The prickly truth behind a porcupine's quills

By Michelle Ross

Posted July 27, 2022

Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin

Transcript

Y: Who's the kid in the photo, Don? He's adorable.

D: Ha! He's a nephew on my wife's side of the family. That kid is as cuddly as a porcupine! He's as venomous as a porcupine too!

Y: Venomous? Porcupines aren't venomous.

D: They aren't? But I knew a man whose dog died from being pierced by porcupine quills.

Y: That may be so, but it wasn't because of any poison emitted by the quills. Your knowledge of porcupine quill anatomy is lacking. Let's start with the basics: quills are simply hairs that have evolved to have certain protective attributes. Quills are loosely held by a porcupine's skin, and so if another creature comes into contact with a porcupine, quills detach easily from the porcupine. Not so for the victim though. Quills have sharp tips with barbs on them that expand when they enter the warmth of another animal's skin

D: But if they're not poisonous, Yael, how do quills kill a dog?

Y: The quill tips get lodged into the skin and are difficult and painful to remove. If the tips aren't removed, though, the quilled victim is likely to develop secondary infections.

D: Fatal infections?

Y: If untreated, infections from quills can be fatal. In other cases, a quilled animal may starve to death. Because animals like dogs often explore things with their mouths, they're likely to get quilled in the mouth. Eating may become too painful. In rare and severe cases, a quilled animal may die from shock.

D: That's awful.

Y: Yes, it is. If your pet gets quilled, you should take it to a veterinarian immediately. Death as result of being quilled is very rare if an animal receives immediate veterinary attention.

Quills are simply hairs that have evolved to have certain protective attributes. (Robert Shea / flickr)

You've probably heard the expression "cuddly as a porcupine" to describe some prickly personalities. But how much do you really know about the dangers of a porcupine's quills?

First, there are some misconceptions. People often assume porcupine quills are venomous, due to horror stories of dogs and other pets passing away after getting pierced.

That may be so, but it wasn't because of any poison emitted by the quills. Quills are simply hairs that have evolved to have certain protective attributes. Quills are loosely held by a porcupine's skin, and so if another creature comes into contact with a porcupine, quills detach easily from the porcupine. Not so for the victim though. Quills have sharp tips with barbs on them that expand when they enter the warmth of another animal's skin

But if they're not poisonous, how do quills kill a dog?

The quill tips get lodged into the skin and are difficult and painful to remove. If the tips aren't removed, though, the quilled victim is likely to develop secondary infections.

If untreated, infections from quills can be fatal. In other cases, a quilled animal may starve to death. Because animals like dogs often explore things with their mouths, they're likely to get quilled in the mouth. Eating may become too painful. In rare and severe cases, a quilled animal may die from shock.

If your pet gets quilled, you should take it to a veterinarian immediately. Death as result of being quilled is very rare if an animal receives immediate veterinary attention.

Read more

Source