What Makes a Red Letter Day?

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Andrew Sacco

I chose grouse hunting over shooting clays today. Just got done pulling 50 quills from my Otis’s face lips and gums. NOT A RED LETTER DAY. Gotta love Labs. This was his FIFTH porcupine. Remember the good days when these days strike!

Gosh, Andy, I hope you got them all out. Those vile quills can travel unseen and cause lots of issues. But, if this is Otis' 5th time, you are probably a pro at extracting them. I hate porkies! I don't hate much, but they are on my list for sure.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Garry L Gordon

Gosh, Andy, I hope you got them all out. Those vile quills can travel unseen and cause lots of issues. But, if this is Otis' 5th time, you are probably a pro at extracting them. I hate porkies! I don't hate much, but they are on my list for sure.

I got them all. I know they can be a real problem. I hog tied him with duct tape and then jammed a 2" stick in the back of his mouth while sitting on him. He bled like a stuck pig. After the first two times that cost me $400 each time with a vet trip, I learned to do this. That's why I hog tie and get that mouth open. Being a Lab his memory is about two seconds. He still loves me.

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Andrew Sacco

I got them all. I know they can be a real problem. I hog tied him with duct tape and then jammed a 2" stick in the back of his mouth while sitting on him. He bled like a stuck pig. After the first two times that cost me $400 each time with a vet trip, I learned to do this. That's why I hog tie and get that mouth open. Being a Lab his memory is about two seconds. He still loves me.

It all makes me cringe. I had a male Gordon that could not leave porkies alone. The last time he tangled with one we had to take him to the vet to have the few we could not get in his mouth removed. While he was under anesthesia, his heart stopped. They revived him, but three days later he dropped over dead after beginning to retrieve a grouse he'd pointed. We are still not sure what happened, and it haunts me to this day, but I shoot porkies on sight now when I come across them.

I hope Otis is okay.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Garry L Gordon

It all makes me cringe. I had a male Gordon that could not leave porkies alone. The last time he tangled with one we had to take him to the vet to have the few we could not get in his mouth removed. While he was under anesthesia, his heart stopped. They revived him, but three days later he dropped over dead after beginning to retrieve a grouse he'd pointed. We are still not sure what happened, and it haunts me to this day, but I shoot porkies on sight now when I come across them.

I hope Otis is okay.

Garry I really do appreciate the thoughts and I will keep rechecking him. Compared to the first two times, this was a lighter one. The very first one was terrible they were very large quills in his eyelids and nose and gums and lips, probably 100 after he kept grabbing the damn thing. I'm not one to just kill something to kill it, but this one is dead today. My vet told me about the quills migrating to the lungs and heart and I'm sorry to hear about your loss. Didn't mean to hijack this thread, it's supposed to be a happy thread : )

[mobirdhunter]

No worries, Andy, just keep a close eye on Otis. Threads go where they may!