Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog injured by horse kick to the head - what to know
By Olby, Natasha et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2002·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cervical injury following a horse kick to the head in two dogs.
Plain-English summary
Two dogs were brought to the vet after being kicked in the head by a horse. They showed signs of head trauma and had breathing problems due to injuries in their necks. One dog recovered fully after receiving help with breathing, while the other sadly had to be euthanized at the owner's request. This situation highlights the need for careful examination of the neck and spine after any head injury.
People also search for: dog head trauma treatment · dog breathing problems after injury · horse kick dog injury recovery
Abstract
Two dogs were presented to North Carolina State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital following blunt trauma to the head delivered by a horse kick. On presentation, both dogs had resolving clinical signs directly related to the head trauma, but both also had compromise to their upper airway as a result of indirect injury to the soft tissues of the neck, visible on plain radiographs. One dog made a full recovery following a period of assisted ventilation. The other dog was euthanized at the request of the owner. These injuries illustrate the importance of evaluating the cervical spine and soft tissues of the neck following blunt trauma to the head.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12118685/