Can You Do CPR on a Dog or Cat?

Basic first aid and CPR certification online courses can help teach anyone CPR for dogs and cats can help you feel at ease knowing that you will be able to give aid to your pet if they should ever need emergency medical help.

CPR on dogs and cats is performed differently than on humans. The main idea is the same in regards to giving breaths and chest compressions to help keep blood and oxygen moving throughout the brain and other vital organs to help sustain life. The technique is what makes it different. For large dogs, hold their mouth closed and place your mouth over the nose to administer the breath. For smaller dogs and cats, hold their mouth closed and place your mouth over both the nose and mouth to administer the breath. The compression to breath ratio remains 30-2. This means thirty chest compressions and two breaths administered and then repeat that cycle until emergency help arrives. Chest compressions should be performed while the animal is lying on its side with your hands just below the bottom rib, similar to CPR compressions for humans. Humans receive chest compressions lying flat on their backs.  Animals receive chest compressions lying on their sides. 

If you are interested in a Dog and Cat first aid certification online, check out the our certification page for more information. It is something that every pet owner should learn and a good skill to have. No one ever plans to have to use CPR on anyone, but knowing how to do it and perform the techniques correctly can mean the difference between life and death. It is estimated that only 6% of cats and dogs survive cardiac emergencies each year. This is partly because owners do not know how to perform CPR on their pets.  CPR skills save lives for both humans and animals. Learn how to save a life today and sign up for CPR certification for cats and dogs.

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