Choking incidents are terrifying, no matter who they’re happening to. You may know of, and hopefully, know how to perform, the Heimlich maneuver on people. You also need to know how to perform it on your dog. Dogs are notorious for eating things they shouldn’t, which can increase the risk of choking. It’s important to know what to do before something happens and be prepared in case it does. Here’s what you need to know about the Heimlich maneuver for dogs:

Signs Your Dog Could Be Choking

Dogs can’t necessarily tell us what’s going on with them. Often, they show us, and we have to figure out what’s going on and how to help. Some signs of choking are obvious in dogs, while others can overlap with illnesses or other things. These are some potential signs your dog could be choking:

• Panicked or frenzied behavior
• Choking sounds
• Trouble breathing or wheezing
• Pawing at their muzzle
• Rubbing their face on the floor
• Retching or gagging
• Excessive drooling
• Blue or pale gums
• Unconsciousness

If your dog begins choking on something they swallowed, they will typically panic. So, if you see your dog acting in a frenzied way, they may be having trouble breathing. If they are pawing at their mouth, check for an object that is blocking their airway.

Coughing, along with retching or gagging, can sometimes indicate choking, but these symptoms also overlap with other illnesses and conditions. If you see them, it’s a good idea to check their throat and make sure it’s clear. If you don’t see anything and are still concerned, call your vet.

Excessive drooling can be a sign of bloat in dogs, anxiety, and more. Your dog may even drool more than usual when they are happy and relaxed. When drooling is caused by a serious issue, there are usually other accompanying symptoms, and your dog will show signs of distress.

For example, a dog with bloat will usually have a swollen stomach that will often be hard to the touch. If gastric torsion has occurred (i.e., the stomach has flipped), then they will also usually have shortness of breath and will be drooling excessively because they usually cannot swallow. If you see concerning signs like these, get to the emergency vet immediately.

What to Do If You Think Your Dog Might Be Choking

If you think your dog is choking, try to remain calm and don’t panic. You don’t want to further distress your dog, and you need to focus on what to do next. Here’s what to do:

1. Restrain your dog, but do not muzzle them.
2. Position yourself to be able to see down their throat.
3. Gently open your dog’s jaws using both hands.
   1. One hand on the upper jaw and one on the lower.
   2. Gently fold or press your dog’s lips over their teeth, so you have a barrier between your hands and their teeth.
4. Look inside the dog’s mouth with a light to see if you can spot any obvious objects. Depending on what you see, you can:
   1. Use your index finger to do a mouth sweep and remove anything that can be easily removed (usually small objects).
   2. Check the roof of the mouth to ensure nothing is lodged across it.
   3. For small objects that you can’t easily remove with your finger, you can use small tongs or large tweezers to remove them, provided this will not push them further into the throat.
   4. For larger objects, like balls or toys, place your thumbs near the base of your dog’s throat under both sides of the jaw and press gently upwards to try dislodging it.
   5. Do not insert anything down your dog’s throat, especially if you can’t see an object. This could push an object deeper or hurt your dog.
5. If you can’t remove the object, can’t see the object, and/or your dog is still distressed or unconscious, get to the emergency vet. Even if you are able to remove the object, you still want to go to the vet to make sure there are no further complications, like other injuries, blockages, fluid in the lungs, etc.
6. If your dog is struggling and you will not be able to get to the vet in time, then it’s time to try the Heimlich maneuver.

How to Give a Dog the Heimlich Maneuver

The Heimlich maneuver should only be used as a last resort when you do not have enough time to get to the vet. Ideally, your vet will be on the phone to walk you through this maneuver. Calling an emergency animal hospital could also be an option so that a trained veterinarian or vet tech can walk you through what to do to help your dog without injuring them. The techniques for the Heimlich maneuver for dogs will vary for small and large dogs.

How to Do the Heimlich Maneuver on Small Dogs

Here are two different techniques to do the Heimlich maneuver on small dogs:

Holding the Dog

1. Pick up your small dog
2. Hold them facing away from you, their back to your front
3. Use your fingers to press under their ribs and find the soft spot on their abdomen
4. Form a fist and press into this spot
5. Cup your other hand over your fist
6. Thrust your fist inwards and upwards

Lying the Dog on Their Back

1. Lie your dog on their back
2. Find the soft spot on their abdomen under their ribs
3. Use the heel of your hand and press into this spot
4. Gently press the heel of your hand inwards and upwards into this spot

How to Do the Heimlich Maneuver on Large Dogs

Here are two different techniques for doing the Heimlich maneuver on large dogs:

Holding the Dog

1. Stand the dog on their hind legs
2. Hold them facing away from you, their back to your front
3. Use your fingers to press under their ribs and find the soft spot on their abdomen
4. Form a fist and press into this spot
5. Cup your other hand over your fist
6. Thrust your fist inwards and upwards

Lying the Dog on Their Side

1. Lie the dog on their side
2. Find the soft spot on their abdomen under their ribs
3. Use your fist and press into this spot
4. Support their back and press your fist inwards and upwards towards their back

After performing the Heimlich maneuver, lie the dog on their side, regardless of the size or breed. Check your dog’s throat again for debris and do a superficial mouth sweep again to remove any objects that were dislodged. Monitor their breathing and heartbeat. If your dog is not breathing, perform CPR.

