Have you experienced a time when your puppy had difficulty breathing? It’s going to be a scary situation.
When puppies have trouble breathing, they are at risk of going into respiratory arrest or, worse, dying. Unfortunately, puppies are more likely to die if they wait too long to get medical help.
So what can you do?
You want to save your puppy’s life, but you don’t know where to turn or what to do. Luckily, performing puppy CPR is simpler than you think. It can make the difference between life and death for your beloved pet.
Learn all about Cardiopulmonary resuscitation as puppy first aid with our simple guide below.
Incorrect Hand Placement
Hands should be placed on the puppy’s chest in the same fashion as performing chest compressions on a human. The thumbs should line up along the midline of the sternum, with the other fingers spread out across both sides of the sternum. The thumbs should then press down on the sternum approximately one-third of the depth of the chest.
It is also important to ensure hands are placed directly on the puppy’s sternum and not near the bottom of the ribcage. Putting the hands in the wrong places can cause broken ribs or other injuries.
Excessive Force
Excessive force can result in fractured ribs or other injuries in the dog resulting in further complications. It can also lead to increased agitation and distress, worsening the situation. When performing compressions, the chest should be compressed firmly but gently.
In addition, the amount of force should be adjusted based on the size of the puppy. It is also important to allow complete chest recoil between compressions to ensure enough oxygen is circulated through the lungs for recovery.
Inadequate Ventilation
Puppies’ lungs are generally much smaller than adult dogs’ lungs, so they require more breath exchange in a chest compression cycle. To ensure adequate ventilation, rescuers should use a pocket or nasopharynx mask and ensure that at least two full breaths are administered for every thirty chest compressions.
Administer two full breaths, tightly fitting the mask around the puppy’s nose and mouth, making sure to expand the puppy’s chest with each breath.
Not Checking for a Pulse
It is important to check for a pulse when performing puppy Cardiopulmonary resuscitation. A puppy’s heart rate is approximately 180-220 beats per minute, which makes it harder to detect a pulse by hand than with adult canines.
To ensure that a heartbeat is present, the auscultation method should be used when performing CPR on a pup. This means placing the ear to the chest to listen for signs of ventricular contraction.
Overlooking Training
Training is a critical step to ensure that the procedure is done correctly and that the puppy’s life is preserved. It is also important to check for any complications that may begin to arise during the procedure, such as breathing problems or shock, and how to recognize signs of distress.
If the puppy is too small to handle the CPR process, then the proper steps should be taken to support the puppy back to health. Learn more by having a puppy CPR certification and having the correct training prior to performing CPR on a puppy.
Avoid These Common Puppy CPR Errors
In conclusion, proper puppy CPR techniques can help save a pup’s life. It is essential to familiarize yourself with the basics of canine CPR so that unexpected emergencies may be met with swift, confident action.
Educate yourself and save the day-every pup deserves a second chance at life.
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