By Dr. Laura Hady
I entered the specialty of pet physical rehabilitation after my own dog, Bucky, was hit by a car in a freak accident. While he had no external wounds, his 13th thoracic vertebrae had been fractured, he could not walk, and he bit me when I tried to move him. We were lucky that we got him stabilized and able to have surgery on the same day. We built him a special crate, and I borrowed an electrical stimulation machine to help contract his muscles in flexion and extension, even though he could not move or feel his legs. While we think trauma won’t happen to our pets, the following is information that may be helpful in case it does happen to yours.
- What should I do first? Take a deep breath and get you and your pet out of further harm’s way. An animal in pain may bite you, so you should consider making a string or leash muzzle (several videos on YouTube) to place on their mouth. If you cannot lift your pet, then get a blanket or jacket underneath them to help slide them away from any remaining danger, such as traffic. If you have to carry your pet, pick them up like a football with one arm under the neck for support and one arm around the back legs.
Once safe, check their pupils (dark center of eye) to see if they are dilated (larger than normal) or pinpoint (very small). If you have a flashlight or phone light, shine it in their eyes to see if the pupils constrict (get smaller). Large or tiny pupils that don’t respond to light can mean trauma to the brain or shock.
Then lift their lips to see if the gums are pink or if they are grey or white, as this can indicate bleeding into body cavities such as the chest or abdomen.
Also, count the number of times they breathe in and out within a minute. The normal number of breaths per minute for dogs and cats is 15-30. You can feel for a femoral pulse by putting two fingers on the inner thigh of the back leg.
The next step is to call a veterinary emergency clinic to tell them what happened and alert them that you are on the way. You can hold pressure on active bleeding, but don’t try to bandage a limb. At this point, try not to let feelings of guilt, panic, fear, or frustration overwhelm you.
- What to expect at the emergency clinic. Some clinics require a deposit of $300-$500 to start emergency treatment of an animal. This will allow for an immediate exam and initial therapy, such as intravenous fluids and oxygen therapy if your pet is in shock.
The veterinary staff will usually explain the diagnosis, prognosis and likely explain if additional tests, such as radiographs, or additional medications are needed.
Fifty percent of dogs that have back-end trauma after being hit by a car will also have trauma to the chest, so multiple X-rays may need to be taken of your pet. Specific pain medication will be given based on the location and neurologic condition of the animal to make them more comfortable.
Your pet will likely need to stay in the hospital. Surgeries to fix fractured or broken bones are typically delayed for a day to get the animal stabilized with more normal heart rate, regular breathing, improved lab values and reduced pain.
- Healing time and realistic outcomes. Abdominal incisions should heal within two weeks as long as the pet is not licking the incision or is too active. Bones can typically heal in eight to 12 weeks if there is a normal blood supply. Tendons and ligaments can only heal about 68% in eight weeks if everything is optimal. Therefore, tendon and ligament injuries may take longer to fully heal.
While a fracture or soft tissue may heal on the outside or as documented by radiographs, there may be surrounding scar tissue that limits function of the legs or back.
Therapeutic modalities that can promote healing include low level laser therapy, therapeutic ultrasound, certain types of massage, and pulsed magnetic field therapy. Pet physical rehabilitation clinics can help. These clinics can also guide owners as to what stretches and low-level exercises are best for your pet.
If you cannot provide the around-the-clock care that your pet may need while recovering, there are boarding facilities or mobile physical rehabilitation professionals that can help.
My advice is to have a health savings account for your pets in case of an emergency, or to get pet insurance while your pet is a puppy or kitten. Know where your local emergency veterinary hospitals are located, and keep the phone numbers in your contacts. Also consider taking a pet first-aid class online via the Red Cross, MyCPR NOW or in person with Dexter’s Grove so that you can be emergency-ready for your pet.
