Emergency — phone the vet now Brain damage from oxygen loss begins around 4 minutes

How to do CPR on a dog or cat

Confirm no breathing and no pulse, then 30 chest compressions to 2 rescue breaths into the nose, repeating until you reach the vet or the pet recovers.

Dog Cat

Recognise the signs

Unresponsive — no reaction to name, touch, or gentle shake
Not breathing — watch chest for 10 seconds, no rise and fall
No pulse — feel high on the inner thigh (femoral artery) on either side
Pale, blue or grey gums
Pupils dilated and fixed

First aid steps

Confirm unresponsive — call name, gently shake the shoulder.
Open the airway — gently extend the head and neck, pull the tongue forward, sweep visible obstructions out of the mouth (only if visible).
Check breathing for 10 seconds — watch the chest.
Check pulse for 10 seconds — femoral artery, high on the inner thigh.
If no breathing but has pulse: give rescue breaths only — close mouth, breathe firmly into the nose every 6 seconds (10/minute).
If no breathing and no pulse: start full CPR. Lay pet on right side on a firm surface.
Compressions: hands one over the other, locked elbows, over the widest point of the chest for most dogs; over the heart (behind the elbow) for cats and barrel-chested dogs (Bulldog, French Bulldog). Compress to roughly one-third to one-half chest width.
Rate: 100–120 compressions per minute (think 'Stayin' Alive' or 'Nellie the Elephant').
Cycle: 30 compressions, then 2 rescue breaths. Repeat.
Reassess every 2 minutes — quick check for breathing and pulse, swap compressors if more than one person is available.
Continue until breathing returns, pulse returns, you reach the vet, or 20 minutes have passed without response.

Do NOT

Do not start CPR on a pet that is breathing and has a pulse, however weak — supportive care and immediate vet transport instead.
Do not give chest compressions over the abdomen.
Do not blow too hard into the nose — overinflation damages lungs, especially in cats and small dogs.
Do not give up at 5 minutes — drowning, hypothermia and electric shock cases have recovered after longer CPR.

While transporting to the vet

Continue CPR in the car if a second person is available — pet on the back seat or boot floor on a firm surface.
Phone ahead so the vet team is ready at the door with oxygen and emergency drugs.
Do not stop CPR to check repeatedly — every pause loses circulation.

When to phone the vet immediately

Any pet requiring CPR is a true emergency by definition — get to a vet at the same time as performing CPR if at all possible
Recovery of pulse and breathing still requires immediate vet review — post-arrest brain and lung complications are common

Common causes

Cardiac arrest secondary to trauma (RTA, fall, electric shock)
Drowning or near-drowning
Choking with full airway obstruction
Severe anaphylaxis
Heat stroke
Underlying heart disease
Anaesthetic or sedation reactions
Severe poisoning

What the vet will need to know

Time pet was found unresponsive
Last known event (trauma, drowning, sudden collapse)
Duration of CPR before any return of pulse/breathing
Any known medical conditions
Suspected cause (toxin, choking, cardiac)

Aftercare

Survivors of CPR almost always need ICU-level care for 24–72 hours.
Brain swelling, lung injury and arrhythmias are common in the days after.
Many pets that recover briefly arrest again within hours — hospitalisation matters even if the pet 'looks fine' on arrival.
Address the underlying cause — cardiac workup, surgery for trauma, antidote for poisoning.

Prevention

Address known heart disease promptly — annual checks, medication compliance.
Take a Pet First Aid course — practical CPR training is far more effective than reading.
Keep emergency vet number saved and route mapped.
Manage choking, heat, water and electric risks proactively (see related entries).

Breed-specific notes

Compression position varies: barrel-chested (Bulldog, French Bulldog) compress over the heart behind the elbow; deep-chested (Greyhound, Setter, large breed) compress at the widest point of the chest.
Cats: compress over the heart with one hand wrapped around the chest, thumb on one side, fingers the other, or two-finger technique for kittens.

Frequently asked questions

How long should I do CPR before giving up?

If you are en route to or at a vet, continue under their guidance. At home alone, 20 minutes of high-quality CPR without any return of pulse or breathing is the typical point at which survival becomes very unlikely — but cases of hypothermia and drowning have recovered after longer.

Is mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-nose better?

Mouth-to-nose is the technique for pets — close the mouth firmly with one hand and breathe into the nose. Watch for the chest to rise; if it does not, recheck head position and clear the airway again.

Can I break ribs doing CPR?

Possibly, especially in older pets. A broken rib is repairable; a heart that does not restart is not. Effective compressions matter more than gentleness.