Dental care is very important part of an alpacas & llama's general health. When one considers that proper functioning of an alpacas & llama's teeth is the first stage of a healthy digestive process. So it is important to know when your alpaca or llama is having a problem and to have a qualified dentist or veterinarian knowledgeable in dental anatomyto care for the alpaca having the problem.
Alpacas & llama's have all their adult teeth by the time they have reached age six. The total number of teeth varies between male and female from 30 to 32 teeth. The male alpaca or llama has two additional teeth exposed and those teeth are called fighting teeth. The female does not have, except on rare occasions, visible fighting teeth.
Alpacas & llama's have six lower incisors and no upper incisors. The lower incisors are used to bite off plants and for chewing. They line up with the dental pad (roof of the mouth) making their eating ability a highly efficient method for grass, hay, and plants.
If something should interfere with mastication process, your alpaca or llama may require some dental assistance from your dentist or vet. The process requires minimal restraint of the alpaca or llama and/or a sedative to help the alpaca or llama get through this trauma.
Warning Signs of an existing problem:
| | If you alpaca or llama takes a long time to chew grass or hay or, while eating, spills grain. | | | Another obvious sign is a poor body condition. If the diet is more than adequate but the body condition does not exemplify this then there could be a dental problem. | | | If your alpacas cheeks are pushed in, making contact with the teeth and the alpaca or llama reacts strongly, then the cheek teeth could be too sharp. If you are new to owning alpacas or llama's it is wise to ask your vet to check this. Some alpacas or llama's will react simply because they are high strung animals already. If the cheek teeth are sharp the dentist/vet can easily bur the buccal edges of the teeth. |
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