Bloat
Peter van Dongen, Drs. (Utrecht), Cert. V.R., M.R.C.V.S.
The Allington Veterinary Centre, Maidstone, Kent


Hip Dysplasia
Genetic or Environmental
M.C. Wakeman, D.V.M.


OFA
Orthopedic Foundation for Animals

Penn Hip
University of Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program


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Healthy Dog - Normal Values

These are some of the guidelines used by your vet to assess your dogs health.

Temperature - 100.5 to 102.5

Heart rate - 180 beats a minute for puppies

60-160 beats per minute for most adult dogs

180 beats a minute for toy breeds


Respiration 10 to 30

The normal respiratory rate for dogs is 16 to 20 breaths per minute. The normal heartrate is 70 to 160 bpm. Large dogs tend to have slower heartrates. This varies according to the cardiovascular fitness of the dog, too. The more active the dog is the slower its resting heartrate will be.

Pulse - 60 to 120

Gestation - 62 days

Estrous Cycle - 4 to 6 months

Estrus - 9 days

Average lifespan - 10 to 14 years

Weight range - Smallest - some toy breeds are as small as 2-3 lbs

Biggest - some of the giant breeds are over 150 lbs

The "ideal" weight for a dog is approximately the weight where the last 3 to 5 ribs are just barely visible or can be felt with a very light touch. Many dogs are overweight and many dog owners feel their dog is too thin if they can see any ribs. It is better from a health perspective to be a little too thin than to be a little too heavy, though. Breed size determines when bone growth stops. Little breeds may be fully grown by 6 or 7 months of age while giant breed dogs may continue to grow for 18 to 24 months.