With National Pet Day last week, it is a perfect opportunity to remind pet owners about how they can play a critical role in protecting their “fur babies” in the event of a medical emergency.

Did you know that dogs and cats, as well as people, can benefit from Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) in emergency situations where their heart or breathing stops?

Pet CPR is commonly needed if a dog or cat falls into a body of water and starts to drown, as well as if a pet gets electrocuted from chewing on electrical cords.

Also, animals with underlining heart disease or ones that are prone to seizures have a higher likelihood of needing CPR in their lifetime.

Pet CPR is very similar to human CPR, according to CT Veterinary Medical Foundation President Dr Howard Asher, who is the medical director/owner of Beaver Brook Animal Hospital in Wethersfield.

“The major difference between pet and human [CPR], is that pets should be on their side and humans are on their backs. This is for the purpose of doing chest compressions,” he explained.

Another aspect he pointed out is that supplemental breaths to a pet are done through their nose, rather than attempting to do it via their mouth.

“This is to achieve a better seal around the nose to give enough air to fill their lungs … If someone is to perform CPR at home on their own pet, they should try to achieve about 100 to 120 chest compressions per minute and about 10 to 20 breaths per minute,” Dr Asher said.

He warns that there is a chance that when the pet comes back to consciousness they will be disoriented.

“When performing CPR on a pet, there needs to be some caution as if the pet wakes up, they may try to bite as they are not aware of their surroundings,” Dr Asher said.

While people should ideally get their pet to a veterinary clinic for professional help as soon as possible, anyone capable of doing CPR can begin performing it in the interim.

Once at the veterinary hospital, Dr Asher said, “supplemental oxygen, medication, and fluids may be administered to help ‘jump start’ the heart or breathing.”

In those situations, pet parents can know that they have done their best and their dog or cat is now in the care of trained professionals.

CPR Certification

For pet owners who want to be as prepared as possible in case the situation arises where their dog or cat needs CPR, there are classes people can take.

“There are many organizations that teach pet CPR, the most popular one is the American Red Cross, redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr/performing-cpr/pet-cpr ... Many towns offer Pet CPR Education as part of their community outreach. They usually bring in an organization to teach it. Some veterinary hospitals offer it, as well, to their community,” Dr Asher said.

American Red Cross has a 35-minute First Aid course offered online that teaches a variety of topics, including how to check the pet’s vital signs, preventative care, and what to do in the most critical emergency situations.

There is even an American Red Cross Pet First Aid app that people can download to their smartphones. It was created to help pet owners be prepared and help keep their furry friends safe.

“I do believe that everyone that has pets should be aware of basic Pet CPR and potentially even more important basic Pet First Aid,” Dr Asher said.

To learn more about Pet CPR, he recommends people visit Connecticut Veterinary Medical Foundation’s website at petsafetyct.org.

Additionally, Dr Asher will be in Newtown at the Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation’s upcoming Catherine’s Butterfly Party on Saturday, June 10, from noon to 4 pm, at Fairfield Hills Campus.

He oversees the Connecticut State Animal Response Team (CT SART), a program of the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Foundation, that has trailers at the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary, located at 8 Commerce Road.

Reporter Alissa Silber can be reached at alissa@thebee.com.