Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pine caterpillar stings causing tongue damage and vomiting in 109 dogs
By Pouzot-Nevoret, Céline et al.·Published in Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology·2017·Intensive Care Unit (SIAMU), France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pine processionary caterpillar Thaumetopoea pityocampa envenomation in 109 dogs: A retrospective study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 109 dogs experienced severe reactions after coming into contact with the pine processionary caterpillar, leading to painful tongue lesions. Most dogs showed symptoms like vomiting and some had breathing problems or diarrhea. The severity of tongue damage was linked to how quickly the dogs received treatment; those treated within 6 hours had better outcomes. Fortunately, 97% of the dogs survived, and while some had lasting tongue damage, it didn't significantly affect their quality of life. Quick action is crucial for the best recovery.
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Abstract
Contact with the caterpillars of the pine processionary moth (CPPM) Thaumetopoea pityocampa induces severe local allergic reactions. The purpose of this large-scale retrospective cohort-study was to describe the clinical manifestations and related risk factors of CPPM exposure. This cohort-study included 109 dogs between the years of 2000 and 2016. Tongue lesions ranging from oedema to severe necrosis were observed in 94/109 dogs (86%). The following systemic signs were observed in 60/109 dogs (55%): vomiting (52/109, 48%), dyspnoea (6/109, 5%), hypovolemia (4/109, 4%) and diarrhoea (2/109, 2%). Based on the time elapsed from CPPM contact to the first oral flushing, three groups were defined: <2 h (group 1, 37/105, 35%), 2 h-6 h (group 2, 39/105, 37%) and >6 h (group 3, 29/105, 28%). Tongue necrosis (TN) at admission was significantly more common in the dogs in group 3 than those in groups 1 and 2 (45% vs. 5% and 5% respectively, p = 0.0002). In addition, the development of TN during hospitalisation was significantly more common in the dogs in group 3 (65%) than in those in the other groups (21% in group 1, p = 0.02) and 31% in group 2, p = 0.001). The dogs in group 3 presented a 14.63-fold higher risk of TN at admission and a 3.78-fold higher risk of developing necrosis during hospitalisation compared with the other groups. The survival rate after exposure was 97%. Long-term follow-up data were available for 69/109 dogs (63%). Twenty-three dogs (37%) had persistent, definitive TN without major consequences on quality of life. Elapsed time between contact and first oral flushing appears to be a key determinant for the progression of necrotic lesions, and the best results were observed when flushing occurred within 6 h of contact. The prognosis of CPPM envenomation is excellent, with a short hospitalisation duration.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28356233/