** If Your Cat {or Pet} Was Choking **

[cassiesmom]

You know what? I don't know how I would give CPR to an animal. Is there a Heimlich maneuver for a choking animal? I would definitely try, though.

[Barbara]

Sure I would.
I am happy to see that for one time only one option in the poll is chosen

[Medusa]

I would but if it wasn't my cat, I'd be nervous about it. To say that a cat's or a dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's is, in my opinion, a bit of a stretch. Their tongues are not only their wash cloths but their toilet paper, too. It's doubtful that we can contract much from a cat or a dog and vice versa but if it's bacterial, for instance, if a cat killed something and later contracted salmonella, we might be able to contract it as well. My cats, however, are indoor cats, so I'd feel pretty safe about it.

[phesina]

There is a variation of the Heimlich maneuver for a choking dog or cat. I've seen demonstrations but don't know the exact steps. I think the pressure is applied to the side of the animal's chest rather than straight down on it, though I'm not sure.

I just Googled "cat dog first aid heimlich maneuver" and got loads of listings, so the information is not hard to find.

You know what? I don't know how I would give CPR to an animal. Is there a Heimlich maneuver for a choking animal? I would definitely try, though.

[ramanth]

Absolutely. I even took a Pet First Aid class to learn how to do it properly.