URGENT Dog hit by car! Possibly paralyzed hind legs!help!

[katherinewolf]

My pitbull was hit by a car today, we took him to the vet, he's there now. They have given him some medication, and say he apparently has injured his spinal cord, we don't know much right now, there is too much swelling to tell anything they said, but he hasn't moved his back legs, and they are not responding to pain tests.They told us to keep him there until monday, and then see how he is doing then. They suggest we put him down because he won't be able to carry out a normal life. However When we visited him, he moved his front legs, and torso, and was trying to move a lot, so i think he's doing pretty good, he just has no movement of back legs. I really don't want to euthanize him, we can afford a wheelchair for him. so that is not a problem. Do you think if he won't be in a lot of pain, that a wheelchair would be a good option? I'm just confused as to why the veterinarian wouldn't mention that option and just suggest we have him put to sleep? they didn't tell us that he had any damaged organs or anything, just that they knew his spine was injured, but it was too inflamed to tell how bad. but they said normally in these situations there is only a 1% of gaining his movement back, and we should have him euthanized. what do you guys think we should do? He doesn't seem in bad enough shape to end his life

[CarolC]

I'm sorry about your dog's accident. You will have a better idea of his condition when the swelling goes down.
Yes, he would likely be a good candidate for a wheelchair if needed, pits are muscular energetic dogs.
Basically, you would need to be physically fit enough to get him into and out of the wheelchair every day. Normally they do not spend the day in the wheelchair, they just use it for playtime and walks.
A spinal injury can cause a dog to lose bowel and bladder control, so he might be incontinent, it's probably too soon to tell. You will have to wait and see if he has bowel and bladder control. If he does not, he may recover it later, however some dogs remain incontinent. Either way, it is manageable. You learn to express his bladder (squeeze his tummy to make him pee) and he can wear a male doggy diaper (belly band). It can take several months for bladder control to return if it is lost.
If you are able to buy him a wheelchair, and can put him in it, and can commit to expressing his bladder every 8 hours, or changing his belly band as needed, then you have the recipe for a happy life.


Here is Waffles, who was a wheelchair dog for 9 years.

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[critters]

My pitbull was hit by a car today, we took him to the vet, he's there now. They have given him some medication, and say he apparently has injured his spinal cord, we don't know much right now, there is too much swelling to tell anything they said, but he hasn't moved his back legs, and they are not responding to pain tests.They told us to keep him there until monday, and then see how he is doing then. They suggest we put him down because he won't be able to carry out a normal life. However When we visited him, he moved his front legs, and torso, and was trying to move a lot, so i think he's doing pretty good, he just has no movement of back legs. I really don't want to euthanize him, we can afford a wheelchair for him. so that is not a problem. Do you think if he won't be in a lot of pain, that a wheelchair would be a good option? I'm just confused as to why the veterinarian wouldn't mention that option and just suggest we have him put to sleep?VERY good question, but they usually do. they didn't tell us that he had any damaged organs or anything, just that they knew his spine was injured, but it was too inflamed to tell how bad. but they said normally in these situations there is only a 1% of gaining his movement back I wonder what crystal ball gave them that number??? , and we should have him euthanized. what do you guys think we should do? He doesn't seem in bad enough shape to end his life

Personally, I'd use steriods, possibly pain meds, possibly an antibiotic to ward off a UTI, which is especially common in the early days, and see what happens. Express poop and pee, keep him clean, dry, and turned over regularly, and let him heal. A wheelchair is a good option, either temporarily or permanently, if necessary.

[CarolC]

Did they do x-rays or any imaging? You said his organs are fine, but did he fracture his spine?
Did they offer to send you for an MRI?

[katherinewolf]

Did they do x-rays or any imaging? You said his organs are fine, but did he fracture his spine?
Did they offer to send you for an MRI?

I don't know if they did Xrays, they haven't told us much. I will be asking them tomorrow when we go in to see him and talk to the doctor. My veterinarian clinic doesn't have very much equipment, and I don't really think they are qualified for this, we live in a very small town. I will be asking them for a referral to a specialist vet a few towns away tomorrow when i talk to them. I have pretty much decided i will not euthanize him unless completely necessary, however i assume the specialist is very expensive. I will probably need to look into that carecredit and start a donation fund =/ This shall not be an easy journey, but i plan on doing absolutely everything to make my baby healthy again.

[CarolC]

Time is a factor with spinal injury. If surgery is indicated, they recommend doing it as soon as possible. Surgery is never a guarantee, but once they lose deep pain sensation, the chances of a positive outcome from surgery begin to go down hour by hour. Surgery is more likely to be successsful if done by a board certified surgeon, if you have a choice. However, if they don't recommend surgery or it costs too much, a wheelchair will let him enjoy life. We have a member here who is in a small town and she had to drive across the border to another state to get surgery for her dog because it was not available where she lived. She paid off the bill every month, and it took her 3 years but she did it. I would recommend being at the vet the minute they open in the morning and get him to the other vet right away if you are planning to try that. Hopefully the medication is getting the swelling down. It's hard to see your dog after an accident, bless his heart, I hope he is a little better tomorrow. Hope your appointment tomorrow goes well for you and your dog.