Porcupine Quills Should be Removed by Your Veterinarian

For the safety and comfort of your pet, porcupine quills should be removed by your veterinarian under sedation. The quills have a barb at the end of each one and the barb faces backwards. This makes it difficult to simply pull right back out after attaching itself. As a porcupine attacks it turns its back to the enemy then begins attacking with its quill-covered tail. As the quills becomes embedded in the dog the reaction of the dogs muscles cause the barb to work its way deeper into the muscles. As the muscles flinch and contract the barbed quill continues its journey forward. With the reverse barb it's nearly impossible to back it out. The quills cause extreme pain, infection and can even cause death, if not treated quickly and properly. Dogs often grab the porcupines in their mouths causing severe oral injury. In addition, after being injected with the barbed quills, a dog will often paw and claw at them. This makes things even worse. The quills are then driven even deeper into the flesh and muscle. It's extremely important that quills be removed immediately by your veterinarian. Quills will continue to work their way deeper and deeper into the dog until the event can become a tragedy.