Fall from height – not the most widespread injury in dogs, is characteristic primarily for small puppies and pupils of miniature breeds. Unlike cats, dogs do not possess innate ability to quickly group up at landing and often receive serious injuries. What to do if a dog fell from a height, how to warn such a nuisance – about everything and find out more from our article.
Causes of injury
In veterinary practice, specialists often encounter traumas of dwarf rocks, obtained when falling from the height of human growth. The bulk of the life of miniaturized dog passes on the hands of the owner. Fright, increased nervousness, excessive curiosity often play with such pupils an evil joke – the owner is not able to keep a creepy animal, and it is on the ground.
Common trauma is also among puppies. Young, inexperienced dog can not calculate their strength and often even a jump from a low sofa can lead to injury.
Rarely in an unpleasant situation may fall and large breeds of pupils. An animal can fall into a communication open hatch, a foundation pit. At the bottom of the wells may be glass, metal pins, pieces of iron fittings, etc. After hunting for a cat or relative, large dogs often fall from the site of unfinished or abandoned buildings.
What is the danger of falling from a height
For a little dog, a drop from a height of human growth often ends up sadly – from a craniocerebral trauma to a fatal outcome. Common injuries are dislocations, blows, fractures of the extremities, hip joint. Falling from a height threatens violation of the integrity of the vertebral column, trauma of the skull.
Damage to the head is due to the fact that the cervical muscles are not able to withstand a heavy skull, and the dog strikes hard on the hard surface. In this connection, the concussion of the brain – a frequent trauma that accompanies the unsuccessful landing of the pet. Veterinary surgeons often encounter such a consequence of pneumothorax, injury to vital organs, spleen rupture, internal bleeding.
The nature of injuries in large breeds during the fall can be the most varied – from open fractures to severe craniocerebral traumas and fractures of the spine.
Symptoms of a severe dog’s condition
If the owner becomes an eyewitness to the fact that the puppy has fallen from the couch, bed or other small height, then the health of the pupil must be carefully observed. In the event that the baby does not care, he has not changed the course, no lameness, appetite and thirst are preserved, no pathology from the side of the urinary and digestive system is detected, then there is no reason for anxiety.
However, it is not always a fall from height that ends for a dog safely. Veterinarians strongly encourage owners to seek qualified assistance if the following symptoms are observed in an animal in case of unsuccessful landing:
- Coordination of movement is disturbed. A quadrilateral friend may experience lameness, uncertainty and slack walking. In severe cases, the animal can not stand on its legs.
- Falling from the height of the dog is often accompanied by a violation of the act of urination and bowel movements. Involuntary emptying of the intestine, bladder indicate a serious spinal injury, a neurological syndrome with damage to the brain. The cause of the disorder of physiological functions may be strokes and blunt trauma to the internal organs (kidneys, bladder).
- Neurological manifestations – convulsions, paralysis of extremities, trembling of the eyeball, lack of reaction of the pupil to light, nystagmus – signs of severe damage to the central nervous system of the animal requiring the immediate provision of veterinary care.
- The dog will whine, worries. Anxious owner has an apathy, sluggish condition of the pet. Difficulty breathing, salivation, bloody foamy discharge from the mouth or nasal cavity, vomiting, abandonment of food and water – an occasion for an early visit to a specialized institution and a call to a veterinarian’s home.
To worry the owner has not only a deterioration in appetite, but also a difficulty in eating. Brain defect is often manifested in the form of concussion – the dog has enough food, but it is pressed, can not swallow movement.
What to do when falling from a height
In the event that the unsuccessful landing of the pet occurred in the eyes of households, the owner should provide first aid. Veterinarians recommend the following manipulations:
- In the event of shock when falling from a height to a large dog, it is first necessary to wear a muzzle to avoid injury during first aid. Small rocks can fix the jaws with a soft cloth or belt. Pain syndrome makes aggressive, even the most calm animal.
- When an open wound is detected, the first aid begins with stopping the bleeding. For this purpose, a clean towel or a soft cloth in several layers will fit. The area of injury is clamped 5 to 10 minutes before the complete stop of the bleeding.
- If there are signs of damage to the musculoskeletal system in the animal, measures must be taken to restrict movement. To this end, the pet should be placed on a solid and even surface, for example, a board, dense cardboard and locked in the chest and pelvis with the help of belts or belts.
The veterinary clinic of large animals is transported in the back of the car, small animals – in the transfer or on the knees. When transporting, the animal should be given a position of the body so that the head is below the extremities – to prevent the outflow of blood from the brain.
Properly rendered assistance will help to avoid damage to the internal organs in the event of fracture of the ribs, as well as prevent negative effects in the form of pain shock in violation of the integrity of the bone and muscle apparatus.
- In the case of difficult breathing, it is necessary first of all to clear the mouth and nose of the pupil from mucus, vomit, blood clots, foreign objects. In the presence of animal skills, it is possible to conduct artificial ventilation of the lungs, forming hands with a tube in the region of the nostrils. In a minute do 15 – 20 short exhalations, until the animal starts to breathe on its own.
- If the dog has fallen from height, to prevent unwanted consequences, veterinarians recommend doing this: carefully observe the injured pupil for several days, even if no obvious symptoms are detected immediately after landing.
In the practice of veterinary surgeons, there are occasional cases of deferred effects of falling animals from height: punctures of the lungs due to the fracture of the ribs, damage to the digestive system, development of diaphragmatic hernia. In some cases, dogs may experience neurological deviations from the trauma, caused by concussion or cerebral edema.
The owner should take control of the appetite, as well as see if there are violations of the digestive and excretory system. Any deviation – lethargy, refusal of food, increased salivation, difficulty in swallowing food, constipation, diarrhea, frequent urination or, conversely, anuria, should be a reason for an immediate referral to a veterinary specialist.
In a specialized institution, the patient will have a comprehensive clinical and neurological examination. In case of suspected fractures of the bone structure, the veterinarian will appoint an X-ray examination. In order to exclude dull injuries of the internal organs, an ultrasound examination will be required.
Only complex diagnostics will allow the vet to assess the severity of damage when falling from a height and take into account the possible consequences for the health of the animal.
Prevention of injuries
Taking into account the factors that lead to the fall of pets from a height, veterinarians and dog breeders with experience recommend that owners observe the following rules and recommendations:
- Walk the pet in specially designated areas and areas with barriers. Regularly check the territory for safety, to ensure that there are no open sewers and other technical facilities on the runway.
- To educate a pet in a tolerant attitude towards relatives and cats, not to allow them to chase animals.
- Do not leave a four-legged friend in potentially dangerous places – on the balcony, in the open window, on high furniture.
- Miniature breeds should be driven only on a special helmet, preventing the pupil from slipping out of his hands.
Falling from a height is not a characteristic trauma to dogs. Nevertheless, the owner of a puppy of a dwarf pet, as well as an overly active representative of a large breed, must be prepared to provide first-aid competently. Falling from heights often has far-reaching consequences for the pet’s body. Therefore, even in the absence of symptoms such as lameness, loss of appetite, violation of the act of urination and defecation, the animal should be shown to the veterinarian.
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