Choking Dog

Dogs are inveterate pickers up of sticks and stones, or ball chasers. All carry the risk of getting an object stuck in the mouth or throat. A half swallowed ball may be an emergency by reason of a blocked airway.

First aid may be a two-handed job. You could get bitten. If the dog seems to be choking, look in his mouth with care. A block of wood to prevent him closing his teeth over your fingers can help, with one person holding the dog's head while the other looks into his mouth.

If there is a ball in the dog's throat, try to lever it out with a fine rod rather than with your hand. A frequent occurrence is that a piece of wood becomes wedged across the teeth, or between the back teeth.

Treat removal with similar caution, using some sort of lever to remove it. This type of incident not infrequently requires a trip to the vet and sedation to remove the object.