Sam shares her life with two dogs. To accommodate their size difference, she had to get into the habit of giving larger pieces of fruit and vegetables to the bigger one. But without her noticing, Nina, her 13-year-old female Silky Terrier, had pinched the piece of watermelon that the other had spat out.
Previously neglected by her first owner, Nina had kept the habit of wolfing everything down quickly, as if someone was going to take her food away. This time, her greediness nearly cost her life.
A frantic race against choking
Within seconds, the little dog began to choke. Sam tried the Heimlich manoeuvre, which she already knew, but this time nothing worked. Panicking, she jumped in her car and raced at full speed to the emergency veterinary clinic, with her sister sitting in the back trying to clear Nina's airways.
Fortunately, en route, the dog managed to start breathing again, and when they arrived, the veterinary team finished clearing her throat. An X-ray confirmed there had been no aspiration. But the examination revealed something else: swollen lymph nodes. Sam then made an appointment with her usual vet to determine whether this inflammation came from an old case of gingivitis, an infection, or possible cancer. While waiting for the results, she remained hopeful that this incident had allowed them to detect a problem in the nick of time.
From fear... to the food bowl
Back home after this distressing episode, Nina had a surprise in store for her family. Far from being downcast, the little dog perked up proudly and demanded her food insistently, as if nothing had happened.
Sam couldn't help but laugh at this scene, seeing her companion become herself again in seconds: a true food enthusiast, ready to forget danger for a meal. On TikTok, the video of her adventure reached nearly half a million people, amused by Nina's tenacity and extraordinary appetite.
