Pet hit by car

patmac

Hi folks,
Our beloved pet Sammy(female,Jack Russell X),was hit by a car yesterday and is in very poor shape. She is 11. After an X-ray she has damage to the spine and spinal cord and is not responding. The vet has said that they could operate but she only has a 5% chance of getting through and would need constant care for months afterwards.
I believe that she is a fighter and I don't really care about the cost.
The vet has said that if it was her dog she would put her to sleep.
I have a feeling that we only have one decision to make here, but where there is life there is hope.
This is such a nightmare.
Any advice would be gratefully received.

razorblunt

"Where there is life"

- What standard and quality of the life is the poor thing going to have? That's probably the biggest question.
You have a vet offering their professional advice, by all means get a second opinion if needs be but this needs to a decision about the dog not you.
It's probably the least selfish decision you'll make.


Sorry to hear all the same though, how did it come to being hit?

patmac

razorblunt wrote: »

"Where there is life"

- What standard and quality of the life is the poor thing going to have? That's probably the biggest question.
You have a vet offering their professional advice, by all means get a second opinion if needs be but this needs to a decision about the dog not you.
It's probably the least selfish decision you'll make.


Sorry to hear all the same though, how did it come to being hit?

I know what you are saying and we have had to make this decision before regarding another pet. We live down a country lane and she ran off, complete accident my wife is devastated as I wasn't there at the time. We have to make a decision at 5:30pm and we are going to have to put her to sleep.

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This post has been deleted.

jenn1984

It sounds like you're doing the right thing for her - I'm an animal lover (we have 7 cats and grew up with a dog) so can only imagine what you and your family are going through.

muddypaws

I'm really sorry OP. Not a nice way for your poor dog's life to end, but 11 is a good age, and she is obviously very well loved, and had a good life. Take care of yourself, its grief just like losing any other family member.

Mary63

If the car was damaged the owner may be presenting you with a bill to repair it.

Be prepared for them to call looking for your house insurance details.

My friends car was hit by a labrador and a thousand euros worth of damage was done.Dog was off lead on a busy road and it was a very dark morning.

endacl

Mary63 wrote: »

If the car was damaged the owner may be presenting you with a bill to repair it.

Be prepared for them to call looking for your house insurance details.

My friends car was hit by a labrador and a thousand euros worth of damage was done.Dog was off lead on a busy road and it was a very dark morning.

Timing, Mary. Timing is everything.

pilly

I had to have my fella put down shortly before Christmas there and my heart was broken. I do think I did it too quick to take it in but then if I'd hesitated I wouldn't have gone through with it. Very difficult one, does it have to be today you decide? Surely they can keep him out of pain for another day or so.

jenn1984

Mary63 wrote: »

If the car was damaged the owner may be presenting you with a bill to repair it.

Be prepared for them to call looking for your house insurance details.

My friends car was hit by a labrador and a thousand euros worth of damage was done.Dog was off lead on a busy road and it was a very dark morning.

OP wasn't looking for legal advice - comments like that aren't appropriate when someone will likely have to put down their dog today.

Mary63

Its good to know in advance.The labrador owner did provide his name and address but when my friend called around and mentioned insurance he said Whose insurance.She said yours of course.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My friend is a very nervous driver and was traumatised thinking she had hit a child.Dogs should be on leads when not on their owners property, that way these things wouldn't happen.

No one else is going to say this here so I might as well.

myshirt

Mary63 wrote: »

Its good to know in advance.The labrador owner did provide his name and address but when my friend called around and mentioned insurance he said Whose insurance.She said yours of course.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My friend is a very nervous driver and was traumatised thinking she had hit a child.Dogs should be on leads when not on their owners property, that way these things wouldn't happen.

Mary, you'll be shocked to find out, but the way it works is in reverse. Ignore the pub talk and gossip over a cup of coffee and what you think is right and wrong in this world and fair and unfair etc. The person who hit this dog will be the one with the bill in this scenario. If you came into my office when I was acting as a solicitor(non practising now) I'd have charged you 300 for that. Today it's free.

readytosnap

patmac wrote: »

Hi folks,

The vet has said that if it was her dog she would put her to sleep.

