CPR is a life saving technique that is used to revive a victim of cardiac arrest. But, one thing that many people do not know is that one can perform CPR on their pets too. There are many organizations who offer pet CPR course. Nut one thing that is good is that if you know CPR on adults, you can perform it on the pet as well if you know just a few additional things.
CPR for dogs
CPR technique for dogs varies depending on the size of the dog. Before you start giving CPR you need to be sure that the dog is having cardiac arrest otherwise the dog might get startled and you can end by getting bitten. One also needs to keep it mind that CPR are fatal for healthy dogs and one should not conduct it unless required. In order to check if the dog is responsive or not, try to wake the dog up and check his breathing and pulse. If there is something blocking the airway or the dog’s gums and lips are turning blue, you will need to give CPR.
For dogs weighing less than 30 pounds –
- Keep your dog on a flat surface with the right side downwards and the left side upwards.
- Place your hands and place the other palm on each side of the dog’s heart.
- Compress firmly till a depth of one inch into the dog’s chest. Hold for one second and then release for one second. You need to repeat this for about 100 times per minute.
- After every 5 compressions, breathe into the dog’s nose if you are alone. Otherwise have the second person five rescue breaths after every two or three compressions.
For dogs weighing more than 30 pounds –
- Place the dog on a flat surface similar to the above position and then position yourself by the dog’s back.
- Place one of your palm on the dog’s chest close to the heart and the other palm on the top of it.
- Keep your arms straight and compress the chest to a depth of about a quarter of the chest’s width at a rate of 80 compressions per minute.
- Hold the dog’s nose and breathe into it once after every five comrpessions or ask someone else to rescue breath after every two to three compressions.
CPR for dogs is similar to that of humans with only small changes. If you have a beloved dog and want to take care of him, it is best to learn the technique beforehand.