Processionary Caterpillars and Dogs: Symptoms, Dangers, and First Aid

In brief

There are four things you should know about processionary caterpillars. First: the key trigger isn't the caterpillar as a whole but its stinging hairs—and those only develop from the third larval stage onward. Second: the time until the first mouth rinse is one of the few factors for which solid data exist; in a French analysis of 109 dogs, tongue necrosis was considerably more common when more than six hours passed between contact and the first rinse. Third: among the dogs treated by veterinarians in that study, the prognosis was good—severe cases do happen, but they were not the rule. And fourth: the stinging hairs stay active in old nests for years, so the risk isn't limited to caterpillar season.

When nature wakes up in spring, many dog owners head out into woods and parks. That's exactly when the caterpillars are on the move, too. The processionary moths covered here are a European issue: they occur in Europe, including the UK, and around the Mediterranean, but not in North America. If you live in the US or Canada, this guide matters to you mainly when you travel to Europe with your dog. In this article we go through which species is relevant where you are, what happens in the body on contact, what you should do in the first few minutes—and where popular advice makes claims that the research doesn't support or that can even do harm.

👉 The basics of preventive care and health checks for your dog

1. Which species is relevant where you are

Many guides get this point mixed up. According to the Julius Kühn Institute, Germany's Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, three species are relevant for Central Europe, not two (Julius Kühn-Institut, 2019):

• Oak processionary moth – Thaumetopoea processionea
• Northern pine processionary moth – Thaumetopoea pinivora
• Pine processionary moth – Thaumetopoea pityocampa

This matters because the two pine-dwelling species are often mixed up: in German-language sources, T. pityocampa is frequently listed under the name that actually belongs to T. pinivora. The northern pine processionary moth is T. pinivora, and in Germany it occurs mainly in the north and east. T. pityocampa is a Mediterranean species—so it's more relevant for a vacation in southern France, Spain, Italy, or Portugal than for an everyday walk in Central Europe.

For most dog owners in Central and Western Europe, that means the species that matters in practice is the oak processionary moth. Many regional authorities run their own information pages on it; depending on where you live, the forestry authority is usually the contact for woodland and the local municipality or council for public green spaces.

This distinction has an uncomfortable consequence that needs to be stated openly: almost all of the published veterinary literature on dogs is not about the oak processionary moth. The large case series come from the Mediterranean region and concern T. pityocampa or the closely related T. wilkinsoni (Bruchim et al., 2005; Niza et al., 2012; Pouzot-Nevoret et al., 2017). There are hardly any comparable data on the oak processionary moth in dogs. The structure of the stinging hairs and the triggering protein are similar across the species, and authorities explicitly name the hazard to animals—but the figures below come from studies of a related species. We flag this each time rather than quietly carrying it over.

2. When the danger is greatest

The life cycle of the oak processionary moth is well documented (Julius Kühn-Institut, 2019):

• From early April the young caterpillars hatch, in step with the start of the growing season.
• They pass through six larval stages. Only from the third stage do they develop the stinging hairs, on reddish-brown patches called mirror fields. Before the third larval stage they don't yet carry a relevant amount of stinging hairs and are therefore not considered a typical source of danger—which is also why biocidal control is deliberately scheduled before this stage.
• From the fifth larval stage they build the typical silk nests on trunks and in branch forks.
• From mid-June they pupate, which takes three to six weeks. The moths fly from late July to early September.

In practice, this means: there are caterpillars from April, they become dangerous from around May, and the main exposure falls in late spring and early summer. But don't rely on the calendar alone—development depends on the weather and shifts in mild years.

And the crucial point that often gets lost: the nests stay put after the moths emerge. The stinging hairs left inside don't lose their allergenic effect; according to the Julius Kühn Institute, the risk of contact in infested areas persists for years. An old, inconspicuous nest on the ground is therefore not a harmless leftover.

Also documented, and underestimated in everyday life: in favorable weather, air movement can carry the tiny hairs over greater distances, too. They settle in the undergrowth and ground vegetation and cling to clothing and shoes. So your dog doesn't have to have touched a caterpillar or found a nest.

2.1 How to recognize nests and caterpillars

You can only avoid what you see. Four features are characteristic of the oak processionary moth.

The nests sit on the trunks and in the branch forks of oaks, usually on the sunny side. They look like dirty-white to gray-brown silk bags, often the size of your palm or considerably larger, and they look felted rather than fine like a spider's web.

