Porcupine, Porcupine, Won’t you be my valentine?

What to do when your animal falls in with the wrong crowd…

Unless you keep your animal indoors all the time, there is a chance of a wild life encounter at some point in their lives!
Your indoor cat is likely safe. So is your inner city dog. But hikers and horse people know that their curious friends will meet some not so savory friends from time to time.

So what can you do?

Prevention

Know before you go

Whether it is your own backyard or farm or you are going somewhere on a hike, visit or trail, know the wildlife to expect in the area. If you’re not familiar with the area, call the local park service. They will be able to help you out.

Training

Most animals have a good sense of self preservation but often curiosity overrides it. In dogs and cats the predator instinct can also get them in trouble. Horses tend to find trouble when grazing in tall grass.

Teach your animals a solid recall. It may not always override the instinct to chase or flee but if solidly trained will at the very least give the animal pause. This can already be enough for the wild animal to move on and the situation being resolved. Recall should not just be trained with dogs but with other animals as well. For a fun way to practice with your horse, click here.

Preparedness

• Have a good First Aid kit available.

• Know how to deal with various scenarios you might need to respond to.

• Ideally you should learn Emergency First Aid for yourself and your animal (Equine, Canine or Feline).

• Have a comprehensive emergency sheet with vet, backup vet, emergency veterinary hospital and other resources on hand.

• Know how to transport your animal to a vet.

  • For dogs it is important to have an emergency sling, learn to muzzle and restrain for emergencies and how to stabilize when you suspect a spinal or neck injury.

  • For cats it is recommended to know how to restrain and stabilize for emergency transport with or without suspected spinal or neck injury. Cats may also have to muzzled.

  • Horses should be trailer trained and trailers in good repair and ready for use at all times.

Vigilance

When at home

• Check your yard or paddock fences regularly for safety to ensure your animals can’t get out.

• If you know certain wildlife is present, take appropriate preventative measure.

  • Keep feed properly stored to avoid contamination with opossum feces (EPM risk for equids) or other dangerous substances.

  • Use reflective objects hung along the fence line as that deters many predators.

  • Remove any structures that would be a welcoming home for smaller animals you don’t want on your property like woodpiles.

• Lock up cats and dogs at night.

• If you leave your horses out at night, make sure they are in a herd to protect each other.

• DON’T use a donkey as a livestock guardian. In spite of their reputation to be very effective they are no guarantee and if defending, will often risk their own life and sustain severe injuries.

When out and about

• Be aware of your surroundings.

• Wear a bear bell or something similar that alerts wildlife to your presence. With many animals that is deterrent enough.

• If you suspect your animal has found something dangerous, determine if it is safe to recall them and do so only if appropriate.

• Do not endanger yourself to help your animal. You are of no use once you are injured yourself.

• Do not engage wildlife if it crosses your path. Frequently they will just pass you if you are at a far enough distance and calmly wait or slowly retreat but look up the exact recommendations for the species in your area.

Response

If your animal got hurt, it is time to whip out your kit and use those First Aid skills you practiced.

In most cases you will clean, clot and cover the injured area and then take your animal to the vet.

For snake bites it is not advised to attempt sucking out the poison. It is ineffective and endangers the First Aider. Keep the bite site low to slow down the progress of the poison. Only use a tourniquet if you know how to safely use one. Tourniquets can not be used on horses at all.

Removal of porcupine quills is not recommended as the barbs can cause significant damage during removal. You can however give some relief with the application of lidocaine depending on the location of the quills. Lidocaine should never be applied close to eyes, nostrils, mouth, genitals or anus.

To prepare in advance for allergic reactions you can talk to your veterinarian about the right dosage of Benadryl or other allergy medications before hand. Human medications should never be given to animals without consulting a veterinarian as some versions are toxic and the dosage for humans cannot be directly applied to animals either.

Should your animal get skunked, you do not need to consult a veterinarian unless you see redness or swelling in eyes, nostrils or other areas as a result.
The formula to remove skunk stink follows but has to be used with caution as it is very potent.

Skunk Formula

DISCLAIMER!

Use with caution! Be extremely careful around face and head! Do not use near eyes, nostrils, mouth or other mucous membranes! Can cause blindness! Use gloves while applying!
The reader is responsible to take appropriate precautions and cannot hold Allspark Hill LLC liable for misuse of this formula!

• 1 quart 3% Hydrogen Peroxide

• 1/4 cup Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate)

• 1/4 teaspoon Dish Soap - I recommend Dawn as it works well to break down the oils in skunk spray

For larger animals multiply all ingredients equally.