Pet CPR Know What To Do When It’s Critical

We’ve probably all seen cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) being performed on a TV show but have you ever seen it performed on a dog or cat? Chances are you may never have to perform CPR on one of your pets, but in case you do, here are some guidelines.

First, you’ll have to check for breathing and a heartbeat. With your pet lying down on its right side, look at the chest to see if it is moving up and down. Next, put your palm on the left side of the chest to feel for a heartbeat. If you bend their left front leg at the elbow and then pull it backwards, the heart will be under the left elbow. You can also lay your head on your pets chest to listen for a heartbeat. If you do not see your pet’s chest moving and cannot find a heartbeat, begin CPR.

By: Dr. Laura Noaker VERGI 24/7 Animal Emergency and Critical Care Hospital, VERGI247.com

Starting with chest compressions, place the heel of one hand directly over the heart and place your other hand directly over the first hand. If your dog is deep chested, place the heel of one hand over the widest part of the chest and place your other hand directly over the first hand. Lock your elbows and keep your shoulders directly above your hands. If your dog is more barrel chested, place the dog on its back, place one hand over the widest part of the sternum, and place your other hand directly over the first hand. You will have to push fairly hard and at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute, compressing 1/3 to 1/2 the width of the chest. Make sure the chest comes back fully (recoils) before compressing again.

If you have a cat, small dog or a pediatric patient, you will have to adjust how hard you compress the chest. In many cases, you can use just one hand or two fingers.

After 30 chest compressions, you will need to give rescue breaths. Close the pet’s mouth and extend the neck to open the airway. Cover your pet’s nose with your mouth and exhale until you see the chest rise. Alternately, you can shut one nostril and blow through the other one. Give two rescue breaths for every 30 chest compressions. Every two minutes, check for spontaneous return of the heartbeat and breathing.

Also, be sure to have your veterinarian or emergency hospital phone number handy and let them know you will be bringing in your pet. It is imperative to get professional help.

If you’d like to know more, the Red Cross has an online course on Dog and Cat First Aid, including CPR. To register for this online course, visit: RedCross.org/take-a-class/first-aid/catdog-first-aid.

Hopefully, you will never have to perform CPR on your pet. It can be quite scary and traumatic, but it is important to be prepared in the event of an emergency.

Every day at work as a veterinary hospice technician, I get asked the same question, "How can you do this every day?" The surprise on people’s faces and the tone of their voice makes me wonder every time it happens, because it seems so obvious to me. But then my mind takes me back to the question and the memories start to pile up, rushing like wildfire,...it becomes so intense, so unstoppable.

Next, I remember…I think I was actually one of those people. I used to ask that question over and over every time we encountered that end-of-life moment; that sad, traumatic, taboo kind of moment. But even then, I had indescribable feelings.

I knew the moment was precious, a true manifestation of the bond between that angel and its guardian, and us, the ones that have already fallen in love. Yes, that is what you do as a veterinary technician, you fall in love over and over again. Then, you must switch sides to the firing line, and have your body become a ticking adrenaline bomb because somehow you learn to be ready, to jump into any situation at any given time, where CPR and IV lines become your natural reflex. From there, moving to a completely different setting where there is no rush, no chaos, no guilt, is somehow overwhelming at first because as humans we are creatures of habit. Your mind, body and emotions get into this crazy rollercoaster and eventually you find yourself asking the same question, but why?

It becomes a little harder to explain to yourself the reasons, because your body still misses the adrenaline rush. So, on one of those days I was asked the question while helping a pet pass away at home, I finally faced it and started to find an explanation for the feeling. I do what I do because it is an honor to be part of such an event. It is definitely one of the most important moments for a family. It is the only true fact in life: sooner or later we are going the same way. What is really important is how we live, the people we choose to share our adventures with, how we learn from our mistakes and become a better version of ourselves.

I feel most people either are afraid of death, or simply afraid of letting go. We are all humans after all. We are usually living in such a rush, our lives are just so busy that we sometimes forget to enjoy the moments, the little things, even the big gestures.

I have learned so much from just being present. I have accepted and embraced the fact that we are all going the same way just in different times and I have become at peace with death, because I have witnessed the beauty of life and true love. I believe that being part of a veterinary hospice program is not for everyone, we all learn life at our own pace and hospice is definitely a teacher of life.