Camel diseases

 Introduction to camel
 Respiratory diseases

 Digestive system diseases

 Urinary tract diseases

 Skin diseases

Prof Mohamed Ghanem

Prof Animal Medicine
Head of Animal Medicine Dept
‫” افال ينظرون الى اإلبل كيف خلقت”‬
Dromedary camel - single hump Bactrian Camel – double hump
 Introduction about camel
 The Camel stores excess water directly in its
blood stream
 The humps are excess fat used as fuel when it
cannot get enough food
 They do not start sweating until their internal
body temperature reaches 42 °C (normal Temp
37.6-39 °C).
 Whereas most animals will die if they are
dehydrated to the point where they lose 20% of
their body weight, the camel can lose up to 40%
of their body weight in water without serious
consequences
 They are able to extract every bit of moisture
out of any desert plants they eat.
 Strong teeth, allowing them to consume
thorny plants other animals wouldn't be able
to touch.
 Because of these adaptations, camels are
capable of going for up to a week at a time
without actually drinking
 The camel's kidneys can concentrate and
reduce urine and its flow, and are capable of
producing urine twice as salty as seawater
 Camels are able to tolerate brackish water
that is would be undrinkable for other
animals.
 drink fast, drink up to 100 litres of water in
one time.
 Their eyes are protected from sand by a
double row of long eyelashes
 If sand get in their eyes, camels have more
tear glands than most mammals, to clear it
out
 Their noses can be protected from sand and
dust by simply closing their nostrils, by
contracting some muscles surrounding them
(voluntary contraction)
 Their hearing is rather acute, and
protected by fur lined ears
 Camel milk is healthier than cow milk,
containing not as much fat, and more
vitamins. It is traditionally drunk fresh
and warm
 Camel dung is dry, and flammable.
Quite useful for the fire to keep warm
on a cold desert night.
 the stomach is divided into three
ventricles. The first and second
ventricles of the proventriculus of camel
form one stomach rather than two
different stomachs (semiruminant
animal).
 The third ventricle appears to be the
abomasum
 General condition

 Heart rate 60-100 bpm

 Resp Rate 10-30 /min
 Temp. 37.6 – 39 C
 Diseases of respiratory system

 Camel Myiasis (Killer Disease)

Cephalopina titillator

chronic rhinitis in camel caused by

Cephalopina titillator larvae that occurs
in nasopharynx
 Pathogenesis
 A fly may deposit larvae on the nostrils
 The larvae occurred mainly in the
nasopharynx and, occasionally, degenerated
larvae were found embedded between the
turbinated bones
 The nasal cavity becomes congested and
filled with mucus in which some larvae are
entangled
 In the pharynx, the pathological changes
included the formation of lymphoid nodules,
with central abscesses, at the sites of larval
attachment, with inflammation of pharyngeal
wall
Nasopharyngeal region of C.
titillator infested camel
showing haemorrhagic,
swollen and edematous
mucosa.
 Clinical signs

 Sneezing
 Difficulty of breathing
 Nasal discharge
 Anorexia
 Neurological disturbance
 Death may occur
 Treatment

 including Ivermectin (0.2 mg/kg),

Albendazole, and Rafoxanide
 Nostril irrigation with trichlorophen
 S/C injection of nitroxynil 10 mg/kg
 Control

 Trichlorophen in drinking water 0.3 %

 Pneumonia
Definition
Inflammation of lung parenchyma
which is rare in camel characterized
clinically by fever and shortness of
breathing
 Etiology
A- Predisposing factors
 Cold and rain: infection mostly occurs
at the beginning of rainy season
 Lack of food: weakness

