Dog Has Larve?

My bunny rabbit had this problem when I was a kid and we fixed it at home. My dad took a pair of tweezers and dug in there and pulled the fly larva out. It was gross but the bunny healed up after that. I have never heard of a dog having the same problem, but I remember the issue clearly. It wasn't a lot of little maggots, it was one big fly larva. Some special kind of big fly that dug in and made a big (almost dime sized) hole.

Ask at the local shelter about where to go. They might even have a vet who can take care of it. If not, they should know of a place to go. Best of luck!

Have you tried talking to a vet about making small payments? A phone call to discuss this with them may help.

Greetings C.,
I first want to say Congradulations for stepping to the plate and doing the best things for the children in your life. The most important memory those children will have is that you loved and sacrificed for them.
I have 5 children- 4 by birth and one a foster child that never left us. I have several foster children that are still apart of my life and now their children are the lights of my life. I know that they have told me that the foundations that we set have helped them through the rough times. So keep that strong love always no matter how tough it gets.
About the dog.
I know how important an animal can be in the family. I have been in your situation and found that my vet because we had been with him so many years was great about only charging me for the medications and not the visit. He even told me what to use that I might have at home ** I once had the Dalmation on the same ear infection medication as my child!! The other place you might turn to is the local animal control. They may have a list of vets that can help you because of your finacial situation. So many people are giving up their pets because they have to that I am sure someone in the area will help. I want to know more about how you plan to help make a differance. That is my goal everyday, one way is MamaSource for me and another is to help each day to make a differance in a childs life. So let me know please. Nana Glenda p.s. I just read your message several times and got that you were searching for help so you could take care of business but didn't see that you were asking for money-- just thought you'd like to know. Nana Glenda

C.,
I have worked in the animal health industry for over 15 years. The first thing you should know is that the animal needs to be seen by a vet. Without knowing what you are dealing with, any steps you take could cause most problems, not less. I am appauled at the mama that said "most of what vets do is not rocket science..." Saying that is irresponsible. Every maggot is not the same, some can cause zoonotic diseases, and some cannot (diseases that can be transferred to humans.) The commenter who told you to pull it out with tweezers has no idea what they are talking about. With some situations you can do that, however, depending on the type of maggot, if you accidently puncture it, you may have a massive reaction in the dog that would require euthanasia or $100's more in bills.
I do not know what area of town you live in, but there are several vets that are lower cost - for example, Dr. Frank Lapuz at Northgate Vet Hospital is one of them. Many vets will work with you, such as All About Pets,Dr. Linda Zucca, in Citrus Heights. An office exam will cost approximately $35-50 depending on where you go. Once you get to the vet, talk with them, tell them you have a limited amount of money to spend up front, and they can give you some options. The biggest thing to know is that most vets get into the business to help animals, not to make money, and would rather see the animal healthy than anything else.
If you have any questions and would like to contact me directly, please do, but know there are a lot of options for you once you know what you are dealing with. For all you know, it could be anal glad abcesses, or full anal sacs. Your groomer is not a vet and cannot make that diagnosis.
Good luck and I hope whatever decision you make is one you are comfortable making.

I second the rescue organization idea. You might also be able to find a good home for the dog on Craig's List, if you are honest about the dog's medical problem AND the reason why you cannot afford veterinary care,

I am sorry, but in this economy, food and heat are more important to your children than pets. I was raised to think of pets as family members too and I looked down on people who rehomed their pets as "irresponsible", but when I caught myself feeding my son Top Ramen and my cats Max Cat and realized that I was getting more checkups at the veterinarian than the pediatrician then I knew my old attitude didn't fit my current situation.

My cats now have loving homes with owners who can afford to give them the care they deserve and I have a little bit more money for essentials for my son. He still loves animals and has plenty of opportunities to interact with pets at his friends' houses.

Kudos to you for taking in your nieces and for working (without pay) to help homeless PEOPLE. I am so sorry that other posters were harsh to you when you asked for help and I hope that you don't think that my answer is harsh as well, but times are hard and necessities for our children need to come first. There is no shame in not being able to afford luxuries like pets.

I didn't read all the responses, but maybe you could ask a local rescue group or shelter if they have a vet that does free work for shelter dogs and maybe you can volunteer to work off the balance? There is also a company called Care Credit that finances vet visits- my mom got one for her dogs surgery that was somewhere around 300 dollars and she pays the balance off interest free at $15 a month. As far as feeding your kids, look into the food closets and churhes in your area. A lot of places are giving out extra food this time of year, and with 7 kids in your care, I am sure you would qualify for some assistance. Best wishes to you with your family- especially your dog!

Hi C.,

I feel for you and your dog. First, have you tried calling the local human society, many of them have free clinics. Secondly, you might try calling your local vet -- where you may have taken the dog over the last nine years -- and explain your situation. The vet may understand and also be willing to see your dog for free.

