Table of Contents
Introduction
A dog can’t breathe and is unconscious, they need your help immediately. Giving CPR to a German Shepherd is essential in saving it’s life.
Assess
Assess the German Shepherd Dog by checking for breathing and pulse. If they are not breathing, start CPR. If they are breathing but have a pulse, stop. If they are breathing but have no pulse, start CPR.
Open Airway
Open Airway
If your dog is unconscious, it’s important that you open the mouth and look for a tongue blocking the airway. If you find one, use fingers to pull down the lower jaw and use another hand to pull forward on the tongue. If there’s an object in your dog’s mouth like a toy or bone, remove it with tweezers or by gently pinching together his upper lips and pulling out from there.
Check For Breathing
- Checking for Breathing
If your dog is not breathing, you must check for it by putting your ear next to their nose, if you hear any breathing, continue checking. If there is no breathing at all then start giving CPR.
If There Is No Breathing
If the German Shepherd is not breathing, you should start with rescue breaths. These are also known as mouth-to-snout resuscitation.
To give a rescue breath, place your mouth over the dog’s nose and blow into it until you see the chest rise. This is one breath. You will then have to perform 30 compressions on its rib cage followed by 5 more breaths in this cycle:
5 Breaths
30 Compressions
5 Breaths
Compressions
Compressions
- Position yourself between the dog’s front legs.
- Place your hands on either side of the dog’s ribcage, just behind its front legs.
- Use your index finger and thumb to form a “C” shape around one of the ribs. Don’t squeeze directly over a bone; compress only enough to move it.
- Press down up-and-down at a rate of 100 compressions per minute (a little faster than once every two seconds). Check for a pulse at least once every 15 compressions – check closer if you suspect you’re getting good chest movement from breathing but not from heart function!
Giving CPR to a German Shepherd is essential in saving it’s life.
If you have a German Shepherd, it is essential that you know how to give CPR. First of all, knowing what to do in case of an emergency can be the difference between life and death. Secondly, German Shepherds are more susceptible to heart attacks than other breeds because they have such big chests that when they breathe their lungs cannot fully expand. This means that if you ever find your dog having trouble breathing or showing signs of distress you should immediately start giving them chest compressions (pressing on their chest) until help arrives!
Conclusion
It’s important to remember that giving CPR to a German Shepherd can save it’s life. It’s not just for humans, dogs need this too!