Do you know how to give a dog CPR?

VIRGINIA BEACH

How do you check for the heartbeat of a huge mastiff?

Well, as a group of animal caregivers found out Saturday, you have to put your hand on his inner thigh and feel the pulse from the dog's femoral artery.

Luckily for those caregivers, their mastiff, Rembrandt, sat patiently as they put their hands on his leg and waited to feel the pounding artery. Another shelter animal, a laid-back cat, even stretched out on the table to let the students check its pulse.

Such hands-on training was part of an American Red Cross class taught at the Virginia Beach Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The six students were SPCA volunteers or employees.

They spent three hours learning about pet first aid: how to give CPR, respond to electric shocks and help pets avoid poisonous household items such as grapes and raisins, which could cause kidney failure.

They discussed the importance of decision-making in the first few minutes after a pet emergency. They practiced CPR and the Heimlich maneuver on cat and dog mannequins.

Amy McNally, director of youth programs for the shelter, said employees took the pet first aid course three years ago and then became instructors so they could pass those skills on to the community. She taught Saturday's class, along with Barbara Gipson, the shelter manager.

"Little emergencies happen all the time, and people don't know what to do," Gipson said. "The more knowledge people have, the better off they can be."

Gipson said some owners tend to lose their heads when their pet has an emergency, but with proper training, they'll know how to respond. She said she hopes people who go through the classes will also volunteer with animal care agencies and help neighbors' pets.

Marianne Cappeto of Virginia Beach recently started volunteering with the SPCA. She helps with the dogs at the shelter and just took home her first foster dog. She said the class taught her the importance of remaining calm in an emergency.

"If you're going to help an animal," Cappeto said, "do it so they're not being more hurt by your efforts, like splinting in the wrong area or putting a tourniquet on inappropriately."

Shayna Meliker, (757) 446-2326, shayna.meliker@pilotonline.com