Choking dog

[Jack Merlin]

I wasn't going to post this, but maybe it will help someone.

Yesterday, my best dog choked to death on a piece of meat. This is not unusual because dogs naturally bolt their food. Having kept a very large kennel for several decades, I have seen similar cases over the years.

If you are quick, this is easy to spot. A dog can also swallow its own tongue and the symptoms are similar. Typically, the dog will stop doing what it is doing, move backwards, go stiff, then fall over on one side. If you approach, you will notice the dog's tongue is going blue. Now, you need to be quick. THERE IS NO TIME TO CALL THE VET!! No, not even time to stop to make a telephone call.

Catch hold of the end of the dog's tongue and pull firmly. If it has swallowed its tongue, there is literally a whistle of air as it is sucked into the dog's lungs and it should recover. If the dog is not moving, put your fingers down its throat to make sure the air passage is clear and pump the chest gently but firmly to get the heart and lung working again. If nothing happens, I would take the dog by the hind legs and swing it around (I'm serious) in the hope that any obstruction will be removed by centrifugal force, then more chest pumping. I haven't tried mout to mouth, but I suppose this is a possibility.

I had a similar case a few months ago. (Previous to that, it was several years without a problem). I noticed the dog flat out on its side with no signs of life. No breathing and no heart beat. I carried out the above procedure and the dog began to move slightly. Ten minutes later, it was running around as if nothing had happened! Working dogs are tough.

Unfortunately, I was too late to save the dog yesterday. He was a smasher too. Earlier that day I had ben watching him run and congratulating myself that after thirty years I had finally cracked it and I was already planning mating him to a couple of bitches I have had my eye on. Oh well, that's life. Turn the page and get on with it.

[North East Harris Hawker]

you cant keep an eye on them all the time.
unlucky there jack :cry:

[BlackHawke]

sorry to hear your loss jack. not trying to teach you to suck eggs but

can i add i dont know about animals etc but, mouth to mouth probably wouldnt work if there is a large obstruction blocking the airway plus, by blowing down its throat might push it down further.

if possible hook the obstruction out with your finger

think i'm right well i am where people are concerned, but animals maybe sprout or one of the other vets on here may confirm or deny.

with babies and an obstruction u turn them upside down and if things r bad slap there back. last resort dunno if something like this would work on a dog

[Jack Merlin]

Thanks for the advice, Blackhawke, I always listen. And I am truly grateful for the sympathy.

Sadly, I don't think anything would have saved that guy. He was kennelled with two bitches that were in season. One is a maiden bitch, the other has chronic mastitis and I would hope to foster her pups onto another bitch. So now I am crossing my fingers that they are in whelp.

I have had quite a lot of experience of reviving new born lambs as I had a sizeable flock here at one time. So "been there, done that". Another trick is a piece of straw up a nostril to stimulate sneezing which is a first step after clearing an airway -- but this guy was long gone.

The girl who has her horses on my farm lost a beautiful 16HH thoroughbred a week ago through laminitis. No warning and the horse had to be destroyed 24 hours after the first symptoms. That's the way it goes with livestock sometimes and we just have to bite the bullet.

[Ben C]

Gutted for you jack.

[GriffMJ]

Hi Jack

Sorry to hear :(

A tip from the army (Royal Army Veterinary Corps), if you have a dog that bolts his food..... raise the feed bowl to a height level with its shoulders. Put the bowl onto a small stool or a ledge.

I know this advice is to late ....but it does work, I have a dog whippet that bolts his food and he only "hacks and chokes" if the feed bowl is on the floor.

[Jack Merlin]

Thanks for the kind comments, folks.

Sh*t happens. Turn the page and look forward to pups.

It's not as if it hasn't happened before. Took a couple of days off once to come home and find my favourite dog had been killed in a fight. The kennel girl left in charge was in a worse state than I was over the affair. They just don't live long enough.

[Gary.B]

Sorry to hear the news Jack, its always gutting when you lose a good worker. I have seen a couple of similar incidents a few years back at a kennels in Kent, dogs being fed on complete dry food bolting their dinner and chocking (especially labs). The problem was easily solved by presoaking the food. Also seen a ESS search dog swallow his tongue after jumping 20 feet off a mezaline floor! he wanted to carry on after we pulled his tongue back out, no sense, no feeling! best of luck with the pups.

[Jack Merlin]

Gary, my dogs have been kept more like a pack of hounds for close on 30 years. I don't think I have had less than 25 of my own dogs in the kennel at one time in the last 20 years! At times it was more than 50, all bird dogs.

I was involved with hounds as a lad so it comes as second nature to me. We fed 100% fallen stock from farms, skinning the carcases, etc. I now feed unwashed beef tripe which, as you will know, is about the best food you can get -- but these days wrapped around with red tape, licences, consignment notes, approved disinfectants, and God knows what!

There is no way I could afford to feed these dogs "out of the bag"!

[Gary.B]

The kennels in question was how can I say "government funded", and the staff there where under the impression that the more expensive the food the better it was, how wrong. I was once lucky enough to visit the establishment where pedigree trial their foods it was quite amazing what chemicals went in. For example if anyone wonders why their dog eats its own motions, it could be because of an appetizer that's added but isn't digested so remains in the feaces. So at least you know what's in the food when you feed the way you do, theres more preparation but its definitely the healthier option.

[OutFlying]

A friend of mines bitch died exactly the same last season, his wife through a piece of food out and later the bitch was found with the tongue out chocked on a small piece of cheese. **** can and will happen not matter what..............................................