My Dog Was Hit by a Car: What Happens Next?

Your Dog Was Hit by a Car

Your dog has just been hit by a car, is acting oddly, and one of her back legs looks hurt. What happens next?

You need to stay calm, both for your sake and for your dog's. Being hit by a massive hunk of metal is hard. Dogs hit by a car often die before they even make it to their ride or before they reach the veterinary hospital. So, if your dog is still alive after being hit by a car (and is able to make it to the clinic alive), there is a good chance she will make it.

Stay Calm!

When you arrive at the clinic, you might be told to wait up front, although in a smaller clinic, you might even need to help. Your dog will be evaluated. Even though it may look serious, a broken bone is not the greatest threat to your dog and is not what your veterinarian is most worried about.

He needs to prevent your dog from going into shock. When she goes into shock, most of the fluid in her body moves from the vessels to the tissue; the drop in blood flow means that she no longer has adequate oxygen moving to her brain nor adequate fluid pumping into her vital organs.

What Are the Symptoms of Internal Bleeding and Shock in Dogs After Being Hit by a Car?

Your vet will lift up the lip of your dog and check the capillary refill time. That is the amount of time it takes for the blood to rush back into the tissue after it has been depressed for about a second. Normally, the color will return in a second or less.

The lungs will also be auscultated (listened to with a stethoscope) at this time to check for sounds of trauma and fluid.

If your dog is showing any symptoms of shock or internal bleeding, she will be catheterized (usually in the front leg), and fluids will be pumped into her rapidly. Sometimes this happens with the aid of a pump; sometimes, the vet or an assistant will grab the bag and squeeze it to make the fluids go in as quickly as possible.

She will also be given an injection that will help many of her fluids return to the vessels. The fluids will stabilize her, and there will be time to diagnose the other injuries. She may need x-rays to check her lungs for injuries, x-rays of the long bones she has injured to check for fractures, or maybe blood work to make sure her red blood cell level is stabilizing.

After your dog is stabilized with fluids and all diagnostics are finished, she can be put in a cage with a heating pad and perhaps with warm bags of fluid packed around her.

What About Surgery?

If your dog has serious soft tissue damage, like a degloving wound (where the skin is peeled off and the flesh is exposed), it will be fixed as soon as she is no longer in danger of going into shock.

A broken leg will not be fixed until your dog is totally stable. If it is a simple fracture, she may be able to get by with a cast. More serious fractures may require a pin, a plate, or even an external fixation device.

Do not be surprised if she is referred to a specialist for these procedures. Remember that the fracture is not an emergency, and if it is not repaired properly, she may lose her leg or the ability to walk.

Can I Take Her Home Soon?

She can be taken home after surgery. The vet will give you instructions on how quiet you must keep her.

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It is a good idea to make sure that you have a comfortable area for her to stay quiet when you get home. She will probably need a warm bed to sleep in but do not use a heating pad. If she is still very sore, she may not roll over and may end up burning her skin.

How Can I Avoid This Happening Again?

I have read a few amazing stories, like from the “Hidden Life of Dogs,” about some dogs that are able to avoid ever being hit by a car. Don’t count on it. I am a great fan of walking my dog off-leash, but I have her trained to come next to me if there is a motorcycle or a car coming.

I have also worked with her so that she will go “down” on command (in case a car is coming, and she is too far away to sit next to me). If you cannot guarantee your dog will listen to you every time, you should not risk her health by walking her anywhere you are not in control. If you do not have a safe place to walk her without a leash, keep her on a leash every time you go out.

A leash is the only guarantee that your dog will never be hit by a car.

It is not just the expense you need to worry about. Next time the outcome of a big car and a little dog might have more tragic consequences.

Take care of your dog so she can take care of you!

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This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

Questions & Answers

Question: My dog was dead in the middle of the road; we can only assume he was hit by a car, but has no apparent physical injuries. He was left with our other two dogs in the front yard by themselves for two minutes. No one stopped. He looked perfect. What could he have died from?

Answer: A dog can die from internal injuries and have no outward signs of damage. A few years ago, a delivery truck (carrying bricks and steel) ran over one of my dogs when she had crawled underneath to get in the shade. There were no visible signs of injuries, but she died in about 30 seconds, so there must have been severe crushing and torn arteries.

Question: Can a three-month-old puppy survive getting hit by a car?

Answer: It depends on the speed of the car, the part of the body that was hit, etc. Yes, a three-month-old puppy can survive sometimes. At times, however, a puppy or dog of any age is going to die if hit by a car.

Question: We found our dog in the street unable to walk properly. His back legs look hurt, but there is no swelling. There is no blood and only a few scrape marks. Could it be internal bleeding or a broken bone?

