Proper Porcupine quill removal in the filed

goldenboy

goldenboy

Well-known member
I am getting a little nervous. I am going to eastern Montana later this week and I have been hearing reports of lots of porcupines in the area. I need a quick refresher on the best way to remove quills in the field? I have heard to cut the quill and release the air before pulling, I have also heard not to do this. Any recommendations or success stories are appreciated!
 
I'm no help but I have an opinion. :eek: I think do-it-yourself quill removal can easily go wrong with ensuing medical complications. I'd spend the bucks and the time on going to the vet. The dog will sure be happier.
 
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I would get your vets opinion / I had a dog get 4 or five and we just used our Leatherman to get them out .

A face full of quills might be best for a vet .

We were in NE Montana when we got these. We pulled the dogs out of the field after shooting 5 or 6 roosters and a couple of sharpatail . I think we pointed 4 or 5 and just couldn't risk it anymore .
 
I think as long as the quills are not in or near the eyes or down the mouth the preferred technique is not cutting the quills, have a buddy hold your dog and remove with a very quick thrust. Finding a vet in NE MT this time of year can be challenging as cows take 1st priority. My buddy's dog has bumped into a porky three time this year I've thinned them out the best I can, everyone please shoot them if you see them.
 
Joel: My first Golden was hit twice with porker's, hunting in N. Dakota. They were in low bushes - 2-3' tall.

We used a needle holder and pulled them; none were close to the eyes, several inside the mouth. It took about 45 minutes.

Call the dog off, if nothing gets off the ground!

Have a good hunt.
 
I find most of them in the cattails but have even found them in CRP, not trying to answer for anybody.
 
goldenboy said:
Brittman,

That is where I am going NE Montana! They say in the drier years the porcupine's come out even more. Where did you tend to find them? In the grasses? Stubble? or Cattails?
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We found them the worst in a weedy wheat field , next was in coulees in grasslands .
 
When I ran into one two years ago, it was in a picked corn field. I think you can find them almost anywhere.

A leatherman or other pliers works pretty well for pulling them out. I think it is important to get the dog calmed down and pull them immediately if possible. The points are covered with barbs so the quills keep migrating if they are in flesh that flexes. I missed a couple and found one coming out the back of her leg and another coming out the side of her neck. I found them by carefully feeling all over her skin later. They were like needle points poking out. I was able to grip the point with a pliers and pull them through.

If the dog won't let you work on them, then a trip to a vet for anesthesia is necessary.

Jerry
 
Had a dog get hit with a face full of quills in northern Minnesota this year. We pulled most of them out with a leatherman. I cut the ends off of a few and others I didn't. I noticed no difference in how the two came out. Took him to a vet because there were a few that just broke off and I couldn't get them out. The vet said all he does when people bring them in is take a pair of pliers and pull them out. No magic cure. The ones that broke off he said would work themselves out.
 
I would watch out for quills that break off, quill have spiral barbs and as the muscles work the barb migrates inward. My vet has said he has seen dogs pass because barbs have made way to vital organs. Quills in the gums will work their way out the other side of gum. Just my two cents.
 
I have found that the real small quills to be the worst. They are tough to find and tough to remove. Big ones (while barbed) can be removed with a leatherman or pliers.

Most of my dogs have not let it slow them down ...

A trip to the vet may still be a good idea, they will be thorough in looking for quills not found in the field and a antibiotics are usually a good idea to prevent infection.
 
PTM said:
I think as long as the quills are not in or near the eyes or down the mouth the preferred technique is not cutting the quills, have a buddy hold your dog and remove with a very quick thrust. Finding a vet in NE MT this time of year can be challenging as cows take 1st priority. My buddy's dog has bumped into a porky three time this year I've thinned them out the best I can, everyone please shoot them if you see them.
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I was on edge the whole time with JP out there, looking for the very small difference he has between "birdy" and "kill". Tell Buck to point them a ways off.:cheers:
 
Never thought about them working their way to vital organs. Scary thought. I suppose infection could be an issue too.
 
