If your pet has stopped breathing or is having trouble breathing, you will want to perform compressions. Compressions are used to pump blood through the heart so that it can circulate throughout your pet's body. The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends performing 30 chest compressions for every two breaths in dogs and cats, but no more than five minutes of CPR should be attempted without being trained by a professional first. These techniques can save lives! The faster you are able to get help from a veterinarian or emergency vet clinic, the better chance you have of surviving this emergency situation.
If your pet stops breathing, you will want to perform compressions to help him or her regain a heartbeat.
If your pet stops breathing, you will want to perform compressions to help him or her regain a heartbeat.
- How do I know if my pet has stopped breathing?
If your dog or cat is lying down and not moving, it's possible he or she has stopped breathing. If this happens, start performing CPR immediately! You'll need to use chest compressions on him/her until his/her heart starts beating again (which may take several minutes).
- What is the correct rate of compressions? The recommended rate for small dogs and cats is 100 per minute; medium-sized dogs have been found to respond better with 120 compressions per minute; large animals such as horses require 180 per minute.
You can't always tell if your pet has stopped breathing, so it's important to know the signs.
- Listen for breathing sounds.
- Watch for chest movement.
- If you are unsure, call your vet.
- If your pet is not breathing or has a heartbeat, start CPR immediately (see below).
If there is no heartbeat and they are unresponsive:
- Move them to a safe place where they will not be injured by falling or being stepped on by someone else in the house; then call emergency animal services and begin chest compressions with two fingers placed at the center of their breastbone just behind where their front legs meet the body (the sternum). Continue with 30 compressions until help arrives--this can take anywhere from 2-5 minutes depending on how far away they live from an emergency clinic--or until someone else arrives who can assist you with mouth-to-snout resuscitation techniques as described above under "How To Perform Mouth To Snout Resuscitation For Dogs."
Watch for chest movement and listen for breathing sounds.
- Watch for chest movement and listen for breathing sounds.
- If you don't see or hear any signs of life, start CPR immediately.
- Respiratory failure occurs when the lungs stop working. If left untreated, this can result in heart failure and death within minutes or hours depending on your pet's age and overall health status. The sooner you get help from a veterinarian when performing CPR on a live animal that isn't exactly struggling but seems to have trouble breathing normally (for example: panting), the better chance we'll have at saving their life!
If you think your pet is choking, don't try anything fancy; just get help immediately.
If you think your pet is choking, don't try anything fancy; just get help immediately.
If you're at home and able to do so safely, try to dislodge the object yourself. If that doesn't work and your pet is still unable to breathe, call your veterinarian. If it's not safe or possible for you to remove the object yourself (e.g., if he or she has collapsed), call your veterinarian immediately instead of trying any other interventions until help arrives at your doorstep!
Here are some common objects that can become lodged in their throats:
- Balls/toys/sticks/bones etc; these items often lodge themselves at the base of the tongue where they block airway passage into the lungs
- Food pieces like chicken bones may break apart while being chewed leading to one piece getting stuck inside another (such as at the back bottom part) making it hard for us humans too
It's also important to learn how to perform compressions on a live animal that isn't exactly struggling but seems to have trouble breathing normally.
It's also important to learn how to perform compressions on a live animal that isn't exactly struggling but seems to have trouble breathing normally.
If your pet is having trouble breathing or their heart rate drops below 60 beats per minute, it's time for CPR. You should perform compressions until help arrives and then continue them until either the animal recovers or dies. If you're trained in CPR and feel comfortable doing so, then performing these compressions on a live animal may be necessary in order for them not only to survive but thrive after recovery.
If your pet is unresponsive, it is important that you do not panic and remember that help is available right away by calling your veterinarian or taking them to an emergency room.
If your pet is unresponsive, it is important that you do not panic and remember that help is available right away by calling your veterinarian or taking them to an emergency room.
If your pet stops breathing, call veterinarian right away. Administer first aid by giving chest compressions until animal rescue arrives on the scene and takes over with respiratory support techniques (such as mouth-to-snout resuscitation). You may also attempt at-home CPR if you have been trained in this procedure by a veterinarian or animal behaviorist:
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is important that you know how to perform CPR on your pet in case of an emergency. You can't always tell if your pet has stopped breathing, so it's important to know the signs and watch for chest movement as well as listen for breathing sounds. If your pet is unresponsive, don't panic! Take him or her immediately to an emergency room where professionals will take care of things from there.
