My heart nearly stopped

[SWHouston]

At 4AM this morning, my partner came rushing down the stairs, with my darling little Becca, who was violently thrashing around for no apparent reason.

She was acting so wildly, it almost evaded me that she was not breathing, and her desperately flailing her legs didn't help any. She had been doing the "reverse Sneezing" for some time now (a couple years) and I just took a chance, leaned forward and puffed some air into her lungs.

She breathed out quickly, but that stopped as she thrashed more, and I gave her three more breaths before she started breathing on her own. The pressure from the Pulmonary Resuscitation expanded her Trachea sufficiently enough for regular air passage.

Though she was acting quite normally within fifteen or so minutes, I took her to the Vet anyway. They did a couple tests including a Fluro of her Trachea which showed a narrowing of it. The picture of that is being sent to a specialist as I write.

So, I've been called a "Hero" twice today, but...
I look at it as being blessed with the presence of mind, and expertise to have saved my little darling's life. Ha, I guess throughout about 40 years of working in Health Care, and having gone through the mandatory CPR Classes many many times, including the "Baby" resuscitation procedures paid off big time.

I urge any and all who have not gone through a Doggy CPR course, to please do so.

[Buster Brown]

I am so glad you had the presence of mind and the training to save Becca. I am so happy everything turned out okay. Buster has these reverse breathing issues and I am always so anxious until we had get the normal breathing rhythm back. I think I will take your excellent advice and get CPR training. I am so glad Becca is okay you are her hero. Best wishes.

[Maximo]

Terrifying ordeal! Thank goodness you knew and were able to do exactly what was needed. I am relieved for you that Becca is okay, and I'm glad you took her to the vet for testing.

[Cha Cha]

So scary. So glad you were able to stay calm and think enough to help Becca.

[Cat2861]

Originally Posted by SWHouston

At 4AM this morning, my partner came rushing down the stairs, with my darling little Becca, who was violently thrashing around for no apparent reason.

She was acting so wildly, it almost evaded me that she was not breathing, and her desperately flailing her legs didn't help any. She had been doing the "reverse Sneezing" for some time now (a couple years) and I just took a chance, leaned forward and puffed some air into her lungs.

She breathed out quickly, but that stopped as she thrashed more, and I gave her three more breaths before she started breathing on her own. The pressure from the Pulmonary Resuscitation expanded her Trachea sufficiently enough for regular air passage.

Though she was acting quite normally within fifteen or so minutes, I took her to the Vet anyway. They did a couple tests including a Fluro of her Trachea which showed a narrowing of it. The picture of that is being sent to a specialist as I write.

So, I've been called a "Hero" twice today, but...
I look at it as being blessed with the presence of mind, and expertise to have saved my little darling's life. Ha, I guess throughout about 40 years of working in Health Care, and having gone through the mandatory CPR Classes many many times, including the "Baby" resuscitation procedures paid off big time.

I urge any and all who have not gone through a Doggy CPR course, to please do so.

Omg....My heart would have stopped too. I am a cardiovascular tech and being certified in ACLS & CPR, I would have done the same thing that you did. Being in the medical field you see so much but when it comes to your loved ones, humans or animals, you'd be surprised at how fast you react at the situation at hand. I am so glad to hear Becca is doing fine. I hope they find out soon what is wrong with her. I pray for you & Becca that she will be fine.

[SWHouston]

Thank all of you for your kind words.

Just knowing that one can puff a few breaths of air into our little guys to resolve that is of great comfort, BUT...

I'm still on pins and needles realizing that given where my guys take naps at, and how silently this occurs, that I might miss the event and not be able to react quickly enough, so...

My Vet said she would forward Fluoroscopy image to a Respiratory Specialist here, which will occur today. I'm considering further action to correct this problem, and am anxious to have the consult from the new Physician.

Though Becca is/seemingly back to her normal bossy self, I have not let her out of my sight for a moment. Thankfully I'm retired, and can ease my mind about her condition, but, I gotta get this fixed !!!

