Veterinarian Shows How To Save Your Dog If They Are Choking

A simple game of catch can go wrong quickly.

Kelly Skinner and her fiancée, from Huntington, Long Island experienced this firsthand with their dog Hansel when he jumped up into the air to retrieve a tennis ball, chomped down on it, and got it lodged in his throat.

“He started turning blue. At one point, I thought he’d die,” Kelly told Inside Edition.

The pair rushed Hansel to their veterinarian, Dr. Kristie Williams. Fortunately, she knew exactly what to do.

Now, she’s sharing the technique that she says every dog owner should know.

Known as the eXternal eXtraction Technique, or XXT, the procedure is something like a Heimlich maneuver for dogs.

The technique works for unconscious dogs whose airway is completely blocked — in this case, by an average tennis ball.

The dog is laid flat on its back, thumbs are placed on either side of their trachea, and with a quick “J” shaped stroke, the ball can be pushed down and out of the airway!

Learn more in the full video below, via Inside Edition: