My dog hit his head on a door. What injury signs to watch for?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Max. Dogs have pretty hard heads, but keep an eye out for unconsciousness, disorientation, bleeding from the nose and eyes, pupils of unequal sizes, and seizures. If he's acting normally, it's unlikely you will see any of these signs, but if you do, have him seen by a vet immediately. I hope this helps!

If your pet hit the wall hard enough with his head, yes it is possible that his brain could have been hurt. A sign of that is one pupil smaller than the other. This is known as anisocoria, and it is a sign of trauma to the brain. If you see this sign in your pet, it's quite serious, and he needs to see a vet immediately.

Monitor for any vomiting or trouble walking or a head tilt. If you notice any eye movements jumping back and forth or a head tilt, that is a sign of head trauma. If you notice no signs after 12 -24 hours then you have nothing to worry about

He will probably be OK, however I would closely observe him for the next 24 hrs for signs of unusual behaviors, lethargy, or vomiting. If any of this occurs, Jax needs to be taken to a veterinarian or emergency room right away to assess him for more serious complications.

I would suggest to monitor him closely for the next 48 hours and record any abnormal sign you may notice. I would especially concern (so that would require an immediate check up) if you notice signs like lethargy, inappetence, vomiting or abnormal behaviour. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

I am sorry to hear about Thumps!!! It sounds like she is likely fine but you can watch for changes in mentation such as her acting drunken/unable to stand/walk straight, lethargy, vomiting, change in pupil size (i.e. if one pupil is larger than the other or if the pupils look extremly large or tiny), crying or whining as if in pain, and bruising or swelling. If you notice any of these, a vet visit is recommended, but most of these cases do just fine!

The first question to answer is, if he lost his consciousness when he fell. Being 'knocked out' suggest brain trauma, concussion at least. If he was conscious at all times, then most likely the brain did not suffer any serious injury. Dogs have relatively small brains (compared to human), which are also well protected by the skull bones. Brain injuries are much less common in dogs than in human patients. So, my advice is : as long as Milo is looking normal, he is bright and alert, he is not vomiting, his pupils are of equal size, he is not in any obvious pain or discomfort you should monitor him at home. If he becomes lethargic, weak on legs, crying for no reason or vomiting you need to call your regular vets or your nearest emergency service asap.