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joints and umbilical infections, both
of which can progress rapidly to
septicemia, a bacterial invasion of the
bloodstream. Certainly even a cria with
an IgG of 1200 mg/dL can succumb
to these infections as well, although
the likelihood is less.
Causes of FPT can be due to the
cria, the dam, or a combination of
both. If a cria is born weak, premature,
or otherwise compromised and does
not nurse adequately within the first
twenty-four hours, the window for
absorption of antibodies is closed,
resulting in FPT. Conversely, if the
dam does not secrete enough anti-
bodies in her colostrum, no matter how
much colostrum the cria consumes may
still not be enough to raise its IgG
to adequate levels.
Several factors can influence the
quality of a dam’s colostrum. Ensuring
a proper plane of nutrition and a good
bill of health throughout pregnancy
certainly aids in quality milk produc-
tion. Keeping the dam up-to-date
on vaccinations will allow carry-over
protection from dam through the
colostrum to the cria. Bear in mind
that colostrum production is an indi-
vidually-based process. An alpaca on
one farm that is exposed to certain
bacteria and viruses will develop a
different immune system and therefore
pass different antibodies into her
colostrum when compared to another
alpaca on another farm.
What happens when a cria has FPT?
Since an IgG less than 400 mg/dL
indicates a very poorly formed immune
system, it is strongly recommended
that this cria undergo a plasma trans-
fusion performed by your veterinarian,
especially if it is weak or already
compromised. Plasma that has been
separated from blood taken from an
adult donor camelid (usually a llama)
is used. This plasma is rich in protein,
including IgG, and when administered
to a cria, will greatly increase the
amount of antibodies in the neonate.
What happens when a cria has partial
failure of passive transfer? The answer
depends on what type of environment
the cria is in and its current health
status. If the cria is currently bright,
nursing well, and gaining the appropri-
ate amount of weight as well as living
in a clean environment away from
other sick animals, it may not need a
plasma transfusion. Keep in mind that
crias with IgGs of greater than 1200
mg/dL living in a soiled and stressed
environment are more likely to contract
illness than a cria with an IgG of 550
mg/dL kept in a pristine barn.
Plasma is administered either intra-
venously (IV) through a catheter
placed in the jugular vein of the cria,
or intraperitoneally (IP), usually through
a catheter placed in the right flank of
the cria. The latter method is faster, with
the entire procedure completed in ten
to fifteen minutes, although it carries a
chance of peritonitis, or inflammation
of the abdominal cavity, if not performed
in a completely sterile manner. After a
transfusion, a cria’s IgG is elevated to
usually around 800 mg/dL.
With the ease of testing, IgG testing
has become a common term in the
alpaca industry’s vernacular and a
widespread practice on many farms.
Providing important information on
the status of a cria’s health, especially if
a neonate is already ill, IgG testing is a
valuable asset to your farm and under-
standing the means behind the num-
bers can aid in decision-making and
future planning within your operation.
Anna O’Brien, DVM, is an ambulatory large
animal practitioner at Colorado State
University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. She
can be reached in care of
Alpacas Magazine.
Spring 2010
121
© 2009 Ed Kinser