Pet Emergencies & CPR

Do You Know Pet CPR?

In the rare event your pet stops breathing or there is no heartbeat/pulse, you may be required to administer CPR. Make sure your pet is actually arrested and unconscious - you and your pet could both be seriously injured by attempting CPR if the pet is only sleeping heavily and startled awake. Please follow the instructions below then immediately proceed to PetPB Animal Emergency and Referral Center.

Unconscious Pet - Not Breathing

Initiate Mouth-to-Nose Ventilation

1. Extend the head and neck and pull the tongue forward.
2. Examine the back of the throat for a foreign body or excessive saliva. If found, remove carefully.
3. Again be sure that the head and neck are extended and watch and listen carefully. If no breathing is heard or felt in 5-7 seconds, begin rescue breathing.
4. Cover the pet's nose with your mouth and forcefully breathe into the lungs. You may need to hold the corners of the mouth tightly closed to ensure that the air does not escape the mouth. Once properly inflated, when you remove your mouth the lungs will deflate without help.
5. Exhale 3-5 breaths from your mouth into their nostrils while watching the chest expand.
6. Stop for a few seconds and observe pulses and breathing. If a second person is with you, attempt to coordinate breathing with chest compressions (see below). If you are alone, give 2 breaths after every 12 compressions.
7. If no breathing occurs, continue mouth to nose breathing 20-25 times per minute for a small dog or a cat, and 15-20 times per minute in a medium or large dog.
8. Observe for movement of chest wall with ventilations and every few breaths gently press down on the stomach area in case any air is getting into the stomach. If the stomach becomes distended with air, this will hamper your efforts at resuscitation.
9. Check for heart beat and pulse - if none, continue below.

No Heartbeat - No Pulse

1. Place a large dog on its side or hold a small dog/cat with both hands around the chest.
2. Place both hands on the highest point of the chest wall (for animals over 30 pounds) or on either side of the middle of the chest(for small animals under 30 pounds).
3. Begin firm, rapid inward compressions at a rate of 80-100 compressions per minute for large dogs, or 100-150 compressions per minute for small pets.
4. Give 12 compressions before stopping to give 2 breaths if alone and repeat cycle.
5. Give continuous chest compressions while someone breaths if 2 people.
6. Discontinue chest compressions if the animal starts breathing or the heart starts beating.
7. The pet should be immediately transported to the nearest veterinary facility.

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