What to do when dog is choking

If something becomes lodged in your dog or cat's throat and they begin choking, our Oakland veterinarians recommend following these steps to help your pet recover.

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Signs Your Pet is Choking
What To Do If you Cat or Dog is Choking
What to do After the Choking has Stopped
Preventing Future Choking
If your pet is choking and you aren't able to remove the object, contact our East Bay Veterinary Clinic veterinary team as soon as possible.
How to tell if your dog is choking
What to do if your dog is choking
How to perform Heimlich maneuver on a dog
Signs a Dog Is Choking
What To Do First To Help a Choking Dog
How To Do the Heimlich Maneuver on Dogs
What To Do After a Dog Stops Choking
How To Prevent Your Dog From Choking

Signs Your Pet is Choking

Most pets, including cats and dogs, will display some combination of the following symptoms if they are choking on something:

Distress
Pawing at the mouth
Salivation
Coughing
Gagging or retching
Blue mucous membranes (cyanosis)
Rubbing their face against the ground

If your cat or dog is showing any of these symptoms, follow the steps outlined below and then bring them into our veterinary clinic as soon as possible for emergency intervention during our regular business hours.

What To Do If you Cat or Dog is Choking

Remove The Object if Possible

Firstly, restrain your pet. When cats or dogs choke, they will struggle and this may cause them and your harm. If they are choking because of a string, cord or other item being wrapped around their neck, use a pair of scissors to very carefully cut them off.

If your dog or cat is choking on something that is lodged into their throat, open their mouth to see if you can locate the stuck object. If you can see it, use your finger to try and swipe it away and out of their mouth.

If you cannot see it, don't try to poke your finger down your pet's throat in an effort to find it, as this can cause injury. If you can't dislodge the object by swiping it away, do not try to poke it or push on it, as this could force it further down the throat.

Heimlich Maneuver for Cats & Dogs

If you aren't able to remove the object your pet is choking on, you will have to use the Heimlich maneuver:

Lay your pet on their side.
Check the mouth to determine if the object has been dislodged.
Hold your pet's back against your stomach (head up, paws down).
With one hand, find the soft hollow under the ribs (your closed fist should fit into this spot).
Use the hand on your pet's stomach to pull up and in two or three times, toward your own stomach, using a sharp thrusting motion.

CPR

If this doesn't work and your cat or dog loses their pulse, start CPR at about 120 chest compressions pet minute and continue until you arrive at a veterinary practice.

What to do After the Choking has Stopped

Even if you manage to remove the object which is causing your dog or cat to choke, it is wise to bring your pet in to your veterinarian anyway. Your vet will be able to ensure that the choking didn't cause any harm or further health issues in your pet's body that you arne't able to see.

Preventing Future Choking

In order to minimize the chances that your pet chokes in the future, make sure you keep an eye on objects that could potentially be choking hazards.

Generally speaking, food made for cats and dogs is formulated with the animal's size in mind, but it's a good idea to monitor your pet as they eat just in case.

Monitor your dog or cat during play and make sure any toys do not include pieces that could break off and become potential choking hazards.

Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.

If your pet is choking and you aren't able to remove the object, contact our East Bay Veterinary Clinic veterinary team as soon as possible.

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Having dogs is like having small children, dog owners will tell you. They’re an absolute joy but require constant care and supervision. Dogs can make a mess in the house if you leave them alone for long enough. And like children, they like to chew on anything they come across.

That’s why owners are always vigilant when it comes to what their pup is gnawing on. Sometimes this can mean your dog leads you on a playful chase for a few seconds as you try to get it to let go of whatever potentially harmful object it insists on keeping from you. But sometimes things take a turn for the worst, and the object becomes lodged in your dog’s throat.

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How to tell if your dog is choking

Here are some signs your dog is choking and needs immediate aid.

Difficulty breathing
Extreme distress
Persistent gurgling and choking sound
Pawing at the mouth or head

If you find your dog unconscious there is a possibility it may have choked on something and lost consciousness.

What to do if your dog is choking

After you confirm your dog is choking, you should act immediately. You should always consider a choking episode an emergency, according to the veterinarians at Jacksonville Community Pet Clinics.

Try to see if you can remove whatever is lodged in its throat with its hands. PetMD has laid out steps to do this.

Restrain your dog so it doesn’t bite you; but do so gently as it is already panicked. Don’t use a muzzle. Open its mouth wide using both hands. Use one hand to grab the upper jaw and the other to grab the lower jaw. Make sure to press the dog’s lips between your fingers and its teeth to protect yourself in case your dog tries to bite down.
Try to use your fingers to dislodge the object. You must be very careful not to push the item further down your dog's throat. Pet MD recommends you try not to remove any bones lodged deep in the throat as they can be unsafe to remove without sedation by a vet.

If this doesn't work you can try performing the Heimlich maneuver. The maneuver varies slightly depending on dog size. If you are unable to dislodge the object, you should rush the dog to your nearest vet.

How to perform Heimlich maneuver on a dog

The maneuver performed to save choking humans can also be performed on pets, with slight modifications.

If you have a small dog, lay it on its back and apply pressure on your dog’s stomach just below the rib cage

PetMD advises you not to pick up a large dog.

Instead, if your dog is in a standing position, wrap your arms around it from behind and join your hands at its belly. Make a fist and push firmly forward behind the dog’s rib cage.

If your dog is laying on its side, use one hand to press the dog’s abdomen while putting your other hand on the dog’s back for support. Squeeze the abdomen toward the spine.

This maneuver may surface the object closer to the top of the dog's throat if not completely, in which case you can try to remove it with your hands.

