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My dog was hit by a car and now won't pee. Is his bladder ruptured?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 11 years and 3 months old | 40 lbs

My dog was hit by a car 40 hours ago and we rushed him to the vet. He was given an IV and opioids and released him back to us in 3 hours with nothing on the x-rays but a bruised lung. now he will not use the bathroom at all. he can't walk by himself yet so we've been carrying him outside and he doesn't even attempt to use the bathroom. his bladder feels extremely full. I've tried to manually expel his bladder with no luck. he has not peed since the accident 40 hours ago

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Angela Hinton, DVM

Answered By Angela Hinton, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 28th, 2018

Hello there! I am so sorry to hear Boogie got hit by a car. I know how scary this must be for you.

I am really concerned about Boogie based on what you are describing. Something doesn't seem quite right. If his only injury is a bruised lung he should be able to walk and urinate.

I think Boogie needs to go in and see a vet ASAP. And I would recommend taking him to an ER vet today if possible.

There are a few things that have me really worried. The 1st is that he received IV fluids and he isn't urinating. We often give a lot of fluids in the these situations to treat shock. This should make him make a lot of urine. If you are able to feel a very large bladder then my concern is that he might not be able to pee. This can become a life threatening situation if it were to affect his kidneys or even if the bladder were to rupture.

The other thing that has me very concerned is his lack of ability to walk. If he's limping on only 1 or 2 legs he could just be really sore so that's not as big of deal (as long as the vet took X-rays to confirm nothing was broken). But if he is unable to move any one of his legs (kind of drags it) I would be worried about possible spinal damage. Spinal damage could also make it hard for him to pee. It can be hard to diagnose something like that unless he were to have an MRI.

So, I really think Boogie needs to see a vet ASAP to have all these things checked out. I don't mean to alarm you, I just want what is best for Boogie and it's hard to know exactly what you tell you without being able to examine him.
I hope you find this information helpful.
I wish you and Boogie all the best.


Vote Icon1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Mirissa Duncil, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Hi there. Many animals will retain urine if they are painful because it is hard to posture (get in position) to urinate...especially if the pelvis or legs were injured (even badly bruised). It is worth mentioning that sometimes injuries will show up after the initial trauma as swelling of tissues decreases-spinal injuries, etc can prevent voiding the bladder properly. If your pet was hit by a car-there is always a chance of bladder rupture-but less likely so if you can actually feel the structure yourself.

    I would recommend taking him back to the vet to recheck if there is a problem-if it is only pain control then medications can be issued to help.

    Vote Icon

    0Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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