So. Its almost that horrible time of the year again. When we get the proccesional caterpillars come to ground. This year looks as if its going to be a very bad year, looking around us we have many more nests than last year. Rick's theory is that because of the pine wilt nemotode problem so many pines have been cut down in our area and this obviously leaves less places for them to make their nests, so the pines that are left are really covered, the government here doesnt seem to do anything to control them, its just an accepted part of spring, everyone warns you... oh watch out for them... they are so dangerous....but no one does anything..
Now there is good news and bad news about this...
The bad thing is... these damn things will kill a cat, or a dog very easily.. They apparently smell highly attractive to cats and dogs, who lick, sniff and try to eat them, we even had our Bonnie dig up some after they had gone to ground for the summer...
You have to be very quick to spot the symptoms, which can range from , a mild dose , gulping, drooling and a sort of cough.. to a bad dose, of massive drooling, tongue and face/head sweeling and rapid unconsiousness and death... Even a mild dose can in some animals cause Narcrosis of the tongue which will result in death eventually.. [I CAN ONLY TALK ABOUT DOGS, AS WE HAVE NO CATS EXPERIENCE]
Now...to dog lovers all that sounds like a nightmare.... and it can be, but... and its a big but... it need not be that bad... There are tons of websites and reems of info on the net, telling you that there's nothing you can do, or to do quite often silly things... even local vets here often just say nothing can be done...
Thats WRONG!!
Im not going to set myself up as an expert..Im not, by a long way... . but all I can do is tell you what we were told to do, and it worked...This is from personal experience....so if you have pine trees near you...
First...
Now, during Feb, buy these pills,(MEDROL. they are a prednislerone) from your local chemist... they are not expensive, they come in many sizes, we buy the 16mg ones as anything smaller and its difficult getting 20 pills down a dogs throat when its sick... Our dosage is roughly, for Beesa who is almost 50kls now 6 pills. Bonnie has 3. . It works out around 2mg per kilo of dog, dont worry about overdosing, you cant.. always give more than you think, not less... all it will do is make them very hungry...WRITE YOUR DOSAGE ON THE PACKET When /if the worst happens, you may panic and forget the dosage... Always keep the box in a agreed place to everyone...I also keep some cheesy triangles to pop the pills into , as our dogs like them. From the end of Feb if the weather is warmer, right through till early June... if you go out leave your dogs in the house... yes I know its hot, and they may pee in the house... but whats worse? pee in the house or a dead or dying dog in the garden...check around your area every morning, lots of times... if you have pine trees near you. These things can travel... fast..If you see them on the ground, pour petrol on and set them on fire, DO NOT try to move them, pick them up or touch them, even with your shoes... the fine hairs can in extreme circumstances cause humans to go into anaphalactic shock .
We have had a problem with these things with two dogs now and both lived, and continued happily and healthily...
Our lovely boy Cola the Doberman, used to love to play with pine cones... he chewed and used them as balls... the trouble is, whenever these creatures crawl over anything, like cones, they leave some of the irritating hairs that cause the trouble... your dog or you picks up the cone... and the problem starts... luckily with him, it was a mild dose, coughing, drooling, gulping... eating tons of grass etc.. we spotted the signs and acted within a hour or so...which was pushing it, but it was our first time and we just knew he was ill and not sure of the cause..
Then our stupid Bonnie... actually dug up and ate one... she began to be violently ill almost straight away, uncontrolable pooing... her face swelled to double its size within a very short time... 10 mins.. and she was unconsious, it was terrible. But we forced the pills down her and within an hour she was playing in the garden... the most important thing with both these cases, is speed... we had the pills, we used them... and we were there to spot the signs....
Yes... its a pain in the bum , we check the whole place all the time during the few weeks of the worst period.. we shut them in if we are not there, we carry the pills with us if we walk them in the forest... and we give the pills even if we are not sure... but for us its worked.. and our girls lives and health are worth the hassle...
You will know if you have nests in your pines trees, they look like a bundle of cobweb, or white candyfloss...
