Introduction
Pets have been part of every family for generations. They're more than just pets; they become members of the family. As such, it's important to learn what to do if your pet is ever in distress or needs emergency care. The following guide will help you give first aid and CPR to a pet who is experiencing a medical emergency so that together we can keep our pets healthy and safe!
The most important thing to do is remain calm.
The most important thing to do is remain calm. If you are panicking and stressed, your pet will sense this and become more nervous as well. Try to stay calm by thinking about how much you love your pet and how much they mean to you.
If the animal is unconscious but breathing, then perform chest compressions on the chest at a rate of 100 per minute (a little slower than the beat of "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees). If there's no pulse or breathing after one minute of CPR, continue giving rescue breaths until help arrives or the animal recovers consciousness again--but only if the airway isn't blocked by vomit or feces!
Check the pet's airway and take note of any signs of breathing.
- Check the pet's airway and take note of any signs of breathing.
- If you see, hear, or feel that your pet is not breathing, check for a pulse.
- If there is no pulse (and no heartbeat), start CPR immediately by giving two quick breaths into their nose or mouth until they begin to cough; then continue chest compressions at least 100 times per minute until help arrives or the heart starts beating again on its own (about six minutes).
If the pet is breathing, continue to monitor its breathing and leave it be.
If the pet is breathing, continue to monitor its breathing and leave it be.
If you see any signs of breathing, leave it be.
If you see no signs of breathing at all (for example, if the pet's chest isn't rising or falling), start performing CPR on your furry friend immediately! If possible, use an AED (if available) for best results; otherwise, use chest compressions until help arrives or your furry friend revives on its own.
If the pet isn't breathing, check if it has a pulse and feel for one at the inside of its thigh or wrist. If you can't detect a pulse, begin CPR.
If the pet isn't breathing, check if it has a pulse and feel for one at the inside of its thigh or wrist. If you can't detect a pulse, begin CPR.
If you have an AED (Automated External Defibrillator), follow its instructions for using it on your pet.
Use chest compressions to keep blood flowing to your pet's heart and brain until help arrives or your pet revives on its own
If you have an AED, follow the AED's instructions for using it on your pet. Otherwise, use chest compressions to keep blood flowing to your pet's heart and brain.
If you have an AED, follow the AED's instructions for using it on your pet. Otherwise, use chest compressions to keep blood flowing to your pet's heart and brain. Chest compressions can be performed on a pet of any size. Use the same technique as for humans:
- Place two fingers in the middle of your pet's chest (just behind his front legs) and place them straight down into his body about 1 inch (2 centimeters).
- Push hard enough so that you feel resistance but not so hard that it hurts either yourself or him/her! This is called "100-120 per minute"--which means 100 beats per minute with each compression lasting one second followed by no pause at all before starting another one right away! Smaller animals may need less pressure than larger ones; if you're unsure whether or not this applies to yours then err on the side of caution by using more pressure during CPR."
Once you've been given two minutes of chest compressions, stop to check for breathing again before continuing with more chest compressions if necessary until help arrives or your pet revives on its own.
If your pet continues to breathe after two minutes of chest compressions, stop CPR. If not, continue with more chest compressions until help arrives or your pet revives on its own.
If you've been given two minutes of chest compressions and your dog or cat is still not breathing, call a veterinarian immediately and follow their instructions. They will advise on what to do next depending on whether they think it's safe for you to try mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (M-A-R) or if they want you to take them straight away so they can administer oxygen through an endotracheal tube or intravenously (I IV).
If your dog was unresponsive before going into cardiac arrest but started breathing again when given M-A-R and then went back into unconsciousness again within five minutes after being revived with oxygen therapy, it's important not to panic; this could indicate that there may be some underlying medical condition causing these episodes which require further investigation by a vet before any more attempts at resuscitation are made
You can save pets' lives!
When you learn how to perform basic first aid and CPR, you can save pets' lives! The sooner you know what to do in an emergency, the better chance your pet has at survival.
- Be prepared: Even if it seems unlikely that your pet will ever be injured or fall ill, being prepared by knowing what steps to take in an emergency situation is always helpful.
- Have a plan: Even if you don't know when it might happen, having an idea of what steps would be best for saving your pet's life will help keep both of you calm during an emergency situation.
- Stay focused: When dealing with an injured animal--or any other animal for that matter--it's easy for emotions such as fear or anger to get in the way of making rational decisions about how best to help them recover from their injuries (or worse). It may seem counterintuitive but staying calm and focused on helping out despite how upsetting things may seem at first glance will actually help ensure everyone gets through this safely!
Conclusion
If you have a pet, it's important to know how to help them with CPR. While this doesn't mean that every time your dog gets into trouble he needs mouth-to-mouth resuscitation from you (because he probably won't), it does mean that if something serious happens like choking or cardiac arrest, there will be someone around who knows what they're doing--and that person could be you!