Have you ever checked your pet's pulse? Since dogs don't have "wrists," you may be wondering where to do this home test to see if a pooch is in distress or sick.The best place to check the pulse is the inner side of midthigh (where the arrow points). Because the skin is thin in that area, locate the major femoral artery by putting your hand in front of the hind leg near the top and move your fingers along the crease between the leg and the tummy until you feel the lub-dub.
To learn what the beats should be and how to calculate them,
It's easier to get an accurate reading if you just focus on counting the number of pulses per 15 seconds and multiply by 4, instead of concentrating for a whole minute, by using your cell phone's timer or watch with a second hand.
- Both animals typically have higher rates after excitement or exercise.
- Doggie Pulse: The normal range for dogs should be 70 to 120 beats per minute but smaller pups (and puppies) have a higher pulse rate than their bigger canine cousins.
- Kitty Pulse: The normal range for cats should be 110 to 130 beats per minute.
Tip: If you're having trouble identifying the beats, make sure the room is as quiet as possible and that you block everything else out by closing your eyes until you identify the beating, then you can start counting.
Source: Flickr User corsi photo