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ALPACA INFORMATION
Tooth Care
Alpacas have deciduous (baby teeth which fall out) and permanent teeth.
Alpacas have three pairs of deciduous incisors (front teeth) on the bottom and one pair on the top. The incisors on the top are further back in the mouth than the bottom incisors and look more like canine teeth than incisors. This makes up one of the pairs of upper fighting teeth. Full term crias should have all three pairs of lower incisors at the time of birth. The deciduous incisors fall out and are replaced by permanent incisors at certain ages which helps to age the llama by its teeth. The first pair of incisors (the two close together in the middle) will fall out between 2 and 2.5 years old. The second pair (the next two over from the center) will fall out between 2.5 and 3.5 years old. The third pair will fall out anywhere between 3 and 6 years old.
Teeth may need regular care. Trimming of incisors is necessary in many alpacas, and can be done with a variety of tools, including a Dremel equipped with a grinding wheel or cutting disc, or a specially adapted angle grinder.