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Cardiac Arrest
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Pets usually don't have heart attacks but their heart can stop due to severe illness or injury or near drowning. Usually they will lose consciousness and will need emergency help as soon as possible. CPR may not be effective unless special veterinarian equipment is used but first aid can give your pet a chance.

Symptoms

Steps
1   Check ABC’s of life support--Airway, breathing, circulation. Can you see, feel, or hear your pet breathing? If your pet is not breathing, begin rescue breathing immediately.
2   If your pet is non-responsive and has stopped breathing, be prepared to give artificial respiration by closing your cat’s mouth with one hand and gently breathe into your cat’s nostrils.
3   Administer 10-20 breaths per minute for small cats. With each breath, one should see the chest slightly rise. (Avoid breathing too hard or over-inflating the lungs.)
4   Keep breathing for your cat until he/she is able to breathe on its own or until veterinary help is available.
5   Check that your cat’s heart is still beating by feeling for the heart on your cat’s chest and/or feeling for your cat’s pulse. (The pulse is easily felt in the femoral artery located on the inside of the thigh.)
6   If no pulse or heart beat is felt, begin CPR outlined below.
7   With the cat on its side locate the heart which is easily found at the point where the elbow bends to meet the chest.
8   Begin chest compressions over the point of the heart by squeezing with one hand with the cat laying on its side.
9   Provide chest compressions as fast and consistently as one can (100-120 compressions per minute or 2 compressions per second.
10   Have assistants check pulse and administer breaths throughout.
11   Stop once a pulse is felt or signs of life are seen.
Warnings
No response from checking for responsiveness means that she is unconscious
Tips
You can’t feel the pulse in the caratid artery in the neck like you can with people
It is useful to have extra people help perform CPR most effectively
Following CPR, your pet will require intensive care & treatment at a veterinary hospital

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GotoAID does not provide any medical advice or treatment, it is solely for informational purposes only