Cuterebra

It's that time of year when we see certain conditions in pets.

One of the big ones right now is fleas. We are seeing a lot of pets with fleas - even "indoor" kitties. There are great products out there folks. Ask your vet what they recommend. Remember, flea collars AND fleas are often found on the pet simultaneously - i.e., they are a waste of money.

But one of MY personal favorite things is Cuterebra.

From the Merck Veterinary Manual Online:

This opportunistic, parasitic infestation of dogs, cats, and ferrets is caused by the rodent or rabbit botfly, Cuterebra spp (order Diptera, family Cuterebridae). Flies are usually host- and site-specific relative to their life cycle. However, rabbit Cuterebra are less host-specific and are usually associated with dog and cat infestations. Rarely, cats and dogs may be infested with Hypoderma spp or Dermatobia hominis . Ferrets housed outside may be infested by Hypoderma or Cuterebra spp .


Now typically we see these in cats and rabbits. But the other day a an older dog came in for a lump.Of course since it was older, the most common thing would be...a lump. Whether it was of concern or not had yet to be determined. My technician told me it was on the front leg (inner side of area by carpus or wrist area). He said it was soft. So, I'm thinking its possibly a lipoma (benign fatty mass).

I get in the room and see this:

One look and I knew..it was something I love..and an easy fix for the dog. The thing in the center is the larva.  So all we had to was pull it out, intact and flush the wound. Send the dog home on antibiotics and it would be fine! No need for surgery -which is good - she was 16yrs old and a diabetic!

Where did she get this? She plays near and in a pond. There were a lot of flies in the area according to her owner. 

Don't worry. I rarely see this in dogs or even cats. If it happens, it's easily dealt with. In fact, if you don't remove it, it will fall out in a month, pupate and become a fly. A wound with a very regular circular edge would remain leaving you wondering what happened. Sometimes people assume the pet got shot.