Local vet, María Martínez Martínez de Clínica Veterinaria Quípar is warning pet owners of the dangers of the processionary caterpillar, which has begun to drop from nests in pine trees.
Maria warns that it is essential to protect our pets from contact with this caterpillar.
«Contact with the processionary can prove lethal, she warns.
«It can cause hives on the skin and other slight reactions but may also cause an allergic reaction with breathing difficulties which may prove fatal,» she says.
The most obvious symptoms that your pet has been in contact with a processionary are changes in your pet´s behaviour, excessive salivation and a swelling of the tongue.
If these symptoms appear wash your pet´s tongue with pressurized water without rubbing at all and consult your vet immediately.
The processionary caterpillar hatches in white bags hanging from certain types of pine trees. They drop onto the ground and then form long «processions» along the ground.
It is important when walking our dogs to look out for the bags and avoid areas where they are prevalent.
It is advisable to try and avoid your pets foraging under pine trees, although, once these caterpillars start moving they move across and along paths and tracks.
