Content
- Myiasis: the so-called Bicheira in the dog
- Myiasis in the dog's mouth
- Myiasis in the dog's ear
- Myiasis in the dog's eye
- Myiasis in cats
- Symptoms of myiasis in dogs and cats
- Dog myiasis - treatment
- How to treat myiasis in dogs
- How to prevent myiasis
Myiasis is a terrible disease that appears with some frequency in the veterinary clinic. Basically, it consists of larva infestation of Diptera that feed on the dog's living or dead tissue, liquid bodily substances or even the food ingested by the animal.
The dog can present from small to large lesions on the body, caused by these fly larvae that feed directly on the dog's body tissue. For many tutors who are faced with this problem, it is a shocking disease that causes even some disgust.
If you would like to know more information about this problem, PeritoAnimal has prepared an article with everything you need to know about myiasis: causes, symptoms and treatment.
Myiasis: the so-called Bicheira in the dog
Myiasis is a parasitic disease that consists of infestation of the host (man, dog, cat, etc.) by dipteran larvae, that is, flies. There are different species of flies that can be involved in this disease, the most common in dogs: the family fly Calliphoridae, in particular the species Cochliomyia hominivorax which causes cavitary myiasis, known as bicheira and the Cuterebride family fly, mainly of the species Dermatobia hominis which causes primary furunculoid myiasis, also called Berne.
We can classify myiasis, according to its location, in three different types:
- Cutaneous: on the skin, by deposition of fly eggs.
- cavity: in the cavities (nasal, oral, auditory, orbital, etc.) by deposition of fly eggs.
- Intestinal: in the intestine, by ingestion of food contaminated with larvae.
Myiasis in the dog's mouth
THE myiasis in the dog's mouth it's a pretty frequent situation. It is very painful for the animal, which normally stops eating due to pain, and ends up losing a lot of weight.
If you have a dog with this problem, or have seen a mutt in the street with a worm, contact an animal association, if you cannot seek veterinary help for him yourself. It's a very painful situation, and the dog is certainly suffering a lot.
Myiasis in the dog's ear
Another very common place for the deposit of eggs by flies is the dog's ears. THE myiasis in the dog's ear it is also very painful and needs urgent veterinary treatment, mainly because the larvae start moving through the ear canal, which can have serious sequelae.
Myiasis in the dog's eye
Sometimes, this problem occurs in the dog's eyes, where the flies lay eggs in that place and the larvae feed on the tissue in that area. Some animals can reach go blind, because the larvae eat all the eye tissue. So, it's essential that you don't let the problem go any further if you see one of these larvae in your puppy's eye. And, above all, do not try to remove the larvae yourself, as it is very painful for the animal and the eyes are very sensitive areas. The dog will need to be sedated to be able to perform the procedure with as little pain as possible and without risk to those who do it.
With proper veterinary treatment, it is possible to save and recover the animal, even if they are in an advanced state like the dog we can see in the image.
Myiasis in cats
Although it is less common than in dogs, there are cases that report the onset of myiasis in cats. This problem usually affects short-coated cats more, because flies have better access to the animal's fur.
Cats that have access to the street are more likely to have this problem, as they have more contact with dirty places where these flies are. You should be especially careful if your cat is a uncastrated male and who spend a few days on the street and get into fights with other cats. The small wounds and injuries resulting from these fights are the preferred location for flies to lay their eggs.
Symptoms of myiasis in dogs and cats
The most common symptom of this disease is skin lesions caused by larvae. These lesions usually have a repulsive odor. In addition, depending on the location of the myiasis, there may be other symptoms simultaneously:
- peritonitis
- lameness
- blindness
- dental problems
- anorexia (the animal stops eating)
- weight loss
The symptoms of this disease can reach such a severe state that the animal may even end up dying from toxemia, hemorrhage or secondary infections.
Dog myiasis - treatment
This disease is very traumatic for the dog. Sometimes, the larvae even reach deep areas of the skin and removing them manually causes a lot of pain in the dog, making it necessary to anesthetize him. For this reason, it is essential that the treatment is properly carried out by a veterinarian.
How to treat myiasis in dogs
The veterinarian starts by shaving and disinfecting the affected area and removes the lava with tweezers. It may also be necessary to administer antibiotics systemic and/or local. In addition, they can be used larvicides and it may be necessary to support therapy.
How to prevent myiasis
The main thing is to be aware and examine daily your dog in the most common places for this problem to appear (mouth, ear, eyes), especially in the case of puppies that spend a lot of time outside the home. As soon as you detect any of the signs or see a larva, take your puppy to the veterinarian immediately. This is a problem that develops very quickly. Remember that larvae literally eat your dog's meat!
THE site hygiene where the dog lives is the most important thing to prevent the appearance of these flies in the place where the dog lives. Garbage, feces, food, attract all kinds of flies, which deposit larvae on the dog. Also see our article on how to ward off dog flies.
Flies usually deposit larvae in small wounds on the dog. So if your puppy has a wound, disinfect properly to avoid this problem.
Exactly the same applies if you have a feline. The hygiene of the litter box is very important to prevent the appearance of flies. And if the cat has a wound, it should be cleaned properly.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Myiasis: causes, symptoms and treatment, we recommend that you enter our section on Parasitic Diseases.