The other morning, I received a phone call from a very upset owner that her dog was choking on a piece of meat. By the time she called me, the dog's tongue had started to turn blue. I explained how to do the Heimlich maneuver on her dog, and within seconds the piece of meat came out. Thankfully, the dog survived.
It is important to know basic first aid for pets as well as people. Here is a description of how to do the Heimlich maneuver and CPR. These may save your dog's life! Print this out and e-mail it to friends so they too can become familiar with these procedures.
HEIMLICH MANEUVER
First make sure that your dog or cat is choking and not having breathing difficulties. Both choking and breathing difficulties will cause the tongue to change color to a purple or bluish hue. When an animal is choking, it tries to cough and paws at its face, and its eyes may bulge. Remember a distressed animal can bite, so be very careful. If the animal is trying to bite, wrap it in a blanket to protect yourself. Have someone contact the vet immediately. This is an emergency!
1) If you are able to, carefully open your dog's mouth by grasping the upper jaw, behind the canines, with one hand. With your other hand, grasp the lower jaw to open the mouth. Make sure to leave your forefinger free so that you can reach the obstruction. When you open your dog's mouth, look into it first because you may be able to see the obstruction and pull it out with your finger. Do not try to grab something that you can't see because dogs have small bones in their throats, and you can do damage trying to pull at their anatomy.
2) Gravity - Try lifting the hindquarters of the animal, which may be enough to dislodge the object.
3) Back blows - With the palm of your hand, give the animal 4 to 5 sharp blows between the shoulder blades. Try having the hindquarters raised at the same time. Gravity is a great friend!
4) If you have a small dog or cat, hold it to your chest with the legs facing away from you. Lean forward so the the head is lower than the hindquarters. Make a fist with one hand and and place your other hand over it. Place your hands on the upper abdomen, directly below the rib cage. Press in and up, using 3 to 5 thrusts. Repeat this 2 to 3 times. For larger dogs, try placing the hind legs on a step or a chair for this procedure.
5) Once the object is dislodged, remove it immediately so that your dog doesn't eat it again.
6) If you dog is not breathing, you will have to do CPR.
CPR
Like the Heimlich manuever, CPR is another lifesaving procedure that everyone should know. If your pet is collapsed and not breathing, start CPR immediately and have someone contact your vet to tel them that you are on the way over with an emergency. Time is of the essence. If you know the ABCs of CPR, you may save your pet's life!
Your pet will probably be unconscious, so make sure that you lie your pet on its right side.
A is for airway - Establish on open airway by extending the head and pulling out the tongue. Look into the mouth to make sure there are no foreign objects or debris in the mouth. If there is anything there, clear it away immediately.
B is for breathing - Look, listen, and feel for breath. Look at the chest to see if it is moving. Feel for breath by placing your hand over the nose. You can also pull some of your pet's hair and hold it over the nose. If your pet is breathing, you will see the hair move. Listen for breaths by putting your ear next to the animal's mouth. If your dog is not breathing, start rescue breaths immediately. Hold the mouth closed, inhale and place your mouth over the nose, and exhale watching the animal's chest rise. Allow the lungs to deflate before giving the next breath. Give 5 breaths.
C is for circulation - Check for a heartbeat or pulse before you begin chest compressions. To check for a heartbeat, bend the animal's leg towards the body. The point where the elbow meets the chest is where you can feel the heartbeat. To feel for the pulse, place your three fingers in the middle of the thigh and slide them to the inside of the leg toward the groin. There will be an indentation between the muscles. This is where the femoral artery lies. It can be difficult to find, so make sure that you are familiar with the location of this vein on your pet before there is an emergency.
If you do not feel a heart beat or pulse, begin chest compressions. Bring the animal's elbow up to the chest to locate the position of the heart. With your palm flat, place it over the area. Place your other hand on top and interlock your fingers. Straighten your arms and give 15 rapid compressions downward. For small dogs and cats, you only want the compressions to go down about and inch or less. For large dogs, the compressions should go down 2-3 inches.
