{"id":11265,"date":"2020-10-16T07:00:14","date_gmt":"2020-10-16T06:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.travall.com\/en-us\/?p=11265"},"modified":"2020-10-08T14:31:24","modified_gmt":"2020-10-08T13:31:24","slug":"cpr-for-dogs-how-to-save-a-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.travall.com\/en-us\/cpr-for-dogs-how-to-save-a-life\/","title":{"rendered":"CPR for dogs: how to save a life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did you know that today is Restart A Heart Day? We recently saw a public health campaign teaching people the correct way to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on someone who wasn\u2019t breathing following a heart attack.\u00a0 They recommended doing compressions to the beat of the BeeGees tune \u201cStaying Alive.\u201d Its speedy tempo showed just how quickly compressions need to be done when performing CPR on a person (103 beats per minute). We hope you\u2019ll never need it, but if your dog was in need of CPR would you know what to do? Here\u2019s a step-by-step checklist so if one of the four-legged members of your family collapses with a heart attack you are familiar with CPR for dogs and would potentially know how to save a life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Step-by-step CPR for dogs<\/b><\/h2>\n
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  1. Does the dog have a pulse or is he breathing? Place your finger on the inside of the dog\u2019s hind leg on the dog\u2019s femur (or thigh bone) and then move a finger\u2019s width away to find the femoral artery and pulse. Bring the left elbow back to the chest to locate the heart and look for signs of a heart beat.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. If the dog has a pulse <\/span>DO NOT<\/b> give compressions.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. If the dog does not have a pulse and is not breathing, insure the dog\u2019s airways are clear.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Place the dog on the right side. Bring the left elbow back to the chest to locate the heart. Place hands on the area just above the ribs and begin compressions (5 compressions at a fast speed \u2013 think \u201cStaying Alive\u201d). Placement of hands will depend on the size of the dog.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Follow with one breath.\u00a0 Then go back to the chest compressions.<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Alternate compressions and breaths.<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Check pulse again after 1 minute. Continue compressions and checks until the dog has a pulse.<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. If the dog recovers, seek immediate professional help. After 20 minutes stop CPR if there is no pulse and the dog is not breathing.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The following YouTube video by Veterinary Secrets fully demonstrates the technique to follow. Seek advice from a qualified veterinarian in your area for the appropriate CPR technique for you and your dog.<\/span><\/p>\n

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