{"id":143950,"date":"2022-07-11T15:29:21","date_gmt":"2022-07-11T15:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/"},"modified":"2022-07-11T15:29:21","modified_gmt":"2022-07-11T15:29:21","slug":"what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/","title":{"rendered":"What happens if a dog eats a porcupine?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy counter-decimal ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"display: none;\"><i class=\"ez-toc-glyphicon ez-toc-icon-toggle\"><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#What_happens_if_a_dog_eats_a_porcupine\" title=\"What happens if a dog eats a porcupine?\">What happens if a dog eats a porcupine?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#Can_porcupine_quills_make_a_dog_sick\" title=\"Can porcupine quills make a dog sick?\">Can porcupine quills make a dog sick?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#Why_do_dogs_go_after_porcupines\" title=\"Why do dogs go after porcupines?\">Why do dogs go after porcupines?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#Can_a_dog_survive_a_porcupine\" title=\"Can a dog survive a porcupine?\">Can a dog survive a porcupine?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#What_do_you_do_if_your_dog_eats_a_porcupine\" title=\"What do you do if your dog eats a porcupine?\">What do you do if your dog eats a porcupine?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#What_happens_if_my_dog_eats_porcupine_quills\" title=\"What happens if my dog eats porcupine quills?\">What happens if my dog eats porcupine quills?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#Are_porcupine_quills_poisonous_to_dogs\" title=\"Are porcupine quills poisonous to dogs?\">Are porcupine quills poisonous to dogs?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#How_long_can_a_porcupine_quill_stay_in_a_dog\" title=\"How long can a porcupine quill stay in a dog?\">How long can a porcupine quill stay in a dog?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#Do_dogs_survive_porcupine_quills\" title=\"Do dogs survive porcupine quills?\">Do dogs survive porcupine quills?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#Is_there_poison_in_porcupine_quills\" title=\"Is there poison in porcupine quills?\">Is there poison in porcupine quills?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#Why_do_dogs_get_attacked_by_porcupines\" title=\"Why do dogs get attacked by porcupines?\">Why do dogs get attacked by porcupines?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#Do_dogs_learn_to_avoid_porcupines\" title=\"Do dogs learn to avoid porcupines?\">Do dogs learn to avoid porcupines?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#Do_dogs_like_porcupines\" title=\"Do dogs like porcupines?\">Do dogs like porcupines?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#What_do_you_do_if_your_dog_catches_a_porcupine\" title=\"What do you do if your dog catches a porcupine?\">What do you do if your dog catches a porcupine?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#What_happens_when_a_dog_gets_porcupine\" title=\"What happens when a dog gets porcupine?\">What happens when a dog gets porcupine?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#How_long_can_a_dog_go_with_porcupine_quills\" title=\"How long can a dog go with porcupine quills?\">How long can a dog go with porcupine quills?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#Can_dogs_swallowed_porcupine_quills\" title=\"Can dogs swallowed porcupine quills?\">Can dogs swallowed porcupine quills?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#Can_dogs_get_rabies_from_porcupine_quills\" title=\"Can dogs get rabies from porcupine quills?\">Can dogs get rabies from porcupine quills?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#How_do_you_get_porcupine_quills_out_of_a_dogs_mouth\" title=\"How do you get porcupine quills out of a dog&#8217;s mouth?\">How do you get porcupine quills out of a dog&#8217;s mouth?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#Can_a_dog_get_sick_from_porcupine_quills\" title=\"Can a dog get sick from porcupine quills?\">Can a dog get sick from porcupine quills?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#Will_porcupine_quills_eventually_dissolve\" title=\"Will porcupine quills eventually dissolve?\">Will porcupine quills eventually dissolve?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#What_happens_if_you_leave_porcupine_quills_in_your_dog\" title=\"What happens if you leave porcupine quills in your dog?\">What happens if you leave porcupine quills in your dog?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#Can_porcupine_quills_poison\" title=\"Can porcupine quills poison?\">Can porcupine quills poison?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#Will_porcupine_quills_work_themselves_out\" title=\"Will porcupine quills work themselves out?\">Will porcupine quills work themselves out?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-happens-if-a-dog-eats-a-porcupine\/#What_happens_if_porcupine_quills_are_not_removed\" title=\"What happens if porcupine quills are not removed?\">What happens if porcupine quills are not removed?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_happens_if_a_dog_eats_a_porcupine\"><\/span>What happens if a dog eats a porcupine?