How to Treat Mites In Alpacas

Mites are common in alpacas, particularly at times of stress (such as weaning, moving, pregnancy, new herd mates), and can be easily transmitted between your herd and cross over from passing wildlife. So, there's a high probability that you may encounter this issue when keeping alpacas. But don't panic, keep reading to find out how to spot signs of, prevent and treat mites...

What are Mites?

Cousins to ticks and spiders, mites are arthropods (invertebrate animals that possess an exoskeleton, segmented body & paired jointed legs). Typically, mites feed on dead plant material & other insects; however, some prefer to latch onto animal hosts. Mites crawl on the skin of animals & burrow in to lay their eggs, which sets off an allergic reaction that causes the animal to scratch. Chorioptic mites are most common in alpacas, followed by Sarcoptic mites. Psoroptic mites are typically seen around eye, ears and nose and often associated with ear infections and can be accompanied by neurological symptoms. Demodecosis mites are far less common in alpacas. 

Left: Sarcoptic Mite (Image source: Biomedcentral.com), Right: Chorioptic Mite (Image source: flockandherd.net.au)

What's the difference between Sarcoptic and Chorioptic Mites?

Sarcoptic Mites burrow deep into the skin to lay eggs and eats cell fluids which causes itchiness and often a dramatic dry skin with crusting over the body which can cause bacterial infections. They are highly contagious and can be associated with underlying conditions.

Chorioptic Mites remain on the surface of the host animal, eating exfoliated skin cells and are common around toes, lower legs, inside of thighs and armpits.

What are the Symptoms of Mites?

Mites cause itchy, scabby skin which typically first appears in between the toes, around the ankles or on the ears. If left untreated, this skin irritation can spread to the rest of the body. The affected alpaca(s) will be itchy, uncomfortable and scratch excessively. As symptoms worsen, poor fleece growth and/or hair loss is likely to occur. If battling mites for an extended time, alpacas can become malnourished and underweight. They may even cause self-injury through excessive itching, scratching and biting of the affected areas, which can lead to breaks in the skin and subsequent bacterial infections. In the photo, you can see a severe case of sarcoptic mites that has lead to fleece loss and skin damage. 

A note on Zinc deficiency

It may be worth considering Zinc deficiency, as this can cause hair loss & dry skin, particularly if the skin scrape comes back inconclusive and/or treatment is provided and it does not reduce or remove the symptoms. To prevent Zinc deficiency, ensure your alpacas are fed a camelid specific feed which contains the necessary Zinc levels they need.

How to Treat Mites

Treatment will depend upon the type of mite present, which are pretty much invisible to the naked eye, so a skin scrape by your veterinarian must be carried out to first identify the species of mite so an effective treatment can be selected. The vet will use a scalpel blade to scrape the skin to obtain a sample for analysis. As the blade used is so sharp, this should only be carried out by your vet to avoid injury to the alpaca.

Mites can be difficult to treat and affected alpacas will require effective and persistent treatment. If one alpaca is suspected to have mites, ALL alpacas in that group must be treated. As they are so difficult to treat, it is strongly recommend to quarantine all new alpacas for a minimum of 6 weeks to check them for signs of mites. 

Read on to find out how to treat specific mite types... 

How to treat Sarcoptic Mites in alpacas:

To treat sarcoptic mites in alpacas, administer 4 doses of an Ivermectin 1% drug (such as Ivomec or Panomec) 7 - 10 days apart, via subcutaneous injection at a rate of 0.6ml per every 10KG of bodyweight.

The more expensive ‘plus’ versions of these medications are not necessary to just treat mites; however, they can be considered if you also need to treat for liver fluke. Avermectin injections do not work to treat mites in alpacas.

Completely mucking out their shelters, disinfecting the area and leaving it to dry before putting fresh straw back down will reduce the level of mites present in the substrate and help with the alpaca’s recovery. 

How to treat Chorioptic Mites in alpacas:

Topical treatment is required to treat chorioptic mites - Ivermectin will not work, which is why an initial skin scrape is so important.

To treat chorioptic mites in alpacas, bathe the affected alpaca using Keratolytic shampoo (such as Sebomild or Sebolytic) and leave it to soak in for 20 minutes before rinsing and then, once dry, apply a topical anti-mite spray to affected areas (such as Frontline or Deosect) and rub it down to skin level (wear disposable gloves to do this). Be careful not to spray it into the eyes - if you need to treat around the eyes, first apply spray to a sponge and then use sponge to apply on the face. Using anti-mite spray should also be done from toes to knees/hocks in animals from the same group, even if no clinical signs are seen. Completely mucking out their shelters, disinfecting the area and leaving it to dry before putting fresh straw back down will reduce the level of mites present in the substrate and help with the alpaca’s recovery. 

There is also the option to use Lime Sulphur foot dip to treat chorioptic mites in alpacas. But, this method will stain any fleece that comes into contact with the solution yellow. Use the following method every two weeks for treatment of mites or less regularly for maintenance and prevention. 

1. Prepare foot bath and handling system

2. Place X3 500ml bottles into 60 litres of water 

3. Move alpacas to the handling system and let them stand for 30 seconds in the foot bath 

4. Ideally, release them onto concrete so the dip dries (it washes off on grass) 

How to Treat Damaged Skin After Mites

Although you may have treated your alpacas for mites, they will be left with sore and damaged skin that needs some TLC to encourage healthy skin and fleece to regrow.

Ointments to aid dead skin tissue removal

• Dermisol Cream

• Keratolytic Shampoo 

• Malaseb Shampoo

To aid soothing

• Cattle Salve 

• Ozone Ointment (recommended by the UK Alpaca Vet) 

• Sudocrem (contains mild anaesthetic) 

• Piriton at the lowest therapeutic dose (x1 tablet, twice a day)

To promote healing

• Camrosa Cream (topical)

• Eggs-port Xtra Care Skin Gel (Oral)

Pain management 

• Boswelia Powder 

• K9 or Equine Joint Supplements 

For wounds caused by mites

• Manuka Honey 

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Disclaimer: Fostings Alpacas are not a veterinarian body. Always consult your vet when creating a health plan for your herd and before administering medication.