My dog was hit by a car. What emergency steps should I take now?

Oh no, I'm sorry to hear about your dog! She should ideally be taken right in to the vet. If you're unable to do so, the most important thing you can do for her is keep her quiet, and well supervised. Sometimes with hit-by-car incidents the injuries are not all immediately apparent. If there is internal bleeding, it can take a number of hours for the symptoms to appear. So, watch her closely, and if she becomes lethargic, or her appetite decreases, or new symptoms develop (such as vomiting), then take her in immediately. In the meantime, keep her wound clean and dry. If the wound is superficial you can wash it with a mild hand dishsoap (such as Dawn dish soap) and pat it dry with a clean paper towel. Do this 1-2 times daily to clean any discharge and soften any developing scabs. I hope this helps!

It sounds like your dog is likely in extreme pain, and he needs veterinary attention immediately. He may have fractures, internal injuries and bleeding, and may even have neurological issues from being hit by the car. If you mean that he is unable to urinate, that is a medical emergency, and requires immediate veterinary care. Your vet will assess him and recommend appropriate treatment, which will likely include pain medication, imaging and possibly surgical repair. Do not give pain medication to him without checking with your vet, as pain medications for humans can be toxic to dogs. Good luck, and I hope he feels better soon!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Fluffy! I am so sorry that Fluffy was hit by a car! I think it is important to get back, hip and pelvis X-rays to see if any bones are broken. If there are broken bones he may need surgery to fix them. If the spine is broken that is serious. If all the bones are fine then I would be worried about neurologic problems which sadly are more serious. Neurological problems may or may not get better and need a lot of time. Be sure he is urinating, eating and drinking. If not he should be hospitalized. Sort of hospitalizing and getting a diagnosis via X-rays there is not much else to do but provide supportive care, keep him clean and warm and give him pain medications as prescribed. I wish you and Fluffy the best!

Oh my! This sounds like she may have a diaphragmatic hernia due to trauma from the car. A diaphragmatic hernia is common to occur after a hit by car. The stomach and abdominal organs are pushed up into the chest cavity, causing breathing difficulty in many cases and problems keeping down food. Other possible causes of her continuous vomiting is stomach bloat and an intestinal blockage (intussusception). These are all quite serious conditions that are considered medical emergencies. There isn't much you can do for any of these possible scenarios at home unfortunately. She needs radiographs done right away to diagnose the problem and then proper treatment. I would highly recommend taking her in sooner if you can. Best of luck with your pets care and I hope she makes a full recovery.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Murphy! You are doing all you can by having him at the Vet right now. When it comes to trauma some things don't show up for 12-24 hours, most specifically internal bleeding and bladder trauma. When I worked emergency I cared about 4 things: the lungs (was there a diaphragmatic hernia, pneumothorax, lung bruising, rib fracture, flail chest), the cardiovascular system (blood pressure, shock, internal bleeding), the neurologic system (head trauma, mentally appropriate, pupils, spinal trauma, can the dog walk on all legs) and the urinary system (can the dog pee, is the bladder ruptured). The last thing I cared about was wounds or broken bones. If Murphy is stable after 24-48 hours with the above 4 body systems he will recover just fine. After they know he is stable they can address wounds and broken bones as they are not life threatening, just expensive potentially to fix. You are going to have to be patient and wait to see how things go overnight. I wish you and Murphy the best!

You'll want to confine him to a small area to minimize any further damage. Be sure to offer him plenty of fresh drinking. To help alleviate any pressure to the area when loading him into the car, wrap a towel under the abdomen and carry the back end with a towel. Be sure to watch for and notate any swelling or changes in the spine, or legs. Be sure to get in to se your doctor as soon as possible.

BB could have a hematoma or accumulation of blood and fluid secondary to the trauma on his neck. I would be worried that he is painful when standing - while it is possible that this is from bruising and soft tissue trauma a broken bone would be another possibility. I would not recommend anything else specific if you are absolutely unable to see a vet right now - just keep him as quiet/calm as possible and continue to offer food and water. You may need to help him stand up - sometimes slinging a towel underneath to assist might help. I do not recommend any over the counter pain medications in dogs. If he stops eating, is having trouble breathing, seems very weak or lethargic, or is unable to walk I would recommend driving to the nearest veterinarian.