Dogs and Porcupines

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Peakbagr

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On a Catskill100 bushwhack yesterday(Rose Mt) Eileen's Oscar and my pooch, Bookah got introduced to a porcupine.
I posted the TR elsewhere and also mentioned it on the multipliers thread.

The reason for posting it here is for hikers whose canine partners have not yet run into a facefull of quills.
If you aren't carrying one yet, pick up a multiplier, needlenose pliers, or the hemostats that others have recommended.

When I saw the dogs return on their recall command, it was scary to see them run into the clearing having muzzles full of quills and being 2 1/2 miles from assistance. The needle nosed pliers on the multitools came our in a flash. We calmed the dogs, settled them down, then got them lying down. I put my hand over Boo's eyes so she couldn't see what was happening and pulled out quills from her nose, lips, gums, tongue and muzzle. It was scary, but she let me remove them without a whimper or cry.
Oscar is bigger and stronger and Eileen and I worked on him together. Again, without a whimper.
Unlike all the things I've been told and read about, the quills aren't barbed and don't expand. We just got the tip of the pliers as close to the base of the quills and yanked them out.
After the trauma, the dogs calmed right down and were as close to 'normal' as Labs get and we continued the bushwhack.
 
Wow, scary stuff for both humans and dogs. Sounds like everyone did everything just right. Great outcome.

If necessary - I've had good luck using hydogen peroxide on small scrapes and cuts - my dog doesn't usually notice it. Does bleach hair a bit though - a couple of applications turns Brutus' black hair a bit reddish.
 
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