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Porcupine encounter
I was about to call it quits on a fruitless shed hunt when my lab Whisky suddenly got interested and dove under an upturned pine. I expected to see a grouse or hare shoot out, but instead out came my dog with a soft-ball sized squirming brown fur ball in her mouth. I hit the e-collar button and she dropped it; a baby porcupine.
The quills were tiny, 0.5-1cm long. I got all of them from inside her mouth with pliers and most from her face, but there's 4 or 5 still in her muzzle and chin, too short to grasp. I don't think a vet visit is required, but if anyone has some experience or wisdom to share, please do.
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I can't help with the quills but how did the little baby porky look? cute?
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I would think that the quills would be the same as adults . They will migrate / burrow their way through the dog and they may be bad news .
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Don't leave them. See the vet or get them out some how. Left = infection
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To the vet you go. They need to be removed
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Yup, vast experience here...they need to be pulled out and dog put on anti-biotics in case one got missed. They turn into nasty infections if left untreated.
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And they do keep travelling until they exit or hit bone. We had one that we missed come out over a month later. Just lucky that it took a benign course in its travels.
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Thanks all. Saw the vet this morning.
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After dolling out the coin at the vets; you have a better understand why it's 'porcsona non gradus' here ....shoot on sight !
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Oh dear! Glad your dog is okay!
A few weeks ago while walking in the bush while the snow was still high, there was a porcupine in one particular area of the trail, nestled in a tree he sat for about 3 weeks and now he is gone. We ( myself and the 2 dogs) were within a few feet of it on several walks and it just sat up there chillin' while I snapped a few pics of it. Brandy had no interest in it, but Titan got too 'tail wiggly' interested and he stepped forward to investigate, and I nicked him one so he knows porcupines equal correction. Haven't seen it since the snow is mostly melted. On a side note - heard a grouse drumming!
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I had a springer many years ago with a very expensive taste for porcupines. 20 years ago and two incidents lead to $ 500 vet bills. Then several years later at the age of 7, we lost her - tooth infection, then more trouble...two months of tests and vet visits...finally a quill came out of her face...a week later there was a tumour and she had to be put down. Don't underestimate how very serious this can be!!!
Touch wood, I'm very happy to own a pointer now .... surely in her 4 seasons of hunting she's encountered one of two porc's that I don't even know about...and just passed them by...
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Just hope that this "fixed" his taste for them. If not every time it sees one it will attack it. You would think they would learn but it just seems to make the dog hate them more. Or they will never touch one again. Good luck.
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Speaking of which.....had to pull a dozen quills out of my Pyrenees's mouth after the walk this morning. He has gotten a few in his nose already, but these ones were in the roof of his mouth and he was pretty distressed.
Wife said I was insensitive for wanting to take pics before we pulled them out :)
