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BENTLEY'S CORNER: Learn Pet CPR

We learn how to properly perform CPR in the event of an emergency.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — It’s something we don’t like to give much thought to but it's certainly something we need to prepare for: what do we do if our pets start choking, or even worse, stop breathing and go unconscious?

Do you know what to do?

Everyone's knee-jerk reaction in an emergency -- and rightfully so -- is to call 911. In pet emergencies, this is NOT what to do.

The best bet is to call your vet immediately. But what if it is in the middle of the night or past business hours?

Do your research, Google the closest 24-hour pet hospital and have at least three emergency vet numbers programmed in your phone.

In these situations, minutes and seconds matter. You need to act now. Removing the item blocking your dog's airway if they are choking or resuscitating them if they are not breathing needs to happen as quickly as possible.

First lets tackle choking. 

Maria Nolan, a certified pet first aid instructor from Bayside Kennels in Virginia Beach, said in most cases, dogs can clear their airways on their own. But sometimes, it gets to a point where they can’t. Pay attention to the sounds.

“Until you hear that strider noise, it's kind of a high pitch," she explained. "When you hear that noise you know that there is not enough air getting into their lungs.”

Chest thrusts are necessary here.

“You’re going to come behind and you’re going to do these kinds of hard thrusts on their rib cage, similar to our Heimlich maneuver. You’re going to do this basically until whatever is in there pops out,” Maria said.

Worst case scenario, the object is not dislodged and your pet falls unconscious. The next step is resuscitation using a CPR maneuver.

Step 1: You’re going to make your hand closest to the tail into an "L." Place that hand underneath the front armpit of your dog, which is an optimal position for the chest compressions.

Step 2: Take your second hand and put it in front of the chest as an anchor. You’re going to do 30 fast and hard compressions. You need to keep the dog steady and not rocking.

Step 3: 30 hard and fast compressions.

Step 4: Extend the neck to open up the airway and pull out the tongue. You want to see if there is a blockage in there.

If you see a blockage, try and remove. If not, resume with the next step.

Step 5: We are going to form a tight seal. This way when you blow into the nose, it goes into the lungs.

Administer two breaths and look for the chest to rise. If chest rises, air is getting in. If not, there is still a blockage. Readjust the neck and check again for blockages.

Continue this for two minutes with 30 compressions to two breaths. Then check for a pulse. Use your two middle fingers and place on the femoral artery under your dog's back legs.

After one round, get yourself on the way to the emergency vet. If you have a second person with you, keep administering CPR and have the other drive.

This education is crucial in being a responsible dog owner, knowing how to react in an emergency can indeed drastically change the outcome.

The best way to resuscitate is to educate. Maria teaches CPR and first aid courses at her Virginia Beach location, the next class is on March 16. Visit baysidekennels.com for more information.

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