URGENT! My dog was hit by a car last night.

[LoveMakesTheWorld]

Hello everyone,

First off, I would like to say that I finding this forum at one of my darkest hours appears to be my only saving grace at this moment. I would like to thank you all in advance for reading and taking a look at my thread.

I have a zip line in my yard that my black labrador retriever has used for the last 9 years with no incidents. Usually he goes out, does his business, and gives a holler in 10 minutes to come back inside. When 10 minutes passed and he didn't bark, I knew something was wrong. I went outside and didn't find him. Immediately I got in the car... then my worst nightmare came true... I found him laying on the sidewalk right up the block from our house. Immediately I got out of the car...he was alive! I had never been so overjoyed...until he wouldn't move. I immediately went to our vet and caught her before she closed. At this point he was walking on all 4 except his front left leg which looked twisted. The doctor did an X-ray, bloodwork, checked his lungs...she said everything appeared fine but except the front left arm, which she was having a very hard time getting an X-ray of. She told us to get to an animal hospital. We got there and they took him in on the stretcher and examined him. The doctor came out and said there was no internal damage, no internal bleeding, heart rate and blood pressure was fine...everything in check...except that front left arm again, which they believed suffered damage to the muscle and connective tissue. 3 hours later they said we could take him home, he would need no overnight observation except going back to our vet in the morning. I could not believe it. He literally couldn't walk and I had to carry all 80 pounds of him back and forth from the car.

He managed well through the night and woke up alert as a bell, but still couldn't move off his doggie bed. I tried to take him outside and his hind legs completely collapsed...all he could do was move his front right leg. I could not figure out why...he was moving his back legs just fine the evening before.

The vet called me back and asked me to come into today to see their chiropractor specialist. He did what I guess is called a pain test on him? He massaged his skin to find anything swollen (bladder fine, etc.). Then they took his back paws and turned them down...they did not come back up. He told us that with regular nerves, the reflex will make the paw jump back up. He said he has feeling, but his reflexes are not right. So he took this scissor device and squeezed it between each of his toes...still, no reaction. He said somewhere in the middle, after his shoulder blades to the midsection of his spinal cord (6 inches in length), something is damaged in his nerve. He gave him a steroid to start to help him walking and eating right.

The doctor said the steroids have a 50 percent chance of working. I simply don't know what to do. He is laying on his bed now; he is alert, but can't move his back legs. He does not want to eat either, but will drink water. I have been reading a lot of hopeful stories on this site. Your advice would be very much appreciated.

[Christine]

I'm glad you found us - I know how devastating this feels to you. Until your vet knows for sure what is going on with your dog's spine, you should keep him very quiet and contained to prevent further damage to the spine. Crate rest is the term used, but you can create a space with furniture and bedding that you can move aside when it is time to take him out . You don't need to be trying to lift him in and out of a crate.

He should only go out to potty and you can use a towel or a sling to help him, then right back in. Is he able to urinate and deficate on his own? The fact that he is not eating much right now will make that less, but it is important to make sure his bladder does not overflow. The vet can show you how to express his bladder. Take a look at the information here about crate rest and also about how to express both the bladder and bowel (which is actually easier)

http://handicappedpet.net/helppets/view ... =4&t=10626

Does he seem as though he is in pain (whining or panting)? If so, you might ask the vet to give you some pain medication which will help him rest. To encourage him to eat and get enough water, you can boil chicken (no spices) and put some of that and the broth with his food. He might only want the chicken and broth without his food, but he will have smething in his stomach and drinking as well.

Hang in there, more experienced people will be along. Keep us posted and ask as many questions as you want - we are here for you.

[LoveMakesTheWorld]

Christine, your post nearly brought me to tears. Thank you so so much. God bless you heart.

He has not urinated since the accident last night nor gone potty (he has not eaten anything). I tried taking him out this morning and he just collapsed on the pavement. I tried the towel but could barely get him up since his back legs are giving out and his front left leg appeared to have received the most impact (though he has no bruising or scratches). I'm not quite sure about his bladder. The doctors told us last night that he had so sustained no damage there. I will take a look at those links now though.

He is not whining or panting. He does make an occasional soft growl when he moves himself, but other than that, nothing. This used to be the most active dog on the planet, always moving, always happy, always running; he could fetch 24 hours straight without getting tired...never a dull moment with him....and now to see him like this, just motionless...my heart is tearing up inside.

