Sunday, August 19, 2012

Learn how to save your dog from choking

By Jerry Welsh


Dog owners know that their pets would put just about anything in their mouths. Apart from being voracious eaters, dogs are very inquisitive animals. Dogs are noted for being happy chewers because they use their mouth to learn about their surroundings. This habit often results to choking as large chunks of food and non-edible objects are swallowed by the dog. Choking is a very serious condition that can result to the death of the dog if first aid measures are not administered as the swallowed object would block the airway and make breathing difficult.

Giving first aid to a choking dog is one of the basic first aid lessons a dog owner has to learn. Because chewing is a natural behavior of dogs, the risk for choking is higher in these pets. All pet parents would want the pet to be healthy and to be kept safe from accidents but illnesses and accidents can never be totally prevented. Learning how to administer first aid to a choking pet is the only way by which a caring dog owner can ensure that the pet's life can be saved from this serious condition.

First aid is very necessary for a choking dog but to be able to administer first aid, the dog owner has to recognize the condition of the pet. A choking dog would be frantic, gag and drool excessively. Continuously trying to vomit and frantic pawing of the mouth are signs that the dog is choking. Blue gums indicates the seriousness of the dog's condition. If first aid is not administered, the dog's breathing will stop.

Removing the object that blocks the airways is the only remedy for a choking dog. Do a finger sweep to along the inside of the mouth to the base of the tongue and feel for any foreign object. Carefully remove the foreign object. Not all choking would be as easy as this to resolve. Removing a foreign object that cannot be seen or felt would be difficult.

Small dogs would be easier to handle thus removing the blockage would not be too difficult as compared to large dogs . To remove the blockage on the airway, a small dog has to be held upside down and slapped on the backside until the object is dislodged. It would be advantageous for every dog owner to learn how to do the Heimlich maneuver. This first aid method requires the hind legs of the dog to be raised like a wheelbarrow. Place the wrist on the dog's last ribs and forcefully push the abdomen downwards until the object is dislodged.




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