Dogs, like humans, sometimes feel unwell. An attentive owner can always see the signs of the disease. If the dog’s temperature, pulse and breathing are normal, she will be cheerful and sociable. In another case, the pet is reluctant to make contact, tries to lie more or, on the contrary, will walk from corner to corner. In this article, we consider the heart rate in dogs, and also find out what body temperature a healthy animal should have.
Normal body temperature in a dog
The temperature of a healthy animal ranges from 37.5 to 39 degrees. The difference is due to the dog’s age, size, environment and metabolic rate.
In representatives of small breeds and puppies, metabolism occurs faster, therefore their body temperature is higher. This fact explains the difference in the frequency of the heartbeat.
- The temperature of small breeds: 38.6-39.3 degrees in puppies; from 38 to 39 - in adults.
- Temperature of medium-sized rocks: 38.3-39.1 - for puppies; 37.5-39 - for adults.
- Large breeds: 38.2-39 degrees in puppies; 37.4-38.3 - in adult dogs.
Temperature can be affected by weather conditions. On a hot sunny day, dogs look for a shaded place, their breathing and pulse become faster, as the temperature rises - from 0.5 to 1.5 degrees!
In pregnant dogs, in anticipation of childbirth, the temperature begins to drop from half to one and a half degrees. To determine exactly what the dog is about to give birth, you need to measure its temperature more often.
Dog emotions also affect temperature. The rate of pulse and respiration in dogs can also fluctuate depending on its condition (excited or calm). The pulse will be discussed later.
What is a pulse?
Due to the work of the heart, tremors in the arteries occur. With the help of ventricles, blood is pushed into the aorta from the heart muscle, then its path lies through the pulmonary arterial trunk, then, with the help of contractions of the walls of blood vessels, blood penetrates to the organs. These contractions are the pulse that can be felt by applying fingers to the right place.
To measure the number of beats per minute, you need to know the heart rate in dogs. This is described in more detail below.
Heart rate
If you control the number of heartbeats, you can determine the general state of blood circulation in the animal. In the characterization of the pulse there are several factors that affect the health of the dog:
- tension
- rhythm;
- frequency;
- filling;
- the form;
- value.
Consider each of the factors in more detail.
Beats per minute
This is the number of heartbeats for a certain period of time - per minute. But you can measure the pulse and half a minute, and 15 seconds, and then multiply to normal. For example, if you measured the pulse for 15 seconds, then multiply the resulting amount by 4; if 30 seconds, then multiply by 2.
The norm of the heart rate in dogs is different, it depends on the size and age of the animal. In puppies, the number of strokes will be greater than in adults, in large breeds the pulse is slower. But it is worth considering another factor - in what condition the dog is: after a run or only after sleep.
Finding out if your heart rate is a sign of illness is easy. If after physical activity the pulse quickly recovers to normal, then the dog is healthy. If the pet is sick, then he will have a fast heartbeat for a long time.
Dog heart rate per minute
To monitor the health of the pet, you need to measure its pulse from time to time. A normal heartbeat is considered:
- Puppies - from 110 to 120 beats per minute.
- Adult dog - from 70 to 120.
- An older dog is slower than a young one.
- Large breeds - 70-80 strokes are considered the norm.
- Small breeds - 100-120 shocks.
Knowing what the pulse is normal in the dog, the owner will always be able to assess the health status of the pet and contact the veterinarian in time.
Rhythm
This is a characteristic of the uniformity of heart contractions.
The shocks should either slow down or accelerate, there should be no sharp bursts, that is, the heartbeat of the dog is ideally uniform. If this is not the case, then it is worth taking the pet to the veterinarian.
Magnitude, tension and filling
It is easy to determine the high tension of the pulse wave - the more difficult it is to squeeze the artery with your fingers until the blood circulation stops, the higher the tension.
Filling the pulse is the amount of blood distilled in one push. The weaker the push, the less blood is driven.
The value is a criterion that combines the indicators of the previous two points. The higher the readings, the greater the value, which indicates the failure of the heart valves.
But if the value is large after physical exertion, then this is the norm, and this factor does not speak about the disease.
The form
The shape of the pulse is the type of aorta that it took while filling it with blood. For example, if the walls of the vessels are too elastic, then it takes less than necessary to take the shape of the aorta. There is a strong concussion in the vessels, and in this case you can hear a phrase such as "pulse jumped".
Reasons for deviations from the norm
During sleep, the dog’s pulse slows, and this is normal. If the dog is actively moving, running, experiencing strong emotions (fear, aggression, joy, etc.), then the heartbeat becomes faster. If the dog has a decreased pulse during wakefulness, this may indicate the following problems:
- poisoning;
- hypothermia;
- heart disease;
- failure in the endocrine system;
- exhaustion;
- infectious diseases.
If the pulse is rapid for no reason, then this may be evidence of:
- heart disease;
- infectious diseases;
- stress.
In any case, the dog must be shown to a specialist. If the matter is hypothermia, then before the arrival of the doctor you need to wrap the animal in a warm blanket.
If the dog’s pulse is normal, but the rhythm is broken, a veterinarian consultation is also needed. In this case, we can talk about arrhythmias and disorders in the conduction of the heart.
If the dog lost consciousness, then the pulse will be almost impossible to feel. In this case, an urgent need to call a doctor at home, and before his arrival do not hang up, but follow the advice and recommendations of a specialist.
How does a dog measure pulse?
Feeling the pulse in an animal is not as easy as in humans. You should not try to find an artery under the skin of the paw or on the neck, it is in a completely different place - on the inside of the thigh in the fold where the paw is “attached” to the body.
Put the animal on its back, find the area where the pulse will be best felt. It should be measured with the middle and ring finger, or the middle and forefinger, but in no case large. The fact is that the pulse of a person is felt through the thumb, and you can get confused, feeling not only the tremors under the dog’s skin, but also your own.
The pulse should be measured only when the dog is in a calm state, and not immediately after physical exertion.
After the end of the count, check the result with the pulse rate in dogs. If you notice a big difference, then repeat measurements during the day at intervals. If the difference is noticeably stable, then you need to visit a veterinarian.