Cuterebra is a fly that requires small warm-blooded animals such as rodents and rabbits in its life cycle. However, our cats can accidentally be parasitized by the larvae of these flies when they inspect or try to hunt any of these animals, entering through natural orifices of cats and reaching internal structures such as the respiratory system, eyes and brain in the worst of cases, presenting varied symptoms and can be fatal if not detected in time.
Continue reading this article on our site to learn more about cuterebra in cats, how these animals are parasitized,what symptoms does it produce , how is it diagnosed and how is this parasitism treated
What is cuterebra?
Cuterebra is an external parasite, specifically some typical flies from the United States, Mexico and Canada, although in other countries, including Spain, cases of parasitism with the larvae of these flies can be seen. It is an obligate parasite of rodents and rabbits, although it can also accidentally attack cats, dogs and ferrets when they hunt near burrows of these animals. Cases appear in late summer and early fall.
These flies can lay their eggs on damaged or eroded surfaces of the animal, where they will hatch and the larvae will perform their action potential. They can also put them on the ground or in the vegetation and, once hatched, it will be the larvae that will enter through the natural openings of these animals, such as the mouth, eyes or nostrils, where they will penetrate deeper layers by their mechanical action. -perforating irritant, entering through the skin and creating bumps Therefore, if we see a kind of worm in the cat's nose, it may be this parasite.
Generally, these larvae migrate to regions around the head or neck, although they can also affect other parts of the cat's body. About 30 days after entry, the parasite leaves the inside of the cat to pupate outside and give rise to an adult fly, which will reproduce and lay eggs that will parasitize another susceptible animal.
In cats, cuterebra can produce feline ischemic encephalopathy when the larvae enter the feline's nose and reach the brain, producing neurological signs derived from the involvement of the middle cerebral artery and by degeneration and the production of hemorrhages in other areas of the brain.
Symptoms of cuterebra in cats
The symptoms that a cat with cuterebra has will depend on the affected areas. For example, if confined to the skin, cats will have lumps or cysts with larvae inside, which is often accompanied by changes in behavior and mood of the cat, becoming more depressed and lethargic.
If cuterebra larvae have made their way to the respiratory tract, cats will show signs such as labored breathing, runny nose, cough and sneezing If the larvae have made their way to the eyes, small cats will have clinical signs such as uveitis, chemosis, blepharospasm, eye discharge and even blindnessIf it has also reached the nervous system, the cat will have the head tilt, may have seizures, circling, epilepsy or cognitive deficits that can lead to the death of the cat. The appearance of neurological signs indicates the severity of the infection due to the development of feline ischemic encephalopathy and usually appears a few weeks after the respiratory signs.
How does the cuterebra larva parasitize cats?
A cat can become infested by the cuterebra larva accidentally, as the parasite naturally has a predilection for rodents and lagomorphs. Cats can only be parasitized if they go outside and are in areas with these parasites and with the natural habitat of these small animals, so that the main cause of parasitism is exploring and trying to hunt a rabbit from its burrows or a rodent from its usual areas, where the larvae or eggs about to hatch penetrate through the small feline's natural orifices such as the nostrils or the mouth, and can reach the eyes and brain in the worst and most advanced cases.
Another possibility of the parasite entering the cat is after hunting a lagomorph or rodent recently infested by the larvae, the live larvae entering directly into the cat's mouth or nostrils and developing its life cycle in the cat.
Diagnosis of cuterebra in cats
We can suspect that our cat is infested by the larvae of this fly when inspecting him we see a lump, cyst or protuberance on his face or neck. In addition, once the lump is detected, it will be necessary to observe it deeply in search of a small hole that the larvae make inside it to be able to breathe, which is usually more or less focused on the bulk. In this way, if you see a hole in the cat's neck that, in addition, is on a more or less noticeable lump, go to the veterinary center as soon as possible.
If, on the other hand, the larvae have already been able to migrate to deeper tissues of the cat, they can only be diagnosed using a computed tomography or magnetic resonance imagingSupported by other diagnostic techniques such as urinalysis or cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Undoubtedly, the best detection test for this disease is magnetic resonance imaging, which can detect the presence of the larvae and even the loss of brain matter produced by feline ischemic encephalopathy two or three weeks after the onset of clinical signs and differentiate of other processes such as tumors, external trauma or infectious diseases.
Treatment of cuterebra in cats
The treatment of this parasitism will depend on its moment and whether or not the larvae arrive at the cat's internal organs, such as the brain. If the larvae are still visible in lumps on your cat's skin, they may be manual removal by the vet, never try this alone at home, as it may require anesthesia or sedation to allow removal without the cat being in pain or stressed by the situation.
The larvae should be removed using sterilized tweezers and it is preferable to do so after having administered some antiparasitic to the animal so that they are dead and do not move, running less risk of the larva breaking in half, than can cause allergic reactions and serious infections. After extraction, the open cyst remains on the skin, which the professional must clean with an antiseptic such as chlorhexidine and physiological saline, allowing to heal the wound in the air once clean, but in cases of deeper wounds it should be sutured or bandaged.
Surgical elimination of the parasite in the brain has not been established, but the symptoms can be treated with drugs antiepileptics, antiparasitics and supportive treatmentwith fluid therapy to keep them well hydrated and nourished.
As you can see, this is a serious parasite that requires the intervention of a professional. Therefore, if you find lumps or directly see the larvae in your cat, go to the veterinary center as soon as possible. In addition, in this other article we inform you of other parasites in cats that are much more common.
