As pet owners, we always want our furry friends to be happy and healthy. This includes feeding them a healthy diet, meeting their needs, and taking them to the vets when something seems to be wrong.
However, sometimes there might not be time for you to bring them to the nearest veterinarian as you might only have minutes or even seconds to save your pet’s life, such as if they suddenly collapse or are choking on something. For these moments, it’s important to know the steps to take in order to save you pet’s life.
To help, vet nurse Jade has taken to social media to share what to do if your cat suddenly collapses or chokes on something, as you could help save their life.
“Your cat’s collapsed and they’re not breathing, would you know what to do?” Jade asked at the start of her TikTok video, where she’s seen kneeling on the floor with a stuffed cat toy in front of her.
“So firstly we need to assess the situation and remember A, B, and C,” she said before going on to explain what this means.
First up, A is for airways, and you should take a look inside your cat’s mouth as far back as you can to see if there is anything obstructing the cat’s airway, if they’ve choked on anything. If so, you need to work to get that object out.
“The airway must be clear for you to give effective CPR,” she explained.
Once you have ensured the airway is clear from any obstructing objects, you should move on to B, which is for breathing. To do this, lean over so your eyes are at chest height of your cat and watch to see if your cat’s rib cage is rising and falling, meaning that they are breathing.
Jade also said to check the cat’s gum colour in their mouth and if they’re going blue or purple, which means they’re not getting enough oxygen.
“Then we move on to C, which is for circulation,” Jade explained.
For this, she urged people to place two fingers behind your cat’s elbow to see if you can feel their heartbeat.
“If there’s no heartbeat or pulse, and your cat is not breathing or they’re going a shade of blue or purple, we need to start CPR immediately,” Jade said.
Before doing this, Jade recommends calling your vet to tell them about the situation, as they might be able to give you further advice on the phone. In the meantime, Jade said to make sure your cat is laying on their right hand side, ideally on a flat, hard surface, such as on a floor.
“You’re going to need to give 30 compressions at a rate of a 120 beats per minute. That is two beats per second,” she explained, saying you can do this to the beat of The BeeGee’s song Staying Alive, or Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan.
She goes on to explain you should do a C shape with your fingers and your thumb before placing your fingers under your cat’s ribcage with your thumb on top, behind their elbows. Then press their chest one third to a half of the depth of their chest depth. Do this for 30 times.
“If your cat is particularly large, you can do this with two hands, doing the same on each side,” she said as she showed how she would hold the hand on each side of the cat.
Then go back to deliver 30 more compressions, before repeating the two breaths. Then go back and forth between these steps for up until about two minutes. After this, you can pause to check for any signs of life.
If they are showing signs of life, such as breathing and having a pulse, she said to quickly take them to the nearest vet. If you don’t see any signs of life, you can continue with the CPR for up to 20 minutes, or as advised by your vet on the phone.
After this, Jade explained you should give your cat two breaths, by placing your mouth around its nose and mouth and gently blow two breaths, watching their ribcage rise and fall as you do.