What's this thing sticking out of my dog?

July 10, 2006 11:26 PM

What's this thing sticking out of my dog?

I was giving my dog a bath today and I came across this "thing" sticking out of his side. It's maybe 1mm thick and sticks out about 1cm, growing in the direction of his hair. It feels like how I'd imagine a porcupine quill must feel like. Stiff yet sort of bendy. It's fleshy colored, I think. He really doesn't like it when I touch it or poke around it much.

Any idea what it might be? I'll be taking him to the vet tomorrow after work but was wondering if anyone else had seen such a thing before.

posted by nessahead to pets & animals (19 answers total)

skin tag?
posted by fuzzy_wuzzy at 11:52 PM on July 10, 2006

warbles?
posted by eegphalanges at 12:14 AM on July 11, 2006

Could it possibly be a tick. His response is similar to when I poked curiously at the tick I found on my dog. Description is similar enough, too.
posted by polyhedron at 12:17 AM on July 11, 2006

D'oh, that should read "Could it possibly be a tick?" Anyhow, I can't seem to find a picture of a tick on a dog, but the Wikipedia entry has a few images. The one on my dog was shaped like a flattened kernel of corn, attached at the narrow end. It got bigger the longer it was on him.
posted by polyhedron at 12:22 AM on July 11, 2006

Cactus spine?
posted by hortense at 12:30 AM on July 11, 2006

hortense makes the most sense. It doesn't sound like any tick I've ever seen. Might wanna get it checked out.
posted by wsg at 12:37 AM on July 11, 2006

I'm also with hortense. I've had to pull several thorns out of my dog (once out of his eye!).
posted by goo at 6:38 AM on July 11, 2006

Looked at it closer this morning and it reminds me of a huge hard whitehead, sticking out of his skin. Doubt it's just a giant pimple, though.

Not much cactus around Hollywood that he could get into but that's what it seems like. He is acting like it's a tick. It doesn't look anything like those pictures, though. Maybe ticks mutate into spiny things if they've been in for a while? How long do ticks stick around, anyway?

Thanks for the input, all. Hopefully the vet will get down to the bottom of it.
posted by nessahead at 8:03 AM on July 11, 2006

A cutaneous horn? Let us know -- I'm totally curious.
posted by penchant at 8:42 AM on July 11, 2006

By the way, I don't think it could be a tick because I use Hartz Flea & Tick on him every month.

Unless, of course, it doesn't actually work.
posted by nessahead at 10:24 AM on July 11, 2006

Any chance of a picture?
posted by Brainy at 1:05 PM on July 11, 2006

Please update us!
posted by eegphalanges at 8:45 PM on July 11, 2006

I couldn't get him in yesterday so I'm trying again today.

Posting a picture... Why didn't I think of that? I'll see how well my cameraphone works when I get home from work tonight. Thanks, all!
posted by nessahead at 9:24 AM on July 12, 2006

Sounds like a tick to me. Hartz products are not a good choice, the stuff your vet carries is safer and more effective.
posted by biscotti at 8:28 PM on July 12, 2006

I would definitely recommend using Frontline Plus over the Hartz products. You can get it from your vet, online or at some pet stores.

Keep us up to date!
posted by thejanna at 6:46 AM on July 13, 2006

I would really love to know what's sticking out of your dog, still.
posted by eegphalanges at 10:53 PM on July 13, 2006

For the benefit of future mefi researchers, can we put some closure on this question? (Hope the pooch is doing okay!)
posted by fuzzy_wuzzy at 10:04 PM on July 23, 2006

I must agree with fuzzy_wuzzy. This is the sort of topic that when it appears as a non sequitur in a search must be read on without fail.

What the hell is sticking out of your dog!?
posted by chemoboy at 11:20 PM on July 25, 2006

The answer is that it *was* a tick.

Some K9 Advantix and the sucker popped right off. It didn't happen exactly that fast but you know what I mean. I'm never using that Hartz Flea & Tick junk again. (Although their hydrocortisone spray is excellent)

Sorry it took so long to come back with the answer! *sheepish*
posted by nessahead at 9:01 AM on August 9, 2006 [1 favorite]