗𝗦 🦙

Accurate parasite testing plays an important role in protecting the health and wellbeing of your alpacas and llamas.

At 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗱 𝗩𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀, we offer the Modified Stoll’s test, an optimal diagnostic method for identifying gastrointestinal parasite eggs and coccidia in camelids. We also offer fluke testing. We provide detailed veterinary interpretation of the findings of your tests based on the information provided.

⏱️ 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱
In the vast majority of cases, we aim to report results on the same day your samples arrive at our laboratory.

📦 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆
Owners are welcome to send faecal samples directly to our laboratory, helping to streamline the submission and reporting process. Your vet will also receive a copy of the report and recommendations.

🩺 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁
Alongside your results, we provide professional interpretation to help you and your vet better understand the findings and what they may mean for your animals.

For the best possible service, we recommend calling or emailing us before sending your samples, particularly if urgent processing is required.

👉 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 by clicking the link in the first comment.

05/10/2026

⚠️ 𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗡 𝗗: 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥!

Vitamin D supplementation is really important for alpacas and llamas during the winter months – but it is also possible to give TOO MUCH.

And there are two things I particularly want owners to think about.

💉 𝟭. 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁

Injectable vitamin D preparations can vary ENORMOUSLY in strength.

I've seen owners sourcing products from overseas containing *500,000 IU vitamin D/ml* – FIVE TIMES the concentration of the 100,000 IU/ml preparation I would normally work with.

With such a concentrated product, a relatively small dosing error could result in a very large overdose.

If you're in the UK, don't import injectable vitamin D yourself or simply buy an injectable product online. Speak to your vet about sourcing an appropriate product legally. They are available here!!!

🥛 𝟮. 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗗

Vitamin D is a *fat-soluble vitamin*, which means it can be stored (and accumulate) in the body.

So don't consider your injectable or oral vitamin D dose in isolation.

Your animal may ALSO be receiving vitamin D from:

➡️ Milk replacers or colostrum supplements
➡️ Concentrate feeds
➡️ Mineral supplements
➡️ Other oral vitamin preparations
➡️ Previous vitamin D supplementation

There are even published cases of alpaca crias that developed *fatal vitamin D toxicity* following excessive supplementation from multiple/repeated sources.

Excess vitamin D can cause dangerously high calcium and phosphorus levels, mineralisation of soft tissues and severe kidney damage.

So don't just ask:

"𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗗 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲?"

Ask:

👉 "𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗗 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗢𝗧𝗔𝗟?"

Vitamin D is important – but supplementation needs to be PLANNED, not guessed.

✅ Use an appropriate product
✅ Check its concentration
✅ Calculate the dose correctly
✅ Consider ALL sources of vitamin D

And if you're unsure, speak to your vet before supplementing.

📌 SAVE this post for your winter planning and SHARE it with another alpaca or llama owner.

Address

The Old Barracks, Lady Grove, Goring Heath
Reading
RG87RU

Telephone

+44 (0) 1491 680313

Website

http://www.ukalpacavet.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Alpaca Vet posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your business to be the top-listed pet store/pet service in Reading?