What’s hiding inside a lump

What’s hiding inside a lump


Our pets get lumps for lots of reasons. One of them is a creepy-looking parasite.

The cuterebra [cute-er-Ē-bra]—a nearly 1-inch-long parasitic larva — starts out as a bot fly egg laid in the summer or fall, usually near a rodent burrow. Eggs stick to any passing animal—including your pet—then hatch into larvae. A larva enters the body and travels under the skin until finding a place to grow. Then it makes a breathing hole overhead and waits.

Eventually, the cuterebra falls out of the hole and develops on the ground into a bot fly. But not if you find it first — inside your pet. Chances are, you’ll want to pluck or squeeze it out immediately — but don’t. The larva must be removed in one piece, and that’s a job for your veterinarian.

A cuterebra is just one cause of a pet’s lumps. Your veterinarian will look for others as needed.

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