Choking
- Anxious or frantic behavior.
- Pawing at the mouth.
- Pet stops breathing.
- Loud or noisy breathing.
- Gums are blue or white.
- Struggling or gasping to breathe.
- Stay calm and try to keep your pet calm.
- If your pet is conscious, transport them to the nearest veterinary office.
- Open the mouth and pull the tongue forward if you are able to do so without being injured by a frantic pet. Only if it is tolerated by the pet, sweep the inside of the mouth with your finger, being careful not to push a foreign object further down into the airway. (There are normal bones on the sides of the airway called the hyoids, comparable to the Adam's apple in people - don't pull hard on this)
- If your pet is unconscious, open the mouth, pull the tongue forward and perform the finger sweep. Then perform 5 rapid abdominal thrusts, lifting inward and upward to dislodge any foreign material. (Stand behind or lift your pet with the spine against your chest; wrap your arms around the abdomen; make a fist with one hand and cover the fist with your other hand and thrust upward under the ribs.)
- If the object does not come out, try hanging the pet upside down by the hips with the head hanging down, or lifting the hind legs up like a wheelbarrow in bigger dogs. In dogs, use the palm of your hand to give 5 sharp blows to the back between the shoulder blades. Repeat until the object is dislodged.
- Check vital signs and begin CPR if needed.
- Take your dog to a veterinary hospital immediately, even if they appear ok and the object has been removed.
- Do not perform a finger sweep if it will upset or excite a pet.
- Do not use force to put your fingers into a pet's mouth.
- Do not attempt any rescue breathing on a conscious pet.
to prevent choking:
- Never give your dog real bones, especially chicken and turkey bones, because they easily tear and can get stuck in your dog’s throat or intestinal tract. Keep trash cans away from your dog in secure places so he can’t rummage through them and find discarded bones.
- Nylabones are good choices for dog bones.
- Rawhides and dental bones should never be given to a dog unsupervised. If you have a dog that gulps rather than chews on these bones, don't give them at all!
- Throw away any bones or chew toys that your dog has chewed down to a size that he could swallow.
- Make sure your dog’s bones and toys are appropriate for his size. For example, if you have a large dog like a Saint Bernard, don’t play fetch with a racquetball.
- Keep small objects out of your dog’s reach.