# Dog fell out of car, help.



## waruikazi (Mar 25, 2011)

My dog slipped out the window of my car on wednesday night. I was moving at about 80km at the time. After i realised that i hadn't killed him i checked him over and he doesn't seem to have any broken limbs but he does have a few grazes and i think he may have a broken foot. 

I live in a pretty isolated place and i can't get him to a vet until tuesday at the absolute earliest. 

I have spoken to the vet on the phone and they are sending out some meds to hopefully see him through until i get him to D-town. Unfortunately though the vet has to stick to the side of caution and couldn't give me any genuine advice on what he could be in for. 

I want to know if anyone has experience with this. If my boy does have a broken foot and it is a week before i get him seen to is he likely to end up with a worse condition?


----------



## saximus (Mar 25, 2011)

Wow really sorry to hear that Gordo. I can't really offer any proper advice but as long as you keep any grazes/wounds clean I'm sure he will naturally stay off the injured leg on his own. Or you could try splinting it if you're confident doing that?
Just think people walk away from motorcycle accidents without serious injury and we are much more soft and squishy than dogs so he might be fine


----------



## lisa5 (Mar 25, 2011)

My dog, a jack russell x beagle, did the same thing with his previous owner. She was also travelling around 80km's. He appeared okay too, but he had fractured his leg- it was not immediately apparent on the xray. He needed an operation to put a pin in it. This didn't happen straight away, but I'm unsure how long after. Just try to keep him quiet until he can see the vet and he should be okay- probably easier said than done. I've heard of some humans who have broken their arm and for one reason or another have not had it plastered until about a week later and everything has been okay.


----------



## kitten_pheonix (Mar 25, 2011)

Ive had something similar my dog broke her leg best thing to do is bandage so it has limited movement and cant do more damage, dont let it run around and keep confined to a small area where it wont get exited and jump. also maybe invest in a harness that clips onto a seatbelt so it cant go near the windows again. hope some of this helps, i doubt leaving it for a few days will heal enough that its a problem, worst thing it can do is break it further. most of the time a cast is about 3 months


----------



## Red-Ink (Mar 25, 2011)

If it's broken.. yeah mate it will get worst, pain and swelling wise for him. The best you could do as with any fracture (if it is) is to immobalise the limb with a splint apart from that not much else can really be done. Try and keep him confined so he won't move around as much till you get to the vets... good luck with it mate.

EDIT: beat me to it Kitten


----------



## crocodile_dan (Mar 25, 2011)

As has been said above...

There are some vet students on APS, your best best is finding and PM them.

I believe the only issue would possibly be:

him exerting extra force on the area and creating further damage. I would suggest keep him calm and quiet, depending on the damage maybe protecting the area as best you can but it depends on what materials you have access to

as the bone starts to heal on it's own without being correctly positioned that can inhibit the recovery/repair, I wouldnt suggest that process would occur over 5 days though.

I am not a vet and have not studied such practices so the above is just an educated guess from my other knowledge, I would be calling your vet back and asking about protocol in the mean time.


----------



## waruikazi (Mar 25, 2011)

I'm not sure that a splint will work without causing him more discomfort. The swelling is right ontop of his foot, just above his toes. 

He's in pain and whimpers when he thinks no one is watching, but i can touch his foot without him flinching or yelping. I'm hoping the pain meds and anti-inflamatories will arrive today. I'm more worried about the immediate pain he's in.

He is eating and drinking. So i suppose he can't be in any excruciating discomfort.

The vets has basically said just that. Keep him immobile and confined. He's feeling pretty sorry for himself so he's not gettign too excited at anything for now.



crocodile_dan said:


> As has been said above...
> 
> There are some vet students on APS, your best best is finding and PM them.
> 
> ...


----------



## Jungle_Freak (Mar 25, 2011)

Keep him in a dog crate so he cannot move around too much untill you can get him to the vets .


----------



## moosenoose (Mar 25, 2011)

I saw a small dog jump out of a car two vehicles in front of me once (prob doing 50-60kph), the car directly behind it smashed it big-time! It wasn't worth going back for! Big mess!

Seems to be more common than you'd think. I hope he recovers okay for you!