Miforester said:
I would watch out for quills that break off, quill have spiral barbs and as the muscles work the barb migrates inward. My vet has said he has seen dogs pass because barbs have made way to vital organs. Quills in the gums will work their way out the other side of gum. Just my two cents.
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On the occasion of my one trip to the vet to have quills removed, the vet said he had recently operated on a dog to remove a quill and surrounding tissue that had become lodged in the digestive tract.
 
I've only had one experience where a buddys dog tried to bite one. It was something I never hope to relive.

In this case the dog freaked, it was late Satruday afternoon and a long way from the closed vets office. Owner held the dog down and I pulled quills for more than an hour. At one point the dog quit breathing, I think he passed out. All we could do was keep pulling, sure was no time to cut quills or anything like that.

Thankfully I always wear leather gloves unlike the dog owner. Dog basically bit and held my fist so I could keep pulling out of the mouth and keep him from rolling around his mouth. Never leave gloves behind now. Pulled them all with a Gerber Multiplier, and quills would slip thru the teeth sometimes. I'm told forceps are the tool to have, but the ones I've held seemed flimsy for an hours work. I carry a pair of cheap needle nose pliers with narrow teeth now.

I could barely move my hands for hours afterward. My dog did get a half dozen across her nose and just laid down to wait while we worked on the other dog.

Makes me itchy for a bourbon just thinking about it....
 
Reading these testimonies, I thank God none of my dogs have ever gotten into a porkie. I've had them point a couple, but they've come off when called. Amazing what an ounce of #8 20 gauge will do to a porkie at 10'.
 
I'm convinced we in Michigan are blessed to be the porcupine capital of the world :eek:
The very best tool for removing quills are long reach curved locking hemostats. Do not waste time cutting the quills, it's just an old wive's tale that does nothing but double the amount of time to remove all quills and make them short (more difficult to grasp/pull).
Add a short length of rope or leash to your pack, this can be used to hog tie the dog to help immobilize it so it's not fighting to get away. Approach the task as calmly as possible, knowing it's going to take a while, be patient, pull in singles or doubles only, and follow up with a vet if you feel you may have missed any.
 
Pressure to calm

I've had to remove a large number of quills from my dog before. Like anytime you need to seriously work on your dog, keep him still by wrapping him in a large blanket and sit on the ends so he can't squirm around. This will calm him down(pressure works with most animals to keep them calm.. Ie Squeeze chutes are not just to immobilize animals). If you have a buddy, they can do that part. Then pull out the quills with your leatherman. Quills in mouth or eyes etc go to vet.
 
my springer Buddy got into one yesterday.....his first and it wasn't pretty. I think he tried to eat the thing because he came running back to me with a face and mouth full of quills.

I met a guy walking the area I was going to hunt and he was dogless and birdless at that point so I invited him to hunt over Buddy with me if he desired and he accepted. Real nice guy and we started talking as we hunted along and not 5 minutes in buddy gets birdy and we get into the first tight holding quail of the day and we both get a bird out of the covey. We end up the first hunt with 5 quail bagged and figured we should hunt the next area together as the first one went well for both of us and the company was nice as I typically hunt solo. As the conversation goes on he asks me if buddy has met a spinydog yet and tells me about his old springer that got into one and how bad it was, my answer was "no he hasn't and I hope he never does"...skip ahead about an hour and some excellent dogwork and an insane number of birds flushed, both quail and pheasant, buddy shoots into a blownover thicket near the creek and starts barking...not normal so I call him back but no response...more barks and then the ship went down and reality hit. I don't think my new friend actually jinxed us by mentioning it, but he sure felt bad about it.

well we instantly went to work trying to get anything out of his mouth and tounge and gums as we possibly could and then I finally figured I gotta get him to a vet as this was way past our capabilities. on the way back to the truck, about 20 minutes, buddy attempted to get out and hunt even with all the molestation he had....simply incredible or dumb I don't know. Go to the trucks and bid farwell to a new hunting partner and off I head. about a 20 minute ride home and to the vet. I thought he would have been a bit sore for a few days but this morning he was like nothing happened, eating dog biscuts and begging to get back out there. Took him close to a training field within city limits bt hegot up some quail so I think tomorrow we go full time again. I hope it doesn't happen again but I figure it probably will with the prey drive this chowderheaded dog has I don't think he learned a thing
 
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