Pet CPR

[Ladysmom]

I wanted to bump this after Paula's scare with B&B and add this.

This is excellent to print out and keep on your refrigerator or first aid kit.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR and Rescue Breathing)

CPR is the method used to treat an animal who is not breathing or has no heartbeat (check for unresponsiveness). It consists of rescue breathing (also called mouth to nose/mouth resuscitation) and chest compressions. CPR is based on three basic principles, called the ABCs of CPR. You must follow the ABC order (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) when attempting CPR.

Even when performed by an experienced veterinarian, CPR does not always work. Don't be discouraged if your attempt fails, but know that you did try to save an animal's life.

A=Airway
* Does the animal have an open airway? (The airway is the passage the animal breathes through. Check to see if the throat and mouth are clear of foreign objects.) If the answer is YES, go to Breathing. If the answer is NO, you need to open the airway. Do the following:

1. Lay the animal down, on either side.
2. Gently tilt the head slightly back to extend the neck and head.
3. Pull the tongue between the front teeth.
4. Use your finger to check for and remove any foreign material or vomit from the mouth.

Do not place your fingers inside the mouth of a conscious animal--you may be bitten!

B=Breathing
* Is the animal breathing (check chest rise and fall, or place a soft/light object by nose to see if it moves)? If the answer is YES, allow the animal to assume the body position most comfortable for them. Then, move on to Circulation. If the answer is NO, do the following:

1. Make sure the airway is open (see Airway above).
2. Seal the mouth and lips by placing your hands around the lips, gently holding the muzzle closed.
3. Place your mouth over the animal's nose and forcefully exhale. Watch for chest rise and fall. This is how you will know if the airway is clear and air is flowing into the lungs. If the airway is NOT clear, the chest will not rise. If this happens, reposition the head and re-check the airway.
4. If you find a patent airway, give four or five breaths rapidly, then check to see if your pet is breathing without assistance (watch chest rise). If the animal begins to breath, but the breathing is shallow and irregular, or if breathing dos not begin, continue artificial respiration until you reach the veterinary hospital or for a maximum of 20 minutes. (Beyond 20 minutes there is little chance of reviving your pet.)

Do not attempt this on a conscious animal.

Use the following breathing rates:
* Small dog (under 30 pounds) or cat: 20-30 breaths per minute.

C=Circulation
* Is there a heartbeat or a pulse (check pulse on the inner leg by the groin)? If the answer is NO, perform chest compressions (on a hard surface, not a bed). Do the following:

Small Dog (under 30 Pounds) or Cat

1. Lay your pet down, on the animal's right side.
2. Kneel next to your pet with the animal's chest facing you.
3. Place the palm of one of your hands over the ribs at the point where the elbow touches the chest. Place your other hand underneath the right side of the animal.
4. Compress the chest 1/2-1 inch (your elbows should be softly locked during compressions).
5. Chest compressions are alternated with breaths.
6. If working alone, do five compressions for each breath, then check for a pulse.
7. If there are two people, one person does the breathing while the other does the compressions at a rate of three compressions for each breath, then check for a pulse.

Do not assume there is no heartbeat or pulse simply because an animal is not breathing. Do not start chest compressions before checking for a heartbeat. (If the animal is conscious and responds to you, then the heart is beating).

Continue CPR until the animal has a strong heartbeat and pulse, or until you reach the veterinary hospital, or until 20 minutes have passed and your efforts have not been successful.

CPR can be performed on the way to the veterinary hospital, as long as there are at least two people present (one to drive).

American Red Cross Pet Fist Aid, Bobbie Mammato, DVM, MPH, 1997, pp. 15-17. Most of the above was taken word for word. There are times where I added a little extra explanation. Also, please see short slide show below.

[SugarBob62]

So what about the heimlich?? Is there a method for doing that on dogs, in her circumstance? What do you do if the dog is choking, but fully conscious.

UGH that is so scary. I don't even know if I would be able to do these things on a person. Thank god I'd never been in that situation. But I panic easily, and I'd be so nervous and probably freaking out. Such a bad quality!! I would NOT do well in a tragedy.

[Ladysmom]

Here you go:

A-Heimlich Maneuver

Only perform the Heimlich Maneuver if you could not remove the object from your dog's airway.

