10 Objects dogs are most likely to choke on

Standing less than 2 feet away from my twins as they ate dinner in their high chairs last week – at 16-months-old – my husband and our two older daughters and I were at the bar in the kitchen enjoying our dinner, as well. I wasn&rsquo-t feeling well, and decided I was no longer hungry so that I could just go to the master bedroom and lie down. It was when I got up and turned around the face the twins to walk by that I noticed our beautiful little girl was purple, gasping for air and making not one sound. She was choking. Heart in my chest and no clear memory of what happened next, all I know is that a few moments later she was in my arms, angry red handprints marring her little back and vomit all over the breakfast nook. She was breathing again. I thanked God.

Choking is serious business, and it&rsquo-s silent. Most often you have no idea that someone is choking unless you are looking at them, and that includes your dog. Here I was, just feet from my little girl thinking nothing of the fact that she and her twin brother were not safe with me right there and had I not turned around to go to bed, who knows what would have happened next. I don&rsquo-t even want to think about it. I know that dog owners feel a similar kind of love for their animals that I feel for my children, and I know that you want to know what you have lying around the house that might cause your dog to choke. Our daughter chocked on a small piece of pasta. Your dog could choke on a number of things you might not even realize are dangerous, and I want you to know what those objects are.

Food

This gets to go first on the list since it&rsquo-s so common. All dogs have dog food, so it&rsquo-s the most dangerous item on the list. You have to do what you can to ensure that your dog does not inhale his food. One way to do this is to buy a feeder that requires your dog eats slowly. The other way to do this is to feed your dog consistently. We all get busy and can remember suddenly that you were supposed to feed the dog yesterday and didn&rsquo-t but when you finally do feed the dog, he inhales his food and increases his chances of choking.

Rawhide

It&rsquo-s not something you might consider dangerous, but it is. Anything your dog can chew on and remove tiny pieces of becomes quite dangerous for your animal. It&rsquo-s best to keep a very close eye on your dog when he is enjoying time with his rawhide – or forgo this all together.

Small chew toys

Do you give your dog toys? You need to make sure that anything you give to Fido is large enough that it will not fit down his throat at all. This is what&rsquo-s going to make sure he is not able to choke on anything. Make sure these toys haven&rsquo-t any small pieces, either.

Rocks

If you have them in the yard, watch your dog. They don&rsquo-t make great chew toys, but there are always dogs that are looking to make up for some fun and they pick up things that they might not want to pick up.

Nails

I don&rsquo-t know anyone who has nails in their garage all over the floor with their car in and out of there, but you never know. Perhaps you live next door to a house that&rsquo-s being built or you take your dog to the house you are building on a regular basis. There are nails all over the ground on sites like these, and it&rsquo-s a good idea to keep your dog away.

Bones

Why people give their dogs bones to chew on after they eat is beyond me. It&rsquo-s not good for them, even if they love and adore the flavor. Your dog could accidentally break the bones and end up with a small piece lodged in their esophagus, which could cause choking. It&rsquo-s dangerous.

Treats

You don&rsquo-t want to forgo dog treats. Your beloved animal deserves some nice treats, especially in the training mode, but that doesn&rsquo-t mean you should walk away. Your dog deserves to have your attention when eating treats to ensure that he or she is safe. You may not be able to stop your dog from choking, but being able to intercept is a safe measure.

Coins

We all have these lying around the house. My husband is always dropping them out of his pocket when he pulls out his phone or goes to put his wallet up. I have them in my bag and if my bag is knocked over by a child, coins are everywhere. We think we do a good job picking them up, but one just under a table or piece of furniture can be bad news.

Small children&rsquo-s toys

We have four kids, which means we have loads of small toys. We do our best to keep small toys out of our house as often as possible since we do have 16-month-old twins, but our children&rsquo-s toys mate in the middle of the night and multiply with a force I cannot even explain (the sad part is that I&rsquo-m almost convinced this really does happen). Be very careful with small children&rsquo-s toys and dogs in the house at the same time.

Balls

If your dog&rsquo-s play balls are too small for his mouth, he could end up choking on one. For example, you wouldn&rsquo-t give a marble to a toy Chihuahua, and you shouldn&rsquo-t give a small ball to a big dog. Some regular sized balls are a bit too much for larger dogs, too, so it&rsquo-s best to be very careful what you are giving your dog when it comes to playing in the yard or the dog park.