A special test to find liver flukes must be performed on the recovered feces to detect this parasite. Liver flukes are more common in wet and swampy areas where snails live such as the southeastern part of the United States and can be passed onto the llamas if other livestock have them and share pasture with the llama. Flies are more of an nuisance to llamas and go with the territory. They will aggravate the llama by biting around the eyes, nose, belly and legs. Some of the larger flies such as deer flies and horse flies can bite hard enough for the llama to kick and move in obvious discomfort and in some cases may precipitate an allergic reaction.
Flies can also transmit other diseases from one animal to another.
On darker- colored llamas one may notice a bare strip down the nose or around the eyes where flies have been biting, which will usually clear up on its own once the source has been eliminated either through parasite control measures or cooler weather conditions. Since most flies require manure to lay their eggs, a good place to start in alleviating this problem is to frequently remove the manure piles from the areas that the llamas use. Another approach is to treat the llamas with insect repellant. Since most of these products are not developed for use on llamas, one should be sure to consult with their vet before using any of these products, especially when using them on young llamas or lactating or pregnant females. Insect collars can also be used on llamas but one must be sure to get one with a break- away feature in case the llama gets caught on an object.