Mum saved choking dog’s life by performing Heimlich manoeuvre

Louise Davies, 48, jumped into action when she saw Angus choking (Picture: Lee McLean / SWNS)
Louise Davies, 48, jumped into action when she saw Angus choking (Picture: Lee McLean / SWNS)
A mum-of-two has revealed how she saved her dog’s life by performing the Heimlich manoeuvre on him when he started choking. Louise Davies, 48, had been at home with French bulldog Angus when he began making retching noises and losing the colour from his face.

She then jumped into action as he started to lean sideways, looking as if he was about to lose consciousness.

The church administrator had recently undergone a first aid course and knew to grab Angus from behind and start pulling on his stomach.

She said: ‘I knew straight away that Angus must be choking. It was horrifying to see, he could not breathe at all.

Louise Davies, 48, had to give the family French bulldog, Angus, the Heimlich manoeuvre as he chewed a piece of the sofa and was choking, pictured at their home in Cheshire. See SWNS story SWLEdog; A dog lover saved her pooch's life after he started choking on a piece of sofa - by performing the Heimlich Maneuver. Louise Davies was left petrified when her little French bulldog Angus started making a wretching noise and losing the colour in his face. It was when the poor pup started to lean sideways as if he was losing consciousness that Louise jumped into action. Luckily the 48-year-old church administrator had just done a first aid course for her work and the lifesaving technique was fresh in her mind. Louise, from Congleton, Cheshire, said: "I knew straight away that Angus must be choking - it was horrifying to see, he could not breathe at all. "My heart was in my mouth at first but my training kicked in, allowing me to keep calm. "I looked in Angus' mouth and, when I couldn't see anything, I picked him up from behind and pulled into his belly. "Nothing happened the first time so I had to do it again, and this time he started breathing again."
She performed the Heimlich manoeuvre on the dog (Picture: Lee McLean / SWNS)
Moments after Angus had bit through a a bed sheet. See SWNS story SWLEdog; A dog lover saved her pooch's life after he started choking on a piece of sofa - by performing the Heimlich Maneuver. Louise Davies was left petrified when her little French bulldog Angus started making a wretching noise and losing the colour in his face. It was when the poor pup started to lean sideways as if he was losing consciousness that Louise jumped into action. Luckily the 48-year-old church administrator had just done a first aid course for her work and the lifesaving technique was fresh in her mind. Louise, from Congleton, Cheshire, said: "I knew straight away that Angus must be choking - it was horrifying to see, he could not breathe at all. "My heart was in my mouth at first but my training kicked in, allowing me to keep calm. "I looked in Angus' mouth and, when I couldn't see anything, I picked him up from behind and pulled into his belly. "Nothing happened the first time so I had to do it again, and this time he started breathing again."
The family think he was choking on a piece of sofa (Picture: Louise Davies/ SWNS)
Jessica Davies (right) with her mum Louise Davies who had to give the family French bulldog, Angus, the Heimlich manoeuvre as he chewed a piece of the sofa and was choking, pictured at their home in Cheshire. See SWNS story SWLEdog; A dog lover saved her pooch's life after he started choking on a piece of sofa - by performing the Heimlich Maneuver. Louise Davies was left petrified when her little French bulldog Angus started making a wretching noise and losing the colour in his face. It was when the poor pup started to lean sideways as if he was losing consciousness that Louise jumped into action. Luckily the 48-year-old church administrator had just done a first aid course for her work and the lifesaving technique was fresh in her mind. Louise, from Congleton, Cheshire, said: "I knew straight away that Angus must be choking - it was horrifying to see, he could not breathe at all. "My heart was in my mouth at first but my training kicked in, allowing me to keep calm. "I looked in Angus' mouth and, when I couldn't see anything, I picked him up from behind and pulled into his belly. "Nothing happened the first time so I had to do it again, and this time he started breathing again."
Louise bought Angus for her daughter Jessica (Picture: Lee McLean / SWNS)

‘My heart was in my mouth at first but my training kicked in, allowing me to keep calm.

‘I looked in Angus’ mouth and, when I couldn’t see anything, I picked him up from behind and pulled into his belly.

thumbnail for post ID 11966915Kitten 'ripped to pieces by hounds in illegal fox hunt'

‘Nothing happened the first time so I had to do it again, and this time he started breathing again.’

Why are dogs’ noses so wet? Dogs’ noses secrete a thin layer of mucous that helps them absorb scent. They then lick their noses to sample the scent through their mouth.

