Introduction
Your dog or cat is more than a pet—they’re part of your family. But what happens if they suddenly stop breathing or collapse? Knowing basic CPR for pets can make a big difference in those scary moments. In this article, we’ll walk through how you can respond if your dog or cat goes into crisis, what you should check, and a simple step‑by‑step guide until you reach veterinary care. If you’d like to build stronger emergency‑care skills, you can visit the website to explore training options.
Recognising the Emergency
Before starting CPR, you need to identify if your pet is in real trouble:
- Your pet is unresponsive and won’t wake up when you call his or her name.
- The chest is not moving, or you cannot detect normal breathing.
- You can’t find a heartbeat or pulse (for example at the femoral artery in the inner thigh).
- The pet may have suffered a major trauma, choking incident, or inhaled heavy smoke.
- If in doubt, treat it like a life‑threatening emergency and begin rescue measures right away.
Pet CPR: Step‑by‑Step Guide
Once you’ve determined your dog or cat is not breathing and unresponsive, follow these steps:
Call for help
If someone else is nearby, ask them to call the veterinary hospital and tell them you are on your way.
Keep your phone with you and have the vehicle ready.
Position your pet properly
Lay the animal on its side on a firm surface.
For small dogs/cats: you may use one hand to compress.
For large dogs: lay on their side and compress over the widest part of the chest or the sternum depending on breed.
Chest compressions
Compress at a rate of about 100‑120 compressions per minute (approx two per second).
Depth: compress about one‑third to one‑half the width of the chest.
Let the chest fully recoil between compressions (don’t lean).
Continue compressions in sets: for example 30 compressions.
Rescue breaths
After the compressions, give 2 rescue breaths.
Close the pet’s mouth, extend the neck so the airway is open, seal your mouth over the nose and exhale until you see the chest rise.
Resume compressions immediately after breaths.
Continue until help or breathing returns
Keep doing cycles of compressions + breaths until your pet starts breathing on its own, or the vet takes over, or you are physically unable to continue.
If the pet begins breathing but weakly, place in recovery position (on its side, head slightly down) and monitor closely.
Transport to the vet while maintaining CPR if required (e.g., two people: one drives, one provides CPR).
Important Safety Notes & Aftermath
- There is risk involved (broken ribs, etc) but the benefit of attempting CPR far outweighs the risk when life is at stake.
- Pet CPR skills should be practiced in a course setting—the manual skills matter and knowing how to position, compress, breathe correctly is best learned ahead of an emergency.
- Once you reach the vet, be prepared to share what happened: how long compressions were done, if breaths were given, what triggered the collapse.
- After successful resuscitation, pets may still need significant medical care: fluids, monitoring, oxygen, diagnostic work. Your CPR just keeps them alive until that care arrives.
See also: Empowering Teen Mental Health in Ireland with Caroline Goldsmith
Why This Training Is Valuable
Learning pet CPR gives you:
- Confidence in handling emergencies for your dog or cat.
- The ability to respond quickly rather than waiting helplessly.
- Peace of mind knowing you are better prepared if something goes wrong.
- A stronger bond with your pet through proactive care.
Conclusion
Emergencies involving pets are rare but they do happen—and your response matters. By recognising the signs, acting swiftly with chest compressions and rescue breaths, and getting the pet to a veterinary hospital, you give your dog or cat the best chance when every second counts. Visit the website to explore courses and build your emergency‑care skills now.
