Botfly Surprise

     We’ve all heard of parasites, like heartworm, ticks, & fleas that can infest our dog.  Well, not too long ago, I had the gruesome pleasure of encountering a new parasite that I had never heard of.  It made my skin crawl the more I found out about this disgusting looking creature…well more of an insect, really. It’s known as the botfly, and it’s scientific name is cuterebra emasculator.

  http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/75013/bot-fly

     This little fly’s larva had managed to infest a dog who was here for a grooming.  I noted a welt on the dog’s skin under its chin. It was rather an unpleasant site to witness what this parasite larva had done as initially I thought that the welt was an abscess. After consulting with a veterinarian, I found out that the botfly will often lay it’s eggs on blades of grass or on a rodent’s nest or mound (ie: rabbit or squirrel).  It’s here where the egg will hatch into a larva. How it manages to attach itself to a dog or any other mammal is quite interesting.  A dog can come near these burrows, probably out of curiousity, and their coat will brush up against the burrow or the grass snatching up one of these pesky larvae.  Once the larva has found its host, what happens next is the actual gruesome part.

    The larva will dig itself underneath the skin and in the process create this ”volcano-shaped” lesion, that is called a warble.  Here the lava will stay until it pupates, where it will later fall off its host through the breathing hole atop the warble.  Soon the adult larva will become a fly to start the process over again.  Some species of botflies can cause physical damage to their host and others won’t.

    Remedies for botfly infestation in dog can vary.  One sure thing is to cut off its air supply.  The hole on top of the warble can be sealed with things like vasoline, tape, or nail polish any of which ultimately asphyxiates the maturing larva.  In any case, you MUST get your veterinarian to extract the larva as its secrections will be harmful to the dog. In most cases, if one crushes the dead larvae while trying to remove it…it could prove fatal to your pooch.  When in doubt, seek advice from your veterinarian!  Written by: David Carpio, Assistant Manager, Petite Pooch Plus  Read more