Is feeling my small dog's heartbeat on the right side normal?

It's good that Teddy's heart rate is normal, and yes small dogs can have a strong heartbeat. I would be concerned if his heart rate wasn't in the normal range, and it may be easier to see his heart rate simply because he was lying on his side. As long as he is behaving normally, is active, isn't showing any sings of exercise intolerance, or isn't having breathing difficulties, then I would not worry :-)

You should not be able to hear your puppy's heart beat without putting your ear on his chest. If it is so loud that you can hear it that loud, you should have him examined by your veterinarian as Caspy may have a congenital heart defect. Only a hands-on exam can evaluate your dog's heart and determine whether the heart is normal.

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.

Congestive heart failure and pneumonia can certainly have very similar symptoms in dogs - breathing hard, coughing, laying around more than normal, etc. Chest x-rays and blood work would normally help to determine which of these problems your dog has, as results of these tests would be different in congestive heart failure vs. pneumonia. If you have a more specific question about your dog's particular situation, feel free to post again - we would be happy to try and help.

An enlarged heart could mean that your dog is developing heart disease but it could also just be normal for your dog. Your vet could submit a blood test called a proBNP which helps detect heart disease. You could also have a cardiologist perform an ultrasound of her heart to evaluate the function of her hear and measure the size.

It can be normal to feel your cat's heart beat on both the right and left side when you are holding your cat. The heart is located on the left side of the body, but it's left of the center and not all the way over to the right. I am concerned that Dory has been vomiting and having diarrhea for a week. She needs to see a vet for that asap, as it's quite serious to have these symptoms for that long. She could have a foreign body, severe GI illness, or other illness causing the vomiting and diarrhea. Please take her into a vet right away for an exam.

You won't be able to tell heart enlargement without an x-ray or ultrasound. The chest wall is a rigid cage that contains its organs and all swelling, unlike the abdomen which will swell with organ enlargement or fluid retention. It may be that you aren't use to Skippy's anatomy without the extra body fat, or there could be a medical reason. The best thing to do would be to have him examined by a vet who can figure out what is going on.