----------



## Helikaon (Mar 25, 2011)

the best thing you can do is keep the dog quite. if it has survived the initial shock then you need to lock in in a small area preferably a crate. if you think the foot is broken a good bandage would be good to help stabalise it as after the inflamation goes down the fracture can move. in a weeks time a calus will start to form but you should be fine. Problem is if you need the leg pinned will your vet be able to. I have a mate out tennent creek way and its a bugger when something happens because a vet shows up once every 2 weeks.


----------



## crocodile_dan (Mar 25, 2011)

apart from wait for the meds I don't really know what you could do, as I said I'm not a vet.

you are the only one who knows the location of the injury, but even though the swelling and grazing is on his toes they may just be superficial, he could have a fracture higher up but due to gravity the swelling is located further down the leg. maybe get some foam/kitchen sponge secured with a bandage and cushion the foot for when he is on his feet. as well as some cold packs to reduce swelling (wrapped in a cloth as contact on the skin will cause cellular damage).

again these are just educated guesses really, I would check with other vets or vet students as to the correct procedure if there is any

would a crate for 5 days whilst keeping him immobile the confining size may causes distress he may injure himself more in an effort to get out especially if he isn't accustomed to small spaces, would a laundry/bathroom with a soft/cushiony floor (towels, sleeping bags, cushions, mattress) be better?

not criticizing here btw, I am enquiring.


----------



## Pythoninfinite (Mar 25, 2011)

Dogs are pretty resilient Gordo, but it is distressing to see them uncomfortable. Roger's idea of confining to a dog crate most of the time is a good one I think, it will reduce the chance of further damage, and keeping him confined will help in general repair of any other damage as well. I have 3 dogs here and I hate it when they've hurt themselves. Doesn't happen often, but we feel very protective of our doggie mates.

If you think of what pig dogs go through routinely, with rarely any vet followup, you'll know how tough they can be. What sort of dog?

J


----------



## waruikazi (Mar 25, 2011)

Cheers Jaimie

He's a bully. He really doesn't complain much so i know when he whimpers he's in some real pain. I've run over about 5 dogs in the community that haven't died, so i know they can survive some serious punishment. I just hate seeing him, or any animal, like this. 

I don't have a crate large enough for him to sit up in. I think i'll try confining him to the bathroom, it's small anough to stop him moving around but still big enough for his water bowl and all that jazz. 

This is my boy.


----------



## byron_moses (Mar 25, 2011)

hats why they say to always have a leash on your dog while in or on the back of a car lol tough little bugger


----------



## waruikazi (Mar 25, 2011)

byron_moses said:


> hats why they say to always have a leash on your dog while in or on the back of a car lol tough little bugger



He was inside the car and the window was half way up.


----------



## byron_moses (Mar 25, 2011)

waruikazi said:


> He was inside the car and the window was half way up.


 i know that mate but he still fell out didnt he?


----------



## waruikazi (Mar 25, 2011)

byron_moses said:


> i know that mate but he still fell out didnt he?



No he bloody well flew Byron.


----------



## glassless_mind (Mar 25, 2011)

Hi,

For starters, please don't let your dog hang out the window as you drive along, consider yourself lucky there isn't more damage. Most people say "ohhh but he enjoys it so much"... I'm sure he does, however dogs also enjoy the taste of poop. Dogs in cars should be restrained. If you stop suddenly at that speed, and they are unrestrained, they continue to do the speed you were doing before you stopped, and are very likely to become a missile that goes straight through the front windscreen. It isn't pretty. - Also, car harnesses are $8 from the reject shop. They clip in to the seat belt buckle and can be adjusted.

If you do bandage the foot, remember that the dog cannot tell you whether the bandage is too tight or not. Apply some padding under the bandage to help prevent this. You should bandage the lower part of his leg and the upper part of the foot, leaving the tips of the toes free, this will immobilise it enough. Pinch the toes a couple of times a day to ensure he still has feeling in them. If he doesn't, the bandage is too tight. Also check here for swelling (which would also suggested that is it too tight).

