I have a 10 year old Shih tzu whose heart rate is running about 60. What is the normal rate? She is 11 lbs. Blood tests don’t show anything. Right now she’s fighting corneal ulcer and being treated by a specialist who says this should not affect heart rate. As of June her heart was normal. Reg Vet doesn’t want to do additional tests until eye is cleared up.
Answer from Dr. Gaylord Brown:
The regular rate for a dog this size would be 120 to 180. However, there is a lot of variation and technically the 60 rate falls within statistical normal for the dog species. Small dogs typically have faster rates. This is why your regular vet is willing to wait until the ulcer is healed to pursue any additional diagnostics.