Cria Nutrition & Yogurt

A cria is a baby alpaca, a domesticated mammal that is bred on farms or ranches. Nutrition for crias is provided by their mother's milk until they are weaned. In some cases, however, a breeder may have to feed the cria herself using a bottle or tube, which requires coming up with a nutritional plan that will fully substitute for the mother's milk. In other cases the diet of crias needs supplementation to promote weight gain. In addition, breeders have to deal with the frequent problem of cria diarrhea. For all of these reasons many breeders recommend adding yogurt to the cria's diet.

  1. Theory

    • Probiotic yogurt has been embraced by many as a digestive aid and general health food. According to the American Dietetic Association in an April 2009 statement about the effects of probiotics on adult humans, some strains of probiotics have been shown in studies to decrease symptoms of lactose tolerance and incidence of diarrhea, among other digestive and gastrointenstinal benefits. The Association stresses that research about health benefits is encouraging but that further studies are needed. (ref 1)

    Potential

    • Probiotics were used as feed supplements for farm animals to promote growth and resistance to disease before they became popular for human use. The Merck Veterinary Manual states that probiotics "are useful in some cases to minimize GI [gastrointestinal] upsets or to help overcome stress due to weaning or transport." As with human use, though, the effectiveness depends on the particular strain of probiotics.

    Cases

    • In an article in the Spring 2001 issue of Alpaca Magazine, breeders Victoria and Ken Hibbits describe being forced to develop a nutrition program for an orphan cria whose mother died after delivery. The Hibbits used a mixture of whole milk, half-and-half and a touch of liquid yogurt. They observed that the yogurt seemed to prevent diarrhea in addition to being easy on the cria's stomach.

      Another breeder reports being prescribed a mixture of Pepto Bismal, yogurt and probiotic paste that resolved diarrhea in a cria in a couple of weeks.

    Cautions

    • Depending on whether you are adding probiotic yogurt to the cria's diet for digestive health, growth, disease resistance or a combination of benefits, you want to make sure that the yogurt you are using contains the right levels and strains of bacteria for your purpose. As the ADA advises, you may have to contact the yogurt company or visit its website to find out this information, since it's often not listed on the label.

      If using yogurt to treat the animal's diarrhea, remember that diarrhea in crias has many causes and can indicate a serious or even deadly condition. Make sure to consult a veterinarian for a diagnosis.

    Solution

    • The right nutritional program for a cria depends on the animal's age and situation, and should always be determined in consultation with a veterinarian, who can give a specific recipe or remedy.