Esophageal obstruction can be dangerous and even deadly for dogs. Learn how dog owners can keep their pets safe.
Sometimes, pups make weird sounds, but one you shouldn’t ignore is the sound of choking, gagging, or a persistent cough. Those sounds could be a partial or full esophageal obstruction—which could be dangerous if not dealt with immediately. Here’s what to do if your dog has something stuck in their throat.
Not sure if your dog is experiencing an esophageal foreign body obstruction? Here are a few signs to watch for.
You shouldn’t be able to hear your dog gulping, see “neck stretching,” or see several attempts at swallowing when your pet’s eating or chewing. If you notice this, check your pup’s throat to ensure nothing is stuck.
Certain breeds, like the Bloodhound, are known for drooling puddles. However, you know your pet best. If you notice puddles of drool that exceed the normal “drool amount,” or foamy drool, check for a blockage.
Often sounding like a “hrrrmphhhckk” noise, coughing can sometimes (although rarely)indicate esophageal irritation in general. However, if you hear it happening alongside any of the symptoms on this list, it’s time to check your dog’s throat.
Dogs have a strong survival instinct and will try to gag up whatever might be blocking or irritating their throat. If they gag uncontrollably or exceed four or more times in a row, seek veterinary support and check for a blockage.
Dogs use their paws to signal a lot of things, including distress. Generally, mouth pawing isn’t common unless there’s an irritant or severe damage. If you see this happening, seek help from your veterinarian.
While having something stuck in your dog’s throat won’t often lead to difficulty breathing, it’s still important to make sure your dog’s gums look normal and without a pale or blue tinge.
An esophageal obstruction commonly results in vomiting as your pet tries to dislodge the offending object. However, vomiting in this context might seem unproductive, bringing up little to no food as a result of a possible blockage.
If your dog has something stuck in their throat, they may simply refuse to eat. This is especially true if they are experiencing pain or swelling from an obstruction. Make sure to monitor any abnormal changes in appetite, and seek veterinary support if it continues.
This can look different for every pet. However, general body language signs include lethargy, restlessness (shown by pacing), dragging of the dog’s hind legs, and excessive, heavy panting.
There are two primary types of obstructions: a full esophageal obstruction and a partial esophageal obstruction. Both can cause severe complications in canines if they’re left untreated.
These happen when there’s something small stuck in your dog’s throat, possibly causing irritation, but not completely blocking food and water flow. These are still considered an emergency, as they can progress and cut off your dog’s airflow if left unaddressed.
This type of blockage occurs if there is something that is completely blocking food and water flow in your dog’s esophagus. Symptoms are usually more pronounced with this type of obstruction.
🚨 Obstructions can become serious quickly. Seek immediate veterinary attention if you think that your dog is experiencing an esophageal obstruction.
There are many possible causes of esophageal obstructions. Knowing the cause behind your dog’s obstruction can help prevent future ones and get treatment faster.
Here are some of the most common causes of esophageal obstructions:
If your dog has something stuck in their throat, or your veterinarian suspects an esophageal obstruction, they’ll get it out using specialty medical tools and, very likely, general anesthesia. Here are some of the ways a vet will help your dog:
This form of retrieval uses long forceps to lift the object out of the throat and might be used if there is no serious damage, as minor damage is less likely to cause swelling or an emergency. Vets can also use this method to push the blockage into the stomach, which they may opt to do if it is safe, food-related, or too far to lift from the mouth safely.
During an endoscopy, your veterinarian will place a tube down your dog’s throat with a camera on the end, allowing them to get full visualization of your dog’s throat. This may be done under light anesthesia to keep your pet from moving.
Your vet can perform either an esophagostomy or a gastrotomy to remove objects from the esophagus or the stomach, respectively. The choice of surgery type depends on your surgeon’s goal. This is often a last resort, as it is considered to be invasive. Generally speaking, surgery is done under general anesthesia to keep your pet as comfortable as can be.
Your pet may need intravenous fluids (IVs) if they’ve vomited regularly over a rapid period, replacing key liquids and electrolytes lost during the process. Your veterinarian can advise based on your dog’s specific case.
🚨Pet owners should know basic pet first aid and safety techniques to address blockages from both small and larger objects. Areas of study should include the Heimlich maneuver, how to do a physical examination of your dog’s throat and mouth area, and the “eXternal eXtraction” technique.
Preventative strategies are key when it comes to managing your dog’s risk for esophageal obstructions. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to help keep your furry friend as safe as possible.
A blockage of your dog’s esophagus can be serious if it’s left unaddressed. In severe cases, it can cause large amounts of scarring on the wall of the esophagus, disruption of the digestive tract, and several other long-term problems for your pet. In the best-case scenario, your pet may experience trauma from the blockage or regurgitation.
While prevention is key to avoiding this situation for your pet, seeking immediate veterinary care can bring your pet out of crisis and jumpstart the healing process if they have already begun to choke. Be sure to come to the emergency vet prepared with as much information as you can to help them to act quickly.
If you notice clinical signs of esophageal blockages (such as regurgitation or foamy saliva pooling from your dog’s mouth), you may need to clear their throat. Our veterinary review team recommends doing a quick visual check and sweeping the dog’s mouth with your fingers—be careful not to get bit!—clearing anything you can see. Then, promptly load them up and take them to your veterinarian for a thorough check-up to avoid complications later on.
A visual inspection of your dog’s mouth is the best way to see if your dog has something stuck in the back of their mouth.
If your dog is breathing fine and you see something, ensure it’s safe and help your dog open their jaws and attempt to sweep it out with two hooked fingers. If you can’t see anything, monitor for other symptoms. Remember, stay calm, confirm that your dog can breathe, and get to the vet.
While a choking dog might cough due to a piece of foreign material in your dog’s throat, there are plenty of other reasons your pet might cough. Coughing and “sneezing” can be signs of generalized illness, allergies, or more benign causes. They can also be signs of respiratory disease or something more serious, such as kennel cough.
