I fought 100 flesh eating maggots from hell

FrankFrank 2,379 Posts
edited February 2007 in Strut Central
About a year ago, we adopted three genuine West African street dog puppies that were abandomed in front of our house. I never had a dog or even a cat before and my wife and me had entered a strikt "no kids - no pets" agreement when getting married but we just couldn't leave those little dogs out there in the dirt to die. They were all close to death, starved and sick. After a multitude of trips to the vet and a diet of chopped rump steak, they quickly gained health and weight and we just completly fell in love with them.The smallest one, Sumba (with me in that old, infamous "retired in my garden" picture) was in the worst shape when we found it, eyes fogged over, probably mostly blind and disoriented, just a handful of flearidden fur and bones, she became the most lively one out of the trio. She's alway doing her own thing, digging up huge holes everywhere in the garden, hunting for strange, alien looking bugs twice the size of a NYC cockroach that appearently taste absolutly delicious.Last week I noticed a small bump on one of her thighs, thinking it was just a small wound she got fighting with her sibblings (hey, african street dogs play rough). Only two days later, last Friday, I had another look and found the whole area and also the other thigh although to a lesser extent and the first half of her tail to be full of bumps and sticky from wound fluid. I got my clipper and shaved off all fur from her hind legs and tail... my first suspision proved right: Tumbu Fly infestation!The tumbu fly looks like a green blow fly, it's also called Mango Fly or something cute-sounding in french that I forgot. It is most common around blooming mango trees (we have a gigantic one in our garden) and it lays it's eggs onto soil that smells like mammals often sit or move around there and also onto clothes that is hung out to dry (always iron your clothes or use a drier!)The larvae enters the skin through pores or hair roots within seconds and quickly starts to grow while munching away on living tissue. They actualy eat flesh and not only suck blood which causes intense pain and human vistims have told that one can actualy feel the maggot move and squirm around.One fly lays around 200 eggs and therefore the maggots often appear in clusters.They grow about half an inch long and have a breathing hole on one end and sharp little jaws on the other. It looks a little bit like a pimple and when you look close and apply some pressure, you can see the dark breathing hole move around in the center of the sore.I called the vet but couldn't reach him.Then I puverized one Valium and one Iboprufen, mixed it with a small can of Pate de Canard. I gave Sumba this mouthwatering treat, got a bottle of iodine, paper towels and a jar to fill with maggots and after she started showing signs of the Valium kicking in, began extracting the maggots by just squeezing them out with my fingers one by one, dumping the wiggling worms into the glass jar. It took me close to 4 hours during which the dog cried and howled heartbreakingly... I would estimate the total of removed maggots to be somewhere between 80 and 120, hard to say, I gave up counting quickly, strongly concentrating on not puking all over myself and my dog. Sometimes the maggots raptured inside the skin resulting in splatters of gue shooting up into my face.It was horrific, heartbreaking and truly disgusting.Now she looks like someone had shot her behind with a shotgun.Don't ask me why I thought I had to share this, hope I didn't cause anyone to face his breakfast for a second time, have a nice day y'all!

  Comments


  • twoplytwoply Only Built 4 Manzanita Links 2,917 Posts
    That's serious devotion.

  • nzshadownzshadow 5,526 Posts
    That's serious devotion.


    Jesus. That is absofuckinglutly disgusting but at the same time heart warming.

    Heres to you Frank.

  • jaymackjaymack 5,199 Posts
    absofuckinglutly disgusting but at the same time heart warming.

  • kalakala 3,362 Posts
    oh lord diggin for rarer in africa has it's perks!!!
    if not a coup one day then,,,,,,,
    you are a kind soul mr voodoo child
    poor sumba

  • FlomotionFlomotion 2,391 Posts
    Ha ha they truly are revolting. I think it's pretty common in dogs but my g/f of the time got them in her arm and on her shoulder - vaseline over the bump makes them come out - but, yes, you could see the bumps moving.. Always iron your clothes was the lesson I took away from that one. One thing for your doggy - it's fine if they come out whole but if any bits of the larvae are left under the skin it can go nasty. Once you've got them all out the dog it's best to give antibiotics. Hi frank lol.

  • mordecaimordecai 2,204 Posts
    absofuckinglutly disgusting but at the same time heart warming.

  • truefuckinglove.

  • spelunkspelunk 3,400 Posts
    truefuckinglove.

    You win on so many levels, in particular RR and Doggie related ones.


  • BurnsBurns 2,227 Posts

    damn, i thought afro mix #4 was ready for downloading from the title of this thread.

  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    Great story.


  • Big ASPCA points Frank!!

    Thanks also for not posting the most gruesome pics for tumbu fly infestation.

    I did a quick google search and regretted it
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