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Updated: Apr 22, 2026
The Perinatal Asphyxiated Lamb Model: A Model for Newborn Resuscitation
Published on: August 15, 2018
Clinical findings and survival in 56 sick neonatal New World camelids
F R Bertin1, J M Squires, J E Kritchevsky
1Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
Background:
Information pertaining to clinical presentation and outcome of neonatal New World camelids (NWC) is limited when compared to calves and foals.
Hypothesis:
Values of variables at admission and subsequent treatment would predict survival in sick neonatal NWC.
Animals:
Fifty-six client-owned sick neonatal NWC presented over a 10-year period to the Purdue University Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
Methods:
A retrospective study was performed. Inclusion criteria were NWC less than 30 days of age with complete medical records that presented between 2000 and 2010.
Results:
The median age at presentation was 1 day (range 1-20). The most common diagnoses were systemic inflammatory response syndrome (50%), congenital defects (41%), ophthalmic lesions (21%), sepsis (16%), and gastrointestinal diseases (16%). Sixty-six percent of NWC survived to discharge. Clinicopathologic findings on admission were variable and not specific for disorders. Factors associated with survival were absence of choanal atresia (P = .001, OR: 55.9 [2.5-1,232]), administration of llama plasma (P = .013, OR: 4.9 [1.4-17.7]), and antimicrobial treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMS) (P = .016, OR: 6.5 [1.3-32.2]).
Conclusions And Clinical Importance:
The use of antibiotics, particularly TMS, and llama plasma are recommended in sick neonatal NWC. Results from this study could contribute toward defining a NWC-specific sepsis scoring system.