After 15 compressions, give 1 rescue breath. Repeat this pattern until you see or feel signs of life. You must check the animal every minute or every 4 cycles of compressions for a heartbeat or pulse. You can do CPR for up to 20 minutes.
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It is important to know basic first aid for pets as well as people. Here is a description of how to do the Heimlich maneuver and CPR. These may save your dog's life! Print this out and e-mail it to friends so they too can become familiar with these procedures.
HEIMLICH MANEUVER
First make sure that your dog or cat is choking and not having breathing difficulties. Both choking and breathing difficulties will cause the tongue to change color to a purple or bluish hue. When an animal is choking, it tries to cough and paws at its face, and its eyes may bulge. Remember a distressed animal can bite, so be very careful. If the animal is trying to bite, wrap it in a blanket to protect yourself. Have someone contact the vet immediately. This is an emergency!
1) If you are able to, carefully open your dog's mouth by grasping the upper jaw, behind the canines, with one hand. With your other hand, grasp the lower jaw to open the mouth. Make sure to leave your forefinger free so that you can reach the obstruction. When you open your dog's mouth, look into it first because you may be able to see the obstruction and pull it out with your finger. Do not try to grab something that you can't see because dogs have small bones in their throats, and you can do damage trying to pull at their anatomy.
2) Gravity - Try lifting the hindquarters of the animal, which may be enough to dislodge the object.
3) Back blows - With the palm of your hand, give the animal 4 to 5 sharp blows between the shoulder blades. Try having the hindquarters raised at the same time. Gravity is a great friend!
4) If you have a small dog or cat, hold it to your chest with the legs facing away from you. Lean forward so the the head is lower than the hindquarters. Make a fist with one hand and and place your other hand over it. Place your hands on the upper abdomen, directly below the rib cage. Press in and up, using 3 to 5 thrusts. Repeat this 2 to 3 times. For larger dogs, try placing the hind legs on a step or a chair for this procedure.
5) Once the object is dislodged, remove it immediately so that your dog doesn't eat it again.
6) If you dog is not breathing, you will have to do CPR.
CPR
Like the Heimlich manuever, CPR is another lifesaving procedure that everyone should know. If your pet is collapsed and not breathing, start CPR immediately and have someone contact your vet to tel them that you are on the way over with an emergency. Time is of the essence. If you know the ABCs of CPR, you may save your pet's life!
Your pet will probably be unconscious, so make sure that you lie your pet on its right side.
A is for airway - Establish on open airway by extending the head and pulling out the tongue. Look into the mouth to make sure there are no foreign objects or debris in the mouth. If there is anything there, clear it away immediately.
B is for breathing - Look, listen, and feel for breath. Look at the chest to see if it is moving. Feel for breath by placing your hand over the nose. You can also pull some of your pet's hair and hold it over the nose. If your pet is breathing, you will see the hair move. Listen for breaths by putting your ear next to the animal's mouth. If your dog is not breathing, start rescue breaths immediately. Hold the mouth closed, inhale and place your mouth over the nose, and exhale watching the animal's chest rise. Allow the lungs to deflate before giving the next breath. Give 5 breaths.
C is for circulation - Check for a heartbeat or pulse before you begin chest compressions. To check for a heartbeat, bend the animal's leg towards the body. The point where the elbow meets the chest is where you can feel the heartbeat. To feel for the pulse, place your three fingers in the middle of the thigh and slide them to the inside of the leg toward the groin. There will be an indentation between the muscles. This is where the femoral artery lies. It can be difficult to find, so make sure that you are familiar with the location of this vein on your pet before there is an emergency.
If you do not feel a heart beat or pulse, begin chest compressions. Bring the animal's elbow up to the chest to locate the position of the heart. With your palm flat, place it over the area. Place your other hand on top and interlock your fingers. Straighten your arms and give 15 rapid compressions downward. For small dogs and cats, you only want the compressions to go down about and inch or less. For large dogs, the compressions should go down 2-3 inches.
After 15 compressions, give 1 rescue breath. Repeat this pattern until you see or feel signs of life. You must check the animal every minute or every 4 cycles of compressions for a heartbeat or pulse. You can do CPR for up to 20 minutes.
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Great tips, thanks!
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