Pet CPR: Rescue Techniques to Save Your Pet’s Life in an Emergency

Every second counts when pets experience cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA). The RECOVER Initiative’s 2024 updates to pet CPR guidelines provide crucial recommendations for saving lives. Whether you’re a pet owner or a professional, understanding these updates can empower you to act confidently in emergencies.

What is CPR?

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a life-saving procedure used when a pet’s heart stops beating and they are not breathing. CPR combines chest compressions to circulate blood with rescue breaths to deliver oxygen.

Why Use CPR: It significantly increases the chances of survival compared to taking no action, making it the “only practical method shown to achieve return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC)” according to the 2024 RECOVER Guidelines.

Understanding the RECOVER Initiative

The Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation (RECOVER) Initiative is a collaboration between the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC) and the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society (VECCS). Since the launch of the initial guidelines in 2012, RECOVER has become the international standard for pet CPR, offering evidence-based guidelines that continue to evolve with new research.

Key Reality Check on Pet CPR

Pet CPR offers hope; however, it does not guarantee success. According to the most recent publication by the RECOVER Initiative, research “suggests that CPR survival in dogs and cats undergoing CPR is low and ranges from 5% to 7% in dogs and 1% to 19% in cats.”

Pulse: To Check or Not to Check

Research shows that even trained professionals struggle to detect a pulse quickly. One study on humans revealed, “Only 34 of the 206 participants (16.5%) were able to make a decision on pulse status within 10 secs, and pulse status was accurately identified by only 31 of 206 participants (15%) within this time period. Furthermore, merely one out of 59 participants (2%) diagnosed pulselessness correctly within 10 secs when confronted with a patient with unexpected pulselessness.” (Dick et al., 2000). To avoid delays, the assumption is now that if a pet is not breathing, CPR should be started immediately.

Key Updates to the 2024 Guidelines on Pet CPR

The 2024 RECOVER guidelines highlight several important changes to pet CPR techniques:

1. Compression Depth:
   • Side position: Compress 1/3 to 1/2 of the chest depth.
   • Back position (barrel-chested dogs; e.g., bulldogs): Compress to 1/4 chest depth.
2. Three Techniques for Cats and Small Dogs:
   • Circumferential (two-thumb) chest compression
   • One-handed palm compression
   • One-handed thumb-to-fingers compression
3. Rescue Breathing Adjustments:
   • Provide mouth-to-snout rescue breaths only if there’s no risk to the rescuer.
   • If elevated risks likely exist, perform compression-only CPR.

Performing Pet CPR: A Quick Guide

1. Assess Responsiveness:
   • Shake vigorously and shout pet’s name to check for a response.
2. Call for help
3. Check Breathing:
   • Briefly observe and/or feel the chest for movement. Otherwise, if no breathing is observed, check the airway for a blockage.
4. Position the Pet:
   • Lay the pet on its side (lateral recumbency) for most breeds.
   • Use back positioning (dorsal recumbency) for barrel-chested breeds like bulldogs.
5. Chest Compressions:
   • No more than 10-15 seconds should pass between Step 1 (Assess Responsiveness) to Step 5 (Chest Compressions)
   • Tip: Decide which CPR technique works best for the pet before an emergency happens. Take a moment to assess each pet’s shape and size. Make a note of the most effective method for their needs. This simple step can save you critical seconds when performing CPR.
   • Adjust hand placement based on the pet’s chest shape and overall size.
   • Compress the chest at 100–120 beats per minute. Additionally, try counting compressions out loud to better keep track of where you stand in the cycle.
6. Rescue Breaths:
   • Align the neck and head with the spine, then blow into its nose until the chest rises
   • Maintain a 30:2 ratio of compressions to breaths.
   • Do not allow more than a few seconds to pass from the end of chest compression set to the start of next cycle.
7. Continue Until:
   • Veterinary staff take over rescue efforts.
   • The pet regains a heartbeat, and clearly begin breathing on their own.
   • Efforts are deemed futile.

Conclusion: Be Ready to Save Lives

These guidelines include only a few updates from 2012. However, the search for ways to save more pets’ lives continues. Meanwhile, experts will keep working to improve CPR techniques. As pet owners and professionals, we must take responsibility for ongoing training. This helps us gain and retain the skills needed to give pets in CPA their best chance at survival.

Pet CPR Certification

We at Burnell Pet Care and Education aim to help you in those efforts. Our organization is creating online and in-person CPR trainings, as well as First Aid trainings. Therefore, please check back for updates on our course offerings as we work to provide the resources necessary to aid you in aiding your pets.

References

1. Burkitt‐Creedon JM, Boller M, Fletcher DJ, Brainard BM, Buckley GJ, Epstein SE, Fausak ED, Hopper K, Lane SL, Rozanski EA, Wolf J. 2024 RECOVER Guidelines: Updated treatment recommendations for CPR in dogs and cats. Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. 2024 Jul;34:104-23.
2. Dick WF, Eberle B, Wisser G, Schneider T. The carotid pulse check revisited: what if there is no pulse?. Critical care medicine. 2000 Nov 1;28(11):N183-5.