Basics of Auscultation at Home

HeartQ&AMeongsiljang Veterinary Advisory Board

Home check-ups allow pet owners to easily monitor their pet's heart rate and breathing at home, helping to detect any abnormalities early on.

What is Home Auscultation?

A caregiver placing their hand on a puppy’s chest to measure its heart rate.

Home check-ups are a simple health monitoring method that allows pet owners to directly check their pet's heart rate, respiratory rate, and breath sounds at home. The key is knowing what's normal. By familiarizing yourself with your pet's baseline readings when they're calm and relaxed, you can quickly detect abnormalities if symptoms like coughing, fainting, or difficulty breathing appear. For pets with heart disease or bronchial conditions, checking once or twice a week can be especially helpful in ensuring you don't miss the right time to visit the vet.

Why is Auscultation at Home Necessary?

Pets often hide signs of illness, making it difficult for owners to notice changes. According to veterinary literature, an increase in resting heart or respiratory rate can be a sign of heart disease. Therefore, regularly recording your pet’s heart and respiratory rates while they are resting comfortably allows you to monitor for consistent elevations compared to their baseline. These records also serve as valuable reference material for veterinarians when assessing your pet’s condition. However, please remember that home monitoring is intended for early detection of abnormalities, and a definitive diagnosis can only be made through veterinary examination.

Normal Heart Rate and Respiratory Rate Ranges

The following values are based on a resting state (just before falling asleep or during deep sleep). Heart rate can be significantly higher immediately after exercise or when the pet is excited, so always measure while your pet is comfortably at rest.

Comparison of Normal Ranges for Pets

Item	Small dogs (under 10 kg)	Medium/large dogs	Cats
Resting heart rate (per minute)	90–140 bpm	60–120 bpm	140–220 bpm
Resting respiratory rate (per minute)	10–30 breaths	10–30 breaths	20–40 breaths
Sleeping respiratory rate warning line	Over 30 breaths	Over 30 breaths	Over 40 breaths

For dogs, the normal resting respiratory rate can be up to 30 breaths per minute, so more than 30 breaths during sleep warrants attention. Cats have a higher normal range of 20–40 breaths per minute, so anything above 40 is the warning line. Rapid breathing that consistently exceeds the normal range may be a sign of cardiac strain, such as pulmonary congestion.

How to Perform Auscultation at Home (Step-by-Step)

You can do this with just your hand and a watch—no stethoscope needed.

Step 1: Measure while your pet is completely at rest.

Step 2: Gently place the palm of your hand on the left side of the chest, just behind the front leg. This is where the heartbeat is most clearly felt.

Step 3: Use a timer to count the beats for 15 seconds, then multiply by 4 to get the heart rate per minute.

Step 4: To calculate the respiratory rate, count the number of times the chest rises and falls over 30 seconds, then multiply by 2.

Step 5: Record these measurements once a week at the same time each day, ideally right before your pet falls asleep.

How to measure your sleeping dog’s heart rate by placing your hand on the side of its chest

Signs That Require Immediate Veterinary Attention

If you notice any of the following signs, your pet needs to be seen by a veterinarian within 24 hours. Rapid, shallow breathing that persists well beyond the normal range while resting or sleeping (more than 30 breaths per minute in dogs or 40 in cats): Possible pulmonary congestion. A resting heart rate noticeably faster than usual (tachycardia, such as over 140 beats per minute in dogs or 200 in cats): A sign of cardiovascular strain, including heart failure, as well as other potential causes like anemia or pain. A bluish tint to the tongue or gums: Indicates oxygen deprivation (cyanosis). Coughing that worsens at night: Suspected left-sided heart failure. Sudden collapse or fainting: Suspected arrhythmia or heart disease.

If You Want to Use a Stethoscope

For home use, a stethoscope in the $10 to $40 range, such as the Littmann Classic series or other entry-level models, is sufficient. Here are some tips for using it:

Position: Place the stethoscope on the chest behind the left front leg (heart) and on both sides of the middle back (lungs).

Posture: Gently press the stethoscope against your pet’s body while they are lying on their side or standing.

Environment: Use it in a quiet room, and block out noises from TVs or fans.

Caution: For pets with long fur, gently part the hair to ensure direct contact with the skin. Fur can create distracting noise.

A veterinarian examining a dog’s chest with a stethoscope in a quiet room.

Record These Sounds If You Hear Them

While a professional diagnosis is the veterinarian’s responsibility, recording any abnormal signs you notice can greatly assist with the examination.

“Hissing” sounds: Possible heart murmur

“Gurgling” sounds: Suspected pulmonary edema or bronchitis

Irregular heartbeat: Sign of arrhythmia

Uneven, labored breathing: Respiratory or cardiac strain

Recording these sounds to show your veterinarian is also helpful. You can use your smartphone’s voice memo app to record the chest area for 10–20 seconds.

Be Sure to Understand the Limitations of Home Auscultation

Home auscultation is meant to detect abnormalities, not to make a diagnosis. Heart disease cannot be confirmed by auscultation alone; it requires X-rays, echocardiography, and electrocardiography. Use measurements taken at home solely to help decide whether a veterinary visit is needed and to track trends over time. If you notice any abnormalities, be sure to seek veterinary care.

Reviewed by a veterinarian

Dr. Tony — Punnawat Phongkittirak

Veterinarian

A veterinarian who majored in veterinary medicine at Khon Kaen University, Thailand, and completed the IVSA program at North Carolina State University in the United States. Drawing on clinical experience at animal hospitals, he works in the pet healthcare field and is dedicated to building a digital care environment that connects pet parents with veterinarians.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should it be measured?

For healthy pets, we recommend measuring once a week; for those with heart or respiratory conditions, daily measurements right before bedtime are advised. Consistent timing is key to making the data meaningful for comparison.

Is it normal for my pet’s heart rate to increase when they’re excited?

Heart rate can spike due to stress right after walks, playtime, or visits from unfamiliar people. Cats are especially prone to tachycardia in unfamiliar settings like the vet clinic, so wait at least 30 minutes for them to rest before taking another measurement.

Can I measure my cat’s blood pressure at home?

It is possible, but since cats are sensitive to stress, their readings can easily spike. For the most accurate measurement, it’s best to take a quick reading while your cat is asleep or resting comfortably.

My pet’s respiratory rate is 32 breaths per minute while sleeping. Should I be concerned?

A dog’s normal resting respiratory rate is up to 30 breaths per minute, so if it exceeds 30 while sleeping, monitor the trend closely for a few days. A cat’s normal range is slightly higher, at 20–40 breaths per minute, so 32 breaths per minute is still within normal limits, with anything over 40 considered a warning sign. If the rate remains above the normal range for several consecutive days, there may be a risk of pulmonary congestion, and we recommend a veterinary examination.

Can it be measured accurately without a stethoscope?

You can easily measure your pet’s heart rate and respiratory rate using just your hands and eyes. While a stethoscope is necessary to listen to the quality of sounds, such as heart murmurs, it is not required for routine daily monitoring.

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References

[1] Ettinger SJ, Feldman EC. Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 8th Edition. Elsevier, 2017. Chapter on Cardiovascular Examination

[2] Tilley LP, Smith FWK. Manual of Canine and Feline Cardiology, 5th Edition. Elsevier Saunders, 2016

[3] Nelson RW, Couto CG. Small Animal Internal Medicine, 6th Edition. Elsevier, 2020. Physical Examination chapter