TL;DR: A resting respiratory rate over 40 breaths per minute in dogs is a medical emergency often indicating heart or lung distress. Contact a veterinarian immediately and record a short video of the breathing to help the triage team assess the severity.
What is a normal versus elevated resting respiratory rate for my dog?
When a dog is calmly resting or sleeping, their normal respiratory rate should typically fall between 15 and 30 breaths per minute. If your dog is breathing at a rate of 40 breaths per minute or higher while at rest, this is clinically known as tachypnea. This indicates that the lungs are working harder than normal to oxygenate the blood or that there is an underlying cardiovascular or metabolic issue.
Is it a veterinary emergency if my dog's resting respiratory rate is high?
- Urgency Level: High. If your dog is resting and not recovering from exercise or heat, a rate over 40 bpm is a significant red flag.
- Potential Conditions: This can be an early warning sign of life-threatening issues such as congestive heart failure, fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), or pneumonia.
- Action Required: Contact an emergency veterinarian immediately for an evaluation, especially if the rate is consistent or increasing.
How does taking a video or photo of my dog's breathing help the triage team?
- Identify Breathing Character: A video allows the vet to see if the dog is using its abdominal muscles to push air out or if the breathing is shallow and rapid.
- Visual Evidence: This helps the professional determine the severity of the respiratory distress before you even arrive at the clinic.
Clinical Context (Merck Veterinary Manual)
Compromised breathing in dogs manifests as an increased respiratory rate and effort, followed by a change in respiratory pattern. Tachypnea, a respiratory rate greater than 30 breaths/min while resting, is abnormal. Dogs may exhibit postural changes such as standing with elbows abducted and back arched or with their rear on the haunches with head and neck extended. Labored, open-mouth breathing and cyanosis indicate significant loss of pulmonary function and impending pulmonary arrest. If respiratory failure is imminent with pulmonary fluid visible in the mouth or nares, intubation, airway suctioning, and manual bag-valve-mask ventilation with 100% oxygen are required.
Chapter: Cardiology
Source: The Merck Veterinary Manual, 11th Edition (Page 102)