In the worst nightmare of every pet owner comes a scenario where their beloved pet is found not breathing, and regardless of the cause to have the knowledge to perform CPR for dogs can save your best friend's life when help is not immediately available. While it may seem as a bit of an extreme measure with little hope of altering the outcome of a horrible situation, to perform CPR for dogs can elevate your dog's physical condition until professional veterinary help can be obtained. In one sense CPR for dogs is very similar to that used for humans, as it is easy to learn and can be used by every member of the family to help your dog when a crisis arises.
The first step to perform CPR for dogs is to make certain that the dog is not breathing or has no heartbeat of it's own. After it has been established that your dog is in need of CPR lay the dog on it's back with it's head slightly tilted. Open your dog's mouth and look in the back of it's mouth to see if their is an obstruction or foreign object that may be preventing the animal from breathing. If there is no obstruction present it may be necessary to move the dog's tongue to one side of it's mouth to allow air to flow freely. Close the dog's mouth and while holding the dog's mouth closed with both hands place your mouth over the dog's nose to make a tight seal. Slowly exhale two or three breaths of air into the dogs nose - if you are doing this properly with each breath the dog's chest should rise as the air enters it's body.
Following this and while the dog is still on it's back, place your hands on the dog's chest in the area between it's armpits and make 13 to 15 quick, moderately strong chest compressions. After this go back and blow another breath into the dog's nose and then check the animal for a pulse. If the dog's heart is beating and it is breathing on it's own you can stop the CPR measures and get it to a veterinary hospital while keeping a close eye on it during transport. If the dog is not responding keep performing the CPR at the rate of 1 breath for every 13 to 15 chest compressions until the animal begins to function on it's own. If after 20 to 25 minutes the dog is not responding to CPR, odds are that unfortunately the animal is beyond the scope of help and is deceased.
If you are able to perform CPR for dogs and the animal responds it is crucial to get the animal to a veterinarian as soon as possible to enable the best outcome.
Comments