Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Alpaca health · Cria (newborn) problems

Cria Diarrhea (Scours) 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.

Diarrhea in young crias can dehydrate and kill within a day. Never wait to see if it clears up.

Category
Cria (newborn) problems
Urgency
Emergency
Also called
Scours
Spreads to people
Yes — see below

Signs & symptoms

  • Watery or pasty feces, soiled tail
  • Weakness, not nursing
  • Sunken eyes, tacky gums (dehydration)
  • Cold mouth

Related symptom guides: Alpaca Diarrhea (Loose Stool), Low Temperature.

What causes it?

E. coli, Cryptosporidium, rotavirus, coronavirus, Giardia, coccidia and nutritional causes (overfeeding milk replacer).

Risk factors

  • Crowded, dirty birthing areas
  • Failure of passive transfer
  • Bottle-fed crias

How vets diagnose it

Fecal testing for pathogens.

Treatment

Urgent fluids and electrolytes (oral or IV), keeping the cria warm and nursing, and treatment of the cause by your vet.

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

  • Clean, dry birthing areas
  • Ensure colostrum intake
  • Hygiene when bottle feeding

Can people catch it?

Cryptosporidium and Giardia can infect people.

Background

Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements in a day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin with loss of the normal stretchiness of the skin and irritable behaviour. This can progress to decreased urination, loss of skin color, a fast heart rate, and a decrease in responsiveness as it becomes more severe. Loose but non-watery stools in babies who are exclusively breastfed, however, are normal.From Wikipedia — “Diarrhea”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Research & references

PubMed lists 13 peer-reviewed papers on this topic in camelids. The most relevant include:

  1. Portosystemic shunt in an alpaca cria. Ivany JM, Anderson DE, Birchard SJ et al. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2002. PubMed 12051513 · DOI · cited 8×
  2. Occurrence of Giardia duodenalis assemblages in alpacas in the Andean region. Gomez-Puerta LA, Lopez-Urbina MT, Alarcon V et al. Parasitology international, 2014. PubMed 24141208 · DOI · cited 13×
  3. Coccidiosis in clinically asymptomatic alpaca (Vicugna pacos) crias from the Peruvian Andes. Gomez-Puerta LA, Carrasco J, Robles K et al. Parasitology international, 2021. PubMed 34400350 · DOI · cited 8×
  4. Neonatal diarrhea in llamas and alpacas. Whitehead CE, Anderson DE Small ruminant research : the journal of the International Goat Association, 2006. PubMed 32288213 · DOI · Free full textOpen access · cited 32×
  5. Cryptosporidiosis in two alpaca (Lama pacos) holdings in the South-West of England. Twomey DF, Barlow AM, Bell S et al. Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997), 2008. PubMed 17374496 · DOI · cited 22×
  6. An outbreak of cryptosporidiosis among alpaca crias and their human caregivers. Starkey SR, Johnson AL, Ziegler PE et al. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2007. PubMed 18021003 · DOI · cited 24×

Frequently asked questions

What is cria Diarrhea (Scours) in alpacas?
Diarrhea in young crias can dehydrate and kill within a day. Never wait to see if it clears up.
What are the signs of cria Diarrhea (Scours)?
Watery or pasty feces, soiled tail, weakness, not nursing, sunken eyes, tacky gums (dehydration) and cold mouth.
How do you prevent cria Diarrhea (Scours)?
Clean, dry birthing areas. Ensure colostrum intake. Hygiene when bottle feeding.
Is cria Diarrhea (Scours) an emergency?
Emergency — call your vet now. This condition can kill within hours. Get veterinary help immediately.
Can people catch it from alpacas?
Cryptosporidium and Giardia can infect people.

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.