Uterine Torsion and Cesarean Section in Llamas and Alpacas

Disorders and Diseases of Pregnancy

“…63 Flank laparotomy may be more advantageous in larger debilitated animals or in field settings. Surgical treatment options are based on the stage of pregnancy at which the uterine torsion occurs and the size of the animal.…”

“…Sedation and or epidural anesthesia may be required for palpation per rectum. 63,64 The occurrence of counterclockwise torsion cannot be explained by pregnancies in the right horn. Therefore, the most definitive means of diagnosis is palpation of the broad ligaments, noting the degree of tension and location of the fetus.…”

Dystocia in camelids: The causes and approaches of management

“…The maternal causes of dystocia described for camelids include uterine torsion in llamas [28][29][30] and dromedary camels [31][32][33][34], immaturity of the female [16,35], cervical dilation failure [26,36,38] and rarely uterine inertia [16].…”

“…Uterine torsion in llamas and alpacas usually occurs near term gestation [30]. Camelids may show signs of abdominal pain or may simply lie down and appear to be depressed [2,38].…”

“…Camelids may show signs of abdominal pain or may simply lie down and appear to be depressed [2,38]. Cebra [39] reported 20 cases of uterine torsion occurring in 11 llamas and three alpacas, 19 were clockwise in direction (left uterine horn rolling dorsal to the right uterine horn) whereas another study recorded 60% of the uterine torsions to be counterclockwise [30]. Uterine torsion was corrected by rolling in eight dams, by celiotomy in seven dams, and by transvaginal manipulation in five dams [39].…”