Natural Remedies for Digestive Upset in Alpacas
By Candace Wingo L.M.T., C.A.T. (Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Animal Therapist)

Digestive upset in alpacas can happen. Sometimes it’s a temporary
thing and sometimes it’s a chronic condition.
What are some symptoms for digestive upset?
• Poor appetite• Picky eating habits• Colic• Poor body condition• Diarrhea• Weight loss
• Increased salivation• Foamy mouth• Sitting off to one side
• Tooth grinding
The most obvious symptom for digestive upset is diarrhea. One
day they have nice alpaca beans for poop and the next day they
have pudding consistency or liquid diarrhea!
With over 100 alpacas here on our holistic ranch, we see lots ofdigestive upset cases in the rehab animals that are sent here fromthe vet clinics and we’ve had our share with our own animals too.
There are many reasons for digestive upset. Sometimes when theyinternalize their stress, they seem perfectly fine on the outside but
emotionally they are a mess on the inside. Internalizing stresscauses imbalances in the whole body and especially the digestivesystem. We all know that alpacas are very good at hiding “I don’tfeel good” conditions.

Here are some causes of digestive upset:
1. Transporting.
2. Adjusting to a new place to live.
3. Being at a livestock show.
4. Breeding time at home or at another ranch.
5. Changes in the pecking order.
6. Diet changed too quickly.
7. Being confined to a small pasture with no room to move.
8. Change in grain.
9. Feeding too much grain & not enough roughage.
10. Extremes in heat or cold weather..
11. Changing pastures.
12. Injuries
13. Illness
14. Long term dosage of antibiotics & other drugs.
15. Parasite load.
16. Weaning time.
17. Feeding different hay.
One thing we like to do is send some hay and grain when we havean animal go to another ranch or farm. And we usually ask thesame when new animals are coming here. This helps theirdigestive system adjust gradually to a change in their diet as thenew grain and hay are added at feeding time. This is a great way toprevent some possible digestive upset issues.
Most of the causes I’ve mentioned refer to older crias, weanlings
and adult alpacas. When dealing with a young cria that has
diarrhea, you need to really pay attention and act quickly sincethings can go downhill fast, especially if they are only a few days
old to a few weeks old.
So, if I do have a young cria with diarrhea what do I do?

I take their temperature first. I make sure they aren’t dehydrated.
Check the skin on the inside of the back leg. If you pull the skinout gently and it stays and doesn’t relax back – then they areprobably dehydrated & need some fluids. You may want to consult
with you veterinarian at this point, especially if they have a fever.
Diarrhea in a 2 day old cria Veterinarian’s recommendation:• Excenel (antibiotic injection – adjust dosage to size of cria)• Children’s Immodium (adjust dose to size of cria)• One Children’s Lactaid pill.
(I have never tried this but I’ve heard it works good.)*Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol & SMZ-TMP are otherrecommendations depending on what is causing the diarrhea.
Consult with your veterinarian for dosages.
A Natural Remedy for diarrhea in a cria:
The natural remedy that I like and have had good results with is
Soothe-My-Tummy powder. If the cria is running a fever I would
consult with my veterinarian. If not running a fever, I mix theSoothe-My-Tummy powder with water or Pedialyte and giveorally. If the diarrhea doesn’t clear up within 24 hours, I checkwith my veterinarian for additional diagnosis.
Note: Always consult with your veterinarian when you have a sick animal.
This article and the products mentioned are not intended to replace theadvice of your veterinarian and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cureany animal. We have found that the products that are mentioned in thisarticle have worked for us in caring for alpacas and they complement theveterinarian’s care. The safe and proper use of any natural or holistic
product or even medication from the feed store or your veterinarian is thesole responsibility of the user. Be smart and read all the directions.

