This just came in my Inbox from Trudog.com and I thought I’d share it with you. You never know when you’ll need it. I wonder, had I known how to do this, could I have saved my sweet Maggie who died of a massive heart attack right next to me in bed one morning? I gave her mouth-to-nostril resuscitation but not chest compressions. Wish I had had this information all those years ago:
It’s hard seeing your dog in a life or death situation, especially when you’re the only one that can save his life. Desperation and fear may cause you to panic in circumstances like this, but having the tools and skills you need to change the situation will arm you with confidence. If your dog is unresponsive or not breathing, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR may be necessary.
Indications that CPR may be needed include your dog not breathing, blinking, moving, or unconsciousness. These signs can be a result of the dog choking, cardiac arrest, electric shock, drowning, choking or many other traumatic situations. The CPR maneuver will artificially pump blood and oxygen to your dog for a short period of time until you are able to get veterinary help. Although there is no guarantee that this will save your furry friend’s life, it certainly increases their chances at survival.
If you have to perform CPR on your dog or a friend’s dog, it’s important to try to stay calm. Remove any immediate dangers to you or the dog before beginning. If necessary, move the dog to a safe area before beginning. Have someone get on the phone with an emergency veterinarian right away while you perform compressions.
Knowing what to do in an emergency can save lives, and you never know when you’ll need this life-saving information. You can also keep the Red Cross Pet First Aid app on your mobile phone for use during an emergency.
Unfortunately, if there is no oxygenated blood flowing to the brain for more than 10 minutes brain damage is almost certain and the chances of recovery are grim, so be sure to rush your pet to the veterinarian immediately. Sometimes performing CPR for a few minutes will give the dog enough time to recover just enough to start breathing on his own again.
Always be prepared for an emergency. Act quickly but decisively. And don’t forget to ask your angels for help!
Angels Bark 
Great information, Michele! Thanks for sharing it. I’ve never been in that situation, but it sure is good to know. So sorry about Maggie! 😥
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Thanks Debbie. May we never have to use this!! But in case we do need to, I hope the info and the knowledge will help to save a life…
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Hi, Michele!
I wish you could have saved your dear Maggie years ago. I’m so sorry it didn’t work out. I’ll never forget the day our Toto suffered a seizure of some kind and fell unconscious – totally lifeless. Mrs. Shady announced that Toto was dead but, after performing compressions for a short while, she was able to revive Toto. When Toto had a similar episode six months later at age 14, we knew it was time to have her put down and we did so that same night.
Thanks for dispensing this valuable advice, dear friend Michele!
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That is sooo awesome that she was able to revive Toto! Great to know that the compressions worked from someone who actually experienced it. I wish I would’ve thought of that with Maggie. But the vet said it was a massive heart attack so that probably wouldn’t have worked. I still wonder though…
Thanks for coming by Tom. Hope you had a good weekend. I did….After all, I was at your Rave! 😎
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Mrs. Shady’s medical training kicked in and she instinctively tried compressions, enabling her to save Toto. On another occasion we noticed Toto choking. Mrs. S sprang into action and scooped the hunk of meat out of Toto’s throat, saving her life. The wonderful thing about dogs is that, within seconds, they return to normal and go about their business like nothing even happened, while their humans are left shaken by the frightening experience.
I’m very happy you came to the rave and enjoyed yourself.
Remember what John Diggle said:
“STRONGER TOGETHER!” 🙂
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Dogs are so resilient! Good thing that Mrs. Shady has all that medical training. That’s a great asset!
“Stronger Together” — Amen to that! 🙂
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Never thought about CPR on a dog. But I don’t have a dog so I usually don’t think about things like that. I don’t even know how to do CPR on a human which probably should be something we all know.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
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I missed the class on human CPR and all I know is what I’ve seen on TV. You’re right: it’s definitely something we all should know. Thanks for coming by today Lee…
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This is great information and wouldn’t have known that the dog would need to be on his right side. I’m so sorry about your Maggie and that you are still dealing with the feelings that you could have saved her. It’s always hard when one loses a pet.
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Thanks Birgit. Glad you found the information helpful. And yes, I think of sweet Maggie all the time! She was such an angel… Thanks.
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Quite similar to CPR on a human, but the doggy is on his side and you breathe into the nose instead of the mouth. Okay. I’ll remember this post and my own comment. I know CPR and now I know how to make slight changes for a dog. I’ve had CPR training multiple times and have never needed to use it. My son, on the other hand, learned it in a lifeguarding class when he was a teen and used it the first summer he worked as a lifeguard. He saved a little boy. I was and still am so proud of him for thinking clearly and remembering his training.
Love,
Janie
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That’s great that you’ve had CPR training. And how awesome that your son saved a life! You absolutely should be so proud. Fantastic!
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Great information. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks Liz!
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Thank you so much for sharing this – hope I never need it but feel better that I know the correct way to do it.
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