Wolf Worm in Cats

Wolf worm in cats can cause heavy breathing, lethargy, and lumps on the skin with holes in them.  Picture a hole on your feline, out of which emerges a big worm.

Wolf worms (also known as cuterebra) are big flies who use dogs, cats, squirrels, rodents, and rabbits as hosts in which to grow more Cuterebras. A type of myiasis (maggot infestation), Cuterebra invasions can be rather troubling to witness on your cat.

In reality, it’s a botfly larva. Your veterinarian needs to treat a cuterebra problem, considering that it’s necessary to remove the whole larva from your cat’s body.

Because cats are born hunters, the majority of won’t pass up the opportunity to investigate the burrow of a mouse or rabbit. Interest is a widely known cat quality, and even little kittens like to take a look at holes and possible little animal hideouts. This leaves the felines susceptible to infestation of the opportunistic parasite, and even small kitty cats can end up being contaminated if the hatched larvae fall off the mother feline’s fur as she goes back to her litter. The wolf worm isn’t selective and gets into the closest host it can find, which may consist of very young kitty cats.

Wolf Worm Living Areas on Cats

Wolf worms in pet's body

Parasites in primary are pretty gross, and the thought of a maggot strolling around inside your kitty’s body likely passes an involuntary shudder through you. The wolf worm migrates through your kitty’s numerous tissues and organs and can trigger possibly deadly side effects such as neurological damage by traveling through the brain. For the most part, when the worm is completed taking a trip through the kitty’s body, it settles down on the head or neck and is determined by the discovery of its breathing hole.

Where From Do Wolf Worms Attack on Cats

Female botflies lay eggs near nests of the principal hosts, generally rabbits or rodents. Felines aren’t primary hosts for the wolf worm, however outside cats can get the parasite while having a look at the home of wild animals. The larvae go into the cat’s body through orifices or wounds, not via skin penetration. The best way to prevent cuterebra transmission to felines is by keeping them indoors.

Wolf Worm Symptoms in Cats

If your feline develops a big, cyst-like swelling on his head or neck, seek veterinary care. Although the lump can appear in other areas, it’s uncommon. You’ll see a little hole in the swelling — that’s how the larva gets air. You might spot movement within the swelling. If your feline can reach the growth, you’ll discover him continually grooming the area. Pus might come out of the hole, the result of a secondary infection. If untreated, the larva comes out of the hole approximately 30 days after infesting the feline.

Wolf Worm in Cats: Treatment

Image of wolf worm, removed from kitten
Image of wolf worm removed from kitten

After identifying the swelling as cuterebra, your vet will remove the larva utilizing forceps. The larva isn’t necessarily simple to remove — it retreats from the forceps and should be fished out. It’s essential to seek expert aid to get rid of the larva rather than doing it yourself because any part of the larva left can lead to an extreme bodily reaction in the feline.

After the worm is gone, your vet will eliminate the site and remove any unhealthy tissue. It can take a while for the injury to recover. Your veterinarian might prescribe antibiotics for your feline.

Complications Related the Worms

While a lot of cats recover quickly from a cuterebra invasion, it can show fatal if the larva moves to the brain. Cats with a worm in the brain develop neurological problems, including vision loss, circling, head tilt, behavioral changes, and seizures. The larva may attempt to leave through the nose, resulting in breathing concerns.

Because the neurological symptoms resemble other conditions, your veterinarian must perform magnetic resonance imaging on the animal’s brain. If the brain damage is extensive, your vet will advise euthanization. If caught when symptoms first begin, your veterinarian can administer medication to eliminate the cuterebra.

Some cats may totally recuperate, while others will continue to experience neurological problems.

Here’s a photo of a vet removing a wolfworm (cuterebra) from a cat’s nose, chest and other body parts:

A wolf worm in a cat's nose.
A wolf worm in a cat’s nose.
The wolf worm was sitting under the lower jaw.
The wolf worm was sitting under the lower jaw.
A cat's nose is a popular place for a wolfworm. The victim was a black kitten. But he was saved.
A cat’s nose is a popular place for a wolfworm. The victim was a black kitten. But he was saved.
The parasite is pulled out of the cat's chest.
The parasite is pulled out of the cat’s chest.
This is the kind of wolf worm the vet pulled out of the nose of a red-haired kitten.
This is the kind of wolf worm the vet pulled out of the nose of a red-haired kitten.

Q&A Related Wolf Worm in Cats

Can humans get Wolf worms from cats?

No, a man can not directly to get (to catch) a wolf worm from a cat. The larva lives under the cat’s skin and will come out only to go to the next stage-to become a butterfly. And then the butterfly will lay new eggs. A person can get infected with wolf worm in the same way as a cat or other pet – by picking up a larva from a surface.

How do you know if your cat has a Botfly?

Symptoms can consist of breathing signs, neurological signs, ophthalmic (eye) sores, or the maggots under the skin. Symptoms of a Botfly infestation in your cat are indicated visible warble on the skin. You can often even see the larvae moving in the warble under the skin of the feline.

Can you get worms from kissing your cat?

If we are talking about a wolf worm, is there, so you can’t catch it from a cat in this way. But many intestinal worms and other parasites can easily be transmitted from a cat to a person and back through saliva.

Can Cuterebra kill cats?

Migration of the Cuterebra larva can result in the fact that it settles in a life-threatening and health-threatening part of the feline’s body. If the parasite migrates to the brain, it can result in hostility, seizures, spinal paralysis and blindness.

Conclusion

You have to understand that the larva of cuterebra, known as the wolf worm is a dangerous parasite. If you find it on your pet, you should take immediate measures to safely remove this worm. The procedure must be performed by a veterinarian who follows the necessary procedures and uses the correct medications and tools.

Reyus Mammadli/ author of the article

I have had pets since childhood: cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, geese, chickens, ducks, parrots, aquarium fish and dogs (in the yard). Of course, I constantly encountered diseases of pets and treated them. Glad to be able to share my skills and experience, as well as advice on caring for and adapting these critters and birds.

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