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As pet owners, we are always committed to ensuring our furry companions are both happy and healthy. This involves providing them with a nutritious diet, attending to their needs, and visiting the vet when any issues arise.
However, there may be times when getting to a veterinarian is not feasible because you have only moments to react to a crisis, like if your pet suddenly collapses or begins choking. In such critical situations, knowing what steps to take can be life-saving for your pet.
To assist pet owners, vet nurse Jade has shared vital tips on social media on handling situations where your cat may suddenly collapse or choke, potentially saving their life.
“If your cat collapses and stops breathing, do you know what to do?” Jade opens her TikTok video with this question, demonstrating with a stuffed cat toy while kneeling on the floor.
“So firstly we need to assess the situation and remember A, B, and C,” she said before going on to explain what this means.
The first step is A, which stands for airways. Check your cat’s mouth, including the farthest areas, to detect any obstructions if they might be choking. If something is blocking their airway, it’s crucial to work on removing it.
“The airway must be clear for you to give effective CPR,” she explained.
After ensuring the airway is clear, proceed to B for breathing. To assess this, lean down so that your eyes align with your cat’s chest and observe if the rib cage rises and falls, indicating 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.
