Resuscitation in Pets- CPR
Before starting any procedure...
Assess safety and ensure scene is safe before proceeding
- Make sure you are not the next victim e.g. leaning tree branches, fast cars approaching or electrical cables/appliances still connected to a power supply
Do not assume that the blood has come from an animal
- It may be from a human AIDS or Hepatitis carrier caught up in the accident
Wear gloves at all times
If fully conscious...
- Clear the airway
- Examine mouth and throat for foreign body or vomitus
- Do finger sweep if needed to clear the back of the throat
- Lay animal on its side with head and neck extended
- Keep the head down low- do not elevate it more than necessary
- Extend the head and neck
If not breathing at all...
- Provide mouth to nose ventilation
- Pull tongue out and shut mouth down onto it
- Close mouth over the tongue with it hanging out between its front teeth
- Add finger pressure upwards on the voice box
- Place mouth over nose & give several breaths
- Assess effectiveness by watching chest rising with each breath
If you are doing mouth to nose respiration and the chest refuses to rise
it may be that there is a foreign body in the windpipe
especially if you can’t see anything in the back
of the throat that could be causing an obstruction
If no heartbeat...
Commence chest compressions as below...
|
Animal size |
Amount of compression to apply |
|
Small dog/cat |
1 cm (1/2") |
|
Medium dog |
2- 2.5 cm (1-1&1/4 ") |
|
Large dog |
> 4 cm (2") -difficult |
|
|
See also...
Find us on Facebook