The processions are the image that gives these moths their name: caterpillars move nose to tail in long lines, along the trunk or across the ground. If you see this, give it a wide berth.

The caterpillars themselves are hairy, grayish with a dark stripe down the back, and grow to about five centimeters long. The reddish-brown patches that carry the stinging hairs are barely distinguishable with the naked eye—don't rely on spotting them.

Old nests are what people are most likely to overlook. Over time they fall down and then lie in the leaf litter as inconspicuous, grayed remnants of silk—right at nose height. According to the Julius Kühn Institute, the risk of contact persists for years.

And the caveat that goes with it: some of the hairs lie loose in the undergrowth and ground vegetation without anything being visible. A visual check is therefore no substitute for avoiding known infested areas.

3. What happens in the body on contact

The stinging hairs are barbed and contain the urticating toxin thaumetopoein, which triggers a hypersensitivity reaction of the immune system (Julius Kühn-Institut, 2019). The mechanism is more nuanced than most guides make it sound, though—and that nuance explains why certain first-aid mistakes have such serious consequences. Three pathways work together:

Mechanical. The barbs anchor the hairs in the skin and mucous membranes. That makes them hard to remove.

Toxic-irritant. The hairs have to break for the protein to be released (Ducombs et al., 1979, cited in Bruchim et al., 2005). Thaumetopoein then acts directly on mast cells and causes them to release their contents—without any prior sensitization being necessary (Lamy et al., 1986, cited in Bruchim et al., 2005). That's why even a first contact can trigger a marked reaction, even if the dog has never been exposed before. How strong it is depends on the amount, the site, and the individual animal. And that's why rubbing does so much harm: it can break open additional hairs.

True allergy. On top of that, IgE-binding allergens have been identified, including the protein Tha p 1, roughly 15 kDa in size (Moneo et al., 2003), and later Tha p 2. The practical consequence: repeated contact can sensitize. A dog that reacted mildly the first time may react more severely the next time. So an incident that went off lightly is no all-clear for the future.

4. Recognizing the symptoms

The reaction usually sets in quickly. In the Israeli case series of three dogs, retching and vomiting occurred within two to three hours of ingestion, followed by heavy drooling, tongue swelling, and difficulty breathing over the next two to three hours (Bruchim et al., 2005).

In and around the mouth—by far the most common site. In the Portuguese analysis of 41 dogs, all of the animals showed drooling, difficulty swallowing, swollen mandibular lymph nodes, and signs of pain (Niza et al., 2012). Also described are tongue changes ranging from swelling through ulcers to localized necrosis, as well as fever and vomiting.

In the eye. Conjunctivitis, keratitis with cellular infiltrates, corneal ulcers, and inflammation of the front part of the eye have been documented in dogs (Costa et al., 2016).

Systemic. Reported signs include elevated body temperature, rapid breathing, difficulty breathing, cyanosis, swollen lips, and swelling of the lymph nodes on both sides (Bruchim et al., 2005).

What to watch for in everyday life: sudden heavy, often foamy drooling; pawing at the muzzle; rubbing the head on the ground; swelling of the lips, tongue, or muzzle; discoloration of the tongue; blinking or tearing in one eye; refusing food and water; vomiting; restlessness or lethargy.

Go straight to an emergency clinic—don't wait, and don't set off without calling ahead—if you see: obvious difficulty breathing, pale or bluish gums, collapse, shallow breathing, or marked swelling in the throat area. This is the situation in which the airway is genuinely at stake.

4.1 How urgent each sign is

The list above mixes observations of differing urgency. For the moment when you have to decide, it helps to rank them.

Straight to the clinic, no detours: labored or wheezing breathing, an outstretched neck with the mouth wide open, blue or pale mucous membranes, collapse, a swelling tongue that no longer fits in the mouth. These are the signs where every minute counts—call while you're driving.

See a vet today, and promptly: heavy drooling, retching, repeated licking or rubbing of the muzzle, visible redness or swelling of the tongue and lips, signs of pain when the head is touched, watery or squinting eyes.

See a vet as well, even if it looks mild: any well-founded suspicion of contact. A dog that has sniffed at a nest and isn't showing anything yet is not out of the woods—in the Israeli case series, the first signs appeared within two to three hours, and the time factor from the next section starts running from the moment of contact, not from the first symptom.

That is the crucial point: just as with suspected poisoning, you don't wait for signs.

