Content
- Dog with cough and wheezing
- Difficulty breathing, coughing and sneezing
- reverse sneeze
- how to choke a dog
Dogs are curious by nature and play with various objects, from sticks, balls, ropes, bones and because they are in a moment of relaxation, they may choke. With some, because they are too reckless when eating, it can happen that they even choke on the ration.
It's a bit nerve-racking at the moment, but there's not enough time to take the puppy to the nearest clinic, because with an animal suffocating, every second counts for a lot, so keep calm, and learn from the ExpertAnimal what to do when your dog is choking.
Dog with cough and wheezing
If your dog is coughing or is wheezing, it may be indicative of a choking that has not necessarily completely obstructed the trachea, or due to some respiratory tract illness. A healthy, resting dog has a normal rate of 10 to 30 breaths per minute, and changes in this rate may be indicative of some respiratory disease.
Other indicative clinical signs that the dog may present would be coughing, sneezing, clear or moderate difficulty breathing, such as when the dog exerts too much effort to draw in air, runny nose, wheezing, wheezing, or even shallow breathing, which it is when the dog presents so fast and not deep that there is no time for proper gas exchange, as the air cannot reach the lungs, which can even lead to fainting due to respiratory failure.
At causes they can be of the most varied, from heart failure, allergic reaction, bacterial, viral or fungal pulmonary infection, bronchitis, pneumonia, tumors, chest injury, etc.
THE respiratory failure it can even result from malformations in the respiratory tract, as in the case of tracheal collapse, as this disease is usually diagnosed between the dog's 6 and 7 years, it is degenerative and worsens over time, leading to development of other diseases such as bronchitis, tracheitis, etc. Due to this, routine exams are always important, as only the veterinarian can make the diagnosis and find out the true cause of the respiratory problems that your dog is presenting. If you want to know more about tracheal collapse, read our article on this subject.
Difficulty breathing, coughing and sneezing
It is common for a dog, when playing and exercising, to be panting for a while until his breathing normalizes when resting, just as we do.
Some breeds are also more prone to snoring noises., as is the case of Pugs, English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, etc., and despite being some of the breeds normally susceptible to respiratory problems because they have a flattened snout, just presenting noise does not necessarily mean that they have respiratory failure, after all, it is necessary for the veterinarian to identify other symptoms and associate these clinical signs that may be wheezing in the lungs or others, in order to discover the true cause of the respiratory difficulty.
Coughs may be due to pollution or smoke, allergic reactions, infections or still, due to some tracheal injury or inflammation. As it can be confused with choking, you must be aware of your dog's routine and what he ingests, because if the cough persists for more than a day, take your dog immediately to the vet.
Sneezing is not necessarily a respiratory problem in itself. However, if they occur with enough intensity and frequency, it is necessary to investigate the cause, as they may be the result of a problem in the nasal passage, and cause nosebleeds.
reverse sneeze
Brachycephalic dogs, those that have a flattened snout in the breeds mentioned above, commonly have the condition called reverse sneezing, which is often also confused with gagging.
Unlike a normal sneeze, in which air is drawn out of the lungs through the nose, reverse sneezing happens, hence the name. O air is drawn in through the nostrils producing a characteristic sound and can last up to 2 minutes, so there is the confusion of the tutor in thinking that your puppy is choking or short of breath, however, after the episodes, the dog returns to breathing normally.
You must keep calm and make the puppy comfortable until the episode passes, as it is a condition considered normal since they do not become very frequent, otherwise, seek a veterinarian.
how to choke a dog
It is necessary to keep these guidelines in mind to know how to apply in the time of an emergency.
The dog, at the moment of choking, may indicate signs such as bringing his paws to his mouth as if he wanted to remove the object that bothers him, excessive salivation, coughing, placing his head down in order to stretch his neck. Some dogs, when feeling discomfort, try to hide or move away from places with a lot of noise and agitation, so these are early signs that you should be aware of. If you notice that your dog is having difficulty swallowing, stay close to him and don't make sudden movements. Realizing that the animal is having difficulty swallowing open the animal's mouth and see if it is possible to identify the object, bearing in mind that sharp objects such as chicken bones should not be removed due to the risk of perforation of the trachea, in which case, take the dog to the veterinarian immediately.
If the animal cannot get rid of the choking object by itself, it starts to have respiratory difficulty due to the partial or total obstruction of the trachea, manifesting a lot of agony and even fainting due to lack of oxygen, in these cases, the help has to be immediate, you can then try the maneuver to choke it off.
If it is a small dog, hold it by its hind legs, placing it upside down, shaking it until you notice that the animal has expelled the object. In large dogs, hold it by its hind legs, lifting them upwards as the dog remains supported on its front legs, so that its head is positioned down, likewise, shake the dog until it can expel the object.
You can also perform the technique of pulmonary cardiac massage and mouth-to-snout breathing, or even the Heimlich maneuver, widely used in choking human beings.
Anyway, always have the phone number of your trusted veterinarian at hand so that he can guide you in the best way possible when necessary.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.