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TURNER — Turner Veterinary Service reminds pet owners that we have officially entered porcupine season, and that can be bad news for curious dogs and cats.
Many dogs (and the occasional cat) get a little too close to porcupines for their own good. A dog can come face to face with a porcupine at almost any time of day, most commonly while unsuspectingly sniffing around out in the woods in the evening.
Porcupines live, mostly, in dens within mixed forests, where they spend their time climbing trees and searching for food. They are very common in New England, because they have almost no natural predators, aside from the wolverine. Porcupines are medium-large sized rodents whose body is covered in more than 30,000 barbed quills, which they use to protect themselves. One of the common myths about porcupines is that they can “shoot” their quills at attackers. In fact, porcupines will raise up their quills and lash out with their tails in order to inflict damage.
If your dog comes into contact with a porcupine it is highly recommended that that you bring it to a veterinarian for immediate medical care. Once the quills are embedded, it is very painful for the dog and difficult for the person, to fully remove them, especially from sensitive or difficult-to-reach areas like the mouth.
Removing quills at home is not advised, as quills can easily be broken off and remain embedded in the skin, causing several health issues. The embedded quills, if left behind, can cause infection and swelling under the skin. They can even migrate to other areas of the body, causing serious, sometimes fatal, damage to vital organs. Turner Veterinary Service has even seen a badly quilled patient that had quills in its lungs.
Veterinarians commonly use anesthetic drugs in order to sedate patients so veterinary care staff can safely and efficiently remove the quills. A short term, injectable sedative is generally given intravenously or into the muscle. Depending on the severity of the attack, your veterinarian may also prescribe antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications for your pet, as well as a rabies vaccine booster, if not up to date. In order to prevent your dog from being quilled by a porcupine you should monitor it whenever outside, especially while if it has access to forested areas.
For more information, contact Turner Veterinary Service at 207-225-2155.
