Choked to death!! - Page 1

Sorry for the dramatic title but I wanted your attention...
I saw this today on FB and it brought back such terrible memories that I felt compelled to post it as a reminder. This happened to my GSD and Great Dane,,Had it not been for my husband who was able to separate them and immediately perform CPR, I would have lost my dear GSD ....The mere size of both of them thrashing could have killed them both!!....It's serious and more common than you think..Please read...

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/16_5/features/take-it-all-off_20740-1.html

 

This is a GREAT reminder...but it's not only for when dogs are outside playing...but also in the house and/in a kennel...Also DO NOT allow your dogs to wear collars and run free outside with no supervision...Dogs will run and jump and just play...but they can also jump up at a fence and get their collars hooked on the fence and hang themselves...Getting their collars caught on the fence or another object...

A good rule of thumb...."When you can't watch your dog...Don't allow them to wear a collar"...

~Bob~

Yes this very same thing happened to me once.
I had take my male bulldog pup for a walk and when i got back i had to run a quick erron.
So i just unclipped the leash and let him in the house. Well like most pups he went to play with the nearest dog. His mother. And while they were goofing around she got her lower jaw stuck on his chain. My dad happened to be home and heard when all hell broke loose. He though at first it was a dog fight. As soon as he saw it was the chain he tried untwisting the dog to no avail. He ran to the kitchen to grab a pair of metal dikes we keep in the drawer. Could not cut the chain, he finally managed to crush the big circle you hook the leash to and got them untangled. By then my pup has stopped breathing. Pops had to do chest compressions and CPR to get him going again.
Poor dog had burst blood vessels in the eyes and bruises around the neck. Not sure if he suffered any brain damage because he was a male bulldog so it's hard to tell. His mom had a very bruised up lower jaw.
When i teach basic obedience i always tell this story so people understand to NEVER leave a chain on a dog if you are not working them right that minute. And regular buckle collars can be just as bad.
Be safe everyone.
Fry

There was a poster to this site many years ago who posted the most dreadful story about her beloved GSD, she came home from work to find him strangled from having his fursaver caught in his kennel fencing. It was such a heartbreaking tale! But it left a permanent impression on me! 
jackie harris

I would also like to give a warning about tennis balls, or balls that are the same size as tennis balls.

They are JUST the right size that most dogs in the same size class as a GSD (labs, goldens, etc. ) can swallow them and have them block the airway. DO NOT let your dog play with tennis balls.

You may notice that the Kong brand ball that is about the same size as a tennis ball has a  hole in it. The next size up does not. The hole is to allow a dog to still breath if it should happen to swallow the ball.

If your dog DOES choke on a ball, don't try to get it out from inside the mouth. You will likely just push it further in. Put your fingers on either side of the underside of the dog's lower jaw, and push the ball towards the mouth. Chest thrusts (Heimlich maneuver) have also been known to work, but are difficult to do on a dog that's conscious and struggling.

I agree, collars on just when dog's are in sight.......BUT........law in many states requires dogs to always have a collar with rabies vaccination and city/county license attached - even when kenneled.
Stupid laws...

3 times now I have had collars on while dogs were in sight. Each time the dogs while playing together and one got their paw in the others collar and were caught. I have been bitten twice while trying to get them untangled. The last time one dog was almost strangled to death. Needless to say law or no law my dogs do not wear collars unless they are going for walks. I really don't care how many tickets our friends in blue/brown want to hand out.

Bolt cutters are part of our show supplies. Never had to use them but it helps to know we have them in case.

 

Breakaway collars are an option for scenarios such as this.

I think the likelihood of a dog getting out is much greater than a dog hanging itself on a collar.
Although my dog is chipped, I want him to have a visible form of ID on him at all times. That would be the fastest way to get him home to me.

What if I was driving with him in the car and got in an accident and he bolted? Happens to a lot of dogs in that situation - it's terrifying and they have no idea what's going on.

I let Ozzy out to potty once when I was at my bf's house. After about 5-10 minutes, I went to let him back in.
I called him.
Nothing.
Called louder.
Nothing.
I ran to the side of the house and the RV gate was wide open. I ran out front and saw a horrifying sight. Kids everywhere, headed to school. Cars going by. People walking their dogs.
I yelled his name at the top of my lungs, almost in tears, and he sprinted from the front entryway of the house.
He'd been sitting by the front door, waiting to be let in that way.

One time while my mom and I were at flyball practice with Ozzy and her pit bull, my mom had a missed call and a message on her phone.
She checked it on the way home. It was a neighbor calling because our lab and Frenchie were running around the neighborhood.
Came home to find out our next door neighbor's little spawn opened our gate and let them out.

I would rather have a collar with ID on my dog(s) and not worry about the more common scenario of them getting lost than the rarer scenario of them choking or hanging themselves on the collar.