First Aid For Dog Choking
Dogs very rarely think about what they consume, unless it’s a hidden pill wrapped in a piece of bread or cheese (Your pet most likely carefully eats the tasty wrapper and spit out the pill). Most of the time, a dog will simply swallow its food whole, and dogs can choke just like humans. Saving a dog with a blocked airway uses the same treatment as a human as well. If you know CPR, you can help your choking dog.
Constant vigilance is the responsibility of every pet owner. Dogs, young ones and puppies especially, learn about their world mostly through taste and scent. Like toddlers, dogs will pick up an object after sniffing it to taste it, chew on it, and try to eat it if the object has that much appeal. Small toys, bones, and rocks are easily swallowed but they can get stuck too. When a dog does get something stuck in their throat, it will paw at its face and try to dislodge the blockage that way. Most often, dogs retch and heave in an attempt to remove the offending blockage. As with humans, choking is a medical emergency, but your dog, will not be as cooperative as you would like. True, you are trying to help your pet, but the dog does not know that. If the dog does pass out, you will have to do CPR after you have removed the object blocking the throat.
If your dog remains conscious, you should try to remove the object blocking your dog’s breathing. Start by forcing your dog’s mouth open and trying to pull the object out of the mouth or throat immediately. Ideally, you should be able to see the object obstructing your dog’s breathing, but if you can’t see it, try raising your dog’s butt and back legs off the ground slightly before using a modified Heimlich maneuver. The canine Heimlich maneuver begins with you pressing your flattened hand against the bottom of the dog’s rib cage. Push into the dog’s chest, pressing the dog’s lungs against its spine and back, and with any luck, this should cause the dog to cough up whatever was blocking its breathing. If the dog falls unconscious, try to perform the chest pressing maneuver twice again before giving two artificial respirations (breathing into the dog’s mouth; most first aid texts cover this in more detail), and then checking the dog’s mouth again. Repeat the process of two compressions and two artificial respirations until normal breathing returns.
As always, professional help and advice can save your dog’s life if you swallow (pun not intended) your pride and ask for it. Naturally, a little foresight about having a dog-safe area helps, especially with a little extra research on treatment for choking and perhaps even a practice run on your dog.
Pets Editor
Dog Fancy Magazine – Dog Fancy Magazine is dedicated to the care and enjoyment of pet dogs. Each issue features articles about canine health, dog nutrition, dog behavior and dog breeding.