I will definitely try the chicken broth.

But if I take him outside and he doesn't want to go to the bathroom what should I do? I tried this morning and he just laid down, didn't want to move.

As far as the vet goes... I don't know how to proceed. He gave me the prednisone but this morning it was a nightmare just trying to get him to take a painkiller. I'm hoping that his appetite returns and I can use pill pocket treats. He said the prednisone will give him a 50-50 chance but he was so unsure... should I take him to the neurologist or continue on bed rest? I will tell you one thing for certain is that in a matter of a day I have racked $2000 in bills and thus far no one has done anything for him...not even a sling or cast.

The fact that you just said "we are here for you" just pushed me over the edge. I'm just in tears. May God richly bless you and this forum.

[Christine]

I would definitely check with another vet with experience in this sort of thing. Another vet who will do the necessary testing to see if his spine has been affected; one who will express him and instruct you on doing the same to prevent a urinary tract infection. You will see in the instructions that a larger dog can be expressed while lying on his side.

Try a little ball of peanut butter or cream cheese with the pill smooshed in to give him his medications.

[LoveMakesTheWorld]

I will try expressing him on his side tomorrow. I'm so scared. This chiropractor today was tripping all over his words. It's like when he brought up euthanizing him, I asked him if he was saying we should put him to sleep, he kind of just beat around the bush and said that he wasn't saying that but wasn't not saying that either. This is supposedly one of the best vet groups in the NJ area (Westfield Veterinary Group). I can't imagine my life without this pooch. I can't believe just 24 hours ago he was doing cartwheels and catching every curveball. I feel that the vets are not doing enough.

Will he get better? All my hope is now on the prednisone.

[LoveMakesTheWorld]

Update...he just started eating.

[CarolC]

It is very difficult not knowing exactly what is going on. I can only guess. It may be that the accident caused some trauma to the back that did not show immediately until swelling set in. With the swelling, he then lost function. Or it could be he threw a clot as a result of his injury in his shoulder. I am not a vet, I don't know what is causing it, it could be something else I am not qualified to even guess. *If* you can afford it ($2000 is a lot already) I think he should be hospitalized, preferably not at your regular vet, preferably referred to a specialty hospital where they have board certified surgeons and a neurologist if possible. I would try to get him seen tonight, again *if* you are lucky enough to be able to afford it.

Prednisone is good and I would want it for my dog, and I would make every effort to be sure he takes it. There are stronger steroids that can be given by injection to take down swelling, they are riskier, they cause GI bleeding, but this is a case where I would consider them. You said he had x-rays and that's good, but an MRI would give much better imaging on the spine. That would be another large expense, but if you can afford it I would want that.

Time is a factor here. When a dog is paralyzed by a spinal injury, and when it is a case that surgery could help, then the sooner you do surgery after they lose deep pain sensation, the better your chances of return of function. Surgery is not guaranteed in any case, but the chances are better the sooner you do it, preferably in the first 24 hours after loss of deep pain perception.

Right now it will be better for him to be under observation, even though they thought he was fine. They can help him up, turn him, express or catheterize his bladder if needed, and get a better idea of what is going on.

I strongly urge you (I have been in your situation with a big dog) not to carry him to and from the car again by yourself. I know why you did it in the emergency, I did the same, but at this point not hurting your back is important to his survival. I had to get my 2 next door neighbors to put my big dog in the car the night he hurt himself. Any time you go to the vet hospital, leave the dog in the car and go ask them to send their strong young assistants out to bring him in, and load him in the car later. It is safer for him, as well.

If you want to get him additional veterinary care and don't have the resources, you could apply for Care Credit, http://www.carecredit.com. They offer loans for emergency veterinary expenses and the terms are very good, often you do not have to start paying for several months.

I think you've got more on your hands right now than I would feel I could handle. If you can afford it, I'd get him admitted to the hospital again.

If a return to the hospital is not an option, then we definitely have information here to help you care for a down dog, but I'm not sure home care would be in his best interest at this stage. I think you need an MRI to find out what is really going on with the spine, whether it is something surgery is likely to help, etc. I hope you will update on how it goes.

Bless your heart, hang in there.

[LoveMakesTheWorld]

Thank you so much for your words of advice, Carol. You do not know how much they mean to me.

