If your dog has been hit by a car, knowing what to do next can often make a big difference in your pet’s chance to survive and the quality of life your dog experiences after these traumatic events. At Family Pet Medical Center, we are a leading Fort Lauderdale animal hospital with a proven reputation for quality care for dogs and cats in our area. We have put together a checklist for what to do when a dog hit by car needs veterinary care as soon as possible. These strategies can help you to protect your dog against further injury while seeking help as soon as possible.
Move Your Dog to Safety
Most dogs are hit by cars in roadways. Moving your pet to a safer area is the most important first step in protecting your dog against being struck by another vehicle. After a collision with a car, your dog is likely to be experiencing pain and may lash out at you during this process. Creating a muzzle with a t-shirt, sock or other soft and flexible item can prevent you from being bitten while moving your pet from the road into a safer area.
Be careful not to move your dog suddenly or sharply during the transfer from the pavement to a safer area. This can provoke severe pain and may result in further injury to your four-legged friend. Instead, move smoothly and speak soothingly to your dog as you make the move from an unsafe location to a safer place on the side of the road or into a grassy area.
A blanket or coat can often be used to transport a wounded dog much more easily and comfortably. If you can, enlist the help of another person to lift larger dogs and to move them to a safer place as painlessly as possible. If possible, you can move your dog directly into your car on the blanket. If not, you will need to take further steps to transport your dog to your Fort Lauderdale animal hospital as comfortably as possible.
Put Your Dog Into Your Car
Lifting your dog into the back seat of your car can be challenging. If your dog is already unconscious, you may be able to use a blanket to distribute the weight of larger dogs and to pull from one side while sliding from the other to reduce stress on your pet. Ideally, you should be able to move your dog directly from the pavement into your car or truck to reduce the amount of time needed for this transportation process.
Blankets and towels can also be used to protect car surfaces and to keep your pet warm after he or she has been hit by a car. If your dog is showing signs of aggression because of pain from injuries, you may want to keep a barrier between your dog and yourself to prevent lashing out and biting from causing you injuries as well.
Call Your Veterinarian
Once your dog is safely in the vehicle, you should call your Fort Lauderdale animal hospital to inform them of the situation and to let them know an approximate time of arrival. This will allow time for these veterinary professionals to prepare for your dog’s arrival and to have the right equipment and medicines on hand to manage pain and other aspects of your dog’s condition.
It may be tempting to speed or to break traffic laws on the way to your veterinarian. The experts at Family Pet Medical Center recommend against this, however, as it can often lead to accidents that leave both you and your pet in worse shape than before.
Seek Professional Veterinary Help
At Family Pet Medical Center, we will evaluate the condition of the dog hit by car and will look for any internal injuries, broken bones or damage to skin and tissue. When we have diagnosed the problem and begun treatment, our veterinary team will discuss the prognosis and any further actions that could help your dog to recover more thoroughly from the physical trauma sustained in a car accident. By entrusting your beloved canine companion to us, you can be sure of the best care for your dog in the Fort Lauderdale area.
If you need emergency veterinary services for a dog hit by car or for any other reason, call Family Pet Medical Center today at 954-567-2500. Our team is ready to serve you with quality care and compassion during these difficult times.
