UPDATE: Nugget's quills have been removed, and he is loving life with his newly adopted family. Nugget was adopted during our BISSELL Pet Foundation Empty the Shelters event in July!

July 20, 2022
Nugget is a one-and-a-half-year-old light-eyed beauty who loves to love! This goofy high-energy boy was on the city shelter’s euthanasia list earlier this month, through no fault of his own, and one of our awesome fosters stepped up to save his life.

Unfortunately, playful Nugget was in excruciating pain last week after he decided he wanted to make friends with a porcupine in his foster’s backyard late one evening. As a result, Nugget got hundreds of quills in his face and legs and was rushed to an overnight emergency clinic. He then had to go to another veterinary clinic the next day to remove additional quills.

Nugget had x-rays, fluids, quill removal surgery, anesthesia, medications, and more. The cost of his surgeries has already been $2,500, and he is due for a follow-up and stitch removal in the next couple weeks. With Nugget’s most recent x-ray, the vet isn’t sure if the lines on the x-rays are quills, air pockets from removed quills, or abscesses.

When we say we don’t know what medical care our dogs and cats need each month, we truly don’t know what medical attention our animals will need. Nugget probably has never seen a porcupine in his life and unfortunately did not know what would happen by his encounter.

Nugget is doing much better now and putting weight on all four legs and was quite the social boy during his time at the veterinary clinic. Porcupine encounter and all, we are grateful this wonderful pup is alive and happy as can be, with a foster family who loves him to pieces.