How did you get the bot fly out of the rabbit?

by Carla Jo
(Birch Bay WA)

Our cat has bot flies and we can't take him to a vet due to the severe lack of money. How can we get the bot flies out?

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Removing bot flies can be quite dangerous, and I would advise you to take her to the vet. This is because, in removing the larvae, it can end up poisoning the host it has burrowed into, in this case your cat, and the cat could end up dying as a result.

However, I also understand that you are short of cash, and in the meantime the cat is suffering.

Shave the area, and look for the bot fly larvae in the breathing hole. Once you have located the larvae take a pair of tweezers and make sure that you have the larvae firmly in your grip before you slowly remove them.

The emphasis is on the word "slowly", because this is where the danger lies. Bot fly larvae have hook-like appendages near their mouths, which help them latch on to their hosts.

If you remove the bot fly too quickly you run the risk of removing only some of it. If you end up pulling the bot fly apart, it can end up causing inflammation and infection.

There is another method of removing bot fly called the "Bacon Method" because it involves pork or bacon and has been used traditionally by those in South America.

Either pork mince, or a strip of bacon is placed over the hole where the larvae are buried, and left for 3-4 hours. During this time the bot fly larvae come out of their host and burrow into the pork.

At least with this method there is no chance of breaking the larvae when getting them out, but it might be difficult to get your cat to accept the meat on its body, without wanting to eat it, itself!

Make sure that you have removed all the larvae and as much dead tissue as possible. This is easily done with tweezers.

After that, wash the wound out with warm, salty water, and then treat the area with hydrogen peroxide.

Regards
Kathryn
Countryfarm Lifestyles