Choking While Eating

[Guest Greytluv]

Just the past two, three weeks my Danger dog eats and then starts choking. He'll finally hack up whole kibble, eats it and go beck to his bowl and finish.

 

Do you think he's eating too fast? It doesn't happen every time he eats but it's happening more often. I sometimes put a couple of spoons in his bowl thinking that will slow him down, but I'm not sure it's happening cuz he's eating too fast or what

 

Any ideas?

[greyhead]

Can't address the significance of this change in his eating behavior, but it may have some medical significance since he hasn't made a big habit of it previously. Maybe the GTers who know about that will chime in. And btw, how old is Danger?

 

For now, I'll just say that our Spencer, who's 9, has been doing that since he arrived at age 5. He has never been one to chew kibble, just inhales it. Someone told us to get a couple tablespoons of canned food, mix with a bit of water to make a sort of gravy, and moisten the kibble with that. We make it moist enough that the food will just slide down when he swallows it. The times I'm rushed and have to just serve kibble, he goes back to choking it it up and then eating it, just like Danger.

 

Good luck!

 

 

[jenn8]

Bug will choke on his kibble if it's dry. Like greyhead does, I add canned food and warm water, then stir it up until it makes a gravy. Works great.

 

Jenn

[Guest IrskasMom]

Bug will choke on his kibble if it's dry. Like greyhead does, I add canned food and warm water, then stir it up until it makes a gravy. Works great.Jenn

ditto to what Jenn said. Mine chockes on dry Kibble to .

[silverfish]

How old is Danger? If he's a senior, it is possible that he is beginning to suffer from laryngeal paralysis (LP). What happens is that the larynx doesn't close off as it should when they're eating or drinking, so food or water may slip in, making them cough or choke. This needs to be diagnosed by a vet, who will then advise you on what to do, and whether he may eventually need surgery.

 

Most likely, it's nothing much to worry about, but I must also tell you that I SO wish I'd demanded an investigation when Renie began to do this when she was nine. It was only now and then, but she did almost exactly what you describe and then was fine. Nothing else in the world the matter with her. But .. eventually she started to lose a little weight, and then (almost a year later during which she saw the vet multiple times) she began screaming in pain and went rapidly downhill - within a week. We got her an urgent referral to a specialist and it turned out she had a tumour deep in her chest in the region of her oesophagus and by then it had spread and infiltrated her spine and there was nothing to be done but say goodbye. If we had seen this wretched thing sooner, maybe it could have been removed and she might still be with me. But at the time we were with a vet who (in hindsight) was more concerned with saving money for us than making a thorough investigation.

 

I must emphasise that this is an extremely rare thing - I just needed to mention it as a remote possibility so you can watch him for other symptoms. And also I should say that Sid does exactly the same with his kibble when he eats too fast, as so many dogs do. It's difficult not to panic over this after my experience with Renie, but in fact he's had this area x-rayed for another reason and nothing abnormal showed up, thank God.

[Guest Energy11]

I have to wet all my kibble here. My boys eat sooo fast, that they will choke if not. Goldie is the same way. I moisten and wet all of their kibble. Might just be that with yours, too.

 

Good Luck!

[Guest Greytluv]

Danger will be 11 in September. I do wet his food with water and a little canned food and some yogurt. I will try soaking his food longer to soften it. If it keeps happening I'll take him to the vet.

 

Now that I think about it a while ago he was coughing a bit. I can't remember if it was when he was eating I did think it was odd. I know my Shih Tzu coughed and it was her heart so I'm pretty in tuned to coughing. The cough stopped, though

[silverfish]

Here's the Wikepedia article on LP in dogs. Click.

 

And if you do a search in the Health and Medical forum here on Greytalk for 'laryngeal paralysis' ("LP" won't work, since it's only two letters), you'll get results which include people's personal experience. That should give you some idea if this is just eating too fast, or if there might be a medical problem. Good luck!

[MerlinsMum]

It might also help to invest in a Brake-Fast bowl. My Sagan throws himself on his food like it's the first meal he's had in weeks... but the Brake Fast bowl really slows him down. I use the blue one for both my boys.

 

Good luck!

[ozgirl2]

Are you using a raised feeder? That helped with Cody's choking up food...