Would you know what to do if your dog was choking?
Choking isn’t extremely common in dogs, but it can occur when they hold things like the best dog toys in their mouths. And one dramatic video has shown how vets at Mintlaw Vet Surgery in the town of Peterhead in Scotland were able to save three-year-old Rocco after he swallowed a ball.
It all went well, thankfully, with owner Ray Howell being able to take the Doberman back home the same day. The rescue dog was adopted by his family after being abused at his previous home in the Orkney Islands, off the coast of Scotland.
Mr Howell explained: “When we met him off the ferry, this purple ball was his only possession. It was his favorite toy, and he carried it everywhere, so we’ve always made sure he had it.”
Howell returned home from work at lunchtime one day and was watching Rocco and his sister, fellow Doberman Stella, play in the yard when the accident happened. Rocco picked up both his ball and Stella’s, and then ran straight into her. Because he had both balls in his mouth, it forced his own ball down his throat.
“He was standing still, really oddly, and when I put my hand on his neck, I could feel the swelling of the bulge of the ball,” Howell recalled. “I knew I needed help fast and got him in the car without wasting any time trying to get it out.
“The vets are only a few miles away, but by the time we got there, he was only semi-conscious.”
At Mintlaw Vets, part of Pet Health Club, they sedated Rocco and began to work on releasing the ball. They applied firm upward pressure to the dog’s throat, which meant they could get the ball out of his mouth in time to save his life. After being given oxygen to help him recover, Howell could take him home that same afternoon before bringing him back for some checks the next day.
“It was all over so quickly, but it was so scary,” Howell added. “We’ve always supervised the dogs playing, which is why I saw what happened. But he’s now got balls three times the size, so there’s no danger of him swallowing one again.”
What to do when a dog is choking
Holly McKinley, deputy regional veterinary director at Pet Health Club, has urged dog parents to be careful when it comes to balls and other small toys and offers the following advice:
- Choose toys the right size for your breed.
- If in doubt, opt for a ball slightly larger than you think they might need.
- Contact your vet immediately if a ball gets lodged.
- If you can see the object, you could try to gently remove it – be careful not to push it down further or injure yourself. If in doubt, leave it and let your vet remove it as soon as possible.
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