How do I perform newborn puppy CPR? In this Vet Minute, Revival’s Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Marty Greer, talks about kitten and puppy CPR and how to help a newborn puppy that is not breathing.
What Do You Do If a Puppy Is Not Breathing?
If you have a newborn puppy or kitten that isn’t breathing, performing CPR may be necessary. If a puppy or kitten isn’t breathing time is of the essence. To perform CPR, first clear their airway with a DeLee Mucus Trap and a bulb syringe. Then watch for breathing and feel or listen with a stethoscope for a heartbeat. If they have a heartbeat but are not breathing, ventilate the puppy with a bulb syringe or mouth to mouth breathing. If they also do not have a heartbeat, perform chest compressions with your thumb and index fingers alternating with mouth to mouth breathing.
Can You Do Chest Compressions on a Puppy?
When it comes to chest compressions on a newborn puppy, Dr. Greer notes, having success with chest compressions on a puppy or kitten is tricky. She recommends before attempting chest compressions, to first clear the airway and ventilate the puppy with a bulb syringe or mouth to mouth breathing. If the puppy still does not have a heartbeat and mouth to mouth breathing hasn’t worked, chest compressions are an option. Greer recommends 120 compressions a minute using your thumb and index fingers. A tip is to give compressions to the beat of the song “Stayin alive, Stayin alive.”
If you need help with kitten or puppy CPR, call us at 800.786.4751.
LEARN MORE:
How to Help a Weak Newborn Puppy
Learn the ABCD's of helping a weak newborn puppy. Dr. Greer discusses how to help a newborn puppy struggling to breathe or a newborn puppy too weak to nurse.
Newborn Puppy Care: Managing Neonates and High-Risk Puppies
Improve neonatal survival outcomes when puppies are in trouble. Dr. Greer provides resources to measure and strengthen the health of newborn puppies.
4 Main Causes of Newborn Puppy Illness and Death
What causes a newborn puppy to die? Learn about the 4 Hs and why managing these four parameters can make the difference between life and death for young puppies.
Newborn Puppy & Kitten Care: The First 72 Hours
The first three days are critical for newborn puppies. There is a lot that goes into caring for a newborn puppy or kitten. Learn how to keep them warm, how to care for the umbilical cord, what to feed them and more.
Written by: Marty Greer, DVM
Director of Veterinary Services
Marty Greer, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, has 40+ years’ experience in veterinary medicine, with special interests in canine reproduction and pediatrics. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State University in 1981. She’s served as Revival’s Director of Veterinary Services since 2019. In 2023, Dr. Greer was named the Westminster Kennel Club Veterinarian of the Year.