How prepared are you when it comes to emergencies concerning your pet?
No matter how careful we are, accidents happen – like what occurred a few days ago in Huntington, Long Island. It was a beautiful Sunday when Kelly Skinner and her fiancée decided to play catch with their beloved Hansel, a two-and-a-half-old PitBull mix.
Suddenly, Hansel collapsed as the toy ball they were using got lodged in the dog’s throat!
Everything happened so fast. Kelly and her fiancée were shocked because they didn’t expect this to happen.
It was the usual ball that we all use when playing catch.
They rushed poor Hansel to the vet. They were shaking as they saw Hansel turning blue.
“He started turning blue. At one point, I thought he’d die,” Kelly said with Inside Edition.
That is where the viral video starts. Everyone in the clinic was rushing to save Hansel’s life.
Just then, we see Dr. Kristie Williams climb up the table, and by applying little pressure on Hansel’s throat, the ball pops out!
“I’m so grateful for everything they did,” said Kelly.
That day, Kelly wasn’t the first one who went to ask for Dr. Kristie’s help. Just 20 minutes before Kelly and Hansel came in, the vet team already had a similar case.
It was a choking Dobberman, and the quick-thinking vet applied the same exact technique to save him.
This viral video prompted pet owners to ask about the technique that Dr. Kristie used. According to her, she used the XXT technique or the External Extraction Technique.
For all pet owners, it’s important to know how to apply the XXT because it can save their pet’s life.
The approach is similar to the Heimlich maneuver (abdominal thrusts) that we do when a person chokes.
Here’s what you need to know about XXT.
XXT is meant for dogs who experience the following:
- Full airway obstruction
- Ball or any other similar hazards
- Being unconscious
Procedure:
- Carefully place your unconscious dog on his back.
- Make sure that you brace the back of the dog against the floor.
- Carefully straddle the dog.
- Adjusting yourself depending on the dog’s size.
- Remember to position the dog’s head in the “in-line position” allowing the airway parallel to the floor>
- Learn to identify the following: ringed tube (trachea), ball’s location or the object that’s blocking the airwa, v-shaped jaw bone or the mandible
- Then using your hands, make an open diamond shape.
- Carefully place your thumbs on each side of the trachea, just below the object blocking the airway.
- Grip the “V” of the dog’s jaw. This is to protect your fingers in case the dog panics or wakes up.
- This is the time to push using a J-stroke going down and out against the object causing the obstruction until it ejects from the dog’s mouth.
- Provide the dog with two rescue breaths or proceed with CPR if the dog remains unconscious.
According to Dr. Kristie, you don’t have to throw away your toys. Pet owners just have to be alert and informed.
Watch the full video of how to do the XXT when you’re faced with a similar situation!
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