Hedgehogs are solitary animals, but can cause painful injuries if they feel threatened. If you, someone else, or an animal is attacked by a hedgehog, you should ask your doctor or veterinarian to remove the spines. Remove them at home only if the spines are few, not near sensitive areas such as the eyes, or you cannot reach medical help. Follow these steps to carefully reduce the chance of infection or organ damage.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Removing Thorns from Dogs or Other Animals
Step 1. Treat the animal as soon as possible
Porcupine spines are less likely to cause long-term harm if removed from the animal within the first 24 hours. Animals treated during this period almost always fully recovered. On the other hand, late treatment increases the chances of complications such as broken spine tips, eye or wrist damage, and infection. Dogs with quills in the mouth may not be able to eat until they are removed.
- Many veterinary hospitals accept patients outside of business hours for emergencies.
- If you can't treat the animal right away, try to prevent it from scratching or breaking the spines. Control the animal to minimize any movement if the spines are on the chest or abdomen, where fractures are most dangerous.
Step 2. Take the animal to the vet if possible
Removing thorns from domestic animals is a painful process, and even a gentle animal will rebel. If the animal has 10 or more thorns, has thorns near its mouth or eyes, or is prone to aggressive behavior, seek veterinary care. Performing an uninstall at home is a last resort in this situation.
- If a thorn is stuck in or around the eye, removing it yourself is dangerous. A broken thorn tip within the eye may require medical equipment to be found and can cause serious damage.
- If the thorns are stuck around the mouth, the animal may be pricked by the thorns in the mouth and throat as well. These are difficult to find and remove at home, and can interfere with your animal's ability to eat until they are removed by a veterinarian.
Step 3. Have one or two assistants hold the animal
Unless the animal is small and usually calm, you should have a friend who can hold it. Choose someone the dog is comfortable with, if possible, to further minimize stress and rebellion. Rebellion when removing the thorn can cause the tip to snap and sink deeper, where you can't reach it.
Do not muzzle the animal unless there are no quills stuck in or around its face, as the muzzle may break the spines or push it further in. Almost all dogs injured with quills have spines in this area, often in other locations as well, so check thoroughly for puncture wounds or small spines on the mouth and face before assuming it's safe to muzzle.
Step 4. Examine the entire body of the animal for the location of the spines
Most animals with thorns are injured in more than one place, and some spines may be small and difficult to see. Attempts by the animal to remove the spines themselves may result in the legs being pierced as well, or the hedgehog may attack the animal several times.
- Check inside the mouth using a flashlight to see the palate and throat. If the thorn is inside, the vet can remove it without hurting the dog too much.
- Check on and between the fingers, as well as the legs and arms.
- Although spines on the chest or abdomen are rare compared to other locations, you should still check for small spines and tender lumps under the skin here, as broken spine tips in these areas can be dangerous.
Step 5. Make the animal as relaxed as possible
Move slowly and speak softly to make the dog as relaxed as possible, although you should be prepared to avoid the bite. Before removing the thorns from the animal's face, cover its eyes with your hand or ask the animal's trusted assistant to do the same.
Step 6. Never cut a thorn before removing it
You may have heard or read advice about cutting a hedgehog's spines in half to make them flatter and easier to remove. Don't follow this advice: it can actually make the thorn more difficult to grip, or even break it into pieces.
Step 7. Grip the barb close to the base with pliers or a hemostat
Use a pair of flat pliers that will grip the base of the spine firmly near the skin. You may have to use smaller pliers to remove the smallest thorns. Hemostats, or small medical forceps made for clamping, are a good option if available.
- Grip firmly, but not too much so as not to break the thorn.
- Don't grip the thorn with your finger. It is covered in thorns and small scales which will cause pain and injury to your skin.
Step 8. Quickly pull the barb out in the direction opposite the barb in
Maintaining a firm grip on the base of the spine, pull it as straight as possible. Try to slide the thorns out of the hole directly, not cornering them so they can cause rock breakage or fracture inside the animal.
