Calgary dog owners urged to avoid prickly problems and watch out for porcupines

There's a large rodent species in Calgary leaving dog owners in prickly situations — and keeping emergency vets busy.

In northwest Calgary, Paramount 24 Hour Animal Hospital hasn't gone a day without treating a quilled dog since the beginning of May.

"We do see at least one porcupine encounter a day," said Dr. Heather MacQuarrie, a veterinarian at the clinic.

"If it's a nice weekend and people are out for walks, definitely we see multiple in a day."

The location of the animal hospital — a short drive from Nose Hill Park, where porcupines are known to inhabit — plays a major role in the frequency of the visits, said MacQuarrie.

She knows colleagues who practice near other parks, like Fish Creek Park, who often see dog and porcupine encounters in the spring and summer, too.

It's a common problem in Calgary when the weather gets warmer, which some Calgarians may be unaware about, said MacQuarrie

She's urging dog owners to avoid vet visits by being vigilant of the spiky rodents and keeping their dogs on a leash in bushed areas.

Porcupine Valley

Dog walker Ashliegh Skaper knows all about the dangers of porcupines.

With three dogs in tow at Nose Hill Park on Monday afternoon, Skaper recalled an instance where a pack she was walking sniffed out a porcupine. It ended with a trip to the vet.

"That one was a bad one. It was up her nose and in her mouth. I think they had to put her under anesthesics. It was a disaster," said Skaper.

Dog walker Ashliegh Skaper walking her afternoon pack at Nose Hill Park on Monday afternoon. (Karina Zapata/CBC)

Her advice to avoid a similar situation? Practice the "leave it" command, and keep them on a leash until that's been mastered.

And be extra careful in Porcupine Valley, an area in Nose Hill Park where many porcupines tend to hang out.

Melanie Whalen, director of wildlife care and services with Calgary Wildlife, said porcupines often have babies with them at this time of year. They're usually born between April and June.

While the nocturnal animals typically live in trees, they could be found on the ground more often at this time of year.

"Mom might be wandering off to get a little extra food as the baby gets older. So they're very vulnerable at this time of the year," said Whalen.

Calgary Wildlife takes in between four to 10 injured porcupines each year, often from dog scuffles. They've received two so far this spring, which are expected to be released shortly.

Don't remove quills yourself

Back at Paramount 24 Hour Animal Hospital, MacQuarrie said if your dog gets spiked, don't remove the quills yourself. It could break a quill and increase the risk of complications, including migration into the body.

A file photo of a dog who came across a porcupine in a rural area of Alberta in 2017 and wound up with hundreds of quills in his body. (Central Veterinary Clinic)

Instead, MacQuarrie said if the damage is on the dog's face and paws, dog owners should put a hard, plastic cone on their dog and bring them to the nearest emergency vet.

Most dogs have to be sedated.

"The worst case of quills that we've seen was a dog that was under anesthetic for over five hours because he attacked a porcupine and then rolled in the porcupine," said MacQuarrie.

She said most cases tend to happen at dawn and dusk, so she suggests keeping dogs on leash at those times especially.

If your yard backs on to a green space, MacQuarrie also recommends checking the yard for porcupines before letting the dog out to avoid any surprises.