Please Don’t Sniff the Porcupines!
It’s
6 a.m. and the ridge line glows brilliant orange with the dawn of a beautiful
day. In olfactory overdrive, your canine
companion explores the peaks and fields on your path. His movement is halted by a rattling sound in
the tall grass: pursue! Yips of
excitement. . . swiftly followed by yelps of dismay. Your pup has found a porcupine on the
defense. His face is now as prickly as
the retreating herbivore’s rump.
Porcupine
encounters are frequent in our Northern coniferous forests. Porcupines (from the Middle French Porc
Espin, or “spined pig”) are herbivores that browse on inner tree bark and
foliage. They are most active at dusk
and dawn. Contrary to popular myth,
these mild-mannered creatures cannot shoot any of their 30,000 quills,
which are specialized hairs. When
threatened, they prefer retreat, facing away from their aggressor to flare and
rustle their quills which can make a rattling sound. Get too close and they
slash with their tail. With direct
contact, the quills embed and release into the skin of the intruder. The multiple barbs at the quill’s tip causes
it to stick in flesh, and untreated quills can migrate into deep tissues. Once embedded, the quills also expand as they
absorb moisture, creating greater penetration and inflammation.
Quill injuries should be treated
immediately. The majority of these encounters occur “after hours” and your
inclination may be to delay therapy until the next day. Please do not hesitate. Call your veterinarian promptly. The greater the time between injury and
presentation, the greater the potential for complications. The quills quickly migrate into deeper
tissues which may involve joints, eyes, vital organs, the thorax and
abdomen. For quills that become
inaccessible, we may need to allow them time to “fester” out of tissues - their
exit is not predictable or desirable in some cases. For instance, one that enters near the
shoulder may eventually exit into the thorax causing lung injury.
Your
veterinarian will meet with you to provide pain relief,
sedation and possibly general anesthesia (depending on severity) to remove the quills. Duration of quill removal will vary
significantly based on number of quills, length of time since injury and
location of quills. Dogs like Pineapple
will likely receive several days’ supply of medication to minimize pain and
inflammation.
For
the fortunate few, only a few quills may be embedded. These may be safely removed at home using a
pair of hemostats or needle-nosed pliers (think of your Leatherman tool as well). Hemostats are readily
available at medical supply stores, online, or through your veterinarian.
Grasp the quill near the entrance to the skin and pull slowly and
gently, straight out. Quill length generally varies from ½ to 4 inches.
We
share our woodlands with a wonderful host of creatures, from birds to deer to
porcupines (and skunks!). Encounters are rare, and shouldn’t prevent us from
taking time for a good romp. So
“Cheers!” to many sun-drenched hours in the company of dogs, companions, and
our many woodland friends.
