By Cheri Sicard
The short video tutorial below, demonstrated by Dr. Erica W. Tinson, BSc, BVSc (Hons), MVSc, could possibly save your dog during an emergency, by teaching you when and how to properly perform canine CPR.
Dr. Tinson specializes in veterinary emergency and critical care, and this five-minute video follows current CPR guidelines as recommended by the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC) Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation (RECOVER) initiative.
This is an emergency measure that is undertaken when the dog is unconscious and not breathing. Dr. Tinson stresses that cardiopulmonary arrests such as these are generally associated with low survival rates. That said, CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation remains the most effective way of treating this emergency.
In the video, Dr. Tinson uses a dog mannequin to demonstrate how to correctly do canine CPR.
1: Recognition and performing the ABCs
Before starting canine CPR it is important to check the ABCs, meaning:
- Airway
- Breathing
- Circulation
It’s important that this step takes no more than 10-15 seconds. Dr. Tinson says you can recognize an animal in cardiopulmonary arrest by its being unconscious and not breathing at all.
Don’t waste time checking for a pulse. Follow along with the video instead for a demonstration of how to quickly and effectively check for breathing. She also advises trying to wake the dog. Also, if possible, try to call for help before starting canine CPR.
2: Animal and hand positioning
Again, watch the video to see exactly how you should position the animal and your hands. Where you will perform chest compressions will vary depending on the type/breed of dog. Dr. Tinson covers various scenarios with demonstrations of how it should look, how fast you should do the compressions, and how long you should continue.
3: Mouth-to-snout ventilation
If you are in an emergency situation in the middle of nowhere, chances are intubation (insertion of a ventilator tube) probably won’t be possible. In these situations, mouth-to-snout ventilation is called for. Dr. Tinson shows you how to do it in the video, providing 2 breaths for every 30 compressions.
4: Putting it all together
Dr. Tinson then puts the steps together to demonstrate what proper CPR on a dog should look like.
The video is only about 5 minutes, but for dog lovers, it is 5 minutes well spent towards protecting your beloved companion, no matter where you roam.
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In Sept 2011, while on a walk with my 3 year old GSD, he suddenly collapsed and wasn’t breathing, eyes fixed. I was over 30 minutes away from any veterinary services, so I knew I had to try something. Using mouth-to-snout and compressions I was able to revive him.
A complete heart function review by a canine heart specialist from the University of Minnesota showed he had a serious arrhythmia…in humans it would require a pacemaker. I also learned this is a potential genetic defect found in GSDs.
He had another attack in Dec 2011, but didn’t stop breathing and came out of it himself. But in Feb 2012, on another walk, he went down and I couldn’t save him.
While that dog’s breeder was testing for several common genetic issues, he wasn’t testing for that.
Our current GSDs breeder is a former President of the GSD club of America and does test for all the “common” genetic defects. I was able to review all these testing records going back generations on the AKCs website to confirm his thorough breeding program had dogs free of these genetic issues. Lesson learned.
Very sorry for your loss, Mikal! 🙁
Thank you so much for posting this – the BEST information I’ve ever read on your blog
Thank you, Cheri! I watched the entire video and sent it to DW. Hopefully, I do this so rarely that I eventually forget how to properly do it and have to watch the video again. Speaking of dogs, how often do you see your “escape artist” now that a friend has custody? Have a great day and safe travels!
Hi Neal, My little escape artist is still living his best life in Missouri where he has a big fenced yard where he can chase squirrels and rabbits.