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Thread: Never in my life

  1. #1
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    Default Never in my life

    Never in my life ... have I ever been so GROSSED OUT!!!

    My Susie developed a bot fly warble several weeks ago. I wasn't too concerned about it. It was uneventful and dropped out after 3-4 weeks. I became concerned a week or so ago when I noticed that she had developed more ... a LOT more. As they got bigger it became obvious to me that she had 15 or more warbles. Now I was very concerned. When she came to eat, I became more and more horrified. Each warble was weeping fluid/waste. Her back was completely wet. Our temperatures have been in the 90's and I was concerned that this much fluid loss would cause dehydration. On Saturday morning I realized that she was very compromised. She was lethargic, wobbly and only ate a small piece of avocado. I knew in my heart that she would die if I didn't intervene.

    On Saturday afternoon, I was looking for her and calling her name. I had just about given up when I saw her approaching me. She climbed up to my shoulder. The odor was horrible. She smelled like she died 2 days ago. I slowly walked into my house with her on my shoulder. I got some fruit and shelled nuts (her still on my shoulder) and walked to the bathroom. She ate some avocado, a blueberry and the nut.

    Her baby cage was empty. I walked over to the cage and she jumped right in. I couldn't believe it. I tired to give her fluids but she wouldn't take it. She snuggled under the fleece and went to sleep. Today she didn't eat anything. I bought watermelon and she ate a little.

    I knew what I had a do. Thanks to Rhapsody for the instructions on BotFly removal.
    Tonight was BotFly showdown. I put a little Vaseline on the opening and the sucker started moving. I grabbed it with my needle nose pliers and pulled. I was fearful that I would pull it in half but they are very leathery. They fight like a dog. They pull against you but I wasn't letting go. I pulled the first one out. I could NOT believe how big they are.

    This was the grossest thing I have ever done in my life. I believe I am scarred for life. I removed 8 tonight. She has at least 6-8 more. We'll try again tomorrow. She did fantastic but I knew it was time to stop. She cried on the last two and was grinding her teeth. I was exhausted and so was she. I gave her antibiotics.

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    I already took a shower ... I think I need another one. I need to be autoclaved. Even though I didn't touch them,
    I don't think I can ever eat with these hands again.
    My poor Susie ... this is just awful!

  2. Serious fuzzy thank you's to HRT4SQRLS from:

    stosh2010 (06-01-2018)

  3. #2
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    Default Re: Never in my life

    Oh, poor girl! I'm so glad she has you.

    Good lord, you could never pay me enough to live in Florida!

  4. #3
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    Default Re: Never in my life

    I hear ya Farelli but I will say that I have NEVER seen the bot flys as bad as they are this year.

  5. #4
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    Default Re: Never in my life

    OMG! That's horrendous I've never seen anything like that...not even on the Internet. Poor you...but poor, poor Susie Are the wilds going through this? Ugggh! I'm speechless! But you have my admiration and my pity...I feel for ya.. Poor Susie well, actually "lucky" Susie
    Make the world a better place...one animal at a time



    The Peace of Wild Things
    BY WENDELL BERRY
    When despair for the world grows in me
    and I wake in the night at the least sound
    in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
    I go and lie down where the wood drake
    rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
    I come into the peace of wild things
    who do not tax their lives with forethought
    of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
    And I feel above me the day-blind stars
    waiting with their light. For a time
    I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

  6. #5
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    Default Re: Never in my life

    did you flush the holes out? poor thing ...and hooray for you for being able to pull them out!

    Simon's video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mzpwo0r35l0

    “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened.”
    ― Anatole France

  7. #6
    sid'smommy Guest

    Default Re: Never in my life

    My squirrels would insist on grooming me non stop... trimming cuticles, removing splinters, etc... They know they don't belong there, so I really don't get why they just don't snatch em out themselves ??

  8. #7
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    Default Re: Never in my life

    Quote Originally Posted by Sweet Simon's Mommy View Post
    did you flush the holes out? poor thing ...and hooray for you for being able to pull them out!
    Yes, by all means....... flush them out.
    I use diluted Bedatine in a 5cc syringe and flush out a few at a time.


    So glad your little girl Susie is doing better and will feel better in the days to come.

  9. #8
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    Default Re: Never in my life

    Quote Originally Posted by sid'smommy View Post
    My squirrels would insist on grooming me non stop... trimming cuticles, removing splinters, etc...
    They know they don't belong there, so I really don't get why they just don't snatch em out themselves ??
    Once you pull one of these warbles out --you will see WHY!! ...they are hard to extract, a squirrel could never do it.

  10. #9
    sid'smommy Guest

    Default Re: Never in my life

    Seriously?? I think we need some video on the next session !

  11. #10
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    Default Re: Never in my life

    Quote Originally Posted by sid'smommy View Post
    Seriously?? I think we need some video on the next session !
    It is hard to extract and tape at the same time..... need a helping hand. But a video is needed of this issue.
    ...... some times you can even hear a POP when they come out, that is how hard they pull against you.

