Choking, seizures and collapse: dog first aid

This guide is general information only. First aid doesn't replace veterinary care. In an emergency, ring your vet (or your out-of-hours vet) straight away.

Out-of-hours emergencies in Liverpool: Medivet 24 Hour Alder, 410 Eaton Road, West Derby, L12 3HG, says it is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 0151 220 4668 (Medivet, checked 18 Oct 2026). Vets Now Liverpool, based in the PDSA Pet Hospital on Woolfall Heath Avenue, Huyton, L36 3YD, opens from 6pm on weeknights, from noon on Saturdays, and all day on Sundays and bank holidays. Call 0151 271 5727 (Vets Now, checked 18 Oct 2026). Always ring before you set off, and ask your own vet which service covers their out-of-hours calls.

Choking, seizures and collapse are frightening to see. Knowing the first steps can help you stay calm. UK vets and charities don't all give the same advice on these emergencies, so where they differ, we show you each view.

Choking

Signs of choking

• difficulty breathing
• choking sounds
• pawing at the mouth
• lips, gums or tongue turning blue

(PDSA; RSPCA)

Coughing or choking? A dog who is coughing can still breathe in. A choking dog will struggle to breathe at all (PDSA). Common causes include balls, rawhide chews and small toys (PDSA). A choking dog may panic and bite (PDSA).

What to do

Ring your vet straight away (Blue Cross; Vets Now). If you can, have someone else call while you help your dog. The charities give different advice on what to try yourself:

• PDSA: if you can see the object, use pliers or tweezers to grip it and take it out. Don't put your fingers in the mouth of a conscious dog, as they may panic and bite. If your dog is unconscious, open their mouth and gently sweep your fingers across the back of the throat. If you still can't remove it, lay your dog on their side, place both hands on the side of the ribcage, and push quickly and firmly, or strike the ribcage with the flat of your hand, three or four times. Repeat until the object comes out (PDSA).
• RSPCA: look in the mouth, and if you can see something, gently try to remove it without pushing it further down or getting bitten. If your dog collapses or you can't remove it, press firmly and quickly on both sides of the ribcage, or strike the ribcage three or four times. Repeat until it comes out or you reach the vet (RSPCA).
• Blue Cross: contact your vet, who may advise you to try removing it. This can be dangerous with sticks. Blue Cross only suggests trying it yourself if your dog has collapsed or is unconscious, with two people: one holding the mouth open and one removing the object. Stop if you're not confident, as you could push it further in (Blue Cross).
• Vets Now: check for an obvious blockage if it's safe to, but don't put your fingers in the mouth (Vets Now).

Preventing choking

• Choose balls and toys that are the right size for your dog, ideally ones with holes in (PDSA).
• Supervise play with toys and chew sticks (PDSA).
• Don't throw toys or food for your dog to catch in mid-air. Aim for them to pick things up from the ground (PDSA).

Breathing difficulties

Struggling to breathe is a life-threatening emergency (PDSA). Signs include noisy or fast breathing, white, blue or grey gums, and stretching out to breathe more easily (PDSA). Keep your dog calm and cool, as stress makes breathing worse. Check for anything stuck in the mouth or throat, and take them to the vet, ringing on the way (PDSA). Remember, never muzzle a dog who is struggling to breathe (PDSA; Vets Now).

Seizures (fits)

Signs of a seizure

Seizures can range from dramatic, with collapse and jerking, to subtle, with staring, confusion or drooling (Vets Now). Signs can include shaking, trembling and paddling, losing consciousness, foaming at the mouth, and wetting or soiling themselves (RSPCA; Vets Now).

What to do

1. Stay calm (PDSA).
2. Make the space safe. If your dog is on a sofa or bed, carefully move them to the floor, and clear space around them (PDSA). Use cushions or towels to stop them hurting themselves on hard surfaces (Blue Cross; RSPCA).
3. Dim the lights and turn off the TV and radio (PDSA; Blue Cross).
4. Start a timer, and film it if you can. This gives your vet valuable clues (PDSA; Vets Now).
5. Keep the room cool. Seizures raise body temperature, so don't cover your dog with blankets (PDSA; Vets Now).
6. Give prescribed seizure medicine only if your vet has given you some for this, following the label (Vets Now).
7. Don't move your dog until the seizure has stopped, unless your vet tells you to (PDSA).

What not to do

• Don't hold or restrain your dog. You could hurt them or yourself (PDSA; Blue Cross). Vets Now says that during a seizure, dogs aren't in pain and don't know you're there (Vets Now).
• Don't go near their mouth, and don't put anything in it or try to move their tongue. You're likely to be bitten (PDSA; Blue Cross).
• Don't shout at, shake or hit your dog to try to bring them round (PDSA).

When to call the vet: the timing advice differs

• PDSA: call straight away if a seizure lasts more than two minutes, or if your dog has more than one in 24 hours. Otherwise, call once your dog starts to come round (PDSA).
• Vets Now: call once the seizure has stopped, or after two minutes. Phone immediately if it's your dog's first seizure, or if they don't come out of it quickly (Vets Now).
• Blue Cross: most fits last only a few minutes. Your dog needs a vet immediately if a fit goes on for more than five minutes, or if they have a cluster of fits within 24 hours (Blue Cross).

