Asked on the Cat Forum by Janewagner on 9/5/2004, 6:07 pm

Q: Kitten Warble

I have 2 stray kittens that I believe have a warble on their necks after reading the description on a web site. I can't take them to a vet and have been spraying the warble hole and area with alcohol diluted with water and applying antibiotic salve. The first kitten with the warble seems to be much better. I've been treating him/her for a week. The second kitten just had the warble hole appear on his/her neck in the past day. What else can I do to help them on my own?

Answered by anta on 9/5/2004, 7:36 pm

A: Kitten Warble

WARBLES ARE FROM THE BOT FLY AND THE LARVE GOWS IN THE HOSTS BODY UNTILL FAIRLY LARGE. IVE READ THAT THE BOTFLY LARVE CAN BE KILLED BY TAKING AWAY ITS AIR SUPPLY, BY PUTTING VASELINE ON THE SKIN WHERE THE LUMP IS, BUT YOU WILL STILL HAVE TO EXTRACT THE LARVE. TRY TO KEEP THE KITTENS APART UNTILL YOU SEE AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE SECOND ONE. LARVE DEVELOPMENT VARIES AMONG SPECIES, RANGES FROM 20-60 DAYS. BEFORE PUTATING THE LARVE LEAVES THE CATS SKIN AND FALLS OUT , SO KEEP A CHECK ON THEIR BEDDING AND KEEP IT REALLY CLEAN. AS YOU KNOW THIS IS NOT A NICE EXPERIENCE FOR THE KITTENS AND IT MUST BE MAKING VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. YOU SEEM TO BE A VERY CARING PERSON AND I HOPE THIS WILL HELP YOU. IF THIS PROBLEM PERSISTS TRY TO SEE A VET, THEY MIGHT JUST NEED ONE DOSE OF ANTIBIOTICS EACH
> necks after reading the description on a web site. I can't
> take them to a vet and have been spraying the warble hole
> and area with alcohol diluted with water and applying
> antibiotic salve. The first kitten with the warble seems to
> be much better. I've been treating him/her for a week. The
> second kitten just had the warble hole appear on his/her
> neck in the past day. What else can I do to help them on my
> own?
>

Answered by HedgeMom on 9/6/2004, 6:33 am

A: Vet needed

> I have 2 stray kittens that I believe have a warble on their
> necks after reading the description on a web site. I can't
> take them to a vet and have been spraying the warble hole
> and area with alcohol diluted with water and applying
> antibiotic salve. The first kitten with the warble seems to
> be much better. I've been treating him/her for a week. The
> second kitten just had the warble hole appear on his/her
> neck in the past day. What else can I do to help them on my
> own?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You can't help them on your own. See, the problem is the bot fly larva eat from the inside to the outside. So there is a maggot in that hole eating your kitten. And it can be as large as a quarter. You cannot guarantee that there aren't other bot fly larva working their way towards the kittens brains, lungs or trachea. If that happens, the kittens may die. Even if that doesn't happen, the secondary infections can be massive. After all, the kittens are acting as living hosts, incubating insects in their bodies. And if you try to "smother" them, they will just eat another air hole in the kittens skin.

Please find some way to have the kittens seen by a vet. The kittens need complete physical examinations, surgical removal of the current warbles, antibiotics to prevent infection and a check to make sure there are no warbles forming in the trachea or other spots.

If finances are an issue, UAN Lifeline helps in the case of strays and rescues. http://www.uan.org/lifeline/index.html

Also some shelters offer low cost clinics and some private vets will take payment plans or reduce their costs for strays and rescues. Call around and find someone who will help.