I live with my mom & brother sis in law & kids.
A neighbor across from us has a very friendly & affectionate small dog. She's never really kept on a leash, so she just roams the neighborhood.
Every time me or my fam goes out even for a walk she always tags along. Everybody in the fam loves her.
Today I went to the corner store to get a snack for me & the kids, & of course doggy followed. When I came back out she was lying on the side of the street. I thought maybe she was just chillin (she does that a lot) as I started walking back I noticed she didn't follow, which i found very odd.
I called her, & she didn't come. Worried I ran to her only to find her trembling & that she's been hit. I call her & call her, i even shake my bag to get her attention. So I carried her back to my neighbors & told her what happened.
Later that day my mom decided to ask our neighbor if we could have doggy. Now we have her here in our home.
She's been hit on her hind legs. She can move them a little, but she won't get up on them. She'll just crawl with her front.
My question is what can I do? I know most of you will say get her to a vet/ER but the vet is closed & we don't have transportation at the moment. So please be understanding. I'm just looking for help so that I can help & so that I can comfort my nieces. Please. Thank you.
Answer
Scooby:
You took responsibility for the dog and now she belongs to you now. Emergency Vets are always open 24/7, so you have No Excuse not take her to a vet NOW. Call a Taxi, ask a family member, friend or neighbor to drive you.
You don't know how severe her injuries are, if she has been hit by a car. She could have Life Threatening Injuries and if you don't get her to a vet IMMEDIATELY and she is bleeding Internally, which you cannot see, then she can die a very painful death, if you wait any longer to take her in. Are you really willing to take that kind of a chance with her life?
Very carefully put her in a crate with a blanket, because she is in a lot of pain and you do not want to cause more injury and get her to a vet. She is counting on you to help her.
Do Not let her down. Your nieces can wait for you to comfort them. She needs a vet NOW. You can talk to your nieces after you get her to a vet. She comes first at this point.
Cabbie:
Are there no emergency hospitals open? Can nobody offer you a lift, like a friend, another neighbour, or maybe even a taxi at a push? Keep the dog warm and calm - don't let the kids crowd around her because it might overwhelm her.
I wouldn't let the kids near her at all if I was in your situation. Don't force the dog to move - if she moves it could damage her further. See if she'll eat or drink anything. I would at least phone an emergency vet to get some advice, even if you can't take the dog in person.
If you found the dog in the road presumably during the day (if you were at a shop), why didn't you try to take her then, or are all of the local vets closed for some reason?
Nessa:
The dog may be paralyzed in the back legs... I would suggest NOT moving her... as that could cause even more trauma if the dog has spinal injuries.
Unfortunately there is no home-remedy for a half paralyzed dog due to being hit by a car. You will need a vet... and x-rays to determine what is wrong.
If the vet is closed... keep the dog comfortable and stable. Wait until the vet IS open and take the dog in ASAP!!!! The longer you wait... the more damage is likely to occur.
Rachel:
I went WALKING to the store (don't have car at the moment) how could I take her right away? She wasn't our dog at the moment, so I just took her straight to her owner. Her owner just wrapped her in a blanket & took her inside.
When we adopted her she told us that she hasn't even taken her to the vet, so by the time we did adopt her, all the nearby vets were closed. ): Look, I've never had a pet before, I'm just trying to help..
Don't worry, the kids love her enough to give her her space.
Annie:
Give her food, water, and make a comfortable space lined with newspaper, and soft blankets/sheets for her to lie down on.
Calm and reassure her by petting her and giving her love and affection. Make sure that you check on her often.
In the morning, you can borrow a friend/neighbor's car and CAREFULLY put her in the car, once again lining her space with blankets, and go to the nearest vet office. I hope that this is helpful!
