Something like maggots

Question
Our cat is very sick, and he is already being treated for liver issues, and we will most likely have to have him put to sleep this week, but I discovered something I'm very curious about.

Yesterday his poop started clumping in his fur around his bottom, so I was cleaning that up and cutting it out. I discovered that something very similar to maggots (but MUCH smaller) were coming out of his anus (or a spot near his anus -- I couldn't quite tell). He also has a spot on his underside next to his genitals (a small circle, maybe the circumference of a marble) where these "maggots" seem to be coming out. I scraped them away with my thumbnail, and a minute later, more appeared from inside. They seem to behave like what I have seen of maggots, but they are very tiny (smaller than angel hair pasta and only about 1/16" long). Could these actually be coming from IN him? And what might they be, if not actual maggots?

Answer
Hi Carolyn,

I regret to say that these probably ARE, actually, maggots. I believe your cat's skin became damaged for whatever reason - he may have had a traumatic injury, or the skin may have become ulcerated due to fecal burns. Flies, usually a species called blow flies, are attracted to fur matted with waste, and they will lay their eggs in open wounds due to the moist nature that protects their eggs. The eggs hatch, and tiny maggots emerge. If caught right away, a vet can spray the area with ether to encourage the maggots to come out. As long as the wound isn't badly infected, the prognosis is good. If the infection is bad or the maggots are left too long, the prognosis gets worse. The maggots can turn parasitic and eat away at the tissue, burrowing into the flesh. This needs treatment immediately at an emergency facility - it can't wait until tomorrow or Tuesday.

Treatment for superficial maggot infestation usually only takes a couple hours and isn't very expensive. But if you are facing euthanasia this week, it might not be fair to put him through the ordeal, since it will probably require a short stay at the vet, as well as an uncomfortable cleaning of the lesion. He will require antibiotics for the lesion, as well.

I hope all goes well with whatever decision you make.

Best wishes,
Jessica