Having a dog under your responsibility implies a series of necessary care to ensure its well-being. One of them is to protect him and know how to act against the danger of insect bites and other animals such as the processionary caterpillar, which can put the health of your little furry at risk when you go for a walk in forests full of pine trees.
Protecting your dog from the bite of the processionary caterpillar and other animals is essential for his health, but sometimes it is unavoidable. Therefore, it is important to know what you should do in the face of this type of setback. To find out what to do if your dog is bitten by a processionary caterpillar and what are the symptoms that help identify this bite, in we recommend that you continue reading this article.
What is the pine processionary caterpillar
It is a species of moth, popularly known as moth fly, belonging to the family of notodontids. The processionary is not colorful, since it is a caterpillar at night. In addition, pine processionaries are larger than oak processionary caterpillars.
These caterpillars are a pest in pine forests and are considered the most determining defoliating insect of the Spanish pine forests. Therefore, it is very important that you be careful when walking with your dog through this type of forest, since the effects of the bite of the processionary caterpillar can be lethal.
The pine processionary caterpillar is especially dangerous because it contains up to 600,000 whitish stinging hairs that provoke unpleasant allergic reactions. These hairs have barbs that contain a toxin, Thaumatopine, which is the cause of irritation in case of contact.
When attacked, this caterpillar shoots its stinging hairs and benefits from the effect of the wind, which can drag them up to 200 meters away. After expelling them, the toxin maintains the effect for a year.
Symptoms of processionary poisoning in dogs
Contact in humans with the stinging hairs of the processionary caterpillar causes symptoms similar to those of insect bites. The intensity of the reactions depends on the number of hairs with which the caterpillar rubs the skin, which can cause severe allergic reactions and even anaphylactic shock.
The symptoms of processionary caterpillar poisoning in dogs are similar to those in humans. If your little furry has been in contact with this caterpillar, you should immediately go to a veterinarian because the risk to his health is so high that his life is in danger: he may suffer allergic shock or necrosis in the affected areas of his body.
Therefore, if you ask yourself “What happens if my dog is itchy by the processionary?”, pay attention to the following significant symptoms of processionary poisoning in dogs are the following:
- Irritations and inflammation: contact with the caterpillar in areas that are not covered by fur can cause irritation or inflammation in the dog’s snout, and can spread throughout the head.
- Allergic reactions: referred to the respiratory tract of the small hairy by inhalation of the hairs of the processionary caterpillar.
- Digestive problems: “How do I know if my dog has eaten processionary?”, if you ask yourself this question you should know that, if your dog swallows some stinging hairs, he can suffer digestive problems in the form of vomiting or irritation and inflammation on the tongue. So, keep an eye out for these symptoms of processionary poisoning in dogs.
- Conjunctivitis: contact with the eyes can cause conjunctivitis in your dog.
- Fever: other symptoms to be aware of from your dog’s contact with the processionary caterpillar are fatigue, fever and mucosal damage.
What do I do if my dog is bitten by a processionary caterpillar?
Your dog can come into contact with the processionary caterpillar’s dangerous stinging hairs in different ways, either with an abandoned nest, with the caterpillar itself, or by sniffing the ground and bumping into the hairs. In all cases, it is essential to go to the veterinarian immediately to avoid suffocation due to swelling in the respiratory tract.
If your dog is bitten by a processionary caterpillar, follow these steps:
- Stay calm: Stay calm, as nerves can work against you. This way you will avoid making mistakes in the first aid to your furry friend.
- Remove stinging caterpillar hairs: Use gloves and a mask to wash the affected areas of your dog’s body with hot water. If there are hairs on the fur, you should put it in the bathtub to spray it completely with hot water.
- Avoid licking your dog on the fur or paws: this is so that he does not ingest any of the stinging hairs of the caterpillar. Try not to scratch to prevent the itching from increasing and causing wounds.
- Go to the vet: this is a preventive measure for lethal reactions. You probably need some medical treatment.
How to prevent the bite of processionaries in dogs
To prevent your dog from coming into contact and suffering the bite of a processionary caterpillar, in OneHowTo we recommend that you follow these tips:
- Walk your little furry through areas far from those at risk: if there are large infested areas, there are usually signs that delimit them.
- Avoid contact of the dog with caterpillars and nests: pay special attention to those on the ground making sure it does not sniff it.
- Walk with your dog on a leash: if you cannot avoid walks in risk areas, use the leash to better control all their movements.
If you have found this post useful about what to do if your dog is bitten by a processionary caterpillar. If in your case you can avoid any symptoms of processionary poisoning in dogs by killing the pest in your garden, for example, take a look at our article How to eliminate processionary caterpillars.
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