Woman says dog saved her life with Heimlich maneuver.
Woman says dog saved her life with Heimlich Manuever.
DAYTON, Ohio—a woman says her life was saved by her 4-year-old Shih Tzu, Chewie when he “performed” the Heimlich maneuver on her.
Mary Jo Heidenreich, 45, was eating when she felt something lodge in her throat. Choking, her dog came to her aid when Chewie jumped on her chest.
“He went to jump up in my lap, he hit right below my rib cage,” she said. “He wanted to comfort me.” Heidenreich said a small piece of tooth then popped of her throat.
Heidenreich is convinced Chewie saved her life by jumping on her chest, perhaps even inadvertently performing the Heimlich maneuver.
Dr. Robert Kahn, doubts it was a Heimlich manuever. While the Heimlich maneuver is used to dislodge a piece of food stuck in the esophagus, the piece of tooth might have been lodged in the back of Heidenreich’s throat. The pressure of Chewie’s paws, along with her reaction, may have been enough to dislodge it, he said.
On the other hand, Kahn said, “A 10-year-old kid can perform a Heimlich maneuver.”
So why dispell the magic? Let us think it was a Heimlick manuever if we want to.
Besides, Chewie wouldn’t be the first dog to pull it off. A Baltimore woman in March of 2007 said her Golden Retriever Toby jumped on her chest while she was choking, dislodging a piece of fruit and saving her life.














Maureen Adams















Recent Comments