Like human babies, we need to watch over our puppies and make sure harm will not come their way. Puppies are cute but could be annoyingly stubborn and will chew any objects they come into contact with – and given this fact, puppies will be susceptible to choking. If you see your little pupper panicking and trying to paw their mouth, it could be that your puppy is already choking and an object is already blocking their windpipe. Other signs of choking are gagging and coughing.
Dogs can suffer from permanent brain damage if they do not have oxygen intake for 3-5 minutes. If they do not get any oxygen for 10 minutes, unfortunately, your puppy’s chances of survival will be slim to none. Once you see the signs that your puppy is choking, you will need to act and act fast! However, as for any emergency situation, don’t panic but be make haste.
What to do if your puppy is choking
– Hold your puppy down. Your puppy will be moving around as he / she gasps for air and you will not be able to help your pet if you can’t hold them still. Watch out for the possibility of them biting you out of panic.
– Pull out your puppy’s tongue. Just be gentle with pulling out their tongue. It will seem rash but you will need to pull the tongue out to have a clear view of the object lodged in your puppy’s throat. If you’re lucky, pulling out the tongue can dislodge the object. Just use a piece of cloth to hold the tongue and gently yank it towards you. If you have small tongs or the like, utilize it to remove the object.
– Chest compressions. Applying gentle compression to both sides of your dog’s chest, while your dog is standing. This may help dislodge the object as the air passing through will be concentrated on a smaller area which means the force of the air passing will be greater.
– Heimlich maneuver. We all know this go-to move when someone is choking. Puppies are smaller and more delicate than an adult human so just be careful with applying this treatment. Have your pup in an upright position and their back against you. Feel out the end of the ribcage and position your fist in that hollow space below it. Pull up twice, applying pressure towards you.
– If your puppy is too big to lift up, use the kneeling Heimlich maneuver. Have your pup lie down on his / her side and you will have to kneel behind their back. Same with the regular Heimlich, place your fist below the ribcage and proceed to push up and in, simultaneously like you would in a standing or regular Heimlich maneuver.
– After conducting the Heimlich maneuver – whichever manner you used, check your puppy’s mouth if the object has been dislodged and if breathing has resumed. If it was not effective, then rush your dog to the nearest vet. If someone can drive for you, continue to do the Heimlich at the backseat en route to the vet. Make sure to switch on your AC to cool off your dog as they certainly were not able to pant due to the choking incident which means their body temperature has gone up.
Once everything has been cleared up and your puppy can breathe normally again, have your vet check the throat and mouth of your puppy to inspect for any damages.