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Any time pets encounter porcupine quills, <b>there is a chance it could be fatal, said VPIs Director of Veterinary Marketing Dr. Silene Young. If your pet comes into contact with a porcupine, dont try to pull the quills out yourself because the barbs can get stuck. Its best to see a veterinarian immediately.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_porcupine_quills_make_a_dog_sick\"><\/span>Can porcupine quills make a dog sick?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>If the quill ends up breaking off in your dogs skin, your dog will likely end up with an abscess. Broken quills swell and splinter. If multiple quills get left in the skin and abscesses develop, your dog can end up with a body-wide infection. This could be fatal.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_do_dogs_go_after_porcupines\"><\/span>Why do dogs go after porcupines?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Although we may be careful to stick to paths and steer clear of wild animals, dogs are often more curious. In their wanderings, they may encounter a veritable foe  the porcupine. In most cases, <b>dogs are inquisitive about this friend or their prey drive kicks in and they cant keep from attacking.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_a_dog_survive_a_porcupine\"><\/span>Can a dog survive a porcupine?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Dogs need deep sedation or general anesthesia in order to have porcupine quills removed safely. As many quills as possible will be removed, but it is important to understand that there may be quills that cannot be removed. Any that cannot be removed will be monitored for migration and any complications that may arise.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_do_you_do_if_your_dog_eats_a_porcupine\"><\/span>What do you do if your dog eats a porcupine?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Get your dog to a vet right away. The best thing that you can do for your dog after a porcupine attack is to get him to the veterinarian ASAP. The longer the quills are embedded in the dogs skin, the more brittle and rigid they become.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_happens_if_my_dog_eats_porcupine_quills\"><\/span>What happens if my dog eats porcupine quills?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Go to the Vet (Now!)<\/b> She says its likely going to mean an emergency visit because most of the porcupine accidents she sees happen at night. Because the quills can migrate deeper into the skin, the vet might need to cut into your pups skin to fish them out.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_porcupine_quills_poisonous_to_dogs\"><\/span>Are porcupine quills poisonous to dogs?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Are Porcupine Quills Poisonous? These thin spines are painful for any creature that gets too close. In some cases, dogs, badgers, and foxes impaled by these spikes have died due to their injuries. While <b>porcupine quills are not poisonous, only a doctor or veterinarian should attempt to remove them.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_long_can_a_porcupine_quill_stay_in_a_dog\"><\/span>How long can a porcupine quill stay in a dog?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>24 hours<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_dogs_survive_porcupine_quills\"><\/span>Do dogs survive porcupine quills?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>If the quill ends up breaking off in your dogs skin, your dog will likely end up with an abscess. Broken quills swell and splinter. If multiple quills get left in the skin and abscesses develop, your dog can end up with a body-wide infection. This could be fatal.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_there_poison_in_porcupine_quills\"><\/span>Is there poison in porcupine quills?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Porcupine Basics <b>Their quills arent poisonous, but are designed with a sharp point and barbs at the end that make them hard (and painful) to remove when stuck in another animals skin.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_do_dogs_get_attacked_by_porcupines\"><\/span>Why do dogs get attacked by porcupines?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>But dogs are extremely curious creatures. <b>They tend to wander off paths when something piques their curiosity, or they spot something that triggers their prey drive into full gear. These impulsive forays may eventually result in an encounter with a porcupine.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_dogs_learn_to_avoid_porcupines\"><\/span>Do dogs learn to avoid porcupines?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Porcupine quills are not ejected, they simply embed themselves into the dog on contact; undetected quills can then migrate into remote areas much like foxtails do. Do dogs learn to avoid porcupines following this painful encounter? <b>Nope.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_dogs_like_porcupines\"><\/span>Do dogs like porcupines?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Porcupines are small slow-moving herbivorous critters, that are largely nocturnal. They are most likely to be investigating and eating at dusk and throughout the night.