 Stress of work or transportation

 Weaning

 Overcrowdness
 B- infectious cause
I-Viral: influenza
II- Bacterial:
 Pasteurella hemolytica most often isolated (56% of
pneumonic lungs) ---- Sonbobe disease (ethipian
camels)
 Streptococcus spp.
 Mycoplasma arginini pneumonia in camels
 Klebsiella ozaenae
 Corynebacterium species which cause pyogenic
infections locally.
 Bacillus and Proteus species were also isolated.
 Melioidosis
III- Parasitic: Dictyocaulus cameli (D. cameli), D. viviparous
and D. filaria. All present in trachea, bronchi and
bronchioles
C- Drenching: mainly during drenching
medicine
 CLINICAL SIGNS
1. Fever (40 °C)
2. Anorexia
3. Coughing : deep in the chest
4. Drooling from mouth with foul smelling
5. Runny nose and excessive tearing in eyes
6. Bloody nasal discharge in case of sonbobe
(pasteurella)
7. Rapid breathing (more than 30/min)
8. Difficulty of breathing with dilated nostrils
and mouth breathing
9. Finally, the camel became recumbent and
extended its neck straight along the ground
Mucopurrelent nasal discharge
Lacrimation (excessive tears)
recumbent and extended its neck straight along the
ground with blood from nose
 Diagnosis

1. Case history
2. Clinical signs
3. Lab. Diagnosis:
1. swab for microbiological examination
2. Demonstration of the 1st larval stage in
feces in case of verminous pneumonia
 Treatment
I- Hygienic treatment
1. Isolate affected camel from healthy
with rest (7-10 days)
2. Provide worm salty water to drink
3. Minimize stresses
4. Shelter from wind
 II- Medicated treatment
1. Antibacterial:
1. Oxytetracyclines
2. Penicillin-streptomycin
2. Antiparasitic: for lung worm by S/C
injection of ivermectin 0.2 mg/kg
 Diseases of Digestive system
 Indigestion
 Bloat
 Indigestion

Rumen acidosis, overeating, grain

overload
 Definition:

Problem of working and racing camels

due to overfeeding of concentrates
 Etiology

 Overfeeding of concentrates such as

wheat grain or flour
 Overeating of dates
 Clinical Signs
 The camel vomits violently (the vomit is
acidic)
 Foul acidic smell from mouth
 Camel stop chewing
 Camel walks stiffly and unwilling to
move
 Auscultation on left side behind rib cage
indicates stasis of movement (normal 3-4
sound/min)
 Diagnosis

1. History
2. Clinical signs
3. Lab diagnosis: acidosis
 Treatment
 IV injection of buscopan 20-30 ml to control
pain.
 0.5-1 kg sod. Bicarb in ½ bucket water for
drench (keep mouth up for 30 seconds to
avoid vomition after drenching).
 Anti-indigestion medicine, such as bykodigest
or ruminodigest.
 Severe cases:
 IV sod. Bicarb 5%
 0.9 normal saline (10 L/day for 2 days)
 Transfusion of stomach fluid (by drenching) from
other healthy animal (camel that has just
slaughter) or using stomach tube and pump.
 Bloat - Tympany

Definition
 A built-up of gas in the rumen which is
less common in camels probably
because they are able to vomit (unlike
other livestock)
 Etiology

 Allowing camel to drink soon after

grazing on roughage and ground nut
leaves.
 Overfeeding on dates
 Signs

1. The belly is distended on the left side

2. Mild signs of abdominal pain (colic)
3. Camel stops eating and drinking
4. The camel rolls on the ground on the
left or right side and not on the back
5. The camel may die quickly within 30
minutes
 Diagnosis

 History
 Signs
 Treatment
 Old method: drench with 200 ml kerosin or
cooking oil mixed with 800 ml water or milk
 Current:
 Tymanyl (anti-frothing) 300-500 ml
 IV injection 10 liters Ringer’s lactate
 Severe cases: put a stomach tube through
the mouth into stomach to allow gas to
escape out.
 Emergency treatment: pierce the abdomen
with a trocar and canula or large needle (10
cm behind last rib and 7.5 cm below spine)
 Caution: no smoking because the gas
emitted is flammable
 Urolithiasis
 silica urolithiasis occurred in castrated male
dromedaries on an intensive camel farm
 Etiology:
 Ingestion of large amounts of silica in the
feed, estimated as 85 g/day.
 low level of salt in the diet. Daily ingestion of
salt from feed and water should be 21.8 g
 The early castration of the animals