Soothe-My-Tummy is a great natural product that I always have on
hand. It’s a gastric aid that is easy to use & works great for boutsof diarrhea or stressful situations that may cause ulcers. It’s safefor the smallest member of the herd to pregnant moms. SootheMy-Tummy is made with a blend of powdered herbs & pro-biotics.
You can top dress on feed, mix in water to give orally or mix inmoistened beet pulp. Easy to carry to shows with a long shelf life!
Soothe-My-Tummy contains all natural ingredients that promote
digestive health in alpacas and llamas.
Ingredients include:• Marshmallow – good for treatment of any digestive
disorder or gastric ulceration, inflammation and colitis.
• Queen of the Meadow – used for gastric ulcers especiallythose that may be caused by drugs. It protects thedigestive tract & reduces excess acid.
• Slippery Elm – soothes and heals, forming a coating in thedigestive tract. Traditionally used to treat diarrhea,
enteritis, colitis, irritation of the stomach, as it soothes,protects and lubricates the mucous membranes. Used forprevention of diarrhea and treatment of gut ulceration inhorses, llamas and alpacas.
• Fenugreek – will stimulate appetite and soothe mostgastric disorders.
• Chamomile – for soothing, calming and relaxing.
Especially good for diarrhea. Improves digestion, is anatural vaso-dilator with anti-inflammatory and analgesicactions.
• Peppermint / Spearmint – One of the best natural digestive
aids and helps soothe and relax the digestive tract. These
are stimulant & anti-spasmodic herbs.
• Valerian Root – ideal for relieving nervous tension,
restlessness, stress, anxiety, stomach cramps and nervous
exhaustion.

• Beneficial bacteria / pro-biotics and bee pollen – ideal fordigestive upset and diarrhea problems.
• Soothe-My-Tummy is blended with Llama-Zyme whichcontains Digestive Enzymes, Ginseng, Molasses, Rice
Bran, Vit. C, Whey protein, Kelp, Lecithin and Colostrum.

Acute & Chronic Diarrhea Conditions:• Acute Diarrhea (comes on quickly) –This can usually be cleared up in 24 to 48 hours with some sort ofnatural remedy unless it’s parasite related or due to health issues.
• Chronic Diarrhea(recurring over a period of weeks, months or years) –This means the animal has been under a lot of stress. Consult withyour veterinarian for a diagnosis and try some natural remedies tocomplement their care.
For either acute or chronic diarrhea, check the eyelids
to see if they are a healthy pink color• If you see pale eyelids, you will have a longer recovery since
something else is going on – diarrhea is just one of thesymptoms. It takes a while for the eyelids to get pale and thisis usually due to the animal being anemic which doesn’t
happen over night. Check the fecals first thing. I would alsostart giving them Soothe-My-Tummy which is full of manydifferent probiotics. It can help get rid of the diarrhea andwill help soothe & heal for possible ulcers.
• If you see healthy pink eyelids, you have a better advantage.
I would also start them on Soothe-My-Tummy. Within 24hours the diarrhea should be gone and if it’s not, then wewould check the fecals and start our case study workup.

Rehab alpaca with chronic diarrheaWhen Annie was brought to our ranch for rehab, she weighed 77.8lbs. She had chronic diarrhea bouts for over 2 years and was justwasting away. She had a foamy mouth & drooled. Her eyelids
were pale with mucus in her eyes, her fiber was dull & course, her
teeth needed to be trimmed and she was sad and depressed. Annie
was a mess & in bad shape.
The veterinarians did lots of test and nothing out of the ordinary
was found. They believed she had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Her diarrhea would clear up and a few days later the runny
diarrhea started all over again. That’s when her owners decided tomove her from where she was boarded & get rehab at our ranch.
I started with Diarrex, which is a homeopathic remedy blend fordiarrhea. I gave this remedy to Annie twice a day the first twodays. Diarrex usually works for diarrhea, but it did not work forAnnie. I knew then I would have to determine the appropriate
homeopathic remedy for this case if I was going to get rid of thatchronic diarrhea.
Homeopathic remedies have been safely and effectively used forover 200 years. Remedies are very dilute amounts of plants,
animals or minerals made into small tablets that dissolve in water.

