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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think one could defibrillate a cat?!

26 replies

Badgoushk · 24/02/2017 20:12

Post night shift, so in a bit of a daze, I saw a cat cross a road and I wondered what I would have done if I saw it hit by a car! I would happily attempt CPR on an animal but presumably they would need defibrillating. Vets, do you defibrillate animals? Mumsnetters, have you or would you ever do mouth to mouth and chest compressions on an animal...?!

OP posts:
Veterinari · 24/02/2017 20:12

Yes, we do

PossumInAPearTree · 24/02/2017 20:15

My dog had cpr done on her in the vets surgery after they found her dead collapsed in a cage following routine op. I think she'd probably been dead a while though so it didn't work.

I know for humans for defibrillator you may need to shave chest hair for best results.....all crash trolleys at work have a bic razor in the kit. So for a cat you probably wouldn't have time.

A friend of mine gave her dog mouth to mouth when it collapsed on a hot day and long walk but was unsuccessful.

ExitStage · 24/02/2017 20:18

Depends if its Schrodingers cat or not......

BellaGoth · 24/02/2017 20:18

My dad once gave mouth to mouth to a frog. Sadly it didn't work. And the frog didn't turn into a handsome prince

Original poster
Badgoushk · 24/02/2017 20:29

As far as I understand it, I think mouth to mouth and chest compressions will nearly always need defibrillation as well to be successful. I think the exception is drowning.

Good point about shaving the fur.

OP posts:
lilyboleyn · 24/02/2017 20:31

My rabbit had cpr at the vet and it worked.

percythepenguin · 24/02/2017 20:40

Surely if the animal is run over and has no pulse the chances of it being in a shockable rythmn are tiny so defibrillation is v unlikely to be any use.

MajorSharpesButtons · 24/02/2017 20:50

badgoushk arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) need defibrilation, asystole (heart stopped without arrhythmia) doesn't.
So the heart may have stopped with an arrhythmia (usually ventricular fibrillation) and defibrillation will be used to try and reset the arrhythmia. If the heart is just stopped there's no point.
Most of the defibrillation on TV is unnecessary, and as aside, unrealistic in terms of success rates

OneLumpOrSeven · 24/02/2017 20:57

Most of the defibrillation on TV is unnecessary

Defib on the tv makes me shout, a lot. As
pp said, you shock for abnormal heart rhythms, not for asystole.

RestlessTraveller · 24/02/2017 21:29

I gave a kitten mouth to mouth (actually mouth to nose as it is for cats) and chest compressions. It worked a treat, she's 7 now.

FlouncingInAWinterWonderland · 24/02/2017 21:32

I was going to post you need to be in fibrillation (iregular beat) to require de-fibrillation (stop the heart to attempt to reset beat). If its already stopped its like turning off something already off - makes no difference.

TinfoilHattie · 24/02/2017 21:33

Mumsnetters, have you or would you ever do mouth to mouth and chest compressions on an animal.

Absolutely not. Have not, would not. Ever. Yuk.

WillWorkForShoes · 24/02/2017 21:35

you shock for abnormal heart rhythms, not for asystole.

This. Totally ruined the film Flatliners! You can't shock a flatline.

You shave the chest to get good cohesion between the skin and the pads. Where would you even put the pads on a cat?!

RestlessTraveller · 25/02/2017 09:27

tinfoilhattie so you would just watch an animal die?

TinfoilHattie · 25/02/2017 10:27

Yes, probably. Although I wouldn't actively stand and watch, I'd probably walk away. I'm very allergic to both cats and dogs so wouldn't put my own health at risk by attemping mouth to mouth on one for sure. Have no clue of pet anatomy and where the heart is.

Would have a bash at CPR on a person as I have more of a clue what to do, and human lives are far more important.

BarbarianMum · 25/02/2017 10:32

I would totally just watch an animal die. I might just get it to a vets if I could do so without risking getting bitten/clawed or contact its owner if it was the sort of injury that could wait (or if already dead). But attempt CPR? No way.

beautifulgirls · 25/02/2017 10:39

Most veterinary clinics do not have defibrillators although some of the specialist centres will do. CPR is performed however on animals when needed and will be sucessful in some cases. What we do have in clinics that the general public will not have access to is airway tubes, oxygen, iv access, and various drugs that can make the difference between life and death.

TinfoilHattie · 25/02/2017 10:59

Yes but if you are in the street and a dog/cat collapses in front of you, by the time you've worked out where the nearest vets is (not a pet owner so I haven't a clue), phoned them and either got the vet out or taken the animal to the vet, it would be stiff as a board. Totally pointless. And no, I'm not putting your dead/dying pet in my car with my kids.

kissmewherethesundontshine · 25/02/2017 11:03

Yes I have given mouth to mouth to a newborn puppy to get her breathing, she's doing well now. I think chest compressions on a dog are done while dogs on it's side just behind its front paw on rib cage but never needed to do that, I would if needed/thought it would help

DJBaggySmalls · 25/02/2017 11:04

On the roadside if the animal is hit by a car try to contain it, keep its still, warm and quiet, and get it to a vet.
I think chest compressions on animals are more to make the humans feel like they did something.

StarryIllusion · 25/02/2017 11:58

I can't believe some people are so cold and lacking in empathy as to leave an animal dying and not attempt to help them. And what's even more worrying is that these people have children. How the fuck does that go? Mummy that doggy is hurt. Never mind sweetie just leave it there to die in agony, its not as important as a person.

Fucking hell, and people wonder why some would save a pet over a stranger.

RestlessTraveller · 25/02/2017 18:15

My thoughts exactly Starry

TinfoilHattie · 25/02/2017 18:18

Funnily enough I've managed to get through 45 years of life without regularly having animals die in front of me. Only animal I can EVER remember coming across was a rabbit with mixy and the poor thing was so far gone that a swift clunk with a spade was the kindest thing anyone could do for it.

It's not something which happens, so what you would and woudln't do is all hypothetical.

longdiling · 25/02/2017 18:20

There are some really wierd cat threads on here at the moment.

specialsubject · 25/02/2017 18:36

No way would I resuscitate an animal, massive health hazard to md. I would put it out of misery though.

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