Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with severe stomach inflammation after eating caterpillar hairs
By Stone, K et al.·Published in Australian veterinary journal·2023·Veterinary Specialist Services, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Suspect severe gastroenteritis associated with ingestion of caterpillar setae fragments in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 6-month-old male Domestic Shorthair cat was brought to the vet after not eating for a day, being unusually tired, and showing signs of mild stomach pain. An ultrasound showed that his stomach and intestines were swollen, and there was fluid in his abdomen. A biopsy revealed that he had ingested tiny, spiky hairs from a caterpillar, which caused severe inflammation in his stomach. This is the first known case of a cat getting sick from these caterpillar hairs, and it highlights the dangers of certain caterpillars. Treatment details were not specified, but addressing the gastroenteritis would be crucial for recovery.
People also search for: cat not eating · cat stomach pain · caterpillar hair poisoning in cats · cat lethargy causes · gastroenteritis treatment for cats
Abstract
A 6-month-old male neutered Domestic Shorthair cat was assessed for a 24-h history of anorexia, lethargy, depressed mentation, mild abdominal pain and persistent bradycardia. Abdominal ultrasound revealed marked thickening of the gastric wall, gastric distension, free abdominal fluid, distension and corrugation of the small intestine. Full-thickness histopathological biopsy of the gastric wall demonstrated intralesional chitinous structures whose morphology (size and presence of obvious barbs) supports these structures being urticating hairs (setae). A processionary caterpillar is considered most likely as these are the most common urticating caterpillars in Australia. This is the first case of suspected severe gastroenteritis associated with the ingestion of caterpillar setae fragments in a cat.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37082941/