The National Police explains how to do the Heimlich maneuver if your pet is drowning
Your dog is, like every day, in front of his food bowl and suddenly starts coughing hard. You get scared and you don’t know what to do. The National Police explains how you should act to save your pet’s life when she is choking on a piece of food. The key is knowing how to adapt the Heimlich maneuver used for humans to these animals.
The Heimlich maneuver is a first aid procedure used when a person is choking because an object is blocking their airway. The difference of knowing how to perform or not the first aid technique is in life and death. If you are alone in this risk situation you can also apply it. However, in the case of your pets, such as your dog or cat, it is you who must intervene to expel the piece of food with which it has been choking.
How to act
1. If your dog starts to cough forcefully because he has swallowed something that does not let him breathe, you must act quickly but without losing your calm. The Police indicate that the first step is to check if you can remove it by hand. You have to be careful because you can make the situation worse and block the air intake even more. Also, the animal may unconsciously bite because it hurts.
2. In case this is not possible because the object is deeper and you cannot reach it, it is time to perform the Heimlich maneuver.
3. Raise the animal’s hind legs, placing the head down, in a wheelbarrow position. In this way you will make it easier for the object to fall down by the simple force of gravity.
4. The next part of the Heimlich maneuver if you still can’t is to locate the end of the ribcage. Then, compress the abdomen with your fist, pushing up. A firm pat between your dog’s shoulders can help too.
#dog #chokes