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Some breeds are more predisposed to certain
heart conditions.
tend to change more rapidly, it is recommended you have your pet examined every
six months. We know it looks as though
your pet is getting the best massage and
rubdown ever as your veterinarian runs her
hands all over your pet’s body and looks in
its ears, eyes and mouth and listens to its
heart and lungs. The veterinarian is looking
for early subtle signs or changes in your pet.
When listening to your pet’s heart, your
veterinarian can tell if there is a disruption
of blood flow if she notices a murmur or
an arrhythmia. If your veterinarian finds
indication of heart disease, she may have
you start monitoring your pet more closely
at home.
It is always very helpful for pet owners
to pay close attention to their pets’ sleeping respiratory rate (SRR). We encourage
this. It is likely the most sensitive indicator
for heart failure (building of fluid in the
lungs) in the animal. This is a great home
monitoring aid and it involves you, the pet
parent, so you can pick up clinical signs
earlier. When you are recording your pet’s
SRR, you are looking at how many breaths
your pet takes per minute. It is ideal to do
this when your pet is sleeping comfortably
in an environment that is not too hot or
cold. We recommend pet parents do this
daily for two to three days so you can create
your pet’s baseline or normal value. Once
you know your pet’s normal SRR, you can
decrease your monitoring frequency to one
or two times per week. If your pet’s SRR
changes significantly between measurements, you should contact your veterinarian.
The normal SRR in cats and dogs is less
than 30 breaths per minute. Young cats
(not young dogs) tend to have a higher
SRR than older cats. Dogs and cats with
For this reason, all the staff at
Village Animal Hospital have a
common bond: a daily goal to
give our clients and their pets
the most up-to-date and best
possible medical care
Boone, owner Chelsey Schrock; receiving special attention due to his breed
subclinical heart disease can still have fewer
than 30 breaths per minute. When your
pet’s SRR is consistently above 30 breaths
per minute and it has underlying heart
disease, that is suggestive of heart failure.
Cats that consistently have more than 30
breaths per minute with pre-existing heart
disease warrant further evaluation, but it
can be normal in some cats.
For pet parents who love phone apps, we
highly recommend one called “Cardalis.” It
is FREE and will track your pet’s SRR data
for you. You can easily email the results
• Wellness Care Plans
• Routine Medical Care
• Vaccinations
• Holistic Care Services
• Ultrasound
Each one of
our staff is
committed
to this goal,
making Village
Animal Hospital
a wonderful
environment to
work in
• Radiology
• In-House Laboratory
• Surgical
• Dental
right to your veterinarian. We love it!
If you have any concerns about your
pet’s heart health, we encourage you to
always ask your veterinarian. We are always
available to address any questions you have.
If you have concerns, please take advantage
of our free new patient exam and let one of
our veterinarians listen to your pet’s heart.
We want you to be a major player on your
pet’s health care team and encourage you to
ask questions.
• House Calls
• Hospice
• Euthanasia
• Other services
also