Epope721

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My 6 year old english bulldog Woody has experienced two choking episodes recently. The first was June 19th - he sounded like he was clearing his throat of phlegm/mucus, then suddenly he got into the "downward dog" position and started backing up. His muscles tensed, and his eyes got wide and filled with panic. His tongue started to turn purple. After about a minute of calming him down, I could hear that his breathing was labored - like he was choking on something. I picked him up to get him to the car (he was very scared at this point), and it must have been how I picked him up that he threw up all over the car seat. I could see that something that resembled a peach pit came out (it wasn't hard, it was soft and broke apart). We went to vet just in case - they took x-rays, did blood tests, all that stuff - said he was perfectly fine but he was on medication to prevent pneumonia.

Last night, the same thing happened. My other bully noticed it right away, and jumped off the couch to be at his side. He was in that downward dog position, his muscles tensing, tongue turning purple. My friend was there and immediately stuck her finger in his throat to see if he was choking and said she felt nothing. Shortly after that, he was breathing but very labored. We calmed him down by petting and getting the other dog out of the room. I picked him up to take him to the emergency room but then his tongue grew pink again, along with his gums. He drank water, and acted normal for the rest of the night. He even had a restful sleep after that while I kept my eye on him.

Has this happened to anyone else?? He didn't throw up last night, and nothing came out of him. I know that bulldogs have soft palates - and woody does snore a lot - so I'm wondering if this is starting to become a real problem? This has never happened to him before. He eats real food, meaning i don't feed him raw meat, but rather cooked meat with some various veggies, pumpkin, etc. The only thing that he was eating last night were some cheesy puffs (kinda like cheetos?) that maybe got lodged in his throat (we were tossing them on the floor and making them do little tricks)?? But he started to choke maybe 15-20 minutes after this and he was just laying on the floor not doing anything. Or maybe it's a buildup of mucus??? His appetite is normal today, and I mixed apple cider vinegar into his food and gave him two squeezes of lemon after he ate.

Any advice would be great! Thanks!
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
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My 6 year old english bulldog Woody has experienced two choking episodes recently. The first was June 19th - he sounded like he was clearing his throat of phlegm/mucus, then suddenly he got into the "downward dog" position and started backing up. His muscles tensed, and his eyes got wide and filled with panic. His tongue started to turn purple. After about a minute of calming him down, I could hear that his breathing was labored - like he was choking on something. I picked him up to get him to the car (he was very scared at this point), and it must have been how I picked him up that he threw up all over the car seat. I could see that something that resembled a peach pit came out (it wasn't hard, it was soft and broke apart). We went to vet just in case - they took x-rays, did blood tests, all that stuff - said he was perfectly fine but he was on medication to prevent pneumonia.

Last night, the same thing happened. My other bully noticed it right away, and jumped off the couch to be at his side. He was in that downward dog position, his muscles tensing, tongue turning purple. My friend was there and immediately stuck her finger in his throat to see if he was choking and said she felt nothing. Shortly after that, he was breathing but very labored. We calmed him down by petting and getting the other dog out of the room. I picked him up to take him to the emergency room but then his tongue grew pink again, along with his gums. He drank water, and acted normal for the rest of the night. He even had a restful sleep after that while I kept my eye on him.

Has this happened to anyone else?? He didn't throw up last night, and nothing came out of him. I know that bulldogs have soft palates - and woody does snore a lot - so I'm wondering if this is starting to become a real problem? This has never happened to him before. He eats real food, meaning i don't feed him raw meat, but rather cooked meat with some various veggies, pumpkin, etc. The only thing that he was eating last night were some cheesy puffs (kinda like cheetos?) that maybe got lodged in his throat (we were tossing them on the floor and making them do little tricks)?? But he started to choke maybe 15-20 minutes after this and he was just laying on the floor not doing anything. Or maybe it's a buildup of mucus??? His appetite is normal today, and I mixed apple cider vinegar into his food and gave him two squeezes of lemon after he ate.

Any advice would be great! Thanks!

Did the ER check his palate? I never heard or experienced this before so I'm interested in knowing why he is experiencing this . Maybe allergic to the cheese balls?
 
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Epope721

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He was back to normal in a matter of minutes so we didn't take him to the ER. Walking, drinking, playing, going to the bathroom normal.

We have a primary vet that saw him when this happened the last time. They checked everything and did blood tests, x-rays, checked oxygen levels - everything was good. They just said to keep him on some meds just so we didn't risk pneumonia.

It's been almost 24 hours since the incident (the vet is closed for holiday today), and Woody has acted 100% normal, aside from some phlegmy coughs (not enough/our of character for him to promote concern). He ate normal with some apple cider vinegar mixed in (it's what I take when I have extreme phlegm and it works wonders), has been drinking water normally, going to bathroom normal. He's alert when I get out the laser pointer. I plan on calling the vet tomorrow when they open, explain the incident, and going in to get this checked out again.

I wonder if it's just a phlegm buildup and thats what he was choking on? Whatever it is - it's scared the crap out of me. :(
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
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He was back to normal in a matter of minutes so we didn't take him to the ER. Walking, drinking, playing, going to the bathroom normal.

