CPR (not breathing, no heartbeat): dog first aid

What to do

1. Check it's safe, then call your dog's name and gently touch it to see if it responds.
2. Call for help. Put your phone on speaker and call the nearest vet so your hands stay free.
3. Look and listen for normal breathing for no more than 10 seconds. If there's no regular breathing, start chest compressions right away, without checking the airway first.
4. Lay your dog on its right side on a firm, flat surface.
5. Put your hands on the widest part of the chest, or over the heart for deep, narrow chests. For a small dog, squeeze the chest with one hand.
6. Push hard and fast, about 2 pushes per second (100 to 120 a minute), pressing down a third to half the chest width. Let the chest come all the way back up.
7. After 30 pushes, hold the mouth closed, keep the neck straight, and give 2 breaths into the nose.
8. Keep going in 2-minute rounds, swapping helpers if you can, all the way to the vet.

Signs

• Collapsed and not responding to its name or touch
• No breathing, or no regular breathing
• No heartbeat you can feel or hear on the left side of the chest

Why

Without a heartbeat, the brain and body get no oxygen. Chest compressions move some blood until a vet can take over. Survival after CPR is low, but it may be your dog's only chance.