Urgent warning after dramatic TikTok video of dog rescue
WARNING — CONFRONTING CONTENT: A man is urging people to remain vigilant while their pets swim after posting a shocking TikTok video of him pulling his unconscious dog from the water.
The Arizona man uploaded the terrifying incident on TikTok under the username @reluctantprophet to warn others to always keep an eye on their pets.
According to the video, Prophet, an 11-year-old yellow labrador who has spent his whole life swimming, swallowed too much water when trying to grab a stick and nearly drowned, forcing his owner to perform CPR in order to save his life.
'Almost watched my best friend die'
The video has been viewed almost 38 million times, with thousands of concerned pet owners vowing to keep a better eye on their water-loving pets.
"I have a chocolate lab. I never even thought about her drowning. She’s a fish," one TikToker wrote.
"Thank you for the reminder to keep an eye on her."
"Nothing anybody can say and make you feel any worse than almost watching my best friend die," the distraught pet owner responded who also has two other dogs, Lily and Abby.
"And it would have been my fault."
The dog owner said he took Prophet to the vet as soon as he was breathing again.
"We just got back from the vet where they did X-rays and checked out the lungs," he said in the follow-up video posted a few days later.
"There was no water. No signs of ammonia."
Despite the near-death experience, Prophet's owner said he was keen to jump right back in.
"We went to Tempe town lake the next day and he tried to go swimming again," he commented on a video, along with the facepalm emoji.
Can you perform CPR on dogs?
Dr Gerard Poli, from the Animal Emergency Service, says CPR can be performed on dogs in a similar method to humans, adding remaining calm is essential.
He recommends CPR if a pet is not breathing and has no heartbeat or pulse. In a video on the service's website, Dr Poli explains how to perform the method on a pet:
Compressions
Place your pet on their side
Deliver 120 compressions per minute (two compressions per second)
With every 30 compressions deliver two breaths — make sure to follow the technique best suited to the size of your pet
Don't lean on your pet between compressions as it will stop blood from returning to the heart
Breaths
Close your pet's mouth and create a seal by wrapping your fingers around the muzzle
Place your mouth over the whole nose, covering both nostrils
Give two breaths on your pet's nose, enough to make the chest rise
After two minutes of compressions and breaths, check your pet for a heartbeat or pulse — if not present, then continue
When your pet starts breathing again, put it in a recovery position on its side and follow up by taking it to a veterinary clinic.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
