In many patients with heart disease, the number one thing that pet parents can monitor at home is resting respiratory (breathing) rates. An increase in resting respiratory rates will be one of the first signs that major changes in the heart are occurring.

The most common disease that we see that comes with a higher incidence of increased respiratory rates is called mitral valve disease. This disease occurs most commonly in small-breed dogs. The left atrium receives oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumps it to the left ventricle. The mitral valve sits between the left atrium and left ventricle and closes after the blood flows from the atrium to the ventricle. As our veterinary cardiologist, Dr. Merrilee T. Small says, “blood is not smart,” and therefore, we need plumbing in our heart.

When a patient has mitral valve disease, the valve does not close, causing some of the blood to leak back into the atrium. When the disease becomes severe, the leak will worsen, and the heart will begin to enlarge to make room for the extra blood that continues to flow back into the left atrium. When the heart becomes severely enlarged, the blood that continues to leak into the left atrium will, in turn, leak back into the lungs. When this occurs, fluid will seep through the lung tissue, causing fluid accumulation in the lungs (also known as pulmonary edema). This fluid in the lungs is called congestive heart failure (CHF). CHF will then cause the respiratory rate to increase. If the cardiology team is notified once a patient’s respiratory rate has been consistently 20-25% higher than normal, we are usually able to make medication changes, add additional medications if needed, and determine the next steps to best stabilize our patient.

This is why it is extremely important to make sure that pet owners begin to count their pet’s respiratory rate right after we first teach them. That way, we have a baseline number for the respiratory rate to work from when there has been a big increase.

How to count respiratory rates:

1. Pick a time when your pet is asleep or very calmly at rest. This helps rule out any false elevations when they are awake.
2. Set a timer or count on a watch each breath for 15 seconds. One breath consists of one cycle of air in and out of the chest.
3. Multiply that number by 4. This gives you their breaths per minute (bpm).

The normal high end of resting respiratory rates for patients is 20-30bpm. There can be some exceptions where the normal rate is higher than 30bpm, but if it’s usually reaching into the 40s, that is concerning.

In feline patients, it can be slightly more difficult to assess respiratory rates as they can wake easily and can begin purring if you move near them while they’re sleeping (causing their respiratory rates to increase falsely). Cats with congestive heart failure may also have normal resting rates but breathe only with increased effort. It is very common to see cats in respiratory distress exhibit changes in behavior. You may find them sitting in a pose referred to in yoga as the “sphinx pose.” They will lie with their belly flat on the floor, their elbows lifting their chest off the ground, and their arms straight out in front of them. This pose allows them to try and allow more air into their chests. Cats with fluid accumulation in or around the lungs will typically not want to curl up in a ball or lay on their side. Similarly, cats will hide from pet owners if they are not feeling well. We encourage you to grow accustomed to your cat’s normal behavior and how they appear when they are breathing comfortably.

Here is additional information to help you:

Chart: To Track Results At Home [PDF]
Video: How to Monitor Your Pet’s Respiratory Rate at Home
App: Cardalis Respiratory Measurement
Cardalis app for Apple users:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cardalis/id569166179
Cardalis app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ceva.cardalisv2&hl=en_US&gl=US

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You Can Count on The COVE.

We hope you find this information helpful and insightful. If your pet needs advanced cardiac care, Dr. Small and her team are here to help. For additional questions, you can reach The COVE at 757-935-9111. And remember, in an emergency, we are open 24/7, and no appointment is ever needed.