ns and bears.
The barbed, loosely embedded hairs that that coat the skin of the porcupine are the first things that come to mind when most people think about this prickly rodent. The quills are so loosely embedded in the North American porcupine that they may fly out and lodge in an attacker even if contact has not been made, according to the Columbia Encyclopedia.
Although listed No.7 by VPI, veterinarians said porcupines cause some of the most common injuries in the Northeast.
"Veterinarians spend a lot of time in rural areas pulling porcupine quills out of animals," said Hohenhaus. "I've spent a few afternoons doing that and it takes forever. It's hundreds of quills smashed into your dog."
But veterinarians were quick to point out that porcupines are not the aggressors in "quillings," as they call them.
For instance, Rozanski said she never treats a dog with a quills in an attack area, such as the hind leg, but always in the front, as if it was hunting the porcupine.
"A porcupine is very exciting for a dog because they're strange looking, they're slow moving and you can catch them," said Rozanski.
"But they can get really sick from the quills, and they can go into the skin and migrate, they can go into the chest and cause problems," Rozanski said. "They can cause lots and lots of bad things."
"If you're going to let your dog run free in the woods, we don't have a problem with that -- it's fun -- just be aware they can get injured," she added.
New York's Mayor Bloomberg isn't the only creature that's been assaulted by a groundhog. This February, on the groundhog's own holiday, Staten Island Chuck bit Bloomberg on television.
These furry meteorologists are actually a member of the squirrel family, and will bite and claw their way out of a predator's grasp, such as an overzealous beagle, despite being herbivores. Though gardeners from Bill Murray in "Caddyshack" to Martha Stewart might approve of the family hound chasing them off, the sharp claws they use to tunnel beneath suburban lawns can cause some serious damage.
Because these ground dwellers typically like areas where forest meets field, according to National Geographic, newer housing developments that have cleared previously untouched land have pitted them against a variety of outdoor pets.
Rozanski said she hasn't heard of many groundhog attacks, but like 80 percent of the animals on this list, it's most likely the case of a curious pet getting too close for comfort.
"We'll see kicks by horses a lot or kicked by cow, those things are relatively common, as well," Rozanski said. "Knowing your animal and then keeping the animal from annoying other animals is a good way to keep them safe."
Pepe Le Pew may have been a harmless womanizer, but in reality the average skunk can really ruin your pet's day. They are actually sometimes kept as pets but only after their scent glands, which produce a putrid-smelling, oily, yellowish liquid, have been removed.
Their nauseating defense mechanism often proves foul enough to teach other animals a lesson they won't forget. But the potential for defense doesn't stop there, as skunks possess sizable claws that are intended for digging but can cause some serious damage.
Rozanski said skunks are much more likely to spray than to get into a physical encounter, but it is possible.
The skunk's aggressive nature comes from its surprising carnivorousness. Though they are technically omnivorous and will eat vegetables, the skunk typically takes down small rodents and insects, according the Columbia Encyclopedia.
While the skunk weighs only 6 to 14 pounds and likely would not kill a larger dog, veterinarians pointed out that skunks are a frequent carrier of rabies.
"Just be sure that your dog and cat that goes outdoors is protected against rabies," said Hohenhaus.
Aggressive, intelligent and gluttonous, rats will do what it takes to protect themselves when threatened.
Through stories of rats eating children in classics like "The Jungle," and even recent reports of infants found with hundreds of rat bites, this rodent has got a bad reputation.