By Kelley Kombrinck
Welcome back to our three-part series on first aid for dogs and how (and just as importantly, when) to use it. In our first post we discussed some different scenarios where it may be necessary to provide emergency assistance for your beloved four-legged family member. In this installment, we will discuss performing CPR on your dog, how to know when it is necessary, and how to do it.
What is CPR? The American Heart Association says, “CPR – or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation – is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating. Immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest.” (check HERE for more info on human CPR.)
We’ve all seen it on TV, movies, or even in real life; someone receiving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or chest compression to keep them going till they can be stabilized. Dog CPR is not dissimilar. It uses artificial respiration and chest compression to try and revive a dog whose heart has stopped, or who has stopped breathing. When the heartbeat or respiration stops, oxygen levels in the blood decrease quickly and quick, decisive action could save your dog’s life.
As always, of course, the best-case scenario in an emergency, is to be able to get your dog immediate professional, medical assistance. Sometimes, however, that is not easily accessible. If you find yourself in a situation where help is not close by, here are some steps you can take to potentially help your fur-friend hold on until help is available.
Assess Your Dog’s Situation:
If possible, before you do anything, call the veterinarian or animal hospital and alert them that you have an emergency and will need help.
checking to see if your dog is responsive, try to remember, A-B-C, which stands for “Airway, Breathing, Cardiac.”
If you find, after going through the A-B-C assessment that your dog is not breathing, or does not appear to have a heartbeat, you should begin CPR.
Performing CPR
Hopefully there will never be a need for you to have to take these steps for your sweet little fur-friend, but knowing how to perform CPR on your dog could possibly make the difference in helping them hold on till help arrives in the case of an emergency.
Check back here at the blog next month, in our 3rd and final installment of our First Aid for Dogs series, we will talk about what to do if your dog is choking, and some items you should have around the house to help care for your dog in an emergency.
For more first aid for dogs, you can read part 1 of this 3 part series HERE where we cover the basics of first aid for dogs. And for even more dog safety tips that could maybe help prevent some of these emergency situations, go back and see our blog on the foods dogs can’t eat, HERE.
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