Could it be Lyme disease affecting your ailing lama?
by Dale Graham, Llamarada

I must preface this article by stating that a blood test for Lyme disease was NOT performed in this case, so that a certain amount of speculation is involved. But I did not want to wait to get the blood pulled before I put the llama on tetracycline....

We are long time llama breeders (since 1985), and have therefore seen our number of ills, ranging from several different kinds of cancers (lymphoma, bone, and stomach), kidney failures, and joint reconstruction -- to more pedestrian problems. And yes, we have seen meningeal worm infections. We have become increasingly both more confident about caring for our llamas, and used to the more common things that happen, and take care of these on our own when we can. Two years ago, we had a male llama come down with something that appeared to be meningeal-like, so we treated him for this (but did NOT have our vet out, as we assumed we knew what it was) - but he never responded appropriately to that therapy and eventually, after a longish struggle, we had to put him down. This always bothered me, because there was just something "off" about his physical symptoms. That is, he had developed a lameness and then suddenly became very uncoordinated (like heat stress) - except it was in November - it was more like a whole body problem than a spinal cord issue. And the llama never responded properly to therapy for meningeal, despite being in the prime of life and up to that point, very healthy.
Just this July, I had another male llama (a 5 year old) develop symptoms that were suspiciously similar to those of the other male. Initially it started out as front leg lameness. As we keep all our studs together, they often do develop temporary lamenesses due to fighting and rough play, but I kept an eye on him. Over the next three days, he gradually moved around less and less but had no other apparent symptoms. Then on the fourth day, he was staggering and uncoordinated with major weakness in both hind legs as well. Almost like exercise-induced heat stress, except that he wasn't having any trouble breathing, he was shorn, (it was pretty warm, but not that bad) and the male llamas weren't fighting in that weather. The llama had also gotten Dectomax just 7 weeks ago. I brought him up to the barn, and immediately (just in case) started him on anti-meningeal therapy. He did not respond (as he should have done, had it been meningeal worm) and deteriorated instead. He could get to his feet, but in doing so would lurch up and fall to his knees, it was painful and scary to watch. Plus you did not feel like standing to close to him, in case he fell on you in the process. He wasn't eating well initially, and stopped eating the day after I brought him in (I started feeding him yogurt + peptobismol when that happened) and day-by-day it was getting harder and harder to get him to his feet. So, three days after I brought him into the barn, I called in a veterinarian, because I was not going to lose another llama to what-ever-this-was, if I could help it. The vet went over him with a fine toothed comb. He felt it was NOT neurological, finding low grade fever (the llama's temperature was 103), general weakness, and joint pain - like arthritis. He gave the llama a bunch of stuff for support (banamine, thiamine, B-complex) and had me start the llama on bute as well. He also took blood, so we'd have a better idea of what was going on.
The llama was worse the next morning despite what we'd done, and I thought over what the vet had said. It suddenly occurred to me to wonder if it might be Lyme disease. I scoped out the internet for something on Lyme disease symptoms in llamas but came up empty, although I did find that Lyme disease had previously been found in llamas and alpacas. In other animals, however, low grade fever, arthritis, and fatigue are all prominent symptoms. I called the vet, asked if there was any possibility that it might be Lyme disease, and asked, just in case it was, if I could start the llama on tetracycline - that is, would it hurt for me to at least try that? The vet told me that he had treated horses for Lyme disease in our area, so Lyme disease itself is present, though he had diagnosed no llamas for it He said I could start the llama on tetracycline, and gave me the dosage and schedule. So I started the llama that day on tetracycline [day 4 after major symptoms appeared]. The next day the vet called with the blood work results. The llama was normal in all checked parameters except for Phosphorus, which affects energy. So the vet had me give the llama 1/2 a baby Fleet enema by mouth, for Phosphorus. (Ugh, poor baby!) The llama was getting voluntarily to his feet the next day (still VERY uncoordinated and shaky though). But then he was down the next day. This time the llama got 1/2 a baby Fleet enema - rectally. From that point on, we were on an upward rather than a downward spiral [day 7]. He started spending more and more time standing up, was getting up voluntarily, he was eating more and more, and after another 4 days [day 11] I was able to stop giving him the yogurt/peptobismol mix. He became less shaky and more coordinated day-by-day. I put him back out at pasture two weeks after the first tetracycline shot [day 18] (though I still had to catch him up every 3rd day for a shot - you have to give them for a MONTH...) He still had some minor residual front leg issues, but that seemed to be resolve more every day, though it took another 2 weeks before he stopped having the occasional front leg stumble. It has been 7 weeks since he developed symptoms and he is back to being completely normal, though it took until 6 weeks for his appetite to return to normalcy (I blame the tetracycline and/or bute for some residual "tummy" issues).
His almost immediate turn-around was breath-taking. I was very, very happy, as you can well imagine. But angry at myself for not having the vet in for my other male llama two years ago, and assuming I was getting it right. (Moral: It always pays to have your veterinarian in if you have the least doubt!)
Note: If you get a Lyme disease diagnosis, get a big bottle of LA200 (tetracycline) - takes a big shot, and lots of them.
Around this neck of the woods, we are SO focussed on meningeal worm infection, that sometimes we as lama breeders can often assume that meningeal infection is the only thing that could be happening to llamas that develop coordination problems not related to heat stress. But if you have been good about your ivermectin/dectomax shots, that is probably not too likely. Keep an open mind!
Bear in mind that you CAN request a Lyme disease blood test for an ailing llama, if you think that might be the problem. And that quicker is better in terms of treatment. Do not forget in future that Lyme disease should be on your list of possibilities. As I said, we do not know for sure that this is what my llama had, but I'm betting on it, given the results of the tetracycline injections. Now I just need to worry about future infections for my other llamas, my dogs, and us! Lovely.

Post script: It has now been over 3 months since first symptoms. The llama appears to be very healthy and continues to live in the pasture with the other guys. I did notice that when I give him his Dectomax shots that his hide has huge ripples in it, like rhinoceros hide. I asked the veterinarian about this and was told that this was indeed the effect of tetracycline, and that while some of wrinkles may disappear, I have to expect that many of them will remain. I have to admit that looking at the llama (and even though he was shorn, and has only about 1-2" of fiber) you cannot see this. However, I imagine shearing him will be interesting next year. But worth it, to have him healthy again.
We are also looking into methods of controlling deer ticks, by treating deer mice. (These guys are part of the cycle, and the worst offenders at keeping the ticks going, I understand.) It does no good to kill the mice, their reproductive cycle will just overwhelm you. Try saving out the lint from your dryer and also empty toilet paper rolls. Treat the lint with either dog flea/tick shampoo or with diatomaceous earth (a powder that kills insects but does not harm mammals). Stuff some of the lint in the rolls and leave them where the mice can find them. They'll love the lint for nesting material... and goodbye ticks.