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A choking dog is an emergency. An animal has to be able to breathe. Before rushing to the vet, first try the following.
1. See if you can remove the blockage. Do what the American Kennel Club calls a mouth sweep. With a phone flashlight on, use your index finger to try to find and pull out the item. You may have to use small tongs. Never push in, as that could lodge the object in the throat more firmly. If it’s a large object like a ball that you cannot pull toward you, see if you can dislodge it by pressing your thumbs underneath both sides of the dog’s jaw near the base of the throat and then pressing upwards.
2. If you can’t remove the object and can’t get to the vet super fast, try the Heimlich maneuver. Pick up your dog so that he’s on his hind legs, with his head up and his back next to your stomach. Grasp your hands around his middle, below his rib cage, and pull inwards and upwards, very forcefully. Note: Do not perform the Heimlich maneuver on a small dog. Try placing him upside down and shaking him.