I can't afford any of this, but who am I to let this poor dog suffer just because of money? He is so lively right now...still wagging his tail and dragging himself from spot to spot in his crate. He still has that bright affect and is smiling. He's doing his best to move. I just don't know what to do at this point. Should I let him continue getting rest on the predisone or should I take him to the neurologist and get faced with yet another vet that doesn't know what to tell me? I feel like they're all beating around the bush to avoid telling me the inevitable.

Once he started eating I was able to put the predisone and his pain killers in the pill pocket treats and he took them just fine. Those hind legs still aren't pushing him up though. He can clearly move them and has feeling in them, but they aren't supporting him when he tries to stand.

[CarolC]

I may have misunderstood, I am sorry. At first it sounded like he had no deep pain sensation.

So he took this scissor device and squeezed it between each of his toes...still, no reaction. He said somewhere in the middle, after his shoulder blades to the midsection of his spinal cord (6 inches in length), something is damaged in his nerve.

But you say he is moving his legs.

Those hind legs still aren't pushing him up though. He can clearly move them and has feeling in them, but they aren't supporting him when he tries to stand.

This is very good news.

If he can move his legs then it is better than I thought when I posted above, I'm sorry, I didn't understand. If the dog loses deep pain sensation, it's an emergency.

I am really glad he's taking his pills, that will help.

Has he urinated yet?

There are some good videos demonstrating expressing the bladder at the end of this article. I think you want the ones about "large male dog".

http://www.handicappedpets.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Express_a_dog_or_cat#Dogs

[LoveMakesTheWorld]

Please don't apologize Carol. I do have a question though...what do you mean by deep pain sensation? He is not whining or grumpy. He is alert and awake but simply cannot move. When he does need to move, he grunts, I am assuming because of the pain, but I'm not sure about the deep pain sensation.

He is taking his pills...I am really hoping the steroids will help. The vet gave him a shot last night and I gave him the pill form and a painkiller last night, did the same again today at noon.

He cannot get up and walk on his hind legs, but when I push them, he kicks them back.

He has not urinated yet. I want to express the bladder myself but am really scared. He is no condition to even move outside so I'll have to do it inside.

[CarolC]

Deep pain sensation is when they have feeling, for example in the toes. A dog that is fully paralyzed loses the ability to feel the toes and they call that loss of deep pain sensation. Deep pain sensation that is lost CAN return, the timeframe varies. Your description of your dog is sounding really hopeful, with him pushing back with his feet.

The medications sound good, if he has pain meds and prednisone. I'm glad he got an injection as well. Did the vet say anything about giving him a stomach protectant? Steroids can cause tummy upset or in some cases even gastric bleeding (ulcers) but I would definitely want them for my dog. You can get an over-the-counter tummy med called Pepcid a/d at places like Walgreens and it's cheap. You might want to ask the vet about that, and have them tell you the dosage.

Are you getting any response in the front leg that was bruised in the accident?

I am thinking out loud here. As he is starting to get his hind leg function back, you are going to want to help him to his feet when he is ready. If his front leg is still sore, that makes it a little more of a challenge for him. If his hind legs were normal he would be able to get around on 3 legs while the sore front leg heals, but right now his hind legs are recovering, too, right? So it seems to me you are going to want to plan for a way to steady him on his feet. I am thinking it would be good to have a plain old nylon front chest harness for him, the kind you can get at Wal-Mart or PetsMart, in addition to a rear harness. That way you have something to grab onto in front and in back to steady him. Here is a picture of my dog who wore a double harness like that. Just an idea to think about. You may need to ask the vet if a chest harness is OK, and be sure it won't bother his sore leg?

Another option might be the Web Master harness.

http://gear.tripawds.com/2009/09/16/hel ... r-harness/

[LoveMakesTheWorld]

Carol, bless your heart, your info has been so helpful. Yes! The vet told me to get pepcid ac and I did, but I was not sure why he wanted me to give it to him. Now I know! So I should give it to him with the prednisone at the same time?

He is kicking his feet back, I am just so scared he will never walk again. This chiropractor got me so nervous yesterday when he was saying that he probably lost all nerve sensation at the midsection of his back since he wasn't feeling anything from the pain tests. Is that what you are referring too? He put the scissor between his toes and he was not feeling anything. I was pinching them again for him last night as well and he still didn't react, but when I pushed his hind legs back, he would immediately thrust them back forward.