If you successfully save your dog from choking, PetMDs advises taking your dog to the vet for a check-up as the object could have caused damage to the throat.

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Dogs are chewers. And dogs are coughers. And much like cats, sometimes it's difficult to know if they just need to clear their throat or if something has gotten stuck. When should coughing cause concern and alert you to the fact that your dog may be choking? And when do you intervene to help your pooch? It can be a very scary feeling watching your dog choke and not know what to do to help.

"Fortunately, it is relatively uncommon for a dog to be choking," said Tristan Daugherty-Leiter, DVM, a veterinarian specializing in emergency medicine and surgery at VCA Veterinary Emergency Service & Veterinary Specialty Center located in Middleton, Wis. "For many of the dogs who present for possible airway or esophageal obstruction, most end up being diagnosed with another problem such as kennel cough."

While that's reassuring news for dog owners everywhere, it's still important to know what to look for and how to assist your dog should choking occur.

Signs a Dog Is Choking

According to Daugherty-Leiter, dogs most often choke on rawhides, balls, and chew toys, especially if dogs are able to bite off small pieces of these toys. So if your dog has been engaging in these activities and begins coughing—unlike in humans, it's the most telling sign of choking for dogs—intervene right away.

Beyond coughing and choking sounds, there may be other signs of distress in your dog that you can watch for, including excessive drooling, pacing, pawing at their mouth or rubbing their face or snout along the ground. They may gag or retch. Or you might hear high-pitched squeaking or whistling. If their airway is blocked you may see them have difficulty breathing or in severe cases your dog could even collapse.

What To Do First To Help a Choking Dog

"Don't panic, and try to clear the airway if at all possible," said Daugherty-Leiter, offering his best advice to pet owners.

Acting quickly, in a calm manner, try to locate and clear the food or foreign object using your fingers. Be sure to use caution any time you are reaching inside of your dog's mouth, especially when they are in distress as they may try to bite. And do not force anything if you are unsure. If you can see what your dog is choking on but are unable to remove it with your hands, you might consider the Heimlich maneuver. "If necessary, you can try to perform a Heimlich maneuver but a dog's willingness to cooperate, especially under stress, can make it difficult to effectively do this," says Daugherty-Leiter. "I tell pet owners not to waste valuable time if immediate progress is not made. Once the airway is compromised, the pet's condition can deteriorate quickly."

Sometimes you may be able to dislodge larger objects by firmly putting pressure with both your thumbs under your dog's jaw at the base of their throat and pushing forward. Remember not to let your administration of CPR or other life-saving efforts delay getting your dog to the vet.

If your dog is seriously choking, your best bet is to get your dog to the vet or a veterinary hospital as quickly as possible. Once there, your vet will confirm whether your dog is choking or dealing with a respiratory issue. Your dog may need to be sedated so that removing the object is easier. In extreme and rare cases of complete obstruction, your vet may perform a tracheotomy to allow air to bypass the obstruction.

How To Do the Heimlich Maneuver on Dogs

In an emergency, follow these steps for just a couple of minutes to see if you can help your choking dog. If not, immediately seek the help of a veterinarian.

If your dog won't stand and is too large for you to lift, you can get your dog to lie on their side. Kneel behind your dog and find their rib cage, then make a fist and place it in the soft spot of their diaphragm under the rib cage and follow the rest of the steps above.

Remember, attempting the Heimlich maneuver may be difficult as your dog will be agitated or panicked and it may not be possible to safely restrain them. You don't want to unintentionally cause more damage to your dog.

What To Do After a Dog Stops Choking

Once you have confirmed your dog is no longer choking, take a few moments for everyone (humans and animals alike) to settle down. Then, perhaps most importantly, after any type of choking incident you should reach out to your veterinarian. "Absolutely seek veterinary care as soon as possible," said Daugherty-Leiter. "The consequences of a choking episode can be just as severe as the episode itself."

Your vet can evaluate your pup. Sometimes when choking, a dog will bite their tongue or the inside of the mouth. Your dog could also have damage to their throat from the foriegn object and may require a bronchoscopy. If they have sustained damage to their mouth or throat, they may have trouble eating their regular dog food if they aren't on a soft food diet already. And if you performed the Heimlich maneuver they should be checked for trauma to their chest. They may need X-rays to be sure all swallowed items are no longer lodged. And you'll want to let your vet know if your dog went without oxygen for any amount of time.

After the evaluation, your vet may send you home with some pain relieving medication or your pup may need to spend some time in the hospital to recover.

How To Prevent Your Dog From Choking

Daugherty-Leiter says common sense is key. "Don't play fetch with your dog using a ball that could obstruct its airway. For example, do not use a racquetball to play with a Lab. This is the same reason you don't feed a toddler whole grapes. Owners sometimes mistakenly assume a dog will 'know' to chew on something but not to swallow it, but many pets may not know. Small amounts of prevention can go a long way," he says.

So treat your home (and the backyard) like you would if you were preparing to have a toddler wandering around and getting into everything they shouldn't. You can't stop your pet from putting everything in their mouth, so always keep an eye on your dog when they are playing with chew toys and bones. If you have an aggressive chewer on your hands, always purchase extra-tough options. Don't leave objects within their reach that may be tempting—and dangerous—to chew on. Also, make sure you are purchasing dog food that is appropriately sized for your dog, young or old, large or small.

Giving your dog bones, especially from meats you've cooked, should be off-limits as those bones are more likely to be swallowed and can take on unnatural shapes once in your dog's mouth. You can also make other general first aid and emergency care efforts, such as preparing a pet first aid kit for your home. Being prepared can help keep you level-headed should a challenging health situation arise for your furry friend.