HOW TO HELP A CHOKING PET
If your dog gets a bone caught or your cat begins to choke on ribbon or yarn, you must know what to do before they go unconscious. Initially, give you pet a few moments to perform a cough which may expel the object, but if it does not…a careful sweep of the mouth with your fingers to dislodge the object is recommended. Always look at what you’re doing though — don’t blindly reach into your pet’s mouth! You could push the object further down, tear the throat tissue or even get bitten.
If your attempt is not successful, try one of the two techniques below:
- Doggie or Kitty Heimlich-like Maneuver — Stand behind your dog or cat and place your arms around his waist keeping his head lower than his stomach. Close your hands together to make a fist and place your fist just behind the last rib in the soft part of the tummy. Compress the abdomen by pulling up in a quick and rapid manner similar to the technique commonly performed on humans. This technique does have the potential of bruising internal organs, and since canine and feline ribs are more flexible than human ones, it doesn’t always create enough pressure to expel the object, so you may want to try…
- Chest Thrusts — Place your hands flat on each side of your pet’s chest and squeeze inward, pushing with your shoulders and elbows to squeeze the lungs. After two thrusts, give the animal a moment to cough and/or look in his mouth to see if the object is now reachable. If not, repeat.
Techniques like these are best learned in aPet First-Aid & CPR Classwhere you can gain the confidence and skill to perform them properly. See the SCHEDULE page of this website for a class near you.
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