On a recent Sunday the staff of Peach Pets was at the hospital during our closed hours taking care of our resident cat when a concerned good samaritan approached our door. She was worried about a very sick rabbit that she had found and wasn't sure where to go for care. The staff quickly called Dr. Smith and explained the situation and she said she would come in to look at him on her day off. Within thirty minutes Dr. Smith was examining the very critical creature and determined that he was dehydrated, weak, and had a cuterebra present under his jaw. (Please see the description of cuterebra below).
Dr. Smith told the good samaritan that she would do her best to try to save the poor little rabbit and would need to remove the larvae so the rabbit could eat and drink again. She gave the rabbit (Jack as he was named) supportive care that included fluids under the skin and regular syringe feedings by hand. Sunday was a very critical day for Jack and Dr. Smith wasn't sure if he could be saved because he was so dehydrated and malnourished. She was also worried that his intestinal tract may be shutting down from his lack of eating. She came to the hospital twice that day to check on him and give him treatment.
Over time he began to eat on his own and became stronger. He eventually regained enough weight and strength to be released to the environment. We wish Jack well and were glad we could help him live a longer life.
We also would like to thank Wanda Shull for her generous donation to our wildlife fund to help care for Jack and the wildlife that will cross our door in the future!
Cuterebriasis is caused by a fly called
Cuterebra. The parasite infests small mammals that spend time outdoors, such as dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, squirrels, and rodents.
Cuterebra are large non-feeding flies that lay eggs near animal burrows, nests, or vegetation. These opportunistic parasites do not seek out animals, but when an animal wanders by, the eggs attach and hatch in response to the host's body heat. Infestation is most common in summer and fall.
Infestations of the skin tend to occur around the head and neck because the animal has stuck its head near a burrow that contains the eggs. Once a larva hatches, it can be licked and swallowed during grooming, enter the body via the mouth or nostrils, or it may enter the body through an open wound. The larva causes a lesion in subcutaneous (below skin) tissue. The host acts like an incubator. The larva opens a tiny breathing hole (a fistula) in the skin. It just lives there, as though renting space; it does not feed on the host. An advanced-stage larva is the size of the first joint of your thumb and is a light tan color.
About a month after infestation, the Cuterebra larva crawls out of the skin and falls to the ground and pupates as the life cycle begins all over again. The length of time it stays in the ground depends on seasonal factors.
What pet owners typically see is the swelling at the air hole and matted hair from the pet's over-grooming. Cats often groom to the point of irritation. Sometimes the pet has pain at the site. Some sites become infected and pus can be seen. Your veterinarian can diagnose cuterebriasis just by visual inspection of the lesion.
Treatment (removal of the larva) is one of the simplest things in veterinary medicine; your veterinarian will probe and enlarge the breathing hole, grasp the parasite with forceps, and just pull the invader out. Squeezing the lesion with your fingers can rupture the larva and cause an infection. The larva should be removed as a whole piece, rather than in parts, in order to reduce the pet's body's reaction. Typically, no other treatment is required, although sometimes the wound will need to be flushed with saline, debrided (unhealthy tissue removed), or covered with antibiotic ointment. Because of the housing that was created around the subcutaneous parasite, it may take longer to heal than you might expect, but it will heal.
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