Episode 21: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation in dogs and cats

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In this episode, Dr. Lance Wheeler, DVM, DACVECC tackles one of the highest-stakes situations in emergency and critical care - cardiopulmonary arrest and resuscitation. Drawing from Chapter 4 of Small Animal Critical Care Medicine (3rd edition) by Daniel Fletcher and Manuel Boller, and weaving in the key updates from the 2024 RECOVER CPR guidelines, Lance walks through a practical, structured framework for managing arrest in real time: rapid recognition (the "shake and shout"), the CAB sequence, high-quality BLS, the physiology of coronary perfusion pressure, and how chest conformation changes compression strategy. He then moves into advanced life support such as ECG and capnography monitoring, epinephrine and vasopressin dosing, atropine, defibrillation energy, the lidocaine/amiodarone/esmolol ladder for refractory shockable rhythms, reversal agents, fluids, sodium bicarbonate, and when to consider open-chest CPR. Along the way, he integrates the latest veterinary evidence, including 2023–2025 studies on ROSC predictors, blood-gas variables, conformation-based outcomes, shockable rhythm prevalence, and CPR skill retention, and closes with a high-yield rapid-fire board review covering every key number worth memorizing. If you enjoy this episode and want the full experience, weekly deep-dives, interactive simulators, and clinical algorithms you can use on shift, come join us inside the VetEmCrit Academy.