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Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on a Dog
How to Perform Dog CPR
When you own a
business that places the care of other peoples dogs in your hands, it should
be an understatement to expect you to be able to recognize an emergency and
provide the proper first aid. This also includes having the basic knowledge
and proficiency to provide Dog CPR in an emergency situation.
CPR for dogs
differs from CPR for humans only in it’s application, the method is the
same. With dogs and with humans you still apply the ABC’s of CPR meaning
that you check the A-Airway, B-Breathing, and Circulation in that order.
The Method
Airway
If you suspect that a dog is not breathing you need to first bend down to
assess the situation, tap the dog on the head while calling out their name
to see if you get a response. If the dog does not respond to this
stimulation the next course of action is to Look, Listen, and Feel for
respiratory activity (breathing)
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Look- Looking means that
you observe the chest to see if it is moving. If the dog is
breathing you should be able to see the rise and fall of the
chest cavity as they inhale and exhale.
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Listen- Gently grasp the
dog by the head and place your ear directly to their nose,
you are listening for any sounds that would indicate that
the dog is breathing.
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Feel- Using the back of
your hand, or your wrist place it in front of the dogs nose
and see if you can feel any signs of breathing activity.
If you are unable
to find any respiratory activity ensure that the dogs airway is clear of
obstructions. Open the jaws and physically observe the inside of the mouth
looking for anything that could be blocking the airway, take your fingers
and do a deep finger sweep to determine if you can feel anything blocking
the airway. If you find an obstruction try to remove it with your fingers,
if that does not work perform a modified Heimlich maneuver on the dog to see
if they object can be dislodged from the throat.
Breathing
If the dog is not breathing and you have been unable to find an obstruction
in the airway begin CPR by placing your mouth around the dogs nose and
giving 4 to 5 good breaths, providing enough air to make the chest cavity
rise and no more. The amount of air that you need to provide depends on the
size of the dog, remember to allow an opportunity for the air you just
provided to exit the lungs between breaths.
Provide 2 rounds of 5 breaths then look, listen and feel one more time to
see if the dog has started breathing naturally. If the dog is still not
breathing on it’s own it’s time to check for a pulse.
Circulation
If the heart is not pumping oxygenated red blood cells from the lungs
through out the rest of the body then all the mouth to snout resuscitation
in the world will be useless. You need to check for a pulse by placing your
open hand fingers together high on the dogs inner thigh, the area where the
leg and belly form a crease. You are feeling for a femoral pulse on the leg
side, not the belly side. The femoral artery is one of the largest arteries
in the body and provides the most reliable location to find the pulse of a
dog.
If the dog does not have a pulse and the dog is still not breathing then you
must begin lifesaving steps.
This involves
performing chest compressions while also providing mouth to snout
resuscitation in an attempt to jump start the dogs system back into working
or at the very least keep oxygenated blood flowing through the dogs body
while you have someone drive you to an emergency veterinary facility where
they can provide advanced care like adrenalin injections to the heart or
pure O2 respiration
The Method
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Step 1- Perform
the A,B,C’s of CPR, remembering to look listen and feel for
respiratory activity.
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Step 2- If the dog is not
breathing, check the airway for obstructions if found clear
them, and provide 4 to 5 breaths of air making the chest
rise. (Always ensure that you check the airway for
obstructions prior to providing rescue breathing or you may
force an obstruction deeper into the dogs throat by trying
to force air into the lungs.)
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Step 3- The Dog is still
not breathing, check for a femoral pulse.
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Step 4- If you detect a
pulse but the animal is still not breathing, check the
airway for obstructions once more and begin a regular cycles
of mouth to snout resuscitation. Proving 4-5 breaths, wait 5
seconds, then provide 4-5 more, check again for pulse,
continue this cycle until the animal begins breathing
naturally or your arrive at an emergency veterinary
facility. If you lose a pulse at any time while providing
mouth to snout move on the step 5 and begin chest
compressions.
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Step 5- There is no pulse
present, with the dog laying on it’s right side, place
yourself behind the dog grasping the dogs left front leg
with your right hand, extend the leg out and then rotate it
backwards at the shoulder to the point where the dogs elbow
touches the body. Place your left palm in this area, release
the leg and grasp the top of your left hand with your right
hand interlocking your fingers. Lock your elbows and begin
chest compression, in a large dog you should compress the
chest wall 2-3 inches in smaller dogs it may be as little as
an inch. You should provide 5 chest compressions and then
one breath of mouth to snout. Continue this cycle checking
for a pulse after each second cycle, this rotation should be
continued until you acquire a pulse or until you arrive at
an emergency veterinary treatment facility.
Dog CPR Based on Size
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Giant Dogs-Receive 10
chest compressions to each breath
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Medium to Large Dogs-
Receive 5 chest compressions to each breath.
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Small Dogs- receive 3
compressions to each breath, with small dogs you may either
use 3 fingers to compress the chest or sandwich the animal
between your palms and press inwards about ½ inch from each
side.
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