Respiratory Rate in Puppies

When a puppy is born, his breathing can reveal congenital defects, neonatal diseases or even signal if the puppy will survive. As a puppy grows, its respiratory rate changes according to its breed, size and age. Dog owners need to find their healthy puppy's normal resting respiratory rate and monitor their pet's breathing to ensure their pet gets prompt veterinary care and lives a long, happy life.

  1. Determining the Rate

    • To determine the respiratory rate of your puppy, you'll need a watch with a second hand and a calculator. Place the tips of your first two fingers on the puppy's chest and count the number of times it breathes out for 15 seconds. Multiply that number by four. That number gives you the little dog's respiratory rate. You can also listen to the expirations through a stethoscope placed lightly over the puppy's lungs. Any rate lower or higher than the veterinary stated norms could indicate a serious problem and your puppy should be examined by a veterinarian.

    Normal Rates

    • During the first day of a puppy's life, normal respiratory rates run approximately 8 to 18 breaths per minute, depending on the size of the dog. Larger-breed puppies breathe slower and deeper than the smaller breeds. By the second day of life, respirations should increase to 15 to 35 breaths per minute up until the second week, when the puppy's respiration rate slightly decreases and hits the normal range, says registered nurse Myra Savant-Harris in "Puppy Intensive Care - A Breeder's Guide to Care of Newborn Puppies." This indicates that the lungs function adequately and are fully developed. By two weeks of age, a typical puppy normally breathes 12 to 35 breaths per minute and can pant up to 200 times per minute.

    Abnormal Rates

    • Abnormal respiratory rates in your puppy -- that is anything lower or greater than the norm -- indicate a possible disease process in the young dog. Lowered respiratory rates can be symptomatic of heart disease, liver dysfunction and other diseases. Increased respiratory rates point toward a puppy that is feeling pain or is experiencing some sort of physical trauma, including fever or a problem with the lungs or chest. An increased rate often presents in dogs with neurological problems and seizure disorders. Any variation from the normal rate for your puppy needs immediate veterinary attention.

    Considerations

    • Listening to the sounds of your puppy's respirations can indicate if your pet is in some sort of respiratory distress. Suddenly fast, noisy breathing from a normally quiet puppy can mean the youngster has a nasal or throat obstruction. Laryngeal paralysis typically presents in long-term, high-pitched raspy sounds called "stridor." You may hear wheezing when your puppy inhales or exhales, indicating bronchitis, congestive heart failure and some cancerous tumors. Any change in the sounds or rate of your puppy's breathing requires immediate veterinary care.

    Treatments

    • Veterinary treatment for a high or low respiratory rate in puppies depends on the diagnosis. A puppy with a lowered respiratory rate may be placed in a closed oxygen cage that allows it to breathe around 95 percent pure oxygen to facilitate respiration. A puppy in respiratory distress may be fitted with an oxygen mask to help it breathe or be intubated and anesthetized for exploratory surgery. Puppies with fast, shallow breathing will be examined for any signs of pneumonia, heat stroke, broken ribs or fluid in the chest cavity and may require hospitalization and/or surgery to alleviate the symptoms of the disease.