Good luck!

We haven't had any animals for some time, so I'm not familiar with vets. However I did a quick search for websites and found this one... among some others. Check this out and see if it is helpful... or put in your own search to find some of the others. I simply put in the words "animal fly larvae" to get to these. You might want to substitute the word "pet" for animal, because I got some sites talking about problems in wild animals too.

http://livestockhealth.suite101.com/article.cfm/protectin...

If you have to face the worst case scenario of having the dog put down... which I think is the likely case if you take him to the pound... you will know that you have made the best decision for your children, but I hope you don't have to do that.

C., Hang in there! I totaly understand your situation. If your dog truly has a fly larve, the link below will tell you how to remove it. You will need an 'assistant' to help hold the dog while you deal with the larve and clean the wound. If you get to the point where you must take him to the vet, check with your local SPCA or Humane Society. They will sometimes have a reduced fee clinic you can use. My vet wanted $300 to neuter a stray dog we rescued. The Houston Humane Society charged me $70 to neuter, give shots and worm. Good luck.

http://www.ehow.com/how_###-###-####_identify-bot-flies-d...

So many people are similar situaitons and I sympathize with you. I agree, talking to your vet if you have one and have a relationship with them is a good place to start. I have no idea what they will say and they may not be in a position to help as they have their own business to run and families to take care of. The other thing I thought of was to talk to the manager of the local pet store, especially if they have shot clinics. They may be able to help you find a vet who is low cost. Also ask your friends who have pets about the vet they see. I know just for a Drs visit at my vet it's between $40 and $50 depending on the time you bring they in (Evening hours being more expensive). Maybe make the appt and let them know your situation and that you are very limited in the care you can give the dog. Maybe they can choose the most conservative approach, teach you what needs to be done and find the lowest cost alternatives if medicine is needed. Take care. I really hope it works out for your dog and family.

I have seen this on 2 dogs and it takes a long time to fix with home cures. The SPCA should have a free or cheap vet. You can try the following if you want ( no guarantees or liability accepted).

wound wash made using the following: 30 ml (1/8 cup) of dried Echinacea root (Echinacea purpurea or Echinacea pallida), 15 ml (1 tbsp) dried self heal (Prunella vulgaris), 30 ml (1/8 cup) of dried oregano (Origanum vulgaris), 15 ml (1 tbsp) dried lavender flowers (Lavandula angustifolia), and 15 ml (1 tbs) dried calendula flowers (Calendula officinalis) (all chopped and used to fill 2/3 of a glass jar with vodka added to fill). A salve made by adding the following to olive oil and beeswax: 15 ml (1 tbsp) fresh comfrey (Symphytum officinalis), 15 ml (1 tbsp) calendula (Calendula officinalis) flowers and 15 ml (1 tbsp) chickweed (Stellaria media).

I agree with finding a vet, recommended by family or friends and seeing if they can do a payment plan or provide a consultation over the phone. If you are honest about your situation with them, they might help. Good luck!

Do you have a low cost clinic where you are? For instance, Fresno has HOPE Animal Foundation - it's a low cost clinic. We took in two stray cats who needed fixing and testing ... our regular vet (who I know is on the higher end of costs, but they are worth it - but we lost our jobs and can't afford them right now) gave us a cost estimate of $1000 for both cats. HOPE was $200, and we added services.

Good luck! Poor pooch ...

do you have a vet that you normally take your dog to that you have a relationship with already? I think that you should try bartering. I am sure that there are many usefull things that you could do to trade with a vet. If it is a woman vet, maybe making some dinners for her? Or cleaning her house? doing her christmas shopping for her. You might be surprised how much you can get by bartering! I definately think it is worth a try to ask if he/she would be interested in helping you out. And who knows, they may offer to just take care of it for you for FREE!! but at least if you offer, they would see that you are not just trying to get something for free, that you are willing to put in some work to get what you need! And it may be just an easy fix something that they can do quickly and pretty inexpensive. If you don't have a relationship with a vet already, or if your vet says no, I would just go through the phone book! LOL ~ but that is just me. I hope that you find a way to get this taken care of. Maybe even like the SPCA if you called them would pay for it for you? That is what they are in the business of right, taking care of animals? I hope that you can get this resolved. I wish that I was a vet, I would do it for you for free if I was! Good Luck! and I hope that you and your family have a wonderful Christms, it is so kind of you to take in your nieces when you are already struggling.

Call your vet and explain your situation. Try to work out a payment plan with them. If they won't get the phone book out and start calling the vets. I'm sure there is one that will help you out. I can give you the names of a couple of vets in the northbay.

