Western Australian cases

Scientific Congenital caudal vertebral malformations in the alpaca (Lama pacos) JL VAUGHANab, RA LONSDALEa, G JACKSONc and DP RYANd trauma (in utero and postparturient), neoplasia, metabolic disturbances and other toxic, parasitic and infectious causes.2,6,7 The cause of caudal vertebral anomalies and renal fusion in Japanese Brown cattle has not been identified, but five of the 10 recorded cases were related by a common sire.8 Congenital vertebral malformation may be correlated with failure in notochord, somite or neural tube formation.9,10 Segmentation failures produce block (fused) vertebrae, causing scoliosis, lordosis, kyphosis, and shortening of the spine. Hemivertebrae have been related to failure of notochord forma-tion in the early foetal period.8,11 Failure of part of vertebral body formation can result in wedge or butterfly vertebrae. A wedge-shaped hemivertebra may result embryologically from improper vascularisation and subsequent incomplete ossifica-tion of the dorsal or ventral portion of the vertebral body.12 This study describes congenital caudal vertebral malforma-tions in a male alpaca (macho) and eight of his offspring. One other of his offspring was within normal limits. An unrelated case of cervical vertebral malformation in a 2-month-old female alpaca (hembra) is also described. Scoliosis and kyphosis in alpacas have also been observed by the authors but are not documented here