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What to do when your Frenchie is choking?

TomKings blog banner asking what to do when your Frenchie is choking, with a fawn puppy lying beside a bowl of kibble
What to do when your Frenchie is choking?

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It’s heartbreaking to see your baby being in life-threatening danger, and in these cases, there’s no time to wait for the vet or anybody’s help. “What to do when my Frenchie is choking?” – a question we’re often asked, read below our detailed guide on this issue and tips.

Frenchies eat too fast

All dog breeds love food and love eating, but due to their funny flat face and short neck, French Bulldogs can be unable to properly take food from the bowl. They eat very fast which can lead to digestion problems and could also very easily cause choking. When this happens they freeze in a spasm and fall.

(Your pup can also choke from any object, toys, shoes, rubbish, etc that they pick up and want to play with.)

What to do when my Frenchie eats fast?

  1. It’s crucial to act fast, otherwise, there’s a very high danger of choking. Pick up your furbaby and reach down his or her throat and remove any food you find. 
  2. After you have cleared everything, your pup usually starts breathing again.  If not, give a gentle massage to his or her lungs, and shake him or her, this should help.
  3. Make sure you don’t panic, act immediately, and confidently. Every second counts.

 

How to avoid this situation: tips from Tomi, co-founder of TomKings Puppies

  1. Cut their food into small pieces, and add water to their dry food to make it easier to chew and swallow.
  2. Instead of using deep feeding bowls, use shallow ones, which are more suitable for Frenchies as they are not able to take big mouthfuls of food.
  3. You can try a Frenchie Anti-choke Feeding Bowl that has a rotating bone that helps prolong the time your pup spends with eating and they have more time to chew the food. Always have an eye on your pup to be able to act immediately if the naughty boy or girl gets into trouble.

The article was written based on the experience and the services of the TomKings Puppies Team. TomKings Puppies have been breeding French Bulldogs for 12 years on their farm. All the puppy pictures in the post belong to them and show a puppy from their breed.  We’ll have amazing puppies from beautiful parents soon, please check them here, or if you have any questions, let us know in the comments below.

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