Homeopathic RemediesAlways consult with a holistic practitioner ora homeopathic veterinarian before giving homeopathic remedies.

Finding the right homeopathic remedy for Annie’s chronic diarrhea
would involve research and gathering lots of information about her
symptoms, past history, emotional state, personality and more tomatch the best remedy for her case. After all this case taking, caseanalysis and prayer, Pulsatilla was the choice. Annie’s disposition
and mental state were the chief guiding symptoms to the selectionof Pulsatilla.
This remedy is considered a female remedy, especially for thosewith a mild, gentle & timid disposition, one that seeks attention
and craves company, sympathy and fresh air. Annie would comeright up and put her nose in my face seeking attention and was
gentle & easy to work with. All the case taking made Pulsatilla
look like the perfect remedy match and it worked! After giving
the Pulsatilla homeopathic remedy for 7 days, Annie had solidbeans!!! But chronic diarrhea wasn’t the only thing going on withher. Along with the homeopathic remedy, we used several othernatural therapies & remedies including herbs & essences.
Annie progressed slow but consistently - after 6 months she had
gained to 104.1 lbs. & was ready to go home but the owners had
her stay for breeding. Ten months after arriving at our ranch, she
was healthy, happy & pregnant weighing 134.8 lbs.!!!! She hassince had a healthy cria and now, about 3 years later, Annie is still
free of her chronic diarrhea condition.
One homeopathic remedy matched to her constitution was the key
to stopping Annie’s chronic diarrhea. But to get the digestivesystem & the total body healed, I used several herbal mixtures.
These herbal mixtures were made with herbs from the regions ofPeru. I believe these Peruvian herbs from the Amazon are some of
the reasons we have such success with rehab alpacas like Annie.

Natural Remedies for Annie:
1. Pulsatilla 30c (homeopathic remedy) – gave orally.
2. Digestive Essence – oral essences are used for healing &balancing the energetic & emotional patterns related to thespecific body systems. (Important essence for Annie.)
3. Animal Restore Essence – This essence is used to help
restore vitality during periods of recuperation. It can help
restore & heal the spirit. (Annie definitely needed this!)This is the oral mixture we gave Annie
to heal the digestive system & build the immune system.
1. Llama-Zyme – probiotics & enzyme mixture which helps
optimize the absorption of nutrients.
(This helped Annie’s well-being and got her gut healthy &balanced so she could start absorbing her food to help herheal & gain weight again.)
2. Animal Herbal Formula – The herbs in this formula arefull of Peruvian herbs (Una de Gato, Chanca Piedra,Jatoba, Boldo, Chuchuhusi, Camu Camu). These herbs
are known to aid digestion, reduce pain & inflammation,enhance immunity, protect & detoxify at the cellularlevel, support the kidneys & the liver and are anti-viral,anti-bacterial, anti-yeast and anti-fungal.
(This formula was perfect for Annie’s condition!)
3. Mama Llama Herbal Formula - The Peruvian herbs(Maca, Muira Puama & Suma) in this herbal formula are
known to help both males & females in supporting
stamina & endurance and for promoting hormonalbalance. These Peruvian herbs are combined with two
great immune boosters – beta glucan and colostrum.

The homeopathic remedy, herbal formulas and the two essenceswere just what Annie needed to help her body get rid of thechronic diarrhea and help the body heal.
Each case is different when it comes to having digestive upset in
alpacas. Make your observations of your animal’s symptoms andbehavior. Check fecals, check for fever and take some action tohelp their body heal itself with a natural remedy or consult withyour veterinarian.
Many of the products mentioned in this article can be purchased atwww.alpacasALLnaturale.com
For consultations:
Call Candace at (936) 825-6552
Email: candace@MountainDreamAlpacas.com