When a puppy does not immediately begin to cry after birth, there is a good chance that it may not be breathing. Breech birth puppies—those that are born feet-first, rather than head-first—are more likely to face danger than those birthed normally. Even a puppy born normally may not immediately begin breathing, though. Any puppy that does not begin breathing within a few seconds of birth should be given emergency CPR.
If you are the only person around, perform emergency CPR for at least 5 minutes (or until the puppy responds) before contacting the veterinarian. Once the puppy starts breathing, call the veterinarian for advice on continued care.
If the non-newborn puppy has no pulse, plan to start with chest compressions. If the older puppy has a pulse but isn’t breathing, you’ll start by clearing the airway and giving rescue breathing.
Centrifugal force can also be used to drain the fluid from the puppy’s lungs, but you need to ask a veterinarian to demonstrate the process before attempting it. You’ll need to hold the puppy’s head and neck very secure while smoothly swinging the puppy down and in between your legs. The movement should not be jerky and you must ease the puppy into a gradual stop. [5] X Research source Keep in mind that you should only use centrifugal force as a last resort and be very careful, because too much force can cause brain damage.
Before inserting the syringe into the puppy’s mouth, squeeze the bulb to remove the air from inside it. Insert the tip of the suction bulb into the puppy’s mouth. The tip should reach the back of the puppy’s mouth, but don’t force it too far into the throat, since doing so could cause injury to the puppy’s airways. Once the syringe is positioned, gradually release the squeezed bulb. The suction should draw fluid from the mouth and throat into the bulb. Remove the bulb from the puppy’s mouth and squeeze it again to evacuate fluid and air. Repeat two or three more times, or until you stop drawing fluid out.
Making mouth-to-mouth contact opens up the possibility of the puppy transmitting illnesses like brucellosis to you. The odds are low that you’ll develop any type of serious illness from a puppy, but you’ll have to decide for yourself what amount of risk you’ll accept in order to potentially save the puppy’s life.
Breathe small, gentle puffs of air into the puppy. The amount of breath needed to blow out a match may be sufficient. Do not breathe too deeply, since doing so can damage the puppy’s tiny lungs. If the chest isn’t moving, the puppy’s airway is probably still blocked. Try to clear it with the bulb syringe again.
Place the first two fingers of one hand against the chest wall, at or just below the armpits of the front legs. A strong heartbeat should be easy to identify with no additional tools. You may need to use a stethoscope to identify the difference between a weak heartbeat and no heartbeat, however. If you have a stethoscope, place it over the chest wall and listen for a few seconds. If you don’t have a stethoscope and can’t feel a heartbeat, assume there isn’t one. Note that a normal, healthy newborn puppy should have a heartbeat between 120 and 180 beats per minute. Use a clock or stopwatch to see if the heart is beating 2-3 times per second.
Visualize where the bent elbows of the puppy’s front legs would touch the sides of its chest, or even position the legs this way to be sure. You’ll place your thumbs and forefingers in these positions. Place both of your forefingers on one side of the chest, and both of your thumbs on the other side.
Since an average newborn puppy has a pulse of 120-180 beats per minute, you’ll want to do compressions in quick succession. Use the beat of a popular song to guide you—for instance, “Harder to Breathe” by Maroon 5 (150 bpm); “We Got the Beat” by the Go-Go’s (152 bpm); or “Pressure” by Billy Joel (148 bpm). [12] X Research source
Give the puppy 2-3 puffs of air every 15 to 20 seconds. Continue to gently compress the puppy’s chest rapidly in between puffs of air. Check the puppy every minute to determine if it has begun to breathe on its own. You should also check for a heartbeat every minute. If there is no response after 5 minutes, it’s very unlikely the puppy can be revived.
To check for breathing, look at the chest, listen for breathing sounds, and feel for exhaled breaths with your cheek. To check for a pulse, put your first two fingers of one hand on the center chest, just at or below the armpits of the puppy’s front legs. If you have a stethoscope, listen with it instead.
If the puppy’s tongue is in the way, gently pull it outward so you have access to the mouth.
Your breaths will go through this hand-tube and into the puppy’s open nose. If the puppy’s face is still to small for this maneuver, simply place your mouth over its mouth and nose and make a seal.
If the dog isn’t breathing on its own after a minute, pause and check that it still has a pulse. If so, resume breathing for another minute, and repeat as needed. If not, start chest compressions.
If the puppy is too big to span your hands across its chest, place it on its right side. Place one palm flat on the side of the chest, where the bent front elbow would touch on that side. Overlap your other palm over the first one.
Every minute, stop briefly and check for breathing and a pulse. After 5 minutes, it’s very unlikely the puppy will survive.
Using light, careful pressure, vigorously rub the puppy with a towel. Gently turn the puppy over in your hands several times. If it’s a newborn or still very small, grab the puppy by the scruff of its neck several times as well. While stimulating the puppy, you may still need to provide a few puffs of air every 20 to 30 seconds to keep its lungs pumping.
Most puppies that revive after receiving emergency CPR will stabilize after 20 minutes. If the puppy’s heart does not start beating within 5 minutes of treatment, however, it is unlikely that the puppy will revive.
One of the most important things you can do is keep the puppy warm. Puppies that get chilled during the first week of life can easily weaken and die. Provide hot water bottles, heating pads, heating lamps, and plenty of warm blankets in an effort to keep the box it stays in at a minimum constant temperature of 85 °F (29 °C). Professional veterinary care is also strongly recommended. If you have not already called the veterinarian, do so after the mother has given birth to the remainder of her puppies. Let the veterinarian know about any puppies you needed to revive and follow their instructions on additional aftercare.
