Watching your pet experience a medical emergency is extremely frightening. It’s important to familiarise yourself with life saving first aid procedures to increase their chance of survival.
In the event of an emergency, you should call your veterinarian for advice and guidance while performing first aid. You will need to get your pet to the vet clinic as quickly as possible.
How to Perform CPR on Your Pet
If your pet has no heartbeat and is not breathing, you will need to perform CPR to resuscitate them.
- Lay your pet on their right sight, gently extending their head and neck.
- Place your left hand under their chest, where their heart is situated.
- Place your right hand on top of their chest, where their heart is situated.
- Press in with the heel of your right hand to firmly squeeze the chest wall. For small dogs and cats, use your fingers and thumb.
- Administer two compressions per second. In smaller dogs and cats, compress the chest wall ⅓ to ½ of the way.
- Administer 1 breath every six seconds.
- Regularly re-check for signs of life.
- Transport your pet to the vet immediately. If you have someone to drive you, continue to administer CPR during transport.
How to Administer Breath During CPR:
- Cup your hands around your pet’s nose.
- For small pets, cover their mouth and nose with your mouth and blow into the nostrils gently until the chest rises.
- For larger pets, cover their nose with your mouth while holding their mouth closed. Blow into the nostrils until the chest rises.
Any animal that has been involved in a medical emergency will need to be examined by a veterinarian as quickly as possible, even if they show no signs of injury or illness. Some injuries are not visible, but can be life threatening or cause further medical problems.