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)
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.
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.
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
Step 1- Perform the A,B,C’s of CPR, remembering to look listen and feel for respiratory activity.
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.)
Step 3- The Dog is still not breathing, check for a femoral pulse.
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.
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
Giant Dogs-Receive 10 chest compressions to each breath
Medium to Large Dogs- Receive 5 chest compressions to each breath.
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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