Careful! Hammerhead Flatworms Can Be Harmful To Our Pets!
May 23, 2023 1:35PM CDT
Hammerhead flat worm, Bipalium sp., Land planarian family, Geoplanidae, Kinabalu National Park, UNESCO nature world heritage site, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia. (Photo by: Gunter Fischer/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Watch out! Hammerhead flatworms, native to Southeast Asia, have been spotted in San Antonio and Austin! They secrete a neurotoxin that can be harmful to pets if eaten. Take your pet to the vet immediately if they eat one and don’t cut them – pick them up with a stick or paper towel and throw them away.
Hammerhead flatworms, native to Southeast Asia, have been reported in the San Antonio and Austin area in the past couple of years. These slimy, snake-like worms can be up to a foot long and secrete a neurotoxin that can be harmful to humans and pets if eaten or touched. If your pet ingests a Hammerhead worm, take them to the vet immediately. Pick them up with a stick or paper towel, seal them in a zip lock bag with salt, and throw them away.
