SubscribeCat Heimlich Maneuver: Know the Steps
When a cat is choking, swift action is vital. Learn to recognize the signs—gagging, difficulty breathing, and blue gums—and perform the cat Heimlich maneuver. This knowledge, combined with preventive measures, can save your cat’s life.
When a cat’s airway becomes blocked by food, hairballs, or small objects, it is a frightening experience for both the cat and their owner. Acting quickly and effectively may be the only way to save your cat’s life.
Unlike dogs, cats often hide when in distress, making it vital for cat moms and dads to recognize the signs of choking as well as how to prevent it in the first place. But learning to perform the cat Heimlich maneuver and having a back-up plan could make you your cat’s hero!
Don’t Guess When It Comes To Your Pet’s Care
Don’t Guess When It Comes To Your Pet’s Care
How to Tell If a Cat Is Choking
Recognizing the signs of choking in cats is key to responding quickly and effectively. Look and listen for:
- Gagging or Retching: The cat may cough, gag, or retch trying to force the object out of her airway.
- Sudden Difficulty Breathing: If a cat suddenly struggles to breathe, wheezes, or gasps for air, this could indicate her airway is blocked.
- Pawing at the Mouth or Face: Pawing at the face to dislodge an obstruction is a common sign that something is stuck.
- Excessive Drooling: Increased saliva production may be the body’s way to clear the blockage.
- Blue or Pale Gums: A cat’s gums should be bubble-gum pink unless dark pigment prevails. If the gums turn blue or pale due to a lack of oxygen or insufficient circulation, kitty’s condition is serious.
- Unconscious: If the cat suffers a total airway obstruction, she will lose consciousness, requiring Rescue Breathing and CPR followed by immediate transport to veterinary care.
Differentiating Choking from Other Issues
It is important to understand the differences between choking and other cat behaviors. Cats cough for various reasons: inhalation of toxins, asthma, respiratory infections, and other illnesses. If the cat is coughing but can breathe, allow her a few moments to clear the obstruction while you supervise the coughing or retching. If the obstruction does not clear or the coughing worsens, immediate action is needed to rule out choking and get to veterinary care.
Step-by-Step: What to Do if a Cat is Choking
Conscious Cat: Abdominal Thrusts (aka cat Heimlich maneuver)
- Look in the Mouth: To begin the process of the cat Heimlich maneuver, carefully open the cat’s mouth to look for any visible obstruction. Place your index finger and thumb on opposite sides where the upper and lower jaw meet to assist in opening kitty’s mouth. Never reach it until you can see how and where the obstruction is located. Safely use forceps, tweezers, or your fingers to remove the object, taking care not to push the object further down the cat’s throat, nor cut or scrape the inside of the mouth.
- Perform Abdominal Thrusts (aka cat Heimlich Maneuver): Most cats are too small to use your fist on, so use the flat tips of several fingers to perform abdominal thrusts.
- Lean forward so your back is parallel to the floor. Pick up the cat, pulling her against your chest.
- Locate the triangle formed by her ribcage. Place your fingertips at the bottom of that triangle, in the soft area just below her ribs.
- Holding the cat firmly against you, apply 5 upward thrusts pressing on the diaphragm to expel the object.
- If the obstruction is not expelled from the cat’s mouth, visually check to see if it has moved into the throat, allowing removal. If you can’t do so safely or don’t see anything, repeat thrusts.
- If unsuccessful after 2 – 3 rounds, move on to Chest Thrusts.
Conscious Cat: Chest Thrusts
- With the cat on the floor or tabletop, place 2 – 3 fingers on each side of her chest; you may use the heel of both hands if they are not too large relative to the side of the cat’s ribcage. Gently bend the elbow of one of the cat’s front legs and pull it back until it touches her chest. This marks the spot for chest thrusts.
- Thrust 5 times, squeezing air out of the cat’s lungs to move the obstruction into, and potentially out of, her mouth.
NOTE: A cat’s ribcage is quite flexible, making fractures relatively rare.
Unconscious Cat: Chest Thrusts
- Place the unconscious cat on her side on a firm surface.
- Mark the location of the thrust by gently bending the cat’s upper front leg back until her elbow touches her chest.
- Thrust 5 times using several fingers or the heel of one hand, depending on the size of your hand vs. the cat’s chest. Only thrust at that small target zone over her ribcage; do not allow your hand to cover her abdomen.
- Look in the cat’s mouth, gently pulling her tongue forward just past her canine teeth, to see if you can remove the obstruction. If you cannot, repeat chest thrusts.
- If unsuccessful after 2 – 3 attempts, administer Rescue Breathing & CPR and head to immediate veterinary care, calling on the way to alert the clinic.
Your quick and appropriate actions may not only save a life but may also make a difference in your cat’s recovery. Prolonged choking can require oxygen therapy or other intensive treatments.
What to Do After a Choking Incident
Monitor the Cat: Even if the cat appears fine after a choking incident, closely observe her for 24 hours or until you can schedule a vet visit. Look for signs of distress, throat irritation, or difficulty breathing. Changes in behavior may indicate complications.
Visit the Vet: Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to check for internal injuries or complications that may have occurred during the choking incident.
Watch for Signs of Anything not Right: Changes in eating or drinking or anything out of the norm should be assessed by a veterinarian as a potential after effect of choking.
Preventing Choking in Cats
The best first aid is not having to do it at all, so preventing choking in cats should be a top priority, but knowing cat choking first aid is vital since life happens despite our best efforts.
Although most cats don’t gulp food like dogs do, if your cat eats quickly, a slow-feeder bowl might encourage her to chew more thoroughly. Also, never feed your cat large chunks of food.
Regular brushing reduces shedding and may prevent furballs from occurring. If you share your life with a long-haired cat or one prone to bezoars, ask your veterinarian if supplements or pumpkin puree could aid with digestion or help push the fur through her system.
Supervise cats around toys, making sure small pieces do not break loose and that no beads or string could be swallowed.
Get down on all fours to assess life from your cat’s perspective, 5 – 7 inches off the floor and on countertops where they may jump. Keeping your house tidy and free of dropped buttons, rubber bands, string, and dental floss may prevent accidents from happening.
Teaching your cat the “leave it” or “drop it” command is not out of the question and could prevent a choking incident.
When to Seek Veterinary Care for a Choking Cat
For safety’s sake, seek veterinary care whenever your cat suffers a choking incident. If your cat has been examined due to hairballs, you can follow your veterinarian’s suggested protocol for future events. But without exception, if a choking cat exhibits any of the following signs, do not delay in getting your cat to the closest animal emergency hospital:
- Unconscious, not breathing
- Difficulty breathing, continued coughing, or wheezing
- Trouble swallowing
- Excessive drooling
- Bleeding, loose teeth, or other injury to the mouth
Conclusion
Knowing what to do if a cat is choking may not only save a life but also lessen recovery time and treatment for the feline patient. Although cats choke less frequently than their canine counterparts, if a cat chokes, treat it as an emergency, acting quickly and effectively. Recognizing the signs of a cat choking and having the confidence to perform the cat Heimlich maneuver is something every cat parent and caregiver must know. Additionally, preventing incidents from happening in the first place by choosing toys wisely, observing play, feeding small bites, and keeping a safe environment can prevent your best feline friend from choking.
Images by Eugen from PixabayGundula Vogel from Pixabay and Sunny-dog Ink
