Expert: Jessica - 8/17/2010

Question
Hi...I was wondering if you could answer my question about botfly removal and treatment for cats. After removal, would keeping the cat in a cage where it can't get the hole dirty and cleaning the hole be enough? it is my friend's cat, and so I can't take him to the vet...he is only 1 month old and the botfly is located in his neck. it is scary, because he could die soon. any information will be acccepted!

Answer
Hi Taylor,

If there's absolutely no way for this kitten to be seen by a vet, the safest thing to do with a botfly larva is to leave it there.  I know it's gross, and I know it goes against everything that we want to do, but it's true.

Botfly larvae do not generally harm their host animals.  They don't eat their flesh or suck their blood - they just use the warmth and moisture of their skin as a protective place to grow.  I know he's just a baby kitten, but remember that botflies often afflict baby squirrels and rabbits, too.  

There are basically two times when botfly larvae become dangerous to kittens:  when they die, or when they leave.  The first is much more dangerous.  Because people are highly likely to kill the larva trying to remove it, it's much wiser to just leave the larva alone.  After the larva is finished growing, it will try to back itself out of the skin and leave.  If all goes as planned, the kitten will be left with a hole that you can rinse with some mild soapy water and apply some Neosporin to a couple times a day, and he should heal up in no time.  He shouldn't need to stay in a cage, although I do recommend keeping him indoors to avoid more botflies.  

I always recommend vet removal of the larvae because there is the potential that things won't go this smoothly.  The larva could die, causing a toxic reaction, or the wound it leaves could be so large the infection is inevitable.

You're likely to find suggestions of removing a botfly larva with tweezers or smothering its breathing hole with Vaseline, or drowing it with alcohol, etc., if you look online.  But once you kill the larva, it can't get itself out of the hole.  A cat's immune system can cause him to go into shock and even die when it starts to absorb proteins the dead larva is leaking.  And if you burst the worm trying to pluck him out with tweezers, the effect can take hold even more quickly.  These are the reasons it's better to let the larva stay its course than to try to get rid of it yourself.  Only a trained professional should try to remove a botfly larva.

Good luck with the little one!

Jessica