Clinical Findings and Survival in 56 Sick Neonatal New World Camelids

BACKGROUND: Information pertaining to clinical presentation and outcome of neonatal New World camelids (NWC) is limited when compared to calves and foals. HYPOTHESIS: Values of variables at admission and subsequent treatment would predict survival in sick neonatal NWC. ANIMALS: Fifty‐six client‐owned sick neonatal NWC presented over a 10‐year period to the Purdue University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed. Inclusion criteria were NWC less than 30 days of age with complete medical records that presented between 2000 and 2010. RESULTS: The median age at presentation was 1 day (range 1–20). The most common diagnoses were systemic inflammatory response syndrome (50%), congenital defects (41%), ophthalmic lesions (21%), sepsis (16%), and gastrointestinal diseases (16%). Sixty‐six percent of NWC survived to discharge. Clinicopathologic findings on admission were variable and not specific for disorders. Factors associated with survival were absence of choanal atresia (P = .001, OR: 55.9 [2.5–1,232]), administration of llama plasma (P = .013, OR: 4.9 [1.4–17.7]), and antimicrobial treatment with trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole (TMS) (P = .016, OR: 6.5 [1.3–32.2]). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The use of antibiotics, particularly TMS, and llama plasma are recommended in sick neonatal NWC. Results from this study could contribute toward defining a NWC‐specific sepsis scoring system.