Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Alpaca health · Cria (newborn) problems

Choanal Atresia in Alpacas

Updated 2026-10-02By the Dreamcatcher Alpacas editorial team6 peer-reviewed references
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Emergency — call your vet now

This condition can kill within hours. Get veterinary help immediately.

A congenital defect where the passages between the nose and throat are blocked; the cria must breathe through its mouth and cannot nurse normally.

Category
Cria (newborn) problems
Urgency
Emergency

Signs & symptoms

  • Open-mouth breathing from birth
  • Struggling to breathe while nursing
  • Milk from the nose, poor weight gain

Related symptom guides: Cria Not Nursing.

What causes it?

Developmental defect believed to be heritable.

Risk factors

  • Related to certain bloodlines

How vets diagnose it

Passing a tube through the nostrils; CT or endoscopy.

Treatment

Complex surgery with guarded outcome; affected animals and closely related breeders should not be bred.

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

  • Avoid breeding parents that have produced affected crias

Background

Choanal atresia is a congenital disorder where the back of the nasal passage (choana) is blocked, usually by abnormal bony or soft tissue (membranous) due to failed hole development of the nasal fossae during prenatal development. It causes persistent rhinorrhea, and with bilateral choanal atresia, an obstructed airway that can cause cyanosis and hypoxia.From Wikipedia — “Choanal atresia”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Research & references

PubMed lists 12 peer-reviewed papers on this topic in camelids. The most relevant include:

  1. [Choanal atresia in an alpaca cria (Vicugna pacos)]. Neubert S, Wagener MG, Nicolaisen TJ et al. Tierarztliche Praxis. Ausgabe G, Grosstiere/Nutztiere, 2024. PubMed 38925129 · DOI
  2. Clinical findings and survival in 56 sick neonatal New World camelids. Bertin FR, Squires JM, Kritchevsky JE et al. Journal of veterinary internal medicine, 2015. PubMed 25319312 · DOI · Free full textOpen access · cited 16×
  3. Management of neonatal llamas and alpacas. Whitehead CE The Veterinary clinics of North America. Food animal practice, 2009. PubMed 19460645 · DOI · cited 18×
  4. A candidate gene for choanal atresia in alpaca. Reed KM, Bauer MM, Mendoza KM et al. Genome, 2010. PubMed 20237599 · DOI · cited 7×
  5. The use of a silicone T-tube to treat tracheal stenosis in a llama. Levine SA, Lindsay WA, Beck KA Veterinary surgery : VS, 1987. PubMed 3507150 · DOI · cited 1×
  6. Evaluation of CHD7 as a candidate gene for choanal atresia in alpacas (Vicugna pacos). Reed KM, Mendoza KM, Fleege EC et al. Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997), 2013. PubMed 23932654 · DOI · cited 4×

Frequently asked questions

What is choanal Atresia in alpacas?
A congenital defect where the passages between the nose and throat are blocked; the cria must breathe through its mouth and cannot nurse normally.
What are the signs of choanal Atresia?
Open-mouth breathing from birth, struggling to breathe while nursing and milk from the nose, poor weight gain.
How do you prevent choanal Atresia?
Avoid breeding parents that have produced affected crias.
Is choanal Atresia an emergency?
Emergency — call your vet now. This condition can kill within hours. Get veterinary help immediately.

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.