Question on possible dog choking episode....

[Vicki]

my little Pom, Huey, is almost 9 years old and is in really great health. Eats good, etc. He weights 6.5 lbs.....finally got some weight off of him....he was up to 10.9 and now he's doing wonderful....doesn't pant as often, runs around more. So I'm really happy for him. Anyway, whenever food is about to be given to him, whether his meal or a treat, he gets sooooo excited...runs around, barks, salivates. Usually at treat time I give him two of these little small treats. Lately, he gets so excited he has swallowed the first one without even chewing it up because he's so excited about getting the second one - which he will chew. Anyway, two times now I've turned my heat away for a second or two after giving him a treat and when I look back he's on his back with his feet going in the air as if he's running. I thought he was choking...so I grabbed him, felt down his throat with my finger, massaged his throat to get anything moving that was stuck. Immediately he's better. He wasn't coughing or hacking, nothing like that....just acting like he couldn't get upright from being on his back. I would have thought coughing and hacking would be the very first, if not only sign of possible choking but can this be a sign too? Would some dogs, who are maybe panicing because of the feeling of something stuck just fall over and struggle like this? Mind you....this is all happening in about 4-5 seconds from the time I saw him on his back. It's very quick and he's completely fine afterwards. I keep thinking that he would take the second treat from me before the first, unchewed one was completely down and maybe got a little stuck momentarily. My gut instinct says it was a little something stuck in his throat but wanted to see what you folks thought. Thanks!

[davet]

it kinda sound to me like this maya be a mild seizure at least the way you describe it...if youhave a video camera, try to take a picture of him doing it and take it to your vet...it does not sound, to me, at all like a choking incident...but hard to tell this far away...get a video and have it looked at....

[Traci]

They could indeed be choking incidents, and if the food was lodged badly enough to cut off the airway, you would not observe/hear choking sounds, but rather just as you described: falling over, legs kicking or paddling.

In the immediate sense, if it seems to occur only after giving treats, cease giving treats and monitor him closely, especially when he is eating his normal meals.

However, I also agree with Davet that these may be seizure activity, and it's crucial you get him examined by your vet, plus bloodwork and thyroid function testing. The excitement displayed before meals or treats could be setting off a trigger. I would also strongly suggest getting a complete heart work-up done for him. (i.e., heart murmur, or advanced heart disease in which excitement or rigorous exercise sets off an attack)

Don't take chances, get him seen by your vet immediately.

[Vicki]

I'd never be able to get a picture - it's over in 4-5 seconds. I would think if it was a seizure it would last longer than that.

[Traci]

Not necessarily...seizures can be a few seconds to longer than 5 minutes, depending on the type and cause (i.e., petit vs cluster vs grand mal).

I wouldn't take chances, Vicki.....get him seen, your vet can try simple tests during the exam, can give him a treat to possibly "replicate" the incident and go from there...can check the throat and esophagus, and determine if additional diagnostics may be necessary.