Your dog can choke on an object anytime during playing, eating and everyday activities.
That special toy or favorite treat can become a life-threatening object in a matter of seconds for your dog if it becomes lodged in their airway.
When dogs are choking, they will typically show obvious signs of distress that include:
- Panic
- Difficulty breathing
- Noisy breathing
- Pawing at their face or mouth
- A blue tint to their tongue and/or gums
- Coughing and/or gagging
- Excessive salivation
- Collapse
If the object completely obstructs the airway, there may be no breathing sounds at all and collapse is imminent.
Common causes of choking include:
- Food or treats inhaled from eating too fast
- Toys
- Balls and sticks
What should you do if your dog is choking?
First of all, try to stay calm. If your dog lets you look inside its mouth, you may be able to see if there is a foreign object stuck in its throat. Be careful not to get bitten.
If you see an object, gently grab it and remove it with your fingers. You can also use a pair of tweezers or long needle-nosed pliers.
You can also use the flat handle of a spoon placed next to the object as a lever to gently pop or scoop the object forward while being careful not to dislodge the object further into the dog’s airway.
If you search a dog’s mouth “blindly” with your fingers you can push the object further down the dog’s windpipe and make the blockage worse or completely block the airway.
You can hold up small dogs by their thighs, upside down and gently shake them to let gravity pull the object out.
For large dogs lift their hind legs off the ground like a wheelbarrow while keeping their front paws on the floor to tilt their airway downward.
If manual removal or gravity does not work, you can try the pet Heimlich maneuvers, such as seen on YouTube. They are complicated maneuvers and you need to be trained to do them.
If you cannot clear the blockage within one to two minutes, drive to the nearest veterinarian. Call to let them know this emergency visit is on the way.
Choking pets often require emergency sedation and airway access, so going directly to a veterinarian is essential.
If a pet is collapsed and unresponsive, begin CPR while preparing to go to emergency care. Online CPR training resources are offered through the RECOVER Initiative and the American Red Cross Dogs and Cats First Aid program. Prior training is needed before doing CPR.
Even if your dog appears to have recovered from a choking episode, still take it to your veterinarian so it can be checked for airway injuries, fluid in lungs or remaining obstructions.
Here are some ways to help prevent dogs from choking at home:
- Choosing dog chews that are wider than the diameter of your dog’s jaw.
- Not picking balls that a dog can fit into its mouth comfortably with his jaws closed. A ball that fits into a dog’s mouth when closed is an accident waiting to happen.
- When a dog is holding a ball, it should stick out of his mouth a third to a half the width of the ball.
- Watch when your dog plays with toys so that it does not tear them apart and choke on stuffing or plastic squeakers.
- Bully stick holders grip the end of the bully stick and prevent your dog from swallowing or choking on the dangerous small last piece. The bully stick thickness must match the clamping width of the bully stick holder so the chew cannot shake loose.
- If your dog eats too fast, try “slow feeder” dog bowls. They have built-in obstacles such as bumps and mazes that make the dog use its tongue and nose to move food out from in between and around the obstacles. These barriers help dogs from gulping large amount of food at once.
- Raising water and food dishes in “double diners” or “pet feeding stations” also may prevent them from gobbling down their food.
All of these are available at your local pet store or on Amazon.
It is best for dog owners and dog sitters to be prepared for emergencies by checking out the CPR and pet Heimlich maneuvers tutorials online.
