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Kitty CPR??

post #1 of 11
1/29/11 at 2:48am
Thread Starter 
I imagine most of you all know how to do it, knowing what great cat lovers you all are. I'm ashamed to say I don't know it I know how to do CRP on humans, but not on cats or other animals. So I'm taking a one day class next week at my vet's office and praying i never have to use it. After losing my babies I feel like I have to do something productive like this; although CPR wouldn't have helped them, I think it will take away some of my fear of getting another kitty. Does that make sense?
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post #2 of 11
1/29/11 at 3:25am
Well, no - I"m a bit embarrassed to admit that even though I've taken the human CPR class a few times (for work), I've never taken the animal version. And I should. I hope you'll let us know how it goes - I bet more than a few of us have not taken such a class.

Hmm, now I know what to do with a bit of my tax refund - I'm going to look for a local class.

And I think it makes perfect sense to want to make sure you have even more tools in your good meowmy kit - although it's the love you give your cats that's the most important piece. And you've got more than enough of that!
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post #3 of 11
1/29/11 at 3:49am
I'm trained in CPR for people, but I would question how effective it would be for cats.

CPR only has a success rate of ~5-10%, and is typically just used as a stopgap until emergency services arrives, which doesn't apply to a pet.

The challenge even with a large adult is providing sufficient force on compression to get the job done without causing excessive chest wall trauma, and I can only imagine how difficult it would be to get a feel for that on such a small creature, especially since it would have to be done rapidly as I believe cats have a resting heart rate about double humans.

And when blowing, if done too long/hard you can either hurt the lungs or blow air into the stomach, and the lungs are so tiny, if it were me I would just locate your closest emergency provider and have a route planned to get there as quickly as possible.
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post #4 of 11
1/29/11 at 5:41am
Several years ago, an organization offered a class for Animal CPR. I wanted to take the class, but had work meetings on the nights it was being offered.

Ashamed to say that no, I do not know how to do CPR on our furkids.
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post #5 of 11
1/29/11 at 6:13am
I have read this article
http://www.sickcats.net/
I'm a little afraid I'd forget how to do it if I was panicked though.
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post #6 of 11
1/29/11 at 6:52am
My mom once successfully performed it on a calf that was born during a very cold night and had "frozen to death." The calf did have a subsequent pneumonia from the birth fluids being blown back into his lungs, but once treated, developed normally.

I agree about the CPR rarely working. And unless it was needed for something like an electrical accident or some other sudden injury, I'm not sure that it wouldn't just cruel to put them through it. Sometimes it's just "their time."
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post #7 of 11
1/29/11 at 7:01am
Gary nor I knows how to do CPR on cats. We have lots of emergency medical stuff, but it would all only work on some sort of trauma. Anything else, and our emergency plan is the crate and the vet. The local vet is 10 minutes, but after hours you have to call the service and a vet calls you back. The emergency vet is about 45 minutes away, but there's vets and all services available 24/7.
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post #8 of 11
1/29/11 at 3:19pm
So, if you can't get them to the vet in time - - and no matter the % of success, or the problem of harm, ... well, then doing something - especially if trained - is better than nothing, I would think.
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post #9 of 11
1/29/11 at 4:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GloriaJH View Post
So, if you can't get them to the vet in time - - and no matter the % of success, or the problem of harm, ... well, then doing something - especially if trained - is better than nothing, I would think.
Knowing how to do it certainly can't hurt!!!!!! I wonder if they also offer cat (or pet) emergency care classes? I'm pretty sure I've seen things like this offered by a shelter.

I just googled "cat emergency care" - and found this great looking reference!!! http://www.peteducation.com/category.cfm?c=1+1411

And here's suggestions for putting together a cat first aid kit: http://www.vetinfo.com/basic-cat-emergency-care.html
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post #10 of 11
1/29/11 at 4:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LDG View Post
Knowing how to do it certainly can't hurt!!!!!! I wonder if they also offer cat (or pet) emergency care classes? I'm pretty sure I've seen things like this offered by a shelter.

I just googled "cat emergency care" - and found this great looking reference!!! http://www.peteducation.com/category.cfm?c=1+1411

And here's suggestions for putting together a cat first aid kit: http://www.vetinfo.com/basic-cat-emergency-care.html
Thanks for posting this great information, Laurie. For me, I know this is bad to say, but, I think helping the cat would be easier if it was unconscious.
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post #11 of 11
1/30/11 at 7:05pm
That's great that your vet offers a CPR class for cats. Our original vet didn't, and our new 1 doesn't either. That would be something worth knowing.

My mother did CPR on a my grandmother's goldfish, and it worked. She took him out of the fishbowl, put him on a spoon and pumped his gills for him, and brought him back to life at least 10 times according to her, and her family. She wasn't home the day he died, otherwise she'd have pumped his gills that day to. She'd do that for a fish, yet she wouldn't let me have a cat when I was a kid.
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