Introduction
It's always a good idea to learn CPR if you're ever around someone who needs it. But if you own pets, you must know how to perform resuscitation on dogs and cats in case they get into trouble while they're away from home. The Humane Society recommends starting chest compressions as soon as possible after the animal stops breathing, then giving your pet oxygen by placing a hand on their nose and mouth, then pushing air into them every five seconds for 15-20 minutes. You should continue CPR until help arrives -- or until the animal shows signs of breathing or movement again. Pet owners must know how to perform resuscitation on dogs and cats in case they get into trouble while away from home.
Before you learn CPR for humans, you should learn to perform it on your pet.
Before you learn CPR for humans, you should learn to perform it on your pet.
- How to perform CPR on animals:
- You should know how to recognize when an animal is in trouble and what steps you can take to help them.
- A dog or cat with a heartbeat but no breathing will require mouth-to-snout resuscitation done by the owner or first responder. The goal is to get oxygen into their lungs so they can breathe again on their own.
The chest compressions are similar to those performed on people.
You can perform chest compressions on your pet in the same way that they are done on humans. To start, place your hands on either side of the animal's rib cage, with fingers pointing down toward its stomach. Then push down hard and fast at a rate of 100 compressions per minute until help arrives or the animal starts breathing again.
If you are not sure if you are doing it right, ask a vet to show you how it's done!
In the US, the Humane Society suggests the following basic steps for saving an animal from a life-threatening situation.
In the US, the Humane Society suggests the following basic steps for saving an animal from a life-threatening situation.
- Check for signs of breathing or heartbeat. If you see no movement in your pet's chest at all, or if you feel only faint and irregular pulses in his/her neck, begin CPR immediately by pushing down firmly on their sternum (breastbone) with two fingers. Keep doing this until help arrives or until they start breathing again--whichever comes first!
- If they're not breathing but have a pulse: Call 911 immediately; then follow step 2 from above.
- If they're not breathing AND don't have a pulse: Call 911 immediately; then follow steps 1 & 2 from above.
Start chest compressions as soon as possible after the animal stops breathing.
It is recommended to start chest compressions as soon as possible after the animal stops breathing. Don't wait for help to arrive, and don't give up on your pet. Consider enrolling for a CPR class at your local animal shelter or vet clinic, or practice CPR on a doll until you know what to do. Remove the animal from water as soon as possible after performing chest compressions; if there is water in its lungs, it could cause pneumonia or death later in recovery.
Push air into them every five seconds for 15-20 minutes.
You should start chest compressions as soon as possible after the animal stops breathing since it's important to keep blood flowing through the body so they don't go into shock while waiting for help to arrive or until they arrive at the vet's office themselves. Keep in mind that CPR is only effective if it's performed within five minutes of when your pet stops breathing; after that point has passed without any response from them, it's likely too late to save them with CPR alone and professional medical care should be sought immediately instead of trying this method first (although there are other options).
You should continue CPR until help arrives -- or until the animal shows signs of breathing or movement again.
If you see signs of breathing or movement, stop CPR and check the animal's pulse. If the animal is still not breathing normally, start CPR again. If an animal has been bitten by a snake, try to stop the bleeding. Make sure the area is safe for you and the animal before moving forward with first aid procedures; if possible carry them to safety (for example: into your home) so they can be treated in a secure environment away from other animals and humans who might be worried about your pet's condition or afraid of being bitten themselves!
If an animal has been bitten by another animal (dog vs cat), make sure there aren't any more dogs/cats around who could get hurt during treatment time since some dogs might fight back against each other when scared out of their minds!
Pet owners must know how to perform resuscitation on dogs and cats in case they get into trouble while they're away from home
Pet owners must know how to perform resuscitation on dogs and cats in case they get into trouble while they're away from home.
It's important to learn how to perform CPR on your pet before you learn how to do it on humans. This way, if your dog has an emergency while you're at work or out of town, the first thing that will come into your mind is not "Oh my God! I don't know how!" but rather "I've done this before; let me try again."
Conclusion
If your pet is in a life-threatening situation, you must know how to perform CPR. If they're not breathing or have no pulse, there are steps you can take to save them before help arrives -- and they don't require any special training!