5. First aid – the order of steps

The time window is one of the few variables in this area for which solid comparative data exist. In a retrospective analysis of 109 dogs from a French intensive care unit over 16 years, the animals were grouped by the time between contact and the first mouth rinse: under two hours, two to six hours, and over six hours. Tongue necrosis at admission was significantly more common in the group with more than six hours than in the two faster groups. The authors describe the time to first rinse as a decisive factor in the development of necrotic lesions (Pouzot-Nevoret et al., 2017).

Please don't misread this as a buffer. The message is not "you have six hours," but: the earlier you rinse, the better, and beyond six hours things get considerably worse. This study also concerns the pine processionary moth, not the oak processionary moth.

Step 1 – Protect yourself. Put on gloves before you touch your dog. The hairs affect your skin in just the same way.

Step 2 – Get your dog out of the area and calm him down. Stop him from licking any further or rubbing his face. Keep him still, but don't restrict his breathing.

Step 3 – Rinse, don't wipe. Rinse the affected areas and the mouth generously with clean, lukewarm water, and carefully flush the eyes as well. Lots of water, as little mechanical contact as possible. Don't rub, don't wipe, don't brush.

Step 4 – See a veterinarian, even if the signs are mild. Call ahead so the practice can prepare. If you see any of the warning signs above, go to an emergency clinic or the emergency service.

Step 5 – Take care of clothing and surroundings afterward. After contact, wash your own clothing at a minimum of 60 °C. Note where it happened and report it: for woodland, usually to the forestry authority; for public green spaces, to your local municipality or council.

6. What you shouldn't do

No muzzle in an acute case. You sometimes read the advice to put a muzzle on the dog to stop further licking. We expressly advise against it. If the tongue, lips, or throat swell up, a muzzle is the last thing the dog needs: he has to be able to pant and breathe freely, and swelling can increase within minutes. On top of that, a dog with pain in his mouth will hardly accept a muzzle willingly. The muzzle has its place in prevention, not in acute care.

Don't wipe around inside the mouth. Wiping out the mouth with a cloth is widely recommended, but it contradicts the principle of not rubbing. Mechanically, it's the worst approach: the hairs release their protein when they break. That's exactly why rinsing is the method of choice—and it's also what the studies recorded as the intervention.

No home remedies. No oil, no vinegar, no disinfectant.

No creams or ointments while hairs are still lodged in the skin.

Don't medicate on your own. Neither with products from your own medicine cabinet nor with leftovers from earlier treatments. What gets given is for the veterinarian to decide based on the findings.

Never remove nests yourself—and expressly don't hose them down with a jet of water or burn them off. Both stir up the stinging hairs heavily and spread them over a wide area (Julius Kühn-Institut, 2019). This is a job for specialist companies with protective equipment.

For other emergencies in everyday life with your dog, we've put together what to do in case of suspected poisoning and what belongs in a sensible dog first-aid kit.

7. What happens at the vet

Between your phone call and the all-clear lies a treatment that hardly any guide talks about. Knowing what happens there takes away some of the tension—and helps you ask the right questions.

7.1 The call ahead

It matters more than with most other emergencies, because the practice can prepare: have rinsing solution ready, prepare sedation if needed, keep a treatment area free. Tell them three things on the phone: suspected processionary caterpillar contact, how long ago the contact was, and what signs your dog is showing.

The second piece of information is the crucial one. It determines how urgent things are—the relationship from section 5.

7.2 The treatment

The focus is on thoroughly rinsing the mouth, throat, and affected areas of skin. If the dog is in pain or resists, this is done under sedation, because a superficial rinse achieves little and the throat can't be examined otherwise. That's not a sign of a severe course but the prerequisite for thorough care.

Then the tongue, oral mucosa, throat, and eyes are assessed—completely. Some of the changes lie beyond what you can see at home.

What follows depends on the findings and is for the practice to decide: pain relief, anti-inflammatory medication, circulatory support if needed. If there is swelling in the throat or breathing problems, the dog is monitored, and that means as an inpatient.

7.3 Why monitoring continues

What's special about this kind of poisoning is that the full extent only becomes clear over several days. The Israeli case series describes tongue tissue dying off only two to five days after admission to the clinic (Bruchim et al., 2005).

In practice, this means: being discharged the same day is no all-clear for the week. So ask explicitly what you should watch for over the following days and when a follow-up check makes sense—that's the point from section 11.

8. How dangerous is it really?

An honest assessment is worthwhile here, because the wording online varies widely.