Barb removal is less painful if done in a quick motion. However, you should be sure you are gripping the thorn firmly and will pull it in the right direction before you pull the thorn
Step 9. If the tip of the barb is broken, remove it with clean tweezers
Look at the base of the quill you removed to make sure the tip is there. If the tip has broken off, it can cause infection or even reach the animal's organs. You will need to clean a pair of tweezers and try to get them out.
- To clean metal tweezers, rinse under running water, then drop them in a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Carefully remove it with tongs, place it on a clean paper towel, and let it cool for a few minutes before using it.
- If you can't see the tip of the thorn in the puncture wound, or you fail to remove it after one or two tries, take your dog to the vet as soon as possible.
Step 10. Repeat with all remaining spines
Grasp each thorn one by one near the skin. Pull it out hard and fast to minimize pain. Always pull straight in the opposite direction it comes in, never at an angle. Check the tip after each quill is removed to make sure it doesn't break inside the animal.
Examine the animal again for any thorns you may have missed. It's always good to be sure, as removing the thorn as soon as possible leads to a faster and safer recovery
Step 11. Bandage or disinfect the thorn wound depending on the location
Bandage or bandage a thorn wound only if it is on the animal's chest or causing excessive bleeding. Other wounds should be left open to air so you can monitor for infection, but you should use a disinfectant or antiseptic on them to reduce the risk of infection. Do not disinfect chest wounds.
Dip a cotton ball in hydrogen peroxide for an easy way to clean the wound
Step 12. Give your animal a rabies vaccination
Although the chances of rabies infection are quite low, it is fatal, so don't skip this step. Any warm-blooded animal can get rabies, including dogs, cats, birds, horses, and farm animals. Your local doctor or veterinarian should know if there is rabies in your area, and be able to provide vaccinations.
- Mammals such as dogs and cats are not only exposed to rabies, but spread it to humans. Ask your doctor if you need to get a rabies vaccination, especially if you didn't vaccinate your animal right away.
- Even if your pet has received vaccinations in the last 3 years, ask the doctor if he needs to receive them again after a possible exposure.
Step 13. Look for signs of complications in the weeks that follow
If the animal is still in pain after a week or if it shows signs of infection, take it to the vet immediately. Red or swollen areas, pus, or skin that is warm to the touch can indicate infection.
- If the animal is limping or has wrist pain, you should take him to the vet. Thorns may be stuck in his body.
- If the animal has a thorn stuck in its mouth or throat, give it soft food for a few days until it recovers.
- The vet may decide to give antibiotics if an infection is present. At home, don't try to give your animal anything stronger than an over-the-counter antibiotic lotion without a vet's advice.
Method 2 of 3: Removing Thorns from Humans
Step 1. Go to the doctor for serious cases
If there are many thorns, the experience will be less painful if done by a doctor. Do not try to remove thorns from a human's face or throat at home.
Step 2. Ask the person to remain calm and still
The removal process is painful and requires the patient to sit for a long time before the spine is removed. Remove the steal as soon as possible after the injury occurs.
If the injured person rebels, there is a risk that the tip of the thorn might break off and go deeper into the skin, which risks causing more serious problems. Take the person to the doctor if he can't stay still
Step 3. Never cut the thorn before removing it
Many people cut bare thorns before removing them so that they deflate and become smaller. However, experts advise against doing this, as it can make the thorn difficult to grip and may cause it to break into several pieces.
Step 4. Grasp the first barb with a pair of flat pliers or a hemostat
You may need pliers of different sizes if there are large and small burrs. The thorns require a tool to remove as they have a spiked surface which makes them easy to stick to and difficult to remove in the opposite direction. If you try to pull the thorn with your hand it will stab into your finger.
Step 5. Grip the barb close to the base
Use a tool to grip the spine as close to the skin as possible. You can even push the skin down around the spine, as long as you are careful not to break the spine or cause too much pain to the injured person.
Step 6. Gently pull the burr out
Use strong and fast movements to pull the thorns as hard and fast as you can. Do not twist the thorn, as this may cause it to break. Try to pull it at the same angle it went in, straight back out of the wound.
