I Performed the Heimlich Maneuver on a Dog!!!

Last night I performed the Heimlich maneuver on my sisters 100lbs black lab Bosco. I am not sure how I knew how to perform this life saving maneuver on a dog but I did. It’s most likely the fact that I am required by the State of Utah to be certified in CPR and First Aid to do my job. And that every year for the last 3 years I have gone through the training. And its not even the first time I have used these life saving techniques.

About a year ago I performed CPR (just the chest compressions cause mouth to mouth is gross) on my neighbor when he went into heart failure. I know, I know I am amazing don’t you wish you lived next door to me just in case. Of course this neighbor’s son was also running a meth lab out of the house and it has now been condemned and I have moved. And some nights I wake up in a cold sweat thinking I was in a meth house and I am going to die from some rare form of cancer now. So if you lived next door to me I would probably let you die and now your glad you aren’t my neighbor.




Bosco!!!!



So last night I am in my room talking to The BF on the phone when my sister yelled at me to come to her room. My casual in a minute was answered with a now and hurry. So I went in her room and she said something is wrong with Bosco. I looked at him on the floor and it was obvious he was in some form of distress. At first I thought he just could not stand after all he weighs 100lbs and has bad knees but it quickly became apparent that was not his problem.

I get down on the floor and start talking to him. Unfortunately he has not mastered the art of conversation and he started to drool profusely and was struggling to breath. I started to panic but was trying to be calm because my very tough brave sister was already panicking and my 8 year old niece was getting more and more upset. At this point poor Bosco is really fighting to breathe, my sister is now on the floor with me trying to call the vet, and my niece was ordered out of the room so she wouldn’t have to see her pet die.

I would like to take a moment to share the very rapid thoughts that went through my head at this time:

1. STAY CALM!!!!
2. Dont panic.
3. There is no way we are getting this dog to the vet in time before he dies.
4. How are we going to carry him down the stairs and into the car.
5. Seriously STAY FREAKING CALM!!!!
6. THINK OF SOMETHING TO DO!!!
7. You big dumb dog this is what happens when you get in the garbage.
8. PLEAE DONT DIE!!!
9. Its going to be a pain to bury him in the back yard.
10. We are going to have to dig one BIG hole.

By this time Bosco had rolled over on his side and his eyes where rolling back into his head and I decided he was chocking on something so I did what any other person would do…. I stood over Bosco with one leg on each side of his massive body, picked up the upper half of his body, guessed about where to place my hands, then pushed in and up just like I would on a person. I did this 3 times then checked his breathing. He appeared to still be struggling so I picked him up and did it 3 more times. Finally poor dumb Bosco started breathing and after a few minutes he was up walking around.

This whole scenario only took a few minutes but it was long enough to scare all of us straight. Bosco, who ignores me normally when my sister is home, spend part of the night sleeping on my bedroom floor. I think this is his way of saying "Dude thanks". Of course this is what I need in my life....another 100lbs dog following me every where I go.