Severe cases are real and documented: tongue necrosis with sloughing of the front part of the tongue occurred in the Israeli case series two to five days after admission (Bruchim et al., 2005). Airway swelling and anaphylactic reactions have been described.

At the same time, the largest available dog cohort, with 109 animals, concludes that the prognosis is good and the hospital stay short (Pouzot-Nevoret et al., 2017). This explicitly refers to dogs that reached a clinic and were treated there—it is not a statement about untreated cases. And even with pronounced tongue lesions, the case series indicate that these are rarely extensive and that the animals can usually continue to eat and drink.

Taken together, this gives you the right attitude: every suspected contact needs to be checked by a veterinarian, and with breathing difficulty every minute counts. But death is not the typical outcome, and panic helps no one—structured, fast action does.

8.1 Reporting – and what happens next

Section 5 lists reporting as the last step of first aid. Because many owners don't know where to report or why, here is the context.

Where. Depending on where you live, the forestry authority is usually the contact for woodland, and the local municipality or council for public green spaces—parks, playgrounds, schoolyards, street trees. On private land, the owner is responsible.

What to report. The location as precisely as possible, ideally with coordinates from your phone or an unambiguous description, and whether there are nests hanging in the tree or caterpillars moving on the ground. A photo taken from a safe distance helps.

What happens next. Depending on the situation, the area is cordoned off, signposted, or a specialist company is brought in. Removal is done with protective equipment, usually by vacuuming or burning—both expressly belong in professional hands, for the reason given in section 6.

And why it's worth it. If a reported site gets signposted, that benefits everyone who walks there after you. According to section 2, nests stay active for years—so a report has an effect beyond the current season.

The flip side: take warning signs seriously, even if there's nothing to see. They aren't there because someone saw a caterpillar, but because an infestation was confirmed.

9. You're affected too

This section is almost always missing from dog guides—even though you're the one with your hands on the dog when it matters.

9.1 What happens to you

The stinging hairs act on human skin through the same mechanism as in dogs. Typical effects are an itchy, burning rash on exposed skin, eye irritation, and—if hairs are inhaled—coughing, a scratchy throat, and in unfavorable cases breathing difficulties. Here, too: repeated contact can make you more sensitive.

People with asthma or known allergies may react more strongly. Breathing difficulty, a widespread rash, or eye involvement should be checked by a doctor—for both of you.

9.2 What this means for first aid

That's why self-protection from section 5 isn't a formality. If you rinse an affected dog's mouth without gloves, you get the hairs on your hands and then carry them to your face.

What fits in a jacket pocket and makes the difference when it counts: a pair of disposable gloves and a small bottle of water. Both cost next to nothing and are never at hand exactly when you need them.

9.3 And afterward

Wash clothing at a minimum of 60 °C, separately from the rest of the laundry. Shower and wash your hair before you sit down. Vacuum the inside of the car if your dog was transported in it—the hairs cling to fabric and stay active there.

And the point that gets overlooked at home: your dog will later lie on his blanket, in his bed, on the sofa. Whatever you brought in on your clothes, he'll find there again. So the cleanup isn't just about you.

10. Prevention

Avoid infested areas. Keep up to date on current warnings and take posted warning signs seriously. It's not only woods that are affected: parks, playgrounds, rest areas, schoolyards, and cycling and hiking trails can be infested too, as can sunny standalone trees in residential areas.

Keep your dog close. In high-risk areas: no free roaming, no rolling in the grass, no sniffing at tree trunks. Reliable loose-leash walking makes this relaxed instead of a constant struggle.

Train a recall and an interrupter cue. This is where training genuinely protects health: a recall that works even with distractions can get your dog away before he reaches the nest.

A muzzle as a precaution—trained in advance. For dogs that put everything in their mouths, a well-ventilated muzzle can make sense in infested areas. The prerequisite is that it has been built up through positive muzzle training before you need it.

Check your dog after the walk. Look at the muzzle, paws, ears, belly, and underside. If you suspect contact, rinse the coat with water instead of rubbing it dry—and wear gloves while you do.

Don't forget your own clothing. It carries the hairs into the house, where your dog will lie on them later.

11. After contact: the next few days

Keep watching your dog even after the acute reaction has subsided. Tissue changes on the tongue and oral mucosa can show up with a delay—in the Israeli case series, only two to five days after admission (Bruchim et al., 2005). Inflammation in the throat can lead to difficulty swallowing.

