Mary Allen
Animals can also be in a situation that requires resuscitation. We present the measures for resuscitation in animals.
Animal resuscitation measures
If the chest stops rising and falling, you can use a pocket mirror held in front of the animal’s mouth and nose to detect weak breathing if it is fogging up. If this is not the case or if there is no mirror at hand, you first listen for heartbeats with your ear on the animal’s chest. If no heartbeats can be heard, the pupils are wide open and there is no reaction, the animal is likely to have died. If weak reactions are still noticeable, artificial respiration must be used immediately.
First, you open your mouth and look for any foreign bodies in your throat that need to be removed. Blood, mucus, and vomited food should also be removed from the throat with a handkerchief wrapped around two fingers.
After inhaling deeply, take the animal’s nose between your lips and exhale in a controlled manner. The animal’s mouth remains closed. When blowing out the breath, make sure that the animal’s chest rises. This process is repeated six to ten times a minute until the animal can breathe on its own again.
Pulse
The pulse is most easily felt in dogs and cats on the inside of the thigh when slight pressure is applied against the femur. The leg artery is congested by this measure, the pressure in the blood vessel increases, and the pulse wave can be felt. However, care should be taken not to apply too much pressure when palpating, since the blood pressure drops in the shock and the pressure is then applied slightly. This would prevent the rescuer from feeling the pulse.
- It is important that you do not use your own thumb to check your pulse, as it has its own pulse, which the helper can then feel.
- The interested helper must practice checking the pulse of healthy animals, otherwise, it will hardly be possible in an emergency.
- If the pulse can no longer be felt and the heartbeat is very weak and slow – less than 10 beats per minute – the heart massage must be started!
Capillary fill time to verify shock
Another method of checking the circuit is to determine the capillary filling time. To check this capillary filling time, one should press a finger on the gum over the canine. This becomes bloodless and this gives the gums a white color. In less than 2 seconds, the gums should turn pink again. If this does not happen, the animal is in severe shock and must be treated immediately by a veterinarian.
Cardiac massage
If neither the pulse nor the heartbeat can be felt, an attempt can be made to revive the animal with the external heart massage. For this, it is imperative to carry out a combination with artificial respiration, since in such cases the animal stops breathing.
The animal to be treated lies on its right side on a firm surface (floor, no mattress). First, locate the heart position. The easiest way to do this is to bend your left arm slightly so that your elbow points toward the lower left quarter of your chest. Behind the tip of the elbow is the heart.
Two Helper Method
(The first rescuer takes over ventilation, the second the heart massage.)
For small animals, such as cats and small dogs, place the index and middle fingers on the right side, while the thumb rests on the left side of the chest. With larger animals, both hands are used to help. Now the patient is pressed firmly 10 to 15 times and then ventilated 2 to 3 times.
One Helper Method
(Not as effective as the two-helper method.)
Lay the animal on its right side. The neck and head must be stretched to facilitate breathing. In the heart area, the hand is placed on the patient’s chest and pressed firmly against the ground, so that the heart is squeezed out and at the same time the gas mixture is forced out of the lungs. When released, air rushes to the lungs and blood to the heart. This process is repeated 60-100 times per minute until the heart beats again. You don’t have to worry about possible damage to the chest at this point, as restoring circulation is much more important.