First Aid for Choking Dogs – If there is one thing that can make any dog ​​owner distressed, it is to see him choking. The possibility of losing the great friend makes anyone panic. However, you need to remain calm above all else and try to follow the whole step by step in the right way before referring you to the veterinarian.

Those who have a pet at home need to know how to give first aid to it. Cases like gagging can be fatal if they are not treated in time. The best way to care for your dog is by doing the prevention, but if something unexpected happens, you need to get your hands on the dough as soon as possible.

 

Clinical signs

There are some signs when the dog is choking that they are easy to identify by their guardian:

• constant cough;
• lack of air;
• several attempts at vomiting;
• excess saliva that runs from the mouth;
• he gets very restless;
• the dog may cry;

Once these signs are identified (and do not need to be all), the animal keeper should call the veterinarian to go emergency to their residence. If possible, the professional should pass the most immediate instructions to avoid further damage to the dog.

 

What to do when your dog chokes?

First, stay calm or you will not be able to help your friend. Take him to a place of good lighting and open his mouth to try to visualize what is causing the obstruction. If possible, use a flashlight to help. The immediate goal is to try to remove the reason why the dog choked.

Putting your hand on the animal’s throat only makes it worse. In addition, the object can go down the trachea and stop directly in the lung, which leaves the picture even more serious. Another problem that can happen is if the object is pointed. If you try to remove it you can injure the mucosa of the organ.

 

Heimlich maneuver

One option that can be used at these times and which is very applied in humans is the Heimlich Maneuver. You should put the back of the dog on your chest and abdomen, cross your hands and place the wrists well below the ribs in a more centralized position. You should make a push by bringing the wrists closer to your stomach and towards the chin at the same time.

You must repeat this movement 3 times, and then make sure the object has already gone out of the way, if not, repeat the Heimlich Maneuver. Do this even while you’re on your way to the vet, every second counts right now.

In the case of larger dogs there is no way to put them in that position easily. To apply the maneuver, the dog should be lying on its side with its head turned to its left side. Kneel next to the pet, position your hand centrally just below the rib cage and support his spine on his knees. Make the same movement, bringing the fist toward the animal’s head.

 

Prevention

There are numerous ways to avoid this type of situation. The first one is to avoid giving things that can break to your dog like bones, for example, especially those of chicken that are hollow inside. They shatter easily and can puncture the mucosa and organs of the animal.

Another care tutors must take is about leaving small objects scattered around the house or within reach of the pets. Coins, piles, pieces of children’s toys that come loose must have all the attention of the responsible, because the dog likes to put everything he sees in his mouth.