How To: CPR For Your Cat

by | Dec 7, 2021 | Pet Care, Cat Care, Dog Care | 0 comments

Save a Life: Learn Animal CPR

For the Pet Owner

CIRCULATION

This is the final step of CPR, and should only be started after the A-airway and B-breathing steps have been completed.

  1. Make sure that there are no major (pooling/spurting blood) points of bleeding. Control as necessary by applying pressure with your hand.
  2. Check out a pulse in the groin (check carefully on a conscious dog or cat)
  3. Lay the animal on the right side
  4. Locate your hands where the left elbow touches the chest, approximately the middle of the rib-cage (for cats, use 1 hand in a squeezing motion).
  5. Compess the chest 15 times, followed by 2 breaths (3 compressions every 2 seconds)
    1. Compression:
      1/2” – small dogs & cats
      1” – medium dogs
      1.5” – large dogs
  6. Repeat as necessary

During an emergency, it is very important that you remain calm. Animals can sense your unease, but cannot understand what is happening – and you can’t tell them.

Your body language is very important. Be calm, yet deliberate in your actions.

When you determine that you either have corrected the life-threatening problem, or are unable to stabilise the animal, you should transport to the nearest emergency veterinary hospital. Notify your emergency clinic that you are coming in with a dog/cat with respiratory arrest, a foreign object airway obstruction, and/or cardiac arrest.

Give them the following information via phone if possible:

  • Your Name
  • Your Estimated Time of Arrival
  • Steps taken (CPR, removal of object…)
  • Breed/Size (dog/cat)
  • If a foreign object is in the airway, what the suspected object is
  • If a poison or medication has been eaten
  • Mechanism of injury (hit by car…)
  • Relevant Medical History (Diabetes…)