Heart rate and breathing

Question
HI

I have recently rescued a puppy 3-months, she is just a sack of bones, very, very skinny.  I deworm here and removed all ticks and lice.  She is eating and going to the toilet well. I noticed her heart rate is not normal, very high, even if she is sleeping and also her breathing is very fast when she is sleeping.  I got her now for 3 days. The nearest vet is 170km away, so please help!

Answer
Hi Francis,

Anytime you adopt a puppy it's a good to have it examined by a vet. Your puppy may be in need of vaccines, and should have a general once over, by the doctor.

The smaller an animal is, the faster their heart beats. If you were to listen to a mouse's heart for example, it would seem almost like a buzzing noise as it would be beating so fast. So, it's possible your puppy's heart rate is normal.

For puppy up to 1 year of age,  the average heart rate is 120 to 160 beats per minute. To take your puppy's heart rate, lay her on her right side, bend her left front leg at the elbow. Touch the elbow to your pet's chest. The area where the elbow touches is where heartbeats are best heard. Place your hand or a stethoscope on that area, and count the heartbeats for 15 seconds. Multiply that number by 4. This is the animal's heart rate per minute.

You should still have your puppy examined by the vet, it just makes good sense.

Best of luck,

Patti