Shot through the heart : a curious case of porcupine quilling in a 9-year-old Golden Retriever

Abstract

Porcupine quilling is a common emergency presentation for dogs living in suburban and rural areas. Although complications secondary to quilling are relatively rare, they can be serious; reports include cutaneous abscesses, synovitis, septic arthritis, pneumothorax, and periocular complications. Quills, with their backward-pointing barbs, have been known to migrate deep into tissues far from their original site of entry, especially if they are not removed immediately. Since they cannot usually be seen on radiographs, advanced cross-sectional imaging in the form of ultrasound and CT is often needed to locate the quills if penetration into deeper tissues and organs is suspected. Sometimes dogs will present weeks after quilling with signs the owner has not attributed to the porcupine encounter. A history of quilling, however, should never be ignored.