The front leg is just heartbreaking. The paw on that hand is completely twisted down, it will not even lay flat on that ground, so he was limping on it when this all began. I was reading that this might be the radial nerve? I'm not sure. The second vet we met with at the emergency animal hospital said he might lose all functionality in that leg, but only time will tell (again, this was before I was seeing anything wrong with his back legs).

Seeing the pics of your pooch are heartwrenching. I think I will need to do the same thing. I'm just scared at this point to lift him up using the rear harness in fear of causing further damage. Did you have the concern too? How did your puppy manage Carol?

Should I get him moving or keep him on crate rest?

[LoveMakesTheWorld]

Update... Carol, bless your sweet heart, I bought the harness to use and was able to walk him outside briefly to urinate. Still no poop yet though. His affect is much more improved... he's chewing his doggie bones, barking when the doorbell rings, and wagging his tail nonstop. He is doing his best to walk. It looks like strength in his hind legs is increasing. Whereas before he was dragging himself, now he is using his back legs to push himself up. He can't stand on his own...but pushing himself up with his back legs is a drastic improvement since first getting hit on Sunday night. I can't believe less than 24 hours ago the chiropractor was telling us we might need to put him down. I think I want to keep him for a few more days on crate rest. In all honesty I cannot afford the neurologist...I just exhausted my emergency fund on 2 days of vet bills that were all examinations more or less. How does everyone think I should proceed? I think at that rate he is improving he will only continue to push forward if God's willing. I would like to thank all of you for your prayers and support, especially Carol and Christine. May God richly bless you both.

[CarolC]

The front leg is just heartbreaking. The paw on that hand is completely twisted down, it will not even lay flat on that ground, so he was limping on it when this all began. I was reading that this might be the radial nerve? I'm not sure. The second vet we met with at the emergency animal hospital said he might lose all functionality in that leg, but only time will tell (again, this was before I was seeing anything wrong with his back legs).

I'm not sure I understood. Were you saying he was having a problem with his paw before the accident?

If he turns out to have radial nerve damage, that can take time to heal. There are options for him if he can't keep his foot flat. Here are examples:

http://www.therapaw.com/dorsi-flexassist.aspx
https://www.therapaw.com/custom-forelim ... lex-assist (Updated link)
http://www.handicappedpets.com/help-pet ... lints.html

If he is wagging his tail, that is fantastic, it is good neurological sign. It is WONDERFUL that he was able to urinate.

I would think he needs to rest, but if you want to take him outside now to potty, you have a way to hold him and steady him. As far as I know (ask your vet) he should be on leash (or on harness) anytime he goes out to potty, and resting when indoors. I don't think he should be allowed to do too much too soon. I imagine the vet will want him in for a recheck in a week or whenever the medication runs out, and they will test him again by flipping his paws again to see if he corrects them. If he is better but still slow at correcting them, then he may get prednisone for a while longer, at least that's how they did it with my dog. He fell getting in the car and was on 2 weeks of crate rest and prednisone, and he got better but was still not flipping his paw back fast enough when the vet flipped it under, so they gave him more crate rest and continued the prednisone.

[LoveMakesTheWorld]

Good morning my guardian angel (because that is what you have been for me during this ordeal).

No the front paw was as a result of the accident. It will not lay flat and it's almost like it's coming out of the socket.

As for the vet, I am in the process of finding a new one. After 3 visits to them they have literally done nothing except make me feel hopeless...they didn't even give me a quarter of the information you told me (i.e., expressing the bladder, giving pepcid a/c, crate rest, etc.). It's almost like they expected there was nothing else they could do...but I know what the power of hope in our Lord and prayer does...this is a true Christmas miracle for me that he got up and start walking. Do you think it can only get better from here? Last night he got up and went to get a drink of water by himself. Will he walk on his own again?

His walking is still very weak, but he is getting up on his own. I was able to take him outside to urinate successfully (I used a leash and harness just like you said) and unfortunately he would not do the deed except for by a tree, so it was him that was pulling me to get to the true (I guess that says a lot about his strength and perseverance). The harness is very important with lifting him from the front because he can't use the left front paw and is dragging it against the pavement, so I'm going to put a baby sock on it from now on so he doesn't scuff it up. He still won't potty though. He was always very particular about where he would do it on our walk and always left it until the very end, so while I was walking him last night he was pulling me forward because he wanted to walk more

Right now he is just laying down in his corner, chewing his bones, and wagging his tail every time I take a look at him.

The story of your pooch is giving me hope. I guess the prednisone was the real key here?