No dog owner ever anticipates that their pet will go missing, let alone become injured when they do. Unfortunately, dogs escape the confines of their homes and yards on a daily basis, and the outcome can be fatal when a dog runs out into a busy street. Hopefully, you will never be in a situation where your dog is struck and injured by a moving vehicle--but if you are, knowing what to do (and what not to do) can make a world of difference.
Try to Get Your Dog to Safety
Above all else, make sure to keep your safety as a top priority. Do not put your own life on the line to get to your dog in the middle of a busy road; if and when safely possible, recover your dog from the path of traffic and carefully move him or her to a safe place nearby. Try to minimize movement of your dog's spine as much as possible to reduce the risk of aggravating any injuries. If you are not able to get into the road safely to move your dog, call local police for their help in blocking traffic.
Muzzle Your Dog if Possible
Unfortunately, even the most friendly and well mannered of dogs can become dangerous when they are in "fight or flight" mode, which often happens when they're seriously injured. With this in mind, it may be necessary to muzzle your dog so that you can protect yourself from defensive biting. If you don't have a muzzle available, you can create a temporary one out of a t-shirt or leash.
Call an Emergency Vet
Next, assess your pet's injuries and contact a local emergency vet as soon as possible. This will allow you to let the vet's office know that you're bringing your pet in so they can be prepared to treat him or her as soon as possible. Meanwhile, if you can describe some of the injuries you're seeing to the vet, he or she may be able to give you some advice on temporarily treating the injuries until you're able to be seen.
Knowing how to react to your dog being struck by a car could be the difference between life and death for your canine companion. Hopefully, you will never need to use any of this information, but if you do, you could just end up saving the life of your pet or somebody else's.
Contact a center like Metzger Animal Hospital for more information.
I have never been in love with the idea of owning animals, but a few years ago my son came home with some puppies that he was already really attached to. He swore he would take good care of the animals, so I gave in and let him keep them. Unfortunately, one of them became ill, and I had to find a way to take care of the animal. I decided to visit a veterinarian for help, and we had a diagnosis in a treatment plan in no time. I was really surprised with how powerful veterinary care was, and it was phenomenal. Read this blog to learn more.