You don't neceesarily have to bandage the foot if you keep the dog quiet enough. He may or may not keep off it reasonably well. Some dogs are sooky, and will hold up a foot because there's a sore toenail. Other dogs ignore the pain and run around on it anyway. Keeping your dog quiet means keeping it in a reasonably confined area (small to medium sized room, dog run), not allowing running, jumping, boisterous activity. If you want to entertain your dog, play with him without him having to move around. Don't, for example, roll the ball along the floor. Most dogs will still chase it just as excitedly as before. Confining him to the bathroom seems to be a good idea. If he is extremely bored, you can put the radio on for him, or a small tv in there. You'd be amazed how much voices and colour entertain dogs.

It's hard to tell what the damage could be without x-rays. What may appear as pain in his foot could be in a joint, or higher up the leg. Or he may have just cracked a few minor bones. All you really can do is keep him as quiet as possible until tuesday, so the damage doesn't get any worse. It takes about 7 days for changes to happen in bone. Any changes between now and tuesday, with regards to healing, will be minor.

Also, if the vet sends out meds that contain pain relief, as they most likely will, the dog may appear to almost miraculously feel better, because the pain is gone. This does not mean that the injury is gone, just that the dog is no longer aware that it is there. You can't tell a dog that it's broken a foot and needs to put it up for a few days. If he feels wonderfully better, he may think that he can bounce around and be active again. Don't be sucked in by this, and continue to keep him quiet. If this is the case, then the foot may need to be bandaged to prevent further damage.

Feel free to pm me if you want, although I'm not on here that often, but I can check it later today anyway. Bullies are beautiful dogs. My old neighbour had one. Biggest sook out. He tried to be tough but was all bluff. He'd race up to the fence barking at me, pretend he was going to attack, and then grin his little face off and wait for me to pat him.

Good luck with him, and hopefully he feels better soon.


----------



## Pythoninfinite (Mar 25, 2011)

Mmmm... great looking pooch. Obviously a tasty tree too! Apart from the sore foot, he may have a bit of shock too, as I'm sure you did when he went out of the window! As Jess says, watch out for the pain relief - pain is a good constraint on further damaging activity.

J


----------



## Khagan (Mar 25, 2011)

3 weeks ago my dog fell and broke his fibia, disclocated the 'ankle' joint and fractured just 1-2cm above it. That was just falling off the back of the couch let alone a car =p though granted he is a much smaller dog. It was real visible though his leg look mangled and 10 mins later at the vets it was swollen like 2x the size.

When i went to the vet he told me if i wanted it fixed by a specialist surgically, it was best to get it done asap as if i left it too long it might not be as successful. I couldn't afford the 1-2k for specialist so it had to be set in place splinted for 6 weeks. The bone will heal but unsure on the strength the joint will heal. If it doesn't heal then it has to be fused or worst case scenario amputated .

So if you're in a similar situation, prepare to have fun trying to keep a dog from running and jumping for 6 weeks haha..


----------



## viridis (Mar 25, 2011)

Pythoninfinite said:


> Roger's idea of confining to a dog crate most of the time is a good one I think, it will reduce the chance of further damage, and keeping him confined will help in general repair of any other damage as well. I have 3 dogs here and I hate it when they've hurt themselves. Doesn't happen often, but we feel very protective of our doggie mates.
> 
> If you think of what pig dogs go through routinely, with rarely any vet followup, you'll know how tough they can be. What sort of dog?
> 
> J




Gordo,
Jamie and Roger are on the money. Keep him in as smaller area as possible. You have to keep in mind that he may have internal bruising, swelling and bleeding.

Just make sure that when he craps, that there is no blood in his faeces. As you know, I do a fair bit of hunting pigs with dogs. Seeing a dog in pain is never good however you will be surprised at what he will be able to go through. It is never good to see your best mate in pain and I know how close you are to him.

Bully's are tough as nails mate, however I would get him to a vets ASAP and I would be more worried about internal bleeding than the possibility of a broken bone which can be fixed if you get to a vets. 

I did some time with a contract scrub bull catcher that used dogs to catch the feral cattle and after seeing dogs get kicked, stood on and rolled by a 600kg scrubber, I was amazed at how tough they are.

For what it is worth, most contract bull catchers will run dogs with a fair amount of Bull Terrier in them because they cute little buggers are just so flamin’ tough!

Get him to a vet ASAP and be prepared for a hefty bill; however he is more than worth it!


