The cat with a LUMP *long but good*

[sarahmyjoy]

The cat with a LUMP ...... Dr. Foster & Smith

This is a true story...one of the interesting cases that Drs. Foster and Smith have encountered.

One august weekend we got a call from Becky, a client, whose 7 year old black cat Gatto, had what she thought was a small tumor on his neck. The growthe was bothering Gatto who was constantly scratching at it. We had been seeing him since he was a kitten, and knew that although he was an exclusively inside cat, he had a bad habit of scooting out the door and stalking wildlife in his huge wooded backyard. We were concerned that although he was a neutered mald cat, he had gotten into a cat fight and that the lump was an infection from a bit wound. When we saw Becky and Gatto, we showed them right into the exam room. The lump was a little larger than the size of a marble. Before we examined the growth, we were sure that it was an abscess we'd have to lance. However,upon close inspection, we discovered a small, match head size hole at the top of it. Given the time of year and the circumstances, we knew we had a case of
cuterebra and we hadn't seen one of those in a long time.

What is a cuterebra?

The cuterebrais a bee like species that lays its eggs near the entrances to outdoor animal dens or burrows. The eggs stick to the fur of any amimal that brushes against them and hatchs into larvae, which penetrate the skin, enterthe body through a natural opening, or are ingested when the animal is grooming. The larva usually migrates to an are just under the skin on the head or neckof the animal. It then matures under the skinfor about 3 weeks, and creates a cyst that can be as large as a marble. Also, the larva creates a tiny hole to the skin surface in order to breath. This tell tale opening is certain evidence that a suspicious growth contains the cuterebra larva.
Although rabbits are the more common animal parastized by the cuterebra, cats can also be affected. Larvae in cats are usually encountered in the later summer months in the north, slightly earlier in the south. Although this condition is not life threatiening, it can be irritating to the cat and the open hole can become infected. However, in some cases, larvae may also enter the nerve tissue, such as the spinal cord, rather than become encapsulated below the skin. Through rare, this can cause neurological damage.
We haved the area around the growth, scrubbed it, and removed the gray, spined larva with forceps. We were careful not to crush it, as this can cause further skin irritation, and in some cases, an allergic reaction. We flushed out the hole with antiseptic and prescribed a topical antibiotic ointment for Becky to apply. Since the wound generally takes a long time to heal, Becky had to check it frequently to be sure it stayed clean and dry. We told her to come back in 10 days for a re-check. At the re-check all was going according to schedule. The area typically can take up to a month to heal and it was well on its way.

Do any of yall remember Luke the little kitty? Well I have finely found out what he and his little sister had.... I thought this was a great read, and they had a pic of the cuterebra larvae and it looked just like the one from the kittens.

[Guest Anonymous]

Is there any way uou can post a picture on it?? Thanks

[sarahmyjoy]

gross huh? it just gives me the willies!

[sarahmyjoy]

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=11&cat=1290&articleid=3000

here is the web page I got it from

[Guest Anonymous]

Thanks I was asking beacuse - my fiances mom has a cat and sometimes she sneaks outside - and yesterday we noticed a red thing on her upper neck and the hair is missing around it - but when you look up close its looks like something bit her or something ?? Iam probaly just overeacting as usual....

[sarahmyjoy]

it could be an abcess(sp?) an infection from a bite it got while out The little kitty that I had that had the larva, it didnt turn red but it was a lump under the skin.
the larva that is pictured above isthe actuall larva and not a pic of it under the skin of the animals neck. You can see a little matchhead size hole or maybe alittle smaller in the skin and it kinda weeps liquid out of the wound. The larva is fatter than the little hole that is just so it can breath. on Luke the hair fell off and the tissue around the larva died ( i think that is what it did cause when the tissue was cut to remove the larva it didnt bleed and all the tissue that was around the larva shead off with in a week and a half after the thing was taken out. ) I put ointment on the wound 3-4 times a day and kept it dry and it healed up slowly but nicely.

[imported_Debbie]

Our old cat Victor D' Fur used to sneak out and get into fights and he had an absess on his head once....pretty gross and costly too !! :-?

We had a squirrel we called Scrappy (he had a really scrappy looking tail) that was really tame and we noticed a lump on his neck.....so we trapped him with a Hava-hart cage and took him to a Wildlife Rehab person....she took a pair of tweezers and pulled out this disgusting larvae......(throwing up now..... :P ). The Rehab woman said that sometimes if animals have wounds, flies will get into the wound and lay their eggs and the larvae hatch out in the wounds and feed on the animals.....GROSS !! So anyway she got the disgusting thing out and shot Scrappy up with antibiotics, and we brought him back home and let him go. :wink: