My dog was hit by a car. He seems fine, what should I monitor for?

Hello. Make sure the color of her gums & mucous membranes keep a nice pink color. Observe her breathing at rest & while sleeping. If her respirations are 30 breaths per minute or less while she is sleeping, & her gums remain nice & pink, for the next 24 hours, she will be fine. Any concerns, please have her evaluated at an emergency clinic immediately. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This dog would be examined using the ABCs (airway, breathing, circulation) and if stable, would have blood testing (CBC, chemistry) and chest x-rays to evaluate for rib fractures, integrity of the diaphragm, and pulmonary contusions (although these can take 24 hours to develop radiographically). In most cases, the dog would also have an IV catheter placed and be started on a "shock dose" of IV fluids.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Max! It's a good sign that he ate and drank. It's hard to say if he will be fine with out examining him. Sometimes internal injuries do not show up right away, things like internal bleeding in the chest or belly, bruising on the lungs (contusions), abnormal air around the lungs (pneumothorax), diaphragmatic hernias, trauma to the urinary bladder. The obvious outward signs like a broken bone, wounds, back or head trauma you would have seen right away. I would rest him and keep him calm. Watch for increased and labored breathing, no urine production, lethargy and pale gums. He will likely be sore tomorrow. If anything changes he should be taken to an emergency hospital. It isn't wrong to have him checked out now and get pain medications in case he is sore tomorrow. I hope this helps and I wish Max the very best!

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!

A dog that has been involve in a car accident needs to be checked professionally by a vet, it would not be responsible or even possible for me to start explaining to you how i would check him because it is complex and based on years of studying and experience. your dog will also most likely need to have an xray done to rule out internal organ damage. i strongly recommend taking him to the vet ASAP.

Oh poor Buddy! Unfortunately, this is a serious problem! I worry that he may have seriously injured himself. Dogs that are hit by cars can have several different types of injuries from minor scrapes and bruises to severe issues like punctured lungs, broken bones, or even a ruptured spleen or bladder. There isn't anything great you can do at home to help him. The main thing is to keep his confined and watch him closely. If you notice any labored breathing or if his gums are not a pink color then I would try to get him to the emergency clinic ASAP as it could be a life threatening emergency. I would not recommend to give him any human pain meds as most are toxic to dogs. I hope this helps and he is okay!

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!