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Vet solves horsehair worm mystery
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| H&N photo by Gary Thain Three horsehair worms float in a glass jar at Basin Animal Clinic Monday. The worms were found floating in a cat’s water bowl. |
June 6, 2006
By TY BEAVER
H&N Staff Writer
Talk about a nasty hairball.
Dee Gibney was concerned when she found three thin worms in her cat's outdoor water dish. They weren't like anything she'd seen, alternating between lashing about and tying themselves up in knots. She decided to seek a professional's advice.
Gibney brought the worms to Dr. Jim Gansberg, a veterinarian at Basin Animal Clinic. Gansberg had never seen them before and turned to the Internet for an answer.
The creatures swimming in the bowl were horsehair worms and are a parasite of insects such as crickets and cockroaches. They do not infect humans or other mammals.
Adult worms live in freshwater where they mate and lay their eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae and attach themselves to leaves and other foliage near the water.
If an insect ingests a larvae while feeding on contaminated plants, the larvae bores through the insect's gut wall into the body cavity where it feeds on tissue.
When the insect next touches water, the worm senses it and bursts forth to find a mate, killing its host.
Dead beetle in dish
A dead beetle was found in the water dish along with the worms, explaining where they came from. It is not uncommon to find the worms in pet dishes as well as family pools, puddles and animal troughs according to http://www.uky.edu. Because they pose no risk to humans or their pets, they only need to be removed and discarded if discovered. “You can eat them and they won't hurt you,” Gansberg said. This isn't the first time Gansberg has dealt with something unusual in his practice. In the summer of 1997, a client brought in a pet boa constrictor that had swallowed a heating pad, cord and all. The story appeared in the Herald and News and was circulated through the Associated Press wire. Ripley's Believe It Or Not also sent a crew to cover the occurrence. Gansberg performed surgery to remove the pad, and the snake made a full recovery.
By TY BEAVER
H&N Staff Writer
Talk about a nasty hairball.
Dee Gibney was concerned when she found three thin worms in her cat's outdoor water dish. They weren't like anything she'd seen, alternating between lashing about and tying themselves up in knots. She decided to seek a professional's advice.
Gibney brought the worms to Dr. Jim Gansberg, a veterinarian at Basin Animal Clinic. Gansberg had never seen them before and turned to the Internet for an answer.
The creatures swimming in the bowl were horsehair worms and are a parasite of insects such as crickets and cockroaches. They do not infect humans or other mammals.
Adult worms live in freshwater where they mate and lay their eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae and attach themselves to leaves and other foliage near the water.
If an insect ingests a larvae while feeding on contaminated plants, the larvae bores through the insect's gut wall into the body cavity where it feeds on tissue.
When the insect next touches water, the worm senses it and bursts forth to find a mate, killing its host.
Dead beetle in dish
A dead beetle was found in the water dish along with the worms, explaining where they came from. It is not uncommon to find the worms in pet dishes as well as family pools, puddles and animal troughs according to http://www.uky.edu. Because they pose no risk to humans or their pets, they only need to be removed and discarded if discovered. “You can eat them and they won't hurt you,” Gansberg said. This isn't the first time Gansberg has dealt with something unusual in his practice. In the summer of 1997, a client brought in a pet boa constrictor that had swallowed a heating pad, cord and all. The story appeared in the Herald and News and was circulated through the Associated Press wire. Ripley's Believe It Or Not also sent a crew to cover the occurrence. Gansberg performed surgery to remove the pad, and the snake made a full recovery.
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leesa wrote on Jan 23, 2009 12:37 PM:
" these things should never happened in this world. the world should be safe. "
samantha r. wrote on Sep 23, 2008 12:12 PM:
" this article is So true when your a teen girl and your pregnant It seems to feel like your life is over and there is no way you can fix it but that's not true if your young and your going to have a child then stay focused in school your child wants you to succeed in life so he/she can succeed in life my name is Samantha R. I'm 14 years old i live in Klamath falls and i might be pregnant :] If so I'm determined to make sure my child has a better life then i did :] "
Babe wrote on Jan 23, 2008 6:54 PM:
" I think that chiloquin people do need help and not just the teens but i have also seen places that are alot worse i moved from L.A to chiloquin and ive been back there since and trust me chiloquin is nothing. I also think that crime and drugs etc. are noticed more because it is so small compared to other places and there is no form of disaplin at all "
Tony P. wrote on Jan 19, 2008 7:55 PM:
" I remember the night the plane went down.. My mother crying and my dad in tears.. his dad searched for him for years...
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Jane D. wrote on Apr 10, 2009 12:00 AM:
I Love You Bobby
May your soul Rest In Peace
-Deems "