Q:One of my friends has a dog that got involved with a porcupine. What should you do if your dogs get porcupine quills in them? Can the quills be removed at home?
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A:Porcupines are large rodents that are primarily nocturnal but can sometimes be seen foraging during the day. They are covered with hundreds, sometimes thousands, of pointed quills that they use as protection from predators.
Dogs and porcupines do not mix well. Dogs usually come out with a large number of quills embedded in their face, head, neck and other body parts. It is important to get the dog to your veterinarian quickly so that the quills can be removed as soon as possible. Leaving the quills in the pet will allow them to migrate into other areas, often far from the initial sites. There have been some reports of people developing allergies to the quills, so be careful about touching or removing them yourself.
In addition to the initial pain of the quills puncturing the skin, migrating quills can cause a multitude of problems. It is not uncommon for dogs to have quills damage eyes due to migration in the area behind they eye itself. In these cases, the eye may become swollen, and tissues behind the eye can be infected and even develop an abscess. These complications will show up days, weeks or even months later.
The quill tips have tiny barbs facing backward that make them difficult and painful to remove. In most cases, your veterinarian will want to sedate your dog and use general anesthesia to allow removal of all the quills. This is a tedious process and may take quite a long time depending on the number of quills. Most of the quills are removed with forceps and steady traction. However, if some of the quills have migrated under the skin, the veterinarian may make small incisions over those quills to remove them.
Quills in the mouth, throat and around the eyes cause the most problems and should always be removed as soon as possible. Sometimes, not all of the quills can be found or removed. The most important ones to get removed are the ones around the head and neck, because these are the ones that tend to migrate into vital areas, causing the most potential for problems in the future.
Depending on the severity of the situation, your veterinarian will probably administer pain medicines in the hospital and then send oral medicines for you to give at home for a few days. Swelling can occur, so injectable and oral medicines to relieve inflammation may also be administered. Your veterinarian will also decide whether antibiotics are needed.
Once your pet is at home, you will need to give the medicines as directed and then watch for signs of swelling in other areas. Be sure to let your veterinarian know if your dog develops any unusual lumps on the body or if the size of your dog's eyes change.
Tina Neel is a veterinarian and owner of Neel Veterinary Hospital. Submit your pet health questions online at NeelVet.com.
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