It’s good to know that the police are always around to help.
A lot of people take them for granted. Some even complain that they don’t do their jobs or do their jobs too well. A group of police officers in Reading, Pennsylvania, recently saved a life. Although it wasn’t the life of a person, it was still a very special one.
When a 9-week-old St. Bernard named Bodhi started chocking, his owner panicked and didn’t know what to do.
Megan Vitale tried to get the puppy to spit up whatever was in his mouth, but nothing was working. She drove to the police department, where she hoped she would find someone who could help her.
She ran inside frantically screaming and brought the puppy with her. She ran to the window and told them what was wrong. Officers Hernandez, Peter DiPietro, and Joseph Aleo ran out to help. They hadn’t ever had to save a choking pup before, but they were going to do their bests to try and save Bodhi.
They started doing CPR.
They did chest compressions and breathed into the puppy’s mouth to try to force air into his lungs. They patted the puppy on the back, and the item popped up. They gave him a few more breaths, and he was able to start breathing on his own.
Vitale, who was hysterical the entire time and was pacing the halls and crying while the men were working on the dog, was extremely thankful to see her pup breathing. The officers used a mask to help get his oxygen levels back to normal. The mask is specifically made for pets. Bodhi was taken to the vet, and he recovered.
While the officers had never worked on a pet before, they had been trained to do so if necessary.
In recent years, there have been many workshops and training sessions that teach police officers, firefighters, and first responders how to save pets.
Pet CPR is much different from working on humans. It’s all about using the right technique. Pets can easily choke, and while most of them are able to eventually swallow or spit out the object, some just can’t do it on their own.
Large breed dogs, like Bodhi, are particularly likely to choke because they tend to eat their food too fast and even swallow it without chewing.
Bones and toys can also be swallowed and can lead to choking.
There are a few things you can do to prevent your pet from choking.
Monitor your pet carefully to make sure it is not eating things it shouldn’t be. Make sure there are no small objects on the floor or in your yard that your pet may attempt to eat. Do not let your pet chew on stuffed animals, socks, rubber chew toys, or rawhide bones if you are not present. These things can easily become lodged in a puppy’s throat and make it hard to breathe.
If you do find that your dog is choking, you can try to help it yourself.
Check the dog’s airway and then pat the dog on the back to dry to dislodge the object. You can also use your finger to try to sweep the object out of the dog’s mouth.
You should take your dog to the vet or a first responder if you are not sure how to help or if you are afraid you could do pet CPR incorrectly. When a pet is choking, timing is everything. The longer your pet chokes, the less likely it is to recover. It’s best to let someone who is experienced with pet CPR take care of it.
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Source: CBS News
