Yes Chuck, I think the cactus can be dangerous too. I had a very excellent pointer (btw, it never happens to a sorry dog) get either a mesquite thorn or cactus quill into his hip joint.....ie, penetrated the hip joint. The dog came up lame on his back leg. At first I had no idea of what had happened. This ignorance was complicated by 2 ?incompeyent vets who said it was 'arthritis' and maybe 'hip dysplasia'. I finally took the dog to Purdue Univ Vet school and they opened up the joint and found a staph infection. It was clearly from a needle or thorn penetrating the hip joint. It took a little time and several weeks of antibiotics, but this one tough dog had a complete recovery! Lucky! Taught me to check these dogs over after every hunt.....there are lots of sticky things out west.

Socialism is almost the worst.