Like a cat’s, a dog’s curiosity can cause the dog injuries and one of these is being stuck with porcupine quills. We know dogs to be very inquisitive animals. Dogs are noted for being good hunters because of their prey drive. Scurrying things will not escape the attention of these animals. A dog though has best steer away from the path of a porcupine as a clash with this rodent will make a dog sprint in the opposite direction screaming like a banshee.

Porcupines are large rodents found in Africa, America and in Asia. Porcupines have a very efficient weapon they use against their predators - their quills. A porcupine’s fur is soft but it is interspersed with quills that are released when an attacker gets in contact with this animal’s body. Removing the quills that were embedded on the body of the dog will be very difficult as the quills are held firmly in place by the backward pointing barbs.

The pain and the discomfort will make the dog paw at the quills eventually breaking them and making it harder to remove. Broken quills can result to abscesses. As the quills are designed to move forward, they can get embedded deeply into the dog’s skin and in time can even puncture an internal organ. Quills therefore have to be removed as fast as possible.

A dog may be so stupid to fight and bite a porcupine until the mouth is filled with quills. Hundreds of quills will get stuck on the face and on the body of the dog as well. The dog will be in pain thus removing the quills will be difficult because the dog will struggle. Better leave the removal of the quills to the capable hands of a vet. The capable hands of a vet can better perform the removal of the quills especially from delicate body parts like the mouth.

The removal of the a few quills on the face, snout and body of the pet can be done by the owner at home. First aid method will be necessary to save the pet from immense pain and discomfort. Ask another person to restrain the dog as the pain when the quills are removed will make the dog struggle. Heavy gardening gloves would protect the hands from the barbs of the quills. Remove the quills with needle-nose pliers. Make sure that the tip of the pliers is positioned as close to the skin as possible then pull the quill in one steady motion. Once all the quills are removed, wash the affected body parts with hydrogen peroxide.

Want to know more about dog first aid and porcupine quill removal? Visit Sarah’s Dogs.