My dog got hit by a car. Could he have hidden internal injuries?

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!

I am sorry to hear that your pet suffered such a traumatic event. Brain trauma is quite serious and the prognosis (chance of survival) of your pet can only be evaluated and determined by the vet who physically examined him unfortunately. We cannot make that determination, but we can tell you that brain trauma is crucial in the first 24-48 hrs and if his mental and neurological functions are still intact (once he is un-sedated) and if they can control any intracranial hemorrhage before it has permanent nerve damage, then prognosis is promising for a potential recovery. Keep Monster hospitalized and continue to inquire about your pets current condition so that you are informed on his progress every step of the way.

If your dog had internal damage he would have breathing problems, or an extended hard abdomen, or blood coming from his anus or other body orifices, or would get very pale mucous membranes, get lethargic over time. If any of this happens, take Pitru to a veterinarian right away.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Being hit by a car is very concerning as most of the time there is more damage than what can be seen from the outside. If he is not walking well and his breathing is abnormal, I highly recommend you consider having him reevaluated by a veterinarian since he has not improved. They may take chest x rays to check on why he is breathing loudly such as a pulmonary contusion for example. Treatment would be dependent on findings though at least pain control medications can be started. I hope he does well. Good luck and have a good night!

Poor Bruno. If he is acting relatively normal, with no limping or lethargy then he is likely just fine. It takes a lot more blunt trauma than a fall that occurred in a car to cause internal organ damage. He likely helped because it scared him and cause him minor discomfort at the time, but now he is all better. Just continue to monitor him for the next 24 hrs for any abnormal behavior and get him checked by your vet if you notice anything unusual (vomiting, lack of appetitie, limping, continuous crying out, etc). But chances are he will be just fine. : )

If Emmy's acting normal, walking okay, responding normal, and is eating/drinking okay, I wouldn't be too concerned with a head injury. Keep an eye on her just to make sure no atypical behaviors develop and if they do she should see her veterinarian.

Shock would be something you would see immediately after or very shortly after the accident. It often follows a massive blood loss. If he is pink, moist gums, eating , drinking and no breathing difficulties, then shock or major internal injuries are not likely. Continue to test him, monitor for any deterioration in his condition and keep the wounds clean and dry. You can address the tooth at a later time. If it is chipped deep into the pulp, it may need extracted at some point, but that is not critical. It sounds like he is improving on his own. Keep up the good work !