Why does my dog's heart beat super fast when excited or playing?

Hello. The normal heartbeat of a dog should be around 120-160 beats per minute. If his heartrate is greater than 200 beats per minute at rest or when sleeping, this is abnormal & could be due to a conduction disorder in the heart. He may also have an abnormal rhythm that mimics a elevated heart rate. The only way to sort out what might be happening is to have your veterinarian auscultate his heart & possibly do any ECG to identify the rate & any rhythm abnormalities. I hope all is OK & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and congratulations on the new playful puppy! It is normal for puppies to have fast heart beats, especially small breeds like Chihuahuas. It is not unusual for small puppies to have heart rates around 120-160 beats per minute. As long as she is acting healthy and playful and not having any difficulty breathing, this fast heart rate is normal for her.

You should get your dog seen by our veterinarian right away. Rapid heartbeat in dogs could indicate that he is in pain, has heat disease, an electrolyte imbalance or another hidden condition. Left untreated it can lead to injury of the heart itself and/or congestive heart failure. Your vet will do an exam, blood work and x-rays to determine the cause of the illness and suggest an effective treatment plan.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I can understand your concerns with having a new puppy. It is likely that your new puppy is finally starting to come into his own. As your puppy grows and matures he will start to develop his personality. This can lead to higher activity levels and more playfullness. As long as he is still tail wagging, running, jumping and overall seems happy, he is likely just fine. After quick spurts of play, puppies can also have heavy breathing episodes, but it should only last for 1-5 minutes at the most. If your puppy seems like he is in respiratory distress, coughing, gasping for air, etc, then its best to have him evaluated by your vet. At that point I would suspect he may have an airway infection, underlying heart disease, or a laryngeal disorder. However, if your pupy is still playful, eating, drinking and normal acting, then he is likely just fine and is having over exerting moments of play. Just try to limit his play to no more than 20-30 minute intervals two times a day to keep him healthy. I hope this helps and best wishes with your new puppy Winter. Take care.

It sounds like Diesel had some kind of significant stimulation. Is there any possibility that Diesel got into something that could have caused those signs? If he is on any medication or anyone in the house is on a medication that can cause stimulation, that would be one possibility. There are some internal diseases that can cause abnormal excitement and an increased heart rate, but they are relatively rare. Unfortunately, it sounds like we may not be able to figure out what has caused Diesel's signs without some additional testing. I would certainly recommend having your veterinarian examine him, check his blood pressure and some blood work to make sure there isn't any evidence of something going on internally that caused it and needs to be treated. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is not possible to know if something may actually be wrong with Kona without being able to evaluate her. This could be abnormal but keep in mind that this may also be normal. If you are concerned that she is not doing well, I would recommend you have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further evaluation with at least an exam. Good luck!

I have been practicing veterinary medicine for 17 years and have never experienced or heard of another person hearing their dog’s heartbeat from a few meters away. So the answer to your question, in my opinion, is that this is abnormal. What worries me most is the age of the dog and the fact that she is still young. Puppies her age can be born with congenital heart diseases that can cause significant heart murmurs. A heart murmur is an abnormal sound given off by the heart that is due to abnormal blood flow through the heart. I strongly encourage you to take her to a veterinarian as early as convenient and have the following things done: A complete physical examination including cardiac auscultation, an EKG, and possibly chest x-rays just to make sure that she is OK and that this abnormal loud heartbeat you are hearing is normal. Thank you very much for your question. I hope I have helped. Have a nice day.