Ohhhh. I worry so much about choking as Jilly nearly died that way. Late one night she was chewing a rawhide chew bone with the tie knot at the ends when she chewed the neck in two and swallowed one end part way and it stuck in her throat. She began thrashing about and making this horrible rasping sound and B4 I could think I was up, holding her upright and looking into her mouth as she desperately fought for air. I could see the end stuck in her throat and feared pushing it further, though that is what the vet told me to do once I got him on the phone. I prayed, pushed and nothing happened. She went rigid and most breathing stopped and I had to breathe for her and started telling her to "relax" and "you will be allright" as I prayed for her - prayed hard for her as I gathered a robe, keys and headed for the car. She stayed rigid with her head back and straight in line with her body and an occasional rasping sound as I got into the car, started it and drove to the vet with only my left hand and with her in my right arm, breathing for her in her nostrils. I was pretty sure she was going to be dead when I got to the vet but when I gave her to the him, she stirred, coughed and coughed and perked up and looked around at me as the vet was going for her mouth to open it.
Well..........well................what can you say or do at a time like that when you see your dog come out of extremis and look at you with its head cocked to one side, breathing in and out again. I fell backward into a chair and lost it right then and there as my vet took her to x-ray and check her out. He was yelling at me from x-ray "She's alright. She is fine." It was unreal. I'd seen my girl go from what seemed certain death to fine in a few moments and without anything either the vet or I did. Later he said the swelling that had formed around the hard knot had likely gone down due to the adrenaline her body had produced due to the extreme fight to live and being rushed out into the night air. I don't remember much else about that night but we stayed the night there. I think the vet left about 2:00 a.m. as he had early surgery but the vet tech and I stayed with Jilly and I brought her home later morning after a recheck. I seem to remember she had some type of Rx to take but have blooted out what it was, etc. So, I am so careful of whatever I give a Yorkie to chew after that. And I watch Tibbe the whole time, taking it away when needed for safety. I want Tibbe to be able to chew for enjoyment but I'm very watchful now. |