SYMPTOM: Frantic, Pawing at Mouth
Dog Choking or Cat Choking

If they are not able to breath:

*Open their mouth and see if the blockage is visible. Be careful - they are scared and may bite!

*If you see an object in their mouth, pull the tongue forward. This can sometimes dislodge the object.

*If the object is still visible and still stuck, attempt to sweep the mouth with a finger to knock the object loose. They are scared and may bite!

*If this fails and the pet still cannot breath, proceed with the Heimlich maneuver. Have them stand if they are conscious, lying on a side if they are not.

*Place your fist, or just several fingers for smaller pets, against the middle of their belly, just behind their ribcage.

*One to several sharp firm pushes both inwards and forwards causes air to be pushed out of their lungs, hopefully pushing anything stuck in the windpipe out.

*If this fails, lift the hind end higher than the front, and give several sharp blows between the shoulder blades. If you have another to help you, have them firmly pound on both sides of the chest several times while you have the pets hind end elevated.

*Check inside the mouth periodically to see if an object is visible and reachable.

*Keep repeating these steps until the object is dislodged and recovered from the pet.

Dogs especially will often try to swallow the object again. Get it away from them as quickly as possible!

You have very little time if a full blockage is present. You must act quickly if there is to be any chance of saving them. There may not be time to get to a vet - you may have to act yourself.

Take the time to teach yourself these skills!

If your pet is breathing, then you have a great deal more time to figure out what is going on. It is actually relatively rare for a pet to experience a full respiratory blockage.

There are, of course, other reasons for a dog or a cat to be pawing at their mouth and acting distressed or uncomfortable. For example, an oral foreign body, meaning an object stuck in the mouth, can cause your pet great emotional distress, yet they are still able to breath so the situation is not immediately life threatening. You will most likely need professional assistance in this situation and should go to a vet to have the object safely removed.

Oral pain can cause pets to dramatically paw at their mouths. Usually it is a sudden severe pain that will cause this action. Things like dislocated or broken jaws can make them paw - they will also likely have problems closing their mouth, and are probably drooling. Sometimes they will paw at their mouths if a tooth is infected or loose and bothering them.

Obviously, any of these situations should prompt you to visit your vet and address the problem!

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The information presented here is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian! A valid veterinary-client-patient relationship (created when you take your pet to see your vet) is essential to providingexcellent individual pet care. If your pet is ill, call or go to your vet or an emergency veterinary hospital!

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Page last updated 4/12/10.