porcupine quills/dogs/anesthetics

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There was a question posted here a week or so ago (by Mumsie) regarding what kind of anesthetic is available for a dog owner to help in removing porky quills from their dogs. I told Mumsie I'd ask my son, who is a veteranarian, for advice. Unfortunately, I can't find the original post (doesn't seem to be under pet care). Here's his response. Sorry, he evidently isn't going to be any help, insofar as giving advice on home care. I guess I can see his point, although I have to tell you that I've removed quills on at least three occasions successfully without a vet or anesthetic, by using pliers. But I also have to admit that the three occassions involved a small number of quills, all in the end of dogs' noses--nothing complicated. I also have removed a porcupine quill from myself; I stepped on one while hanging clothes on my "solar clothesdryer". Don't know where it came from, but it didn't feel real good pulling it out. Didn't feel good leaving it in, either, though!

From my son, the Doc: I always anesthetize dogs to remove ppq's. I actually hate it when people pull out most of them, then come in for the ones they couldn't get, because I usually end up trying to find ones that were broken off while the dog was awake... and the broken ones are hard to find. Sometimes we just have to wait w\for the broken ones to abscess, then do surgery again...

-- Al K. Lloyd (al@ready.now), September 04, 1999

Answers

Anaesthetic for a dog owner? Don't know. But I once had to pull about 2 dozen quills from a horses nose, with pliers, and every one shot a drop of blood on my shirt. I found that booze worked for me.

-- A. Hambley (a.hambley@usa.net), September 04, 1999.

To A. Hambley... booze, for the horse- or you? LOL. How much, and what kind of spirits?

-- mwerks3 (mwerks3@yahoo.com), September 05, 1999.

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