Mites must surely rank as one the most long running topics in alpaca husbandry. So today and over the next two days I intend to outline the conditions caused by mites and the three cures that I am aware of.

The primary culprits in most problem skin cases are mites. There are three types that cause the majority of symptoms:

1. Sarcoptes are round, fat mites with short legs who bred on the surface of the skin, after which, the female burrows under the skin and lays her eggs in the tunnel she creates. These mites are often found on the alpacas lower legs, belly and tail but they can range over the entire animal.

2. Chorioptic mites are more elongated than the sarcoptes and they chew on the skin rather than burrowing. These mites are less common and do not cause as severe of a reaction as the sarcoptes.The chorioptic mites live entirely on the surface of the skin and are often found between the toes, in the ears, on the face and over the body. In Oregon the most common mite is the chorioptic.

3.Psoroptic mites: These oval shaped bloodsuckers live on the surface of the skin. There is some confusion as to whether these mites even occur on alpacas in the United States.

All of the above mites bite and suck, leaving behind a trail of red, itching, thickened skin that often creates puss pockets similar to a mild case of human acne. Many alpacas will have mites in their ears, which they will drop to the side of their head and scratch with their hind foot. Always check the inside of the ear to see if a black waxy substance is present (this condition can also be the result of ear ticks). This material is mite or tick feces and indicates a need for treatment.

The diagnosis for the presence of mites and the identity of which species is present, can be made by your veterinarian from a skin scraping.



The First of Three Cures I have used:

"Witches Brew Recipe" as developed and used by Mike Safely at Northwest Alpacas.


2/3 pint mineral oil

1/5 pint DMSO

8 ml Ivermectin

5 cc Gentamycin (50 mg per ml)


Directions

The ?brew? needs to be applied to the affected area every three days for at least 15 days, maybe more. Make sure that you use rubber gloves when you are applying the mixture. At the beginning of the course of treatment, some veterinarians suggest an injection of Ivermectin followed by another 15 days later. In addition, I have had a lot of success in curing ear mites by infusing each ear with ? cc of Ivermectin at the beginning of treatment.

This is how the ingredients interact to affect a cure: The DMSO delivers the Ivermectin through the crusty skin; the mineral oil holds the solution in place; and the Gentamycin acts as an antibiotic and clears up the infections that follow the mites.

I have used this solution with good results on the face of one of my female alpacas, she was mainly infected on the bridge of her nose.

Tomorrow I will talk about an alternative treatment that was tested in the UK and which I have again used with success.


Adrian Stewart