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Dog hit by car, leg hurts to walk but isn't broken. What's wrong?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 5 months old | 25 lbs

My dog was recently bumped by a vehicle and has shows signs of a hip/leg injury. We've tried feeling of it to make sure it isn't broken and it doesn't bother her when we touch it but it hurts her to walk on it. Could it be a broken or something other not making her to walk on it?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Rodrigo Roca, DVM

Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 13th, 2020

Hello, sorry to hear about Macie. Yes indeed she could have a broken bone after being hit by car. She could also have torn a ligament or another soft tissue structure in her joint. This is likely causing her to be lame and not want to walk on her leg. She will need to have x-rays of her leg and a full orthopedic and neurologic examination to ensure she does not have an injury.

Alternatively, she may be sore from the trauma of the car hitting her and she may need 3-5 days to improve. Despite this, any pet that was hit by a car should be evaluated as some injuries may be internal and this may be difficult to see without a thorough physical exam. Hope this helps and best of luck.
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