Cuterebras Get Under Your Pets’ Skin!

Medical Definition of Cuterebra:

a genus of botflies of the family Cuterebridae comprising large usually dark-colored botflies with larvae that form tumors under the skin of small animals (such as rodents and rabbits)

–Merriam Webster

Check out our video! It is a bit blurry, but shows what the bott fly larva looks like both under the skin and as our trained professional, Dr. Clevenger, extracts it from its hidey hole. You never want to try to get one out yourself because they can break and leaving any under the skin can cause infection.

Dogs get these more often than other pets because they like to play in areas where rabbits roam free, but cats are definitely not exempt. You may have noticed a proliferation of bunnies in Colorado Springs. We see a few cases at Pikes Peak Vet every year and the bott fly is likely becoming more common as well. Think your dog has a new lump? It might be a relatively easily-solved issue, so have your vet check it out!