  12. #11
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    Default Re: Never in my life

    Oh goodness, I know - they are awful!! When Lenny had about 5 of them, I finally brought him in as I just couldn't stand watching him suffer anymore! I wanted to remove them, but they were so close to coming out anyway and I was scared I might hurt him if one died inside him, so I let it be. But they were totally GROSS!!!! And I felt so sorry for him - he just seemed so washed out, just like Susie. They do extract a natural antibiotic while they are in the host, and that is the only thing that kept me sane waiting for them to exit.
    Glad you were able to get all of those nasty things out of her successfully - I'm sure she will feel much better now.
    Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

    "Don't cry because it's over - smile because it happened." Dr. Seuss

  13. #12
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    Default Re: Never in my life

    Susie looks much better this morning. She is eating breakfast right now. Me, on the other hand ... I'm not sure I'll ever eat again.
    I would love to video the next session but that will be impossible. I am by myself and it takes 2 hands to do this and that is if they are cooperative. If they fight you, it would be a two person job. As Rhapsody said, they don't come out without a fight. They pull hard against you. I wanted to shout, PUSH, PUSH but oh ... that's something different. :rolleyes:

    In regard to the question about flushing the hole, I have to say that I did not flush them. I had the diluted betadine solution prepared but was afraid to use it. I knew that I would be unable to remove them all and was fearful the the betadine might kill the others that were still in the warble. Does anyone know the answer to this question? Would the betadine kill them? My hopes are that the antibiotic will take care of the infection.

  14. #13
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    Default Re: Never in my life

    Poor Susie!


    I don't think infections are typically an issue with bots? I would probably remove all of them and then rinse out. I have never seen that many bots it one time.
    See my wild squirrel adventures in the thread "Squirtle's yard!":
    https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...quirtle-s-Yard!

    Loving dad to Sir Max, 2017-2018. There is no foot so small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world.

    "Once in a while you get shown the light, In the strangest of places if you look at it right."
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  15. #14
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    Default Re: Never in my life

    Good Lord, Patti -- you are my hero of the...millenium!!!
    Not sure I could ever do what you've done....city girl that I am, I would be screaming while driving 120mph on the FDR drive to Manhattan to Dr P -- regardless of time of night or day!

    You are amazing for having helped her like this.....WOW.

    Note to farrelli: we have bots in the northeast as well. Even in Mass.
    Island Rehabber
    NY State Licensed
    Wildlife Rehabilitator


    "Ancora Imparo" (I am still learning)
    Michelangelo


    *
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    NEGLECT IS ABUSE.

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  16. #15
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    Default Re: Never in my life

    Oh my, poor little Susie! I have never heard of bot flies. Are they only in the more southern states? They are gross!

  17. #16
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    Default Re: Never in my life

    I feel your pain and yes, those things will gross you out! Nasty things! Wish I was where I could help you and bless Rhapsody for being there for you and giving you instructions . I have a snake bite kit that I use to remove them, works like a charm. Just be ever so careful not to break one in half or leave a dead one behind. I have only been faced with that one time and it was awful and scary. Bless both you and Susie for having to go through this ordeal. And yes, you will shutter and your skin will crawl for days after this. Hate bot flys and what they do to our squirrels, some years are worse than others. Thank God many of our released babies know to come home to momma for help !
    Anne
    Wildlife and Squirrel Rescue,Inc.
    Rescuing Fl squirrels since 1979
    Moderator: NFSA Emergency Care
    Wildlife Intake Coordinator and Rehab Consultant at "The Ark Wildlife Care and Sanctuary Inc"
    http://www.thearkwildlifecareandsanctuary.com/

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  18. #17
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    Default Re: Never in my life

    This sounds like a pretty effective weight loss method. Remove bots and never eat again...

  19. #18
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    Default Re: Never in my life

    Sainthood suspenders for you! Poor girl must have been sucked dry. I wonder if Revolution would keep bots away. I've had a couple of issues with warbles but only one bad enough to take action--and that was left to the vet--and THAT was for a squirrel who had scratched one raw and I was worried it would die and kill the squirrel. Vet found SIX and got rid of them all. Many of my releases will let me put a bit of Revolution on them. I'll do it if it keeps those nasty maggots off em!

    URK! The warble diet :toung3

  20. #19
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    Default Re: Never in my life

    http://youtu.be/cfguv6V0p2A

    Here is a video I ran into. Granted it's not our heroic Heart ..
    But just a taste of what she went though. It talks about the flushing and stuff.

    And Oh those pictures.. That poor baby.. Poor You.
    I am not surprised she came to her cage... She knows your a helper !

    Good job Heart!

  21. #20
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    Default Re: Never in my life



    Ok... I just removed three more. That makes 11 removed so far. There are 4 more to go. I am afraid to remove the one under her chin. I will leave it. I am afraid to put that much force on her jaw. It should leave on its own in a day or 2.

    IR, I certainly considered taking her to a vet. I would have gladly paid whatever the cost to have NOT had to add this to my resume. I will never feel clean again. I don't have a wildlife vet. The wildlife vet in my area is strictly 'by the book'. I could take my flyer 'pets' but I can't take wildlife because I am not licensed. Of course, in a pinch, I'm sure I could link up with other members vets or maybe it's time to meet Dr. L.

    Under normal circumstances, I don't think I could have done this either but I really felt it was a matter of life or death. It was clear to me that she was failing and needed immediate intervention. That made all the difference in the world. It really is not that difficult but you really need a strong stomach. If the visual won't kill you the smell will.


    Here is a little information about the distribution of Bot Flys in squirrels.
    I think I'm moving WEST.



    Distribution


    The tree squirrel bot fly has been reported from some 20 states in the U.S. and two Canadian provinces throughout eastern North America (east of the Mississippi River).

    Within Florida, it is found throughout the northern and central parts of the state (including the Panhandle) but is rare in or absent from more southern counties, despite the presence of tree squirrels in these areas.

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