How to Perform CPR on a Dog: Emergency Steps for Owners
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By Dr Duncan Houston
If a dog is unresponsive and not breathing normally, start CPR and get emergency veterinary help immediately. Occasional gasps are not normal breathing. Do not spend valuable time searching for equipment or trying repeatedly to find a pulse.
Quick Answer
For an unresponsive dog without consistent breathing, begin chest compressions within about 10 seconds. Give 30 compressions at 100 to 120 per minute, followed by two rescue breaths when safe, then repeat. Arrange urgent veterinary transport while continuing resuscitation as safely as circumstances allow.
First: recognise the emergency
Check that approaching is safe. Traffic, electricity, water and toxic substances can endanger a rescuer. Call the dog's name and check for a response and consistent breathing. A conscious or normally breathing dog should not receive chest compressions.
The RECOVER first-aid guidelines now prioritise immediate compressions for a lone rescuer, without an initial airway examination delaying them. Shout for help and put a call to the nearest open emergency veterinary clinic on speaker if possible.
Follow any established veterinary end-of-life plan. Otherwise, an unresponsive dog that is not breathing normally needs action, even if you cannot confidently assess a heartbeat.
Step 1: position the dog and your hands
Place the dog on its side on a firm surface. Kneel behind its back. Chest shape determines where to press:
| Dog's chest | Hand position |
|---|---|
| Medium or large dog with a rounded chest | Heel of one hand over the widest part of the chest, other hand on top |
| Deep, narrow, keel-shaped chest, such as many sighthounds | Stacked hands over the heart region, approximately where the elbow meets the chest |
| Small dog | One hand around the chest at heart level, compressing between the flat thumb and fingers |
These positions follow the RECOVER basic life-support recommendations. For initial owner CPR, keep broad-chested dogs on their side too; specialised positioning may be used by the veterinary team after securing the airway.
Step 2: give 30 chest compressions
Press at 100 to 120 compressions per minute. For a dog lying on its side, compress about one-third to one-half of the chest's width. Let the chest return fully between compressions without leaning on it.
For larger dogs, keep elbows straight and shoulders above your hands. Use your body weight rhythmically. For a small dog, use controlled hand pressure while maintaining the same proportional depth and rate.
Count 30 compressions, then pause briefly for breaths if you can give them safely. Do not repeatedly stop to check whether each compression worked.
Step 3: give two rescue breaths when safe
Keep the head and neck aligned with the spine. Close the dog's mouth, seal your mouth around the nose and give a breath just large enough to make the chest rise, then a second breath. Complete the two breaths within about five seconds and return immediately to compressions.
The Red Cross pet CPR instructions demonstrate mouth-to-nose breathing and visible chest rise. Avoid forceful overinflation.
If the chest does not rise, quickly check the seal and alignment. Remove only a clearly visible object that you can safely reach. Do not push fingers blindly into the throat or spend a prolonged period trying to retrieve something.
If mouth-to-nose contact may expose you to drugs, chemicals or infectious material, give compression-only CPR and tell the emergency team. Rescuer safety matters.
Step 4: repeat and organise safe transport
Continue cycles of 30 compressions and two breaths. If another capable person is present, switch compressors approximately every two minutes with the shortest possible interruption. Fatigue makes effective compressions harder.
Keep any brief reassessment under 10 seconds. If the dog remains unresponsive without normal breathing, resume immediately. There is no universal home rule to stop after a set number of minutes.
One person should drive while another helps the dog if this can be done safely. Never attempt CPR while driving. Do not risk a crash or an unrestrained rescuer to continue compressions in transit. Ask the emergency clinic for practical guidance for your circumstances.
What if breathing returns?
Stop compressions if the dog starts breathing normally or shows clear signs of recovery. Continue directly to emergency care and watch breathing closely. Restart CPR if the dog again becomes unresponsive without normal breathing.
Do not offer food, water or oral medicines. A recovering dog may not swallow safely, and the underlying cause remains untreated. The clinic may need oxygen, monitoring and treatment for trauma, poisoning, heart disease or another cause.
Common mistakes and preparation
- Delaying compressions for a prolonged pulse search or airway check.
- Pressing too slowly, too shallowly or without full chest recoil.
- Giving large, forceful breaths or taking long breaks.
- Assuming return of breathing means the emergency is over.
Learn before an emergency through a RECOVER pet-owner CPR course. Practise compressions on a training mannequin, never on a healthy animal. Save emergency clinic details and discuss advance care wishes for seriously ill pets.
Frequently asked questions
Should I perform CPR on a dog having a seizure?
Not if it is breathing. Keep clear of the mouth, prevent injury and obtain emergency advice.
Can CPR injure the chest?
Yes, but cardiac arrest is immediately life-threatening. Correct technique matters, and injury concerns should not delay indicated CPR.
What if I cannot give breaths?
Continue chest compressions and seek immediate help, especially when mouth-to-nose contact is unsafe.
Does successful CPR guarantee survival?
No. Restoring circulation is only the first step, and urgent intensive treatment may still be needed.
Recognise unresponsiveness and abnormal breathing, start compressions promptly and get professional help moving. Practical training makes these decisions easier under pressure.
ASK A VET™ supports emergency preparedness. During suspected cardiac arrest, start appropriate first aid and contact an emergency veterinary clinic immediately.
