My dog was recently choked by a chew stick that it had bitten into. The chew stick was edible and digestible. At that time, we were about to take the dog out for a walk. As we were about to leave, it became a bit anxious and swallowed the chew stick in one go. Despite our supervision, its swallowing speed was too fast for us to prevent it. After realizing that the dog was choked, I immediately consulted a veterinarian online. Since the location of the obstruction can vary, the severity and treatment plan would also differ. The veterinarian advised me to first observe the dog’s condition.
Medical Treatment and Surgery
Later, we noticed that it had mild vomiting symptoms, so we took it to the hospital. Upon examination, it was found that the chew stick was lodged in the esophagus and had not entered the stomach or intestines. This situation is actually the least optimistic. Therefore, we decisively decided to perform a thoracotomy on it. Thanks to the timely intervention, we managed to save its life.
After opening the chest cavity, the doctor showed me its esophagus, which had two perforations. This is actually a very undesirable and severe phenomenon. The surgery was very painful, and there is a scar about 10-15 centimeters long on its chest side. Currently, it is in the recovery period, and the condition is relatively stable.
Prevention Measures and Suggestions
Pay Attention to Food Risks
Therefore, when a dog is choked by food, everyone must take it seriously. If you can detect and provide assistance in time, it may directly save its life. Otherwise, it will endanger the dog’s life, with very serious consequences. In addition, if you do not have enough time to watch over your dog, it is not recommended to let it chew or eat hard snacks, especially bones. Do not blindly feed it these foods.
Choose Snacks Wisely
We suggest that the bones given to dogs should be much larger than their body size, which may actually be safer. Relatively speaking, smaller bones are more likely to be accidentally swallowed by dogs, posing greater risks. Moreover, many parts of bones, such as those in duck necks and chicken wings, are actually not suitable for dogs to eat. For example, I personally do not particularly recommend bones from duck necks and chicken wings.
Original article by KPTer, if reproduced, please cite the source: https://www.kaipet.com/en/emergency-management-dog-chew-toy-choking-real-case-analysis-prevention-advice
