Survival to discharge and outcome of a dog following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to asphyxiation

A 7-month-old dog presented with a 10-minute history of upper respiratory tract obstruction and secondary loss of consciousness in the minute before its arrival to the hospital. The dog was found to be dead on arrival. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated, which led to successful return of spontaneous circulation 20 minutes later, with subsequent regain of consciousness. Symptomatic therapy and supportive care were provided for 3.5 weeks before discharging the dog into the care of its owners. Despite having made an initial improvement, it was subsequently euthanised 4 weeks later due to persistent severe neurological deficits. Although the neurological improvement was not deemed sufficient for the dog to have a good quality of life, this case report highlights that return of spontaneous circulation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and a prolonged period of cardiopulmonary resuscitation is feasible, and neurological improvement thereafter is possible.