# Ate a Wooly Bear Caterpillar



## Ranger's Mom (Sep 5, 2010)

Hi there,

I thought this would be the perfect forum to ask advice on this. My 2 year old male ate a fuzzy Wooly bear caterpillar a few hours ago. He immediately tried to hack it back up, the only thing that I have ever seen him want to get out of his mouth once it went in!  I am a little worried about him because he has tried to throw up a few times now ( just gagging, not coughing). A quick google let me know that these are not poisonous, but the barbs from the fuzzy "fur" may stick into membranes. Should I give him Pepto Bismol?? One person suggested that to another query on another site.

Unfortunately this is a Sunday of a long week-end here, and there is no-one at my vets office to call for advice.

Please let me know if you have any thoughts on this!

Kind Regards,

pam


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

My Bridge Boy Sam did the same, years ago, without complications.
I THINK Ranger will be fine.

I's kinda funny how you introduced this Thread...as if we don't ALL know Ranger. 

Oops to me...we now have 2 Rangers...sorry.

Welcome to the Forum....

..she says with egg on face.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Welcome to the board!

You could feed him a couple slices of bread, that should move things down his throat if there is any fuzzy fur pieces lurking.

Would love to see pictures of your boy!


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## janine (Aug 8, 2009)

Yummy!! I have hear that the wooly bear caterpillar will indicate what kind of winter we might have. How fuzzy was this caterpillar? Maybe Ranger didn't want you to know something.  I bet Ranger will be fine if this caterpillar was not poisonous...I would try to throw up if I ate a fuzz bug too.


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

I would check with your vet first but when Daisy got into some burrs and had a terrible time getting the stickers out of her throat, I gave her a Tums and some honey. The Tums coats the throat, as does the honey. It did just take some time for the stickers to work their way out but the coatings were soothing in the meantime.

Eating grass seems to help too, that's what Daisy wanted to do most ... so I let her  At least when she was eating grass, she wasn't hacking.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Hello Ranger's Mom from...another Ranger's mom!!

Is there an emergency vet clinic you can call to get advice? I'd be worried about the prickly parts getting stuck in his esophagus/digestive tract. Does he seem to be worried or distressed at all?

It must be the name...I can see my Ranger doing the exact same thing...:doh:

Welcome to the forum!


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## Ranger's Mom (Sep 5, 2010)

*Thank You*

Thanks very much for all of the thoughtful replies. His hacking has stopped for the time being, and he is definitely still his usual goofy self. He just had his dinner, had a nap and then awoke acting like he would like to be sick (slight retching). When I took him outside he just wanted to play! I have never seen him ill before and am not quite sure what to do for him.

I am grateful for a forum to ask advice. I am sure that I will come back often. Ranger became part of our family last November, at the age of 22 months. He is a lovely boy whose breeder did not want to show him further. We are a larger family (3 young boys) and after much deliberation decided that a puppy was not for us right now. It is a match made in heaven, he is just a joy.

Someone asked for a pic ~ gladly 

Thanks again,

Pam


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

He's gorgeous!!! I'll bet he's happy in a home with 3 boys!


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## Muddypaws (Apr 20, 2009)

Count me guilty too, I was thinking of our Ranger in the black suit. 

Welcome and I have to say I giggled when I read the title - yuk!!:yuck: It does sound like something Ranger B would do.

I hope he feels better, I would give him white bread it should help pass the wooly bear through. Too bad you didn't get a look at the stripe (just curious about the coming winter). He is a handsome boy.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Am I going to have change my user title to "The Black One"??


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## Ranger's Mom (Sep 5, 2010)

It's amazing how much aggravation one little caterpillar can cause !! :yuck:

Ranger is just fine, definitely has something bothering his throat, but all in all, just fine. He would never usually eat something like that, however, our 3 year old was holding it flat in his palm. Ranger must have assumed it was snack time and ate first ~ not bothering to ask what it was  lol Yes ... that does say that Ranger thinks that he is higher in our "pack" than our 3 year old ... we are working on that .. lol.

Thank you all very much for the feed-back.


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## C's Mom (Dec 7, 2009)

Welcome from a fellow Canadian.
Ranger is beautiful. I had to google Wooly Bear Caterpillar. They are cute - as far as yucky insects are concerned.


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## AlanK (Jun 28, 2008)

Welcome :wavey:from Georgia to you and Ranger. Glad to hear he is OK this morning. He is a handsome guy


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## Noey (Feb 26, 2009)

should be ok. If your guys coat is thick and full this winter - cold snowy winter. If his coat is thin warm winter. 


Just kidding but he should be fine. And they say based on stripes and how fuzzy they are it tells you about the winter ahead. My guys just look at them and get puppy face and bark like little girls.


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