How do You Treat Choking in Cats?

Source: © Shutterstock

Choking can put your feline friend in a bad situation and acting fast is very important in order to save your cat.  Below are some of the ways that will help treat choking in cats.

First: You need to check for signs of choking in cats.  As we all know, cats usually throw up grass and coughs up fur balls, which can make it hard to tell if they are really choking or not.  Signs of a choking cat include drooling or gagging, difficulty breathing, pawing their mouth and coughing (forcefully).

Second: You need to act immediately.  Cats’ larynx are very sensitive and laryngeal spasm can happen pretty fast which can cause the airway to closed completely.  It’s why you need to act fast but still you need to contact your pet’s vet for some advice and to let them know that you might need to bring in your cat if needed.

Third: Use thick clothes like a blanket or a towel and wrap your cat.  Wrap up your cat using the thick material except for its head.  Wrapping the cat’s body will help support the cat and control his front limbs.

Fourth: Tilt the cat’s head back a little in order for you to open her mouth and have a better look inside.  Use one finger only to benumb the lower jaw.  Then use tweezers to remove the object that is blocking the airway.  But if the object is far too deep or wedged in, do not try to remove it and take your cat to the vet or to an animal hospital right away.

Fifth: Do the squeezing compressions on both sides of your cat’s ribcage or you can pat between your cat’s shoulder blades gently but firmly.

Sixth: If you successfully remove the obstructing object, call the vet and get and appointment for your feline to get checked right away.

Seventh: In case your attempt to remove the obstruction fail, take your cat to the vet or the nearest animal hospital.

Eight: When your cat passes out due to the lack of oxygen, the following steps might help.

1. Open your cat’s jaw as wide as possible. Don’t worry opening their jaws wide won’t hurt them. Check for an obstruction.  Then use tweezers to remove but only if the object is not wedged in and easy to see.  You could use your fingers but make sure you don’t put any pressure on the object.
2. Use only a clean cloth or tissue to wipe any fluid away because cotton balls can stick to the cat’s throat.
3. Once you have cleared throat and airway, start doing rescue breaths of CPR on your feline friend, using mouth-to-nose resuscitation.

Image via fidber at Flickr.com