How to give first aid to a dog? - Dog resuscitation in just a few steps

Health

When your dog becomes part of your family, you need to be prepared for any eventuality. A responsible pet guardian must know how to help his pet when the need arises. Learn how to revive a dog and why first aid for animals is as important as for an injured person.

First aid for a dog - this is what you need to know!

First aid for a dog - assess the condition of the pet

Start providing first aid to your pet by assessing its condition. Check that the pet is breathing and conscious. If your pet is not breathing, check for airway obstruction and remove any foreign body or fluids such as blood and saliva if they are blocking the airflow. Check your pet's heart rate, count the number of breaths per minute. If the pet is conscious, check how it reacts to stimuli, especially to sound.

Consult a veterinarian

Call your vet and give them all the information you have collected about your dog's health. The vet will tell you what to do in this situation and will guide you through the first aid process for your pet.

Take care of your own safety

Regardless of whether you are giving first aid to your pet or an unknown pet that has suffered on the street, always remember about your safety. An injured or suffering pet may behave differently, even if you know your pet very well. A dog can be aggressive and unpredictable, so always keep your and your pet's welfare in mind.

Dog resuscitation - every moment matters

It is always stressful when your dog experiences cardiac arrest or respiratory arrest. However, you need to keep a cool head. Every minute that blood or oxygen does not reach the dog's brain is a potential threat to the health and even the life of your four-legged friend.

Proper hand position?

Start by putting your dog in a safe position. Place the dog on its right side in a stable and flat place. For large and medium-sized dogs, place two hands on top of each other just above the pet's heart. For smaller dogs and puppies, dog resuscitation is safest done with one hand. All you have to do is wrap it around the dog's sternum, directly over the heart and you will put pressure on it. Sometimes in pets with a strongly developed chest (for example English bulldogs), the dog's heart massage is performed while the animal is lying on its back.

Compression rate and breathing

The dog's chest should be compressed to ¼ or of its total height. It is extremely important to allow the chest to fully relax and return to its starting position after each compression. Artificial respiration in the dog is carried out with a frequency of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. After every 30 compressions, grab the dog's mouth in your hands, close it tightly and blow air through the dog's nose twice. A dog's heart massage should continue until the pet regains consciousness, but no longer than 10 to 15 minutes.

Successful dog resuscitation

When the dog's condition stabilizes after resuscitation, i.e. breathing and heart rate are back to normal, do not forget to visit the vet with your pet. Especially if the dog was involved in an accident and suffered other injuries. First aid for a dog is aimed at keeping the pet alive, but it is only the necessary minimum, and the injured dog may need additional medical intervention, and most of all full diagnostics, which we are not able to carry out ourselves. Until specialist assistance is provided to the animal and in the event of a serious threat to life, avoid using dry dog food and any kind of dog treats. After providing professional medical attention, it may be necessary to give the dog soft food in a form, for example, pate for dogs until they regain strength.

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