UF veterinarian plays key role in new pet CPR guidelines

Dr. Jake Wolf examines a puppy in the UF Small Animal Hospital’s emergency room. (Photo by Sarah Carey)

A University of Florida veterinarian played a crucial role in updating new, potentially lifesaving guidelines for performing CPR on dogs and cats as part of the Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation Initiative.

The RECOVER initiative recently released the first major revisions to global veterinary CPR guidelines since 2012, setting new lifesaving standards based on groundbreaking scientific advances and extensive community feedback.

Dr. Jake Wolf, a clinical assistant professor and an emergency and critical care specialist at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine, served as the first author of the Advanced Life Support section in a paper published in the Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care.

Among the many recommendations are improved techniques for performing chest compressions and how to safely breathe for nonintubated cats and dogs. Wolf contributed to various aspects of the updated recommendations, including changes in medication administration and defibrillation during CPR.

“These guidelines represent a significant advancement in veterinary emergency and critical care,” Wolf said. “By incorporating the latest research and clinical experience, we aim to enhance the quality of CPR performed on companion animals and ultimately improve survival rates.”

Over 100 experts worldwide and across disciplines collaborated on developing the treatment recommendations by reviewing more than 1,370 studies.

The primary goal of the RECOVER 2024 CPR Guidelines is to improve outcomes in veterinary patients, mirroring advances in human medical care, particularly in general practice settings when reversible causes of cardiopulmonary arrest — such as anesthesia-related issues — present opportunities to save pets’ lives.