Tea or coffee?

These awful beasts appear every spring, but they seem to be arriving in greater numbers and causing more and more problems for animals and their owners, and staying every year for longer and longer

We see cases nearly every day when some unsuspecting animal or owner has come in contact with them! So here is a quick bit of info which may help if we or our pets are unfortunate enough to come in contact with them. What are these caterpillars and why are they called procesionaria? Their full Latin name is Thaumetopoea pitycocampa. They are the caterpillar stage of a butterfly. They are very social creatures and live in nests and walk around in lines in search of food, hence their name. Their hairs can cause nasty allergic reactions. What is their life cycle? In the winter when most caterpillars are dormant, these caterpillars emerge from their nests at night and go in search of food - the pine needles. They go back to bed at dawn, in the same nest. They survive the cold of winter using three mechanisms, the most important of which is their

nest. Each nest can have 200 or more caterpillars, in which they share their body heat. The nests are made and insulated with silk. In spring they mature and descend from the trees and bury themselves in the ground, up to a depth of 20- 30cm. In the soil they form a silk chrysalis, inside which develops the adult butterfly. They can stay in the soil for months and even years. Usually the adult butterflies emerge at the end of summer, seek a mate and breed. The female butterflies lay their eggs in the pine trees, which in turn, hatch to caterpillars shortly afterwards. So the cycle starts again. What is their defence system? They are not aggressive creatures, they have just developed a very good defence system if disturbed! Each caterpillar has about 500,000 hairs or darts which are sharp at both ends and tipped with barbs and a poison! These can even be fired into the air around the caterpillar and spread in the wind which means that we can be affected even if we don’t touch them. What effects can they have? These hairs/darts are very effective at sticking in and attaching to clothes, skin and even eyes! In the skin they can cause a severe irritation, which can last for several days. The worst lesions can be seen if we get them in our eyes.

‘Nick The Vet’ Because they spend most of their lives in the trees, the caterpillars rarely cause problems. However, problems may occur in spring when they descend from the trees to bury themselves in the ground. This is the time of year when our dogs can come in contact with them. They may sniff them or even play with them, or even worse; pick them up in their mouths. The signs involve swelling of the face and if the tongue or throat is involved, there can be massive swelling with fatal consequences. If they survive the rarer, nasty cases of mouth infections, there can be necrosis, dying of parts of the tongue. What can be done? Obviously, it is best to keep well away from the nests or avoid the woods in the spring. However if owners or animals are exposed, then seek vet/medical treatment immediately. It may be a good idea to carry human antihistamines with you, to be taken rapidly by you or your dog if signs appear, and then seek medical advice as soon as possible. If you have and questions regarding any of the above, please do not hesitate to speak with us. Good luck- let’s hope for more cold, wet weather to kill the little beasties!

‘Nick The Vet’

Mallorca Garage opens its doors

By Vicki McLeod

Has Peter Redrin created the ultimate ‘men’s shed’?

If you are a classic or sports car owner then you may share the issue that Peter Redrin faced when looking for a suitable space to work on his beloved classic car. “There was nowhere that I could find that was a secure place with the right equipment, lifts and tools that I needed”. So true to Peter’s entrepreneurial spirit he found and created that space in Costa de la Calma in South West Mallorca, and named it Mallorca Garage. Mallorca Garage is dedicated to helping and supporting car owners who want to have a clean, secure and friendly space where they can do their own work on their vehicle in comfort and alongside like-minded people. “I equipped it with everything a car enthusiast might need, including a really good coffee machine and a fridge full of beers!” said Peter. The next step has been to form a club, of which there are already eleven members who book time in the space and work on their cars in its comfortable atmosphere. Like all good clubs there will be an upper limit to the amount of members they can accommodate but currently they have space for more members to join. Contact the Mallorca Garage manager, Alex Bell on +44 7538 737889 for more information and a tour of the facilities.

Nicky and Peter

CONSULTATIONS AND ADVICE Consultations are normally by appointment. If a pet falls ill quickly or if there is an emergency, clients should never hesitate in ringing, because the team will always fit the animal in immediately.

PREVENTATIVE HEALTHCARE Prevention is better than cure. These can help detect a disease at an early stage which allows the experts in the clinic to take the appropriate action before it is too late.

FACILITIES We have a fully equipped surgery providing the best facilities for all occasions for your pets.

GENERAL ANAESTHETICS AND OPERATIONS We take great care with our patients, and all patients are checked over before being given and anaesthetic.

ACCESSIBILITY Easy to find on the Bendinat roundabout. Free and easy underground parking and a lift to the door.

SURGERY AND HOSPITALISATION Nick designed the clinic with the pet and client in mind. The reception area is light and friendly and the whole clinic, is airconditioned.

CONTACT • Phone: 971 404 459 • Email: palmavet@hotmail.com

HOURS • Mon - Fri 09:00 - 13:30 & 14:30 - 18:30 • Sat 10:00 - 12:30 • 24hr Emergencies Valentina and Victoria