Car accidents don’t have to be fatal. You may have heard of or seen a dog or cat who walked away from a car accident, thanks no doubt to their amazing flexibility and protective layers of fur. However, just because an animal CAN walk away from an accident doesn’t mean it is uninjured. Internal injuries may take days to show up.
Here’s what you should do if your pet is hit by a car:
- Muzzle them if they are not having trouble breathing. An injured dog or cat may bite the first person who tries to help them. You can use a length of gauze, a necktie, or even a pair of panty hose to tie a loose loop over the nose. Secure the muzzle behind the ears.
- Check for breathing. Getting the animal breathing if they have stopped is your number one priority. See rescue breathing for pets for more.
- Check for a heartbeat. Place your palm against the chest behind the left elbow to feel for a pulse. If you cannot feel (or hear) a heartbeat, your pet may need CPR.
- Stop any bleeding. Press directly on the wounds with a clean cloth or gauze pad. If you have any sanitary napkins handy, they are perfect because of their high absorbency.
- Check the gums. An animal’s gums can give you a clue to their overall state. Pink gums are a good sign. Pale gums are a sign of severe blood loss and shock. Keep your pet warm and try rubbing a little honey on the gums to revive them.
- Cover and protect any wounds. You don’t have to do a professional bandaging job — just throwing a towel or t-shirt over any open wounds will help keep them clean and prevent infection.
- Protect the eyes. If the eyes have been injured, soak a cloth or gauze pad in water or sterile contact lens solution and lay it gently over the injured eye.
- Check for broken bones. If you can get to a vet in twenty minutes or less, you don’t need to do anything. Touch the area as little as possible. However, if you have a longer trip ahead of you, you’ll need to immobilize the leg. Use something clean to cover any open wounds, then wrap the leg in a towel or something soft. Put something long and stiff like a wooden spoon outside the towel, then tape it all together.
- Move your pet carefully. The easiest way to move them is on a rigid surface. Large pets can be placed on an ironing board, for example. Smaller pets may fit on a cookie sheet. Anything that is rigid and prevents the spine from flexing will work. Slide a sheet or towel underneath your injured pet, then SLIDE them (no lifting!) onto the board. Cover him with a sheet or towel, then tape him down. Put one strip of tape just behind his front legs and another just in front of his hind legs.