What to Do when Your Pet is Injured by a Car

The death of the family pet is always a traumatic time for kids as well as their parents. The family pet is more than "just an animal" that you have to feed, water, clean, and maintain. The family pet, be it a dog or a cat or a bird, becomes a member of the family unit. A special bond is forged between pet and master than is something akin to the child and parent relationship.

Equally as traumatic for the family is the serious injury of the family pet. Recently my family had to endure this heartbreaking situation in which our beloved cat Elwin was injured by a passing car when he darted across the street crossing the path of the oncoming vehicle. Every day pets are killed by traffic on the roads but very often the pets survive these unfortunate encounters and the owners' first reaction may be to have the pet put down to avoid further suffering. But with a little forethought and some prior knowledge, steps can be taken quickly that can shorten the pet's suffering and get him the emergency care that is needed after a serious injury.

Find the Pet and Examine His Injuries

As with a human injury, the extent of the pet's injuries must be deduced. Find the source of any bleeding and clean the area with a clean cloth and slow the bleeding with some pressure if possible. Listen for labored breathing patterns. Is the pet responsive? Your pet will most likely be frightened during this time and may struggle against you when you try to take care of his wounds. This is not necessarily a bad thing. If your pet seems to have show such responsiveness and has the strength to resist you then there is a high liklihood that his injuries are not fatal and perhaps not internal.

If the pet will be still for you and seems otherwise response, feel around for what may feel like broken bones. Unless you are intimately familiar with the anatomy of your pet this may be difficult. But if this is a pet that you contact and pet often then you may be able to notice if something such as a bone or vertebrae feels out of the ordinary.

Contact Your Veteranarian

You should call your veternarian immediately. It would be a good idea to have someone else call while you are examining your pet's injuries so as not to waste any time. This is where some forethought is vital. As you do with pediatricians and family doctors, have your vet's phone number close at hand and easily accesible for just such an emergency. If you have a cell phone you should consider saving your vet's number as one of your contacts. If it is after business hours or on the weekend, do not fret for most vet's have an on-call service whereby a receptionist will take your call and have the vet call you back.

Once you are in contact with the vet, be prepared to explain to him how the injury occured and the extent of the pet's injuries and responsiveness. Let him know how much the pet is bleeding and what his breathing is like. This information will help prepare the vet what he will encounter when he examines the pet and he can already begin formulating a course of action needed to save your pet.

Handle With Care

In most cases your vet will want to meet you, usually at his office. Some vets may make house calls but that is certainly not the norm. So this means that you will have to get your cat or dog to the vet's office. In some cases this may be very easy but in other cases this may be very difficult depending on the injuries and condition of your pet in the wake of the accident. Generally your pet will lay in the way that is most comfortable for him. It would be wise to not upset this state of affairs and to try and lift, carry and hold him in the same relative position so as to minimize pain and discomfort. Another thing you will need at this point is a large thick towel or blanket. Pets, particularly cats, are most comfortable when warm. They seek warmth. Furthermore the loss of blood or the body's reaction to the injury could cause a drop in temperature. So before transporting your pet, wrap him in a blanket or towel. This will also keep blood from getting on you as you carry him.

Work your hands underneath your pet and lift him in one motion being careful not to let his limbs dangle. Support his entire body keeping him in relatively the same posture in which he was already laying on his own. This will prevent discomfort and if there are any broken bones this will limit the flexing of those areas. For larger dogs of course you will want the assistance of a friend or family member since it may be hard for you to move a large pet by yourself.

Once you have arrived at the vet's office he should be able to make a prognosis and let you know how he will need to proceed and what are the chances of your pet's survival. However I believe you will find that if you have exercised some care, some quick reactiong, and some preparation that you may increase your pet's survival of his injuries.

Please note that I am not a licensed veteranarian and that you should always check with your local vet before proceeding with any medical-related procedure concerning your pet. I hope this article proves to be helpful to you but I hope even more that your pet will grow up happy and safe and that you will never have to use the tips I have outlined here.