I'm not a big poster, but have always found this site invaluable for information. I just wanted to reiterate a strong point with everyone. The following was written last night at 8pm EST...I was too upset to "submit".
Tonite our wonderful 2.5 year "little girl" is gone. Our wonderful boxer pup that is.
She chocked on a nylabone about 4 hours ago, and after wheezing for any available air at all, 2.5 hours later she was pronounced brain dead.
The lessons I want to pass on are the following...they are very important, something I kept putting off, but IMPERATIVE to commit to memory or at the very least jot down in an accessible place. You owe it to your dog, you owe it to yourself.
1) Know the vet's phone number
2) Know the ER clinics phone number AND LOCATION (NOTING that different ER's may only be open nightime hours). I'd map each one out from your different favorite play areas, parks, etc.
3) Know how to perform the heimlich manuever
4) Know CPR
Our experience started 4 hours ago as mentioned. It's been raining here in MA for 2 weeks solid, so I picked her up a Nylabone to enjoy. I've never given her one before, as I usually only give her big hard bones or bully chews. This was a big nylabone so I figured no worries, plus it looked all natural and highly digestable. Well she choked. She scampered around the house, driving her face into the floor trying to dislodge the bone. My wife was pleading for me to save her. I called our vet which was closed referring me to another emergency number. I called that number and after 10 minutes of forceful heimlich via telephone instruction, could not dislodge this bone. Cassius was wheezing for any air she could muster into her lungs...gurgling and wheezing...thrashing around. After 10 minutes, the woman referred me to an ER 50 minutes away. I was SHOCKED at where she was sending me, but apparently that is the only ER that could help Cassius. We had no idea where it was, forgot our cell phones in the panic, and were led down the wrong road by the local fire dept. I asked someone doing some yard work where the ER was...he noticed the situation (Cassius was frothing from the mouth and still wheezing best she could - occassionally outright choking during the 1 hour ride where she'd thrash around to get back her wheeze)...jumped in his car and led me there. FINALLY we got into the ER. 15-20 minutes later we were told "Cassius has arrested, can we cut her open to pump her heart manually?" which we agreed to. 25 minutes later we were told that they are pumping her heart manually, but that she was braindead. We had to let her go.
I can only assume that such little oxygen tired her precious little heart out so much, that after they removed the bone, she was so full of fluid with such a weak heart, that she couldn't bounce back. In hindsight (realtime today as I re-read this), I realize that she was dying every minute of the ride. She fought so hard for her air, but it was so little , so little for over an hour. When I handed her over to the ER doctor, I thought nothing could go wrong...too relieved to have finally made it there to realize how tired she would be.
Would knowing the heimlich have helped in this situation...probably not, the bone was close to 5" long stuck in her throat and they had to cut her to get at it. But to spring into action instinctively without scrambling for phone numbers would have been preferable for sure. What if I or my wife were alone when this happened...would be very difficult to handle on your own and the knowledge would be invaluable. Nylabones...pass on those things...pass on anything that she can't chew without holding down with her front paws IMO, like the nice butcher sized bones. I would sincerely appreciate it if no one flamed nylabones in this post, please, this is not the place for it.
Cassius, you are the first dog I ever had, my first true loss, my first real cry, and your Mom's absolute best friend. We will miss you Sweetheart - we will always love and remember you as the most precious little angel (our "Angel Girl"), and for all the gentle love you had within you. Your friends will be so sad, but will see you again, someday.
Love,
Justin and Stacey
Tonite our wonderful 2.5 year "little girl" is gone. Our wonderful boxer pup that is.
She chocked on a nylabone about 4 hours ago, and after wheezing for any available air at all, 2.5 hours later she was pronounced brain dead.
The lessons I want to pass on are the following...they are very important, something I kept putting off, but IMPERATIVE to commit to memory or at the very least jot down in an accessible place. You owe it to your dog, you owe it to yourself.
1) Know the vet's phone number
2) Know the ER clinics phone number AND LOCATION (NOTING that different ER's may only be open nightime hours). I'd map each one out from your different favorite play areas, parks, etc.
3) Know how to perform the heimlich manuever
4) Know CPR
Our experience started 4 hours ago as mentioned. It's been raining here in MA for 2 weeks solid, so I picked her up a Nylabone to enjoy. I've never given her one before, as I usually only give her big hard bones or bully chews. This was a big nylabone so I figured no worries, plus it looked all natural and highly digestable. Well she choked. She scampered around the house, driving her face into the floor trying to dislodge the bone. My wife was pleading for me to save her. I called our vet which was closed referring me to another emergency number. I called that number and after 10 minutes of forceful heimlich via telephone instruction, could not dislodge this bone. Cassius was wheezing for any air she could muster into her lungs...gurgling and wheezing...thrashing around. After 10 minutes, the woman referred me to an ER 50 minutes away. I was SHOCKED at where she was sending me, but apparently that is the only ER that could help Cassius. We had no idea where it was, forgot our cell phones in the panic, and were led down the wrong road by the local fire dept. I asked someone doing some yard work where the ER was...he noticed the situation (Cassius was frothing from the mouth and still wheezing best she could - occassionally outright choking during the 1 hour ride where she'd thrash around to get back her wheeze)...jumped in his car and led me there. FINALLY we got into the ER. 15-20 minutes later we were told "Cassius has arrested, can we cut her open to pump her heart manually?" which we agreed to. 25 minutes later we were told that they are pumping her heart manually, but that she was braindead. We had to let her go.
I can only assume that such little oxygen tired her precious little heart out so much, that after they removed the bone, she was so full of fluid with such a weak heart, that she couldn't bounce back. In hindsight (realtime today as I re-read this), I realize that she was dying every minute of the ride. She fought so hard for her air, but it was so little , so little for over an hour. When I handed her over to the ER doctor, I thought nothing could go wrong...too relieved to have finally made it there to realize how tired she would be.
Would knowing the heimlich have helped in this situation...probably not, the bone was close to 5" long stuck in her throat and they had to cut her to get at it. But to spring into action instinctively without scrambling for phone numbers would have been preferable for sure. What if I or my wife were alone when this happened...would be very difficult to handle on your own and the knowledge would be invaluable. Nylabones...pass on those things...pass on anything that she can't chew without holding down with her front paws IMO, like the nice butcher sized bones. I would sincerely appreciate it if no one flamed nylabones in this post, please, this is not the place for it.
Cassius, you are the first dog I ever had, my first true loss, my first real cry, and your Mom's absolute best friend. We will miss you Sweetheart - we will always love and remember you as the most precious little angel (our "Angel Girl"), and for all the gentle love you had within you. Your friends will be so sad, but will see you again, someday.
Love,
Justin and Stacey