Which treatment makes sense depends on the findings and belongs in a veterinarian's hands. With extensive changes, inpatient monitoring may be necessary.

And remember the point from above: a mild first incident doesn't rule out a more severe reaction on the next contact. If your dog has been affected once, it's worth being more careful in infested areas from then on, not less.

11.1 What to watch for in the days afterward

Because the extent shows up with a delay, a concrete list is more useful than a general call to be attentive.

Eating and drinking. A dog that suddenly hesitates, drops his food, or only takes soft food may have changes in his mouth that weren't there before. Increased drooling or new bad breath belong on the list too.

A look in the mouth, every day. Gently lift the lip and look at the tongue and mucous membranes. New white or gray coatings, dark discoloration at the tip of the tongue, or open sores should be shown to the vet, even if your dog seems normal.

The eyes. Squinting, tearing, cloudiness, or redness that gets worse instead of better.

Breathing at rest. Noises that weren't there before, or a dog that stretches out his neck while lying down.

And general well-being. Fever, listlessness, or withdrawal are nonspecific but should still be taken seriously in this context.

For how long? The Israeli case series describes changes up to the fifth day after admission. A week of attentive observation is therefore a sensible time frame—and a scheduled follow-up appointment is better than hoping nothing will happen.

12. On vacation: the Mediterranean relatives

Section 1 names T. pityocampa as the species most of the study figures come from—and one that, for dog owners in Central and Northern Europe, is more relevant on vacation than on an everyday walk. Because many owners travel south in spring, it deserves a closer look.

12.1 Different trees, different season

The pine processionary moth lives on pines and cedars instead of oaks—exactly the trees that vacation homes, campsites, and parking areas sit under in the Mediterranean region.

And the timing shifts: there, the caterpillars typically move across the ground in processions in late winter and spring to bury themselves. That's the phase in which they are most dangerous to dogs, because they are within reach. So if you travel south in February, March, or April, you're arriving in peak season—unlike oak processionary areas, where the main exposure falls in late spring.

12.2 What this means in practice

Take a look at the trees at your accommodation and parking spot: the silk nests on pines are strikingly white and cotton-like and often sit high up at the tips of the branches. A nest above your parking space means you can expect hairs and caterpillars underneath.

Give processions on the ground a wide berth—they're easy to see, and your dog will get there faster than you. During this period, in infested areas it's leash instead of off-leash, without exception.

Before you leave, find out where the nearest veterinary clinic is and how billing works there. The time factor from section 5 applies on vacation just the same—it's just harder to find help there.

And bring the same equipment as at home: gloves and water. On vacation, in our experience, both are even less likely to be at hand.

12a. Limits of the evidence

This article relies on two very different groups of sources, and the difference should be named.

On the biology of the oak processionary moth—life cycle, stinging hairs from the third larval stage, old nests staying active for years, spread by wind—the information comes from a German federal research institute. That's solid and refers explicitly to the species this is about.

On the effects on dogs, practically all the figures come from the Mediterranean region and concern the pine processionary moth or a closely related species. The structure of the stinging hairs and the triggering protein are similar, but it's an extrapolation—and that's why we flag it at every point instead of making it quietly.

Add to that the usual limitations of such studies: they are retrospective analyses of clinic patients, some with small case numbers—three dogs in the Israeli series, 41 in the Portuguese, 109 in the French. Dogs that stayed home because their reaction was mild don't appear there. That means the courses described are likely more severe than average, and the statement on prognosis in section 8 applies to animals that were brought in.

Some of the evidence on the mechanism of action is also cited secondhand—meaning we haven't checked it in the original, but through the paper that cites it. This is marked as such in the reference list.

What does not follow from this: that the recommendations are uncertain. Rinse early, don't rub, have it checked by a vet—that follows from the mechanism and applies regardless of which of the three species was involved.

13. Conclusion

Where oak processionary moths occur, they are the species that counts on everyday walks—not the Mediterranean relatives that most of the study figures come from. The caterpillars are dangerous from the third larval stage, and their nests stay that way for years.

The three things that make the difference:

Avoid. Take warning signs seriously, keep your dog close, give nests a wide berth.

Rinse, don't wipe. Lots of lukewarm water, as little mechanical contact as possible—and right away, not at some point.

Get it checked. Every suspected contact belongs at the vet; with breathing difficulty, pale gums, or collapse, go straight to the clinic.

