If your dog is coughing, air is still getting through: stay close and let it try to cough the object out. If your dog can’t breathe, look in the mouth and remove the object only if you can see it and grab it safely; if not, do chest thrusts, and go to the vet right after, even if it seems fine.
Save this Mundo Mascotita guide on dog choking now. In a real emergency you won’t have time to search. Better still, take a pet first aid course so you’ve practiced the moves before you need them.
Coughing vs choking: the difference
The American Kennel Club explains the key difference: when a dog coughs or gags, it’s pushing air out. When a dog is choking, it can’t pull air in.
Coughing or gagging (air is moving):
- Loud cough, retching or gagging sounds.
- The dog is alert and trying hard to clear its throat.
- Gums are pink.
Choking (air is blocked or almost blocked):
- Pawing at the mouth or rubbing the face on the ground.
- Heavy drooling, retching without bringing anything up.
- A high-pitched sound when breathing, or no sound at all.
- Standing with front legs wide apart and neck stretched (the “tripod” position).
- Gums or tongue turning blue or gray, weakness, collapse.
Reverse sneezing, a loud snorting inhale common in small dogs, can look scary but usually stops on its own within a minute.
If your dog is coughing and moving air, don’t intervene yet. Stay calm, keep other pets away and watch. Often the dog will cough the object out or swallow it. Call your vet if it continues.
Step 1: check the mouth safely
If your dog is struggling to breathe, act quickly but carefully. A panicked dog may bite, even its own family.
- Look before you reach. Gently open the mouth by holding the upper jaw, and use your phone’s flashlight to look inside.
- Remove the object only if you can see it and grab it easily, for example with your fingers or tweezers.
- Don’t do a blind finger sweep. Pushing your fingers deep into the throat without seeing can push the object further in and get you bitten.
- If a stick or bone is wedged across the roof of the mouth, or the object is deep in the throat, go to the next step and call the nearest veterinary emergency clinic on the way.
Step 2: the dog Heimlich (small and large dogs)
Use these moves only if your dog cannot breathe, is silent and is getting weak. Done on a dog that isn’t choking, or with too much force, they can cause injuries such as broken ribs.
Small dogs
- Hold your dog with its back against your chest, head up and paws down.
- Find the soft spot just below the rib cage. Make a fist with one hand there.
- Press firmly inward and upward, toward your chest, up to five times.
- Check the mouth and remove the object if you can now see it.
Medium and large dogs
- If your dog is standing, stand behind it and put your arms around its body, just behind the rib cage.
- Join your hands in a fist and push firmly up and forward, toward the head, up to five times.
- The AKC also describes chest thrusts: hands behind the front legs, squeezing inward and up, adapting the force to the dog’s size.
- If your dog is lying down, place one hand on its back and push the belly just below the ribs up and forward with the other.
- Check the mouth again after each round.
If your dog loses consciousness and isn’t breathing, check the mouth one more time, then start rescue breathing and CPR if you’re trained, and get to a vet immediately. The Red Cross and AKC both publish step-by-step pet CPR guides worth reading before you need them.
After it’s out: see a vet
Even if your dog seems fine after coughing up the object, take it to the veterinarian. The object or your rescue moves can injure the throat, mouth or chest, and pieces may still be stuck. Watch especially for:
- Continued coughing, gagging or noisy breathing.
- Drooling, trouble swallowing or refusing food.
- Blood in the mouth or saliva.
- Lethargy or pain when you touch the chest.
Prevent it: safe toy sizes
- Choose balls and toys bigger than your dog’s mouth can swallow. A ball that’s too small can lodge at the back of the throat. The AKC recommends toys wider than the dog’s jaw.
- Throw away toys and chews once they’re worn down to small pieces.
- Supervise chewing, especially with bully sticks and rawhide. Some dogs gulp the last piece.
- Don’t throw sticks, and keep small objects like corn cobs, bones, socks and kids’ toys out of reach.
- Learn pet first aid. The American Red Cross offers an online cat and dog first aid course and a free Pet First Aid app.
FAQ
How do I know if my dog is choking or just coughing?
A coughing dog is pushing air out and usually stays alert with pink gums. A choking dog can’t breathe in: it paws at its mouth, drools, makes high-pitched sounds or none at all, and its gums may turn blue. Choking is an emergency.
Should I put my fingers in my dog’s throat?
Only if you can clearly see the object and grab it easily. Avoid blind finger sweeps: you can push the object deeper and a panicked dog may bite. If you can’t see it, use chest thrusts or the Heimlich and head to a vet.
How do you do the Heimlich on a small dog?
Hold the dog with its back against your chest, place a fist just below the rib cage and press firmly inward and upward up to five times. Then check the mouth. Use only as much force as the dog’s size allows.
Do I need to see a vet after my dog stops choking?
Yes. Even if the object comes out, the throat, mouth or chest can be injured, and part of the object may remain. A veterinarian should examine your dog the same day.
What size ball is safe for my dog?
Pick a ball that’s too large to fit fully into your dog’s mouth or slide to the back of its throat. For big dogs, avoid small tennis-sized or squash balls, and replace balls that are worn or broken.
This article is for information only and doesn’t replace a visit to your veterinarian. In an emergency, call your vet or the nearest emergency clinic right away. If your pet may have swallowed something toxic, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
Sources
- American Kennel Club. Dog Choking: Signs and How to Help.
- VCA Animal Hospitals. First Aid for Dogs.
- American Red Cross. First Aid for Dogs and How to Perform CPR on a Dog.
