Choking Dogs & Cats - what you can do...
Hello! This was sent to me, and I felt it was really valuable information, worth sharing... knowing it could save your dog or cat's life!
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CHOKING
CALL YOUR VET IF NEEDED.
Dogs are notorious for trying to swallow things that are a little too big.. The result can be choking where an object lodges in the airway.
REMOVE THE OBJECT
When time is of the essence, you must act quickly.
Pull your pet's tongue out of the way. Reach deeply in to the back of your pet's throat and try to grasp the object. If it is a ball, and you are unable to move it, try using some type of instrument- tweezers, pliers or even a spoon shaped tong. If after a few attempts it is still lodged, but you can still hear wheezing and some noise when your pet is breathing, then you have time to rush to your vet.
Open your pet's mouth. For a dog:
Grasp the upper jaw with one hand over the muzzle.
Press the lips over the upper teeth with your fingers
on one side and the thumb on the other so that the dog's lips are between its teeth. Firm pressure may be required. The dog then can't close its mouth without biting itself and is less able to bite you.
If you can see the object then try to remove it with your fingers.
For a cat:
Grasp the cat's head so that your palm is over the cat's head, your thumb and index finger are behind the canine (eye or fang) teeth.
Tilt the cat's nose upwards. In most cases this causes the cat to automatically relax the jaw muscles so that you can open the mouth.
You can then use the index finger on the opposite hand to gently open the mouth. Place the finger tip on the lower incisors(the small teeth between the canines) and gently push the lower jaw down.
An alternative is to push your thumb and index finger of the hand holding the cat's head towards each other. Some cats resent this more and it is easier to get bitten but it does hold the mouth open while the opposite hand is now completely free to hold tools etc.
Examine the mouth and if you can see the object it may be possible to remove it with your fingers or small pliers. Do not attempt to remove a needle embedded in the roof of the mouth but take your cat to your veterinarian.
It may be possible to gently pull the tongue forward but some cats will not allow this. If you can not remove or see the object or your pet is struggling too
much to allow you to examine the mouth (and it is small enough) then pick your pet up by its hind legs, turning it upside down and shake.
COMPRESSIONS
Gentle compressions on both sides of the widest point of the chest may help dislodge the ball. Place both hands at the back of your pet over the widest point of the chest while he is standing, and give 5 firm compressions to dislodge the ball.
Slapping the back while shaking may to dislodge the object. If your pet is too large to pick up or if you still can not dislodge the object lay your pet on its side. For small pets place your palms behind the last rib on both sides of your pet's abdomen and press your
palms together quickly 2 - 3 times. Repeat if necessary.
HEIMLICH
If after trying to manually remove the object, and after gentle compressions it won't move, and your pet is not breathing, then proceed to the Heimlich.
TURN your pet upside down, with back against your chest. WITH both arms, give sharp thrusts to the abdomen.
AFTER 5 thrusts, stop and check to see if the object is visible in the airway. If so remove it and give 2 mouth-to-nose rescue breaths. If the breaths do not go in, repeat HEIMLICH.
In some cases, your dog is too large to pick up. You can lay him on his side, and make a fist. Put your fist into the hollow beneath the rib cage, then push firmly upward and inward. Repeat for 5 times, then check to see if the object has been dislodged.
CPR
If your pet completely stops breathing, then you will have to know the CPR steps. After the airway has been opened, you may need to give artificial respiration.
CLOSE your pet's mouth and breathe directly into his nose until his chest expands. If the chest doesn't expand then go back to STEP 2 - AIRWAY.
VENTILATE at 15 breaths per minute. One BREATH every 4 seconds.
PROCEED to STEP 4 - CIRCULATION
>In some cases of choking, your pet's mouth has been injured. This means feeding a soft food for 7-14 days while the wounds heal
~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHOKING
CALL YOUR VET IF NEEDED.
Dogs are notorious for trying to swallow things that are a little too big.. The result can be choking where an object lodges in the airway.
REMOVE THE OBJECT
When time is of the essence, you must act quickly.
Pull your pet's tongue out of the way. Reach deeply in to the back of your pet's throat and try to grasp the object. If it is a ball, and you are unable to move it, try using some type of instrument- tweezers, pliers or even a spoon shaped tong. If after a few attempts it is still lodged, but you can still hear wheezing and some noise when your pet is breathing, then you have time to rush to your vet.
Open your pet's mouth. For a dog:
Grasp the upper jaw with one hand over the muzzle.
Press the lips over the upper teeth with your fingers
on one side and the thumb on the other so that the dog's lips are between its teeth. Firm pressure may be required. The dog then can't close its mouth without biting itself and is less able to bite you.
If you can see the object then try to remove it with your fingers.
For a cat:
Grasp the cat's head so that your palm is over the cat's head, your thumb and index finger are behind the canine (eye or fang) teeth.
Tilt the cat's nose upwards. In most cases this causes the cat to automatically relax the jaw muscles so that you can open the mouth.
You can then use the index finger on the opposite hand to gently open the mouth. Place the finger tip on the lower incisors(the small teeth between the canines) and gently push the lower jaw down.
An alternative is to push your thumb and index finger of the hand holding the cat's head towards each other. Some cats resent this more and it is easier to get bitten but it does hold the mouth open while the opposite hand is now completely free to hold tools etc.
Examine the mouth and if you can see the object it may be possible to remove it with your fingers or small pliers. Do not attempt to remove a needle embedded in the roof of the mouth but take your cat to your veterinarian.
It may be possible to gently pull the tongue forward but some cats will not allow this. If you can not remove or see the object or your pet is struggling too
much to allow you to examine the mouth (and it is small enough) then pick your pet up by its hind legs, turning it upside down and shake.
COMPRESSIONS
Gentle compressions on both sides of the widest point of the chest may help dislodge the ball. Place both hands at the back of your pet over the widest point of the chest while he is standing, and give 5 firm compressions to dislodge the ball.
Slapping the back while shaking may to dislodge the object. If your pet is too large to pick up or if you still can not dislodge the object lay your pet on its side. For small pets place your palms behind the last rib on both sides of your pet's abdomen and press your
palms together quickly 2 - 3 times. Repeat if necessary.
HEIMLICH
If after trying to manually remove the object, and after gentle compressions it won't move, and your pet is not breathing, then proceed to the Heimlich.
TURN your pet upside down, with back against your chest. WITH both arms, give sharp thrusts to the abdomen.
AFTER 5 thrusts, stop and check to see if the object is visible in the airway. If so remove it and give 2 mouth-to-nose rescue breaths. If the breaths do not go in, repeat HEIMLICH.
In some cases, your dog is too large to pick up. You can lay him on his side, and make a fist. Put your fist into the hollow beneath the rib cage, then push firmly upward and inward. Repeat for 5 times, then check to see if the object has been dislodged.
CPR
If your pet completely stops breathing, then you will have to know the CPR steps. After the airway has been opened, you may need to give artificial respiration.
CLOSE your pet's mouth and breathe directly into his nose until his chest expands. If the chest doesn't expand then go back to STEP 2 - AIRWAY.
VENTILATE at 15 breaths per minute. One BREATH every 4 seconds.
PROCEED to STEP 4 - CIRCULATION
>In some cases of choking, your pet's mouth has been injured. This means feeding a soft food for 7-14 days while the wounds heal
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