Dave Cowan, CVT, VTS (ECC)

A patient arrives at your hospital. The owner is distraught and panicked. Their beloved 5-year-old labrador retriever “Buddy” was just hit by a car. He has multiple wounds, he’s not breathing, and his heart isn’t beating. Do you know what to do? Does your team know what to do? This is the moment when veterinary teams all need to be on the same page to save these patients. With RECOVER (Reassessment Campaign On Veterinary Resuscitation) training and certification, your team gains the knowledge and confidence to perform CPR quickly and efficiently to give Buddy a fighting chance.

RECOVER is an evidence-based model that took years to research. The first set of guidelines were released in 2012. RECOVER 2.0 was launched in August of 2024 with updated guidelines based on continued research to determine the ideal way to perform CPR. RECOVER training gives team members confidence and a feeling of being able to make a difference in our patients’ lives.

RECOVER Certifications are a two-step process:

Online instruction, and hands on instruction/certification. The online portion of RECOVER gives team members the basic knowledge to understand the how’s and the why’s of successful CPR. Your team will learn about the correct techniques including appropriate compression and ventilation rate, compression depth and body posture for performing effective CPR. There is also vital information that discusses the different roles that need to be filled during a CPR event. Hands on certifications involve a certified instructor who will coach, mentor, and assure that team members can perform CPR as a cohesive unit using the guidelines that the online portion teaches them. Using all this instruction and training will give Buddy a better chance of making it back home.