Dog CPR: How to Do CPR on a Dog, Step by Step

If your dog has collapsed, won't respond and isn't breathing (or is only gasping), start chest compressions now and shout for help. Someone else calls the nearest emergency vet and gets the car while you keep going: 30 compressions, 2 rescue breaths, repeat, at 100-120 compressions a minute.

Don't stop to hunt for a pulse first. The 2024 RECOVER veterinary CPR guidelines, the standard emergency vets work from, say to start compressions in an unresponsive dog that isn't breathing without trying to feel for one. The steps below follow those guidelines and the owner guide from Cornell's veterinary college.

Dog CPR at a Glance

1. Check: no response when you call and shake him, and no normal breathing.
2. Get help: someone calls the emergency vet and brings the car.
3. Airway: a quick look in the mouth; remove an obvious blockage only if it's safe.
4. Position: on his side (most dogs), hands over the right spot for his chest shape.
5. Compress: hard and fast, 100-120 a minute, one-third to one-half of the chest width, letting the chest spring back fully.
6. Breathe: after every 30 compressions, close the mouth and give 2 breaths into the nose.
7. Keep going: in 2-minute rounds, in the car too, until he breathes or the vet team takes over.

Before You Start: Is CPR the Right Call?

CPR is chest compressions to keep blood moving plus rescue breaths to get oxygen in. It's for a dog whose heart and breathing have stopped.

If your dog is breathing, don't do CPR. Get him to the closest veterinary hospital now. That's the advice in Cornell's owner CPR guide, and it covers a dog who is groggy but still responds to you.

Gasping is not breathing. A dog in cardiac arrest may take slow, irregular gasps. The RECOVER guidelines count irregular breathing or gasps as "not breathing", so start CPR.

Skip the pulse check. Feeling for a pulse in a collapsed dog is slow and unreliable, and it delays the compressions that matter. The Merck Veterinary Manual and RECOVER both advise against it before starting. Keep your whole check short: RECOVER aims to have compressions going within 10-15 seconds.

Make sure it's safe for you. Look for traffic, water or electrical hazards before you touch the dog. The UK veterinary charity PDSA says CPR isn't appropriate if you're somewhere unsafe or likely to get hurt. A frightened or hurt dog can bite, even a gentle one, so keep your face clear until you're sure he isn't responding.

Never do CPR on a healthy dog, and that includes practicing. PDSA warns that CPR on a dog whose heart is still beating, even an unconscious one, could seriously hurt or even kill them. Practice on a dog mannequin in a class instead.

How to Do CPR on a Dog, Step by Step

1. Check responsiveness and breathing

Call his name and give him a firm shake. No response? Watch the chest for rise and fall, and hold your hand near the nose to feel for moving air. No breathing, or only gasps, means you start.

2. Shout for help and get moving

"CPR is a team sport," as Cornell's guide puts it. Your main goal is getting your dog to the closest open veterinary hospital, so ask a helper to get the car right away and call ahead while you start. If you're alone, shout for help and start compressions anyway.

3. Take a quick look at the airway

Open the mouth, pull the tongue forward and look toward the back of the throat. If you see something stuck, try to remove it gently without pushing it deeper. If your dog reacts, stop: he may bite, and he may not need CPR after all. Keep this check brief.

4. Position your dog and your hands for his chest shape

Lay most dogs on their side on a firm surface. Where you push depends on the shape of the chest:

To find the heart, pull the front leg back: the heart sits under the spot where the elbow meets the chest. If a flat-chested dog keeps rolling off his back, put him on his side and push over the widest part, as you would for a round-chested dog. Not sure which shape your dog has? Our guide to deep-chested dog breeds shows the difference.

Kneel or stand behind your dog, at his back. Put one hand on top of the other with your fingers interlaced and push with the heel of the bottom hand. Keep your shoulders right over your hands and your elbows locked, and bend from the waist, not the elbows.

5. Push hard and fast

Aim for 100-120 compressions a minute, about two every second, whatever the size of the dog. Cornell suggests keeping the beat of "Stayin' Alive" in your head.

Push one-third to one-half of the width of the chest with the dog on his side, or about one-quarter of the chest depth with a dog on his back. Let the chest spring all the way back after every push so the heart can refill.

Medium and large dogs take real force to reach one-third. With small dogs and cats, it's easy to push too hard.

6. Give 2 rescue breaths after every 30 compressions

1. Close your dog's mouth with your hand.
2. Straighten the neck so the nose lines up with the spine.
3. Put your mouth over both nostrils, make a seal and breathe out until you see the chest rise.
4. Let the air come out, then give a second breath.

1. Go straight back to compressions. The pause for breaths should take no more than a few seconds.

When breaths aren't safe, skip them. If the dog is unknown to you, could carry a disease you can catch, or may have been exposed to drugs such as narcotics, RECOVER recommends compression-only CPR. Keep pushing at the same speed without stopping for breaths.

