Bug in the skin?

[lady_zana]

My sister adopts and tames strays. She recently took in a beautiful black boy that she named Doppelganger. Doppie is as sweet as can be, playful and talkative. However, when she got him, she thought his jaw was lopsided. She figured that when his appointment to the white coats they would tell her if it hurt him and what she could do to help him. (Julia is good with special needs kittens, too. She's a great kitten-meowmy.)

Anyway, she was petting him the other night when the spot on his jaw broke open and a bug came out! We've heard of these and have always heard them called a 'wolf.' Does anyone know how cats can get them? (Maybe from eating garbage before he found his furrever home?) What came be done about them and how do they affect kitty health?

Thanks for the information. Doppie's on his way to the white coats soon. We were just hoping for some information in advance in case we need to prepare anything special for him.

[QueenScoopalot]

http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/b1/botfly.asp
This is the first thing that comes to mind....off to the bathroom to retch.....http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0304/wuerg/vomit-smiley-020.gif Hope the vet can figure out what the creature was so the kitty can be treated. ;)

[Grace]

Sounds like a cuterebra to me - larva of a botfly. Our Reese had one when we found her. It was surgically removed.

Had Doppleganger spent a lot of time outdoors before you got him?

[lady_zana]

Originally posted by Grace
Sounds like a cuterebra to me - larva of a botfly. Our Reese had one when we found her. It was surgically removed.

Had Doppleganger spent a lot of time outdoors before you got him?

Yes, he did. He came to us super-small. He was stray and was half-starved. We thought it might have been a maggot or something because he probably had to eat garbage.:(

Happily though, he's got a furrever home at Julia's and he's picking up weight! He's still too small and needs to be netured. (We have to wait until he gains a little more.) Doppie is living the high-life, eating Purina Cat Chow and getting tons of head scratchies!

Thanks for the info, everyone. You have really helped a lot because we were worried about him.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Eeewwww....poor kitty! <insert Jan's vomiting icon here>:p

[CalliesMom]

If it is a cuterebra bot, the kitties usually get it by digging around rodent burrows. The flies lay their eggs in these areas and the larvae become attached and eventually burrow into the skin of mice, squirrels, etc. It is generally not painful for rodents, but dogs/cats are not their normal hosts and I'm sure doesn't feel so good.