Choking

Choking occurs when an object obstructs or partially obstructs the airways, preventing oxygen from reaching the lungs. Many dogs have the frightening habit of investigating new objects with their mouths, i.e., eating them, so it’s a good idea for owners to know what to do if their dog should start choking.

Symptoms of choking:

• Coughing
  

• Gagging
  

• Retching
  

• Pawing at the mouth
  

• Difficulty breathing
  

• Visible foreign object protruding from the mouth/throat
  

• Panic
  

• In severe cases, collapse due to oxygen deprivation
  

Usually, coughing will get rid of anything obstructing the airways. However, in the rare case that coughing is not adequate, the dog should be stabilised as best as you can and then rushed to the nearest vets.

If your dog is having severe difficulty breathing or cannot breathe at all, lay the dog down on its side with the head down. Carefully open the dog’s mouth and pull the tongue out as far as possible and, with your other hand, use your fingers to sweep along the surface of the tongue to locate the obstruction. As long as the object isn’t embedded in the throat and is easy to remove, grip it firmly and remove it. If necessary, administer CPR afterwards. If you cannot remove the object easily, do not continue to attempt it! Perform the Heimlich Manoeuver:

Step 1) If possible, kneel down and lift your dog into a ‘sitting’ position against your body, with its back against your chest and head up. Place your arms around the dog’s waist.

Step 2) For a medium to large dog, make a fist and cover it with your other hand. For a small dog, use a couple of fingers instead.

Step 3) Put your fist/fingers underneath the ‘v’ at the bottom of the ribcage, towards the top of the abdomen.

Step 4) Put forceful pressure against the abdomen with your fist/fingers, thrusting in and upwards against the diaphragm. Do this four or five times in succession.

Step 5) By now, the foreign object should have been dislodged. Pull out the tongue again and use your fingers to sweep along it, locating the foreign object and removing it. If the object has been dislodged, skip to Step 10. If the object is still too difficult to remove, continue onto the next step.

Step 6) Perform mouth-to-nose. Close the dog’s mouth tightly to create a seal, ensuring that the tongue is back inside the mouth first. Place your mouth against the dogs nose and blow in the same way as you would when performing human CPR, watching the sternum for rise and fall. This allows air to pass through to the lungs, even if it’s a small amount, giving the dog more time.

Step 7) Use the heel of your palm to administer a sharp blow to your dog’s back, inbetween the shoulder blades.

Step 8 ) Repeat Step 5.

Step 9) If the object has still not been dislodged, repeat Steps 4-7 until it can be removed.

Step 10) Ensure that the dog is breathing properly. If necessary, perform CPR and proceed immediately to the nearest vets.



Do not mistake reverse sneezing for choking! Reverse sneezing occurs when the muscles of the larynx spasm, causing loud snorting as air is drawn in forcefully; this usually only lasts from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. To stop a reverse sneezing bout, rub the dog’s throat below the jaw, urging the dog to swallow. Swallowing usually ends a bout of reverse sneezing.


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Excellent advice, and should be read and absorbed by all dog owners just in case the necessity should arise.