A pet's resting breathing rate is one of the simplest numbers to track, and one of the most useful to bring to a vet, especially for cats and dogs with a heart condition. A rising trend over days is often the earliest sign something has changed. The catch is that a single reading tells you very little. What helps is a record, kept at about the same time each day.
How to fill it in
- Wait until your pet is fully relaxed or asleep, not just lying still while alert. A tense or watchful pet breathes faster than their true resting rate.
- Watch the flank, the soft area just behind the ribs. One full rise and fall is one breath.
- Count for 15 seconds with a timer, don't estimate, and write the number in the "Breaths / 15 sec" column.
- Multiply by 4 and write the result in the "Rate" column. That is the breaths per minute. Then circle the matching status.
- Note anything unusual in the last column, such as a warm room, or that your pet had just eaten or played.
What the numbers mean
For most cats, these are the general bands vets work from: 30 or under is normal, 30 to 40 is worth watching closely and mentioning to your vet, and over 40 means calling your vet promptly. The sheet uses the same Normal, Watch and Call vet bands as the Halo app. Dogs have a much wider normal range, around 10 to 35 breaths per minute depending on size, so ask your vet what is normal for your dog.
What matters most is your own pet's baseline. A single reading tells you very little, and a trend over weeks tells you almost everything. A steady upward trend over days is worth mentioning to your vet even if each reading looks fine on its own.
Tips for a log you can trust
- Count at the same time each day, ideally when your pet is settled for a nap.
- Give them 10 to 15 minutes to settle after exercise or a meal before you count.
- Count more than once if you are unsure, and write down the lower, calmer reading.
- Take the sheet to every appointment. A week or two of numbers is far more useful to a vet than "it seems a bit fast".
Prefer not to use paper?
Paper sheets get lost, or filled in from memory the night before an appointment. Halo has a built-in 15-second counter, so you tap once per breath instead of watching a clock. Every reading is saved, charted over time, and turned into a one-page summary you can show your vet. It is free, and the breathing counter stays free.
For the full method and why it matters, see How to Count Your Cat's Resting Breathing Rate, or Normal Resting Breathing Rates: Cats vs Dogs.