Puppies are different to adult dogs, not only are they much smaller, but their bones, joints, teeth, muscles and organs are still developing. This means that puppies are at far greater risk of unexpected accidents picking up an injury.

As a puppy owner, we know you want to look after little pup, and we're not saying that pet insurance or a full-scale puppy proof home is the answer. But it's good to know the more common injuries and puppy accidents so you’re one step ahead should anything happen to your little one…

Puppy Play Fighting and Bite Wounds

Puppy play fighting is normal and is usually healthy, but if play becomes too aggressive then bite injuries are bound to happen. Various parts of the body can be bitten. Bites from adult dogs can be particularly serious and even cat bites can result in a veterinary hospital visit.

It’s important to get bite dog bites checked, even if they only seem minor. This is because animal mouths contain lots of bacteria, so it’s important to avoid infection from contaminated bite wounds. Puncture wounds caused by a bite or fight may seem small but can be very deep and often do get infected.

Your vet may need to clean or flush the wound. This will likely involve sedation or anaesthesia, so the wound can be cleaned thoroughly. Bite wounds are often not stitched closed due to the risk of trapping bacteria inside the wound. Sometimes wounds may be left to heal without stitches.

Either that, or they may be stitched up a few days later, after a course of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. This ensures that the wound is clean and has the best chance of healing without any issues.

Snake bites aren’t common, but if your puppy is bitten by a snake, call your vet immediately. Don’t try and suck out the poison, as this may be dangerous to you. Try and get a photo of the snake to show your vet, but only if it is safe to do so. This will help your vet decide on the best treatment for your puppy.

Puppy Leg Injuries

Damaged cruciate ligaments is a common puppy back leg injury. Puppy cruciate ligament injury occurs when they’re running and twisting and may twist the knee leading to damage of the cruciate ligaments. These ligaments hold the knee in place. This puppy knee injury is the same as the common cruciate injury suffered by football players, as they twist the knee joint at the same time as landing on the leg.

Puppy elbow injuries can occur if they run into things at speed or have trips or falls. Puppy paw injuries can occur if they skid to a halt, walk over chemicals, hot sand, hot pavements, etc.

Broken bones are serious injuries and will often need surgery. If broken bones are a result of major trauma, like a car accident, then be aware that they could have internal injuries. Although the broken bone may be the most obvious injury, serious injuries internally may be of even greater concern.

Puppy injuries from falling often result in soft tissue injuries, like sprains, strains, bruises, paw pad injuries and fractures. Puppy bones are still developing, and so puppy fractures can be more serious than in adult dogs. It’s essential to seek veterinary attention promptly. If the fracture is complex, or part of the growing bone or the growth plate has been affected, then your vet may need to refer your puppy to a specialist orthopaedic surgeon to repair the fracture.

Foreign Body Ingestion in Puppies

Some puppies just love putting thing they shouldn’t in their mouth. They’ll eat anything and everything. Luckily, some things will pass through their tummy and intestines, but some won’t. Foreign objects or foreign bodies are things that are in your puppy’s body that shouldn’t be there!

For example, sticks, stones, toys and bones can get stuck in parts of the intestinal tract. These can all cause your puppy an intestinal blockage. Puppy blockage symptoms may include lethargy, lack of appetite, vomiting, abdominal pain, trembling and discomfort. Foreign objects will often require surgery to remove them.

Not necessarily a foreign body, but you should always pay attention to what your pup ingests. Food allergies are not uncommon, so if your dog has a reaction, you should be quick to act. Poisoning is also common, pups are inquisitive so it's good to recognise what to do if your dog has been poisoned. Symptoms can include; diarrhoea and vomiting, loss of appetite, seizures, pale gums, unusual behaviour, lethargy or collapse.

Eye Injuries in Puppies

Puppy eye injuries include scratches from rough play, from cats or other dogs. They can also get grass seeds or bits of vegetation stuck in their eyes as they career through long grass or woodland. If your puppy swims, then they can get conjunctivitis from dirty water in the eye.

Eye injuries aren’t uncommon but should always be checked out to make sure they‘re not serious. Signs to look out for include watery eye, holding the eye closed or partially closed, red eye, inflammation or swelling, or rubbing/pawing at the eye.

Puppy Head and Neck Injuries

Head and neck injuries can be particularly serious. If you have any suspicion that your puppy has had a head or neck injury you should take your puppy to the vet immediately. Your puppy’s skull is still soft and developing so they can be more prone to damage from bites, crush injuries, knocks, cuts, etc. Your puppy’s neck is also more delicate than that of an adult dog.

The neck contains vital nerves and blood vessels, and many of them are quite superficial, so are vulnerable to injury. Puppies are particularly susceptible to head and neck injuries from rough play with larger dogs. If a larger dog holds a puppy in its mouth by the head, then catastrophic injuries can occur. Always supervise your puppy around larger dogs.

If your vet thinks your puppy has a head or neck injury, they need to admit your puppy for regular neurological examinations and monitoring. Assessing a puppy is very hard especially if they’re also suffering from shock or other injuries, so your vet will need to keep a very close eye on them. Your vet may need to run tests like blood pressure checks, blood tests, x-rays and ultrasonography.

In some cases, they may even need to use advanced imaging like MRI or CT scans. Most vets will need to refer your puppy to a specialist veterinary hospital for advanced techniques such as CT or MRI. This is because they don’t have these expensive machines in their veterinary clinic. Your vet may also need to refer your puppy to a specialist veterinary hospital if they’re particularly concerned about them or feel that specialist help is required.

Puppies can be accident prone! Their small bodies and developing bones and muscles mean they’re at higher risk of injuries than adult dogs. Some of these common puppy accidents, knocks and injuries won’t be serious but if you’re in any doubt at all it’s always best to contact your veterinary practice and ask for advice. Your vet would rather be called early than risk leaving things for too long and your puppy becoming very unwell.

The excellent veterinary treatment that we all enjoy does come at a price, particularly if advanced vet diagnostics are needed or referral to specialist hospitals is required. It’s recommended to think about puppy insurance, so when it comes to your puppies care, you can spend the time focussing on your puppy.

Everypaw Insurance for Puppies

Puppies are lots of fun, but they can be a bit accident prone. All too often they will need to see your vet for diagnostic tests and treatment. This can be expensive when it comes to an insurance claim, so some puppy cover can be a good idea!

Covered by our Dog Insurance, Everypaw's Puppy Insurance comes with 24/7 unlimited access to vets and vet nurses that can help with your pet's health, care, nutrition and behaviour. So you can rest assured your kitty will be well looked after.

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Content provided from Vetstream's Vetlexicon Canis – www.vetlexicon.com/treat/canis

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.