Our Border Collie, Annie, had a run in with a porcupine last night. We wrapped her in a blanket and tried to move slow and calmly while pulling out the quills, and we would work a while and then take a break with lots of extra attention then go at it again.
Had it not been in the middle of the night (potty break) I would have taken her to the vet.
I fear that it will probably happen again since she knows there is one out there.
Any suggestions on how to make the removal easier on both of us?

Snip the end off the quill. Our Great Dane took on a porcupine and lost, too. The vet said that the quills are actually filled with air and barbed. If you deflate them they come out MUCH more easily. Also- put an analgesic spray on a cotton ball and dab around where you're pulling. Good luck, it took weeks for all of the ones she'd broken off to surface.

We had heard that about snipping off the end but wasn't sure if it was helpful or an old wive's tale!
Analgesic spray!! I knew there had to be something to make it easier on her. Thanks, I will pick up some after work to have on hand for future attacks and for the ones that work out.
She absolutely hates pliers now, if you leave them on the end tables she will make a wide berth around them.

We literally had to wrap a towel around the dogs head and chain it down to a tree to get them all out. We couldn't hold her and she kept pawing at them and breaking them. Keep a large needle and a pair of good tweezers available for several weeks as the broken ones fester and pop up.

Poor baby....and parents too! Hope this isn't a show that repeats terribly often.

Maybe the dog will take a wide berth around the porcupine just like the pliers....

This has happened to us a few times over the years too. I can attest that the dogs don't learn. Luckily our have always happened where we can get the dog to a vet.

Our latest round was with our two Rotts. One was so bad she looked like Santa Claus - her white "beard" was so thick. It will just make you cry to see and hear them, doesn't it?

Our vet said it was the worst case he'd seen in many, many years. He also said he does see alot of repeats! She had them all over the roof of her mouth and even between her teeth and down her throat! They knocked her out and it took them two hours to get them all out.

I'm glad we don't have them...as avid of hunters as my dogs all are, I'd be in a MESS!

That story hurts my heart. Hope she is ok and doesn't encounter any of that again.

Our border collies have gotten into a porcupine a couple of times and sadly they didn't learn. The 2nd time our younger collie really had it bad, same scenario as Okie, had them all over head, face, in roof of mouth, throat, tongue, teeth and had to take to the vet to have removed. Terrible!

All of these poor babies. I'm also glad that I don't live in an area with porcupines. I have four very curious dogs - especially the basenji who in Georgia went nose to nose with a live armadillo. Scared her to death!

Adding tweezers with the longest handles I can find to the analgesic. Hope we don't have too many broken off ones.
We operate on a live and let live philosophy and try to figure out ways to coexist with all the wildlife on our 1/2 section but,,,,,I think the porcupines could be considered expendable! You can tell it hurts to pull them out by the little whine/yelp. Annie is pretty protective/territorial so she will likely have another run in if it is still around.
If she gets nailed as bad as Okie's dog we will definitely be taking her to the vet.
Snowgirl, you said 'collies'. Guess I am not the only one that loves this breed so much I need more than one!

FloBear - how's Annie doing?

<BTW - our breed of choice is similar - shelties. We also love collies>

She's tearing around chasing things like she never caught a quill! (We go out with them at night now) We have managed to get all we can see out in the last couple days, one area on her muzzle looks irritated and may have one broke off. Zoo Mama's analgesic tip seemed to help when we got down to random quills.

Shelties are so cute!! We tell ourselves that our dogs are 'working dogs' and we are justified in having 3.

Glad Annie is feeling better. Please keep us posted on her recovery. That sounds just awful.

Yes, they are. One of the cutest things is when our year old <early picture as my avatar> tries to herd our basenji. That is a riot!

This sounds funny, but get some fox urine for your yard. My dad had problems with skunks (not the same problem I had with skunks), and he would bury a couple of vials of fox urine by the fences and it kept the buggers out.

It worked for the skunks, i would only assume it would work with a porcupine, but we really don't have those by me.

Uumm..... will the dogs dig it up and spread it around, you know so we can all enjoy it?

And exactly where does one obtain said fox urine?

My dad put it on the other side of the fence, so his dog couldn't get to it. I think he got it at a sporting good store, or the pet store.

The real question is how do they get foxes to pee in those little cups? Must be highly-trained animals.

Foxes are very sly and smart!!