CPR For Dogs
Kirsten Hawkins
Anyone who has been to a CPR class is familiar with the basics
of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. First you’ll check to be sure
the patient has a clear airway, then check to see if the
patient is breathing, check whether the patient has a heartbeat
and, if the patient awakens during the process, be careful that
you don’t get bitten by the patient.
The American Red Cross has been instructing people in CPR for
pets for quite some time now and has classes that include all
manner of first aid, including mouth-to-snout resuscitation.
You read that correctly; mouth-to-snout.
The procedure is similar to traditional mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation between humans, the chief difference being that
the person performing the procedure will close the dog’s mouth
and instead provide breaths into the dog’s nose. The process
sounds humorous in theory, but it works and knowing how to
perform mouth-to-snout resuscitation on your pet could
literally save its life.
According to a March 2002 story from The Scoop, a website that
reports on dogs in the news (you know the theory – “DOG BITES
MAN” is not news while “MAN BITES DOG” is), a dog in Walla
Walla, Washington that was accidentally choked nearly to death
was saved by a quick-acting Good Samaritan who was trained in
mouth-to-snout.
After being revived, the dog was treated at the Walla Walla
Associated Veterinary Clinic and released.
In addition to the mouth-to-snout procedure, dogs can have
chest compressions performed in an emergency where the heart
stops. Learning and knowing these techniques can save the life
of a dog in distress and let him live to chase rabbits or play
fetch another day.
The concept of pet CPR is gaining much notoriety and is
starting to be taught by organizations all over the country
that formerly provided traditional CPR training and
certification. If you’re interested in taking these classes
yourself, contact your local Red Cross. The life you save may
be your dog’s.
Kirsten Hawkins is a dog lover and animal
expert from Nashville, TN. Visit
http://www.doghealth411.com/
for more information on dog health, the care of dogs, and dog
travel.
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