How to Check Your Dog’s Pulse, Breathing and Temperature

You can tell your pet isn’t feeling well, but you don’t know how to help it. It’s a rotten feeling! Checking some basic wellness metrics can help you understand what’s causing your pet’s discomfort and make them feel better.

All pet owners know that feeling… when your pup isn’t himself, but you don’t know if he’s seriously ill. Simply learning to check your dog’s pulse, breathing, and temperature can help you gauge his degree of pain, injury, or illness. And it can help you decide on an appropriate course of action to make him feel better.

Taking and recording these measurements when your dog is healthy gives you a baseline to know when something is wrong. The difference between your dog’s normal readings and how he feels when he is sick may cause you to seek professional medical attention.

LEARN MORE ⇒ What you need to know about emergency vets (before you need them)

Check your dog’s vital signs

The basic vital signs to check are your dog’s pulse, respiration, temperature, and capillary refill time. We’ll explain what they are and how you measure each one.

Breathing

To determine your dog’s respiratory rate, you simply count the number of breaths your dog takes in a minute. To determine your dog’s respiratory rate, follow these steps:

• Observe or place your hand on your dog’s chest to count the number of times the chest rises (inhales) and descends (exhales). Each climb/descent combination counts as one breath.
• Count the breaths for 30 seconds and multiply by two to get the respiratory rate in breaths per minute.

A normal breathing rate for small dogs is between 20 and 40 breaths per minute. Larger dogs will have a slower breathing rate, usually between 10 and 30 breaths per minute.

Dogs in distress may breathe faster or slower than their normal rate. For example, dogs that are in pain or have a fever may pant (breathe faster than normal). And a dog whose respiratory rate has dropped significantly could be in shock.

Temperature

Your dog’s body heat cannot be accurately measured by feeling your dog’s nose or belly. To get a good measurement, you will need a digital thermometer. A thermometer designed for humans is fine, just be sure to keep your dog’s thermometer in a separate place from others in your home. You wouldn’t want to catch the bad one in a feverish haze!

To check your dog’s temperature, follow these steps:

• After lubricating the tip of a digital thermometer with petroleum or water-soluble jelly, move your dog’s tail up and to the side to keep him from sitting up.
• Insert a ½”-1″ thermometer into the dog’s rectum and wait for the thermometer to beep, as instructed.

Your dog’s temperature should be between 100.4°F and 102.5°F (38°C-39.16°C). But, just like humans, normal temperatures for dogs can vary, and even be different at different times of the day! It is therefore important to know the healthy temperature of your dog for comparison purposes.

Fluctuations in your dog’s temperature (up or down) can be serious. If your dog has a higher or lower temperature than normal, it’s best to call your veterinarian to discuss the appropriate treatment.

LEARN MORE ⇒ Symptoms of Fever in Dogs

Impulse

Your dog’s pulse is the rhythmic movement of blood through his arteries. When his heart beats, the blood circulates (pulsates) in the vessels. You can measure your dog’s pulse by following these steps:

• Place the ball of two fingers (not your thumb) on the depression on your dog’s upper inner thigh, above the femoral artery. It may take a while to find it the first time – don’t give up!
• For small pets, placing your hand on the left side of the dog’s chest just behind the elbow can also allow you to feel the heartbeat.
• Count the beats for 30 seconds and multiply by two to get the pulse in beats per minute.

The normal pulse for small dogs is between 90 and 160 beats per minute. Larger dogs will have a lower normal pulse, usually between 65 and 90 beats per minute.

Hydration

We all know that dehydration is a serious disease that affects pets and humans alike. Here we measure the humidity in your pet’s body, which should be around 70% of their body weight. Follow these steps to determine if your pet might be dehydrated:

• Gently lift your dog’s lip/flies to the side of his mouth. (Front mouth lifting is uncomfortable for many breeds).
• If the gums are wet, it is well hydrated. But if his gums are dry or sticky, he may be slightly dehydrated. Encourage him to drink.
• If your dog’s gums are dry or sticky, his eyes are sunken, his skin sticks out when gently picked up by the shoulders, or if he’s lethargic, your pet could be severely dehydrated and need veterinary attention. immediate.

LEARN MORE ⇒ Recognizing Dehydration and Heat Stroke in Dogs

Capillary Refill Time (CRT)

To check your dog’s circulation, you will need to determine his capillary refill time. This is measured by following these steps:

• Again, carefully lift your dog’s lip. Then press gently on the upper gum above the teeth with the tip of your finger until the gum turns white.
• When you release the pressure, the color should return to the gums within 1-2 seconds. Capillary refill time indicates whether your dog’s circulation is sufficient to send blood to his extremities.

If it takes more than 2 seconds for the color to return to your dog’s gums, your pet needs immediate veterinary attention. As you take him to the vet, cover him with a light blanket to conserve body heat. If he’s not bleeding from an injury, you can also elevate his hindquarters slightly to promote circulation to his vital organs.

Gum color is also a good indicator of overall health. Pink gums indicate a normal, healthy pet (unless the gums normally have dark pigment). Pale or white gums can indicate anemia, blood loss, or poor circulation. Blue or gray gums could indicate a lack of oxygen. And yellow gums could indicate liver disease or zinc toxicity. In each of these last three cases, your pet needs immediate veterinary care.

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Your pet’s body weight is another important factor in determining its health. Specifically, be on the lookout for sudden increases or decreases in your pet’s weight.

• For large dogs, it is best to measure body weight on the scale at your veterinarian’s office.
• Small dogs can be weighed on your scale. Hold your dog and write down your combined weight. Then, immediately put your dog down and weigh yourself. The difference between the two is your dog’s weight.

Knowing your dog’s precise weight is imperative before administering any treatment or medication. The smaller the animal, the more critical it becomes. Even being off a pound could lead to an overdose.

Unfortunately, so many pets are overweight that it can be difficult to recognize a dog’s healthy body shape. It might be easier for you to judge by touch.

If your dog is a healthy weight, you should be able to feel his ribs but not see them. (Of course, super skinny breeds like Greyhounds and Ridgebacks are an exception.) When viewed from the side, your dog’s belly should stick up higher than his chest. And, looking at your dog’s back, you should see a slight waistline. If you think your pet is overweight, talk to your veterinarian about healthy ways to help them lose weight.

Knowing what is normal for your pet will help you determine when something is wrong. So practice checking your dog’s pulse, breathing, and temperature and tracking the results. Then, whether it’s an allergic reaction, injury, or illness, you’ll be ready to assess your dog’s condition and help him recover quickly.

About the Author: Denise Fleck has trained with 12 national animal organizations and has taught over 10,000 pet lovers animal rescue skills. She has developed courses, written nine books and created a line of pet first aid kits and posters so people can help their pets BEFORE veterinary care can be achieved.

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