If a dog is struggling to breathe, it's an emergency. If possible, have someone else ring the vet practice while you help the dog. If you are alone, put the phone on speaker beside you and carry on.
Whether it's sticks, stones, bits of bone, or a ball that that could become a choking hazard, a dog loves to pick things up with its mouth. Most of the time this is just normal playful behaviour, without any consequences.
Now and then it becomes more serious. It's important to be aware and alert whenever a dog falls into real distress because something has got stuck in the palate or is starting to cause breathing difficulties.
Be alert to what's happening
A dog with a stick stuck in the upper palate or lodged between teeth will usually cough hard, retch, paw at the mouth, and look panicked. Try to calmly look and feel whether you can reach with your fingers into the mouth and gently pull loose a twig or stick that is causing distress.
A fully blocked airway is quieter, and that makes it extremely dangerous. Look for frantic effort with little or no sound, blue or grey gums, and signs of collapse.
In case your dog stops breathing
It's a medical emergency if breathing stops, and it's crucial to know what can be done in this case. First, check for breathing and a heartbeat. If there is a pulse but no breath, give rescue breaths only by keeping the dog's mouth closed and breathing with two rescue breaths into its nostrils (place your mouth entirely over both of the dog's nostrils to create an airtight seal, then blow firmly into the nose until you see the chest rise). If there is neither a heartbeat or breathing, give thirty chest compressions to two breaths, at roughly two compressions a second, and keep going until the dog comes round or you reach the vet.
Every dog who has been through this needs to been seen by a vet afterwards, even one who seems perfectly fine. Ribs can bruise, throats swell, and inhaled water or debris can cause problems hours later.
Signs to watch for
Step by step
Stay safe and look, do not reach blindly
Open the mouth and look. If you can see the object clearly and can grip it, pull it straight out. Never sweep a finger down a throat if you cannot see, as you may push the obstruction further in.
Small dog not breathing: hold and pat
Hold the dog with its head lower than its chest and with the flat of your hand give five firm pats between the shoulder blades . Check the mouth again between attempts.
Large dog not breathing: lift the hind end
Lift the back legs like a wheelbarrow so the head drops, then give five firm pats between the shoulder blades. Gravity does much of the work here.
Breathing still blocked: firm abdominal thrusts
Standing behind the dog, make a fist just behind the ribcage and push firmly up and inwards five times. Stop as soon as the object comes free, and check the mouth again.
Get moving to the vet
Even if the object that blocked breathing came out, go to a vet practice for a checkover. Ring ahead so they are ready for you, and if possible have a second person drive so you can monitor the dog.
A practical dog first aid course costs an afternoon and is far better than any web page, including this one.