Heimlich Maneuver For Dogs

Why You Need To Learn the Heimlich Maneuver for Dogs

Would you know what to do, if your Mini Schnauzer began to choke? Knowing how to perform the Heimlich Maneuver for dogs during such a crisis situation, could end up saving your Miniature Schnauzer's life!

Miniature Schnauzers love to explore new things and that usually means swallowing things they shouldn't (like bones, small toys, sticks...) And if they begin choking, time is of the essence.

It's a scary situation: Your Miniature Schnauzer starts coughing and hacking. Then his eyes begin to bulge and he furiously paws at his mouth, desperately trying to free the obstruction himself. Your Miniature Schnauzer's choking and literally dying right before your eyes!

If you learn how to perform the Heimlich Maneuver on your Miniature Schnauzer, you will be better prepared to assist him in such an emergency situation and very possibly save his life!

dog safety tip: Toys that are too small pose a threat of choking or ingesting of a foreign object to your Miniature Schnauzer.

Here's a simple way to test your Miniature Schnauzer's dog toys for appropriate size: if the toy is small enough to drop down the center tube of a toilet paper roll, it's too small for your Miniature Schnauzer. Read more tips on buying dog toys.

Also, remember to routinely check your Miniature Schnauzer's dog toys for damage parts and always supervise your Miniature Schnauzer at play.

The Pet First Aid Secrets First Aid Manual, by Dr. Andrew Jones, will show you the techniques you need to know to be prepared for an emergency with your Miniature Schnauzer.

BE PREPARED! Familiarize yourself with the steps of this life-saving technique, the Heimlich Maneuver for Dogs because...You never know when you may need it.

Heimlich Maneuver for Dogs Instructions

Open your Miniature Schnauzer's mouth and see if you can see the obstruction. If you can try and remove it.
If you cannot see the object to remove, pick your Miniature Schnauzer up and turn him upside down (with his head pointing to the ground and his spine up against you).
With your arms wrapped around your Miniature Schnauzer's lower abdomen, gentling sway him back and forth a few times and then give three sharp thrusts to his abdomen area.
Now lay your Miniature Schnauzer on his side, open his mouth and sweep his throat to remove the object.
dog safety tip: If you cannot remove the object, with an open flat hand, strike your Miniature Schnauzer once sharply, in between his shoulder blades.
Repeat these last 2 steps until the object dislodges and you are able to remove it from your Miniature Schnauzer's mouth.
Call your vet. You will want your Miniature Schnauzer's vet to examine your dog after the crisis is over with to ensure your Miniature Schnauzer suffered no internal injuries.

Caution: Your dog may, out of distress, try and bite or snap at you.

If for some reason you are unable to pick your Miniature Schnauzer up, you can also perform the Heimlich Maneuver with your Miniature Schnauzer laying on his side:

Lay your Miniature Schnauzer on his side, on a hard surface.
Place a pillow or rolled up towel under your Miniature Schnauzer's hindquarters and tilt his head down. The main objective here is to have the front part of his body lower than the back part of his body.
Place one hand against your Miniature Schnauzer's back and the other under the center of your Schnauzer's ribcage.
Press 3 to 5 times upward in a thrusting motion until the object comes out.
Call your vet after the crisis is over.

Further Dog Safety Information: If your Miniature Schnauzer is no longer breathing, after you've dislodged the obstruction, find out how to perform Artificial Respiration and CPR for Dogs.

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