Uterine torsion in alpacas has always been of great concern for the alpaca breeder. I remember feeling a sense of panic when I was first taught what a uterine torsion is and I literally prayed to myself that I hoped this would never happen to me. Well it did and thankfully everything worked out fine, but it was a learning process that I would like to share with you.
As you know alpacas have two uterine horns. A uterine torsion is when one of the horns overlaps the other. It is regarded as a clockwise or counter clockwise torsion. The torsion can vary in degrees from 90 to 360. At this time there is no exact cause as to why alpacas have uterine torsions. We only know that the torsions happen in the last 3 months of pregnancy. This is the time when the fetus grows the fastest and gains the most weight. Suggested causes for torsions is when a late term pregnant dam rolls on the ground over her back the cria is too heavy, therefore remaining in place and causing the uterus to twist, others claim that crias growing in the right horn cause more torsions than crias growing in the left horn, and dams having prolonged gestational periods.
The uterine twist normally happens closest to the cervix. For this reason a dam in labor is not able to dilate the cervix and birthing cannot occur until the torsion is corrected. For the dam not currently in labor and depending on the degree of twist the blood supply to the uterus and cria can be cut off causing fetal death and/or compromise of the dam that could lead to a non-reproductive dam or even death.
Uterine torsions can be fixed manually or surgically depending on the severity. Your local veterinarian will be able to make the decision by palpating the uterus and determining the direction and degree of twist. For manual corrections, the dam will be place on her side (either left or right side depending on the direction of the torsion) and rolled over her back while the uterus is held in place by forced pressure on the outside of the dam’s body. Normally this is done with 3 or more people. One person is to hold the head, one to hold the uterus (usually your vet will do this), and one to roll the alpaca by lifting its legs. This procedure may need to be repeated two or even three times before the torsion is corrected. If your vet determines that surgery is required it is performed much like a c-section and they may or may not remove the cria at the same time.
So what can you do as an alpaca rancher to help prevent uterine torsions? Unfortunately there is not much other than to try to keep your late term dam as stress free as possible, this is not the time to do toe nail trimmings, and calm by not moving her to a new pasture. Keeping the dam in commonly used areas will limit the amount of rolling they will do. Learn and memorize the clinical signs of a uterine torsion: colic symptoms, rapid heartbeat, depression, lack of appetite, constant rolling, straining, and/or vaginal discharge. Your alpaca may have all or just one of the above symptoms to give you a clue that something is wrong.
Remember to monitor your pregnant dam closely and follow your instincts. Do not rely on a female to roll violently to let you know she has a uterine torsion. In my experience the fact that a dam didn’t eat her morning meal was her clue to me that she something was not right and in fact she did have a uterine torsion.
One final note, a dam that has experienced a uterine torsion may or may not have another torsion in future pregnancies. However, the dam that has a uterine torsion in her current pregnancy is a high risk for another torsion within the same pregnancy. This dam needs to be closely monitored.
References:
Anderson, David E., DVM, MS, DACVS, Meisner, Matt, DVM, MS, DAVIM, McClain, Alina P., Veterinary Student, Alpaca World, Uterine Torsions in Llamas and Alpacas, http://www.alpacaworldmagazine.com/pubs/autumn05_13.pdf