Our pets are not just companions; they are essentials members of our families who deserve the same care and love as anyone else. When it comes to your pet’s health and safety, many of us keep up with their diet and exercise, and go to regular check ups at the vet, but seldom of us realize the dangers of our animal friends when it comes to choking.
CPR and First Aid knowledge of our furry family members will put you and everyone in your family at ease, as one feels great pride knowing that members of the family are protected from the disaster of choking and unresponsive pets. At Coast2Coast First Aid and Aquatics, we are also animal lovers and deeply value our pets health and life standards. With our upcoming pet first-aid courses, we are trying to raise awareness to not only get yourself First-Aid certified, but for your pets as well.
Pet CPR is a quintessential application that provides the best care for your family and animals. With our six steps provided by the American Red Cross, you can perform CPR on your pets with mastery and expertise!
Step One:
Check for Breathing and Heart Rate
If your pet is acting abnormally and reacting in a peculiar situation with limited movement, you need to check to see if they are breathing. If their chest is compressing up and down, and heartbeats going through the animal’s body, then they are breathing. If not, the pet is not breathing and will require you to perform CPR with chest compressions over the animal’s heart.
Ready to be a Lifesaver for Your Furry Friends?
Step Two:
Begin Chest Compressions
To begin chest compressions on your furry friend, put your hands on them as accordingly:
For cats and small dogs:
Place the heel of one of your hands (the most used one in preference) directly over the animal’s heart, and place your other hand directly above the primary hand.
For deep chested (bloated chest) dogs:
Place the primary hand over the dog’s widest part of the chest, and place the other hand directly above.
For barrel chested (round chest) dogs:
Have the dog be put on their back, and place one hand over the largest part of the breastbone, and the other hand directly below.
Before you begin compressions, make sure your elbows are locked in place, and that your shoulders are directly above your hands.
To start the compressions, you need to push hard and perform at a fast pace of 100-120 compressions per minute, with compressions the width of ⅓ to ½ of your animal’s chest. Make sure the chest has risen up to its natural level before beginning compressions once more. Proceed on with 30 chest compressions.
Step Three:
Administer Rescue Breaths
To start giving breaths, gently close the pet’s mouth and elongate the neck to open the airway. Cover the nose or snout with your mouth and administer breaths until their chest begins rising in motions of a heartbeat. Follow up with a second breath.
Step Four:
Continue Performing CPR
If your pet is still not breathing, continue with the cycle of 30 compressions and two rescue breaths until they are breathing on their own.
Step Five:
Check for Breathing and Heart Rate (After CPR)
After completing CPR on your animal, continue every two minutes to check the breathing and heart rate in case breathing ceases again.
Step Six:
Get Professional Help
Whether your pet is back to breathing at their normal rate, or still needing CPR to supply air, the immediate action is to take your loved one to a vet and get them checked out for any other health concerns.
If necessary, continue performing CPR while transporting you and the animal to the vet.
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Pets lives matter, and it is up to us as owners/foster owners/dog sitters to make sure their well-being is a top priority. It is crucial to not only be trained in pet CPR/First Aid, but to be trained in regular CPR/AED and First Aid classes which we offer at Coast2Coast First Aid & Aquatics Inc. All of our members of our families should be protected, from our critter members, to our doggies, to even our kids and partners.
Coast2Coast will be holding Pet First-Aid courses in a few short weeks to come! We will soon be listing dates and prices for the upcoming courses! Contact Coast2Coast to see how you can get registered and have your family and friends feel safe and secure with your First Aid and CPR training!
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