Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pine processionary caterpillar poisoning signs in 11 cats
By Pouzot-Nevoret, Céline et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2018·University of Lyon, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pine processionary caterpillar Thaumetopoea pityocampa envenomation in 11 cats: a retrospective study.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Eleven cats were treated after coming into contact with the pine processionary caterpillar, which caused symptoms like painful tongue lesions and excessive drooling in most of them. Some cats also experienced vomiting, but all of them recovered fully. The cats were hospitalized for a maximum of 48 hours, and follow-up showed that none had lasting health issues. Overall, the prognosis for cats affected by this caterpillar is very good, and they returned to their normal lives without complications.
People also search for: cat tongue lesions caterpillar · cat vomiting after caterpillar exposure · pine processionary caterpillar symptoms in cats
Abstract
Objectives The aim of this study was to describe the clinical manifestations in cats of contact with caterpillars of the pine processionary moth. Methods Data were retrospectively obtained from the medical records (2004-2016) of cats that had been in contact with caterpillars of the pine processionary moth. Results Eleven cats were included in the study. The prevalence of lepidopterism was 0.13%. Tongue lesions and ptyalism were both present in 10/11 (91%) cats. Systemic signs consisted exclusively of vomiting and were encountered in 4/11 (36%) cats. The survival rate was 100%. Long-term follow-up data were available for 7/11 cats, and none of the cats showed impaired quality of life or definitive sequelae. Conclusions and relevance The clinical presentation of lepidopterism in cats appears to be similar to that in other animals; however, the clinical signs are less severe than those previously reported, mainly owing to the cautious behaviour of this species. Moreover, the prognosis is excellent, the length of hospitalisation is short (maximum 48 h) and our study showed the absence of any long-term disability after hospital discharge.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28795901/