What To Do When Your Dog Chokes, Peoria, AZ – Arrowhead Pooper Scoopers

April is Pet First Aid Month and over the past several weeks we’ve written articles on pet first aid and what to do during a pet emergency. Now is a good time to educate yourself on what to do if you ever find your pet in distress. Today we’re going to share another tip with you about choking that we hope you pass along to everyone that you know.

We’ve all ate out at a restaurant or visited a school cafeteria and seen the signs that tell us what to do when someone chokes, but what about your dog? Would you know what to do when you notice your dog choking? Today we’re going to share some information with you that will further help you if you find your dog choking on something.

Dogs aren’t picky about what they put into their mouth, so consider them to be just like small children, who taste things as they explore their world.

If you find that your dog is choking on something, try to remain calm. You can make the situation worse if you’re upset because your dog will already be in a panic.

Dogs that are choking might start to paw at their mouth as if they are trying to remove the object that is suffocating them. If this is the case with your dog, then you’ll need to do the following:

1. You’ll need to use both hands to open your dogs’ mouth. Place one hand on your dogs’ upper jaw while placing the other on the lower jaw.
2. Hold tight to your dogs’ jaws and press his lips over his teeth so that his lips are between his jaw and your fingers. He’s already in a panic because he cannot breathe and he might try to bite you.
3. If you can see the object inside his mouth, try to remove it with your fingers.
4. If you cannot remove the object you may need to find a spoon with a flat handle. Use the spoon to pry the object from the throat of your dog.

If you happen to have a small dog:

For a small dog that is choking you’ll need to carefully turn your dog upside down while applying pressure to his abdomen, just below his ribcage.

For a larger dog:

If you have a larger dog that is choking it’s best not to lift him because you may end doing more harm than good. Instead of lifting him, try the following:

• Your dog is standing up: put your arms around his belly. Once you wrap your arms around him you’re going to need to make a fist. Once you make a fist, push firmly up and then forward, just behind his rib cage. If you‘re able to, place your dog on his side.
• If your dog is lying down, then you’ll need to place one had on his back for support while using your other hand to squeeze his belly, up and then forward.
• Check his mouth to see if you were able to dislodge the object that was suffocating him. Remove what you can from his mouth with your finger. If the object has been lodged deep into his throat you might need to search for it with your fingers in order to remove it. You should also consider heading to your veterinarian or emergency animal clinic, even more so if you’re performing CPR on your dog.

If the object was stuck in your dogs’ throat for any length of time your dog might need to spend a few days under observation at the veterinarian. He or she will check for damage to your dogs’ throat as well as any brain damage that may have occurred due to lack of oxygen.

As mentioned above, the best way to prevent your dog from choking is to keep an eye on him when he’s chewing on something. Avoid things that swell when they become wet, like sticks or water swollen toys. Be sure, as well, to cut up large chunks of food so your dog doesn’t choke while he’s eating.

Today we would like to thank m.petmd.comfor helping us with this post. Be sure to visit their website to watch a video on what to do if you find your dog choking on something.

This post has been brought to you today by Arrowhead Scoopers. Arrowhead is the leading pet waste removal service in the West Phoenix area, including Glendale, Peoria, and Surprise. Give us a call today at (602) 391-0160 to receive your free quote. Our rates start at just $11.00 per week. Be sure to visit our website, www.arrowheadscoopers.comto view customer reviews and more! Happy Tails!