Handling Choking Emergencies in Dogs

I\'ll never forget the silence. That\'s what scared me the most. One minute my beagle, Cooper, was happily chewing on a new toy, and the next, there was just this awful, wheezing silence. He was pawing at his mouth, his eyes wide with panic. It was a choking emergency, and in that moment, I felt completely helpless. It was that experience years ago that pushed me to get certified in pet first aid, and I want to share what I learned so you never have to feel that same fear.

Recognizing the signs of choking

Before you can act, you have to know what you\'re looking for. It\'s not always a dramatic, noisy event. From my training and experience, these are the most common signs that a dog is truly choking and not just coughing or gagging on something.

• Distressed, unproductive coughing or gagging
• Pawing frantically at their face or mouth
• Drooling excessively
• Making a high-pitched wheezing sound, or no sound at all
• Their lips and gums start to look bluish or grey from lack of oxygen
• Obvious panic, followed by collapse if the airway isn\'t cleared

Honestly, the scariest part is how quickly they can go from panicked to unconscious. Time is absolutely critical.

My step-by-step first aid approach

When you see the signs, your own panic can take over. The most important thing I learned is to take one deep breath and try to remain calm for your dog. Your panic will only make theirs worse. This is the sequence I was taught and have mentally rehearsed ever since that day with Cooper.

1. Check their mouth (carefully)

First, I restrain the dog gently but firmly. I open their mouth to see if I can spot the object. Sometimes, it\'s right there and easy to grab. If you can see it and easily retrieve it with your fingers or a pair of pliers, do so. But a word of caution: be incredibly careful not to push the object further down their throat. Also, a panicked dog can bite, even their beloved owner, so your safety is a priority. If the dog is thrashing, this step might be too risky.

2. Use gravity to your advantage

For a small dog, I\'ve learned you can often use gravity to help. I pick them up, holding them with their head pointing down towards the floor. Sometimes a few firm pats on their back between the shoulder blades is enough to dislodge the object. For a larger dog that you can\'t lift, you can achieve a similar effect by lifting their hind legs up like a wheelbarrow, so their head is angled down.

3. The heimlich maneuver for dogs

This is the part that everyone asks about, and it\'s what ultimately saved Cooper. The technique varies slightly by the dog\'s size.

• For small dogs: I kneel on the floor and hold my dog on my lap, with their back against my stomach. I find the soft spot just below their ribcage, make a fist with one hand, and cover it with the other. Then I give a few quick, upward thrusts.
• For large dogs: You can either do this with them standing or lying on their side. If they\'re standing, I stand behind them and wrap my arms around their belly. I make a fist and place it in the soft, hollow area behind the ribs. With my other hand, I grasp my fist and give several quick, sharp thrusts upwards and inwards.

The goal is to use the air in their lungs to force the object out. It took three thrusts for Cooper\'s toy piece to fly out. After any of these steps, check the mouth again to see if the object is now reachable.

After the object is out

Even if you successfully remove the obstruction, the emergency isn\'t over. I rushed Cooper to the emergency vet immediately. There can be damage to the throat, internal injuries from the Heimlich, or even a piece of the object left behind. A vet check-up is non-negotiable. This is just my experience, and I strongly believe that these first-aid steps are meant to keep your dog alive on the way to a veterinarian, not to replace their professional care.