Yet, mother nature can play some very inconvenient tricks on you and your pet. Dogs are naturally curious and their predatory instinct can lead them to chase anything that moves and looks [usually] smaller than them -- even a grumpy, unwelcoming creature called a porcupine (a large rodent). They are like daisies in a meadow in Southeast Alaska: everywhere! Believe me... you don't want to mess around with this critter! Unfortunately, some dogs lack discernment and will try to catch these prickly creatures at all costs, including the cost of veterinary care. For us -- doctors -- removing quills is an ordeal! For dog owners, the experience oftentimes turns out quite expensive and frustrating.
Porcupine quills (or spines) can take several forms, depending on the species. Yet, they are nothing more than modified hair coated with thick plates of keratin embedded in the porcupine skin. In America, porcupine quills are single in nature (not clustered), mixed with bristles and underfur. God is amazing and designed quills with a barbed end (see scanning
electron microscopy picture on the right).
They are easily released when a predator comes in contact with them. The barbed end ensures that they get buried in your dog's body with the slightest contact...and
they don't come out easily. The end result is a pitiful pet in big trouble, like the one below.
Unfortunately, it seems that there is an old wives' tale circulating in SE Alaska that says that quills are pressurized, and if you cut them, the air will come out, making it easier for the quills to be removed. Unfortunately, this belief is totally FALSE! Quills have no air inside. If you cut them, you have nowhere to grab to pull them out of your dog. Worst of all... once stuck to the skin, they have the nasty tendency to easily migrate deeper and deeper into the tissues -- and the tiny [cut] quill stubs will be buried in your dog's skin and quite difficult to be found. It is a veterinarian's worst nightmare!
So, the question then is what to do if your dog is the victim of a quill injury? The best thing for you to do is this: DON'T CUT THE QUILLS! Bring your dog to the closest veterinary facility ASAP! The longer quills remain in a dog, the more time they will have to migrate deeper into tissues, making them more difficult to find -- particularly the ones cut short by the owner. In addition, quills become less rigid and more friable the longer they remain in tissues, making them more susceptible to breakage during removal.
Once in a veterinary hospital facility, your pet will be examined, vitals recorded and he/she will be sedated. A properly sedated pet as well as adequate lighting and surgical instruments are crucial for successful removal of quills. Furthermore, only a sedated/immobilized pet will allow proper examination of the mouth and throat. Quills of different sizes get deeply attached to your pet's tissues. It is painful to remove them without sedation so, please don't attempt this at home. As you can see from the pictures I have posted here, the most common sites for quill injury are the head, neck, mouth and limbs. If quills migrate, it becomes extremely difficult for a vet to remove them. Then, from simply plucking them out, your vet will have to move on to surgical exploration of the injury site in an attempt to retrieve the little bugger(s) from deep within the tissues. Oftentimes we are unsuccessful... and complications may arise. 
In 2006, the Canadian Journal of Veterinary Medicine published a scientific paper on quill injury. According to their statistical data, the most common complications from quill injury are: (1) skin/subcutanous abscess/cellulitis; (2) migration of quills into joints causing arthritis and lameness; (3) intraocular migration causing serious eye complications that sometimes require eyeball removal (enucleation). At our practice, we have seen quills migrating very close to the heart; I personally have treated a dog whose quill migrated into the lungs, causing a lung puncture and infection. The poor dog required an open chest surgery for removal of the affected lung lobe. As one can see, a responsible dog owner won't take this type of injury lightly. In order to have a pleasant, satisfying outdoor activity with your dog, keep in mind these factors:
1. Although porcupines are active year round, most quill injuries occur from Spring to Fall and during dusk and dawn hours when porcupine activity peaks. This also coincides with the peak of outdoor activities for owners and their dogs.
2. Most commonly affected breeds include: German Shepherd, Siberian Husky, Rottweiler, Labrador and large breed crosses. This may reflect their higher drive for predatory/hunting behavior and the fact that the owners of large breed dogs often prefer to exercise them off leash.
3. Proper quill removal always requires adequate pet sedation and immobilization. Inability to retrieve the quills may be due to depth of quill penetration, complete or partial removal of quills by owner prior to presentation to the veterinarian, quill breakage, thick hair coat, pet obesity and other factors.
4. The longer quills remain in a pet, the more likely they will migrate, making them more difficult to find. These quills will invariably cause complications that will require a 2nd or 3rd visit to the veterinarian. Quills become more friable the longer they remain in a pet's tissues and more difficult to remove as they break more easily during plucking.
5. Dogs that have been injured by quills won't stop their predatory behavior. Oftentimes, dog owners bring their beloved dogs repeatedly for "de-quilling" as their pets don't learn that chasing a porcupine is not a smart idea. In such cases, a dog might be better off if kept constantly on leash during outdoor activities.
I hope you find this information helpful! Enjoy the beautiful Alaskan outdoors and keep your dog safe!
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