PDSA and Vets Now both say to contact your vet after any seizure, even if your dog seems fine afterwards (PDSA; Vets Now). If you're unsure, don't wait. Ring your vet.

After a seizure

Your dog may be confused, wobbly, unable to see properly or even aggressive for several hours afterwards, so handle them carefully. Keep doors and windows shut so they can't get out (Vets Now). Keep them somewhere quiet (RSPCA).

Collapse

A dog can collapse for many reasons, including heart disease, low blood sugar, pain, breathing problems, blood loss, seizures and Addison's disease (PDSA). Our Addison's disease guide explains that condition.

1. Make them safe. Move your dog somewhere cool, safe and quiet, using a blanket, board or towel if you need to. Reassure them in a soft voice (PDSA).
2. Check them over. Are they responding? Are they breathing? If not, think about CPR (see below) (PDSA).
3. Ring your vet for an emergency appointment if they don't improve quickly or show any of the warning signs above. Even if your dog recovers quickly, ring for advice afterwards. Your vet may want to find out why it happened (PDSA).

Blue Cross says not to delay getting a collapsed dog to the vet, because that gives them the best chance (Blue Cross).

A suddenly swollen tummy

A sudden swollen belly can mean a life-threatening twisted stomach, especially in deep-chested breeds such as Boxers and Mastiffs. You may also see gulping, drooling and trying to be sick. Contact your vet immediately. Don't wait (Blue Cross).

CPR for dogs: what UK vets say

CPR is used when a dog isn't breathing and their heart has stopped (PDSA; Blue Cross). The charities disagree about whether owners should try it:

• Blue Cross: CPR in pets is rarely successful, even in a hospital, so it doesn't recommend trying it at home. Get your dog to the vet immediately instead (Blue Cross).
• PDSA: CPR isn't appropriate for every collapsed dog. It's worth trying if an otherwise healthy dog's heart has stopped from a known cause, such as electrocution, drowning or choking. It's very unlikely to work in a dog with an underlying illness or severe injuries (PDSA). PDSA's first aid guide says CPR usually isn't appropriate or successful for pets (PDSA first aid guide).
• RSPCA: call an emergency vet straight away, then try CPR as a second step. It says first aid isn't a guaranteed solution (RSPCA).

Never give CPR to a dog whose heart is still beating, even if they're unconscious. It could seriously hurt or even kill them (PDSA). PDSA recommends learning CPR on a veterinary first aid course (PDSA; PDSA first aid guide).

Checks first

1. Response: call their name. If there's no response, gently rub their side, ready to move away in case they bite (PDSA).
2. Airway: pull the tongue forward and check that nothing is blocking the throat (PDSA).
3. Breathing: look and listen for the chest rising and falling, and feel for breath from the nose. If they're breathing, they don't need CPR (PDSA).
4. Heartbeat: put your hand or ear on the left side of the chest, where the elbow meets the chest. Double-check for a pulse on the inside of the upper thigh (PDSA). If there's none, start CPR and ask someone to ring the nearest vet (PDSA).

How PDSA describes CPR

1. Lay your dog on their right side on a firm, flat surface. Very flat-chested breeds, such as British Bulldogs, go on their back (PDSA).
2. For dogs over 5kg, keep your arms straight and use your body weight. Press on the widest part of the chest for medium and large dogs, over the heart for deep-chested dogs, and in the middle of the chest for flat-chested dogs. For dogs under 5kg, wrap one hand around the chest (PDSA).
3. Give 30 chest compressions at two per second (the beat of 'Staying Alive' is about right). Press the chest down by a third to a half, and let it come back up fully each time (PDSA). The RSPCA gives a rate of 100 to 120 compressions a minute (RSPCA).
4. Give two breaths. Close the mouth, line the nose up with the back, seal your mouth over the nostrils and breathe until you see the chest rise (PDSA).
5. Repeat 30 compressions and 2 breaths for two minutes, then check for a heartbeat. Keep going while you arrange to get to the vet, and swap with a helper every two minutes, as CPR is tiring (PDSA).
6. If the heartbeat and breathing come back, go to the vet immediately (PDSA).

Find a vet in Liverpool

It's worth saving your own vet's number, and their out-of-hours number, in your phone before you ever need them (PDSA). Our Liverpool vets directory lists practices across the city.

In an emergency: Liverpool's two out-of-hours emergency vets, Medivet 24 Hour Alder (0151 220 4668) and Vets Now Liverpool (0151 271 5727), are listed with their addresses and opening times in the box at the top of this page (checked 18 Oct 2026).

More in our dog first aid series:

• Dog first aid: the basics
• Poisoning: what to do
• Heatstroke and cold
• Cuts, bites, wounds and ticks
• Stings, burns and eye injuries
• Your dog first aid kit

See all our dog health and first aid guides

There are no affiliate links on this page. Affiliate disclosure. This guide is general information, not veterinary advice. Always speak to your vet.