Treatment and outcomes of five dogs with intrathoracic migration of porcupine quills.

Objective: To describe the perioperative findings and outcomes in dogs that underwent exploratory thoracotomy following porcupine quill migration and report (1) the use of traction alone for the removal of superficial quills in the pulmonary parenchyma, and (2) the use of exploratory pericardiotomy for the incidental identification of cardiac quills.

Animals: Five client-owned dogs.

Study Design: Short case series.