How do you treat warble flies in dogs?

Treatment for warble flies in dogs varies according to when the dog's owner seeks treatment for the pet, explains VCA Animal Hospitals. If treatment comes after the warble has detached from the skin, the veterinarian cleanses the area, removes the contaminated skin and prescribes antibiotics. If treatment precedes the warble leaving the skin, the veterinarian removes the warble and excises the affected areas surgically.

Canines with fewer warble flies generally suffer substantially fewer side effects, if any, and enjoy a complete recovery from the condition, states VCA Animal Hospitals. The prognosis is much more dire for dogs who face numerous warbles or if a warble moves through or forms near sensitive tissue, organs or nerves.

People rarely notice warble flies in the early stages of growth through mere visual inspection, according to VCA Animal Hospitals. Pet owners usually only note an infection after the larva enlarges into a sizable swelling that a person feels or observes beneath the skin. Warbles create a small, observable breathing hole in the skin that expands as the flea matures and is readying to leave the canine. Most dogs form an abscess or infection where the warble leaves the skin, which may be the first time a caretaker notices a concern.