Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Alpaca health · Parasites

Barber Pole Worm (Haemonchus) in Alpacas

Updated 2026-10-02By the Dreamcatcher Alpacas editorial team6 peer-reviewed references
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Urgent — contact your vet today

Early treatment makes a big difference. Don't wait more than a day.

A blood-sucking stomach worm that can cause severe, sometimes fatal anemia. It is the most dangerous gastrointestinal worm of alpacas in warm, wet climates.

Category
Parasites
Urgency
Urgent
Also called
Haemonchus contortus, Wire worm, Twisted stomach worm

Signs & symptoms

  • Pale pink or white inner eyelids and gums (anemia)
  • Weakness, lagging behind the herd, reluctance to walk
  • Rapid weight loss despite eating
  • Swelling under the jaw ('bottle jaw') in some cases
  • Sudden death — often without diarrhea

Related symptom guides: Alpaca Not Eating, Lethargy & Lying Down a Lot, Alpaca Diarrhea (Loose Stool), Weight Loss, Pale Gums or Eyelids (Anemia), Swelling Under the Jaw (Bottle Jaw), Fast or Heavy Breathing, Sudden Death in an Alpaca, Dull, Faded or Brittle Fleece.

What causes it?

Haemonchus contortus lives in the third stomach compartment (C3) and feeds on blood. Each female lays thousands of eggs daily; larvae develop on pasture when it is warm and moist and are swallowed with grass.

Risk factors

  • Warm, humid weather with rainfall (summer and autumn)
  • Overstocked or overgrazed pastures
  • Crias, yearlings and periparturient females
  • Herds with dewormer-resistant worm populations

How vets diagnose it

Fecal egg counts (McMaster technique) identify strongyle-type eggs; a lab can confirm Haemonchus with special staining or PCR. Packed cell volume (PCV) blood tests measure anemia. FAMACHA eye-color scoring can help screen but must be backed by FEC and body condition in camelids.

Treatment

Your vet will choose a dewormer based on fecal egg count reduction testing, because resistance to every drug class is widespread. Severely anemic animals may need iron, vitamin B supplementation, nursing care or even a blood transfusion. Never re-deworm repeatedly without testing.

Do not wait to see if it improves. Camelids hide illness, and by the time signs are obvious the problem is often advanced. Call your veterinarian.

Prevention

  • Pick up dung piles at least twice a week — alpacas' communal latrines make this very effective
  • Run fecal egg counts every 4-8 weeks during the warm season
  • Deworm only animals that need it (targeted selective treatment) to slow resistance
  • Rotate pastures and avoid grazing grass shorter than 4 in (10 cm)
  • Quarantine and fecal-test new arrivals
  • Graze with horses, or rest pastures through hot dry spells

Background

Haemonchus contortus, also known as the barberpole worm, is a very common parasite and one of the most pathogenic nematodes of ruminants. Adult worms attach to abomasal mucosa and feed on the blood. This parasite is responsible for anemia, oedema, and death of infected sheep and goats, mainly during summer in warm, humid climates.From Wikipedia — “Haemonchus contortus”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Research & references

PubMed lists 32 peer-reviewed papers on this topic in camelids. The most relevant include:

  1. The association between fecal microbiota, age and endoparasitism in adult alpacas. Bedenice D, Resnick-Sousa J, Bookbinder L et al. PloS one, 2022. PubMed 36006927 · DOI · Free full textOpen access · cited 5×
  2. Safety and efficacy of a novel glycoengineered recombinant vaccine candidate against Haemonchus contortus in sheep. Sajovitz-Grohmann F, Adduci I, Werling D et al. NPJ vaccines, 2025. PubMed 40790301 · DOI · Free full textOpen access · cited 6×
  3. Epidemiology of gastrointestinal nematodes of alpacas in Australia: II. A longitudinal study. Rashid MH, Stevenson MA, Vaughan JL et al. Parasitology research, 2019. PubMed 30737673 · DOI · cited 3×
  4. Anthelmintic resistance in small ruminants in the Nordic-Baltic region. Beleckė A, Kupčinskas T, Stadalienė I et al. Acta veterinaria Scandinavica, 2021. PubMed 33906690 · DOI · Free full textOpen access · cited 25×
  5. Epidemiology of gastrointestinal nematodes of alpacas in Australia: I. A cross-sectional study. Rashid MH, Vaughan JL, Stevenson MA et al. Parasitology research, 2019. PubMed 30719533 · DOI · cited 9×
  6. Multiplexed-tandem PCR (MT-PCR) assay to detect and differentiate gastrointestinal nematodes of alpacas. Rashid MH, Gebrekidan H, Jabbar A Parasites & vectors, 2018. PubMed 29954433 · DOI · Free full textOpen access · cited 11×

Frequently asked questions

What is barber Pole Worm (Haemonchus) in alpacas?
A blood-sucking stomach worm that can cause severe, sometimes fatal anemia. It is the most dangerous gastrointestinal worm of alpacas in warm, wet climates.
What are the signs of barber Pole Worm (Haemonchus)?
Pale pink or white inner eyelids and gums (anemia), weakness, lagging behind the herd, reluctance to walk, rapid weight loss despite eating, swelling under the jaw ('bottle jaw') in some cases and sudden death — often without diarrhea.
How do you prevent barber Pole Worm (Haemonchus)?
Pick up dung piles at least twice a week — alpacas' communal latrines make this very effective. Run fecal egg counts every 4-8 weeks during the warm season. Deworm only animals that need it (targeted selective treatment) to slow resistance.
Is barber Pole Worm (Haemonchus) an emergency?
Urgent — contact your vet today. Early treatment makes a big difference. Don't wait more than a day.

This page is educational and does not replace advice from a veterinarian who has examined your animals. Camelid medicine uses many drugs “extra-label”, so dosing must come from your vet. In an emergency, call your vet first. Read our disclaimer · How we write and review content.