6 Steps to Resuscitate a Dog

Unexpected health problems can affect dogs of any age, breed and physical condition. And when the animal’s heart stops beating or in the face of respiratory arrest, running to a veterinary clinic may not be the best option. After all, every second is precious and there may not be time to arrive at the establishment. Therefore, it is essential to keep in mind a simple and efficient technique capable of bringing your four-legged friend back to life.

O awesome.club is ready to help all readers who own dogs, bringing, in this post, two basic procedures — cardiac massage and artificial respiration — so that you are always prepared in any eventuality. But, of course, we hope that such an emergency never happens.

Checking the dog’s breathing: Place your hand in front of the animal’s snout and try to feel the air. Also, make sure your chest moves up and down. If the dog is not breathing, carefully observe the mouth for possible obstructions. If so, pull your tongue out.

Checking the animal’s pulse: Hold the larger paw pad to feel for a pulse, or try to find it on the inside of the hind paw, where it joins the body.

If your dog has a pulse but is not breathing, you will need artificial respiration. If you notice that he does not have a pulse, it is recommended to perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

Heads up: Never perform CPR on a healthy dog. The technique can cause serious health problems, especially when not applied correctly.

To begin, lay the dog on its right side on a flat, hard surface.

The animal’s neck needs to be straight, extended. This position facilitates the passage of air.

Open the dog’s mouth, pull the tongue out so it is on the back of the dog’s teeth, and close the jaw. Position yourself behind the dog.

In large dogs: The procedure should be performed in the widest region of the rib cage, close to the heart, but not exactly about him.

in medium dogs (up to 16.6 kilos): you can place your big fingers on one side of the animal’s chest. The thumb should be on the other side, wrapping around the chest. Another alternative is to keep all your fingers on one side.

Place one palm on top of the other, with the elbows extended – the technique, in this case, is the same as that adopted in humans. Start putting pressure on the dog’s rib cage. The movements should be firm and quick, one after the other.

You only need to compress between 1/4 and 1/3 of the chest length.

Repeat the movements approximately 15 times for 10 seconds.

In smaller dogs: Using the entire palm of your hand on very small dogs would be overkill. In such cases, use only your thumbs or larger fingers to press on the chest area. Here, more compressions are needed: about 17 in a 10-second period.

Give artificial respiration every 15 compressions.

First, you will need to seal the dog’s mouth by placing your hand around its muzzle. The animal’s mouth must be closed.

Place your mouth on the dog’s nostrils and blow gently. When you do this, the dog’s chest will get bigger, expanding with the air. If that doesn’t happen, try to blow harder and make sure the dog’s mouth is completely closed.

Between artificial breaths, move your mouth away from the animal’s nostrils and take your hand away from its muzzle, allowing oxygen to flow in and out.

Larger dogs can also benefit from the abdomen compression technique.

Place one palm on top of the other over the dog’s abdominal area.

Then press and squeeze the animal’s belly, firmly but not exaggeratedly. The maneuver helps normalize blood flow.

Do the following sequence: 15 compressions followed by artificial respiration and pressure on the abdomen.

Start repeating the procedures until the dog has a normalized pulse and begins to breathe. Do this for a maximum of 20 minutes.

Obviously, it is extremely important to take your pet to the vet regularly to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Have you ever seen someone saving an animal’s life? How it was? Leave a comment with your story!