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God forbid you would ever need to perform CPR on your pets. But, if you do, here’s how you do it step by step.

Artificial Respiration

If your dog has gone into respiratory arrest, begin artificial respiration immediately.
  • Lay your dog on his side on a flat surface.
  • Be sure your dog has stopped breathing: watch for the rise and fall of the chest, feel for breath on your hand, look at the gums – they will turn blue from lack of oxygen.
  • Check the airway – it must be clear. Extend the head and neck. Open the mouth and look for a foreign object. If an object is blocking the airway, grab the tongue and pull it outward. If this does not dislodge the object, use your fingers or tongs to grasp it. If the object cannot be reached or pulled out, use the Heimlich Maneuver.
  • Once the airway is clear, begin rescue breathing.
  • With your dog on his side, lift the chin to straighten out his throat. Make sure that his tongue is not turning down into his throat.
  • Use one hand to grasp the muzzle and hold the mouth shut.
  • Put your mouth completely over the nose and blow gently; the chest should expand. Blow just enough to move his chest (blow harder for large dogs, gently for cats and small dogs).
  • Wait for the air to leave the lungs before breathing again.
  • Continue this, giving 20 breaths per minute (one breath every three seconds), until your dog breathes on his own or as long as the heart beats.
  • Continue to monitor the heartbeat.
Respiratory Rate
​To determine your pet’s respiratory rate observe chest motion, and place a wet finger or small mirror just in front of the nostrils. Count the number of breaths for 15 seconds, then multiply by four.

Cats:
Normal – 20-30 breaths/min
Panting – up to 300 breaths/min

 
Dogs:
Normal puppies – 15-40 breaths/min
Normal adult – 10-30 breaths/min
Toy breeds – 15-40 breaths/min
Panting – up to 200 breaths/min
The recommendations for CPR in dogs and cats include the following:
  • Perform 100 to 120 chest compressions per minute of one-third to one-half of the chest width, with the animal lying on its side.
  • Ventilate intubated dogs and cats at a rate of 10 breaths per minute. For mouth-to-snout ventilation, maintain a compres-sion-to-ventilation ratio of 30-2.
  • Perform CPR in 2-minute cycles, switching the person performing the compressions with each cycle.
    Administer vasopressors every 3 to 5 minutes during CPR.



New Guidlines for CPR (2012):  https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/120715g.aspx