maltipoo puppy possibly has something lodged in throat

by Nicole Gorno
(Grosse Ile, Michigan)

Hi, I have a ten week old maltipoo puppy. I caught her chewing on my wood table. I removed it right then. There was a piece of wood missing on the leg.

She is acting lethargic and gagging once in a while. I gave her some water and she was having trouble swallowing it and also is swallowing with much effort even when she isn't drinking. She didn't eat any food. She is also not walking around and just acting strange.

Please help.




Hi Nicole
It sounds as though your pup has a piece of wood stuck in the back of her throat.

If you can get someone to help you, open her mouth and use a flashlight to look at her throat, and between her back teeth. If you can see the splinter, and reach it fairly easily, then you can try to dislodge it yourself. But be very careful not to make matters worse.

If you can't see it, or can see it but can't remove it, get her to a vet asap. It will likely be pretty simple for your vet to get it out, providing it's not stuck way down in her esophagus. He has special tools to see, and get to, areas that you can't.

However, if you leave it and don't get her examined, things could get much worse and infection is likely. So, get her the help she needs just as soon as you can.

Best of luck, hope she's doing much better soon.