Posted on 01/17/2007 1:53:26 AM PST by leadpenny
CPR instructor saves her dog
By EDIE GROSS
Debbie Shepherd performed CPR countless times when she served on the Fredericksburg Rescue Squad a decade ago.
But last week was the first time she'd ever had to clear a dog's airway.
Her two black Labradors had just finished dinner Wednesday night and were running around her Spotsylvania backyard when 15-year-old Bear started barking.
Shepherd said she walked out back to find 11-year-old Brutus wheezing and struggling to breathe.
"Then his tongue went blue. I've never seen a dog's tongue go blue before," she said.
Brutus, whose gums had turned white, had stopped breathing.
Shepherd, a Red Cross-certified CPR instructor for seven years, said it never occurred to her she'd have to perform a life-saving procedure on her dog.
"I wasn't sure how to do it on a dog," she said. "At first, I freaked out, but then I thought, 'Let me try this.'"
She used a choking-emergency procedure similar to one she might use on humans, delivering five thrusts to Brutus' abdomen and five back blows.
The dog began wheezing and choked up the offending kibble.
He sat quietly for about four or five minutes before heading back into the house, where he slept the rest of the evening, Shepherd said. Since then, he's been fine.
"As soon as this happened and he was OK, I came in and got online," said Shepherd, who discovered that there are actual procedures--slightly different from those approved for people--for clearing a pet's airway.
She said she's learning them just in case this ever happens again, though she's thrilled her prior training worked for Brutus this time around.
"It freaked me out that it actually worked," she said, "that I could actually do this on a dog."
To reach EDIE GROSS:540/374-5428 Email: egross@freelancestar.com
Wonderful story. BTW, chow-chow dogs have naturally blue-purple tongues.
A better headline: Shepherd Gives CPR to Lab
I used to have a mixed Chow. Her tongue was mostly dark purple with some lighter pinkish spots.
Thanks.
cat stuck in its throat no doubt...
Ping.
Too bad they didn't put the link for instructions in the article. I sort of developed my own maneuver for my Shih Tzus that seem to routinely get hairballs but it's probably inferior to what the vets have come up with. Oh well, I'll research it myself.
There's a chart at the link but I'm not sure if it can be enlarged?
After determining that your pet is choking, remove any item that may be constricting the neck. Examine inside the mouth and remove any foreign object you see. Do not blindly place your hand down your pet's throat and pull any object you feel. Dogs have small bones that support the base of their tongues. Owners probing the throat for a foreign object have mistaken these for chicken bones. Do not attempt to remove an object unless you can see and identify it.
If your pet is small and you cannot easily remove the object, lift and suspend him with the head pointed down. For larger animals, lift the rear legs so the head is tilted down. This can help dislodge an item stuck in the throat.
Another method is to administer a sharp blow with the palm of your hand between the shoulder blades. This can sometimes dislodge an object. If this does not work, a modified Heimlich maneuver can be attempted.
Grasp the animal around the waist so that the rear is nearest to you, similar to a bear hug.
Place a fist just behind the ribs.
Compress the abdomen several times (usually 3-5 times) with quick pushes.
Check the mouth to see if the foreign object has been removed.
This maneuver can be repeated one to two times but if not successful on the first attempt, make arrangements to immediately take your pet to the nearest veterinary hospital.
Even if you are successful in removing a foreign object, veterinary examination is recommended. Internal injury could have occurred that you may not realize
They're both sweet and pretty!
Did they find the burglar's fingers obstructing Brutus's airways?
I've never had a serious issue like this, but frequently my dogs and even my cat have seemed to start choking on food they were eating. So I have taken to holding their chests (at least the bigger dogs) against my leg (or some stationary object) and giving them a good SMACK or more on the other side of the chest.
This usually helps with that, at least.
Funny is my old dog was so calm about everything; she was "dominant". I 1st started that on her and she would just stand there and take it. My current dog - same kind - is more anxious (and "submissive") and will squirm a bit, and apparently isn't fond of the big smacks on her side!
The Red Cross now offers a good first aid course for pets. Check with your local chapter. If they don't hold actual classes, they can tell you how to order a DVD.
Huh? I've fished pig ears out of several of my Lab's throats before and never made the news.
Giraffes have blue-black tongues, too.
But how do you perform CPR on them?
And then ate it again 10 seconds later.
My black lab is horrible about eating too fast. My brother bought a dog bowl for his dog that is supposed to help with eating too fast. The bowl has knobs protruding from inside the bowl that slow the dog down.
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