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CautionEmergency

Porcupine quills and dogs: what to do

Get to a vet. Porcupine quills are barbed and can work deeper into the body, so a vet should remove them under sedation.

If your dog ate or touched this, call your vet or a pet poison line now

United States

ASPCA Poison Control+1 (888) 426-443524/7, 365 days a year · A consultation fee may apply · Run by the ASPCA for pet owners and vets.
Pet Poison Helpline+1 (855) 764-766124/7 · A fee applies; their website has the current price · Serves the US, Canada and the Caribbean.

Poison lines in other countries: United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand

United Kingdom

Animal PoisonLine+44 1202 50900024 hours a day · A fee applies; their website has the current price · Run by the Veterinary Poisons Information Service for pet owners; for collapse, fits or breathing trouble, call your vet.

Australia

Animal Poisons Helpline1300 869 73824/7 · From A$75 per consultation; their website has the current price · Staffed by poisons information consultants with emergency vet or pharmacy backgrounds.

Canada

Pet Poison Helpline+1 (855) 764-766124/7 · A fee applies; their website has the current price · Serves the US, Canada and the Caribbean.

New Zealand

NZ Animal Poisons Helpline0800 869 73824/7 · Charges apply · The NZ National Poisons Centre does not advise on animals and refers pet owners here.

Find an emergency vet

What to do now

Go to an emergency vet now.
Keep your dog calm and still, and stop it pawing at its face.

Don't

Don't pull the quills out yourself.
Don't cut the quills; it makes them harder to remove.

Signs to watch for

Quills in the face, mouth or body
Pawing at the face
Drooling
Swelling
Limping
Trouble eating or breathing

Why

Barbed quills can migrate into joints, eyes and the chest, and have even reached the heart and spinal cord. Quick removal lowers this risk.

Sources

Guide reviewed 9 October 2026.

General information from the sources above, not a diagnosis. When in doubt, call your vet.