Q: I saw Dr. Becker on “The Dr. Oz Show” demonstrating CPR for dogs and cats. Is that something pet lovers need to know? I mean, really, I don’t think I want to put my mouth over my dog’s nose. But I guess I would if I had to. Are there classes in this? — F.P., via e-mail

A: Yes, there are classes you can take in CPR and first aid. The American Red Cross offers them, and some veterinarians also provide basic first-aid training as part of their practices.

As for the rest of your questions, I reached out to our Pet Connection ER guru, Dr. Tony Johnson of the Purdue University School of Veterinarian Medicine.

“I have had many pet owners tell me that they have performed ‘mouth to snout’ resuscitation on their pets while en route to the hospital. Whether they have really saved their pet’s life or just caused their pet to think, ‘Dude, what are you doing?’ is still open for debate,” he writes. “The anatomical differences between people and pets makes actual CPR difficult — it is almost impossible to form a tight seal over their mouth and nose; air blown in the nose usually just comes out the mouth rather than going down into the lungs.

“Also, many pet owners’ expectation of survival after CPR has been unrealistically set too high by TV — everyone seems to be OK after CPR when a happy ending is called for in the script,” continues Dr. Johnson. “That’s rarely the case in true life, and even less so with pets.”

So does that mean you shouldn’t bother to learn more about emergency care? That’s not Dr. Johnson’s opinion at all. Your pet will have a better chance at survival in an emergency the more you know about what to do, after all. (And the “what to do” should include knowing the location, directions to and phone number of your nearest emergencycare veterinary clinic.)

“Knowing CPR is fine,” says Dr. Johnson, “but more general first-aid information is even better to know. I encourage pet owners to take a basic first-aid course, or brush up on pet first aid once they know it through available books and good Web sites. Knowing how to stop bleeding, treat choking, prevent hypothermia and safely transport a pet to the hospital are essential to know — and may make a life or death difference for your pet one day.”

So there you have it! — Dr. Marty Becker

(Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.)