How to track your pet's resting breathing rate for your vet
Last reviewed 11 June 2026 · a 5-minute read for owners
While your pet is asleep or calm, count their breaths for 30 seconds and double it for breaths per minute. Note that figure, whether there was any coughing, how they handled exercise, and their appetite and energy. A rising resting breathing rate over several days is one of the clearest at-home signals, and a dated log makes that trend visible to you and your vet.
What to note each day
- Resting breaths per 30 secondsCount while asleep or calm, then double it for breaths per minute. Leave blank if not measured.
- CoughingNone, occasional, or frequent.
- Exercise toleranceNormal, tires more easily, or reluctant to move.
- Appetite and energyHow they ate and how bright they seemed overall today.
Why your vet wants this, not your memory
Heart disease is followed closely on the resting breathing rate, because a steady rise often shows up before other signs. That number lives at home, night after night, not in the consult room. A dated log of breaths, coughing, and exercise tolerance lets your vet see the trend and act early.
Common questions
How do I count a resting breathing rate?
Wait until your pet is asleep or settled, watch the chest rise and fall, count for 30 seconds, and double it. Counting when they're calm is what makes the number meaningful.
What resting breathing rate should worry me?
Your vet will give you a number that's right for your pet, and a clear rise above their usual is the signal to act. Your log of past counts is what makes a change obvious.
What if I can't measure it every day?
Leave it blank and note the rest. Even a few counts a week, plus coughing and exercise notes, gives your vet a useful trend.
What's the easiest way to keep a breathing log?
Whatever you'll keep up with. A digital log captures the date for you and lets you share the whole record with your vet without rewriting it. Taile is a free way to do this.
Keep the record without the rewriting
Note the resting breathing rate in seconds and bring the full picture to your next appointment. Free for owners.
Start a free log