If your dog had a choking incident or you had to do the Heimlich maneuver on them, it’s important for them to be checked out by a vet to ensure there are no throat or chest injuries or other complications from the choking incident. Even if you were able to remove the object and your dog seems fine, you should still take your dog to the vet for an assessment.

How to Prevent a Choking Incident

After an incident, your dog may need to rest for a while, but they’ll be back in the game soon. And, maybe, trying to chew on something that might cause them to choke again. Thankfully, there are some things you can do to help reduce the risk of your dog choking. Here are some tips on how to prevent a choking incident:

1. Identify Risky Areas or Behaviors

Every dog is different, and each will have their own unique ways they cause mischief. Keep an eye on your dog and pay attention to what they do, where they go, and how they interact with things. You know your dog. By taking some time to monitor them, you can get a good idea of specific risks you should address to puppy-proof your home and help prevent a choking incident for your dog.

For example, if you know your dog tends to get into things, you might be able to identify areas of your home that you need to close off or secure better to keep your dog out of them. Or, if you notice items that are too accessible for your dog, you can reduce the risk of choking by securing those out of your dog’s reach, whether that’s trash cans, shoes, or smaller things.

2. Check Your Dog’s Toys

Playing with toys can be a lot of fun for your dog, but can also increase the risk of a choking incident, depending on the toy. Toys that are too big or too small for your dog can be a problem.

If your dog is a big chewer and tends to tear their toys apart, they can ingest or choke on pieces. In addition to cleaning dog toys when needed, it’s also important to look over your dog’s toys to make sure they are in good shape and aren’t increasing the risk of a choking incident.

7 Tips to Prevent a Choking Incident With Dog Toys

Here are some tips that can help prevent a choking incident with dog toys:

1. Make sure your dog’s toys are the right size and type for them.
2. Be particular, choosy, and cautious with chew toys.
3. Invest in durable, safe toys, especially chew toys.
4. Avoid toys with small parts that can be chewed off or broken off.
5. Supervise playtime and time with chew toys.
6. Throw away toys that are damaged, broken, or ripped.
7. Never give your dog poultry bones or cooked bones (these splinter easily).

3. Slow Down Their Eating

Chewing and playing with doy toys can be choking risks, and so can eating. Make sure your dog’s food is a good size for them. You don’t want large pieces that are too big for your dog, especially if they tend to eat quickly and gulp down food.

The right type of food and size of food are important for reducing the risk of a choking incident, and so is the speed of eating. A dog that inhales their food too quickly is at a higher risk of choking and of bloat. Using a puzzle feeder or slow feeder bowl is a great way to slow them down and stop a dog from eating too fast.

4. Supervise Playtime and Mealtime

You don’t have to watch them like a hawk, but keeping an eye on your dog during playtime and mealtime can help prevent a choking incident.

Supervising Playtime

During playtime, especially chewing sessions, you can check in on how your dog is doing and also on the state of the toy or chew they are using. If you see them starting to tear apart plush toys or breaking apart other toys, then you can redirect them and remove the risky toy before they start trying to swallow pieces.

Supervising Mealtime

During mealtime, you can check in on your dog to make sure they are not eating too fast and that they are actually taking the time to chew their food. If you notice them gulping or starting to eat too quickly, then you can step in and slow them down.

If they are already using a slow feeder bowl, try to reduce how much food you have in it at one time before adding more. But, if it gets them to slow down while eating, it’s worth it. Not only can this help keep them from choking, but it can also reduce the risk of bloat in dogs.

5. Train Your Dog on Useful Commands

Dogs explore the world with their noses and mouths. This means that they’re probably going to get into things they shouldn’t. Training your dog on useful commands can help prevent choking in these situations.

“Drop it” and “leave it” are commands every dog should know and are particularly useful when it comes to keeping your dog from eating things they shouldn’t, whether they mean to or not. Recall commands can also be helpful in redirecting your dog’s attention away from something or somewhere that they shouldn’t get into.

These are some signs your dog might be choking and some steps for what to do next, including the Heimlich maneuver for dogs as a last resort, as well as how to prevent a choking incident. It’s a good idea to be prepared in case something happens, so you know what to do, but putting some things in place to help prevent choking can go a long way in reducing the risk for your dog. Prevention and preparedness are key!