Owner a hero with his mouth to mutt

Phill Urquhart brought Bayley back from the brink with mouth to snout resuscitation. Photo / Tim Cuff

A pet lover has told how he saved his choking dog - by giving him the kiss of life.

Phill Urquhart, an IT consultant from Nelson, said he didn't hesitate to perform CPR on golden Labrador Bayley because he considered him one of the family.

Bayley stopped breathing soon after raiding the neighbours' rubbish bins on Monday. Urquhart said he could tell Bayley was distressed and first thought he had been hit by a car.

"His rear end was close to the ground and he was running around erratically. I jumped up and ran to him and realised he wasn't breathing."

Bayley collapsed and started convulsing on the kitchen floor.

"His lungs were heaving, then he fell on his side unconscious. I thought he was gone."

Urquhart said he recalled basic first-aid techniques from his cub scout days and decided to perform a Heimlich manouevre. He felt under Bayley's ribcage and gave the Labrador a "really good push".

"A whole lot of froth and a ball of stuff came out of his mouth, it was horrible. He still wasn't breathing, I thought I'd lost him. My wife was hysterical."

Urquhart decided to breathe for Bayley while his wife called the vet.

"I tried to breathe into his mouth but the shape of a dog's mouth, especially a Lab's, made it hard to create a seal. So I held his mouth shut and gave quick sharp blows into his nose.

"After about five breaths, he gave a bit of a sneeze and it took him about 10 seconds to regain consciousness," he said.

"Within five minutes, he had a big smile on his face as if nothing happened. We were still upset but he was fine."

The relieved family took Bayley and samples of the material he coughed up to the vet. The vet said Bayley had eaten a sausage and chicken bones from the neighbour's bin that made him sick. When Bayley vomited, the bones had blocked his airway.

Urquhart urged other dog owners to learn basic first aid.

"I never thought I would have to use it but it just came back to me. My kids are calling me a hero. I'm enjoying it."

Alex Melrose, owner of Vet Care Grey Lynn in Auckland, said Urquhart took the right action and it was the first time he had heard of someone doing a Heimlich manoeuvre on a dog.

"If he hadn't done that, the breathing would have been a waste of time because the air wouldn't have been able to get to his lungs.

"Usually if you open the dog's mouth, you can see the blockage and reach in and grab it. But, in this case, it might have been too far down."

Auckland dog guru Simon Goodall said Labradors were renowned for their troublesome eating habits.

"Getting into rubbish bins can cause problems, especially with things such as chicken bones. Labs inhale rather than eat."

* * *

Doing the right thing

Vet Alex Melrose said Phill Urquhart did exactly the right thing when his golden Labrador, Bayley, started choking.

"It was good he figured out mouth-to-mouth was a waste of time because you can't seal it. You have to close the mouth and blow into the nose every five seconds. Some people might find it a bit gross, but if it's your dog and you're not going to try and save them there's something wrong with you."

Melrose said if mouth-to-nose failed, start chest compressions. Pushing hard on the left side should stimulate the heart. CPR should be attempted for about 15 minutes before giving up.