How to Remove Maggots From a Dog

Few things are more repulsive than seeing maggots or worms on your dog. Besides being harmful to the dog, they pose health threats to family members as well as other pets. If you see this condition, knowing what to do will give you peace of mind and relief for your pet.

Things You'll Need

  • Safety razor
  • Small jar with lid
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Latex gloves
  • Tweezers
  • Antiseptic
  • Antibiotic ointment
  • Gauze
  • Adhesive tape
  • Disinfectant soap
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Instructions

    • 1
      Blowflies lay eggs that hatch into maggots.

      Look carefully at a sample of the maggot. Identification of the organism is most important in treating it successfully. Many people mistake tapeworms for maggots. An Internet search will turn up photos and descriptions of both organisms.

    • 2

      Check the source of the worms. Maggots are usually found in an open sore or wound, or on skin exposed to urine or fecal matter. They can be hidden under hair, so examine the dog carefully. Maggots are rather thin and tubular and are a cream or yellowish color. Shave off the hair around the infestation site. Remove any hair containing white fly eggs to prevent them from hatching out and re-infesting the animal.

    • 3

      Wear gloves and use tweezers to pick off as many maggots as you can and place in a jar with rubbing alcohol for professional identification. If the worms are in an open wound and you can remove all of them, do so. This can take several hours for a badly infested site. Maggots under the skin are more difficult to remove. If you cannot get all of them, bind up the wound, make the animal as comfortable as possible, and take it to a veterinarian. Give the jar of specimens to the vet.

    • 4

      Clean the wound gently with an antiseptic such as betadine once you have removed all of the worms. Apply antibiotic ointment and bandage the wound with gauze and tape. Check and re-dress the wound daily and monitor healing. Keep the dog in a clean, comfortable environment while it recovers. Weakened animals are susceptible to maggot infestations.

    • 5

      Clean up any conditions that promote infestations by blowfly maggots. Unclean, debilitated animals are particularly susceptible to maggot infestation. Moist inflamed areas on the dog are prime territory for the flies to lay their eggs. Any dying or necrosed tissue is a main food source for maggots. Once the maggots feed on the animal for several days, they usually burrow into the ground to develop further and hatch into blowflies. Remove the recovering animal from the infested environment and treat the area with an appropriate pest control treatment.