My cat has what I think is Bot fly larvae in her

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Aerindel

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On some scarred slope of battered hill
One of my cats presented last week with two bumps in her skin, on her flanks. When I looked at them they looked like giant infect pimples. I figured she got stung or bit by something and they would heal up. But after a week they haven't gotten any better. Last night I was trying to put some antibiotic on one and squeeze the pus out....and what came out was a maggot the size of a grain of rice. 🤮

I 'goggled' it and it looks like there are both rodent and deer bot flys that a cat can get, even in this is the first time in living here with animals for 40 years I've had this problem.

Due to the systemic breakdown of society, vets appointments are hard to get these days. Any advice for treating at home if I cannot find a vet?
 
that is really gross! I don't have experience with it. I looked it up on pet m.d.com

https://www.petmd.com/cat/parasites/botfly-infestation-how-handle-warbles-cats
But other than that, if you can find black walnut tincture to apply to it, that is a killer for parasites.
From the article linked, anything you could apply to make the parasite unable to breathe would make it come out or die. You have to make sure to pluck it out... If you have a tolerant cat.
Remember, @Grimm mentioned Rescue Remedy for pets. That might help your cat be more calm while you work on it.
Our vets have been accessible all this time. Sorry yours isn't.
 
https://www.petmd.com/cat/parasites/botfly-infestation-how-handle-warbles-cats
It sounds like those wounds should only have one larvae in each.

If you can get the larvae out without damaging it or leaving any of it behind, that is apparently the solution.

If you choose to smother the larvae to force emergence, then petroleum jelly may be a suitable product to use.

Edit to add - Patchouli beat me to it.
 
Dr. Brenda just removes them and squirts hydrogen peroxide in the hole and sends them home.



I was going to recommend Dr. Pol!
 
Have you dewormed the cats?

The maggots live in the layers of the skin and dewormer does nothing. They need to be removed by hand.
 
The maggots live in the layers of the skin and dewormer does nothing. They need to be removed by hand.
Yea, I wondered about that. They are gross on cattle. We were ornery kids and would try to shoot each other with them when we popped them 🤮
 
I was going to recommend Dr. Pol!

Luckily, what came out of my cat last night was much much smaller, as is the 'hole'

If there is only one per hole, that would be good. There is still a lump at the site, which I can't if that is just inflammation, or more larvae.

The other site, has three pinprick sized scabs over it, and its not as large.

Its interesting, the more I read, the more common it is, but like I said, I've had cats running around outside for literally 40 years on this same property and never once seen anything like this. I hope its not a new normal.
 
The one site indicates if the animal licks at the spot where the larvae is, it can end up in the animals innards. I wonder if a de-wormer would work on that. Really gross!
Yea, I wondered about that. They are gross on cattle. We were ornery kids and would try to shoot each other with them when we popped them 🤮
kids, they're great, aren't they?
@Aerindel good luck. Hope cat gets better.
 
I he’d by the scruff and dripped alcohol, gentle pulled out with tweezers and put antibiotic salve on it. They forgave me in time. Once fly hatches out they heal up. If you don’t get it all, it can get infected as mentioned above. Very irritating for the cat.
 
One of my cats presented last week with two bumps in her skin, on her flanks. When I looked at them they looked like giant infect pimples. I figured she got stung or bit by something and they would heal up. But after a week they haven't gotten any better. Last night I was trying to put some antibiotic on one and squeeze the pus out....and what came out was a maggot the size of a grain of rice. 🤮

I 'goggled' it and it looks like there are both rodent and deer bot flys that a cat can get, even in this is the first time in living here with animals for 40 years I've had this problem.

Due to the systemic breakdown of society, vets appointments are hard to get these days. Any advice for treating at home if I cannot find a vet?
A big drop of nail polish remover right square in the pimple, the maggot will extract itself in a few moments. be ready to smear in some antiseptic.
you see, maggots can't breathe nail polish remover, they pop right out.
 
I saw someone mention petroleum jelly. Will that work to smother the larva to make them come out? The kitten my friend is looking after might have bot fly larva but he currently has Covid so he can't take the kitten to the vet.
 
Smothering them won't make them come out reliably, they have to be in pain.
super hot sauce maybe? but that might hurt the cat as well.
 
Smothering them won't make them come out reliably, they have to be in pain.
super hot sauce maybe? but that might hurt the cat as well.
Acetone.

I stock gallons of it. It will burn if you get it in your eye and most likely the same with open wound.

Ben
 
Well, I think they are all out now. The one side may have already left by the time I found it, I never got anything out of it and its seems to be healed up and going away, just a slight thickened spot in the skin on that side.

The other side is no longer a bump and is just a flat scab now.

I hope this isn't a new normal and something that has moved into the area. We've had generations of cats and dogs up here without ever seeing this before.
 
Guess I'm late to this thread.. My older livestock books use the term "Fly Galls" and "Sore Heads" to describe bot fly larva, might find data using those terms. Also linseed oil is commonly used to cut off the oxygen in place of petroleum jelly, both work. Petroleum jelly contains eucalyptus which will drive away flies from the wound as it heals. Eucalyptus oil is handy to keep around, or a jar of Vick's.

Any good insect repellent will work, just keep the area clean and bug free.

Thinking about it.. how close are the fires to your location? It may have driven lots of critters, even insects, out of the woods.
 
Years ago my dog (in my avatar) had a big lump on his back so I took him to the Vet. He looked at me, smiled, squeezed the big lump and a huge maggot popped out. Then he dabbed it with antiseptic & said "good to go".
 
One of my cats presented last week with two bumps in her skin, on her flanks. When I looked at them they looked like giant infect pimples. I figured she got stung or bit by something and they would heal up. But after a week they haven't gotten any better. Last night I was trying to put some antibiotic on one and squeeze the pus out....and what came out was a maggot the size of a grain of rice. 🤮

I 'goggled' it and it looks like there are both rodent and deer bot flys that a cat can get, even in this is the first time in living here with animals for 40 years I've had this problem.

Due to the systemic breakdown of society, vets appointments are hard to get these days. Any advice for treating at home if I cannot find a vet?

Just had this happen with my cat. It was HUGE when the vet squeezed it out. My vet said to let it drain and the cat will keep it clean. Just to keep an eye on it for an infection. We had no problems but I've never seen that on a cat before.
 
I hope the bot flies stay away from all of our pets in the near and distant future. Mentioning of linseed oil reminded me that linoleum flooring used to be made with linseed (hence the "lin" part). Just a random thought that occurred to me. I forgot to mention the petroleum jelly thing to my friend last time we talked.
 
If you mean Peppermint, it is deadly to cats. Gives them aspiration pneumonia and can damage their organs.
 
I keep forgetting to post this.. Akin to the 'approach' for taking care of such a thing as this thread - Here's Another 'Priceless' piece of kit that Everyone should have in thier LTS 'FAKs' / med kits..

5-SA-PI.jpg

Excelta.jpg


..from blackheads to tiny metal-slivers to ticks to, sure - bot fly larvae evictions ;) These are just Champions at tweezing minutia.. 👍

No, not 'cheap', per se, ie: Excelta 5-SA-PI Tweezers, Style 5s, High Precision, Tapered, Stainless Steel, 4.25" | JENSEN Tools + Supply (..and Amazon / others, Do "have stock", just pricier..) but a pair or three are a Solid investment that - believe me - for certain tasks, there's just No Substitute / Equal.. :cool:

Fwiw..
jd
 

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