Like humans, animals can choke. Choking is terrifying, and can result in death. If your pet starts choking, you will need to know what you should do. Choking is common among canines. Dogs will chew on almost anything. A dog may chew on a hard bone, a sock, shoes, toys, or other items in your home. Sometimes, fragments of your pet's snack can get lodged in his or her windpipe.

If your dog appears to be choking, don't call a vet right away. Veterinary assistance may be necessary, but you will need to take immediate action. Driving your animal all the way to the vet will take too much time. If the dog is suffocating, it will panic. Your animal will probably paw at his or her mouth when choking. Your dog may also become unresponsive. Sometimes, the dog will make loud coughing sounds, but other times the choking may be silent. If your pet falls unconscious, check his or her throat. There may be a foreign object lodged inside. This may cause asphyxiation.

Animals generally panic when they can't breathe. You will want to try to keep your dog calm. You may need to restrain your dog, as he or she may be prone to attack in blind fear. Do not muzzle the dog, as this could aggravate his or her condition. Use both hands to pry open your pet's mouth. Put one hand on the dog's upper jaw and the other on the lower jaw. You will want to hold the jaws open and press lips over the dog's teeth. This way, the pet's lips are between the teeth and your fingers. This will protect your hands from a nasty bite if the dog panics.

You will want to look inside the mouth and remove obstructions with your fingers if you can see them. Look for a small object. Dogs most commonly chose on rubber balls, lumps of gristle, chew toys, or sticks. If you can't remove the item with your fingers, you may need to use a flat spoon handle. Dip the handle into your dog's mouth and try to fish out the item.

In some situations, it may be impossible to remove the item manually. If you are not able to fish out the item, then you need to take further action. If you have a small dog, pick it up by its thighs. Gently shake or swing the dog. If this does not improve the pet's condition, apply forward pressure on its stomach. Do this just behind the dog's ribcage, being careful to avoid breaking bones.

If you have a larger dog, do not pick the animal up. Instead, you will want to perform a Heimlich maneuver. Get the dog to stand on two feet, and wrap your arms around his or her belly. Join our hands. Make a fist and push on the pet's abdomen, right behind the rib cage. After performing the Heimlich, place the dog on his side.

You can also do the Heimlich while the dog is lying down. Put one hand on the dog's back. Use the other hand to squeeze the abdomen upwards and forwards. Check your pet's mouth to see if you have helped to bring up any objects. If none of these things are working, call a veterinarian.

A vet can help to remove the object, but may want to hospitalize your animal for a few days. This is especially true if your pet lost oxygen. Your animal may suffer throat problems from the object. A veterinarian can also inspect your pet to see if there was any further damage. Prevent choking by only giving your animal pet-approved foods and toys. Do not give your animal bones off of your personal foods. Contact a lawyer today to learn more!