My kitten has a small hole in the side of its neck with a worm inside. The veterinarian said it's a fly larva and that it's fairly common. What exactly is this and what causes it?
What you are describing sounds like infection with a Cuterebra larva. The source of these grubs is a large Cuterebra fly that deposits its eggs near the burrow of an animal. Natural hosts include chipmunks, squirrels and rabbits, but the flies can infect both dogs and cats by accident.
When the pet passes by the location of the eggs, they hatch and the first stage larvae crawl through the fur and enter the body through a natural body opening. Your kitten probably had a small skin wound where the insect is now residing. The larva burrows into the skin and lives in a pocket of inflammatory tissue that results from this foreign invader's presence in the kitten's skin. The insect is easily identified because you can see it moving and coming up for air through its breathing hole. Your veterinarian should be able to remove this parasite with little difficulty; any remaining infection may need to be treated topically and possibly with oral antibiotics.
In some of these cases the larva can actually enter through the nose or mouth, and migrate through the brain and cause death. This doesn't occur often but is a serious complication.
Prevention may be accomplished by treating your pet with an insecticide product that will kill fly larva. Speak to your veterinarian about which products your doctor recommends.
This problem occurs more commonly in the late summer and early fall.
08/19/05
