Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Alpaca health · Parasites

Mange (Mites) in Alpacas

Updated 2026-10-02By the Dreamcatcher Alpacas editorial team6 peer-reviewed references
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Book a vet visit soon

Not usually an emergency, but it needs a diagnosis and a plan.

Skin disease caused by burrowing or surface mites, producing crusts, thickened skin and hair loss on the legs, belly, face and ears. Chorioptic mange is the most common form in alpacas.

Category
Parasites
Urgency
Book a vet visit soon
Also called
Chorioptic mange, Sarcoptic mange, Mites, Scabies
Spreads to people
Yes — see below

Signs & symptoms

  • Crusts, scales and thickened skin between the toes, on lower legs, inner thighs, belly and around the tail
  • Hair loss and grey, dry, thickened skin
  • Itching, chewing at legs, rubbing on fences
  • Ear scratching and head shaking (ear mites)
  • Weight loss in severe, long-standing cases

Related symptom guides: Weight Loss, Limping (Lameness), Fleece Loss & Itching, Crusty Nose, Eyes or Ears.

What causes it?

Three main mites: Chorioptes (surface mite on legs, feet, belly and tail area), Sarcoptes scabiei (burrowing, very itchy, transmissible to people) and Psoroptes (ears). Spread by direct contact and shared bedding or equipment.

Risk factors

  • Newly purchased animals
  • Crowding and winter housing
  • Animals in poor body condition

How vets diagnose it

Deep skin scrapings examined under the microscope; several scrapings may be needed. Your vet will also rule out zinc-responsive dermatosis and fungal infection.

Treatment

Mites are notoriously stubborn in camelids. Treatment usually combines repeated topical treatments and/or systemic drugs over several weeks, treating every in-contact animal and cleaning the environment.

Prevention

  • Quarantine new animals and check legs and bellies before mixing
  • Inspect skin at shearing and toenail trims
  • Keep animals in good body condition

Can people catch it?

Sarcoptic mange can cause an itchy rash in people. Wear gloves and wash after handling.

Background

Mange is a type of skin disease caused by parasitic mites. Because various species of mites also infect plants, birds and reptiles, the term "mange", or colloquially "the mange", suggesting poor condition of the skin and fur due to the infection, is sometimes reserved for pathological mite-infestation of mammals. Thus, mange includes mite-associated skin disease in domestic mammals, in livestock, and in wild mammals. Severe mange caused by mites has been observed in wild bears. Since mites belong to the arachnid subclass Acari, another term for mite infestation is acariasis.From Wikipedia — “Mange”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Research & references

PubMed lists 35 peer-reviewed papers on this topic in camelids. The most relevant include:

  1. Llama dermatology. Rosychuk RA The Veterinary clinics of North America. Food animal practice, 1989. PubMed 2647233 · DOI · cited 12×
  2. Transcriptome-based analysis of putative allergens of Chorioptes texanus. He R, Gu XB, Xie Y et al. Parasites & vectors, 2019. PubMed 31842981 · DOI · Free full textOpen access · cited 2×
  3. Chorioptes mites: re-evaluation of species integrity. Lusat J, Bornstein S, Wall R Medical and veterinary entomology, 2011. PubMed 21418262 · DOI · cited 6×
  4. Preliminary analysis of Psoroptes ovis transcriptome in different developmental stages. He ML, Xu J, He R et al. Parasites & vectors, 2016. PubMed 27809902 · DOI · Free full textOpen access · cited 13×
  5. Sarcoptic mange outbreaks in vicuñas (Cetartiodactyla: Camelidae): A scoping review and future prospects. Acebes P, Vargas S, Castillo H Transboundary and emerging diseases, 2022. PubMed 35157357 · DOI · Free full textOpen access · cited 9×
  6. Treatment of sarcoptic mange in llamas (Lama glama) and alpacas (Vicugna pacos) with repeated subcutaneous moxidectin injections. Beck W Veterinary parasitology, 2020. PubMed 32738415 · DOI · cited 11×

Frequently asked questions

What is mange (Mites) in alpacas?
Skin disease caused by burrowing or surface mites, producing crusts, thickened skin and hair loss on the legs, belly, face and ears. Chorioptic mange is the most common form in alpacas.
What are the signs of mange (Mites)?
Crusts, scales and thickened skin between the toes, on lower legs, inner thighs, belly and around the tail, hair loss and grey, dry, thickened skin, itching, chewing at legs, rubbing on fences, ear scratching and head shaking (ear mites) and weight loss in severe, long-standing cases.
How do you prevent mange (Mites)?
Quarantine new animals and check legs and bellies before mixing. Inspect skin at shearing and toenail trims. Keep animals in good body condition.
Is mange (Mites) an emergency?
Book a vet visit soon. Not usually an emergency, but it needs a diagnosis and a plan.
Can people catch it from alpacas?
Sarcoptic mange can cause an itchy rash in people. Wear gloves and wash after handling.

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.