That should be enough, losing a pet is horrible but it would be the right decision.

andreac

myshirt wrote: »

Mary, you'll be shocked to find out, but the way it works is in reverse. Ignore the pub talk and gossip over a cup of coffee and what you think is right and wrong in this world and fair and unfair etc. The person who hit this dog will be the one with the bill in this scenario. If you came into my office when I was acting as a solicitor(non practising now) I'd have charged you 300 for that. Today it's free.

Sorry but you are wrong. If a dog is out of control and someone hit's it, the driver is certainly not liable for any costs. It would be the other way around.
But not the time or place for this at the moment.

patmac

pilly wrote: »

I had to have my fella put down shortly before Christmas there and my heart was broken. I do think I did it too quick to take it in but then if I'd hesitated I wouldn't have gone through with it. Very difficult one, does it have to be today you decide? Surely they can keep him out of pain for another day or so.

It has to be today as she is suffering , the vet is well respected, if by some miracle she shows some sign of improvement, then we will hold on, but she hasn't improved any overnight.
As For the driver , we know her and she is as devastated as we are , no chance of a bill coming through the door as she is a decent human being.

TallGlass

Mary63 wrote: »

Its good to know in advance.The labrador owner did provide his name and address but when my friend called around and mentioned insurance he said Whose insurance.She said yours of course.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My friend is a very nervous driver and was traumatised thinking she had hit a child.Dogs should be on leads when not on their owners property, that way these things wouldn't happen.

No one else is going to say this here so I might as well.

I assume you mean no malice in your comments, but if someone knocked on my door after that type of incident, they would be getting a 'fúck off and the door slammed in there face', in a few days I might decide to send them my insurance details for the dog and inform the company first, I would also then report them for driving without due care and attention.

You might be in the right, but there is a time and a place.

Riesen_Meal

Sorry to hear that OP, but I think you know yourself that you are doing the right thing....

Best of luck

patmac

I should stop watching YouTube videos of dogs recovering in these incidents, but unfortunately they are all very young which is going to go against poor Sammy.

DBB

Folks, as already noted, timing is everything.
Please keep the talk about legalities out of this thread until and unless the op looks for it.
Do not reply to this post on thread.
Thanks,
DBB

pilly

patmac wrote: »

It has to be today as she is suffering , the vet is well respected, if by some miracle she shows some sign of improvement, then we will hold on, but she hasn't improved any overnight.
As For the driver , we know her and she is as devastated as we are , no chance of a bill coming through the door as she is a decent human being.

Ah such a shame. But as you said yourself her age will go against her. Whatever about putting a younger dog through surgery. I'll be thinking of you, it's not easy. My Claude was 13 but I still miss him now at the weirdest of times. Having my dinner last night and no-one to give the leftovers to. It's tough but if she is suffering then you have to be strong for her. Vets take these things seriously and wouldn't recommend putting her down if they didn't think it was for the best.

LCD

OP very sorry to hear about the accident. Hard decision but it is the right one.

Think of what a great life she had.

bb12

my mini jrt was hit by a car a few months ago. her pelvis was basically broken in half so that her two hind legs were independent of each other. however she didn't have any spinal damage and after 6 weeks cage rest she made almost a full recovery. initially she didn't put any weight on one of her hind legs but slowly over the past weeks. she starting to balance on it more...she still flies around on 3 legs though. sorry to hear about your dog. i'd listen to the vet's advice. my vet always believed mine would make a recovery given time for the bones to knit back together, but if yours has spinal damage it may be a different story.

Ms Doubtfire1

Dear OP,

so so sorry this happened. Unfortunately these kind of injuries more often than not result - even with recover - in paralysis from the breaking point downward or upward.an injured spinal cord is a  a bad sentence in a human as well. Look, she's 11. extended surgery is also going to impact her heart and liver, and there's a larger chance she won't wake up. As heartbreaking as it is...I think it's time to let her go.If you can , bring her home for a few hours, feed her all she always loved and than let her gently go. Many vets will do that at home these days. My heart breaks for you. Stay strong.

