Anyone who has actually been to a CPR class is familiar with the basics of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. First you’ll check to be sure the client has a clear respiratory tract, then check to see if the client is breathing, examine whether the patient has a heartbeat and, if the patient awakens during the process, beware that you do not get bitten by the patient.
The American Red Cross has actually been advising individuals in CPR for animals for rather a long time now and has classes that consist of all manner of first aid, consisting of mouth-to-snout resuscitation. You read that properly; mouth-to-snout.
The treatment is similar to standard mouth-to-mouth resuscitation in between human beings, the chief distinction being that the person carrying out the treatment will close the dog’s mouth and rather supply breaths into the pet dog’s nose. The procedure sounds funny in theory, however it works and knowing how to perform mouth-to-snout resuscitation on your family pet might actually conserve its life.
According to a March 2002 story from The Scoop, a site that reports on pets in the news (you know the theory– “DOG BITES MAN” is not news while “MAN BITES DOG” is), a canine in Walla Walla, Washington that was inadvertently choked almost to death was conserved by a quick-acting Good Samaritan who was trained in mouth-to-snout.
After being restored, the canine was dealt with at the Walla Associated Veterinary Clinic and released.
In addition to the mouth-to-snout procedure, dogs can have chest compressions carried out in an emergency situation where the heart stops. Knowing and understanding these techniques can save the life of a pet dog in distress and let him live to play or chase after bunnies bring another day.
The concept of pet CPR is gaining much prestige and is starting to be taught by organizations all over the country that formerly offered conventional CPR training and accreditation. If you’re interested in taking these classes yourself, call your regional Red Cross. The life you save may be your pet dog’s.
