My dog was hit, but shows no pain. What are signs of internal injury?

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!

If Conley seems alert, responsive and non-painful at this point after the incident I doubt there is potential for head trauma. Signs of head trauma or internal injury would include lethargy, disorientation, different sized pupils or labored/irregular breathing. You also may want to make sure she is eating and drinking normally with no pain to make sure she didn't injure her mouth or a tooth during the fall. Puppies are pretty resilient and I would bet there are no lasting injuries.

The only method of ruling out traumatic brain injury with 100% certainty is with advanced imaging modalities like CT and MRI. If your dog is not experiencing any neurologic deficits, is reacting light and is visually sound, and has normal mental acuity, it is unlikely there is any brain damage. Regardless of what you may notice at home, getting struck by a vehicle is definitely something that I would take Otis to the vet to get looked over. Even though you aren't seeing anything obvious, they can make sure there isn't any free fluid in the abdomen or air in the thoracic cavity.

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!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Squeaker. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian today as he could have sustained serious injuries. If his normal veterinarian is still not able to see him, then I would try another hospital or emergency clinic. You need to rule out an broken bones and internal injuries. He could also be painful as well. Do not give over-the-counter pain medication as these can be toxic to dogs. In the meantime, keep him quiet to allow his body to rest. Encourage him to eat and drink. Good luck!

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! In theory any sort of blunt trauma on the abdomen can cause internal bleeding. However, in reality, it requires a good amount of force which from your description it does not seem to be the case. I recommend you keep a close eye on Jax for any signs of bleeding or just any traumatic injury from this event. Signs you would watch for include severe weakness, lethargy, pale gums and/or collapse. If observed, having examined right away. If he is fine after the next 24-48 hours, in all likelihood he will be just fine. Good luck with your boy!

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!