I am sure the thought of a road accident in one of the animals in your care is enough to make your blood run cold, but being prepared is essential to ensure that the pet is given the right care as soon as possible to maximise its chances of survival.
When an animal is knocked over, it will experience a huge surge of adrenaline which is the hormone associated with the fight or flight response. Adrenaline primes the body to escape and is a very powerful stimulant and pain killer. This is how animals are able to run away from the scene of an accident in many cases, sometimes even with fractured spines, only to collapse later. It is very important to realise that the injuries are not always immediately apparent and so never be fooled into thinking, “Thank goodness, everything seems ok” and leaving. Always seek veterinary attention.
Like all good scouts, the first maxim is to “Be Prepared”. Before the owners leave, make sure you know the phone number of the local vet, including who provides cover for the practice at night and weekends if this is not done by the local practice. Make sure you know how to find the practice as reading a map in the dark with an injured animal needing urgent attention is going to both stress and delay you. With cats, make sure you know where the cat basket is and move it if it is not handy, so you are not having to scrabble around in the owner’s loft. Always put a cat in its basket if you can – remember adrenaline will drive them to escape again and if this happens then the situation will only be worse – I have seen trauma patients that have escaped in the practice car park as soon as the owner opens the car and even one that jumped from the car window on the dual carriageway on the way to the surgery!
Animals may not respond in their usual way when they are distressed and in pain. If you try to move them, as you will need to, and this causes a fracture to move they will associate the pain with you and not with their fracture as they do not know what the latter is – that requires a human brain to understand. This means they may try to bite you to stop the pain so be careful and do not be fooled into thinking that they would never bite as the rules have changed completely. There is not a great deal that can be done about this but being aware of it helps. I always find that a big bath towel or blanket is invaluable here as by scooping the animal up in the towel you can handle it as a whole rather than moving specific parts.
Generally you are best to get the dog or cat to the veterinary surgery as there will be the facilities to put the patient on a drip, xray or operate as necessary. Many people want to ask the vet to visit the animal, but this does incur a delay in providing treatment as we cannot offer what is needed at the roadside, so if at all possible get the animal to the surgery. However, there will always be a few cases where the patient’s pain is too severe to allow movement or the injuries so severe that euthanasia needs to be carried out immediately and, in these cases, request a visit if you need to.
You may have to provide some basic first aid to stop bleeding, in which case pressure with a clean towel is the best option. Gently wrap any wounds in the towel and compress the bleeding point; don’t be tempted to take the pressure off to check if it is working until you arrive at the vets. Some animals will be very distressed with their breathing so make sure you do not hold them tightly across the chest or neck as a result of your own tension.
This may all be basic stuff but it is amazing how often it is completely overlooked. With a little bit of forethought, you can ensure that you have a plan and also put it successfully into practice at a time of stress.
