Asleep is best. Not panting, not just back from a walk, not in a hot room, not excited. A panting dog is regulating temperature, not breathing normally — that reading means nothing. One breath = the chest rising and falling once.
Ready when you are
This tool counts and interprets — it does not diagnose. Readings are stored only in this browser, never uploaded. If your pet has diagnosed heart disease, follow the threshold your own vet gave you, since it may differ from the general guidance here.
Your readings
The trend matters more than any single number. A steady climb over several days is exactly what your vet wants to know about.
Questions people ask
What number should worry me?
For a pet that is genuinely asleep or fully at rest, under 30 breaths per minute is normal, and most healthy pets sit between 15 and 25. Consistently over 30 is worth a call; consistently over 40, or a sudden jump from your pet's usual baseline, warrants being seen promptly. If your pet has known heart disease, your vet may have given you a personal threshold — use theirs.
Why does this catch heart problems early?
When the heart struggles, fluid gradually backs up into the lungs. Long before that produces a cough or obvious tiredness, the lungs compensate by breathing a little faster at rest. Owners who track this at home often spot the change days before it would show up at a routine appointment — and in heart failure, days matter.
My pet's rate is high but they seem fine — do I still call?
Repeat it first: make sure they were genuinely asleep, the room was cool, and you counted full breaths rather than the small movements of dreaming. If two or three calm readings are still above 30, call your vet and bring the numbers with you. A trend recorded at home is genuinely useful clinical information, not fussing.
What if my pet is panting?
Then don't count. Panting is temperature regulation and produces rates of well over 100 that mean nothing about the heart. Wait until they are cool, calm and settled — ideally asleep. Panting that happens at rest, in a cool room, for no clear reason is itself worth a vet call.
How often should I measure?
For a healthy pet, occasionally is plenty — mainly so you learn their normal. For a pet with diagnosed heart disease, most cardiologists suggest several times a week, always under similar conditions, so the trend is comparable. Same time of day, same kind of rest.
Is it different for cats?
The normal range is much the same — under 30 while resting. Cats are harder because they hide illness so well, and a cat that is breathing fast at rest, or breathing with an open mouth, is a serious sign. Open-mouth breathing in a cat is an emergency: cats do not pant like dogs, so it usually means real respiratory distress. Go now.