Answer: The severity of your dogs problems cannot be diagnosed without an exam. You need to take him to your vet; you stated that there is no swelling and no blood but the leg seems hurt. In what way? If there is a broken bone there will almost always be swelling. There will only be obvious bleeding with an abrasion or a laceration.

Question: Is it normal for my dog to not want to go outside after being hit by a car?

Answer: There can be a lot of psychological damage. My dog was hit by a motorcycle while walking on the beach and she was nervous and always tried to avoid that area during our walks.

Question: Even three months after being hit by a car, my dog won't leave the house. How can I help?

Answer: If you are trying to take your dog for a walk; try encouraging her to follow you outside by giving her a treat every few steps. If your dog does not like treats, try to dangle her favorite toy in your hand and encourage her to follow it. (Come on girl, come get it, good girl, etc.)

Question: Is it normal for my dog to potty in the house after severe head trauma?

Answer: It depends on the head trauma, of course. If the dog suffered so many injuries that he is incontinent, then yes, it is normal.

It is more likely that the dog is suffering from psychological problems secondary to the trauma. It is up to you to take him out to the yard, spend some time with him, and get him used to the outside again. If you do not take the time to work with him now, while the trauma is relatively recent, this will become an ingrained habit and will be difficult to stop.

© 2012 Mark dos Anjos, DVM

Comments

Mark dos Anjos, DVM (author) from The Atlantic Rain Forest, Brazil on August 05, 2020:

Catherine--it sounds to me like you made a hard but correct decision. The thing about those spinal cord injuries is that sometimes a dog will get better but not usually. Most dogs just continue to suffer on.

Sorry to hear about the trauma everyone went through.

Catherine Ward on August 04, 2020:

We recently decided to have our dog put down after having been hit by a truck going roughly 35-45 mph in the road. It was traumatic for all of us. He survived the impact and we brought him to the closest emergency vet in the area (an hour and 15 minutes away). They kept him comfortable there overnight and after several images and two doctors later determined that he had a collapsed perhaps punctured lung, subcataneous air, movement in his two rear legs. He was aware of this limbs but not spatially aware, several broken ribs, and a very sore right front leg the vets were concerned had neuro damage. We were lucky he made it to the first vetinary service and then we transported him to a bigger clinic. At 11 oclock at night during a pandemic where we weren't allowed in to talk things over and everything was done over the phone we were left with a decision. We had accrued $3000 in vet bills in the past 32 hrs and we had to decide if we were going to pursue MRI imaging and surgery to repair the spinal disc (something like that anyway, it was alot to take in) for another $6k not knowing if there was anything to even repair. Not trying to make it about money, we were considered about his life and what that would look like and the potential weeks/months to come of caring for a 70+ lb dog with another sizeable dog and toddler in the house. I'm just still looking to see/hear someone else's informed perspective as to whether we made the right call in the end seeing as he had so much to recover from.

Mark dos Anjos, DVM (author) from The Atlantic Rain Forest, Brazil on July 12, 2020:

Latoya--I wish I could provide you with more help but unfortunately there is nothing to do without at least an exam. Your dog may be lame because of swelling on the spinal cord or it may be that his cord was severed in the accident. If it is just swelling he may get better in time, but if it is more severe then it will not.

Do you have any access to prednisone or other steroids? If there is no way to take him to a vet you could at least give him something to treat the swelling and possibly reduce the pain.

Latoya wright on July 12, 2020:

Hello my dog was hit by a car...he his wake and responding. He poop once after the accident and have not pooped again. He is also not moving his back legs at all. What can I do to assist him in pooping. I would really really love to carry him to the vet but I don't have the money.

Mark dos Anjos, DVM (author) from The Atlantic Rain Forest, Brazil on January 20, 2020:

Thanks for that comment Gwen. I am glad at least that one problem (the dewlap) is resolved.

I appreciate your comments on the educational aspects. It has become common for veterinarians to complain about clients that Google problems before coming in for a visit but the one thing most of us do not understand is how much easier it has made things. A lot of times I will have to say "call the vet who performed the surgery" but am glad to help when I can.

Gwen J Milton on January 19, 2020:

Dr. Mark, thank you for your comments to my previous post. A return to the vet found nothing specific as to why my dog seemed to have a "dewlap." It does seem to have resolved. Other issues continue to be a struggle as she recovers from rear leg amputation. We made another emergency run when I noticed her lying in a pool of stinky blood, which ran like a stream of milk from a teat when she stood. A third antibiotic was added, and although her wound continues to expel pooled fluids, the amount is lessening over time. Thank you to whoever invented Wee Wee Pads, as they have been a Godsend in providing a clean barrier for her to lay on (not to mention saving our carpet)!