How to give CPR to your dog
Dog owners who know how to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on people often wonder whether similar techniques can be used on dogs. The short answer is yes, they can, but their usefulness in canine emergencies is extremely limited.
First, a common situation in which you definitely should not attempt
mouth-to-nose respiration: when a dog is conscious and gasping for breath. You will not be able to blow more air into his lungs than he can inhale on his own, and he will be terrified at your efforts. When a dog is struggling to breathe, do the following instead:
1. Perform the Heimlich maneuver if you know he has an object stuck in his trachea (see page 1 of this article).
2. If he is hot, cool him down by spraying or wiping him with water or moving him to an air-conditioned location.
3. Calm him as best you can.
4. Get him as quickly as you can to a vet clinic or other source of oxygen. (A kindhearted ambulance crew may let you use their oxygen tank.) Hold an oxygen mask close to the dog's nose but not so tightly against his muzzle that he struggles against it, or hold just the oxygen tube in front of his nostrils.
If a dog is unconscious, not breathing, and has no heartbeat, forget about mouth-to-nose breathing and concentrate your efforts on chest compressions -- which help push blood to the brain and internal organs -- while rushing the dog to the nearest veterinary hospital.
Click here to see an image of chest compressions.
1. Lay the dog on his side.
2. Place the heel of one hand in the middle of the dog's ribs with the other hand over it.
3. Push down hard enough to compress the dog's ribs by 1 or 2 inches, once per second.
Always seek veterinary care following first-aid attempts.
Pet first aid courses
Here is a list of some pet first aid courses across Canada:
• B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario: www.oesl.com
• Vancouver: www.walksnwags.com
• Toronto: www.trailblazers.ca
Great resources for more first aid
• www.healthhypet.com
• www.acpsn.com
Excerpted from Hound Health by Betsy Brevitz, D.V.M. Copyright 2004 by Urbanhound, LLC. Excerpted, with permission by Workman Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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