Abstract
The interdigital skin of alpacas is affected by many inflammatory conditions, such as bacterial infections, ectoparasitisms, contact dermatitis, and zinc-responsive dermatosis. Cytology is a rapid, inexpensive, and practical method of acquiring important diagnostic and therapeutic information on skin diseases. However, to date there is no published information concerning the cytological findings in normal interdigital skin from alpacas. Hence, we performed cytological evaluation of the interdigital skin on a front and hind foot of 30 healthy alpacas (Vicugna pacos). Yeasts, Gram-positive cocci and rods, and Gram-negative rods occur regularly, and there is no difference in counts of these cells between the front and rear feet. The presence of inflammatory cells or large numbers of epithelial cells would be abnormal.
