Things Affecting the Pulse of an Ox

An ox, like any animal, is likely to experience enormous changes in its pulse for a number of reasons. This could be external stimulus like heat or fear, or it could be something happening inside the body of the animal. A 1993 study by M. Rometsch and K. Becker found that oxen have a resting heartbeat of between 54 and 62 beats per minute, with 186 beats per minute reached during exercise.

  1. Sex

    • Females tend to have slightly faster pulse rates than males.

    Age

    • From birth, the pulse rate will gradually decrease as the ox gets older. It will increase again as the animal reaches old age.

    Body temperature

    • As the outside temperature gets warmer, pulse rate increases. This is equally true if the animal has a fever or its body temperature increases for any other reasons.

    Digestion

    • The pulse rate increases during digestion to cope with the increased metabolic rate as the animal digests its food.

    Pain

    • Pain increases the pulse rate, as the animal will often fight to protect itself or try to flee from the source of the pain. If the pain is internal, this is likely to be a cause of even greater distress to the animal as it is impossible to escape from.

    Emotion

    • Emotion is linked to pain, as experiencing pain will often lead to fear and anxiety. Although oxen are considered to be less likely to panic than horses and other beasts of burden, they may still react angrily if provoked. This can also increase the pulse rate.

    Exercise

    • Most trained oxen will be forced to exercise on a daily basis. Particularly in less developed countries, oxen are used to drag heavy loads and for plowing. This kind of physical exertion will increase the animal's heart-rate, though should not be considered a concern. As the animal requires more oxygen due to shortness of breath, the heart beats faster to make sure that oxygen is passed through the body.

    Blood pressure

    • The animal may suffer from high or low blood pressure. Generally speaking, pulse rate is inverse to blood pressure, so a decrease in blood pressure would result in an increase in pulse rate. This is usually a sign that the animal is unwell and a vet should be consulted.