To perform CPR on a small dog, lay the dog on its right side, place your hand or fingers directly over the heart (on the left side of the chest, just behind the elbow), and compress at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. The ratio is 30 compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths. Speed matters: the sooner you start, the better the chance of survival while you get to an emergency vet.
Recognizing Cardiac Arrest
Before starting CPR, you need to confirm your dog actually needs it. The clearest sign is no heartbeat or pulse. You can feel for a pulse on the inside of the upper hind leg, where the femoral artery runs. Other signs include sudden collapse, total unresponsiveness, blue or gray gums and skin, cool body temperature, and pupils that are fixed and dilated. Breathing may have stopped completely, or it may be irregular and labored just before stopping.
If your dog is unconscious but still breathing with a detectable heartbeat, CPR is not appropriate and could cause harm. Take a few seconds to check, but don’t delay longer than 10 to 15 seconds. If you can’t detect a heartbeat or pulse, begin immediately.
Positioning Your Dog
Lay your small dog on its right side on a firm, flat surface. This puts the heart (which sits slightly left of center) facing up toward your hands. Straighten the head and neck to open the airway, and gently pull the tongue forward so it doesn’t block the throat.
Chest Compressions for Small Dogs
Hand placement for small dogs differs from large dogs. On a bigger dog, you’d compress the widest part of the chest. On a small dog, you compress directly over the heart. To find the right spot, bend the dog’s left front elbow back toward the chest. The point where the elbow meets the ribcage is roughly where the heart sits. That’s your compression target.
For very small dogs (under about 10 pounds), use one hand wrapped around the chest with your thumb on one side and fingers on the other, squeezing inward. This is called a circumferential technique, and it works well on tiny breeds because you can compress the heart from both sides simultaneously. For slightly larger small breeds (10 to 25 pounds), use the heel of one hand placed directly over the heart.
Compress firmly at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. That’s roughly two compressions per second, about the tempo of the song “Stayin’ Alive.” Each compression should push the chest down by roughly one-third to one-half of its width, then allow the chest to fully recoil before the next compression. Full recoil is critical because it lets the heart refill with blood between compressions. Don’t lift your hand off the chest between compressions, but do let the chest spring all the way back up.
Small dogs have fragile ribs, so there’s a real risk of fractures during CPR. That risk is worth taking. A broken rib can heal; cardiac arrest without intervention is fatal.
Delivering Rescue Breaths
After every 30 compressions, deliver 2 rescue breaths. To do this, close the dog’s mouth with your hand, sealing the lips shut. Place your mouth over the dog’s nostrils and blow gently until you see the chest rise. Each breath should last about one second. Don’t blow forcefully, especially on a small dog. You’re inflating lungs the size of your fist, not a balloon. If the chest doesn’t rise, reposition the head and neck to open the airway and try again.
The 2024 RECOVER veterinary CPR guidelines recommend a 30:2 ratio (30 compressions to 2 breaths) for any dog that isn’t intubated by a veterinary professional. This is the same ratio used in human CPR, which makes it easier to remember under stress.
If you’re uncomfortable giving mouth-to-snout breaths, or if you suspect the dog may carry a transmissible disease, compression-only CPR is better than no CPR at all. Keep compressing at 100 to 120 per minute without stopping.
Timing and Cycles
Work in 2-minute cycles. After each cycle, briefly check (no more than a few seconds) for a heartbeat or spontaneous breathing. If there’s no change, resume immediately. Interruptions in compressions reduce blood flow to the brain and heart, so keep pauses as short as possible.
If another person is available, take turns every 2 minutes. Compression quality drops quickly as you fatigue, even if you don’t feel tired yet. The person not compressing can handle rescue breaths and be ready to swap in.
Getting to a Vet
CPR is a bridge, not a cure. The goal is to keep oxygenated blood moving through your dog’s body until a veterinary team can take over with advanced interventions. If you’re alone, perform CPR for 2 minutes, then call an emergency vet or start driving while continuing compressions as best you can. Having someone else drive while you perform CPR in the back seat is the ideal scenario.
Survival rates for cardiac arrest in dogs are low even in hospital settings, and they drop significantly with every minute that passes without compressions. Starting CPR immediately and getting to a veterinary emergency clinic as fast as possible gives your dog the best chance. Keep the clinic’s number saved in your phone so you’re not searching for it during a crisis.
Quick Reference
- Position: Right side down on a firm surface
- Hand placement: Directly over the heart, behind the left elbow
- Technique for very small dogs: Wrap hand around chest, squeeze with thumb and fingers
- Compression rate: 100 to 120 per minute
- Compression depth: One-third to one-half of chest width
- Ratio: 30 compressions, then 2 breaths
- Cycle length: 2 minutes, then reassess