A beloved pet choking is a scary situation. When an animal chokes, the airway becomes blocked, making it difficult or impossible to breathe. Understanding risk factors, signs of choking and how to help your pet may be the difference between life and death in this critical situation.
Dog Choking Hazards: What You Should Know
Choking can occur when an item is small enough to fit into the back of the throat, but big enough to block the pet’s airway. Common offenders are toys, pieces of bone or rawhide, and food. It is important that pets be supervised when playing with or chewing such objects.
Toys can cause choking when the toy is disproportionately small compared to the size of the dog. Many toys come in different sizes intended for different sized dogs. For instance, there are tennis balls with small diameters for miniature and small breeds. When a medium or large dog chews on the same toy, it can be small enough to enter the dog’s throat and become stuck. Additionally, any toy from which a dog can chew off smaller pieces can pose a choking risk.
Children’s toys also pose a choking hazard, particularly small balls, which dogs may be eager to fetch or chew but are not designed or dogs. Latex balloons are also a risk due to their light, pliable nature; if accidentally inhaled toward the back of the throat, they may adhere to and block the airway opening.
Bones and rawhide can also pose a choking hazard. Rawhide is quite tough, but becomes malleable when the dog softens it by chewing. When a softened piece is chewed off, it can work its way to the back of the throat and conform to the airway. Similarly, some pieces of bone have shapes and sizes that make them a risk for becoming lodged in the airway. Cooked bones can also splinter and become sharp, posing other dangers, so they are generally not recommended for any pet.
Regular food can also cause choking. Large kibble can be a problem for small and medium dogs, particularly for pups who eat very quickly. Round foods, such as meatballs or sausages, are also particularly risky.
How to Reduce Choking Risks
To reduce your pup’s risk of choking, never allow them to play with toys intended for smaller dogs or children. Always observe how your dog interacts with rawhide, bones and chew toys, and select items accordingly. Do not allow strong, destructive chewers to keep toys and chew treats once they are able to remove smaller pieces.
Avoid feeding whole, round foods to pets, especially fast eaters who may not adequately chew their food. Cut large food chunks into smaller breed-appropriate pieces to reduce risk. Using a slow feeder food dish may also reduce risk.
Signs of Choking in Dogs
It is important to note that even when care is taken to reduce risk, any small object or food that fits in the mouth can cause a pet to choke.
If a pet is suddenly struggling to breathe, they may be choking. While many people associate coughing with choking, it is not possible to cough when the airway is completely blocked, since the pet cannot move air in or out in this instance. If a dog is choking, they may seem to be panicking and pawing at their face, or may have abdominal movement in their attempts to breathe. The head may be lowered, and the gums and tongue may appear slightly gray or blue. If choking lasts more than one minute, the pet may become unconscious due to lack of oxygen.
If the airway is only partially blocked, a pet may attempt to cough deeply while trying to dislodge the object. Breathing may also become noisy. If your pet is coughing or able to pass air, but is unable to clear the object from the throat, rushing them to an emergency veterinarian is best. Many ER vets have special equipment or techniques to remove the object more effectively. Home care risks moving the object to more completely block the airway, making the situation much worse.
However, if your pet is unable to cough or pass air, you likely do not have time to seek help. In these cases, first aid is your pet’s best hope for surviving the incident.
Choking First Aid for Dogs: How to Perform the Dog Heimlich Maneuver
Note that a pet who is struggling to breathe may panic, making them potentially dangerous. Even the friendliest pet may unintentionally bite when panicking or losing consciousness, so staying aware and trying to keep yourself safe is critical. That said, in a true choking situation, there is no time to waste, and you must take action immediately.
The Heimlich maneuver for dogs is an adaptation of the human form of the procedure, in which one uses strong squeezing thrusts upward on the abdomen to produce pressure inside the body to dislodge a blockage.
When performing the Heimlich maneuver on a dog, it is preferable to hold the animal’s hind end up, with your hands wrapped around the abdomen. However, it can also be done with the dog lying on his or her side. If on the side, the hind end should be propped up slightly with a rolled up towel or blanket; the goal is to let gravity help by keeping the hind end slightly higher than the neck.
Once positioned, clasp your hands together around your dog’s abdomen and press in and up firmly four or five times. The Heimlich maneuver can only work when the airway is fully blocked, so never use this method if your pet is still able to pass air, such as in the case of dogs who may be coughing or gasping.
If you are able to dislodge the blockage, but your pet is still not breathing on his their own, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is required. When performing CPR for dogs, breaths are given into the nose while holding the muzzle closed. Compressions to the chest are given to perform the work of the heart in the hopes that providing oxygen and circulation will allow the dog’s body to restart these functions on its own. Consider taking a CPR course for pets, which may be offered by your local veterinary specialty hospitals or SPCA.
Always seek urgent veterinary care after a choking event, even if the item is successfully cleared at home. The process of choking and struggling can cause inflammation and damage in the throat, and the dog Heimlich maneuver risks damage to the dog’s rib cage and organs. These side effects can be critical, so it is best to get the pet to emergency care as quickly as possible.