Knowing The Difference Between Choking And Coughing Can Save Your Dog's Life

Dogs can be very curious, and they use their noses and mouths to investigate the items they find. Unfortunately, this does mean that they may eat things that are too big for them, causing them to choke.

Dogs do have safeguards against choking, but in rare occasions, it still happens. Here’s what you need to know about canine choking.

Listen carefully to your dog when they begin to choke. Are they coughing? Are there pauses between the breaths? Pauses indicate it may not be choking. The same goes for gasping and wheezing.

But just because your dog is breathing doesn’t mean the object in their throats can’t dislodge and block their airways. Contact a vet immediately and keep your dog as relaxed as possible with soothing words and keeping them steady. Remember, stay calm. You need to have a clear head to help your dog quickly.

Signs of choking with little or no access to air include:

• An inability to swallow
• Neck and head held in a straight line, low
• Anxious and panicking behavior
• Blue or gray gums
• Gagging
• Drooling
• Gasping for breath
• Wheezing
• Chest movements that are exaggerated
• Pawing at mouth
• Collapse
• Consciousness loss

If you can, ask someone else to hold your dog down firmly. (If not, straddle your dog to hold them in place with your weight.) Open their mouth and look inside. If you can see an object obstructing the airway, remove it. If you can’t see anything, call a vet and ask for first aid advice to get your dog to cough the object up.

Feature Image Source: Pixabay