My dog choked on her collar in crate. What to watch for overnight?

Yikes! I'm so glad you were there to stop this from becoming a much worse situation! His mouth should heal just fine. Offer some soft food as hard food may be a bit painful for the next couple of days, other than that you don't need to change anything. If it hasn't healed well within 4-5 days, take him to the vet. Keep an eye on the other dog as well; while you were able to get them untangled quickly when he was choking, sometimes dogs can develop whats called "non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema" after a choking incident, even a brief one. If he starts to cough, seems to be breathing faster than normally or is labored at all in his breathing, take him to the vet. Oxygen therapy may be needed, these guys usually recover but they do often need to spend some time in an oxygen cage. He very well may be fine and not develop these symptoms at all, but it is something you need to watch out for over the next 12-24 hours. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Buffy could be suffering from a collapsing trachea, which can be common in small breed dogs. I think it's a great idea to take her into the vet first thing in the morning. For tonight, I would keep her quiet. If you have to take her out for a walk, use a harness instead of a collar, and keep the walk short. Just take her out to do her business, and bring her right back in.

Sounds like Apollo is in pain. Rest him tonight. No running, jumping, or playing. Take him out to toilet on a leash, and bring him right back in when he's done. If he still appears painful in the morning, then I would take him into the vet for an exam. The vet can diagnose where the pain is coming from, and can dictate a treatment plan for it. He may also benefit from some pain medications, which the vet can prescribe. Please do not give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given.

Oh no, poor B! If she is breathing funny, then I would be very concerned that he has already caused her problems and depending on how often he does it and how hard he squeezes her, there is a chance there could be very serious problems resulting from this. If he's done it enough and severely injured her, there could be the possibility the results may be permanent. B needs to see a vet tomorrow to determine if she has suffered any damage from this behavior and can discuss treatment options with you. On a serious note, what your roommate is doing could potentially be deemed animal abuse if he is hurting her, and I would not leave B alone with your roommate if you can't trust he won't stop this behavior. It's not a funny thing to do to a dog, and as I said above, it's very concerning that she is breathing funny from this. He needs to stop it now, and B should never be left unsupervised with him if you can't trust him. I hope this helps.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. I sorry to hear about such a traumatic incident for her. How scary! I do recommend that she is evaluated by a veterinarian. Strangulation injuries can be severe and have long lasting effects. This is especially true with lung damage as it can show up after the incident. She likely has broken vessels in the tissues lining her eyes due to the trauma. She may require eye medications to help them heal. I hope this information helps!

I'm glad Rhea was able to be freed. The stress of the episode may account for the redness in the eyes as well as the nosebleed. If the bleeding doesn't stop, have her examined by your veterinarian. Monitor her for bruising around her neck, discomfort, lameness or difficulty breathing.

Hello. Make sure the color of her gums & mucous membranes keep a nice pink color. Observe her breathing at rest & while sleeping. If her respirations are 30 breaths per minute or less while she is sleeping, & her gums remain nice & pink, for the next 24 hours, she will be fine. Any concerns, please have her evaluated at an emergency clinic immediately. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.