 Infection, metabolic disorders, malnutrition

and climatic stress are possible causes
 Clinical signs
1. Most of the calculi occur at the level of the
distal part of the urethra or at the level of
the sigmoid flexure.
2. The affected animal may show signs of
abdominal discomfort.
3. At later stages of the condition, the animal
becomes lethargic and anorexic.
4. Health deterioration usually signals rupture
of the bladder and presence of peritonitis
5. Symptoms of uremia will develop if this
condition is not relieved
Preputial swelling in a male dromedary - urolithiasis with urethral rupture
 Treatment
1. Catheterization is not possible and a
urethrostomy should be performed
Control
1. 52 g of salt daily appears to be
sufficient to prevent urinary retention
in dromedaries
 Parasitic dermatitis

 Mange is a highly contagious skin

disease of camel that transmitted by
direct contact (with affected camels) or
indirect contact (equipment) causing
severe itching, poor growth, low milk
production and even death of affected
camels
 Etiology
1. Sarcoptic scabie var. cameli which is
1. a minute circular parasite with 4 pairs of
legs:
2. 2 fore legs arising from the edge of the body
and
3. 2 rear legs that do not protrude beyond the
margin of the body.
2. Poor management and nutrition are
predisposing factors
3. High incidence in cold rainy season
 Pathogenesis
1. Sarcoptes is a burrowing mite as it penetrates
deeply through the skin and feed on tissue beneath
the skin causing intense pruritis.
2. Small popular elevation occurs as an inflammatory
reaction to mite’s invasion.
3. The serous exudate from injured skin become dried
forming scab
4. Loss of hair at area of infestation leads to alopecia
5. Severe infestation and pruritis may lead to
stopping of grazing and reduction of milk
production
6. Within 2-3 weeks, the skin becomes thickened due
to excessive keratinization and proliferation of
connective tissue.
 Clinical signs
1. Mange starts at armbit and groin (inguinal
region) then spread to the rest of body.
2. The animal rubs and scratch the affected area
with teeth or against trees.
3. Skin is thickened and has chalk-like
appearance in affected area
4. Alopecia with scabs on the skin
5. Anorexia, anaemia and fall in milk yield.
6. Secondary bacterial infection of affected
areas
A young camel calf severely affected by mange. Note
the loss of hair and wrinkling of the skin
Dry, wrinkled skin of camel with
mange
 Diagnosis

1. History
2. Clinical signs
3. Skin scrapping: skin scrapping in 10%
KOH and examine under microscope
 Treatment

 Treatment: mange is difficult to

eradicate
 Spraying camel with diazinon 0.05 -0.1 %
or hexachlorocyclohexane 0.05% at 10
days intervals
 S/C injection of ivermectin 0.2mg/kg
found affective.
 Mycotic dermatitis
Ringworm
Dermatophytosis or Dermatomycosis
 Ringworm infection in camels is similar
to that in other animals.
 It is self-limiting infection that can
spread to other animals (direct or
indirect contact) and can infect humans
 Etiology
 Trichophyton verrucosum
 T. mentagrophytes infected older ones
 Microsporum gypseum
 The peak incidence of the disease was
found to be in Autumn and Winter.
 The disease was observed more
frequently among young growing
calves (1-2 years) than older animals
and in females than males.
 Clinical signs

 Dry hairless circular patches with scaly

white encrustation
 The lesion starts small (1-2 cm in
diameter) then enlarge or merge
 There is no itching
A young camel calf affected by
dermatophytosis (ringworm)
 Diagnosis

 History
 Skin lesion round nature
 Treatment
 Soap and water wash to remove crusts
 Then apply 50:50 tincture
iodine:glycerine repeated every day
until patches disappear
 Topical antimycotic agent such as
mycostatin
 N.B.
 Spontaneous recovery is common
Questions?