If you have children then chances are you know CPR. Why? Because you wouldn’t think of being unprepared when it comes to the safety of your kids, right? So why would anyone with pets such as man’s best friend (a Dog) be anything but prepared when it comes to the safety of these pets?
If you have a dog then you should know how to perform CPR on your dog just in case of emergency. Nobody wishes for an emergency situation, but the fact is that these situations do occur and when they do it is important to be prepared! If you are equipped with the A,B,C’s or canine CPR then you have a great chance of saving your little pooch one day in the event of a choking emergency.
A is for Airway:
Before determining the need for CPR on your canine, you must determine if the pet is breathing. Look at your pet closely and see if his chest is moving. If it is then your pet is breathing.
Call out your pets name for a response. If your canine responds then there may not be any need to perform CPR. If your pet is not responsive then it is likely that your pet isn’t breathing either!
B is for Breathing:
If your canine is not breathing then you need to begin canine CPR. To do this, start by pulling the canine’s tongue slightly and closing the mouth. Next, tilt the canine’s head enough to open the airway and give the dog 5 breaths into his nose. Like human CPR you need to give the canine enough breath to raise the chest. For a large dog this will be a pretty large breath, but for a small dog you will need to give smaller breaths.
C is for Circulation:
To determine whether there is circulation in your canine you will need to check his pulse. Dogs have various areas in which you can feel a pulse just like humans. The best place to check for a canine’s pulse is toward the top inside of the hind leg. If your dog has a pulse but still can not breath on his own you may have to perform rescue breathing techniques. Otherwise if there is no breathing and no pulse then you must perform canine CPR.
Canine CPR Step 1:
With your canine on a hard surface such as a table or hard floor right side down, move left leg out of your way. You will begin performing compressions at the spot of the dogs chest where the dog’s left elbow touches his body. Just like in Human CPR you will place one hand on top of the other and interlock your fingers.
Canine CPR Step 2:
At this point you will begin giving compressions followed by one breath. The compressions should push your dog’s chest about 3 inches in each time. For large dogs give approximately 10 compressions and then a breath rotating between breaths and compressions for one minute before checking for a pulse. For small and medium dogs you should only give five compressions in between breaths.
Canine CPR Step 3:
Continue Canine CPR until you feel a pulse or can get further medical attention for your pet. Understanding these canine CPR techniques may make the difference between saving your pet’s life one day! Hence, as early as now, it is your responsibility as a pet owner to educate yourself not only about the health of your dog but also about the right ways on how to save your pet in case of emergency. See this for more information. Always keep in mind that your dog is willing to save you anytime. What about you?
