Is my dog's fluctuating heart rate normal or a serious concern?

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.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Honey Bear The heart rates you are counting are normal. If she is breathing fast then that is an emergency so she absolutely should be taken to the Vet to be sure she is oxygenating properly. Having trouble breathing is very uncomfortable for a pet. Causes for increased respiratory rate in an older dog are: heart failure, anemia from internal bleeding, cancer, pneumonia, fluid around the lungs, hot outside, fever, Cushing's disease. I wish Honey Bear the very best!

A cough can be respiratory or heart related. I would make sure that Precious does not have a heart murmur. If she does I would consider either a cardiologist or x-ray prior to the dental procedure. It is not normal for an occasional cough but ruling between respiratory and heart will help narrow down what is going on with Precious. Thank you 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!

If your dog had a heart or lung problem, she would have a high heart rate as well as a high respiratory rate. That said, a heart rate of 50 per minute is quite low, so I am thinking you may not be counting right. Count the beats for 15 seconds and then multiply by 4. Do this three times in a row and then take the average.I recommend you trust your vet. If he says all is well, then all is well. He would not do the dental cleaning under anesthesia if he though there was an exceptional risk.

At this age we would expect a small breed puppy to have a heart rate around 180 beats per minute and sometimes higher during excitement, so this is not a concern. The breathing can also be elevated at times in this high energy dog. These symptoms so far don't sound alarming; however, a general health check by your veterinarian isn't a bad idea to do in the near future just to make sure everything checks out ok. In particular we would want the vet to check for any audible heart murmurs or arrhythmias. I hope that things work out well for your pet Ginger moving forward! Best wishes and take care.

I would expect a smaller dog to have a resting heart rate of around 90-110 but I have seen them a little lower before especially if they are athletic . If it is much lower than that then I would contact your vet for an additional exam to ensure her heart sound okay and her pulses are strong. if she has any rapid or labored breathing then contact your vet immediately as this is an emergency. I hope this helps!