Do you know how to give your pet first aid?

PDSA has found that nine out of 10 pet owners have never received any pet first aid training and 80 per cent don’t own a pet first aid kit.

“Being clued-up on first aid could help save your pet’s life in an emergency,” said PDSA Vet Nurse Nina Downing.  Nina shares PDSA’s advice on how to give CPR to pets.

What to do if your pet collapses
Make sure you and the pet are in a safe area away from hazards like other animals or traffic.

Approach your pet, speak to them and see if they respond.

Gently touch your pet, if they’re collapsed but aware or responding to you, they don’t need CPR.

Call for help – call a vet immediately and you’ll often need two people for CPR.

Move your pet to a safe place if necessary. Remember your ABCs.

A for Airway, B for Breathing, C for Compressions

Airways

Carefully pull the tongue forward.

If they suddenly wake up, there’s a good chance you could get bitten. If the pet reacts or tries to resist you then they don’t need CPR.

Call your vet and tell them your pet has collapsed but isn’t unconscious. Check for anything in the throat that could be blocking the airway.

If there is something gently try to remove it.

Breathing

Are they breathing? Can you see the chest rising and falling or feel breath from nostrils or mouth?

If they’re not breathing, check for a heartbeat.

Circulation

Place your hand or ear on the left side of the pet’s chest, where the elbow meets the ribcage. Can you feel/hear a heartbeat? If not, start CPR.

CPR

Place your pet on their right side on a firm, flat surface.

Dogs with barrel-shaped chests need to be lying on their backs, with CPR compressions done at the midpoint of the chest.

For cats and small dogs, use one hand to compress the chest from both sides while they are lying on their side, for large dogs, use both hands interlocked.

Perform two chest compressions per second at the widest part of the chest.

Each compression should depress the chest by one third to a half.

The chest should be allowed to return to the normal position after each compression.

Keep your arms straight.

After 30 compressions, extend your pet’s neck, close their mouth, place your thumb and forefinger in a circle around the outside of their nostrils to make an airtight seal and blow through your fingers and down their nose.

Give a one second breath, watch for the rise of the chest, and allow it to fall again before giving a second breath.

Check for a heartbeat.

If your pet still has no heartbeat and isn’t breathing, repeat the process – giving 30 com pressions and two breaths.

Continue CPR, checking for return of a heartbeat and breaths every two minutes while getting advice from your vet.

To download free pet first aid guide, go to www.pdsa.org.uk/pr-free-first-aid-guide.