Question:

I was hunting with my two dogs yesterday, and they found a porcupine. The more adventurous one discovered why porcupines were bad.  I started getting worried when one of the dogs quit barking, and when I went to investigate, he’d been bequilled.  My friend (who I was hunting with) said "The porcupine is still there".  He was hiding under a rock.  I said, "If he comes after the dogs, blow him away."  My friend was for shooting him anyway, but it wasn’t the porky’s fault.  My other dog was still barking at the porky until we pulled him away: stupid dog. Fortunately, I wasn’t hunting alone, because we had to carry him out to the road (a front foot got several quills) and we had access to a cell phone to call ahead to the local animal hospital.  The dog never made a peep the whole time.  He was a real trooper.  A partridge flew up on the way out right in front of us, and I was carrying two guns, and my friend had the dog, so we were helpless.  My friend starting swearing up a storm (it was the only one we saw all day): he’d even predicted that would happen while he was carrying the dog! The vet only charged $60 (with overnight stay and general anesthesia). I couldn’t believe it.  I was prepared to pay several hundred (I had no idea what he would charge, and didn’t even ask, as I would have paid it, whatever it was).  Turns out bringing him in was a good idea, as some of the quills in his chest just missed the jugular vein: they were two inches into the muscle! As the fall hunting season is here, hunters with dogs may want to carry a pair of scissors or nail clippers (to snip off the ends of the quills before removal: I’ve heard it deflates the quills and makes for easier removal) and a pair of pliers. He looked so pathetic when I picked him up.  He required surgery to remove some of the quills, and he’s pretty depressed.  He had so many quills in him, he looked like Grizzly Adams.  He had them inside his nose, under his tongue (but none IN his tongue, fortunately), across his chest, etc. Thank god for caring vets.  I’d heard that the vets at this particular hospital were laconic and too business-like, but he carefully explained everything when I went to pick up the dog (while I stood there wringing my hands holding an empty leash and wondering what bad news the doctor might have to tell me!). In two days, my OTHER dog goes in for a tooth cleaning (more anesthesia!).  I hope that makes his breath smell better, as he is a beagle/cocker mix, adorable to all, but his breath smells like a rotting corpse most of the time.  He’s affectionate, too (of course), so if his breath improves, people won’t push his face away when he breathes on them. Darryl

Response:

>I was hunting with my two dogs yesterday, and they found a porcupine. >My friend (who I was hunting with) >said "The porcupine is still there".  He was hiding under a rock.  I >said, "If he comes after the dogs, blow him away."  My friend was for >shooting him anyway, but it wasn’t the porky’s fault.  

Oh boy… uh, it is normal for porcupines to act this way. YOU are in their territory. I thought I had a baiter here when I read this… > My other dog was >still barking at the porky until we pulled him away: stupid dog.

This is normal dog behavior. Hate to tell you this, but dogs do not reason, and learn from quilling. At the practices I worked with, we would see the SAME dog time and time again for quills and deskunking. It will be up to you to prevent him from repeating this by confining him somehow. >The dog never made a >peep the whole time.  He was a real trooper.

Isn’t that nice. >A partridge flew up on the >way out right in front of us, and I was carrying two guns, and my friend >had the dog, so we were helpless.  My friend starting swearing up a >storm (it was the only one we saw all day): he’d even predicted that >would happen while he was carrying the dog!

C’mon, are you for real?! > Turns out bringing him in was a good idea, as some of >the quills in his chest just missed the jugular vein: they were two >inches into the muscle!

Boy, this just gets better and better now don’t it? >As the fall hunting season is here, hunters with dogs may want to carry >a pair of scissors or nail clippers (to snip off the ends of the quills >before removal: I’ve heard it deflates the quills and makes for easier >removal) and a pair of pliers.

The ends of the quills will be inside the animal. Use pliers and pull straight out with even handedness. This should be done by a vet to prevent missed ones that can become infected. >Thank god for caring vets

Amen to that, and the vet techs that work alongside helping remove them and preparing the animal for surgery. >In two days, my OTHER dog goes in for a tooth cleaning (more >anesthesia!).  I hope that makes his breath smell better, as he is a >beagle/cocker mix, adorable to all, but his breath smells like a rotting >corpse most of the time.

What are you feeding him? Normal dog breath should not be that bad. He may have an infected tooth, or infection elsewhere. Make sure you give him NO food after midnight and little water. He CAN NOT have food in his stomache when he goes in for surgery, He could vomit it up while under and choke to death.

Response:

For anyone who has never seen a dog with porcupine quills, there is a picture of the worst case I have ever seen on my web site.  It is gruesome, but hopefully it will encourage people to try and protect their dogs by using leashes and fences to keep them away from porcupines. Dr. Drake — Ocean Beach Veterinary Hospital http://www.cport.com/~obvc/ | | PLEASE NOTE: In the absence of a traditional veterinarian-client-patient relationship, this information should be taken as a friendly opinion, not as an official clinical recommendation. Commercial/bulk/solicitation email unwelcome.

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