Louise, who bought Angus for her daughter Jessica, 21, suspects the dog had been choking on a piece of sofa.

However, she says he must have eventually swallowed the item as nothing flew out of his mouth.

Louise Davies, 48, had to give the family French bulldog, Angus, the Heimlich manoeuvre as he chewed a piece of the sofa and was choking, pictured at their home in Cheshire. See SWNS story SWLEdog; A dog lover saved her pooch's life after he started choking on a piece of sofa - by performing the Heimlich Maneuver. Louise Davies was left petrified when her little French bulldog Angus started making a wretching noise and losing the colour in his face. It was when the poor pup started to lean sideways as if he was losing consciousness that Louise jumped into action. Luckily the 48-year-old church administrator had just done a first aid course for her work and the lifesaving technique was fresh in her mind. Louise, from Congleton, Cheshire, said: "I knew straight away that Angus must be choking - it was horrifying to see, he could not breathe at all. "My heart was in my mouth at first but my training kicked in, allowing me to keep calm. "I looked in Angus' mouth and, when I couldn't see anything, I picked him up from behind and pulled into his belly. "Nothing happened the first time so I had to do it again, and this time he started breathing again."
She had recently done a first aid course (Picture: Lee McLean / SWNS)
Louise Davies, 48, had to give the family French bulldog, Angus (pictured) , the Heimlich manoeuvre as he chewed a piece of the sofa and was choking, pictured at their home in Cheshire. See SWNS story SWLEdog; A dog lover saved her pooch's life after he started choking on a piece of sofa - by performing the Heimlich Maneuver. Louise Davies was left petrified when her little French bulldog Angus started making a wretching noise and losing the colour in his face. It was when the poor pup started to lean sideways as if he was losing consciousness that Louise jumped into action. Luckily the 48-year-old church administrator had just done a first aid course for her work and the lifesaving technique was fresh in her mind. Louise, from Congleton, Cheshire, said: "I knew straight away that Angus must be choking - it was horrifying to see, he could not breathe at all. "My heart was in my mouth at first but my training kicked in, allowing me to keep calm. "I looked in Angus' mouth and, when I couldn't see anything, I picked him up from behind and pulled into his belly. "Nothing happened the first time so I had to do it again, and this time he started breathing again."
Angus swallowed whatever he was choking on (Picture: Lee McLean / SWNS)

The family later took Angus to the vet for a check-up and he was given the all-clear.

Louise, from Congleton, Cheshire, described the dog as ‘a cheeky little thing’ who ‘snaffles everything’, including four of her sofas.thumbnail for post ID 11986466
Brave man takes Rudolph for a New Year dip in the icy waters of the North Sea

She continued: ‘I am so grateful I had done a first aid course, it just goes to show that first aid knowledge of any kind is worth knowing.

‘I never thought I would be saving the life of my dog when I did that course but I am so happy I did. This could have been a very different story.’

The Heimlich manoeuvre and CPR can be critical to saving a pet’s life, although experts advise owners to only perform the moves when in an emergency.

Jessica Davies (right) with her mum Louise Davies who had to give the family French bulldog, Angus, the Heimlich manoeuvre as he chewed a piece of the sofa and was choking, pictured at their home in Cheshire. See SWNS story SWLEdog; A dog lover saved her pooch's life after he started choking on a piece of sofa - by performing the Heimlich Maneuver. Louise Davies was left petrified when her little French bulldog Angus started making a wretching noise and losing the colour in his face. It was when the poor pup started to lean sideways as if he was losing consciousness that Louise jumped into action. Luckily the 48-year-old church administrator had just done a first aid course for her work and the lifesaving technique was fresh in her mind. Louise, from Congleton, Cheshire, said: "I knew straight away that Angus must be choking - it was horrifying to see, he could not breathe at all. "My heart was in my mouth at first but my training kicked in, allowing me to keep calm. "I looked in Angus' mouth and, when I couldn't see anything, I picked him up from behind and pulled into his belly. "Nothing happened the first time so I had to do it again, and this time he started breathing again."
The family took Angus to the vets after the incident (Picture: Lee McLean / SWNS)

There is a risk of potentially damaging a dog’s internal organs if too much force is applied.

A Beatles hit. It’s rumored that, at the end of the Beatles song, “A Day in the Life,” Paul McCartney recorded an ultrasonic whistle, audible only to dogs, just for his Shetland sheepdog.

A dog’s ribs are also more flexible than a human’s so thrusting hard may not create enough pressure to expel the foreign object.

More information about performing the Heimlich manoeuvre on a dog can be found here .