We have a primary vet that saw him when this happened the last time. They checked everything and did blood tests, x-rays, checked oxygen levels - everything was good. They just said to keep him on some meds just so we didn't risk pneumonia.

It's been almost 24 hours since the incident (the vet is closed for holiday today), and Woody has acted 100% normal, aside from some phlegmy coughs (not enough/our of character for him to promote concern). He ate normal with some apple cider vinegar mixed in (it's what I take when I have extreme phlegm and it works wonders), has been drinking water normally, going to bathroom normal. He's alert when I get out the laser pointer. I plan on calling the vet tomorrow when they open, explain the incident, and going in to get this checked out again.

I wonder if it's just a phlegm buildup and thats what he was choking on? Whatever it is - it's scared the crap out of me. :(


Very bizarre.... I'd hold off on laser play till you get this figured out. Too scary, I'm nervous just trying to visualize your details. Please keep us posted Ill be praying for ya
 
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Epope721

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I'm keeping his energy/excitement levels down, and he's been hanging out with his sister for awhile watching TV.

Thanks for the prayers.
 

2BullyMama

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I'm keeping his energy/excitement levels down, and he's been hanging out with his sister for awhile watching TV.

Thanks for the prayers.

Good... I so hope it is just phlegm build up, these babies sure keep us guessing and praying
 

helsonwheels

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I'm keeping his energy/excitement levels down, and he's been hanging out with his sister for awhile watching TV.
Thanks for the prayers.

I would definitely stop the cheese puff. Check the fat and the sodium! This is for an 8oz bag or one cup... depending on how many puffs you give it might be an issue. That’s half the daily fat and sodium limit for a lot of children, right there in 2 ounces of snack. I’m figuring a 50lb child like a 50lb dog...

1 Bag 8 Oz Cheetos Puffs
oz (227g )
Calories from Fat 730. Calories 1266.
125% Total Fat 81g.
65% Saturated Fat 13g.
3% Cholesterol 9.1mg.
85% Sodium 2032mg.
13% Potassium 447mg.
41% Total Carbohydrates 123g.
 
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Epope721

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He maybe had...a total of a handful of them? And this is something they don't normally eat. And something they won't ever eat again!
 

helsonwheels

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He maybe had...a total of a handful of them? And this is something they don't normally eat. And something they won't ever eat again!

Since he’s done this a couple times, write down what he’s been eating through out the day. You might see a pattern. Just a thought.
 
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Epope721

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I am willing to bet it has something to do with "treats" and the fact it's been extremely terrible hot weather (we have A/C but nonetheless the allergies!). Combined, perhaps both triggered some sort of mucus buildup. He is happy today, eating normal, playing, vet said to keep an eye on him and bring him in if he starts to act lethargic or avoid his food/water. So far, so good. These are the only two times in 6 years I've ever seen him choke! My poor little man.

Thanks for the suggestion! I've also been writing down every time he drinks water, goes outside, etc. just in case!
 

2BullyMama

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I am willing to bet it has something to do with "treats" and the fact it's been extremely terrible hot weather (we have A/C but nonetheless the allergies!). Combined, perhaps both triggered some sort of mucus buildup. He is happy today, eating normal, playing, vet said to keep an eye on him and bring him in if he starts to act lethargic or avoid his food/water. So far, so good. These are the only two times in 6 years I've ever seen him choke! My poor little man.

Thanks for the suggestion! I've also been writing down every time he drinks water, goes outside, etc. just in case!

Great! Keep us posted and give him a big hug from us


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

oscarmayer

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Let me add to what's already been said by saying that laser pointers can destroy joints...especially knees and elbows. Lasers are fun...but the sudden change of direction in chasing a laser dot can do great harm. Not sure if this is what's happening but if it is, you should be aware of the possibility of tearing a ligament.
I also recommend getting the soft palate evaluation. The palate can(and usually does) elongate with age.
 

Manydogs

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Palate was my thought, reading this! Thank you [MENTION=15364]oscarmayer[/MENTION]
 

Dollys Owner

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Let me add to what's already been said by saying that laser pointers can destroy joints...especially knees and elbows. Lasers are fun...but the sudden change of direction in chasing a laser dot can do great harm. Not sure if this is what's happening but if it is, you should be aware of the possibility of tearing a ligament.
I also recommend getting the soft palate evaluation. The palate can(and usually does) elongate with age.

Laser toys are also bad for a dog's psyche, here's what Dr. Karen Becker has to say about them:
Dogs instinctively chase laser beams simply because they move, and movement triggers the canine prey drive. In fact, when a laser dot stimulates your dog’s predatory systems, he can’t NOT chase it.
According to animal behaviorist Dr. Nicholas Dodman, laser toys are probably not a good idea for pets – especially dogs – because chasing the beam can become an obsession from which behavior problems develop. Never catching the “prey” can actually mess with a dog’s psyche.
 

Lalaloopsie

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It could also be an epileptic seizure, they come in various forms, sometimes without muscle contractions at all, but laboured breath and just stiffness in muscles instead. And it can be triggered with laser stimulation of eyes.
 

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