Traumatic dog injuries are too common Hawaii

The number of dogs hit by cars in Hawaii is simply too many.

Let me repeat that: The number of dogs hit by cars in Hawaii is simply too many.

When dogs and cars collide, the dogs never win. Some of them don't make if off the road alive. I have seen some of the others -- usually on emergency after dark. These are my least favorite calls. I have seen head trauma, spinal trauma, paralyzed animals. I have seen chest trauma, internal bleeding, ruptured organs. I have seen all manner of broken bones, some that can be pieced back together and some that cannot. I have seen skin peeled off of bodies and horrible road rash. I have seen bleeding. I have seen animals in shock. I have seen animals in pain. I have seen animals permanently disabled. I have seen animals die. All because when dogs and cars collide, the dogs don't win.

To go along with the injured patients, I have witnessed frantic clients because there are no 24/7 veterinary emergency hospitals on the island of Hawaii. (We local veterinarians do the best we can, but we need time to rest and recharge.) I have witnessed the tragic grief of clients at the sudden and violent loss of their pet. I have witnessed clients become physically ill seeing their injured pet fighting for his or her life. I have witnessed clients wrestle with difficult decisions when suddenly faced with a seriously injured pet.

Vehicular trauma to dogs can be prevented. If you don't want your animal companion to be the victim of a moving car, consider the following precautions:

• Use collars and leashes everytime your dog goes out. It only takes one incident.
• Create a secure enclosure for your dog(s). Some dogs are better "escape artists" than others so you'll have to choose your enclosure appropriately. Invisible fences can work well for larger properties, but some dogs don't heed the electronic warnings. Some dogs will climb even 6 foot tall chain link fences, or dig under them.
• If you can't secure an enclosure, consider a tie out. You will need to assess your environment and your dog carefully before considering this option. Some animals will get the line tangled around plants and rocks and get trapped or hung up on things. Some dogs will chew through lines with remarkable determination. Some dogs will lunge from the end of the tie out and either loosen its anchor or cause trauma to their airway.
• You might consider spaying or neutering your dog. Intact male dogs and female dogs in heat can be more driven and determined to break out of enclosures. Many female dogs that get hit by cars are in heat and escaped from an enclosure that they never challenged previously.
• Consider canine obedience school so that your dog can sit, stay, heel, and down on command. I still would not get cocky and walk my dog along the road without a leash, but an educated dog is more likely to respond to a command in a crisis than an uneducated one.
• Remember, you cannot depend on a dog to learn about traffic and cars. Most often when dogs are hit by cars, they are focused on someting on the other side of the street and have no idea what just happened.

• Please kokua to all of our health and safety. Stay alert when you drive. Even when they don't involve animals, there are too many car crashes in Hawaii.

As with any reference, these pages are not a substitute for veterinary care. Veterinary practice is an eyes, ears, nose, and hands-on profession which cannot be accomplished over the Internet.

• Keeping Hawaii Dogs Healthy and Safe

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Last revised: June 9, 2005
Text and images © 2005 by Shannon Fujimoto Nakaya