Studies in reproductive biotechnology techniques have been minimal in South American camelids (SAC). Complex reproductive characteristics of these species contribute to slow progress. Nevertheless, some techniques, such as in vitro fertilization, intracytoplasmic sperm injection and nuclear transfer have been applied and have produced advances in knowledge on embryo environment and in vitro con...

BACKGROUND Cases of Mycobacterium bovis infection South American camelids have been increasing in Great Britain. Current antemortem immunological tests have some limitations. Cases at post mortem examination frequently show extensive pathology. The feasibility of detecting Mycobacterium bovis DNA in clinical samples was investigated. FINDINGS A sensitive extraction methodology was developed a...

............................................................................................................................. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS....................................................................................................... iv DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................v TABLE OF...

In South American societies, domesticated camelids were of great cultural importance and subject to trade and translocation. South American camelids were even found on remote and hard to reach islands, emphasizing their importance to historic and pre-historic South American populations. Isla Mocha, a volcanic island 35 km offshore of Central-South Chile, is an example of such an island. When Du...

Methane emissions from ruminant livestock have been intensively studied in order to reduce contribution to the greenhouse effect. Ruminants were found to produce more enteric methane than other mammalian herbivores. As camelids share some features of their digestive anatomy and physiology with ruminants, it has been proposed that they produce similar amounts of methane per unit of body mass. Th...

BACKGROUND Information about the clinical and clinicopathologic aspects of cerebrospinal nematodiasis (CN) in camelids is limited. HYPOTHESIS Clinical and therapeutic variables will be identified as factors predictive of survival. ANIMALS Client-owned camelids suspected of having CN admitted to Purdue University between 1995 and 2015. METHODS A retrospective study was performed. A diagnos...

Although camelids and taxonomic ruminants share fundamental convergent properties, such as microbial fermentation and a sorting mechanism in the forestomach with a resulting high degree of digesta particle size reduction, there are important differences in the capacity to process high amounts of food. We describe qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the gastrointestinal anatomy of al...

Dystocia in the camelids is rare, however the exceptionally long neck and the fetal extremities predispose to flexion of these as a common cause of dystocia. A prolonged (<2 hr) second stage of labor, bloody vaginal discharge or colic is the frequent sign of dystocia. The maternal causes of dystocia for camelids include uterine torsion, pelvic immaturity, uterine inertia and cervical dilation f...

Intraspecific and interspecific embryo transfer in domestic South American camelids is developing into a well-established technique. Reports reveal many benefits of using reproductive biotechnologies to allow rapid propagation of alpacas and llamas of high genetic merit (e.g., high fiber quality, preserve color variation). The objective of this review is to provide up-to-date information about ...

BACKGROUND Calculation of desired whole blood transfusion volume relies on an estimate of an animal's circulating blood volume, generally accepted to be 0.08 L/kg or 8% of the animal's body weight in kilograms. OBJECTIVE To use packed cell volume before and after whole blood transfusion to evaluate the accuracy of a commonly used equation to predict packed cell volume after transfusion in sma...