One more thing I'll add...
When the "event" occurred, both my Males and Navi (Female/Chi) were going totally nuts. Barking, running back and forth, just terribly upset in reaction to what was going on with their mate. One of those special events, which proves how connected the Pack is.

[mindy10]

Oh no hope he is okay. If he has a collapse trachea there is meds he can be on to prevent that from happening again. Does he just do the reverse sneeze or does he cough a lot too? I had a dog with CT which was caused from an enlarged heart and he started to faint from it at 8 years old. Keep us updated please.

[yorkietalkjilly]

You saved her life! Plain and simple. Thank God you were home, she wasn't in another room alone in her crate and you knew what to do and did it. Your poor baby, I know she was scared to death - just being without air for a few seconds is so frightening. Now you've got to find out how to keep that from happening again. I hope the vet can get behind her condition and find some treatment to keep this from ever happening again.

The only other time I saw a dog as frantic as you described was when my tiny Jilly had gotten her collar up under her lower jaw and another time when she was choking to death. I always tell the story to help others if they should find themselves confronting a similar situation.

Late one evening in bed, I noticed Jilly thrashing wildly, going in circles with her head down and choking on what I found was a knotted end of a tiny rawhide chew bone stuck in her throat(she'd tried to swallow the whole end she'd chewed off) and that's exactly how she acted - wild and frantic as if she couldn't get air. When I grabbed her up, I could hear her straining to get air past the knot at her throat swelled around it. And I also partially breathed for her as I called the vet with one hand, found they were still in after 10:00 pm with another emergency(a miracle in itself!), got my robe on and drove her to the vet using one hand to drive and the other arm to hold her up and give her breaths all the way, praying at the top of my lungs for my girl. She went limp and I still breathed for her.

That drive to the vet took an eternity in my mind but once I lay her on the vet exam table, she was awake, breathing a bit raggedly on her own again. The vet said that the swelling in her throat had obviously subsided some due to partial digestion from her saliva and from the adrenaline in her system from the near-death experience helping some of the swelling go down and the knot passed on down. He observed her overnight and she came home fine the next day. It was the scariest time I've ever had with a dog. No more rawhide chews for Jilly!

[SWHouston]

yorkietalkjilly,

YES, I didn't mention it, but I did run my finger down her throat to check for an obstruction.

AND, I visualized the possibility of having to take the same trip you took, save that I was mad that I had left the Truck (a Standard Shift) in the way of my Suburban (Auto-Trans) in the drive way. I don't know how I would have dealt with having to shift and resuscitate at the same time !

I'm kind of chuckling as I think of it right now, but at the time... uoo wow

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by SWHouston

yorkietalkjilly,

YES, I didn't mention it, but I did run my finger down her throat to check for an obstruction.

AND, I visualized the possibility of having to take the same trip you took, save that I was mad that I had left the Truck (a Standard Shift) in the way of my Suburban (Auto-Trans) in the drive way. I don't know how I would have dealt with having to shift and resuscitate at the same time !

I'm kind of chuckling as I think of it right now, but at the time... uoo wow

Oh, that's the reason I won't own a stick shift and a have a child or a dog at the same time! You never know when you need that extra hand to keep somebody alive.

With little Jilly, I opened her mouth and saw that big knot filling up her throat opening and could not bring it out. I immediately started breathing in her nostrils gently as I grabbed the landline phone(all I had at the time), dialed with one hand and prayed the vet would answer. When he did and he found I couldn't get the knot out, he suggested I gently try to push in down. I did but it stayed stuck tight! I had the thought then that my Jilly might shortly die right there in the bedroom thanks to a knotted rawhide chew I had given her.

Back then, the nearest ER vet was across Dallas, about15 miles away, so vets covered their own emergencies but I feared Jilly didn't have the time for him to get to his office as he lived further from it than I did. Still, you can do more than you think with one arm while the other is busy holding a dog! Thank God for her own digestive enzymes in her saliva and adrenaline in her body and some extra air and she made it! Still, I'll never know how that air got down past that huge obstruction filling up her throat.

