By Susan Neul
Which of the many mammals that live in the Becket woods should a dog walker be most afraid his dog will tangle with? Black bears? The largest of the Becket wild animals, black bears are frequently sighted, but unless they are new moms with cubs in tow, they will skedaddle when they hear you coming. Bear-inflicted injuries to dogs do indeed happen and often will be the subject of sensational news articles, but veterinarians in the Berkshires say it’s been years, or maybe decades, since they’ve treated any dogs who have tangled with a bear.
The same goes for coyotes. Perhaps because owners of small dogs know better than to take their little guys into the woods during coyote mating season when these hungry predators are most aggressive. Suburban coyotes are notorious for snatching pocket dogs and cats out of yards, but this doesn’t happen much in the Berkshires. Either owners are more cautious here or the coyotes have an abundance of easier food available.
What about the fierce, aggressive, and very carnivorous fishers and bobcats? Fishers have indeed been known to snatch cats, but keep in mind that they typically weigh less than ten pounds and will tree themselves rather than attempt to take on a dog. Bobcats are much bigger and theoretically able to best a twenty-pound dog, but they tend to hunt at night and are much more interested in an easy meal than a fight.
So, what wild animal in Becket is responsible for the most visits to the veterinarian? The porcupine! And it isn’t even carnivorous or aggressive. It’s just a simple wood-gnawing rodent, with teeth perfectly situated to peel bark but not exactly great at inflicting harm to other animals. Surprisingly, it’s the cheesy, rank odor of porcupines that entices dogs to follow their nose to find out what or who produces such a yummy odor, only to get a painful surprise upon discovery.
Contrary to common thought, the porcupine does not shoot its quills. When threatened, it hides its head in a nook of tree roots or similar spot and leaves its butt and tail facing the aggressor. It can swing its tail into a dog’s nose and hopefully send the canine running back to its owner. The quills inflicted in a tail swat can usually be removed with pliers at home. Pulling them out definitely hurts and some dogs will protest greatly. It’s the quills in the mouth that need professional removal under sedation. One attempt by a dog to grab the critter in its mouth can result in hundreds of quills in the tongue, gums, and upper palate. Quills are known for their ability to migrate, so immediate removal is necessary before a quill travels to the eye or brain. Local veterinarians say they remove quills at least once a week; and when the porcupines are particularly active, they need to send clients to the emergency vets in the area to meet the demand.
Will a dog once quilled learn its lesson? Vets say no. The prey instinct is too strong. One Becket resident reports that his dog tangled with a porcupine, and perhaps the same porcupine, three weeks in a row—and the dog was on a leash! But another resident insists her dog remembers the pain from the first encounter and now just dances around porcupines, but doesn’t approach. She attributes this to the superior intelligence of German Shepherds, which makes veterinarians laugh. The bottom line: keep your canine friends as far away from porcupines as you possibly can.
