Learn how to handle emergencies involving your pet

Now that was scary. My dog, Kasey, was choking. He was eating his dinner and stopped. His body got stiff. He lifted his head and stood absolutely silent. After several long seconds, he started to cough and out came a piece of kibble.

I petted him, told him he was a "good boy," and gave him a hug. He looked at me and then walked off to get a drink of water.

Scary moment over. For him maybe. But I realized I didn't know what I would have done for him if he had continued choking. I've always taken precautions when feeding my dogs. I raise their food bowls off the ground, don't let them eat for at least 40 minutes after exercising, and have always moistened their dry food.

This was an instance of my dog choking on a piece of food, maybe the equivalent of "food going down the wrong pipe."

Dr. Maureen McMichael, a veterinarian at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, who is board certified in emergency and critical care, offers helpful information on how to prevent, identify and handle emergencies experienced by our pets.

First, have the phone numbers of your veterinarian and a nearby 24-emergency clinic handy. In case of an emergency, call ahead to let them know you are coming so the clinic can prepare for your arrival.

In the case of your pet choking, Dr. McMichael suggests trying to pull it out if the object is not too far down the animal's throat. One exception is if the animal has swallowed string. In that case, get veterinary care before acting.

"Pulling on the string could cause the taut string to rupture an intestinal wall, possibly leading to a deadly infection," she notes.

If an object is blocking the animal's windpipe, the Heimlich maneuver can be used. The Heimlich maneuver for animals is similar to the procedure used in humans.

"If your animal isn't breathing, call your emergency veterinarian immediately." Dr. McMichael said. "You can place your mouth over his nose and give three quick breaths in order to help stimulate their breathing."

HealthyPet.com advises protecting yourself as well as the animal if he is choking, as he will likely be frantic and maybe more likely to bite. The symptoms of an animal choking include difficulty breathing, excessive pawing at the mouth, blue lips and tongue. If the animal can still partially breathe, keep him calm and seek veterinary help as soon as possible.

Dr. McMichael suggests learning how to assess your pet's vital signs of respiratory rate and heart rate, so you can provide information to veterinarians so they can decide whether emergency care is needed.

You can get a respiratory rate by watching your animal's chest rise and fall with each breath. Normal respiratory rate is between 12 and 15 breaths per minute. You can feel the animal's heart rate and determine whether it is increasing or decreasing, by placing your hand on your pet's chest. A normal heart rate is 60 to 120 beats per minute in dogs and 140 to 180 beats per minute in cats.

Choking is just one of the emergencies we need to be prepared for in order to take care of our companion animals. If your animal needs first aid, don't go on online. Call your emergency veterinary clinic or your veterinarian immediately.

Keeping our dogs safe. There's always something new to learn where our pets are concerned.

• The Buddy Foundation, 65 W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, is an all-volunteer, nonprofit 501(c) 3 organization dedicated to the rescue of stray, abused and abandoned animals. Call (847) 290-5806 or visit www.thebuddyfoundation.org.