RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To describe a method for laparoscopic cystotomy in an alpaca. STUDY DESIGN: Case report. ANIMALS: Female alpaca. METHODS: An 8-month-old female alpaca was admitted with a 6-week history of straining to urinate and vulvar swelling. Transrectal ultrasound examination revealed a 1.5 x 1.5 x 2 cm polyp within the bladder. RESULTS: The mass was excised using laparoscopic cystotomy. Leakage from the cystotomy site resolved over 12 days using a Foley catheter. The alpaca was healthy and urinating normally at 9 months after surgery. CONCLUSION: Minimally invasive surgery by laparoscopic cystotomy can be used to remove large urinary polyps in alpacas. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Urinary bladder polyps should be considered as differential diagnosis in alpacas with stranguria.