----------



## snakelady-viper (Mar 25, 2011)

Thats so sad for the dog I hope he will be fine. In NSW its a $375 fine for not having an animal restrained in a car. If an animal is injured in a car accident and its unrestrained there is a fine of $50,000 sorry I an not kidding these came to me through a veterinary clinic in Newcastle.
A seat belt buckle will cost $2.75 and a harness $12.95 from the reject shop or super cheapauto


----------



## notechistiger (Mar 25, 2011)

I certainly agree on the restraining dogs in the car thing. A friend of mine had a car accident a while back and their dog was unrestrained in the passenger. On the impact, the seatbelt saved her just fine, but her dog kept going- right through the windscreen. The dog was the only one to die 

Hope he gets better soon


----------



## lisa5 (Mar 25, 2011)

Hope everything goes okay over the weekend. Let us know how things go at the vets on Tuesday.


----------



## Red-Ink (Mar 25, 2011)

Hefty bill alright.... my dog cost me a herping trip to Broom last year with the wife when he did his left knee and had to be reconstructed. A month ago he did his right knee.... two holidays he's cost us in consecutive years. Both ops were 3K each...


----------



## sookie (Mar 25, 2011)

Sorry to hear about your gorgeous puppy,but keep the faith.It's never nice to see any animal in pain,stay close to him for security,warm and quiet (good luck with that one) and know that prayers are being said for him.


----------



## mungus (Mar 25, 2011)

Gordo,
sounds like he's go a fractured paw..........if so its painful, but he will be ok.
Try icing it like you would do if you hurt your ankle etc.
lucky its his only srious injury.


----------



## Exotic_Doc (Mar 25, 2011)

man grrr thats why you should harness your dogs while in the car......sorry just gets to me sooo bad. Btw everything has been said. Confine, not jumping or movements that will put further strain,and rest until you see the vet..


----------



## Kitah (Mar 25, 2011)

Sent you a PM Waruikazi to help you through until you can get him to a vet.


----------



## phantomreptiles (Mar 26, 2011)

He is very handsome


----------



## phantomreptiles (Mar 26, 2011)

He is very handsome, I think everyone has answered your querys. It must be very hard to be so far away from veterinary help. I am surprised a vet would send anti-inflams to a pet he has not seen or assesed, I guess things are done differently when so far away from help. Warm salty water and/or Betedine for the grazes, twice a day. Everyone has said the right thing, if he has survived the shock, then the poss fracture is not much. If it is a fracture toe, most times they are just bandaged if the dog will tolerate and kept confined - which you are already doing. Sometimes it requires pinning but only in extreme displacements. I think you should buy a lotto ticket, keep puppy dog confined, lead only for toilet stops for at least 4-6wks, hard to say without radiographs. And buy a harness for your bully that clips into the seat belt. I hate putting mine on my Amstaff, and she doesn't like it.......but whats a bit of annoyance compared to this never happening to her...........


----------



## Southside Morelia (Mar 26, 2011)

viridis said:


> Gordo,
> Jamie and Roger are on the money. Keep him in as smaller area as possible. You have to keep in mind that he may have internal bruising, swelling and bleeding.
> 
> Just make sure that when he craps, that there is no blood in his faeces. As you know, I do a fair bit of hunting pigs with dogs. Seeing a dog in pain is never good however you will be surprised at what he will be able to go through. It is never good to see your best mate in pain and I know how close you are to him.
> ...


 
Hey Gordo,

Just read the entire thread, sorry to hear that mate...I'm with viridis and would be more concerned with internal bleeding and possible damage etc....he is whimpering when alone, but not flinching when you touch the "obvious" damaged paw...that is a concern mate that there could be some underlying injury...as suggested an Xray is definitely on the cards.

Good luck with him, i'm sure he'll be fine although a little sore.
.


----------



## waruikazi (Mar 26, 2011)

I really appreciate the help and advice that most members have given me either through PM or on this the thread. I particularly appreciate Kitten, Red-ink, Crocodile-Dan, Roger, Helikaon, Jaimie, Laura, Viridis, Khagan, Baden and Scott for you advice. Your advice is helping me and my dog. 

Unfortunately the meds didn't arrive for him and i'm having trouble gettign him on a plane this weekend. They wont fly him without me and i can't find a crate for him until mid week. 

