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Your pet
has sustained an injury caused by an impact with an
automobile. These injuries can vary from mild to
life-threatening depending on the speed of the impact,
location of the impact, and the age and condition of
your pet.
When we
are presented with the patient who has been hit by a
car, we will attempt to determine the extent of the
injuries through a thorough physical examination,
radiographs (x-rays) blood and urine tests,
electrocardiograms, blood pressure measurement and
ultrasound.
After
sustaining this type of injury, most pets go into a
state of shock. This means that their blood pressure is
so reduced from pain and possibly bleeding that they are
unable to supply their organs with adequate amounts of
oxygen. If left untreated, shock may become fatal.
Therefore, our first goal in treating your pet is to
reverse the state of shock. This is done by controlling
any hemorrhage, administering intravenous fluids and
drugs to help restore the blood pressure along with pain
relieving medication to reduce your pet suffering.
Once your
pet has been stabilized, we will address each injury in
turn. If there are external wounds, they will be
cleaned and bandaged until such time as is safe to
anesthetize your pet and repair them surgically. If we
are suspicious of internal injuries, we may be forced to
the surgery as soon as possible, it, particularly if
there is internal bleeding. If bones are broken, we
will attempt to stabilize them with splints or bandages
until we are certain that your pet is stable enough to
undergo orthopedic surgery.
Frequently, when pets have been hit by car, they may
sustain injuries to their lungs and/or heart from the
blunt injury. This may cause bleeding in the lungs
and/or in the heart muscle itself. As a result, many
pets may develop irregular heart rhythms anywhere from
one to seven days after the injury. These irregular
rhythms can lead to a heart attack and death. Therefore
it is imperative, that all pets be evaluated with chest
radiographs, and electrocardiograms both at the time of
injury and a few days later. All victims of automobile
impact injuries must be kept very quiet and preferably
caged for at least a week after the injury to reduce the
chance of cardiac irregularities.
Fortunately, we have all the equipment to evaluate your
pet completely here on the premises. It may take a few
hours to complete our testing. After we have completed
our battery of tests, will be able to give you a much
more accurate picture of your pet's injuries and his/her
prognosis.
We know
how traumatizing it is to have your pet injured and we
understand your concerns. While we are completing our
evaluation and stabilization procedures, we encourage
you to remain calm. We are happy to have you wait in
the reception area or you may want to go home and
wait. As soon as we have additional information about
your pet's condition we will let you know.
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