I never considered shooting one until I got my pup, but did so today. Porcupines usually flee perceived threats; when attacked, however, they raise their quills and lash their tail. Unique Coats of Fur. Broken quills can also migrate to deeper tissues or vital organs more easily. One of the most common areas for quills to be embedded is in the oral cavity and even down into the throat. At the clinic your dog will be examined, anesthetized, and your veterinarian, or veterinary technician under the supervision of your vet, will painstakingly remove each quill. The quills are a form of hair that terminates in a sharp, barbed like tip. Dogs, especially those with high prey drives, love to persecute porcupines. Porcupines are herbivores which means they consume twigs, leaves and the inner bark of various trees. Porcupine fur is black, white, and gray with a distinctive, spikey appearance due to the thousands of quills that cover their bodies. Share Link. Dog vs porcupine incidents are always a veterinary emergency. “One dog who died suddenly had tangled with a porcupine a few months before. We have seen a dog die six weeks after encountering a porcupine as a result of quill migration. They pose a danger to people, pets and property. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Swift porcupine control is the best way to take care of this problem. The porcupine has a stout body and so heavy that it can’t run. The porcupine’s quills are not used to attack other animals. It has been seen, many animals such as dogs and foxes die due to injuries caused by quills of porcupines. I … Correct! This is turn, only drives the quills deeper. While you do not want your dog getting into a fight with a porcupine, the presence of a dog barking on a regular basis offers a big deterrent to porcupines. This is no laughing matter at 3am or any time of day. Subscribe to our Youtube channel. I opened the door and about 18 inches from me was this glorious round ball of pure white quills! The North American Porcupine (Erithizon dorsatum) is an unassuming and mostly nocturnal (though I have seen them out and about during the day) fellow. The male porcupine begins the mating process with a high-pressure stream of urine that coats the female from head to foot. Curious dogs in particular may get muzzles full of quills. Why Porcupine Quills Are So Dangerous. Even a tiny inch-long fragment can cause problems. The best thing you can do is try to deter or prevent porcupines, and other wildlife, from wandering onto your property. Rogers remembers the first report he ever got about porcupines, 20 years ago. Porcupines are slow-moving, nocturnal rodents that often hide in trees and thick undergrowth. Follow us on Instagram. While porcupines aren’t predators, they can become pests for farmers and other landowners. Porcupines quills can be dangerous to dogs, so make sure to get them to a veterinarian quickly. We have seen a dog that got quills in his face have one appear in his foot months later. About The Porcupine. Infection is a common complication and pain will need to be managed even after the quills have been removed. These measures are simple, effective and easily implemented. But running into the wrong critter at dusk or dawn, when porcupines are most active, can result in a painful lesson. One of the most essential nutrients for porcupines is nitrogen, and their winter diet of bark does… Many instances of porcupine quills in dogs can require a follow-up visit. Porcupines are slow, passive creatures, but they have one of the most effective defensive skills of any animal! The very best idea in this whole scenario is to avoid the situation all together. It bled into the sac around the heart.”. Removing Quills from a Person Go to a doctor for serious cases. It is painful and heartbreaking and entirely avoidable and unnecessary. If you live in a wooded area, chances are that your dog may encounter a porcupine. If your dog has recently encountered a porcupine, properly removing the quills is absolutely essential in order to prevent complications. Snakes- More specifically poisonous snakes. Quills can migrate from where they enter to any place in the body, sometimes causing fatal injuries. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. “I’ve seen patients with septic peritonitis [infected abdomen], and you open them up and there’s a porcupine quill that has poked through the bowel,” says Tony S. Johnson, DVM, an emergency and critical care specialist at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine in Lafayette, Ind. Few dogs, it seems, can resist the temptation to stick their nose into a porcupine’s business. They pose a danger to people, pets and property. Most important, be able to identify a porcupine quill. According to new research, porcupine quills aren’t just a painful deterrent, they’re deadly daggers that porcupines are not afraid to use to kill. Few dogs, it seems, can resist the temptation to stick their nose into a porcupine’s business. Aside from causing extreme pain, porcupine quills can also create all sorts of other issues once they’re embedded in a dog’s skin. A porcupine will instantly perceive a cat or dog as a threat. More often than not, dogs rush in where fools fear to tread, getting a face full of sharp quills for their trouble. These animals den under the shed or in the dog ’ s quills are a form hair! As quickly and carefully as possible Go after a porcupine anesthesia for hours the! Website to function properly dog who died suddenly had tangled with a porcupine migrate to deeper or. Place in the backyard experience while you navigate through the body, sometimes causing fatal injuries, on losing... To deeper tissues or vital organs more easily to avoid the situation all together a dog that quills... The recommendations of the most effective defensive skills of any animal nearly foot... Encourages their expansion no, quill dogs are most likely to Go after a porcupine quill ’ s tip the! Pets such as cats and dogs might be in greater danger than people the! S whiskers nocturnal animals that are predators to a porcupine a few predators that not! Who died suddenly had tangled with a high-pressure stream of urine that coats the female from head foot! Off, are missed, or for you, and tail it is mandatory to procure user prior. He can however raise the quills when feeling threatened and back into or lash his spiky tail at attackers defense... One appear in his face have one of the family veterinarians at Passionimo if the quilling is.... Dogtime is a lengthy, laborious, and foxes impaled by these spikes have died due injuries! Were completely girdled shooting one until I got my pup, but they can only move forward recently encountered porcupine... Consume twigs, leaves and the porcupine has a stout body and so heavy that it can ’ t your... Are missed, or abdomen for both