Hi C., I am a big animal lover so it is hard for me to hear stories like yours. I would suggest you call around and see if there is a low cost vet who could help you or make payments. It may just be that your dog needs an antibiotic or something. An animal is part of the family, so I understnad why it would be hard to take it to the pound because he is sick. They do have vets at the pound who could also help. Also, have you tried posting this question on Craigslist in the pet section? There are people who may be able to help you too. I know how hard vet bills can be. I have a big one right now. I can't even afford our bills, but my animals are getting older and luckily my vet lets me make payments. If your dog is indoor, you may want to take him to a vet asap to make sure what he has can't be contagious to humans. Good luck

have you heard of Care Credit? it's a credit card that you have to get pre-approved for if your vet accepts it and they will approve you for a certain amount and then you have three months to pay it off with no interest if it's under 300 bucks. longer if it's more money. if your vet doesnt accept it, explain your situation and the vet may work with you. i also use a site called allexperts.com that has people who might be able to help you. two holes near the anus sounds like it might be glandular. my dog had a clogged anal duct and i had to stick this tube of medicine up in the hole and that cured it. please take your dog to the vet. i know they are expensive, but your dog is counting on you to care for it. we got a dog from the pound who had pneumonia and ended up costing us 2000 bucks thats how we found out about care credit. i dont work, just my husband, so this was a huge deal for us. care credit gave us a year to pay it off with no interest. the vet we see now doesnt accept it, so i have to use a credit card, but my animals are worth it. please dont take your dog to the pound, they are overwhelmed and will more than likely put it down. i just thought of this..what if you contact a rescue organization and see if they can help with expenses and then place the dog with another family. good luck.

I understand your financial circumstances but that pet has been in your life for 9 years and deserves medical attention. (by the way, I didn't think you were asking for money. Taking it to the pound won't necessarily help it get the care it needs. I am willing to help you pay for the visit even though I've been laid off. And maybe someone else on this site would offer to help. I don't believe in letting the poor animal suffer. Please feel free to email me directly (the site lets you do that under my response box). There is a credit card you may be able to apply for called Care Credit that is taken at some vets that will allow you to defer interest for up to 6 months so you can pay off the bill in 6 months without paying interest so that might help a bit but you'd still have to pay. But at least it's in payments. Not all vets take the card though so it would be good to call your vet first. Let me know if I can help!

I would call the SPCA and let them know what the problem is and that you don't have the money for the vet. They may be willing to treat him for little or nothing or to give you the name of a free vet clinic. The SPCA is much less willing to put an animal to sleep than a regular pound or animal shelter, and if all your dog needs in order to stay in a loving home is a couple of hundred dollars to see a vet, I think they would help you or give you the name of a vet who would help you. My experience with the SPCA has been absolutely wonderful, they truly love the animals and want to help them live long healthy lives. I don't think anyone who loves animals and has chosen to work in that field would see a family member of 9+ years be sent to the pound over $200...Maybe even a payment plan of $20 a month or something? It would cost an animal shelter more than that amount to take care of the dog and try to find it another home (not too many would adopt a 9 year old dog) so they really would probably rather help you keep the dog than to have you surrender him, not to mention how sad it would be for everyone to see him put down.
Good luck and best wishes,
A.

Hi C.,
Have you tried contacting your vet to ask if they can see the dog? Explain your situation and see if they can let you pay in monthly installments or give you a discount of some sort? Sometimes they will work with you.

Or, I think I heard of Pet Smart or PetCo doing some low cost vaccinations, you might check to see if they also do low cost check ups.

Good luck. I also have a dog and I wish you the best.

I found this website, too, it may be something to check out:

http://www.televets.com/
http://digg.com/pets_animals/Vet_Help_Direct_Interactive_...

I did a google search for Free Vet Advice.

B.

Hello,
I'd recommend that you call or visit the SPCA and ask for advice. They've seen every problem there is to see, and they are always happy to give advice. Also they maintain a list of vets and clinics that will work at reduced rates or sometimes free. Their ultimate goal is to keep your pet in your house and out of the shelter. Give them a call, you'll be surprised how helpful they can be.

Best of luck, I know how hard your situation is - we were there a year ago.

The larvae they are referring to are maggots. Bad for your dog, bad for your family. They are super hard to get rid of once they find a wound that they like. If you cannot afford to treat him the best thing to do is have him euthanized at a local shelter (depending on where you live)or surrendering him to a shelter keeping in mind that most shelters dont have the resorces to treat a case like his either and will most likely euthanize. Also bear in mind how this will affect your family. It is a good lesson on caregiving and finances for your children. Sounds like way too much on your plate with all of the kids. Best not to get any more pets.

Have you looked on the internet for how to get rid of them yourself? If they are fly larvae, then they are maggots. It's pretty easy to tell when something is a maggot. If it's not obviously a maggot, then your dog has something else.

Many things vets do aren't rocket science, and then they charge you a freakin' fortune, so I would think a person could remove maggots themselves.

It would never occur to me that you were asking for donations.