Our pooches are goofy and curious, and that’s why we love them so much. But it is this goofiness and their constant curiosity that can actually cause them harm.
No matter how large your dog is, he/she can ingest a foreign object, start choking and you need to be prepared.
Objects that dogs usually choke on include:
- Toys
- Parts of toys
- Bones
- Stick
- Cloth
- Balls…
The signs of a choking dog include:
- Extreme distress
- Heavy breathing
- Continuous gagging or retching
- Pawing at the mouth
- Rubbing their face upon the ground
- Increased salivation
- Collapse.
Time Is Of The Essence
Acting fast is key. Although you can try first-aid at home, it should not take more than a minute or two. If you are not able to remove the object within this time frame, head to your nearest vet immediately.
Restrain Your Dog
As choking canines tend to be scared and confused, they can accidentally bite you due to their panic attack.
If the foreign object is wrapped around your dog’s neck (like cable or string), use a pair of scissors to carefully cut the object.
Removing The Ingested Object
After you calmed your pooch down a little bit, open his/her mouth and look inside. If the object is a piece of bone or stick, you will be able to remove it using a pair of tweezers.
If the lodged object is something bigger and solid, make sure you don’t push the object with your fingers as you may lodge it even deeper. In these cases you should place firm pressure with both of your thumbs underneath the jaw (at the base of your dog’s throat) and push forwards.
If this doesn’t do the trick, head to your nearest vet immediately.