Here’s what to do if your dog is choking or swallows something they shouldn’t

“I do recommend everybody YouTube the External Extraction Technique and the Abdominal Thrust Maneuver. They can save your dog’s life. It’s very much like the Heimlich Maneuver,” he added.

“Once you get that item out of their throat, get to the vet immediately.”

Shannon Collins got her almost five-month-old dog, a black labrador retriever and catahoula cross named Whiskey from the Medicine Hat SPCA in early March.

A few weeks later her pup jumped a dog run fence and swallowed a small stuffy in her back yard in Ross Glen.

“We lost track of him for probably about three minutes, and in that time, he must have gotten it,” Collins said.

“Within 24 hours, he was sick. Within 48 hours, he was at the vet and within 12 hours after that, he was in surgery,” she added.

“They said that he probably would have had hours before he would have died because of the toy.”

A scar on Whiskey’s stomach remains after his surgery. His intestine has scar tissue which now has him eating special food. (Ross Lavigne/CHAT News)

Collins said they were initially unsure their pet had swallowed the stuffed dog toy.

“It was an emergency vet visit, It started with them checking to see if maybe he had eaten something or had an upset stomach or the flu,” Collins said.

“He ended up getting severely dehydrated, so he went on IV fluids and monitored. They let us bring him home for the night to come back to do another series of x-rays because they had him swallow barium beads and the barium beads didn’t move,” she added.

“That’s when they said, no, there’s obviously a blockage, and they went in and did surgery and they presented me with a little blue dollar toy stuffy that cost me well over $3,000.”

Collins is now on high alert with her dog Whiskey, he has healed and is well, but the scar tissue on his intestine now has him on special food after a few weeks of recovery.

Collins doesn’t know exactly how the stuffed animal got in her back yard, and any of the items which have showed up in her yard since.

“My best guess is that some child walking to the school bus saw a new puppy and wanted to share or be nice. So they went home, got one of their dog toys,” Collins said.

“I’ve put a sign on my fence saying, please do not put toys in my yard. I’ve actually typed up a letter and I’ve taken it to everyone who shares the back alley,” she added.

“If you recognize these toys, if you think they might have come from your house, please talk to your children, you know, that I get they’re trying to be nice, but it’s dangerous.”

The sign Collins has put up on the back fence at her Ross Glen home to deter people from throwing dog toys in her yard. (Ross Lavigne/CHAT News)

Collins wants others to know the importance of not giving items to a pet that isn’t yours.

“If it’s not your dog and you don’t have permission, don’t give a dog anything because you don’t know what he’s going to do with it,” Collins said.

“You know, a dog toy that’s perfectly fine for a little Shih Tzu is not fine for an extra-large breed puppy.”

Jones echoes that thought.

“There could be a host of reasons. There could be allergies. There could be all sorts of reasons that the owner doesn’t want that dog to have whatever it is,” Jones said.

“By no means should anyone throw anything over the fence to give a dog a treat or a toy, thinking that they’re doing something for fun.”

Jones recommends to try and avoid leaving your dog unattended in your yard.

“One of the big things dog owners can do to alleviate problems, like people throwing food or stuff over the fences, is to not leave your dogs outside unattended,” Jones said.

“Always make sure that you go out and you have a look at your yard before you let your dogs outside. It just keeps everybody safe.”

These are both things that Collins has been diligent with, especially since the incident.

by Jesse Gill

Here’s what to do if your dog is choking or swallows something they shouldn’t

Our Community