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Dogs and cats may become injured after trauma such as being hit by a car, falling for a height, or being attacked by another animal. Generally with trauma the injuries are potentially severe and so you want to get your pet to a veterinarian as soon as possible but to do it safely. Some of the more common areas for fracture include the long bones or the upper and lower legs on the front and back of your animal. If this happens you may notice that your animal is not bearing any weight on the limb with a severe, severe limp. You may also notice that the limb is dangling or pointed in a strange angle. Sometimes there's a lot of swelling and so this isn't obvious. If you suspect a fracture in your pet you want to make sure you transport her quickly to the veterinarian but also safely. We want to minimize any movement from the injured areas as this could worsen things. With spinal injuries your pet may develop signs of pain when moving the head, neck, or trunk or she may become unable to use her hind limbs or any of her limbs. You want to check your pets vitals and with spinal injuries in particular you want to pay attention to her breathing as this can be abnormal with certain spinal injuries. Again, transporting your pet to a veterinarian quickly is important but also it needs to be safely done. So you want to take care not to make any injuries worse.
In this lesson, we'll be going over fractures and spinal injuries, including some signs to watch out for if you suspect these types of injuries in your pet. We'll also tell you about the number one warning you should heed if your pet does have one of these injuries.
Dogs and cats may become injured after a trauma. Common traumas include:
Generally, with pet trauma, the injuries can be potentially severe and should be taken seriously. You should get your pet to the veterinarian as quickly as you can, but you should do so as safely as you can.
Some common areas where your pet may suffer a fracture include the long bones – the upper and lower legs at the front and back of your animal.
If your pet does suffer a fracture, you may notice a few signs, including:
Pro Tip: Be aware that there is often a lot of swelling with fracture injuries. If there is, some of the signs above may not appear obvious.
If you suspect your pet has suffered a fracture, you should transport her to the veterinarian immediately. However, you also need to make certain that you're transporting her safely. You want to minimize all movement from the injured area, which will help not make the injury worse.
With spinal injuries, your pet can develop signs of pain when moving, particularly when it comes to the head, neck, and trunk. Or she might have trouble moving her hind limbs. She may also have trouble moving any limbs.
If you suspect a spinal injury, you'll want to check your pet's vital signs. With spinal injuries, in particular, you want to pay special attention to her breathing or respiratory rate, as these can become abnormal with certain spinal injuries.
Warning: This bears repeating! Transporting your pet quickly to the vet's office is crucial. But equally important is transporting her safely. Take extra care, especially when loading her into your vehicle, not to make her injuries worse by moving the injured area.