Back

HEART RATE

First broadcast on www.provet.co.uk


This information is provided by Provet for educational purposes only.

You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

An abnormal heart rate can be a sign of serious disease, so it is important to know what a normal heart rate is, and when to recognise that the heart rate is too fast or too slow. Should your pet show either of these abnormalities you should seek veterinary attention.

Heart rate tends to increase with small body size and decrease with large body size...so giant breeds of dog have a slower heart  rate than small toy breeds or cats. Small rodents have an even faster resting heart rate (up to 600 per minute in mice). An increased heart rate is called tachycardia and it should not be confused with a normal bout of rapid heart beats during and for a short period following exercise or excitement.

The heart rate can be felt by one of two methods :

  • Placing fingers/hands on the chest wall - suitable for all species
  • Taking the pulse. This technique is suitable for larger mammals. There are various sites to take the pulse - but the easiest is to feel for the femoral artery which lies high up on the inside of the animal's hindleg.

It can be hard to count the heart rate if it is very fast.

As an approximate guide the normal resting heart rate (in beats per minute) for various species are as follows :

  • Cats - 90-240 beats per minute.
  • Chinchillas - 100-150 per minute
  • Chipmunks - 250-500 per minute
  • Dogs - 70-160 per minute. Up to 220 per minute in puppies and some toy breeds
  • Ferrets - 300-400 per minute
  • Gerbils - 250-500 per minute
  • Guinea Pigs - 130-190 per minute
  • Hamsters - 280-412 per minute
  • Mice - 500-600 per minute
  • Primates - 200-300 per minute
  • Rabbits - 220 per minute
  • Rats - 260-450 per minute

 

Updated October 2013