I'm so glad you acted and your baby made it and hope the vet can get things squared away so this never ever happens again.

[valeriejsmyth]

Good to know my Biewer has a narrowing tracea too and has fits that ome and go. Your post may have just saved my dog's life in the future. Thanks for sharing info for others to learn from. Glad to hear she's better please keep us posted on her progress.

[chestermama]

glad she is okay, how scarey

[SWHouston]

It has been so long since I have posted here. Since our darling little Becca crossed over the RB, every time I think of this forum, I think of her, and our continuing feeling of loss. Even now, tears are welling in my eyes, as those unforgettable moments of joy and sorrow return, thinking of her, and what a unique little Lady she was. She will live on in my heart.

In the years that have past, we have gotten our sweet Mistique (pics to follow) who is about one year old now. What a unique personality, laid back and easy going as she can be. She just loves my Adult Male Sneakers, and pesters him by licking his ears and beard every time she's around him. A practice which produced unintended results at her age. We only blinked, and Sneakers took advantage of that moment.

Now, we have 6 puppies from that encounter, totaling 12 dogs in the house !

She had two males, and four females, and I am totally impressed with how she (at her young age) stepped up to the plate, and probably disserves a Mother of the Year award. I had to bring her food and water to the Crib for the first week. She wouldn't leave them but for a very brief potty brake, and then right back. Now, at the just over the three week period, we have six little Whoppers roaming around the Crib, and Misty is taking much more time for herself. (well disserved)

I had NOT intended for this to happen. But, it was my intent at some point, to have a pup from Snickers linage, then Spay. So, though earlier than expected, I have selected a chubby little female, which I have named Ishka (pics to follow). We already have two friends which have put in their wants for one of the other puppies, and I expect that the remaining three will be placed as we put the word out. I am not a Breeder, and fully intend to get control of this situation as soon as possible.

Anyway, I just thought I'd touch base with you guys, and let you know how much I missed visiting here.

[Shicks]

Originally Posted by SWHouston

It has been so long since I have posted here. Since our darling little Becca crossed over the RB, every time I think of this forum, I think of her, and our continuing feeling of loss. Even now, tears are welling in my eyes, as those unforgettable moments of joy and sorrow return, thinking of her, and what a unique little Lady she was. She will live on in my heart.

In the years that have past, we have gotten our sweet Mistique (pics to follow) who is about one year old now. What a unique personality, laid back and easy going as she can be. She just loves my Adult Male Sneakers, and pesters him by licking his ears and beard every time she's around him. A practice which produced unintended results at her age. We only blinked, and Sneakers took advantage of that moment.

Now, we have 6 puppies from that encounter, totaling 12 dogs in the house !

She had two males, and four females, and I am totally impressed with how she (at her young age) stepped up to the plate, and probably disserves a Mother of the Year award. I had to bring her food and water to the Crib for the first week. She wouldn't leave them but for a very brief potty brake, and then right back. Now, at the just over the three week period, we have six little Whoppers roaming around the Crib, and Misty is taking much more time for herself. (well disserved)

I had NOT intended for this to happen. But, it was my intent at some point, to have a pup from Snickers linage, then Spay. So, though earlier than expected, I have selected a chubby little female, which I have named Ishka (pics to follow). We already have two friends which have put in their wants for one of the other puppies, and I expect that the remaining three will be placed as we put the word out. I am not a Breeder, and fully intend to get control of this situation as soon as possible.

Anyway, I just thought I'd touch base with you guys, and let you know how much I missed visiting here.

Congrats on such a wonderful proud mom & babies. If you don't mind me asking what happened to Becca? I was reading your threads hopping everything worked out.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Every time I read this I get shaky and feel yours and your Bella's panic all over again. A flailing, out-of-control dog almost always has something stuck on it or worse - can't get its breath. A few life breaths can make the difference between life and death. Thank God for proactive owner/guardians!!!