No muzzle in an emergency, no wiping out the mouth, no self-medication. If you take this to heart, the available data suggest your chances are good—and you can still enjoy spring.

If you take only one thing away from this article: put a pair of disposable gloves and a small bottle of water in your walking bag before the season starts. Both cost next to nothing, neither is at hand in an emergency unless you've packed it—and together they make possible the two things that matter here: rinsing early, which is where the most solid data are, and protecting yourself while you do it.

Key takeaways on processionary caterpillars

The trigger isn't the caterpillar but its stinging hairs—and those only form from the third larval stage onward. Before that, the caterpillars are not considered a typical source of danger.

The time until the first rinse is one of the few variables with solid comparative data. In an analysis of 109 dogs, tongue necrosis at admission was considerably more common when more than six hours had passed (Pouzot-Nevoret et al., 2017). This isn't a time buffer but a statement about urgency.

Rinse, don't wipe. The protein is released when the hairs break—rubbing and wiping can make things worse, even though both are widely recommended.

No muzzle in an acute case. If the tongue or throat is swelling, the dog needs to breathe freely. The muzzle belongs in prevention, not in first aid.

Old nests stay active for years. The risk isn't limited to caterpillar season, and the hairs are spread by wind—your dog doesn't have to have touched a caterpillar or a nest.

Even a first contact can cause a marked reaction, because the protein acts directly on mast cells—no prior sensitization is needed. In addition, IgE-binding allergens have been described: a mild first incident is no all-clear for the next one.

For dogs treated by a veterinarian, the prognosis was good. The largest available cohort, with 109 dogs, reports a short hospital stay—severe cases do happen, but they were not the rule. This says nothing about untreated cases.

Almost all the figures come from related species. The large case series concern the Mediterranean pine processionary moth, not the oak processionary moth this article is about.

You're affected too. The hairs act on human skin in the same way—gloves aren't a formality when you're rinsing.

References

• Bruchim, Y., Ranen, E., Saragusty, J., & Aroch, I. (2005). Severe tongue necrosis associated with pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea wilkinsoni) ingestion in three dogs. Toxicon, 45(4), 443–447.
• Costa, D., Esteban, J., Sanz, F., Vergara, J., & Huguet, E. (2016). Ocular lesions produced by pine processionary caterpillar setae (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) in dogs: A descriptive study. Veterinary Ophthalmology, 19(6), 493–497.
• Julius Kühn-Institut. (2019). Eichenprozessionsspinner (Thaumetopoea processionea L.) (3. aktual. Aufl.; Text: N. Bräsicke & K.-H. Berendes). Bundesforschungsinstitut für Kulturpflanzen. https://doi.org/10.5073/20191025-103334
• Moneo, I., Vega, J. M., Caballero, M. L., Vega, J., & Alday, E. (2003). Isolation and characterization of Tha p 1, a major allergen from the pine processionary caterpillar Thaumetopoea pityocampa. Allergy, 58(1), 34–37. https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1398-9995.2003.23724.x
• Niza, M. E., Ferreira, R. L., Coimbra, I. V., Guerreiro, H. M., Félix, N. M., Matos, J. M., de Brito, T. V., & Vilela, C. L. (2012). Effects of pine processionary caterpillar Thaumetopoea pityocampa contact in dogs: 41 cases (2002–2006). Zoonoses and Public Health, 59(1), 35–38. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1863-2378.2011.01415.x
• Pouzot-Nevoret, C., Cambournac, M., Violé, A., Goy-Thollot, I., Bourdoiseau, G., & Barthélemy, A. (2017). Pine processionary caterpillar Thaumetopoea pityocampa envenomation in 109 dogs: A retrospective study. Toxicon, 132, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2017.03.014

Original papers cited secondhand

• Lamy, M., Pastureaud, M. H., Novak, F., Ducombs, G., Vincendeau, P., Maleville, J. & Texier, L. (1986). Thaumetopoein: An urticating protein from the hairs and integument of the pine processionary caterpillar (Thaumetopoea pityocampa Schiff., Lepidoptera, Thaumetopoeidae). Toxicon 24(4): 347–356. https://doi.org/10.1016/0041-0101(86)90194-7

Note: This article does not replace a veterinary examination, diagnosis, or treatment. If you suspect contact with processionary caterpillars, contact your veterinarian; if your dog has difficulty breathing, pale gums, or collapses, go to an emergency veterinary service or clinic immediately.

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