1. Turn her upside down, with her back against your chest. If she's large and/or heavy, you may need someone to help you hold her.
2. Wrap your arms around her, just below the rib cage (since you're holding her upside down, it's above the rib cage, in the abdomen). Grasp your fist with your other hand.
3. Using both arms, give five (5) sharp thrusts to the abdomen. The thrusts should feel like quick bear hugs. Perform all five as if each one is the one that will force the object from her airway.
4. After the five thrusts, check her mouth and airway for the object. If you see it, remove it and give two more mouth-to-nose ventilations. If the breaths still do not go in, or feel restricted, repeat from Step 1, above.B-Breathing
   
   Once you have cleared her airway and given the two rescue breaths, check whether your dog is breathing. If she is breathing effectively, you can now perform dog CPR. If she is not breathing, or her breathing is labored, focus on helping her breathe first.
   1. If her tongue has rolled into the back of her mouth, pull it straight out of her mouth to open the airway.
   2. Ensure that her neck is straight by bringing the head in line with the neck. If she's suffering from head or neck trauma, do not over-straighten the neck.
   3. Give her 12 breaths per minute, one (1) every five (5) seconds. Each breath only needs to make her chest just rise. Do not over inflate the lungs, especially in a small dog.
   4. If the breaths do not go in, return to A-Airway and A-Heimlich Maneuver.If the breaths go in properly, proceed to C-Circulation and begin dog CPR. Continue the breathing support if it is still, or becomes, necessary
   5. .
   Perform Dog CPR - Save a Canine Life

[Starsmom]

Originally Posted by SugarBob62

So what about the heimlich?? Is there a method for doing that on dogs, in her circumstance? What do you do if the dog is choking, but fully conscious.

UGH that is so scary. I don't even know if I would be able to do these things on a person. Thank god I'd never been in that situation. But I panic easily, and I'd be so nervous and probably freaking out. Such a bad quality!! I would NOT do well in a tragedy.

Originally Posted by Ladysmom

Here you go:

A-Heimlich Maneuver

Only perform the Heimlich Maneuver if you could not remove the object from your dog's airway.

1. Turn her upside down, with her back against your chest. If she's large and/or heavy, you may need someone to help you hold her.
2. Wrap your arms around her, just below the rib cage (since you're holding her upside down, it's above the rib cage, in the abdomen). Grasp your fist with your other hand.
3. Using both arms, give five (5) sharp thrusts to the abdomen. The thrusts should feel like quick bear hugs. Perform all five as if each one is the one that will force the object from her airway.
4. After the five thrusts, check her mouth and airway for the object. If you see it, remove it and give two more mouth-to-nose ventilations. If the breaths still do not go in, or feel restricted, repeat from Step 1, above.B-Breathing
   
   
   Once you have cleared her airway and given the two rescue breaths, check whether your dog is breathing. If she is breathing effectively, you can now perform dog CPR. If she is not breathing, or her breathing is labored, focus on helping her breathe first.
   1. If her tongue has rolled into the back of her mouth, pull it straight out of her mouth to open the airway.
   2. Ensure that her neck is straight by bringing the head in line with the neck. If she's suffering from head or neck trauma, do not over-straighten the neck.
   3. Give her 12 breaths per minute, one (1) every five (5) seconds. Each breath only needs to make her chest just rise. Do not over inflate the lungs, especially in a small dog.
   4. If the breaths do not go in, return to A-Airway and A-Heimlich Maneuver.If the breaths go in properly, proceed to C-Circulation and begin dog CPR. Continue the breathing support if it is still, or becomes, necessary
   5. .
   Perform Dog CPR - Save a Canine Life

I posted a new thread with video in Health & Behavior forum
Emergancy Action for Your Dog - so far no one has even looked at it.

[HalosMommy]

I am a volunteer EMT and we have dog oxygen masks on the ambulance. A dog was saved last week from a house fire by a firefighter doing cpr

[MatiMari]

I performed CPR on a beloved dog of mine in the car on the way to the vet. I do very good in emergencies and rarely panic... I have even taught CPR classes (for humans) but my mind went blank when I had to perform it on my dog. I did the best I could though. It turns out there was nothing I could of done anyways. CPR rarely works sadly.

[HalosMommy]

I know at one point my rescue squad was doing a course on pet first aid. I am an EMT and I was actually shocked to see they had dog oxygen masks on the truck with different muzzle sizes (even a small one for our little babies)

[SammieMom]

Originally Posted by HalosMommy

I know at one point my rescue squad was doing a course on pet first aid. I am an EMT and I was actually shocked to see they had dog oxygen masks on the truck with different muzzle sizes (even a small one for our little babies)

Ahh that is so good to know. thanks for sharing your experiences. Great thread btw...... I freak out too, but I bet I could do it if I had to.