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_do_you_do_if_your_dog_catches_a_porcupine\"><\/span>What do you do if your dog catches a porcupine?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>If the quill ends up breaking off in your dogs skin, your dog will likely end up with an abscess. Broken quills swell and splinter. If multiple quills get left in the skin and abscesses develop, your dog can end up with a body-wide infection. This could be fatal.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_happens_when_a_dog_gets_porcupine\"><\/span>What happens when a dog gets porcupine?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Get your dog to a vet right away. The best thing that you can do for your dog after a porcupine attack is to get him to the veterinarian ASAP. The longer the quills are embedded in the dogs skin, the more brittle and rigid they become.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_long_can_a_dog_go_with_porcupine_quills\"><\/span>How long can a dog go with porcupine quills?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Your pup will likely be in significant pain. That pain will cause him to paw at the quills, which could drive them in further or break them off, thus making them harder to extricate. In addition, the longer the quills stay in a dogs body, the more rigid and brittle they become  making them more difficult to remove.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_dogs_swallowed_porcupine_quills\"><\/span>Can dogs swallowed porcupine quills?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Quills Can Cause Internal Damage<\/b> Quills can even enter joints, harm internal organs, or cause abscesses, Lucerne Veterinary Hospital warns. If your vet cant be reached right away after a porcupine encounter, taking your pup to an emergency clinic could save his life.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_dogs_get_rabies_from_porcupine_quills\"><\/span>Can dogs get rabies from porcupine quills?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>24 hours<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_you_get_porcupine_quills_out_of_a_dogs_mouth\"><\/span>How do you get porcupine quills out of a dog&#8217;s mouth?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Please note, <b>quills do not transmit rabies; we would only be concerned about rabies in a patient with bite-wounds, or where the dog bit the porcupine.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_a_dog_get_sick_from_porcupine_quills\"><\/span>Can a dog get sick from porcupine quills?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>If the quill ends up breaking off in your dogs skin, your dog will likely end up with an abscess. Broken quills swell and splinter. If multiple quills get left in the skin and abscesses develop, your dog can end up with a body-wide infection. This could be fatal.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Will_porcupine_quills_eventually_dissolve\"><\/span>Will porcupine quills eventually dissolve?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>24 hours<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_happens_if_you_leave_porcupine_quills_in_your_dog\"><\/span>What happens if you leave porcupine quills in your dog?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The most serious potential complication of porcupine quills is <b>infection deep in the tissues. Migrating quills can also embed in joints, poke into the eye, or even penetrate into the brain or other organs, creating a real life-threatening health crisis.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_porcupine_quills_poison\"><\/span>Can porcupine quills poison?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>24 hours<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Will_porcupine_quills_work_themselves_out\"><\/span>Will porcupine quills work themselves out?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Porcupine Basics <b>Their quills arent poisonous, but are designed with a sharp point and barbs at the end that make them hard (and painful) to remove when stuck in another animals skin.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_happens_if_porcupine_quills_are_not_removed\"><\/span>What happens if porcupine quills are not removed?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The most serious potential complication of porcupine quills is <b>infection deep in the tissues. Migrating quills can also embed in joints, poke into the eye, or even penetrate into the brain or other organs, creating a real life-threatening health crisis.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Table of Contents What happens if a dog eats a porcupine?Can porcupine quills make a dog sick?Why do dogs go after porcupines?Can a dog survive a porcupine?What do you do if your dog eats a porcupine?What happens if my dog eats porcupine quills?Are porcupine quills poisonous to dogs?How long can a porcupine quill stay in&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[622],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143950"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=143950"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143950\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=143950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=143950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=143950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}