Step 7. Inspect the area where the thorn is buried to make sure the tip is not broken
The broken spines can get into the skin and cause infection. See a doctor if this happens.
If you can't see a doctor, clean a pair of tweezers by placing them in boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove the tweezers from the water with the tweezers and then let them cool on a clean paper towel for a few minutes before you use them to remove the broken tip of the thorn in the wound
Step 8. Repeat the removal process for each thorn you can find
Ask the patient if he feels pain in his body, which could indicate a smaller thorn or a broken tip of the thorn that you don't see. Remove the tip of the thorn as described above.
Step 9. Disinfect the wound
Dip a cotton ball in hydrogen peroxide and wipe the wound using it. The sterile alcohol swab found in the first aid kit can also be used. Use mild soap and water if none are available.
Step 10. Apply an antibiotic ointment to the wound
You may be able to use a bandage over the sakep to hold it in place if the injured person will be participating in energetic activities, or if he or she might scratch it. Otherwise, open the wound (without a bandage) so you can monitor for infection.
Step 11. Monitor the wound daily for signs of infection
Possible infections can appear red, swollen and festering. You should see a doctor if this happens so that you can be prescribed a safe and effective antibiotic to fight the infection.
If the person experiences unexplained pain in the next few weeks, take them to the doctor and tell them about the hedgehog incident. It is possible that the tips of the spines are still under the skin or have gone deeper into the body where they can cause serious damage
Step 12. Ask the doctor about the rabies vaccination as soon as possible
Although rabies is mostly spread through bites, you shouldn't take any chances. If a person is exposed to the rabies virus from a hedgehog and does not receive the vaccination immediately or does not receive the previous vaccination, the mortality rate is high.
Even if the injured person received vaccinations within the last 3 years, ask the doctor if he or she should receive them again after a possible exposure
Method 3 of 3: Reducing the Chances of Sighting a Hedgehog
Step 1. Don't assume your animal will learn to avoid hedgehogs
Many dogs and other animals injure themselves by meeting the hedgehog two or three times. If your pet has been injured by a hedgehog in your area, chances are he will see him again and may threaten him again.
Step 2. Identify possible hedgehog nests
Hedgehogs live in small, enclosed spaces. Caves, spaces under logs, or debris may be inhabited by porcupines. Put a leash on your animal if it passes through this type of area, or call if it goes to investigate. If someone encounters a hedgehog near your house, they may be living under a deck, in a crawl space, or at the end of a barn.
A hedgehog's nest may be easy to find if you follow the sound of barking, snoring, moaning, or screaming. This sound is most common during the mating season in the fall
Step 3. If you come across a hedgehog, back off slowly
Contrary to myth, hedgehogs are not aggressive and are unable to throw their thorns. As long as you retreat slowly, the hedgehog won't harm you. Look around as you retreat to make sure there are no other hedgehogs. Although they are usually solitary, you may find a mother with several young porcupines sharing a nest in the winter.
Step 4. Know when the hedgehog is active
Hedgehogs usually sleep during the day, so there's little risk for your animal to come across them at that time. Keep your animals indoors or in cages at night. If you want to find the hedgehogs yourself to make sure they're on your property, you may need a flashlight or night vision goggles. Stay away from suspicious nests.
Step 5. Contact a professional hedgehog remover to get rid of hedgehogs on your property
In addition to possible injury, hedgehogs will eat wood and garden herbs, causing great damage. Contact a wildlife controller or professional animal remover to have them safely remove the hedgehog.
Don't try to get rid of the hedgehog yourself, as you could seriously injure yourself
Warning
- Hedgehogs usually prefer to live in the wild away from humans. If you're camping outside, be on the lookout for porcupine signs such as the smell of poison and sounds including moans, teeth gnashing and roars. Be careful when allowing your dog to roam in habitats that hedgehogs prefer, including bare trees, dirt or rock nests.
- The tip of the severe spine will move deeper into the body, no out skin. This can be dangerous and is always a reason to consult a doctor or veterinarian immediately.
- Do not try to sedate or calm your animal without veterinary supervision. Even home remedies can be dangerous if used on the wrong animal or in the wrong dose.
