How to Remove Porcupine Quills
Treat the animal promptly., Take the animal to a veterinarian if possible., Have one or more assistants restrain the animal., Check all over the animal for quill location., Keep the animal as relaxed as possible., Never cut the quills before...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Treat the animal promptly.
Porcupine quills are much less likely to cause lasting harm if they are removed from the animal within the first 24 hours.Animals that are treated during that period almost always make a full recovery.
Delayed treatment, on the other hand, increases the chance of complications such as broken quill tips, eye or joint damage, and infection.
Dogs that have quills in their mouth region may not be able to eat until they are removed.
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. -
Step 2: Take the animal to a veterinarian if possible.
Removing quills from an animal at home is a painful process, and even a gentle animal will struggle.
If the animal is pierced with 10 or more quills, has quills embedded near the mouth or eyes, or has a tendency toward aggressive behavior, make an effort to find a veterinarian.
Only attempt home removal in these situations as a last resort.
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.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., Unless the animal is small and unusually calm, you should have a friend hold it in place.
Choose someone the dog is comfortable with, if possible, to further minimize stress and struggling.
Struggle during quill removal can cause the tips to break off and dig deeper into the animal, where you cannot reach them.
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., The majority of animals with embedded quills are injured in multiple locations, and some quills may be small and difficult to see.The animal's efforts to remove the quills itself may cause them to transfer into the animal's paws as well, or the porcupine could have struck the animal multiple times.
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. , Move slowly and speak softly to keep the dog as relaxed as possible, although you should be ready to dodge a bite.
Before removing quills from the animal's face, cover its eyes with your hand or have an assistant the animal trusts do the same., You may have heard or read advice about cutting the porcupine quill in half so it deflates and is easier to remove.
Do not follow this advice: it can actually make the quills more difficult to grab on to, or even splinter them into several broken pieces., Use a pair of flat-jawed pliers that can firmly grasp the base of the quill, next to the skin.You may have to switch to smaller or needle-nosed pliers to remove the smallest quills.
Hemostats, or small medical pliers intended for clamping, are an excellent choice if available.
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. , Keeping a firm grip on the quill base, pull in as straight a line as possible.
Try to slide the quill out of the hole directly, rather than angling it where it could cause new damage or break inside the animal.
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. , Look at the base of the quill you removed to make sure the tip is still present.
If the tip has broken off, it could cause infection or even travel to the animal's organs.You will need to sanitize a pair of tweezers and attempt to remove it.
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. , Grasp each quill one at a time next to the skin.
Pull it out firmly and quickly to minimize pain.
Always pull straight in the opposite direction it entered, never at an angle.
Check the tip after each quill is removed to make sure it hasn't broken inside the animal.
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. , Only bandage or wrap the quill wounds if they are on the animal's chest or causing a significant amount of blood.Other wounds should be left open to the air so you can keep an eye out for infection, but you should dab disinfectant or antiseptic on these to reduce the risk of infection.
Do not disinfect chest wounds.
Dip a cotton ball in hydrogen peroxide for an easy tool for cleaning wounds., While chances of a rabies infection are quite low, the disease is fatal, so don't skip this step.
Any warm-blooded animal can contract rabies, including cats, dogs, birds, horses, and livestock.Your local doctor or veterinarian should know whether rabies is in your area, and be able to administer a vaccine.
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 is still in pain after a week or if it shows signs of infection, take it to a veterinarian immediately.
Red or swollen areas, oozing pus, or skin that is warm to the touch may indicate infection.
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. -
Step 3: Have one or more assistants restrain the animal.
-
Step 4: Check all over the animal for quill location.
-
Step 5: Keep the animal as relaxed as possible.
-
Step 6: Never cut the quills before removing.
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Step 7: Grasp a quill near the base with pliers or hemostats.
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Step 8: Pull the quill out quickly in the opposite direction the quill entered.
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Step 9: If the quill tip breaks
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Step 10: remove it with sanitized tweezers.
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Step 11: Repeat with all remaining quills.
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Step 12: Bandage or disinfectant quill wounds depending on location.
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Step 13: Have your animal get a rabies vaccine.
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Step 14: Look for signs of complications over the next few weeks.
Detailed Guide
Porcupine quills are much less likely to cause lasting harm if they are removed from the animal within the first 24 hours.Animals that are treated during that period almost always make a full recovery.
Delayed treatment, on the other hand, increases the chance of complications such as broken quill tips, eye or joint damage, and infection.
Dogs that have quills in their mouth region may not be able to eat until they are removed.
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.
Removing quills from an animal at home is a painful process, and even a gentle animal will struggle.
If the animal is pierced with 10 or more quills, has quills embedded near the mouth or eyes, or has a tendency toward aggressive behavior, make an effort to find a veterinarian.
Only attempt home removal in these situations as a last resort.
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.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., Unless the animal is small and unusually calm, you should have a friend hold it in place.
Choose someone the dog is comfortable with, if possible, to further minimize stress and struggling.
Struggle during quill removal can cause the tips to break off and dig deeper into the animal, where you cannot reach them.
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., The majority of animals with embedded quills are injured in multiple locations, and some quills may be small and difficult to see.The animal's efforts to remove the quills itself may cause them to transfer into the animal's paws as well, or the porcupine could have struck the animal multiple times.
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. , Move slowly and speak softly to keep the dog as relaxed as possible, although you should be ready to dodge a bite.
Before removing quills from the animal's face, cover its eyes with your hand or have an assistant the animal trusts do the same., You may have heard or read advice about cutting the porcupine quill in half so it deflates and is easier to remove.
Do not follow this advice: it can actually make the quills more difficult to grab on to, or even splinter them into several broken pieces., Use a pair of flat-jawed pliers that can firmly grasp the base of the quill, next to the skin.You may have to switch to smaller or needle-nosed pliers to remove the smallest quills.
Hemostats, or small medical pliers intended for clamping, are an excellent choice if available.
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. , Keeping a firm grip on the quill base, pull in as straight a line as possible.
Try to slide the quill out of the hole directly, rather than angling it where it could cause new damage or break inside the animal.
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. , Look at the base of the quill you removed to make sure the tip is still present.
If the tip has broken off, it could cause infection or even travel to the animal's organs.You will need to sanitize a pair of tweezers and attempt to remove it.
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. , Grasp each quill one at a time next to the skin.
Pull it out firmly and quickly to minimize pain.
Always pull straight in the opposite direction it entered, never at an angle.
Check the tip after each quill is removed to make sure it hasn't broken inside the animal.
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. , Only bandage or wrap the quill wounds if they are on the animal's chest or causing a significant amount of blood.Other wounds should be left open to the air so you can keep an eye out for infection, but you should dab disinfectant or antiseptic on these to reduce the risk of infection.
Do not disinfect chest wounds.
Dip a cotton ball in hydrogen peroxide for an easy tool for cleaning wounds., While chances of a rabies infection are quite low, the disease is fatal, so don't skip this step.
Any warm-blooded animal can contract rabies, including cats, dogs, birds, horses, and livestock.Your local doctor or veterinarian should know whether rabies is in your area, and be able to administer a vaccine.
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 is still in pain after a week or if it shows signs of infection, take it to a veterinarian immediately.
Red or swollen areas, oozing pus, or skin that is warm to the touch may indicate infection.
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.
About the Author
Gloria Palmer
Specializes in breaking down complex organization topics into simple steps.
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