Pocupine Quill

[Jim Sweeney]

Originally Posted by SlowShoe

The quills generally tend to be barbed on the ends. If only slightly. Its not easy to pull them out. We've had some pretty good cases with our dogs covered similar to Kims picture. We have always pulled them out ourselves though.

-josh

I had a pair of killers once that my vet got so sick of he gave me an old speculum and some rompun and asked me to not come back. I have a PHD in quill removal. Kim your pic brought back alot of bad memories my heart goes out to you and your pooch. I found this pic in my album of the worst one I ever saw, not mine

[irishcas]

Originally Posted by Jim Sweeney

I had a pair of killers once that my vet got so sick of he gave me an old speculum and some rompun and asked me to not come back. I have a PHD in quill removal. Kim your pic brought back alot of bad memories my heart goes out to you and your pooch. I found this pic in my album of the worst one I ever saw, not mine

Thanks everyone.

Jim, I saw this pix when searching about Porcupines. Ugh, I have more to look forward to??? I can't afford another 800.00 to be sure!

To whomever asked, the Porcupine was totally and completely UNHURT. My dogs and my pocketbook are what suffered.

I still don't know how I would pull them out of a tongue. Freaking dogs!

[David Hayne]

Follow up...swelling has gone down ( which took one week ) know sign of infection or lameness, so we can guess that all quills have been pulled out completely.

Still do not know if the quills could bounce off a tendon?

thanks for your replys....David

[Jack Evers]

Pure hearsay, but I've heard that since the quills are hollow, it's advantageous to cut the end off before pulling. That allows them to collapse a bit. I hve no idea if it's true.

My dogs that have had encounters were German Shepards and dobermans, more of a slashing type attack dog - dart in and back out rather than the bore in and get the the job done attitude of a typical boxer type dog. A couple of dart ins and a few quills each time, then they back off and bark for help with two to a dozen quills in their face and nose - not nearly what the boxer types get.

Glad your horse is looking better.

[irishcas]

Originally Posted by Jack Evers

Pure hearsay, but I've heard that since the quills are hollow, it's advantageous to cut the end off before pulling. That allows them to collapse a bit. I hve no idea if it's true.

My dogs that have had encounters were German Shepards and dobermans, more of a slashing type attack dog - dart in and back out rather than the bore in and get the the job done attitude of a typical boxer type dog. A couple of dart ins and a few quills each time, then they back off and bark for help with two to a dozen quills in their face and nose - not nearly what the boxer types get.

Glad your horse is looking better.

David:

I too am glad the horse is okay, and I'm sorry if I derailed your thread. Are Porcupines more active at certain times of the year?

Jack - you know Boxers and from your description I now know why I like them so much. We seem to have the same personality

You nailed them perfectly. I asked a friend and she has pulled quills out a few times and said that the hollow deflation is not accurate. I'm thinking besides wire cutters I need to start riding with needle nose pliers

[David Hayne]

Ok....I tryed too hand sew heavy material and had to use pliers to push needle threw..... This is why I was wondering if a Quill could stick into a tendon...my thoughts where if it could go threw the skin and the tendon sheath...could the Quill also stick into the tendon. I could imagine a tip of a quill sliding up and down inside the tendon sheath.

Of course xray could show this but I fiqure with all the farriers on this forum that perhaps someone had first hand account of this.

so anything is possible, and just when I think I have everything fiqured out, a horse comes along and teaches me something new.

for now I'm happy for this horse that has improved and I'm sorry to here about the dogs ..

so keep those Quill stories rolling in and hopefully I will get an answer to my main " POINT "...can a quill stick into a tendon.

have a good day...David

[Luna butte]

i remember being a punk kid riding a ranch horse named "tuffy", out checking on calvy heifers one morning and finding a "porky" wondering around a meadow,

and never being the type to let one get away since out here at that time anyways they had a $5 bounty on them,

i roped the little bugger and drug him over to the nearest tree and climbed off to get a stick to get him with and that sucker spun around and ran backwards into my horses hind legs after spending a couple hours pulling quills with my fence pliers cause the horse had at least 100 of them in him some being as deep as 1.5", i climbed back on rode the 3.5 miles home thoroughly disgusted with my own ignorance.
that horse was sure named right cause he never one time limped on the way home or ever as far as i remember

now i'd bet that them quills did puncture at least one of the flexor tendons, but apparently it did not slow "ol tuffy" down one bit.

[Ray_Knightley]

I think the closest I have ever got to a Quill is fishing years ago I am sure that those floats where made from Pocupine Quill.
A question do the shoot the quills out somehow ,or did those dogs get it from really going for the porcupine???

[Luna butte]

Originally Posted by Ray_Knightley

I think the closest I have ever got to a Quill is fishing years ago I am sure that those floats where made from Pocupine Quill.
A question do the shoot the quills out somehow ,or did those dogs get it from really going for the porcupine???

they will whack their tail on the ground and sometimes the quills will fallout on there own, but never do they shoot them. if a dog gets aface full its more than likely because the dog didn't learn anything from the first time he "nosed" the darn thing or he gets mad after getting a couple then decides to attack

[Ray_Knightley]

Originally Posted by Luna butte

they will whack their tail on the ground and sometimes the quills will fallout on there own, but never do they shoot them. if a dog gets aface full its more than likely because the dog didn't learn anything from the first time he "nosed" the darn thing or he gets mad after getting a couple then decides to attack

Thanks for clearing that up ...better to stick to rabbits I would say....nice and soft

[SlowShoe]

Originally Posted by Jim Sweeney

Maybe this is his Halloween costume.. maybe he's going as pinhead?

[David Hayne]

Since my first post ....the owner dealt with a swelling below the carpus joint where the quills had entered. Over the last several weeks since know sign of infection " I " thought it has to be a tendon injury.....yesterday the owner found a QUILL ...simple unbeliveable for a quill to lay in the leg for almost 9 weeks..

Was or did the tendon get injuried ?? Since no infection was showing we treated the leg as a tendon injury with cream , wraps, etc.

So we will keep looking to see if another quill shows itself...just thought I would let you all know...

David