Thank you Anne (Sydney Pug Rescue) !!
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Save a Life:
Learn Animal CPR
For the Pet Owner
Lori H. Feldman, DVM
Henry J. Feldman, M.D.
© 2004
Dr. Lori Feldman is a Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts
Licensed Veterinarian and a member of the Veterinary Emergency
and Critical Care Society, In practice in Greenwich, Connecticut at
Greenwich Veterinary Hospital.
Dr. Henry Feldman is a New York Licensed Physician at the NYU
School of Medicine in the section of Medical Informatics
Pet owners should consult their veterinarian for specific
details on procedures outlined here.
website:
http://members.aol.com/henryhbk/email: <a href="mailto:henryhbk@aol.com">
henryhbk@aol.com</a>
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Check the Scene - make sure it is safe for you to help.
Don't become another victim.
Check for Response - tap and call the pet's name.
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A. Airway
The first step in animal CPR (like human
CPR), after determining that the animal
is non-responsive, is to obtain an open
airway. You should not continue past AAirway,
until this step has been achieved!
1. Carefully pull the tongue straight out of the
animal’s mouth to open the airway
WARNING: even an unresponsive dog may
bite by instinct!!
2. Make sure that the neck is reasonably
straight; try to bring the head in-line with
the neck.
WARNING: Do not over-straighten the neck in
cases where neck/head trauma exists
3. Attempt 2 rescue breaths, by closing the
mouth, and performing mouth-to-nose
ventilations. If they go in with no problems
continue to B-Breathing.
4. If not, reposition the neck and try step 3
again.
5. Visibly inspect the airway by looking into
the mouth, and down the throat for foreign
objects occluding the airway. Unlike
human-CPR, rescuers may reach into the
airway and remove foreign objects that are
visible
6. If you still can’t breath into the animal,
proceed to the Heimlich maneuver.
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A. Heimlich
If you were unable to clear an object from
the airway in A-Airway, you will need to
do the Heimlich Maneuver:
1. Turn the animal upside down, with its back
against your chest
2. Hug the animal with your fist in your hand,
just below the rib-cage (for cats, just
squeeze 1 hand in the same place)
Down
3. With both arms, give 5 sharp thrusts (bear
hugs) to the abdomen. Perform each thrust
as if it is the one that will expel the object
4. Stop, check to see if the object is visible
in the airway, if so, remove it and give 2
mouth-nose rescue breaths. If the breaths
do not go in, go back to step 1
IMPORTANT: Do not proceed with CPR,
even if the animal goes into cardiac
arrest. You must clear the airway first.
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B. Breathing
After achieving a patent airway, one
must determine whether the animal is
breathing, and whether this breathing
is effective:
1. Carefully pull the tongue straight out of the
animal’s mouth to open the airway
WARNING: even an unresponsive dog may
bite by instinct!!
2. Make sure that the neck is reasonably
straight; try to bring the head in-line with
the neck.
WARNING: Do not over-straighten the neck in
cases where neck/head trauma exists
3. Breathe at 12 breaths per minute (1 every 5
seconds)
With each breath just make the chest rise (do
not overinflate, expecially on a small animal)
IMPORTANT: If the breaths do not go in, stop
and return to A-Airway!
4. Proceed to C-Circulation, while continuing
breathing support as necessary
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C. Circulation
This is the final step of CPR and should
only be started after the A-airway and
B-breathing steps have been completed:
1. Make sure that there are no major (pooling/
spurting blood) points of bleeding. Control
as necessary by applying pressure with
your hand
2. Check for a pulse in the groin
(check carefully on a conscious dog or cat!)
3. Lay the animal on its right side
4. Locate your hands where its left elbow
touches the chest, pproximately the middle
of the rib-cage (for cats use 1 hand in a
squeezing motion).
5. Compress the chest 15 times followed by
2 rescue breaths (3 compressions every 2
seconds)
Compress
1/2” - small dogs & cats
1” - medium dogs
1.5” - large dogs
6. Repeat as necessary
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During an emergency it is very important
that you remain calm. Animals can sense
your unease, but cannot understand what
is happening and you can’t tell them.
Your body language is very important. Be
calm, yet deliberate in your actions.
When you determine that you either have
corrected the life-threatening problem,
or are unable to stabilize the animal,
you should transport to the nearest
emergency veterinary hospital.
Notify your emergency clinic that you
are coming in with a dog with respiratory
arrest with a foreign object airway
obstruction and/or cardiac arrest.
Give them the following information via
phone if possible:
• Your name
• Your Estimated Time of Arrival
• Steps taken (CPR, removal of object...)
• Breed/size (dog or cat)
• If a foreign object is in the airway, what the
suspected object is
• If a poison or medication has been eaten
• Mechanism of injury (hit by car...)
• Relevant Medical History (Diabetes...)
Write the phone number of the 24 hour
animal hospital nearest you here:
