my dog has an irregular heartbeat - is this normal?

Question

i have a VERY active patterdale terrier, who is 4 yrs old in july. he has the most perculiar heartbeat, lots of doublebeats and huge pauses in a completly random pattern (although my dad likened it to the drums in the 20th/21st century fox bit before the film starts...) is this normal?? im not freakng out.. i just want to know! xx

Answer 1

Get him checked at the vets.
My dog had an irregular heart beat which isn't normal and when he was older he had to be on tablets to regulate it. It wasn't a problem when he was young as he was fit and active but as he aged his heart go less effective.
The vet will keep a note of it and keeps checks on it to make sure that it doesn't effect its like

Answer 2

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Answer 3

What do you mean by irregular?

A dogs heart rate will slow down and speed up with it's breathing and this is normal.

Try and catch him when he's calm or sleeping and check his heart rate. Normal for an adult dog is 60-120/min. Smaller dogs, like yours and sedentary dogs, (out of shape,) will be on the higher end of the scale. Also check his breathing, (best done while they are sleeping,) 10-30/min is normal.

A dog can pant up to 200/min. That's how they cool themselves.

If you are concerned take him to the vet.

Answer 4

A dog's heartbeat and a human's are different. Also, presumably you are watching movement under the dog's skin. The heart could be beating normally, but you are seeing the combination of panting, breathing and heartbeat all working together. If you are worried, go to the vet, but it's probably fine.

Answer 5

It most likely is. Unlike humans, cats, and most other mammals, dogs have what is called a "sinus arrythmia." This means that their hearts do not have a steady, regular rhythm the way ours do, they have an irregular heartbeat. It is normal. However, if you're concerned about it you should mention it to your vet next time you go in for a visit.

Answer 6

Pay attention to Corsca's answer.

http://www.animalhealthcare.ca/contents/content.asp?id=225&cat=dogs

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The term "asynchronous heartbeats" may refer to a heart rhythm we term more formally a sinus arrhythmia. Arrhythmia is defined as any variation from the normal resting rhythm of the heart.

A classic Lub-dub--lub dub--lub-dub-- regular rhythm that is normally heard in humans is called a sinus rhythm. In this instance, you hear a regular spacing between the heart sounds. This is the standard for cats and for most of the smaller breeds, some medium, and sometimes in large breed dogs.

In these larger dogs, particularly the deep-chested breeds, there is often a sinus arrhythmia pattern in which the heart sounds are exactly the same (lub-dub), but the spacing between the sounds changes according to what part of the breathing cycle the dog is in. In humans, this occurs in youngsters and is commonly termed juvenile arrhythmia, phasic arrhythmia, or respiratory arrhythmia and does not need to be treated.
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When in doubt, get your vet to take a listen - s/he will know what's "normal" for your dog.

Answer 7

No, it's not NORMAL but also is common in many breeds. But take him to vet to get thorougly checked out. The vet may just advise to get EKGs, etc and monitor closely. But also, how are you diagnosing the heartbeat? Dogs heartbeats are not the same as other animals or humans.

Answer 8

some dogs have whats called normal sinus arryhthmia. What this means is that as the dog breaths his heartbeat changes (either increases or decreases). If this is whats going on it is harmless. But to be safe I would take him to your vet and have him/her listen to make sure its not something more serious.

Answer 9

There are a bunch of things you should know about dog training but we are going to discuss what I feel are some the most important. Keep in mind that these are only some of the things you should know. Go here http://OnlineDogTraining.enle.info/?M659

1. Repetition is the number 1 principle of dog training. Dogs just like humans learn by doing things over and over in order to get better.

2. Dog Training can and should be fun for both you and your new pet.

3. Training sessions should always be short but sweet. I never work a dog more than 15 minutes in a session to keep from losing the dog's attention. You should train you dog at least once a day but never more than three formal sessions a day.

4. Your goal should be that each training session is just a little bit better than the last one. You need to always strive to make the training better, slowly. I mention this because quite often I see people who do daily training sessions but the dog never gets better and it is not the dogs fault.

5. Having patients is very important in dog training. Losing your temper does not work with a canine it simply makes things worse.

6. Exercise is very important in the training process to get rid of all the dogs nervous energy.

7. Taking your pet for walks is very important because it develops serotonin which gives your dog a feeling of well being.

8. Always be sure to give your dog a bunch of praise in your training. It is your dog's paycheck for doing a great job.

9. Never hit your dog. I have heard people say I never hit my dog instead I roll up a magazine and swat it. It's the same thing... hitting is hitting.

10. After each training session be sure to do something that your dog will enjoy. Take it for a walk, throw the ball or maybe even rub its belly. Just do something that makes the dog look forward to the next training session.

These are things that I teach my dog training students as well as my dog training clients. I hope these things will give you something to think about when training your dog. Spend some time training your dog daily and you will both reap the benefits.

Answer 10

No I don't think it is normal. I have a dog that was just diagnosed with heart murmur and heart failure. Her heart beats irregular and hard. Take it to the vet, very dangerous for the dog.