Disclaimer: We are not a veterinarian body. Please consult your vet before diagnosing a condition or administering medication to your herd.
Alpacas are typically hardy animals and are not usually ailed by much, but tooth root abscesses can be a common source of discomfort in alpacas.
What is a tooth abscess?
A tooth root abscess is a condition where pus forms inside the teeth, gums or bone of the jaw due to a bacterial infection. and typically occur when new teeth are coming through (which can occur between 6 months and 4 years of age) or when a tooth or jaw fractures. The occurrence of tooth root abscesses may also be due to the difference in food they receive here in Europe, which can be rough and sharp, causing abrasion of the mouth tissues and/or wearing of the teeth, which can be an invitation for bacteria.
Which teeth are likely to be affected?
According to the 2007 Retrospective Study of Camelid Tooth Abscesses, mandibular teeth (teeth of the lower jaw) are 15x more likely than maxillary teeth (teeth of the upper jaw) to be affected. Cheek teeth are 14x more likely to be affected than incisors or canines.
What does a tooth abscess look like?
Tooth root abscesses appear as a lump along the jawline, but this is not always easy to spot when they are in full fleece, so it is a good idea to regularly check the jaw when handling your alpacas. Struggling to eat, dropping food from the one side of their mouth or not eating at all and losing weight can all be indicators of pain resulting from a tooth root abscess.
How to treat tooth abscess in alpacas
Remember that this guide is not a substitute for veterinary advice and we recommend that you should ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR VET BEFORE ADMINISTERING MEDICATION to confirm accurate diagnosis, appropriate medication and dosage rates.Â
The typical treatment for a tooth root abscess includes numbing the area with a local anaesthetic, lancing and draining of any pus and leaving the incision open to allow further pus and fluids to drain out (all of this should be carried out by a vet). Expect the site to remain swollen for a number of days afterwards before it begins to reduce in size. Administering a pain and anti-inflammatory medication such as injectable metacam or loxicom (preferable to oral painkiler, which can damage the liver)  may also be recommended to help ease any discomfort.Â
A course of Betamox LA antibiotic injection is administered into the muscle every other day for 10 days, accompanied by flushing the wound with diluted Hibiscrub in warm water to remove any infection. BUT, alpacas can take longer to heal abscesses than other livestock, so antibiotics may need to continue up to 6 weeks, depending on the severity and extent of the abscess. Â
If the infection in the abscess does not clear with Betamox, Norfenicol intramuscular injection can be used for up to 1 week - but caution should be taken when using this drug, as it can cause immunosuppression, leaving the alpaca more susceptible to other ailments.Â
Luckily, once treated and healed, and provided they can eat normally, tooth root abscesses are usually benign to the alpaca who can continue daily life as normal, without further intervention.Â
Disclaimer: We are not a veterinarian body. Please consult your vet before diagnosing a condition or administering medication to your herd.
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