Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Alpaca health · Feet, legs & teeth

Corneal Ulcer & Eye Injury 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.

Scratches to the eye's surface from hay, seed heads or fights. Alpacas' large prominent eyes are easily injured.

Category
Feet, legs & teeth
Urgency
Urgent
Also called
Eye injury

Signs & symptoms

  • Squinting and holding the eye closed
  • Tearing
  • Cloudy or blue cornea
  • Rubbing the eye

Related symptom guides: Cloudy, Weepy or Closed Eye.

What causes it?

Hay and seed awns, branches, dust, fighting.

Risk factors

  • Feeding hay from overhead racks
  • Dusty or awned hay

How vets diagnose it

Fluorescein stain examination by a vet.

Treatment

Prompt vet care with eye medications; ulcers can worsen quickly.

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

  • Feed hay at head height or lower
  • Avoid awned hay

Background

Corneal ulcer, often resulting from keratitis is an inflammatory or, more seriously, infective condition of the cornea involving disruption of its epithelial layer with involvement of the corneal stroma. It is a common condition in humans particularly in the tropics and in farming. In developing countries, children afflicted by vitamin A deficiency are at high risk for corneal ulcer and may become blind in both eyes persisting throughout life. In ophthalmology, a corneal ulcer usually refers to having an infection, while the term corneal abrasion refers more to a scratch injury.From Wikipedia — “Corneal ulcer”, 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. Isolation of obligate anaerobic bacteria from ulcerative keratitis in domestic animals. Ledbetter EC, Scarlett JM Veterinary ophthalmology, 2008. PubMed 18302576 · DOI · cited 23×
  2. Ocular diseases of llamas: 194 cases (1980-1993). Gionfriddo JR, Gionfriddo JP, Krohne SG Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 1997. PubMed 9187731 · cited 31×
  3. Evaluation of the short- and long-term complications and outcomes of phacoemulsification surgery in alpacas. Ledbetter EC, Irby NL Veterinary ophthalmology, 2020. PubMed 32510743 · DOI · cited 1×
  4. Characterization of fungal keratitis in alpacas: 11 cases (2003-2012). Ledbetter EC, Montgomery KW, Landry MP et al. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2013. PubMed 24261813 · DOI · cited 12×
  5. Usefulness of aerobic microbial culture and cytologic evaluation of corneal specimens in the diagnosis of infectious ulcerative keratitis in animals. Massa KL, Murphy CJ, Hartmann FA et al. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 1999. PubMed 14567433 · cited 23×
  6. Modified ear canal ablation and lateral bulla osteotomy for management of otitis media in an alpaca. Sumner JP, Mueller T, Clapp KS et al. Veterinary surgery : VS, 2012. PubMed 22091736 · DOI · cited 7×

Frequently asked questions

What is corneal Ulcer & Eye Injury in alpacas?
Scratches to the eye's surface from hay, seed heads or fights. Alpacas' large prominent eyes are easily injured.
What are the signs of corneal Ulcer & Eye Injury?
Squinting and holding the eye closed, tearing, cloudy or blue cornea and rubbing the eye.
How do you prevent corneal Ulcer & Eye Injury?
Feed hay at head height or lower. Avoid awned hay.
Is corneal Ulcer & Eye Injury 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.