Many veterinary hospitals accept after-hours patients for emergencies. If you cannot treat the animal immediately, try to keep it from pawing at or breaking the quills. Restrain it to minimize any movement if the quills are in its chest or abdomen, where breakage is most dangerous.
If quills are embedded in or around the eye, removing them yourself is dangerous. Broken quill tips in the eye may require medical equipment to locate and can cause serious damage. [2] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source If quills are embedded around the mouth, the animal may have quills embedded in the mouth or throat. These are difficult to locate and remove at home, and could interfere with your animal’s ability to eat until removed by a veterinarian. [3] X Research source
Do not muzzle the animal unless there are no quills in or around its face, as the muzzle could break quills or push them in further. Almost all dogs injured by quills have quills in this area, often in addition to other locations, so check thoroughly for puncture marks or small quills in the mouth and face before you assume muzzling is safe. [4] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
Check inside the mouth, using a flashlight to see the back palate and throat. If there are quills located here, a veterinarian can remove them without nearly as much pain to the dog. Check on and between its footpads, and along its paws and legs. While quills on the chest or stomach are much less common than in other locations, you should still check for small quills and tender lumps under the skin here, as broken quill tips in this region can be dangerous.
Grasp firmly, but not hard enough to break the quill. Do not grasp the quills with your fingers. They are covered tiny barbs and scales which will cause pain and injury to your skin.
Quill removal is much less painful when done with a rapid motion. You should be sure you have a firm grip on the quill and are aiming to pull in the right direction before you yank the quill, however.
To sanitize metal tweezers, rinse them in running water, then drop them in a pot of boiling water for five minutes. Remove carefully with tongs, place on a clean paper towel, and let cool for a few minutes before handling. If you cannot see the quill tip in the puncture wound, or you fail to remove it after one or two attempts, take your dog to a veterinarian immediately.
Check the animal again for quills you may have missed. It’s always best to be certain, as removing the quill right away leads to faster, safer recovery.
Dip a cotton ball in hydrogen peroxide for an easy tool for cleaning wounds. [9] X Research source
Mammals such as dogs and cats can not only contract rabies, but pass it on to humans. Ask your doctor whether a rabies vaccine for yourself is required, especially if you didn’t get your animal a vaccine immediately. Even if your pet received a vaccine in the last three years, ask a doctor whether it would be wise to receive another one after possible exposure.
If the animal limps or has tender, painful joints, you should take your animal to a veterinarian. Quills may be lodged deep inside its body. If the animal had quills in its mouth or throat, feed it soft food for a few days until it recovers. A veterinarian may decide to prescribe antibiotics if infection is present. At home, do not attempt to give your animal anything stronger than an over-the-counter antibiotic lotion without the advice of a veterinarian.
If the injured person struggles, there is risk that the quill tip may break off and lodge deeper in the skin, which risks causing serious problems. Take the person to a doctor if the person will not remain still.
If you are not able to visit a doctor, sanitize a pair of clean (dirt-free) tweezers by putting them in boiling water for five minutes. Remove the tweezers from the water with tongs and let cool on a clean paper towel for a few minutes before you use them to remove the broken quill tip inside the wound.
If the person has any unexplained pains in the next few weeks, take them to a doctor and mention the porcupine quill incident. There’s a possibility a quill tip remains lodged under the skin or has traveled deeper into the body where it can cause serious damage.
Even if the injured person received a vaccine in the last three years, ask a doctor whether it would be wise to receive another one after possible exposure.
A porcupine’s den may be easy to discover if you follow the sound of strange barks, grunts, moans, or screams. These sounds are most common during the autumn mating season.
Do not attempt to drive the porcupines away yourself, as you could be seriously injured.
