VitalPaw
How to use

Capillary Refill

Learn how to accurately time your dog's capillary refill.

What you're checking

Capillary refill gives a quick indication of blood circulation.

Before you start

  • Find a pink area of gum
  • Use a clean finger
  • Good lighting helps

Three simple steps

  1. A finger pressing on a dog's gum above a tooth until the spot turns pale.

    Step 1

    Press the gum

    Press firmly on a pink area of gum until it turns pale.

  2. A finger lifting off the gum next to a phone showing a timer ready to start.

    Step 2

    Release

    Lift your finger. Tap Start Timer immediately.

  3. Three photos showing a pale gum spot slowly returning to pink.

    Step 3

    Tap when pink returns

    Tap the moment the gum becomes pink again. VitalPaw records the refill time automatically.

Measure Capillary Refill

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.