Prickly Problem

[giza1]

OK, so my husband, AJ, and I head off to bed about 1:30 last night, but Teak wants to go outside. So AJ sends Teak, Ren and Tie out to do their business. Lights get turned off, dogs come back in, and Teak heads under the covers. But he's being a bit too agitated so AJ pulls back the covers and…

"Hey! He's got porcupine quills in his nose!!"

Teak had 14 quills in his nose, but he was very cooperative and stoic about having them removed. He only squeaked a few times and snarled when the last 2 were pulled. Minimal bloodshed, and he's none the worse for the wear today! I think he's our first Basenji to have actually met a porcupine!
-Joanne

[krunzer]

OMG, hopefully Teak is doing ok today. I bet his little nose hurts! I have never seen a porcupine up in our area but I know there are a few further south. Hopefully he learned his lesson and won't tangle with one again!

[giza1]

Really? You have no porcupines? We have plenty.

And let me tell you, quills are MUCH easier to see on a short haired Basenji who only got an inquisitive nosefull than compared to, say, trying to find (white) quills in the coat of a grey and white husky who has actually attacked the porcupine and got a mouthful as well.
-Joanne

[Chealsie508]

Oh lord, I wonder if he was trying to cover up his tangle with the porcupine out of embarrassment?! I know Oakley would have put on such a scene, being the drama queen he is. Glad Teak took the removal well!!
Ps- love the name Teak

[agilebasenji]

WOW Actually, i'd say he was very, very lucky. I know someone who almost lost their border terrier due to porcupine quills. (There were 3 bt's involved, one was nearly killed by them.) And, sadly, they did NOT learn their lesson.

[QuizBasenji]

Oh, poor Teak! My nose is hurting in sympathy…

[krunzer]

@giza1:

Really? You have no porcupines? We have plenty.

And let me tell you, quills are MUCH easier to see on a short haired Basenji who only got an inquisitive nosefull than compared to, say, trying to find (white) quills in the coat of a grey and white husky who has actually attacked the porcupine and got a mouthful as well.
-Joanne

I have never seen a porcupine around here. In Calargy one year though we almost hit one on the freeway, silly thing was trying to cross 6 lanes of traffic!

[curlytails]

Just the thought makes me wince… I'm glad this ended well!

[eeeefarm]

@agilebasenji:

sadly, they did NOT learn their lesson.

A friend had a mixed breed that would head for where he knew the porcupines were every time he got loose. She said the vet paid for his annual vacation pulling quills out of her dog, so some certainly never learn! (he usually killed the porcupine, though, so maybe it was worth it for him!).

My neighbour had a curious yearling filly with a nose full of quills. They are usually not hard to pull out if they are just in the nose. Dogs so often get them in the mouth, and that's not fun. I'm glad your guy only had a "superficial" encounter. Pray he doesn't feel the need to "get even".

[MrBaRooampBitty]

Ha Ha, just be very thankful that it was a porcupine and not a skunk. I used to have a GSD Husky mix that never learned to stay away from them. He would normally tangle with one at least twice every spring.

[Barklessdog]

He is a very lucky dog or unlucky depending on how you look at it. That has to be so painful. Poor guy.

[stash]

Ouch, glad we don't have them here, Kaiser's first encounter with something prickly was a huge prickle he happened to step in and then he squealed so I can imagine how he would handle quills in the nose. Glad he is ok, their noses seem to heal quickly as Kaiser has had a few hits from the cat which have bled and can never see the damage.

Jolanda and Kaiser