Veterinarians Remove 673 Porcupine Quills From 2 Dogs Who Could Barely Eat Or Drink
For days, two dogs endured the unimaginable, living with hundreds of porcupine quills embedded in their skin. Making an already nightmarish situation even worse, the positions of the quills guaranteed it would be difficult for them to even eat and drink.
By the time Miss Prickle Pants and Cactus Jackie reached help in Fargo, North Dakota, infection had already begun to set in. Veterinarians ultimately removed an astounding 673 quills between the two dogs: 561 from Miss Prickle Pants and another 112 from Cactus Jackie.
Homeward Animal Shelter shared the story in an Aug. 13 Facebook post, recounting how “Miss Prickle Pants and Cactus Jackie picked a fight with the wrong animal and came out on the losing end.”
The rescue began Aug. 12 when Homeward Animal Shelter received an urgent request for help from Journey Home Animal Rescue. A transporter and a Homeward staff member brought the dogs to Fargo that night, where they received pain medication before being taken for veterinary treatment the following morning.
One Dog Had 561 Quills Removed
Miss Prickle Pants was sedated at CareVet of West Fargo, where veterinarians found quills across her face, chest and legs. Some had become embedded around her joints, while a number of the wounds were already infected.
Veterinary staff removed the 561 quills from her in a single day. Homeward Animal Shelter cautioned that additional embedded quills could still become apparent as she continued recovering.
Cactus Jackie was treated at Minn-Kota PAAWS in Fargo under anesthesia. Veterinarians removed another 112 quills, primarily from her face and inside her mouth, and found that she had already developed the early stages of cellulitis, an infection beneath the skin.
Shelter staff did not know when Cactus Jackie had last been able to eat properly. After waking from her procedure, however, she was very eager to it, which itself served as an encouraging sign she was on track for a proper recovery.
Why Porcupine Quills Need Fast Veterinary Care
A porcupine encounter can become much more serious than a collection of painful punctures. The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine explains that porcupine quills have backward-facing barbs that allow them to penetrate tissue easily while making them difficult to remove.
Left in place, quills can dig deeper into the body and lead to swelling and infection. In severe cases, they can actually reach down far enough to reach joints, eyes, the chest cavity, or vital organs.
Cornell recommends taking a quilled dog to a veterinarian immediately and advises against pulling or cutting the quills at home. Sedation or anesthesia overseen by a vet ensures the quills are removed more safely while reducing the chance the quills break or are pushed farther into the tissue.
