Left displacement of the third gastric compartment in an alpaca: the first case report in China

BACKGROUND: Left displacement of the third gastric compartment (LDC3) in alpacas is an extremely rare condition and has not been reported thus far. Therefore, we describe the clinical diagnosis and treatment of LDC3 in an alpaca. CASE PRESENTATION: A 2-year-old brown female alpaca (Vicugna pacos) was presented to evaluate a 3-day history of abdominal distension causing loss of both appetite and thirst, along with oliguria and low to no defecation. Clinical examination, X-ray examination, surgical exploration, and determination of gastric pH (pH ~ 2.35) confirmed that LDC3 resulted in abdominal distension. The gastric wall of the displaced third gastric compartment was incised for the expulsion of pneumatosis, and a medical-grade silicone tube was inserted into the incision to remove the effusion by siphoning. Surgical treatment proved to effectively alleviate the abdominal distension caused by LDC3 without apparent side effects. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this case is the first known report of LDC3 in an alpaca in China. A similar condition, left displaced abomasum, has previously been described in cattle and sheep.