When should coughing cause concern and alert you to the fact that your dog may be choking? And when do you intervene to help your pooch? It can be a very scary feeling watching your dog choke and not know what to do to help. While that's reassuring news for dog owners everywhere, it's still important to know what to look for and how to assist your dog should choking occur.
According to Daugherty-Leiter, dogs most often choke on rawhides, balls, and chew toys, especially if dogs are able to bite off small pieces of these toys. So if your dog has been engaging in these activities and begins coughing—unlike in humans, it's the most telling sign of choking for dogs—intervene right away.
Beyond coughing and choking sounds, there may be other signs of distress in your dog that you can watch for, including excessive drooling, pacing, pawing at their mouth or rubbing their face or snout along the ground. They may gag or retch. Or you might hear high-pitched squeaking or whistling. If their airway is blocked you may see them have difficulty breathing or in severe cases your dog could even collapse.
Acting quickly, in a calm manner, try to locate and clear the food or foreign object using your fingers. Be sure to use caution any time you are reaching inside of your dog's mouth, especially when they are in distress as they may try to bite. And do not force anything if you are unsure. If you can see what your dog is choking on but are unable to remove it with your hands, you might consider the Heimlich maneuver. If a dog is suffocating, he will often panic. A dog may paw at his mouth if something is lodged, though this does not necessarily mean he is choking.
Another suspicious sign of choking is an unresponsive or unconscious dog; in these cases, check the throat and mouth for foreign objects. Coughing can be a sign of choking but is more likely to indicate tracheal irritation such as from kennel cough. Almost any small object can cause choking, though the most common are hard rubber balls and chew toys or sticks that have become swollen due to moisture. Protect yourself by restraining the dog, but do not muzzle it.
Any dog can bite, so use every precaution. Look inside the mouth and remove the obstruction with your fingers. Sweep your finger across the back of the mouth to feel for any obstruction. You will need to take your dog to the vet immediately to have him sedated and the object removed safely.
Do not try to pick up a large dog; you're more likely to do further damage due to the animal's size. Instead, perform the Heimlich maneuver for dogs:. There is such a thing the dog Heimlich maneuver; it just takes a slightly different approach than you would have for a human. When a dog or cat chokes, it can be a scary situation for any pet parent.
Fortunately, if you know the most common choking hazards in pets, then you can get your pet the help she needs and, in some cases, prevent choking all together. Here are five common causes of choking in pets.
There are several reasons a dog might choke and need the Heimlich. Here are some of the most common. This is the biggest thing you need to worry about with dogs and choking. They are curious by nature.
This can be an object that was swallowed unintended, but it can also be something like a toy or a rawhide. If a dog or cat is suffocating, it may start to panic. In this case, pet owners should approach their pet and carefully restrain it. Do not muzzle the dogs. First, check to see if the object can be removed with your fingers.
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