Stinging Caterpillars

Just a reminder to anyone going to warmer places with your dogs or cats to never let them go near the stinging caterpillars that nest in the pine trees in spain. You will see the nests high up in the pine trees, it is cone shaped and white in colour. The ones that are most dangerous to dogs are the ones that come down from the trees in one long string about a metre long, what I mean by string is they link up all together in one long line. There form of protection against predators is that they can shoot fibers and hairs that contain toxins that can be fatal to dogs if not treated. We had a string of them in our awning in spain and they stung me in the neck from about two feet away and my neck swole up, but the vet said if it happened to dogs to get them to a vet straight away.