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slow heartrate


pucksfurcoat
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My 16 month old Border Collie recently went to a vet (not my normal vet) for a health certificate. The vet observed that her heartrate was slow - 50 bpm at rest and told me to keep an eye on it. The normal canine heartrate is 60-120 bpm. This dog is extremely fit and shows no signs of illness or lack of oxygen when working. I will be taking her in for a check by my regular vet in a few weeks, but am curious if anyone else has experienced this issue and what it was attributed to? I have never monitored my dogs' heartrates so I have nothing to compare as far as personal experience.

Cheers,

Sonja

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Welcome to you and to Puck! This is a great place for good information with regards to Border Collies.

 

A very fit dog (or person, for that matter) will normally have a resting heart rate significantly lower than that of a less-fit dog (or person). My guess, and it's just a guess, is that is the case for your dog. My vets have commented on occasion that one or more of my dogs had noticeably lower heart rates than most dogs they see but, let's face it, most dogs they see are not fit.

 

I am sure others will give you much better information than this as mine is anecdotal.

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My 16 month old Border Collie recently went to a vet (not my normal vet) for a health certificate. The vet observed that her heart rate was slow - 50 bpm at rest and told me to keep an eye on it. The normal canine heartrate is 60-120 bpm. This dog is extremely fit and shows no signs of illness or lack of oxygen when working.

 

Low heart rates are normal for working dogs. The only time my vet was worried (not really worried just commented ... watch him) was (like your dog) when one of mine had a heart rate of 50. She said she was "pretty sure" it was because he was in such good shape but just be careful and watch him to double check. I've checked him after his work out for anything abnormal but I think it's "just the way he is". Not a hyper, high drive kind of dog - just does his job and stays cool about it.

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Last week I had my BC at work and hubby's aussie. When the aussie was laying down, I was watching his heart beat and it was 52bpm. I then went into the office where the vet's dog was and his heartrate was 50. My BC also has a fairly low heartrate - in the 50's, when she's calm and relaxed.

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Last week I had my BC at work and hubby's aussie. When the aussie was laying down, I was watching his heart beat and it was 52bpm. I then went into the office where the vet's dog was and his heartrate was 50. My BC also has a fairly low heartrate - in the 50's, when she's calm and relaxed.

 

The average healthy human male has a resting heart rate of around 60 bpm.

 

A reasonably fit one, low 50's.

 

Lance Armstrong 32.

 

The resting heart rate of a greyhound is 29 - 50 bpm increasing to an astounding 300 - 360 bpm at a flat out gallop.

 

Alaskan sled dogs, 40 - 60 bpm at rest, 150 bpm in the minutes before a race and 300 bpm during work, a rate they can sustain for 6-7 hours.

 

It would be interesting to put a cardiac monitor on a Border Collie and see what their heart gets up to at the top end of a 500 yard outrun, and what the resting heart rates of truly fit dogs that work stock all day every day would be.

 

Pearse

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In her prime, my late Lena's resting heartrate was 36-40. You couldn't beat her for stamina, especially in the heat.

 

The average vet has no idea what a fit dog is like to examine. They just don't see them. The pet sLab is becoming their defination of normal.

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I have a low heart rate- and no, I am no athlete. Through blood work, it was found I had some metabolic issues, along with anemia, which causes my heart to function incorrectly. I have since learned a lot about Sinus Bradycardia, and it would be due diligence, if your dog is not especially athletic, to have a work up done. Just saying.

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That's my experience as well. My vet always spends extra time looking over my sport BCs when they get examined, but it's because they are in such great shape. He always tells me that a low heart rate, well muscled body and low body fat is just something he's not used to seeing in the overweight suburban dogs around here! And he says he has to be really careful about how he comments to clients about how fat their dog is becoming. Some get really indignant or simply refuse to believe it. Sad really.

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