12 1/2 week old puppy hit her head!

[snowfawn]

My baby was playing fetch with me in our sunroom just 20 minutes ago, and while running for her toy, she ran her head right into the leg of a rocking chair...full sprint. I had the chair moved back "out of the way" so I thought, but alas. After her head hit, she yelped and came running back to me, toy in her mouth, to be comforted. I scooped her up and checked her over. I 'believe' that she hit the side of her head near her mouth, but I can't be sure as it happened so quickly. She blinked the eye on the right side of her face (the side that hit the chair) rapidly a few times as soon as she got back to me, but now she's seemingly back to normal. No blackout, no wobbling...she's just not as spry as she was before it happened. She's in her bed sleeping now and I'm watching over her, but I'm so worried.

She wanted to play (a little) afterwards, but I put her down to rest. I gave her a little piece of food to see if she would eat it and she did...I'm just so worried.

Should I take her to the vet straight away, or should I wait it out to see if she begins acting strange? She has an appointment already scheduled for Thursday, but I don't know... I don't feel like I should wait that long...

[yorkietalkjilly]

I'm always vet first and ask questions later. Why don't you just let him check her out just in case there might be a little bleed or something going on? I'm sorry I'm a worrier but I figure a quick check is worth the money to me - just gives me the most comfort.

[Lovetodream88]

I don't think sleeping is the best thing after a head injury at least it's not with people so I think it's the same with dogs.

[jeane]

I am the same way// I would rather make sure that nothing is wrong

[Island Girl]

I always err on the side of caution as well. Sometimes pups have a soft soft/open fontanel so if you are not sure where she hit her head, I would take her in.

[MauiGirl]

If I were you, I'd call the vet and move that Thursday appointment up to today, and if she checks out ok, then they can still do whatever the Thurs. appt. was for (probably vaccinations).

At the very least DO call the vet's office and discuss the head bang with them and follow their advice.

Good luck, and do post an update when you can. Hope all is well.

[YazminD]

Just seeing this. I know that had to be so scary at the time! These little one's are so rambunctious! Praying she's been seen by your vet and that your little girl's doing well.

[snowfawn]

Thanks everyone. I woke her up. She only slept (well, more like rested) for five or six minutes. I'm waiting on my mom to get home.

Ellie is acting normal. I took her out and she peed and ran around like crazy (I stopped her after a few minutes...I'm worried about her getting to rowdy so soon after as well.) I'm about to give her her dinner. My mom keeps saying we should wait until Thursday since she's acting fine. (I'm 18, and though I've got my licence...my mom has me under her authority with the car... I want to take her in to the vet so badly, plus I've got the money saved up to pay the vet bill. But it's a no go unless my mom will agree. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place here and it's so incredibly frustrating...

I'll keep her awake for as long as I can, at least?

[Kaylee32]

Please take your sweet baby to the vet whenever possible. I know it may be difficult but I would rather be safe than sorry. A lot of times head injuries will not show up till later on when it is to late to do anything. I hope everything is okay!

[MauiGirl]

Have you at least called the vet to report the issue, and get their advice? They may be able to tell you what to look for to determine if it is an emergency.

[YazminD]

Originally Posted by Kaylee32

Please take your sweet baby to the vet whenever possible. I know it may be difficult but I would rather be safe than sorry. A lot of times head injuries will not show up till later on when it is to late to do anything. I hope everything is okay!

Originally Posted by MauiGirl

Have you at least called the vet to report the issue, and get their advice? They may be able to tell you what to look for to determine if it is an emergency.

[DBlain]

this is a hard question for me to answer because I would be going the vet weekly if I took Lola in every time she bumped her head. If Lola seems fine after running into something and wants to keep playing, I try to get her quite by giving her something to chew on. But bumps can cause a concussion so like Taylor said I make sure she does not sleep, but I keep close watch on her for several hours. Healthy dogs seem to be able to take a bump that would cause a human to scream and cry in pain. However a puppy is different since not all there bones and muscles are fully developed and as we know not all dogs are healthy, so it is a matter of knowing your dog, which is hard with a puppy. With that being said while dogs seem to be able to handle bumps there are dogs on YT that have died from doing something like hitting their head on the edge of the coffee table or falling off a chair so it is not something to take lightly. However I suspect with a sudden death from a bump there could also be an underlying issue.

The problem with going to the vet with these types of things is they often do not much more than look in the dogs eyes to see if they are dilated which would indicate a concussion and there is not much then can do for that. With dogs unlike humans it takes a lot for a vet to decide to do an x ray or an MRI. From experience I know young pups have not developed their sense of what will hurt them and they run into things more often. I have seen Lola as she matured change her play habits, she now stops short before the toy hits the wall because she knows it will bounce back at her. She is more careful when running on our wood floors so she does not slide everywhere. So with that being said you need to try hard to find places to play that are free of obstacles or not toss a toy close to the wall. LOL we are a lot older than you but my husband and I fight about this all the time, he wings the toy all over our house and I have to keep reminding him not to throw into areas where she can go crashing into things like the legs of tables and chairs. I am really afraid around our coffee table since she keeps jumping off and on the couch and lands inches away from the table, I keep pushing it out and he keeps pulling it back in when he wants to eat off it. Anyway I tell you this so you know you are not alone in this dilemma. good luck, because I swear keeping a puppy from hurting themselves is a full time job.

[DBlain]

I was also going to add, but ran out of edit time that I would assume they would also feel for injury but if there was something that was say broken the dog would be exhibiting some type of sign in their movement and exhibit pain and that would have me to running to the vet.

[snowfawn]

UPDATE:

Thanks again to all.

I did call my vet, and he said that based on my descriptions, she should be fine to wait until her checkup Thursday to come in (as long as she has no changes in behavior and such). I checked her pupils yesterday and they looked normal. She's been eating and eliminating normally, and she slept fine though the night (even though I didn't! >< I woke her up every few hours to make sure she would easily wake up, and she seemed fine). She's acting completely like herself today...she's active, doing her tricks, coming when called, etc!

I'm still a little worried, but we're keeping a close eye on her!

[MauiGirl]

That is good to hear. Thanks for updating, we do get concerned about each others pups, especially the young ones like yours.

Keeping them safe is a big job for sure, but you don't have to be obsessed by it. Common sense, and some advice from other owners is a good starting place, and having a vet available is essential.

Since you are a new owner, it would be good to have an emergency plan written out, for yourself and for anyone else who may have to look after your pup. Vet's phone number is #1, be familiar with foods & plants that are toxic to dogs, and other hazards to avoid. You can learn a ton by reading Yorkie Talk posts.

Now, let me back up and give you and Ellie a big welcome to Yorkie Talk. Hope to hear more about her and see pictures. Puppies are so much fun!