Pet CPR is not a substitute for veterinary care. It's a bridge — minutes of buying time while someone else drives to the clinic. Knowing the mechanics removes the panic and makes those minutes useful instead of frantic.
Confirm it's actually needed
Before starting, check three things: is the animal unconscious, are they not breathing, and is there no heartbeat. Place your hand on the left side of the chest just behind the elbow — that's where the heart sits. If you feel any rhythm, even faint, don't start compressions. Carry to the vet instead.
Position
Lay the pet on their right side on a hard surface. For barrel-chested breeds (Bulldogs, Boxers), lay them on their back instead. Pull the tongue forward and check the airway is clear.
Compressions
Hand position depends on chest shape. For most dogs, place the heel of your palm at the widest point of the rib cage. For deep-chested breeds (Greyhounds, Dobermans), compress directly over the heart. For very small pets, compress with the thumb and index finger wrapped around the chest. Target one-third to one-half the depth of the chest, at 100 to 120 compressions per minute — roughly the tempo of the song "Stayin' Alive."
Breaths
After every 30 compressions, close the mouth, extend the neck so the airway is straight, and breathe into the nostrils until you see the chest rise. Two breaths, then back to compressions. For cats and small dogs, gentler breaths — their lungs are small.
Don't stop too soon
Continue cycles of 30 compressions and 2 breaths until either the pet starts breathing on their own, or you reach the vet, or 20 minutes have passed. Survival rates for pet CPR outside a hospital are low — single-digit percentages — but they aren't zero, and the ones who do come back are the ones whose owners didn't give up.
