Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Porcupine quills moving into chest cavity of German shorthaired
By Guevara, Jose L et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2015·Veterinary Specialty Hospital of the Carolinas, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Porcupine quill migration in the thoracic cavity of a German shorthaired pointer.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old German shorthaired pointer was brought in with worsening breathing problems and tiredness after having porcupine quills removed from different parts of its body two weeks earlier. The vet found signs of a collapsed lung and fluid around the heart, and imaging showed multiple porcupine quills had migrated into the chest cavity, including the lungs and heart. Despite surgery to remove the quills, the dog's condition remained critical, and a follow-up heart scan revealed more quills causing serious issues. Sadly, due to the poor prognosis, the dog was euthanized.
People also search for: dog breathing problems after porcupine quills · German shorthaired pointer heart issues · porcupine quill removal complications
Abstract
A 7 yr old German shorthaired pointer presented with progressive respiratory distress and lethargy. Two weeks prior to presentation, the dog had porcupine quills removed from the left forepaw, muzzle, and sternal area. At the time of presentation, the dog had bounding pulses and friction rubs in the right dorsal lung field. Harsh lung sounds and decreased lung sounds were ausculted in multiple lung fields. Radiographs revealed a pneumothorax and rounding of the cardiac silhouette suggestive of pericardial effusion. Computed tomographic imaging was performed and revealed multiple porcupine quills in the thoracic cavity. Surgery was performed and quills were found in multiple lung lobes and the heart. Following surgery the dog remained hypotensive. A post-operative echocardiogram revealed multiple curvilinear soft-tissue opacities in the heart. Given the grave prognosis the dog was subsequently euthanized and a postmortem examination was performed. A single porcupine quill was discovered in the left atrium above the mitral valve annulus. The quill extended across the aortic root, impinging on the coronary artery below the level of the aortic valve. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first known report of porcupine quill migration through the heart.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25695558/