Porcupine Slowly Recovers From Dehydration, Lice, And Injury

The following story about a North American porcupine was submitted by Alberta Institute For Wildlife Conservation in Alberta, Canada.

This porcupine was admitted to the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation on February 27, 2021, weighing 8.6 kilograms (about 19 pounds). The porcupine was found at a local park, curled up on the ground, unreactive to people and dogs.

Initial examination revealed the porcupine was severely dehydrated and had a heavy load of lice. It was suspected that the patient also was suffering from head trauma. The porcupine was administered pain medication and subcutaneous fluids and put in a quiet room to de-stress.

In the following days the porcupine was sedated to perform radiographs to ensure there were no underlying injuries, as their species cannot be fully examined well enough when awake. No fractures were noted. A fecal was also performed and was found to be negative. Subcutaneous fluids were given twice a day for a week to boost his hydration, as he would not drink himself. Staff began offering EmerAid IC Herbivore to entice the porcupine to take in more liquids and calories, in addition to a variety of browse, vegetables, and rodent block.

After a long recovery, the porcupine began showing improvement. He was brighter, eating well, and climbing around his enclosure. He needed to spend some additional time in an outdoor enclosure to acclimate to the weather after so much time inside. Finally, after nine weeks in care, the porcupine was released back into the wild.