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When I pulled into my driveway tonight after work my 7 month old puppy who i didn't even see went right under my van and came out the back....now I am certain my tires didn't roll over him I think the bottom of the van may have caused him some harm? I am not sure what to look for to know if it is something serious or not. he is walking just fine but his rear end kinda waddles a little more like he may have some sore back legs...he has no physical damage to him and doesn't whine when i touch any part of him. My vet is already closed for the evening but my concern is...could something internally be wrong with him? How would I know if he is really hurt or just lame from the van? Please help.....
Optional Information: Type of Animal: Dog Gender: Male Age: 7 months Name of Dog: Buddy Already Tried: I have tried touching him with slight pressure all over to see if he whines or snaps at me because of pain....he has does neither...
HI I'd like to help
Have you looked at his gum color?
Is it pink or pale?
I will check...
pink
Good.... keep an eye on this.
okay
If there is any serious internal bleeding you will notice that his gums will get pale in color and he may become lethargic.
he already wants to lay down all the time and rest...but I wasn't sure if that was due to him being sore?
Watch for urination.... if he is urinating normally, that is really good. If he is only dribbling urine or there is blood in his urine, this is reason for concern.
It's possible for them to rupture their bladders, etc.
okay.....could his back be hurt in some way from hitting under the van?
I'm reluctant to have you give him any pain meds like aspirin without an exam since it can predispose an animal to bleeding and until we rule that out completely with a good exam I would hold off.
Yes, he could certainly have hurt his back.....
Hopefully, just muscular issues, but it's possible that the waddling is due to a spinal cord issue or slipped disc.
If it is that.... watch for paralysis developing. In the meantime, just keep him quiet-- don't encourage any extra activity.
If he starts dragging his hind toes, then I would try to find an emergency vet tonight.
but how would I now the seriousness of it? I can take him to the vet tomorrow if it is something that does not require immediate attention? what is paralysis?
It sounds like you can wait at this point... BUT without a good thorough exam, I can't tell you that for sure. The most cautious approach would be to have him checked out tonight... BUT if you wanted to wait until tomorrow, it's probably OK.
Paralysis means the inability to move or profound weakness.
Is a slipped disc or muscle issue something he could die from?
my boyfriend said he went outside and peed and pooped like normal....could he have done this with a slipped disc?
No, he couldnt' die from a slipped disk.
That's great that he peed and pooped normally
If he had a slipped disk, he might be able to do those things... BUT he might be really painful when he does it.
good.......I will watch for the signs you told me about and just let him rest at this point....thank you for your help and i will get him in tomorrow.....unless something happens more tonight.
IF his gums are pink and he is walking peeing and pooping, you are probably fine to wait until tomorrow. BUt that is obviously up to you-- that is only based on what you are telling me.... not an exam that I've performed.
Best of luck...
Dr C
Experience: 13 years of experience in small animal medicine and surgery, including emergency medicine