Fungal Keratitis in Alpacas

See your vet immediately. Fungal keratitis is an infection and inflammation of the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye. In alpacas, it usually develops when the cornea is scratched or ulcerated and fungi from the environment gain access to deeper tissue. Once established, the infection can be very painful and may progress to stromal loss, corneal abscess formation, perforation, or permanent scarring.

Fungi are common in soil, bedding, hay, and plant debris, so exposure alone is not unusual. The bigger problem is a damaged corneal surface. Veterinary ophthalmology references in other large animals, especially horses, show that fungal organisms often take hold after trauma, contaminated ulcers, or re-epithelialization over trapped organisms. A published alpaca case report also documented severe fungal keratitis with a full-thickness corneal abscess.

Because alpaca-specific research is limited, your vet may use principles from camelid and equine ophthalmology when building a treatment plan. That does not mean every alpaca needs the same care. The best option depends on ulcer depth, pain level, whether the eye is leaking, and how practical frequent treatment is on your farm.

Most cases begin with corneal injury. Hay stems, grass awns, seed heads, dust, bedding particles, and other plant material can scratch the cornea or lodge under the eyelids. A report in alpacas described conjunctivitis and ulcerative keratitis linked to conjunctival plant foreign bodies, which supports trauma as a practical real-world trigger in this species.

After the cornea is damaged, environmental fungi can colonize the ulcer. In large-animal ophthalmology, fungi such as Fusarium, Aspergillus, and other opportunists are well-recognized causes of keratomycosis. The risk rises when ulcers are contaminated with organic material, when healing traps organisms within the cornea, or when treatment is delayed.

Other factors may contribute. Poor tear film quality, ongoing irritation, dusty housing, heavy fly pressure, and inappropriate use of steroid-containing eye medications can make infection harder to control. Your vet will also consider whether the problem started as trauma, a bacterial ulcer, a stromal abscess, or a mixed infection, because more than one process can be present at the same time.

Your vet will start with a careful eye exam, often using magnification, focal light, and pain assessment. Fluorescein stain is commonly used to check whether the corneal epithelium is missing, whether an ulcer is present, and whether the eye may be leaking. In some deeper stromal abscesses, the surface may have already healed over, so the stain can be negative even when serious disease is present.

If fungal infection is suspected, your vet may collect corneal samples for cytology, culture, or both. Cytology can sometimes show fungal hyphae quickly, while culture helps identify the organism and may guide medication choices. In referral settings, additional tools such as ocular ultrasound or in vivo confocal microscopy may help define lesion depth or detect organisms in difficult cases.

Diagnosis also includes ruling out look-alike problems such as bacterial ulcerative keratitis, foreign bodies, immune-mediated keratitis, uveitis, and corneal abscessation from mixed infection. Because alpaca eyes are small, painful, and sensitive, some patients need sedation or local anesthesia for a complete exam. Recheck exams are a major part of diagnosis too, because the eye can change quickly and treatment often needs adjustment.

Prevention starts with reducing eye trauma. Check hay quality, remove sharp seed heads when possible, and keep feeders, fencing, and shelter areas free of protruding material that can scratch the eye. In dusty seasons, improving ventilation and lowering airborne debris may help reduce irritation to the corneal surface.

Look at your alpaca's eyes every day, especially during periods of heavy hay feeding, transport, wind, or pasture seed production. A healthy eye should be clear, smooth, and bright. Prompt veterinary care for squinting, tearing, or cloudiness can stop a small corneal injury from becoming a fungal emergency.

Medication choices matter too. Do not use leftover eye medications unless your vet tells you to. Steroid-containing eye products can worsen some corneal infections and may be risky when an ulcer is present. If your alpaca has had a prior eye injury, ask your vet what monitoring steps make sense for your herd and whether fly control, shade, or protective management changes could lower future risk.