7. Keep going in 2-minute rounds

Compressions are tiring, and tired arms push too shallow. If there are two of you, one compresses and the other gives breaths, and you swap every 2 minutes. Keep any pause under 10 seconds. As soon as the car is ready, load your dog and continue CPR on the way to the nearest vet.

8. Know when to stop

Stop compressions if your dog starts breathing on his own or moves, then go to the emergency vet straight away. A dog brought back by CPR still needs urgent care. Otherwise, keep going until you arrive and the veterinary team takes over.

Small Dogs, Puppies and Cats

The rhythm stays the same (30 compressions, 2 breaths, 100-120 a minute), but the hands change. Push directly over the heart. RECOVER describes two ways to do it:

• Wrap one hand around the chest, thumb on one side and fingers on the other, and squeeze.
• Or use the heel of one hand over the heart while your other hand supports the back.

Cornell suggests one hand rather than two so you don't squeeze too hard. Compress no more than half the width of the chest.

What to Expect: The Honest Odds

Even in a hospital, most pets that need CPR don't survive. Starting fast and getting to the emergency vet gives your dog the best chance he has.

CPR buys time. It doesn't fix whatever stopped the heart, and even perfect compressions move only a fraction of normal blood flow: Merck puts it at no more than 30% of normal cardiac output. That's why the drive to the emergency vet matters as much as your technique.

Merck reports that circulation comes back in up to 58% of animals given CPR in a veterinary hospital, but only about 5-7% of dogs survive to go home. Dogs whose heart stopped under anesthesia do better. There are no good figures for CPR started by owners at home or on a walk.

According to PDSA, CPR is most worth trying when an otherwise healthy dog stops breathing from a known cause such as choking, drowning or electrocution. It is very unlikely to work in a dog with a serious underlying illness or severe injuries. If your dog doesn't make it, starting CPR and getting him to help was still the right thing to do.

Signs Your Dog Needs the Emergency Vet Now

CPR is the last resort. Call your vet or the nearest emergency hospital and go if your dog:

• Collapses or won't respond to you
• Struggles to breathe
• Is choking
• Has a seizure
• Is bleeding heavily
• Has pale or blue gums

For other first aid basics, see our guide to cleaning a dog wound.

Learn Dog CPR Hands-On

Reading the steps helps. Practicing them is better. Merck notes that hands-on training improves CPR technique, especially in beginners, and Cornell's guide says the skills are best learned from an expert before there's a crisis.

April is Pet First Aid Awareness Month, the American Red Cross's yearly push to get owners ready, and a good time to book a class:

• Online, the American Red Cross runs a short, self-paced cat and dog first aid course, plus the free Pet First Aid app with step-by-step help for breathing and cardiac emergencies, choking and bleeding, and an animal hospital locator.
• RECOVER's Pet CPR course for owners runs online, followed by in-person training to become a RECOVER Certified Pet Rescuer. It's the only pet CPR certification recognized by the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care and the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society.
• Pet Tech holds in-person pet CPR and first aid classes in many US locations.
• Your own vet can help too. At your next visit, ask them to show you where your dog's heart is and what his normal breathing looks like, and which emergency hospital they recommend.

Have a Plan Before You Need It

In an emergency there's no time to search. Sort these out now:

• Save your vet's number and the nearest 24-hour emergency hospital in your phone, and check for one near anywhere you travel with your dog.
• Agree who drives and who does CPR if your dog collapses at home.
• Put together a pet first aid kit with the emergency numbers inside, and add a muzzle or soft cloth, since even gentle pets may bite when frightened or in pain.
• Think about how you'd cover an emergency vet bill, through pet insurance or a savings fund.
• Save this page to your phone.

FAQ

Should I do CPR if my dog is still breathing?

No. A dog who is breathing, even weakly, doesn't need chest compressions, and CPR on a dog whose heart is beating can hurt him. Get him to the emergency vet now.

Do I have to give rescue breaths?

Breaths are part of standard dog CPR: 2 breaths after every 30 compressions. If giving them would put you at risk (an unknown dog, possible infection or drug exposure), do compression-only CPR instead.

Can I practice dog CPR on my own dog?

No. Practice on a dog mannequin in a pet first aid or CPR class. On your own dog, you can safely learn where his heart sits and what his normal breathing looks like.

Originally written by Helen Roberts. Updated by the I Love Veterinary editorial team.

Sources

• RECOVER Initiative: 2024 RECOVER Guidelines, updated treatment recommendations for CPR in dogs and cats (Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care)
• Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: CPR for Your Dog or Cat
• Merck Veterinary Manual: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation of Small Animals
• PDSA: CPR for Dogs and Puppies
• Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital: CPR Guidelines for Dogs or Cats
• American Red Cross: Pet First Aid Awareness, There's an App for That
• American Red Cross Southern Nevada: Pet First Aid Awareness Month
• RECOVER Initiative: CPR Training for Pet Owners and Pet Professionals
• Greater Staten Island Veterinary Services: Dog CPR, a Step-by-Step Emergency Guide

This article is for general information and is not a substitute for advice from your veterinarian.