Has your dog ever had porcupine quills? Please tell me your story, our dog is bad off...?

Yesterday we took our two dogs and a friend's to a field to play. Our friend's dog came running up with about 20 quills in her mouth and paw. We couldn't find our dog and it was snowing, almost dark, and 20 miles from town. We had to rush our friend's dog to the vet and then we drove back out to look again for our dog. He was right where we park and looked horrible. I googled pics of dogs in this situation and only the bulldog and bull terrier are worse. His face looked like the bull terrier but not on top of his head. You couldn't even see his nose or mouth and they were in his chest and legs and sides too. I cried all the way back to the vet with my husband holding him down in the back of the car. The vet said he had never seen a worse case. that was last night, the vet said he pulled almost 1,000 out and there are still more. He is staying again tonight, the vet said he might have them coming out the rest of his life. Have you ever had your dog have this happen? How was he or her afterward? How long did it hurt?Has your dog ever had porcupine quills? Please tell me your story, our dog is bad off...?
No, this hasn't happened to me. My dog is never out of my sight when we're outside off-lead. She also has a good recall, comes when called.



I am sorry about your dog, but use this as a lesson to never let your dog out of sight, and to know a proper recall, so it can't get out of your sight.Has your dog ever had porcupine quills? Please tell me your story, our dog is bad off...?
I am so sorry to hear this! A friend's dog had some quills that they had to pull out, and he felt a lot better once they were all taken out and he is fine now. But it wasn't nearly that many quills. I have heard it is important to make sure all of the quills are taken out, but I'm sure your vet knows better than me. Are you able to see your dog? Having his parents visit will no doubt make him feel better; we had a deathly sick golden who had to stay for a week at the clinic of a doggie specialist. Having his mom and dad there each day made his recovery go a lot faster, and made him feel tons better.
It will take a couple of days. some antibiotics. and possibly some anti-inflammatories but your baby should be ok. We have pulled quills out of multiple dogs...for some reason we see more labs and pit mixes than any other breed but they also are fine in the long run they just need to stay on their meds. The reason your vet said that your baby may be shedding quills for years is because quills are made to ';bury'; themselves into the skin and sometimes break off.



I know your vet tried to find every quill...we have actually cut them out before when we could feel them but not see them. However, your vet may have felt that there was a possibility that there were some quills left in the dog that he could not see or feel.



Please take the time to talk to your vet and ask questions and let him know your concerns. That is what they are there for. Sadly, sometimes they do not realize that they are scaring clients...usually it is in times where the injury really is not that bad so they tend to shrug it off because they have the knowledge. I can assure you, your vet is not trying to make you uncomfortable. Nevertheless, if you do not communicate with him, he cannot know your fears.



As I said before, your baby should be fine. He may be a little sore for a day or two but he should be fine. Hope this helps.
Wow that is a lot of quills, either you're dog did not back off or there was more than one. It is good that he is at the vet and you got him in before they started to be sucked in. I don't have porcupines where I live so never had it happen. If the vet can get all the quills out and get you're dog on some serious pain meds he should have a full recovery. Just don't let him out of you're sight in the woods again.