Pet BLS

[aidan]

Here's what I don't get from the Doggy CPR Crowd. So you're gonna do CPR and then do what? CPR is terrible at getting ROSC. Shave the poor dog until you can attach an AED or manual defib?

CPR just artificially perfuses to buy time. Of course I wouldn't attach an AED.. it's simply to buy time.

Either the dog is 100% dead or we try CPR even though we are limited for treating dogs and they have a slight chance of living. The latter seems like the obvious choice, as long as all human patients are taken care of.

 

[aidan]

Not to veer very far off topic but...

Aidan! I haven't seen you around in forever! Where have you been?

I don't see how a little blow by O2 for the familie's pet would be a bad thing. Makes them believe you care and did everything you could for their doggie or kitty, for some people animals ARE family.

Sasha! I've been busy with school and work . I'm trying to come around more

 

[JPINFV]

it's simply to buy time.

Which is the point I'm getting at. By the time you'd get to the dog, start CPR, then transport to someone who can attempt to get ROSC, the dog is dead.

 

[aidan]

Which is the point I'm getting at. By the time you'd get to the dog, start CPR, then transport to someone who can attempt to get ROSC, the dog is dead.

If the dog is in some crazy heart arrythmia, yeah..good luck. More likely in dogs they get stabbed, kicked, crushed, or pass out from heat.. all of which we can greatly help.

Depends where you're at I guess. We have vet hospitals near our regular hospitals.. but yeah, the prognosis of someone CPR is started on is usually not too good, whether they're humans or dogs.

 

[Vonny]

Just in case anyone is interested, I was told by a lady in Upstate NY who teaches pet first aid.
To do compressions on a dog you lay him on his right side, then you bring his left front leg over his chest to find where the elbow meets the chest, that is the spot you do compressions on.

To check cap refill on a dog or assess perfusion you would raise their lip and look at or press on their upper gum.

She also told me that dogs respond surprisingly well to cpr.

All I know about cats is that they hate me.

 

[marineman]

posted in another animal thread a while ago but we carry multiple sizes of animal NRB masks on every ambulance in our fleet and are expected to transport any animal (if it's feasible size wise) at the families request. Only once have we ever transported an animal 10-33 due to extreme circumstances at the time but we do treat animals. If there are critical injuries to any human patients obviously the pets go on the back burner but if all humans are less severe and they seem obviously distressed over the animal we will treat the animal, by helping the pet you are really treating the patient by removing some worry about their pet.

Like I said human life always comes first but I'm going to go on a limb and say that anyone that says never do anything for a pet has never had a pet of their own.

 

[nomofica]

Just in case anyone is interested, I was told by a lady in Upstate NY who teaches pet first aid.
To do compressions on a dog you lay him on his right side, then you bring his left front leg over his chest to find where the elbow meets the chest, that is the spot you do compressions on.

To check cap refill on a dog or assess perfusion you would raise their lip and look at or press on their upper gum.

She also told me that dogs respond surprisingly well to cpr.

All I know about cats is that they hate me.

I'm definitely going to have to remember this one...

 

[Vonny]

I forgot to add that the ratio is 30 to 2 just like humans

 

[fmrpddisp]

slightly off topic, but once years ago i had a lady call 911 because her animal stopped breathing. i politely explained that 911 was for human emergencies only and advised her to contact the vet of her choice.

 

[daedalus]

You cannot save a dog with oxygen, just like you cannot save a human with oxygen. You cannot save a dog with CPR alone, just like you cannot save a human with CPR alone.

If a dog is without a pulse, there is nothing to be done. There is no "pet BLS"

 

[Sasha]

You cannot save a dog with oxygen, just like you cannot save a human with oxygen.

No one is saying you'll save a dog, but it may help the family, especially if they have small children, to cope.

 

[lightsandsirens5]

Our front office got called by the local vet once to bring over a Zoll moniter to hook up to a dog to confirm for the owner that it was dead. Someone took the moniter to the office, like two blocks away, hooked it up to the dog, and saw that the dog was in V-Tach. So they shaved the hair away, shocked the dog and it ended up surviving. I dunno why it was in VT, mebby it got into the owners meds or something. The owner said that other than being in VT the dog was young and healthy.

 

[Airwaygoddess]

I tend to agree, My primary focus is the human patient, Fido or Fluffy come second, if it is meant to be they will make it. As it is with insurence companies to get reinbursment for services is getting smaller and smaller. Do you really think they are going to reinburse your service for the pet O2 masks...... :wacko: Sigh

 

[reaper]

Most of the time, Pet o2 masks are donated by an animal rescue group!.

 

[Sasha]

I tend to agree, My primary focus is the human patient, Fido or Fluffy come second, if it is meant to be they will make it.

I don't think anyone is saying you should help a dog before a patient. The "meant to be" thought makes all of EMS obsolete, then. If the patient was meant to live, they will live, regardless of EMS intervention?

 

[mycrofft]

Plus if a dog or cat is conscious they may attack you.

I can think of one instance where simple BLS can save a life from clinical death and that is a strong electric shock which the victim could "shake off" except they aren't breathing and the metabolic clock is ticking. Saw it in a human once, although he lost an arm to electrical burns/electrolysis (momentary 6000 V AC working on a power line in the wind).

 

[MJordan2121]

That's out of my Scope of Practice.

 

[daedalus]

Most of the time, Pet o2 masks are donated by an animal rescue group!.

But the oxygen gas is not.

 

[reaper]

But the oxygen gas is not.

Yeah, because that is a big concern in most areas!

 

[daedalus]

Yeah, because that is a big concern in most areas!

With the current billing difficulties for some California patients, everything is a big deal right now. We do not use oxygen to pretend we care about people or pets.

I will treat a pet, if they present with injuries that I can control will bandages, etc.