Dog Recovery Position: Step by Step - First Aid for Pets

Full Transcript

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCgkaNR4ZvM

[00:11] touch them with your foot just to see if there's any response.
[00:16] That way, if it was an aggressive animal, you could get back quickly and you're not going to put yourself at risk.
[00:22] You'd then move down and you'd stroke with the back of your hand.
[00:27] So, just stroke them gently with the back of your hand.
[00:28] That's far less intrusive than stroking with the front of your hand.
[00:31] See if there's any response at all.
[00:38] If there is no response, then it looks like the animal is unconscious.
[00:43] You would then open the airway.
[00:45] So, tilt the head back with the neck straight.
[00:47] If it is an unconscious animal, you would then pull the tongue gently forward.
[00:52] Bu is not unconscious, so we're not going to demonstrate that.
[00:53] I'll demonstrate that on a mannequin later.
[00:58] You would then check for breathing.
[01:00] So you would very carefully and again don't put yourself in danger because obviously your head is is fairly close to their mouth now.
[01:07] But you would look down their
[01:10] mouth now.
[01:10] But you would look down their chest and see if you can see them breathing.
[01:14] breathing.
[01:14] Okay.
[01:17] So we can see that Boo is breathing and in which case we would leave her in the recovery position.
[01:21] We would extend her head and we might consider elevating um her her lower half if we suspected she was going into shock
[01:30] and we would transport her to a vet quickly.
[01:32] Always phone the vet first.
[01:40] [Music]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCgkaNR4ZvM

Summary

TL;DR — This video demonstrates the crucial steps of placing an unconscious but breathing dog into the recovery position as part of pet first aid. It emphasizes safety for the rescuer and outlines how to check for responsiveness, open the airway, and assess breathing before positioning the animal.

Key points

• Begin by checking for responsiveness by gently touching the animal with your foot, then the back of your hand, to ensure safety.

• If there's no response, the animal is likely unconscious, and you should open the airway by tilting the head back and straightening the neck.

• Gently pull the dog's tongue forward to further open the airway (demonstration deferred to a mannequin).

• Carefully check for breathing by looking at the chest for movement.

• If the dog is breathing, place it in the recovery position, extending the head.

• Consider elevating the hindquarters if shock is suspected and transport the animal to a vet immediately after calling ahead.

Takeaway — The recovery position is a vital first aid step for unconscious but breathing dogs, prioritizing rescuer safety and proper airway management.