Contacts

    Manchester Chapter Red Cross: 603-624-4307, www.redcrossmanchester.org

    Poison Control: 888-426-4435.  This is the only dedicated animal poison control hotline in the world.  It is manned by ASPCA veterinarians, not telephone operators.  The number is staffed 24/7.

    Your local veterinarian

Emergencies

• Trauma (hit by car, gunshot, fall from height)

• Unconsciousness

• Not breathing or difficult breathing

• No pulse

• Excessive bleeding, spurting blood

• Seizures lasting more than two minutes

• Cuts, gashes that cause internal organs to be exposed

• Snake bites

• Poisoning

• Shock

• Open wounds with bone visible or muscle showing

• Burns

• Problem giving birth

• Profuse diarrhea or vomiting

• Depression (not eating, hiding, wanting to be left alone)

• Painful, enlarged abdomen

Remember that any pet that is hurt will bite.  Muzzle if possible.

What to do

Know your pet's normal health parameters

• Examine your pet, touch and feel

• Establish normal pulse and breathing rates

Quickly assess the situation

• Make a quick assessment of the animal - care, look, listen, feel, call for help if necessary

• Check the scene - sights, noises, odors, behaviors

Check pet's vital signs

• Level of consciousness and how animal is reacting; look for signs of fright

• Check airway

• Breathing

  • 10-30 breaths per minute

  • panting rates up to 200 per minute

  • breathing pattern should be smooth in and out form the chest, not from the abdomen

  • no sounds should be audible, no gasping, shallow, or labored

• Circulation/pulse

  • location: heart, femoral, wrist, ankle; practice at home

  • rates: <30 lbs, 100-160; >30 lbs, 60-100; puppy, 120-160

• Capillary refill - press gums or inner lip and watch for the time it takes to return to normal color, usually 1-2 seconds

• Bleeding - apply tourniquet or pressure to stop spurting blood

• Inspect the immediate area

  • animal's position, breathing

  • presence of blood, feces, vomit, or poisons

• Mucous membranes

• Temperature 

  • normal canine temperature is 102.2-102.8 

  • call for emergency treatment if below 100 or above 104

Reasons the heart may stop or breathing may stop:

• Trauma

• Heat stroke, temperature above 104

• Cold hypothermia, temperature below 92

• Poison

• Heart attack

• Suffocation

• Loss of blood

• Lung problems

• Choking

• Smoke inhalation

• Drowning

• Shock

Emergency Treatment - CPR

Airway

• Tilt head back slightly

• Pull tongue between teeth

• Check for foreign objects

• Look, listen, feel 5-10 seconds

Breathing

• Seal mouth

• Breathe into nose 4-5 times until chest rises

• Check pulse.

  • if pulse is present continue breathing

  • if not present, perform full CPR

• Repeat 20-30 times per minute

Circulation

• Check pulse, 5-10 seconds

• If no pulse, lay animal on its RIGHT side

• Place heel of your hand at the point on the LEFT side of the animal's chest where the elbow meets the torso.  Move the heel of your hand 1-3 inches toward the animal's head.

• Do 5 compressions to 1 breath

• Repeat

• If no response in 20 minutes, there is little chance of reviving the animal

Being Prepared

• First Aid kit

• Take a First Aid course

• Have emergency telephone numbers handy

• Have a Disaster Plan

• Develop a good working relationship with your Veterinarian

• Review this page periodically

For a printable version of Animal CPR by Dr. Lori Feldman (Massachusetts and New York Licensed Veterinarian), click HERE.