3 Easy Ways To Get Rid Of Botfly Larva On Cats Skin
Stroking a cat is something that cat lovers often do and are liked by cats. Cats who want to be petted will usually surrender, close their eyes or even rub the body part that is being stroked into our stroking hands.
But have you ever stroked your pet cat, did you feel something unnatural on their skin ? For example, there are holes or lumps. And when we look closely after removing the hairs that are blocking the view, we see that you see a small hole and inside there is a creature like a wriggling larva.
So what's going on with the cat ? It is possible that the cat is infected with botfly flies. Then what is a botfly fly and how to deal with it if a cat is infected with this parasite. Check out the full explanation of angora below.
What Are Botfly Flies ?
Botfly is a type of fly that is found in parts of North America and North Northeast, the type of botfly that commonly attacks animals is Cuterebra. These flies will usually lay eggs near their host nests, for example mouse holes, rabbits and the like.
When these fly eggs hatch, the larvae will usually wait for the right animal to host. When the animal touches the larva's body, usually the larva will hold the cat's fur tightly, then enter through the hole in the animal's body. Can pass through the anus, nostrils or mouth.
Larvae that have managed to enter will usually move until they get to the subcutaneous tissue and then make holes in the skin so they can breathe. They will stay there until they are adults and then fall to the ground to pupate and metamorphose into adult flies.
Why Can Cats Get Infected With Flies Eggs / Larvae ?
The type of botfly fly likes to make several types of small mammals as their hosts. But unfortunately what they infect is not the animal they are targeting such as rats, rabbits and the like.
They even accidentally make cats as hosts. This happens because cats are carnivorous animals that are very happy to hunt small animals. When a cat hunts small animals, it is likely that it will continue to chase its prey until it reaches the animal's nest
Then the larvae nesting near the nest think the cat is the target he will make as a host where he will live and breed. Then the larvae stick to the cat's fur and enter the skin through the hole in the cat. Or it could be that the fly's eggs accidentally stick to the cat's fur and when it hatches it becomes a larva.
Inevitably the larvae make the cat's body as a source of food and their place to live. These flies will continue to live and grow up in the cat's skin even though this mistake will cause the adult flies to be unable to reproduce.
Characteristics Of Cats Infected By Flies Larva
Generally these flies will infect all types of cat breeds and all genders of cats as long as the cat is free to wander outside the house. In certain areas, infection usually occurs in hot temperatures, namely in summer and early autumn.
These flies become inactive when the weather is very cold such as during winter. In countries that do not have winter, usually flies will continue to be active to infect throughout the year.
The general characteristics that occur in cats with botfly fly infections are as follows :
There is a lump
There is a small hole
In the hole there is some kind of liquid
Around the lump, the cat's hair is falling out
The cat feels itchy in the area that is infected or infected with larvae
Sometimes the larvae that enter the cat's body not only inhabit the skin, but they may also live in the eyes, nostrils, chest and brain. The symptoms above may be different if the larvae do not inhabit the skin but inhabit other vital organs.
The infected organ may be very disturbed. For example, cuterebra larvae that infect the brain and cause neurological disease ischemic encephalopathy in cats.
How To Get Rid Of Fly Larvae In Cats ?
Bumps that exist in cats and in which there are eggs or fly larvae are commonly called warbles. Well to get rid of it you may need a veterinarian. With the help of a veterinarian, if the infection is mild then these larvae will be easily removed.
However, if the infection is severe, it may require more serious treatment so that the cat can recover and the larvae can completely disappear from the infected cat's body. Some of the ways that veterinarians will do to treat cats, usually the doctor will :
Perform surgery to enlarge the skin hole and remove the larvae using a hemostat or tweezers.
If the hole is large and the cat is tame and doesn't fight back, the cat may be treated without surgery. The vet will anaesthetize the parasite larvae and forcibly pull them out of the cat's skin.
If the hole is large, some doctors will likely apply an ointment or liquid into the hole and make the larvae breathless so that the larvae will come out on their own. This will make it easier for veterinarians to completely clean the worm larvae
When veterinarians remove the larvae from the skin, they must ensure that absolutely no larvae remain and disintegrate in the skin opening. If anything is left it can be the cause of a fatal allergy called anaphylaxis.
How to Prevent Warbles In Cats ?
To prevent the presence of larvae infecting cats is to prohibit cats from leaving the house. However, if you find it impossible to stop your cat from leaving the house, then you have to treat your cat with insect repellent every month, such as ivermectin ( Heartgard brand ), fipronil ( Frontline brand ), imidacloprid, or lambectin ( Revolution brand ) to remove fly eggs from cat fur. This can prevent warbles even though there is no scientific research that proves this.
Maybe that's all the discussion about botfly flies and how to deal with eggs or larvae. With this article, I hope you can take the right and best action for your cat who is infected with botfly fly larvae, add to your insight and can be useful for you.
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