Heimlich Maneuver for Dogs,
Drinking Muddy Water and
Doggie Coats

Anonymous asks:
Q. Is there something similar to the Heimlich maneuver or mouth-to-mouth for a choking dog or one having a heart attack?

A.There is no described technique for a Heimlich maneuver in dogs. If you perform one you could cause more damage to internal organs, especially the liver.

As for Mouth to Mouth, if your dog has a foreign body in his/her trachea, mouth to mouth would not work but it can be performed for other purposes.

To perform you can close their mouth and blow through their nose. This is actually routinely done for newborns that are delivered via a C-section.

Ray asks:
Q.When our dog is outside he drinks anything he can reach - standing water, even from mud puddles. He always has nice fresh water inside. Is the outside water harmful? Why does he do that?

A. The question I have for you is do you think your dog is drinking an excessive amount of water? This can indicate some metabolic diseases (kidneys etc).

If your dog is constantly searching for water, drinks all of his water from his bowl and then goes for a walk and drinks everything in sight I would recommend talking to your regular vet about it and have him assessed for any problems.

Some standing water can harbor bacteria, protozoa and toxins that are from surrounding roads and gardens/farms that may be harmful to your pet. Try to discourage drinking that type of water if you can.

Anonymous asks:
Q. We have this argument every year. My wife insists on putting a doggie coat on our lab as soon as the weather gets cold. I tell her that they have a natural coat but she claims that it is the same coat they have in the summer so it can't be warm. What do you say?

A. Actually your wife is wrong about the coat. Dogs will develop a heavier coat in colder weather. This is why some owners notice a lot of shedding in the spring.

In the Cleveland areas most large breed dogs do fine with no winter coat. However one area to be concerned about would be their feet, especially with heavy snow. There are companies that make booties for dogs feet that help protect against frostbite.

I will say that most dogs do look good in their doggie coat and it will keep them a little warmer.