CPR Can Save a Pet's Life
My-Dog.info > Dog Health
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, can be used to treat an
animal that has stopped breathing or has no heartbeat. It
involves mouth-to-nose resuscitation and chest compressions. If
you have confirmed that your pet has o heartbeat or breathing has
stopped, have someone call your veterinarian or the local
emergency clinic for guidance while you begin rescue efforts. Do
not attempt to drive and do CPR too! At the veterinary clinic,
they have important aids for resuscitation such as adrenalin
oxygen, fluids, breathing stimulants, and windpipe intubation to
maximize effectiveness of CPR, but until you get there, the basic
First Aid techniques described below may save a pet’s life.!
CPR can be broken down into three steps, which are called the
ABC's of CPR: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation. It is very
important that CPR be performed in this order.
If an animal appears unconscious and motionless, the first
step is to establish whether the animal has an open airway. Open
the mouth, pull out the tongue, and examine the throat. In long
nosed breeds of dogs, a small flashlight may be needed to
visualize the throat area. Use your finger to check for and
remove any foreign material from the mouth. To protect your
fingers in case the pet starts to arouse as you examine and treat
the pet, make sure our fingers are never placed in the path of
the large teeth at all times. If the animal is conscious, do not
examine the mouth as you may get bitten.
The next step is to check for breathing. If the animal is not
breathing, you must perform resuscitation. For
medium-to-large-sized animals, holding the muzzle closed with
your hands should seal the mouth, providing mouth-to-nose
resuscitation. For cats and very small dogs, your mouth will seal
the pet's mouth when you perform CPR, though commonly,
mouth-to-nose resuscitation is used for this size of pet also.
Placing your mouth over the animal's nose and exhaling
directly into the nostrils begins resuscitation. After four to
five quick breaths, the breathing should be checked again. If the
animal does not start breathing after 15 minutes, it is not
likely to revive. Small dogs and cats require 20 to 30 breaths
per minute, and medium-to-large dogs require 20 breaths per
minute. To check whether enough air is being provided (or too
much), watch the movement of the chest wall as you provide air.
The chest wall should move up and out as if a large normal deep
breath is occurring. If the wall moves very high, you are
over-inflating the lungs, and a smaller, less vigorous breath
should be used. If the chest wall does not move at all, it is
possible that a blockage of the windpipe is present.
If there is no heartbeat present, chest compressions should be
performed as well. For small dogs, the pet should be lying on its
right side. The palm of one hand should be placed over the ribs
at the point where the elbows would touch the chest if he was
standing, while the other hand is placed beneath the right chest
wall.
The chest should be compressed at the rate of five
compressions followed by one breath. If there are two people
present, one person can perform the breathing, while the other
compresses the chest at a rate of three compressions for each
breath, then checks for a pulse.
For medium-to-large dogs, the hands must be cupped over each
other and the arms kept straight and elbows locked and you need
to place your body squarely over the hands in order to get
sufficient power to compress the chest properly. The hands should
be placed at the point where the left elbow meets the chest. The
chest must be compressed at the rate of five compressions
followed by one breath. If there are two people present, one
person can perform the breathing, while the other compresses the
chest at a rate of two to three compressions for each breath,
then checks for a pulse. A folded towel placed under the chest
will help to keep the pet from shifting during the application of
pressure.
Cats should be placed on their side, and one hand should be
placed over the backbone near the shoulder blades, while the
other hand is cupped around the underside of the chest where, if
the cat was standing, the elbows would be. Flat fingers on the
underside, and flat thumb applied on the upper side are applied
over this region of the heart.
Pulses can be checked by placing a finger over the mid portion
of the inside rear limb about half way between the body wall and
the stifle, or knee joint. The femoral artery lies within a
trough in the muscles here. Ask your veterinarian to teach you
this during a routine examination, and practice on a healthy,
awake pet.
If done correctly, CPR can save a pet's life. However, pet
owners should be aware that even if performed by an experienced
veterinarian, CPR is not always successful. However, this should
not deter anyone from trying it in an emergency situation. To
learn more about CPR, ask your veterinarian.
Reprinted with permission from www.animalhealthcare.ca
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