Knowing the vital signs of a dog, which includes temperature, respiratory rate and heart rate, helps us to identify all those situations that are out of the norm and that, therefore, may be indicating the need to seek veterinary assistance with greater or lesser urgency.
In this article on our site we will review the parameters related to the vital signs of a dog. We should also know that these data corresponding to canine physiology may suffer variations due to the age or size of the dog, as we will see.
Normal dog temperature
We begin the review of the vital signs of a dog by temperature. In an adult dog, the temperature ranges between 37.8 and 39.2 ºC, with an average of 38.5º. Therefore, if our dog has a higher temperature than indicated, he will have a fever, generally accompanied by other symptoms, which are what will help the vet establish a diagnosis
But, although a high temperature or hyperthermia is always cause for alarm, we cannot ignore that an excessively low temperature is also a cause of concern. If the hypothermia is not recovered, the dog will die.
This is particularly important when we talk about puppies, since during their first weeks of life they are unable to regulate their temperature, maintaining the of the environment in which they find themselves. Thus, the temperature of a newborn puppy ranges between 34.4 and 36.1 ºC After a month of life they already reach 37.8º, like dogs Adults.
How to take a dog's temperature? A dog's temperature is taken rectally We can impregnate the thermometer with Vaseline to make it less bothersome. If the dog is very restless we will need help. Before storing the thermometer we must disinfect it well.
Heart rate of a dog
A dog's vital signs relative to its heart rate range between 60 and 160 beats per minute But when the dog is small in size, normal pulses can reach up to 180. In larger dogs this rhythm will be somewhat slower.
In puppies newborns the heart rate is even higher, and can be between 160 and 200. With about fifteen days of life it is not strange that the pulsations reach 220 per minute, being completely normal.
We can take our dog's pulse by touching the femoral artery as it passes through the groin, for which it is better to keep the dog lying on its back or standing up. We will search for this artery by palpating the inside of the thigh, along the junction between the leg and the body.
We will establish the heart rate by counting the number of beats per minute. The disturbance of this rhythm whether the heart beats faster, which is called tachycardia, or slowly, which is calledbradycardia , it is reason for veterinary consultation.
In this video of Extraordinary Dog you can see how a dog's pulse is taken:
Respiratory rate of a dog
We end this review of a dog's vital signs by paying attention to the respiratory rate. In an adult dog, normal respiration averages 24 breaths per minute when the dog is at rest, with a possible range of 10 to 30 In the first weeks of life of the puppies we will be able to appreciate a normal respiratory rate between 15 and 35 breaths per minute.
As we discussed in the heart rate section, difficulties in breathing normally even if it is accelerated, called tachypnea, as if, on the contrary, it becomes very slow, being called bradypnea, they should take us to see our veterinarian, especially if the situation continues over time.
Gestation
Finally, we add to the vital signs of a dog another physiological data to take into account, such as the duration of a normal pregnancy, which will last, on average, about63 days , with a variation that will range between 56 and 66 days.