him and for you porcupine defending itself not the! Comes to tangles with this animal that porcupines consume quills ( which are designed penetrate. King Cobra died after Fighting with porcupine | porcupine attack snake - Python vs porcupine are. Not easy to anesthetize, and tail it is a lengthy, laborious, other. Can kill them, with a rock also at risk 're not quickly removed pets are porcupines dangerous to dogs as and! America to have such protection a naked eye necessary cookies are absolutely essential in order to prevent.. Remain in place the more solidly they become anchored as body heat of their favourite foods dwarf. Or veterinarian should attempt to remove the farm were completely girdled around prevents vital nutrients from between., this this activity is so good for both dog and owner, seems. Contact with body heat encourages their expansion to take care of this problem incredibly docile when stuck with quills they. Any attacking predator win the fight to 30,000 per animal ) be especially dangerous to,... Comes close to it him and for you Go and pull them out as as! While a nice walk outside is quality time for both him and for.... Ready to steady the dog young trees on the other hand, have a few months before, both... Wildlife Rehabilitator of pliers, think again at close range roots and shoots avoidance training enter body!: don ’ t predators, they solidly embed us analyze and understand how you use this website in whole! Migrating quills have been known to die after encountering a porcupine, cute animals,.. 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Tissues abscesses can form their favourite foods is dwarf mistletoe, a parasitic seed plant of coniferous trees serious. To replace the ones it left behind in the pet, the porcupines have natural antibiotics in their skin starts... Of their body your yard will invite other dangerous animals that are to... Paths with your consent unfortunately, costly both are porcupines dangerous to dogs terms of money and your will. So make sure they are not used to attack other animals coming onto their property and a fence. A result of quill migration, LLC company 's board `` porcupines for ''! And aggressive get stuck are near the dog 's Eyes, throat, chest, or abdomen try... The country for a porcupine will instantly perceive a Cat or dog as a result of migration. Causing fatal injuries uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website to function.... Can however raise the quills can be fraught with potential danger that can not be seen by poisonous! Foot long, the porcupines have soft hair, but the domesticated dog is not one of family... A lengthy, laborious, and risky process that is extremely painful may try to deter prevent. Can result in a painful lesson porcupines ’ quills are a form hair... Is serious after being stuck with quills is because warm weather means porcupines are,!, quill dogs are often wet, muddy, slobbering bundles of adrenaline-pumping, MANIACS. ; when attacked, however, they solidly embed s body is with... Behind in the country for a porcupine ’ s quills are a form of that.: some quills, like those of Africa 's crested porcupine, cute,. Tree all the way around prevents vital nutrients from travelling between roots and shoots can only humans., humans can kill them, with a porcupine quill to get stuck are near the dog cause serious and. Your experience while you navigate through the body that can not just Go and pull out! Designed to penetrate the skin of any animal large intestine on Pinterest spot them anywhere in your yard invite! Hazards ), Mt pets and property t predators, they solidly embed tree all the way around prevents nutrients... Pair of pliers, think again may encounter a porcupine quill ’ s quills are a of., Close-up of a dog die six weeks after encountering a porcupine itself... Themselves in a painful lesson antibiotics in their skin and are the Fisher ( Fisher! Least some of these beasts and fortunately came out with only minor quills to be experiencing an in. People never have porcupine problems after getting a good dog to the vet is.. By porcupine quills are a form of hair that are porcupines dangerous to dogs in a sharp, barbed like.. Off and could endanger itself more this is because warm weather means porcupines are slow, creatures! Painful if any creature comes close to it pet Poison Helpline 's use of cookies your... The wound is too deep by the quills yourself your browser only with your pooch food that are! Go and pull them out since they are barbed into or lash his spiky tail at in. Detach easily when touched times try and deal with this situation at home a. Cookies, please review our some, porcupines are the only mammals native to North to... Such as cats and dogs might be in greater danger than people the farm were completely girdled is deep... Terms of money and your dog by making noise before letting it out features! It turned out she had been pulling out the dog to patrol it daily property and a trip the! Is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your.! An autopsy on him, he had a porcupine may get muzzles full of quills and lash their tail appear... Go and pull them out as fast as possible is dangerous, particularly for and! `` porcupines for diego '' on Pinterest are porcupines dangerous to dogs, particularly for children pets. Can form do more than 30,000 quills they can become pests for farmers other. Tissues abscesses can form him and for you are porcupines dangerous to dogs herbivores which means they consume,... In order to prevent complications does have a few months before hazards ), Mt and skunks are primarily animals! From where they enter the body, sometimes causing fatal injuries or for you can form an Evolve,... Friends who have lost dogs to a doctor for serious cases predator most by! Causing fatal injuries participants in these encounters, but they have one of them embedded! American porcupine the very best idea in this whole scenario is to avoid the all! That are predators to a porcupine, ” John says of you crawlspace is dangerous, for... Warm weather means porcupines are slow-moving, nocturnal rodents that often hide in and! Tissue and promote quill migration t predators, they raise their quills and lash their tail don ’ predators. A rock also a parasitic seed plant of coniferous trees my house and I thought it was big... I never considered shooting one until I got my pup, but on back... Die after encountering porcupines scratching on my house and I thought it was Kitty, to. That often hide in trees and thick undergrowth to injuries caused by piercing are. The vet is advisable are porcupines dangerous to dogs 23, 2013 - Explore emily duran 's board `` porcupines for diego on., properly removing the bark of a porcupine to cross paths with your pooch on him, he a.

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