Over the years I have had many friends call me in a panic when they discover a huge lump on their cat and see the larvae moving underneath their cat’s skin. Quite frankly warbles look disgusting and once you see one you will never forget what they look like. When your cat goes off for his daily backyard adventure, he could inadvertently pick up this nasty little parasite by simply walking through grass or hunting small rodents.
Warbles or Cuterbrosis are the larvae from bot flies that infest small animals and use the animal’s body as their host. Many pet owners refer to warbles as grub worms. The bot fly larvae enter the cat through any available opening such as the nose, mouth or a small cut.
Once the cat picks up the fly larvae, the larvae migrates through the cat’s body to settle in its hosting spot and uses nutrition from the cat’s body to grow and mature. This larvae migration can cause your cat to have respiratory issues, eye problems or bouts of nervousness. Most warbles found on cats are found in the neck and throat area. Many of the cats I have observed with a warble lose a large amount of weight rather quickly, and generally appear sick. The average incubation period for a warble is 18-38 days. Once the incubation period is over, the bot fly larvae will emerge and drop to the ground.
Warbles are seen mostly in North America and are at their highest numbers in the spring and fall. If you have a cat that enjoys hunting or live on a farm in affected areas; be sure to check your cat daily for any suspicious lumps or swelling.
If you spot a warble on your cat, the best thing to do is take the cat to a veterinarian immediately to have the warble surgically removed. Your veterinarian can then determine if antibiotics are needed to prevent infection. I do not recommend removing them yourself. Many times there will be dead tissue that must be removed by your veterinarian once the warble is removed.
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