MEGATRON’S JOURNEY TO JOY Cute Cat vs. Larvae GET TO KNOW DR. CONRAD!
Introducing Our New Team Member
Petersen Pet Hospital is excited to introduce Dr. Justina Conrad to our practice as an associate veterinarian! Dr. Conrad grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and graduated from Jefferson High School. Her passion for caring for animals began when helping care for sick and injured ones on her grandparents’ farm. After high school, she attended Iowa State University and received her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science in 2006 and her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2010. Following college, she returned to Cedar Rapids. She is particularly interested in preventive care, nutrition, and avian and exotic animal medicine. Dr. Conrad and her husband, Kurt, have two children, Adelina and Ross. Their family also includes their dog, Colo; two cats, Amy and Oliver; Henry, their bird; and Strawberry, the crayfish. She enjoys spending time with her family, playing games, baking, and reading in her spare time. She is excited to join our team and meet you and your pets!
Megatron is a sweet little kitten who found a home in the wheel well of her now- owners’ camper on a hot July afternoon. After seeing her, her owners noticed that she had some wounds that they wanted to get checked out immediately. Later that day, she was brought in to be evaluated by Dr. Hannah Green and her team for an unknown injury to her face and neck.
As seen in the photo, Megatron had a very large swelling under her right eye with a large amount of discharge and a sizeable patch of hair missing from the left side of her neck, where a scab was forming. The poor girl’s eye was mostly swollen shut from the lump that had formed under her eye. Upon first glance, we were able to see that there were two small holes present in the swelled area. Dr. Green looked closer and found a small, worm-like creature coming in and out of one of the holes.
Immediately, she became suspicious of a cuterebra — a rabbit or rodent botfly larvae. Adult botflies lay their eggs near rodent and rabbit burrows. After they hatch, the larvae enter a host’s body through an opening such as the nose, mouth, or an open skin wound. Cats are accidental hosts of cuterebra larvae and are most commonly infected when hunting rodents or rabbits outdoors. Dr. Green and her
team retrieved the cuterebra from Megatron’s face. She instantly felt relieved by the pressure that was removed. After removing that larva, Dr. Green evaluated the hair loss and scabbing on Megatron’s neck.
Underneath her skin, there was a small lump that felt similar to the size of a Tic Tac. Dr. Green cleaned the area with an anti- bacterial wash, and the scab came off. There was another small cuterebra attached to the scab as well. Megatron was
given a vaccine, tested for two viral feline diseases, dewormed for intestinal parasites, and received a topical flea and tick preventative. She was also sent home on an oral antibiotic to prevent infection of her wounds. By her recheck appointment three weeks later, the scabs on her face had healed, and the swelling had decreased immensely. She is now thriving in her new home and has healed wonderfully. —Dr. Hannah Green Contact us! 319-743-0554 2
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