MonsterCookie

Tough love OP. As others have said put the dog first.

Do you have young kids? when old age took my lab last year I had to make a tough decision. not pleasant.

Hope sammy is over the worst now. Best of luck.

CruelCoin

patmac wrote: »

Hi folks,
Our beloved pet Sammy(female,Jack Russell X),was hit by a car yesterday and is in very poor shape. She is 11. After an X-ray she has damage to the spine and spinal cord and is not responding. The vet has said that they could operate but she only has a 5% chance of getting through and would need constant care for months afterwards.
I believe that she is a fighter and I don't really care about the cost.
The vet has said that if it was her dog she would put her to sleep.
I have a feeling that we only have one decision to make here, but where there is life there is hope.
This is such a nightmare.
Any advice would be gratefully received.

You're putting your emotions before your pet.

It's horrible, and i've had to put down pets in the past too, broke my heart.

Even if it survived, it's not going to be the same animal. Behaviour, etc is likely to be very different, and you'll essentially be making a stranger of a dog live a life of misery. We had a cat "Snowy, and he was never the same after he had major surgery after a car hit him.

Do the humane thing and put it to sleep, hard as that is.

jomalone14

My thoughts are with you OP. It's such a tough decision to make but his quality of life and current serious injuries is a game changer. The vet has advised you well in this case I think. Heartbreaking.....take care of yourselves.

dr.fuzzenstein

Mary63 wrote: »

Its good to know in advance.The labrador owner did provide his name and address but when my friend called around and mentioned insurance he said Whose insurance.She said yours of course.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My friend is a very nervous driver and was traumatised thinking she had hit a child.Dogs should be on leads when not on their owners property, that way these things wouldn't happen.

No one else is going to say this here so I might as well.

Well, now you have, so don't let the door hit you on the rear end on the way out or you might present us with a legal bill too!

OP, I'm so sorry to hear, I know how heartbreaking it is.
At least your dog had a great life with you, think of the time you had.

oppenheimer1

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

Well, now you have, so don't let the door hit you on the rear end on the way out or you might present us with a legal bill too!

OP, I'm so sorry to hear, I know how heartbreaking it is.
At least your dog had a great life with you, think of the time you had.

The is no need to be so hostile to fair advice. You have posters above saying that it it happened to them they would tell the driver to fuck off, even though they were fully liable.

There is no harm in warning the owner that there is a possibility of this happening and that it could happen while they are still quite raw from losing their dog.

MaroonAndGreen

TallGlass wrote:

I assume you mean no malice in your comments, but if someone knocked on my door after that type of incident, they would be getting a 'fúck off and the door slammed in there face', in a few days I might decide to send them my insurance details for the dog and inform the company first, I would also then report them for driving without due care and attention.

That's absolutely nuts. Nothing short of it. I don't actually believe you would behave like that and avoid something that was your responsibility. Report someone when it was your pet that was out on the road? That's ludicrous, don't care how much someone is hurting, you can't justify that kind of behaviour, and I don't think people should be condoning you or applauding you for it either

MaroonAndGreen

TallGlass wrote:

I assume you mean no malice in your comments, but if someone knocked on my door after that type of incident, they would be getting a 'fúck off and the door slammed in there face', in a few days I might decide to send them my insurance details for the dog and inform the company first, I would also then report them for driving without due care and attention.

On reflection, I don't think you would behave like this, and you probably made this post in the expectation of receiving a few thanks for it

patmac

Anyway thanks for the kind and other words, this happened in a quiet country road, and my wife feels very guilty for not having her on a lead and she is so upset, Sammy was a small very gentle dog that all the neighbours and their children said hello to.
When we got to the vet there was only one decision to make. She could barely lift her head so we said goodbye and watched her die. Her tail never stopped wagging during her life and we said that it would be a sad day when it stopped.
Thanks for your support today it has helped.
I am going to dig a hole in the garden and place her in a biodegradable hessian bag with a tree so she will always be with us. I will post a pic in the departed pets thread.
We are heartbroken.