Camel safety moves up the agenda for North American vets
Bottom line
A new dvm360 article is drawing attention to a practical issue that many North American veterinarians may see more often: how to safely examine and treat Old World camels, including dromedaries and Bactrians, as the species becomes more visible in zoos, educational settings, private collections, and some breeding programs. The piece by Jessie Ziegler, DVM, MS, DACVIM (LAIM), and Joe Smith, DVM, MPS, PhD, DACVIM, DACVCP, centers on clinician and handler safety, emphasizing that camels’ size, speed, and behavior require species-specific restraint plans rather than improvised large-animal handling. That message fits a broader North American trend: a 2021 retrospective study noted increasing numbers of Old World camels in the US, and estimated that as of 2011 there were at least 2,000 dromedaries and 300 to 500 Bactrian camels in the country. (frontiersin.org)
Why it matters: For veterinary teams, the article is a reminder that camel medicine is not just an exotic-animal knowledge gap, but a workplace safety issue. Reference material on camel restraint notes that chute design should account for the animal’s tendency to sit, with sternum and abdominal support straps and padded walls to reduce injury risk, while sedation may be needed for more invasive procedures. Occupational health guidance also warns that injuries can come from shoving, biting, or sitting down on handlers, and that camelid work carries zoonotic exposure risks, including Q fever, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and brucellosis concerns tied to body fluids, feces, and reproductive tissues. (ivis.org)
What to watch: Expect more demand for camel-specific handling protocols, staff training, and referral support as North American teaching hospitals and field clinicians see these cases more often. (frontiersin.org)
A new dvm360 article is putting a spotlight on a niche but growing clinical reality in North America: veterinarians are increasingly likely to encounter Old World camels, and safe handling needs to be part of the treatment plan from the start. In the article, Jessie Ziegler, DVM, MS, DACVIM (LAIM), discusses safety considerations when treating dromedary and Bactrian camels, with coauthor Joe Smith, DVM, MPS, PhD, DACVIM, DACVCP, underscoring that these animals’ physical power and behavioral unpredictability create risks for clinicians, staff, and handlers if protocols are not in place. (dvm360.com)
That focus reflects a broader shift in case mix. A retrospective Frontiers in Veterinary Science study examining camels seen at the University of Tennessee and the University of Wisconsin from 1980 through 2020 described Old World camels as a growing population in North America. The authors cited an estimate that, by 2011, the US had at least 2,000 dromedaries and 300 to 500 Bactrian camels. In that study, anorexia, weight loss, and diarrhea were common presenting complaints in camels diagnosed with gastrointestinal parasitism, illustrating that these patients are not theoretical outliers, but animals already presenting to teaching hospitals with recognizable medical problems. (frontiersin.org)
Additional signs of that growth are showing up in academic and referral settings. Texas A&M’s veterinary college said in 2021 that fibrous osteodystrophy is seen “pretty commonly” in domestic camels in the United States, in comments tied to the care of two dromedaries at its Winnie Carter Wildlife Center. The center also positioned those camels as teaching animals for veterinary and undergraduate students, a signal that camel care is becoming a more practical training need rather than a rare curiosity. (vetmed.tamu.edu)
The safety issues are straightforward, but easy to underestimate. UC Davis occupational health guidance for camelid care says injuries can result from shoving, biting, or animals sitting down on handlers, and notes that the animals’ size and strength can make restraint hazardous, particularly for workers with back or joint problems. That same guidance also points to zoonotic risks, including Q fever, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and brucellosis, reinforcing that safe camel handling is both a physical safety and infection-control issue. (safetyservices.ucdavis.edu)
Published restraint guidance adds useful operational detail. IVIS reference material on camel restraint describes chutes for dromedary and Bactrian camels that are similar to horse stocks, but specifically adapted to prevent the animal from sitting down, often with heavy-duty straps under the sternum and abdomen. The source also recommends padded lateral and back walls to improve safety, and notes that training animals to enter the chute with a calm lead animal can improve compliance. For procedures that go beyond simple handling, sedation is often necessary; the same source describes xylazine as a commonly used option in dromedary and Bactrian camels, with dose-dependent sedation and muscle relaxation. (ivis.org)
There was limited direct outside commentary on the new dvm360 piece itself, but the surrounding literature supports its core message: camel medicine in North America needs species-specific planning. The available evidence suggests that clinicians cannot safely assume cattle, equine, or South American camelid handling methods will translate cleanly to Old World camels. That’s partly because the species mix, facility design, and husbandry experience of handlers vary widely across zoos, private farms, and educational collections. This is an inference based on the restraint literature and the limited but growing North American clinical case base. (frontiersin.org)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is really a workforce readiness story. As more practices, teaching hospitals, and ambulatory clinicians encounter camels, the risk is not only missing a medical diagnosis, but also walking into an avoidable injury scenario with inadequate facilities, insufficient personnel, or no sedation plan. Camel cases may require pre-visit discussions about chute access, handler experience, emergency contingencies, PPE, and zoonotic precautions, especially around feces, birth products, and other body fluids. In other words, safe camel care starts before the physical exam. (safetyservices.ucdavis.edu)
What to watch: The next step will likely be more formalized camel-specific education in North American veterinary training and continuing education, plus wider adoption of handling and restraint protocols as case numbers rise in referral, zoo, and private-practice settings. (vetmed.tamu.edu)