How to give effective CPR to dogs, cats and other creatures

I’ve written a step by step guide to carrying out CPR on animals. There are key facts you must know. It’s mouth-to-snout, not mouth-to-mouth. There’s no need to wear gardening gloves. And there’s no need to get someone to video you, as Jodie Marsh did recently when she carried out CPR on her collapsed Bulldog.

I have always been a little sceptical about widespread promotion of CPR in animals: most often, when animals collapse, with no pulse and no breathing, then they are beyond being rescued. Often there is a major unfixable underlying reason for their collapse: they don’t suffer from human-style heart attacks where the main issue is that the heart has stopped. If you can restart a human’s heart, there’s a good chance of a full recovery. This rarely applies to animals.

My attitude has changed in recent times: you never know when you may encounter an animal in trouble, and it will never do any harm to understand the basics of how to give first aid, including CPR when needed.

I’ve written about this in detail in my latest Telegraph online piece, including a detailed summary of how to adminster CPR to an animal.

1 Comment

  • Rachel Bean RVN says:

    Great – thanks for spreading the word

    I’m an RVN and will be training Jodie Marsh in the correct CPR procedures very shortly

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Please note that I am unable to answer veterinary questions in comments. If you have questions or concerns about your pet's health it is always better to contact your vet.

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