I don't think he is in any danger now. He seems alert and happy, eating, drinking, pooping and *******, but he is in some pain. That is what is killing me! I hate seeing anything in discomfort, especially when it is a person or animal close to me (I am going to be an absolute train wreck if i ever have kids lol). I think he has probably dodged a bullet once again in his short lifetime. 

To the four members who thought i was asking about how i should travel with my dog. I'm glad you guys are the minority in this thread, the other 30 odd members who responded and PM'd offering help are the people who make this forum worthwhile.


----------



## Wild~Touch (Mar 26, 2011)

What is his name ?
He will be OK ...the fact being he has a caring owner who does realise the value of a good mate
Cheers
Sandee


----------



## waruikazi (Mar 26, 2011)

His name is Cubes.


----------



## AirCooled (Mar 26, 2011)

Hi Gordo,
Many have suggested limited movement and/or limb immobilization,my suggestion is toward the wounds and open cuts.I have used a livestock spray to heal and repel flys from a german shepherd and it works quite well to also deal with infections.The livestock spray commonly used for horse and cattle is mainly for commercial animals but you should be able to get small quantities.


----------



## kawasakirider (Mar 26, 2011)

Lol, one of my Maltese Terriers, Spud, jumped out of the window at 80 when I was living in Tassie. I looked back from the back seat of the car (I was only about 10 at the time) just in time to see him hit the ground and commando roll. We stopped quickly and he ran back to the car as if to say "don't leave me behind!" lol. 

He's still going strong.

Dog's are resilliant animals, I'm sure your dog will be OK. I love bull terriers, they look so cool. Good luck with him


----------



## Choco (Mar 28, 2011)

Yeah makes your heart miss a few beats when they do that. Hope he's ok.
My fairly unco-ordinated Bull Arab x Mastiff weighs 50kg and somehow managed to cleanly jump out of a Subaru Impreza while turning a corner. Luckily it was only going slow and he just had a few grazes the size of a 5c piece.

Cheers,
Allan


----------



## Dannyboi (Mar 28, 2011)

My dog jumped out of the car going 50 to chase the postman! he was a bit scratched but he was alright but the little bugger jumped 2ft out of my little brothers arms a year before that and broke his leg. It cost a fortune to get it fixed we cancelled our trip to the Gold Coast.


----------



## saximus (Mar 29, 2011)

How's he doing Gordo?


----------



## graedesire (Mar 29, 2011)

I know it's not a dog but I currently have my cat with a broken leg. He walked in with it. No bleeding, marks, fur loss, nothing. His foot was bent just a lil bit too odd and started swelling. We took him to the vet and was $800 to put pins in. Luckily the surgeon had a better look before operating and has gone with a splint which cost us significantly less. The time between getting to the vet he was eating and drinking so although I looked at it as a good sign it doesn't really mean anything. SO what I'm saying in a roundabout way is I understand what you are going through coz watching my boy looking at me with pain in his lil eyes sucked.


----------



## waruikazi (Mar 30, 2011)

saximus said:


> How's he doing Gordo?



He's doing good thanks mate. The flight i was going to be putting him on yesterday got cancelled because of bad weather, so i'm not getting him out until friday (as long as that flight goes according to plan, which may not happen). He's back to his meat headed self and is walking on his foot lightly now. I think he's gonna be just fine. WIll be interesting to see what the vet says on friday!


----------



## guzzo (Mar 30, 2011)

waruikazi said:


> He's doing good thanks mate. The flight i was going to be putting him on yesterday got cancelled because of bad weather, so i'm not getting him out until friday (as long as that flight goes according to plan, which may not happen). He's back to his meat headed self and is walking on his foot lightly now. I think he's gonna be just fine. WIll be interesting to see what the vet says on friday!


 
Good to hear Gordo,

They are tough for sure


----------



## lisa5 (Mar 30, 2011)

Glad to hear he's going a little better. Hope things go well on Friday- must be so frustrating to wait.


----------



## Ozzie Python (Mar 30, 2011)

good to hear gordo. goes to show how tough dogs are, if that happened to one of us im sure we would be complaining non sto our foot hurts.

Only just read through this thread and saw the pic of cubes, nice looking dog you have there!


----------

