Veterinarians say it’s cuterebra season

Posted by: Marlenia Thornton

mthornton@klkntv.com

Some local kittens are experiencing a problem that’s common for this time of year.

They’re getting sores on their nose caused by a Bot Fly known as a Cuterebra.

The fly’s larva basically moves inside the animal’s skin and grows, and then it creates an infection.

It’s mostly seen in small pets that spend a lot of time outdoors during the summer and fall months.

"It’s also really, really hot. So you’re going to have more flies that are affected to infection or gross things like that. So, they’ll be more likely to be attracted to those areas,” Ehlers Animal Care Veterinarian Dr. Alyse Aerts-Johnson said.

The eggs can attach themselves to an animal that is simply wandering and sniffing around outside.

The animal’s body heat then helps the eggs hatch.

Infections can happen on anywhere on the pet’s skin.

Veterinarians said big bumps or open sores in odd places are tell tales signs.

"The typical thing you’ll see is a hole somewhere there shouldn’t be a hole like around the neck and you’ll see this little thing moving inside of there and that’s a cuterebra,” Dr. Aerts-Johnson said.

 Vets said the infection is not usually harmful.

They recommend to keep your pets cool and indoors to prevent it.

 However, if you do see any signs of larvae attached to your animal, call your vet and never try to remove it yourself.

"They have to be removed in a kind special way because you don’t want to break the cuterebra open because if it is broken open in the process of removing. You’ll have a lot of consequences,” she said.

The vets at Ehlers Animal Care haven’t seen any cases yet.

They said it’s a problem more common in rural areas.