Processional caterpillars and pets

[sophie]

They are on the march again and have been for the last two weeks. A further word of warning, they don't always move in a procession and can wander around in your garden on their own. We have just spend nearly 4 hours at the vets as a result of one of our little dogs eating a single caterpillar. Within seconds she was frothing at the mouth, her tongue was swollen to three times its size and had turned a dark purple. She has been an agony because of the caterpillar going down her throat and has been badly sick. She is at home now and laying in her basket completely motionless and we've to take her back for further drips and antihistermin serum tomorrow and possibly for a week, depending on how she reacts to treatment.

If you see these vermin, then destroy them immediately, not only are they killers to pets, they are extremely painfull if the hairs touch human skin and they destroy trees. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES TOUCH THEM WITH BARE HANDS, WEAR RUBBER GLOVES AT ALL TIMES.

[Hippocampus]

Thank you, Sophie, for taking the time to warn us all.

Somebody a few years back told me a horror story, and the same scenario happened to me a few weeks later. Had I not been informed, I would possibly be dead now.

[bigbadbob]

Hi this is quite disturbing can anyone describe what they look like or even better post a link with a photo as I think I destroyed one on the kitchen floor last friday with the dogs watching me!!

[Lor51]

Thanks for this Sophie, I had a look to see what they looked like and lo and behold they are the same ones that I thought were cute whilst walking the dogs the other day.
Bob, you can find them on wiki or other sites, they are brown and black and covered in hairs, they shoot the hairs if in danger, the hairs can cause an allergic reaction mostly causing rashes.

[sophie]

I was with my dog today (second day of being on drips and drugs) and there was a dog just been brought in, she was in a dreadful state having had one of the caterpillars in her mouth. Because the Government don't spray like they used to, they are moving to other areas. I was in Gonyelli this afternoon and some locals were looking at 4 of them who were just about to joint up with another 3. I immediately walked over all of them. Please don't touch them and keep animals well away. if you see the cocoons in pine trees, carefully dispose of them, preferably by fire.

[sophie]

My little dog is still seriously ill having let one of the above in her mouth. Two days ago there were 4 dogs on drips. She is suffering from a type of necrosis of the tongue, mouth and throat i.e. rotting of the flesh and the smell is horrible. Apparently the caterpillars smell sweet so that animals are attracted ot them. Her treatment (6 hours a day on a drip) will hve to carry on for quite a long time yet but she is managing to eat raw egg and milk. Have bought some baby food in jars to try and get some down her throat. I'm amazed people know so little about the dangers of these caterpillars which are spread around the whole of the Med region. Please Google them and see for yourself.

[Lor51]

Sophie, I hope your dog gets well soon, she must be in agony.

[MoBry]

Eewww, those caterpillars sound awful, just looked them up on Google. I do hope your little dog comes good, Sophie, best wishes to you and your pet.

[Philoz]

I really need to get my eyes checked-I thought the post was called -
'Professional caterpillars as pets'
Doh

[cyprusishome]

philoz, your eyes are as twisted as mine!!

Had a cat die in a lot of pain after being bitten by something nasty last year so can empathise with the dog above.
However the tiny critters were here long before we were and should not be killed. We and our pets have invaded their territory not other way around. So please think before indiscriminatley killing any critter you do not want to be responsible for their potential extintion in the future.

[Hippocampus]

I agree with that generally, Cyprusishome, but in this case I believe that we can safely kill these around our homes without compromising the wider population, as we do rats, mice, ticks, fleas, mosquitos, etc. etc. The forests are full of them, they are not about to become extinct.

[cyprusishome]

Catch and remove to a safe place is my philosophy.

[sophie]

It's a week today since my little dog "tasted" one of these caterpillars and she is still having treatment everyday and will probably have to do so into next week. Bill running to 600tl so far. The first 25% of her tongue is slowly dying off and will probably fall off next week sometime. She is trying very hard to eat from the side of her mouth which all she is able to do in future and drinking is going to be a problem now. There have been at least 4 dogs being treated every day, but the smaller they are, the worse the effect unless of

As to not killing these things - they are responsible for most dead pine trees and as a Manager from the Forestry Department told me last year, if the Government don't find some money to recommencie spraying, then there will be no pine trees worth talking about by 2050. The locals have been carefully removing the cocoons and then burning them for years, its not as we foreigners have just come along and decided they have to be destroyed.

[Keithcaley]

I saw some the other day for the first time and took a photo - my dog found them first, but fortunately didn't 'interfere' with them!

I understand that even loose hairs and 'debris' from them can cause severe reactions if breathed in, so a face mask might be in order if you try to move a nest or cocoon or whatever, particularly as it might be above head height...

Be careful out there!

[harita]

What do these caterpillars turn into .. Are they then just as dangerous ..

[Owl Lady]

I saw a couple of nests a few weeks ago in my pine trees. I had seen a few caterpillars on the ground, fortunately the dogs only sniffed one and left it alone. A friend came to remove them in a couple of days,By that time there were seven nests.They seem to appear over night .Apparently they should be removed an burned!!!They are HIGHLY TOXIC.I keep looking in the trees each day now.Hope your dog recovers Sopie

[sophie]

Thanks Owl Lady, I'm sure she will, however from being the fastest eater of the three, she now takes nearly half an hour and has to have largish chunks which she picks up with her front teeth and sort of throws them down her throat. Until she perfects the procedure it's going to extremely messy!! Yes the little "ooops" have to be burned, if you look on most of the web sites on Google, treading on them is not good enough because the spines are still very potent. When they have finished "processing" they choose to go their own sweet way in order to find another healthy pine tree You know if your P.C have left their cocoon because there will be a large black splodge on the ground. This is when they are become too heavy for the cocoon to hold them. Sometimes the cocoon blows down in a heavy wind and they go walk about. Do not pick up the cocoon with bare hands because sometimes the spines become detached from the PC but they are still poisonous.

[kaiserphil]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Processionary

[Owl Lady]

Hi Sopie .How is your dog today,is she any better?

[Owl Lady]

Sorry about the spelling Sophie!!!!

[Owl Lady]

Hi Sophie .Don't know how to send pm How is your little dog now?