VitalPaw
How to use

Heart Rate

Learn how to accurately measure your dog's heart rate.

What you're checking

Your dog's heart rate helps you understand how hard their heart is working.

Before you start

  • Dog standing or lying calmly
  • Use your index and middle fingers
  • Do not use your thumb

Three simple steps

  1. A golden retriever standing calmly with the inner thigh marked where the leg meets the body.

    Step 1

    Find the pulse

    Feel on the inside of the back leg near the groin.

  2. Two fingers pressed gently against the inner thigh of a dog to feel the pulse.

    Step 2

    Feel the beat

    Use your index and middle fingers. Press gently until you feel a steady pulse.

  3. A hand tapping a phone showing a fifteen second timer while counting beats.

    Step 3

    Tap each beat

    Tap once for every heartbeat. VitalPaw calculates the beats per minute automatically.

Take Heart Rate Reading

VitalPaw does the math

You only need to count, tap and observe.

  • Times the reading
  • Calculates the result
  • Compares it with your dog's normal range
  • Explains what it means
  • Saves it to your history

If your dog shows emergency signs, don’t wait — find an emergency clinic.