There is an old saying in medicine, “When you hear hoof beats, don’t look for zebras.” It loosely suggests that, when a doctor, or in this case a veterinarian, sees symptoms of a disease, the most common cause of the symptoms is usually the culprit. In the case of a common infection this adage is a simple reminder for doctors that a fever is more likely a cold or flu – and not infectious endocarditis. Which brings me to the purpose of my article which is to inform my fellow alpaca ranchers of a rare illness found in one of our alpacas. In other words, the rare hoof beat that was in fact, a “zebra.” More importantly, I hope to alert you in how not to miss that alpaca with the rare disease. The one that can add to the body of knowledge for all alpaca owners, enabling them to better understand disease in the alpaca.
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