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Brett
Citizen
Username: Bmalibashksa
Post Number: 2302
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 4, 2006 - 8:33 am: | 
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Is there such a thing?
Parker is addicted to bottle caps, can’t get enough of them. We’ve tried abstinence but his will power is not as strong as one would think. Last night I watched him run into the basement, retrieve a bottle of water, unscrew the cap, and proceed to have a ball with it. He also like nickels, wait, LOVES nickels.
I’m on constant patrol around the house making sure that these little hazards are unreachable, but his K9 mind hunts more out. What would I do if he starts Choking? Just squeeze him a bunch? Swing him around by his feet?
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Nancy - LibraryLady
Supporter
Username: Librarylady
Post Number: 3395
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, May 4, 2006 - 8:39 am: |
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Section: Helping a Choking Dog
Before administering any first aid, make absolutely certain your pet is actually choking. Many people confuse difficulty breathing with choking. If you witness your pet ingesting an item and then immediately begin pawing at the face, the throat, acting frantic, trying to cough and having difficulty breathing, only then should the Heimlich maneuver be considered. If your pet is not really choking, the Heimlich can cause serious injury.
After determining that your pet is choking, remove any item that may be constricting the neck. Examine inside the mouth and remove any foreign object you see. Do not blindly place your hand down your pet’s throat and pull any object you feel. Dogs have small bones that support the base of their tongues. Owners probing the throat for a foreign object have mistaken these for chicken bones. Do not attempt to remove an object unless you can see and identify it.
If your pet is small and you cannot easily remove the object, lift and suspend him with the head pointed down. For larger animals, lift the rear legs so the head is tilted down. This can help dislodge an item stuck in the throat.
Another method is to administer a sharp blow with the palm of your hand between the shoulder blades. This can sometimes dislodge an object. If this does not work, a modified Heimlich maneuver can be attempted.
Grasp the animal around the waist so that the rear is nearest to you, similar to a bear hug.
Place a fist just behind the ribs.
Compress the abdomen several times (usually 3-5 times) with quick pushes.
Check the mouth to see if the foreign object has been removed.
This maneuver can be repeated one to two times but if not successful on the first attempt, make arrangements to immediately take your pet to the nearest veterinary hospital.
Even if you are successful in removing a foreign object, veterinary examination is recommended. Internal injury could have occurred that you may not realize.
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JerseyJen
Citizen
Username: Jerseyjen
Post Number: 38
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, May 4, 2006 - 1:32 pm: |
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I preformed the Heimlich on a Weimaraner last summer at 57th and Broadway in Manhattan. He was choking on a ball. I followed the instructions above exactly and it worked very quickly. If your dog is not overweight, you would be able to feel the correct spot behind the ribs very easily.
I could tell the dog was choking because he was definitely panicking and backing up as if he was trying to move away from the obstruction. One of my dogs behaved similarly when she got a stick stuck between her teeth across the roof of her mouth. So, if Parker is choking, you will definitely know! |
catmanjac
Citizen
Username: Catmanjac
Post Number: 176
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, May 4, 2006 - 3:48 pm: |
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The American Red Cross teaches a course on animal CPR |
Shawna
Citizen
Username: Lucies_mom
Post Number: 122
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, May 4, 2006 - 7:22 pm: |
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Lucie had a gob of food stuck in her throat and I just lifted up at the waist, a little behind the ribcage. the gob popped right out. it happened so quickly ..I didn't even think about it. She never eats unattended now. |
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