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my dog got ran over. she is walking, eating and drinking. but she wont use the bathroom. she has swelling in her stomach. since i have noticed the swelling i stopped the food. my question is this... what are the chances that she will make it? i cant get her to the vet till morning. i love this dog with all my heart and i dont know if i can stand to lose her. there isnt any blood that i can see but i am very scared.
Optional Information: Age: 8; Female; Breed: sheltie/beagle Already Tried: not sure what to do but make her comfortable. she is sleeping alot
Hi Alyce,
I'm glad that she is eating/ drinking ok. I'm assuming that you mean she has not urinated yet. If that is the case and you are simultaneously seeing abdominal distension then I would be worried that she may have a ruptured bladder or even a herniation of the abdominal wall and the bladder coming through. Either way, it would require surgical correction. You can usually tell if the bladder is protruding through the abdominal wall as they are very painful and bruised over the area. They will also usually be able to get some urine out but it is bloody.
The good news is that surgery can usually wait until the dog is more stable so it's not something that necessarily has to be done right away. I would still want it done in the first 24-48 hours after the incident but a few hours until your vet opens should be ok. Stopping the food was a good idea. I would still leave water out though.
Hopefully abdominal x-rays will give you all the answers and she'll be fixed up soon enough.
I hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions.
Experience: DVM, Emergency Veterinarian; BS (Physiology) Michigan State Univ