How do you know if a cat has a wolf worm and what is the treatment?

Answer 1

What does wolf worm look like?A large maggot, light tan, and a brown spot on the end. Size is about half of a dime. There are reports of it being up to one inch long and 3/8 inch wide.

This fat parasite is the larvae of the bot fly and will eventually hatch into an adult bot fly if not removed. Wolf worms are commonly picked up around rabbit burrows as the rabbit is one of their favorite hosts. Most pets are curious about rabbits or are even trained to hunt them, so they may stick their head into the burrow. This is why most wolf worms are found in the neck and head area. Unfortunately, this is why wolf worms can be so dangerous. Wolf worms can actually end up burrowing into the brain or some other vital organ. Many pets will need to be sedated for your veterinarian to properly remove the worm. Improper removal can result in damaging the worm which can lead to anaphylactic shock.

While a trip to the vet is recommended, it's not completely necessary unless there are complications such as infection around the site.

Applying warm compresses and then gently squeezing the surrounding tissue will most times make the larvae come to the opening of the site.

Once it's in view, it can usually be plucked out with tweezers.

Clean the site with an antibacterial and apply a triple antibacterial like neosporin into the opening. Check for drainage twice a day, massaging the site to keep the opening clear and re-apply the antibacterial ointment.

Contrary to popular myth, the larvae does not reproduce while in the host animal.The animal is merely a nursery for the larval stage.

The adult fly lays eggs on the animal, usually in an open wound. They hatch in muscle and tissue, where they stay and feed until matured.

When it's reached the adult stage of this phase of its life cycle, the worm drops out of the host and wraps itself in a cocoon, where it matures into a bot fly.

There is the potential for there to be multiple larvae in the cat, and if you remove the worm yourself instead of taking it to a vet, there's a chance that you could have crushed it. This could spread toxins into the cat and cause shock or other infections.

The easiest way I know of to find out if there are any other larvae in the animal is to check the "lumpy" area that the worm creates-- The worm burrows into the flesh, and creates an air-hole for itself in the skin, so if you see multiple holes there is a good chance that there are multiple worms.