by Martha
(USA)
My son rescued a kitten…had a hole in his neck with several grubs embedded and maggots …sheeesh.
I gave him my credit card number and told him to take it to emergency services. They cleaned the wound out and wanted another appointment.
I just can’t afford another one due to this one being close to 400 dollars. We stay in touch with the vets and ask questions. He is a lovable little thing but he does smell something awful.
He is kept clean as possible . The wound has to heal from the inside out. HELP !!!!! I need advice.
He absolutely has to be kept warm. and he does love to cuddle (shooowheee).
He is getting stronger day by day. Should name him Sue as …how do you do…lol.
His name is Faith! Please,any advice…would be greatly appreciated.
Martha
Hi Martha… thanks for visiting and asking. Flies can lay eggs in open wounds in warm weather.
The eggs hatch and within 2 to 19 days they are large maggots. They produce an enzyme that digests the skin producing a hole.
The maggots then penetrate the skin, make the hole larger and a bacterial infection can set in.
The treatment as set out by Drs Carlson and Giffin in Cat Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook is as follows (I presume the first part has been done by the veterinarian):
Clip the hair and remove all maggots. Wash the infected area with Betadine solution and dry.
Use a nonalcohol spray or shampoo containing a pyrethrin insecticide. Repeat application and check.
If the wound has a bacterial infection it should be treated with an oral antibiotic.
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If your cat is stable, healthy and eating well, I think this is a case of watch carefully. The danger is a bacterial infection and a return of maggots.
For that reason the vet wanted you back to check on progress.
On the face of it, there would seem to be no reason why you cannot purchase a nonalcohol spray or shampoo containing a pyrethrin insecticide as recommended by the Drs and use that to ensure that the maggots are eliminated.
WARNING…an overdose of a spray or shampoo containing pyrethrin can poison a cat..accordingly I would not proceed with this without vet’s advice..sorry. If it is used it must be used extremely accurately and never use dog shampoo on a cat. (source: http://www.cat-world.com.au/pyrethrin-a-pyrethroid-poisoning
An alternative insecticide shampoo might be advisable. Perhaps a telephone call to the vet for some free advice might work?
As to a bacterial infection, oral antibiotics will require a vet’s prescription unless you have some left over from the first visit.
Bottom line: watch carefully and be prepared for a rapid return visit.
Hope this helps.
Feral cat with hole in neck and maggots to Cat Health Problems
Hi Kalyn. Nice comment. I liked it because it is first hand information about something useful in the world of cats. Thanks for sharing.
Hey guys, I volunteer with our local shelter. And I recently pulled a maggot out of a little kittens neck. This you can completely do yourself if you can not afford a vet. Its a two man job. Poor alcohol down the wound to suffocate the maggot. The maggot will poke his head in and out of the hole so have someone else use tweezers to pull it out will you squeeze it. This will not hurt the kitten, maybe feel like a pinch. After you are able to get out the maggot poor hydro peroxide so it can heal. I hope this helps you. Its a two man job. Good luck. The kitten I pulled the maggot out of its been two weeks and his wound is almost completely healed and I don’t notice the smell cause its a shelter. It smells ALL the time. Ha. Good luck!
The very best of luck with the medical treatment for your cat. Once everything is done and health has been restored you will have a fine and loving bond between you.