A family in New Jersey has been left heartbroken by the death of their pet dog, after a fight with a porcupine left quills inside of its body, with the owners aware that the spiky rodents even roamed the area.
The dog, named Chester, reportedly died during surgery which was hoping to save him from internal quills.
Chester was on a deck outside their New Jersey home on September 2 in the early hours of the morning when the tussle with the porcupine occurred.
Owner Miranda DeGennaro told NJ.com that she believes her dog attacked the porcupine, leaving quills on the pit bull-mix's face, chest and abdomen. They later discovered the quills were also inside of him, and traveling further down.
"We saw him running and barking, so we ran down the deck, but it was too late." DeGennaro told NJ.com.
In a social media post, DeGennaro admitted that they had no prior knowledge of the potential risks and would have enacted more precautionary measures if she did.
According to VCA Animal Hospitals, porcupines are the third-largest rodent and live in most rural areas across North America.
"Unfortunately, most dogs who get into trouble with porcupines do not learn from their mistakes. The best defense against porcupine quills is prevention. Avoid allowing dogs to roam at dusk or after dark, and prevent them from going into areas with known porcupine dens," it reports.
VCA Animal Hospitals also recommends that owners do not attempt to remove the porcupine quills themselves and without sedation as it can be very painful for the dog.
"This can result in a struggle, which can push the quills deeper, and a dog may lash out and bite, without meaning to hurt you," it reports.
DeGennaro did all the right things and took Chester to the animal hospital instead of attempting a DIY removal, but investigation by vets found that Chester had swallowed some quills, meaning "they just went everywhere."
She told NJ.com that quills don't tend to show up on CAT scans and x-rays but the damage they cause does. "You can't even do anything to see exactly where they are, so they did the best they could. But being that he swallowed some, they just went everywhere," she said.
A veterinarian was able to remove 20 quills from the outside of Chester's body but recommended DeGennaro took him to Oradell Animal Hospital in Bergen County, where they are able to perform surgeries.
According to Chester's owner, they found a needle in his pericardium, the sac around the heart, mid-surgery. "So, the quills were everywhere, around his heart, his lungs, his esophagus and in his digestive system," she said
The quills were reportedly moving inside the body, causing concern that they could piece an organ. Despite Chester's owner not having the $12,000 down-payment for the surgery, Oradell Animal Hospital agreed to perform it and allow her to pay at a later point.
DeGennaro told NJ.com that Chester died during the surgery on Saturday and she is unsure how she will fork out the total bill of over $19,500.
Newsweek has contacted Oradell Animal Hospital for comment.
In a social media post, DeGennaro sent out a warning to fellow dog owners to be more aware when it comes to porcupines.
"Wanted to give one last psa [public service announcement] of the dangers of porcupines. Had I known there was any potential for my boy's life to be risked I would have taken more precautions to prevent anything like this from happening.
"$20,000 in debt and all the support in the world wasn't enough to fix the damage the quills did. I wish with every being of my soul that wasn't the outcome. Please, please please, watch out for porcupines at night and keep them as far away as possible from your fur babies."
Newsweek has contacted Miranda DeGennaro for comment.
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