How to Give
Canine CPR
By Lori S. Mohr (as referenced by
First Aid For Dogs by Tim
Hawcroft)
CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is the process of
breathing life back into an unconscious human. A similar
technique can also work effectively on dogs.
The signs
that indicate the need for CPR include unconsciousness, lack
of arousal, lack of physical movement, or eye blinking. These
symptoms can occur from drowning, choking, electrical shock,
or a number of other situations.
The key to canine CPR is remembering the
ABCs:
Airway,
Breathing, and
Cardiac compression.
To
perform the three techniques, follow these steps.
Lay the dog on
a flat surface on its right side and extend the
head back to create an airway.
Open the jaws to check for obstructions,
and if any exist and are not easily removed, do one of two
things, depending on the size of the dog.
For small dogs, hold them upside down by their back end and
shake vigorously to try removing the obstruction.
For large dogs, lay them on their side and,
if necessary, use long-nosed pliers to remove the
obstruction.
Cup your hands
around the muzzle of the dog's mouth so that only
the nostrils are clear. Blow air into the nostrils with five
or six quick breaths, again, depending on the size of the
dog. Small dogs and puppies and require
short and shallow breaths. Larger dogs need
longer and deeper breaths. Continue the
quick breaths at a rate of one breath every three seconds or
20 breaths per minute.
Check for
a heartbeat by using your finger on the inside of
the thigh, just above the knee. If you don't feel a pulse,
put your hand over the dog's chest cavity where the elbow
touches the middle of the chest. If you still don't
find a pulse, have one person continue breathing into the
nostrils (mouth to snout), while another gives cardiac
massage.
Give the dog a cardiac
massage by placing both hands palms down between
the third and sixth rib on the chest cavity.
For large dogs, place your hands on top of
each other. For small dogs or puppies,
place one hand or thumb on the chest.
Use the heel of your hand to push down for
10 quick compressions and then check to see if consciousness
has been restored. If consciousness has not been restored,
continue the compressions in cycles of about 10 every six
seconds for 10 cycles a minute.
After each cycle of compression, the other
person should give the dog two breaths of air in the
nostrils. If only one person is present, this procedure can
still be done successfully.
Once
the dog has started breathing, contact a veterinarian
immediately. |
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