The officer was flagged down by a couple whose dog was unresponsive.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office released new video of an officer performing CPR on a dog. The owner of the dog flagged the officer down for help after their pet became unresponsive.
It happened at a gas station off Monument Rd. on Oct. 29. The officer was able to continue performing CPR while another officer drove the squad car to a nearby vet. According to the incident report, the dog was given a small dose of Narcan.
First Coast News reached out to the vet for more information on why Narcan was administered to the dog, but the vet’s office declined to comment on the incident.
Dr. Cameron Jones is a veterinarian in the Jacksonville area. While she is not affiliated with this incident, she said Narcan is used to help stabilize dogs who might have been given the wrong dose of medication, or dogs who ate their owner’s medications.
“We use it in resuscitation in animals who are in the hospital who have crashed for some reason, and we have used that medication in their treatment, and we want to reverse anything that is suppressing their ability to breathe,” Dr. Jones explained.
Dr. Jones said the easiest way to tell if a dog may be overdosing is by looking at how he or she is moving around.
“The first thing you might see is incoordination, staggering, seeming to be off balance or sleepy. You may see GI signs as well, but change in mentation would be the biggest indication,” Dr. Jones said.
According to JSO, the dog is ok now and was released from the vet. Dr. Jones applauded the officer’s efforts, and encouraged owners to learn these life saving measures for their pets.
“We are working very hard to improve our success rates with CPR in the veterinary field in general. And through courses like this and empowering owners to understand how to help their pets. I think that’s a very important message to get out,” Dr. Jones said.
To learn more about CPR and pets, or check out courses, click here.
