 A
short while ago, one of our long standing clients, Susan DeAntonio; a
fire investigator with the K-9 division of the Rancho Cucamonga Fire
Department shared her harrowing experience with her 13 year old
Labrador, Gator. Sue's quick thinking and background training
kicked in and saved the day! Bravo Sue, you are amazing!
Respectfully submitted,
Susan De Antonio
Fire Investigator - K9 Handler
Rancho Cucamonga Fire District
I saved my dog's life the other day. Fortunately, I've had training
from the veterinary staff at Cornell University when I've attended K9
certification training in New York. We have been trained to do CPR on
our K9s in case of drowning or electrocution. The training helped me
stay focused on rescuing my dog., however, the methods I used were
purely instinct. Days afterwards, I realized the whole event was
captured on my security video, which gave me the opportunity to see just
how long the episode lasted - 2 minutes.
I fed my 3 dogs that morning. My oldest dog is a 13 year old black
lab. He is quite unsteady on his feet, so I keep his seatbelt harness
on him 24 hours a day so I can help him ambulate.
Breakfast was the standard dry food, with Gator's bowl supplemented by a
thyroid pill and elixir for spinal nerve degeneration. I sat on a stool
next to Gator while he ate to assist him standing. I was petting his
head, holding his bowl and just generally watching him as he ate at his
usual pace.
30 seconds into his meal, he lifted his head and tried to swallow. I
was puzzled as he stepped away from his half-full bowl. He took 4 steps
around the front of me and collapsed on his side. I couldn't believe
what I was seeing! Gator kicked over the stool I had been sitting on,
then went into a rigid posture, with his tongue protruding out of his
mouth. I thought he was having a heart attack. His entire body was
stiff after he stopped kicking.
I "swept" his mouth to check for food blocking his airway and couldn't
feel anything. He was dying and now without air for 15 seconds. I
pulled him up by the seatbelt and reached down his throat with my other
hand. There was a mass of dog food surrounded by mucus in his throat.
I pulled out as much food as I could grasp and let his body down. I
gave 8 chest compressions and checked his breathing. He's now been
without air for over 30 seconds and appeared lifeless. I lifted him up
by the seatbelt again and reached down very far into this throat,
pulling out a second handful of mucous coated dog food. His still
appeared lifeless and I feared I had pushed some of the food into his
lungs. He was without air for 45 seconds at this point.
I gave Gator 15 rapid chest compressions and shook him hard. At the
time I didn't realized how intense this activity was. It was only
afterwards I realized I cracked my temporary crown and swallowed a part
of my tooth! Gator regained consciousness 60 seconds after his
collapse, groggy but willing to stand with help. This was an
unforgettable experience that would have had a tragic ending if I had
walked off for a cup of coffee while he was eating.
To prevent this kind of emergency in the future, I've made some changes
in our routine: I never leave my dogs alone when they eat. I now float
the dry food in some type of liquid, i.e., warm water or low sodium
chicken broth. The bowl of food resembles Cheerios floating in milk.
This keeps Gator from gulping his food too fast. He has to take smaller
mouthfuls and swallow the liquid before he can take another mouthful.
We have not had another choking experience. I hope this information
will help others who find their pets choking. I was relieved to see
Gator has not exhibited any ill effects or injuries to his throat.
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