What to do if dog chokes on food?

paultf

I gave my cocker a piece of apple tonite. Whatever way he toke it, it got stuck at the back of his mouth. Luckily I got it out.

Just wondering what to do if the situation got worse and he started to choke? What should I do?

Esel

I could be way off here, but I would hold the animal upside down. If that didn't work, I would try a modified Heimlich manoeuvre.

Wolfe Tone

Hold him upside down and slap his back maybe?

Chris_Heilong

Put fingers down trout and try to dislodge the food.

Anita M.

Chris_Heilong wrote: »

Put fingers down trout and try to dislodge the food.

Or put fingers in a halibut?

Grab your camera?

adser53

Not that I have any clue what to do in those circumstances (I normally have to shove my hand in my dogs mouths if they eat something wrong) but apple pips are poisonous to dogs as there is cyanide in them so personally i would refrain from giving them apples in the future.

More info here on toxic substances here:
http://www.irishdogs.ie/Forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7760

star-pants

sometimes my dogs seem to inhale a piece of food and choke slightly, I generally slap the back of the neck and that worked. My older dog was choking on the Knot end of a rawhide bone (never got another one after that) and tried giving out to me when I was trying to get it out of her mouth but I persisted and got my fingers in & pulled it out. Still scary though.

The Sweeper

Putting your hand down a choking dog's throat puts you at risk of puncture wounds and a broken wrist/hand/fingers.

Small dogs apparently lift by the rear legs, gently but firmly shake, then lie the dog on its side and open the mouth to see if you can see the obstruction. Larger dogs, do similar if you can, or straddle and lift the dog and try a modified heimlich, or if you can see the protuberance through the skin on the outside of the dogs throat, put your fingers either side and literally push/massage it up and out.

SophieSakura

Putting your fingers down their throat could work or it could make it worse.

One of my dogs choked on a piece of dry food before and I used the handle of a spoon to get the food out. I don't think that's the right thing to do, I just did it cos the spoon was there and it was my first thought.

I would hold them kinda upside down and slap their back at their shoulder blades.

paultf

adser53 wrote: »

Not that I have any clue what to do in those circumstances (I normally have to shove my hand in my dogs mouths if they eat something wrong) but apple pips are poisonous to dogs as there is cyanide in them so personally i would refrain from giving them apples in the future.

More info here on toxic substances here:
http://www.irishdogs.ie/Forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7760

adser, thanks for the advice. I never give my dogs the core/pips of an apple. I cut off a piece from the apple with a knife. On this occasion I gave Darby a bigger piece than normal. Usually he would break it up with his teeth but whatever way he picked it up it got stuck at the back of his mouth. So in the future I will only give small pieces of apple.

paultf

The Sweeper wrote: »

Putting your hand down a choking dog's throat puts you at risk of puncture wounds and a broken wrist/hand/fingers.

Small dogs apparently lift by the rear legs, gently but firmly shake, then lie the dog on its side and open the mouth to see if you can see the obstruction. Larger dogs, do similar if you can, or straddle and lift the dog and try a modified heimlich, or if you can see the protuberance through the skin on the outside of the dogs throat, put your fingers either side and literally push/massage it up and out.

Sweeper and all, good advice. Hopefully I'll never have to use it but I'll keep it in mind just in case.

Esel

Glad to see I wasn't way off with my advice!

Discodog

Chris_Heilong wrote: »

Put fingers down trout and try to dislodge the food.

Big risk that you will push it deeper. Also don't panic because you need the dog to be a calm as possible. My Pup was choking on a bit of chew & doing the cough/wretch trying to shift it. I did a sort of heimlich with one arm & slapped between the shoulder blades with the other. The piece shot out of his mouth & pretty much straight into the mouth of one of my other dogs - much to the Pups annoyance.

I once assisted a Vet in doing an emergency tracheotomy on a dog that had swallowed a bee & been stung in the throat. He finished with the words "now you will know how to do it" - luckily I have never had to try.

Groom!

This is a first aid course which I would highly recommend.

www.caninefirstaid.ie

Jenny & Karina are brilliant.

It is a one day course but could be invaluable in many situations.