When to Call the Vet: Emergency Signs in Senior Dogs

As our beloved dogs enter their golden years, they become more vulnerable to health emergencies. Knowing what's normal for your senior dog and recognising warning signs can be lifesaving. 

Regular monitoring of vital signs isn't just for veterinary professionals. Learning these simple checks empowers you to spot problems early and act quickly when it matters most. 

Here's what every senior dog guardian needs to know about critical vital signs and when to seek immediate veterinary care.

Your dog's breathing rate is one of the most important vital signs to monitor, particularly as they age. 

Normal resting breathing rate for dogs is 10 to 30 breaths per minute, though individual dogs may have their own baseline within this range.

How to Check Your Dog's Breathing Rate

Choose a time when your dog is completely relaxed or sleeping, as activity, excitement, or stress will elevate the breathing rate and give you an inaccurate reading. 

Find a comfortable position where you can clearly see your dog's chest or abdomen rising and falling.

Watch for the rise and fall of the chest or rib cage. One complete breath consists of one inhale and one exhale, so count this as one breath, not two. 

Set a timer for 60 seconds and count how many times your dog's chest rises. Alternatively, you can count for 30 seconds and multiply by two, though counting for a full minute gives you a more accurate reading.

If you find it difficult to see the chest movements, you can place your hand gently on your dog's chest or side to feel the breaths. Some guardians find it helpful to place a small, light object like a tissue on their sleeping dog's side to watch it rise and fall. Make a note of your dog's normal resting rate when they're healthy. This becomes your baseline for comparison.

When to Call the Vet Immediately

Rapid breathing at rest, with more than 40 breaths per minute, can indicate pain, fever, heart problems, or lung disease. If your senior dog is breathing quickly whilst lying down and hasn't been exercising or excited, this needs urgent attention.

Laboured breathing is particularly concerning. Watch for these signs: your dog is using their stomach muscles excessively with each breath, creating a pronounced abdominal push; breathing with their mouth wide open whilst resting; showing obvious effort or strain with each breath; their chest seems to be working much harder than normal; or they're unable to settle because breathing is difficult.

Extended neck and open mouth breathing whilst at rest indicates your dog is struggling to get enough air. If your dog stretches their neck out, holds their head low, or adopts a hunched position with elbows turned outward to open the chest, they're in respiratory distress.

Shallow or weak breathing might suggest your dog isn't getting enough oxygen. If you notice your dog's breathing is unusually quiet, barely visible, or seems ineffective, don't wait. 

Irregular breathing patterns where breaths are inconsistent, your dog seems to pause between breaths for concerning lengths, or the rhythm changes dramatically are particularly worrying in senior dogs.

Any blue or purple tinge to the gums, tongue, or inside of the lips whilst breathing difficulties occur is a critical emergency. 

This indicates severe oxygen deprivation and requires immediate veterinary intervention. Similarly, noisy breathing with wheezing, honking, rattling, or gurgling sounds suggests airway obstruction or fluid in the lungs.

A dog's heart rate provides crucial information about their cardiovascular health. Normal resting heart rate for most dogs ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute, though larger dogs tend towards the lower end of this range whilst smaller dogs may naturally sit at the higher end. 

Senior dogs often have slightly lower resting heart rates than younger dogs.

How to Check Your Dog's Heart Rate

There are two main methods for checking your dog's heart rate, and it's worth practising both so you can use whichever works best in any situation.

The chest method involves positioning your dog standing or lying on their right side. Place your hand on the left side of their chest, just behind the elbow. You should feel the chest wall moving with each heartbeat. 

If you can't feel it immediately, try moving your hand slightly up, down, forward, or back until you locate the strongest pulse point. This is usually where the elbow touches the chest when your dog is standing.

Once you've found the heartbeat, count the beats for 60 seconds. Each distinct thump counts as one beat. 

Some people find it easier to count for 15 seconds and multiply by four, but for senior dogs where irregularities might be present, counting for a full minute gives you better information about rhythm as well as rate.

The femoral pulse method involves locating the femoral artery, which runs along the inner thigh. With your dog standing or lying down, place your fingers on the inside of the back leg where it meets the body. You're feeling for a groove between muscles where the artery runs. Apply gentle pressure with two or three fingers until you feel a pulse. 

This can take a bit of practice, so don't worry if you don't find it immediately. The pulse should feel like a gentle, rhythmic pushing against your fingers.

Count the pulses for 60 seconds, just as you would with the chest method. The femoral pulse should match the heart rate you feel on the chest. Check both back legs, as the pulse should feel the same strength on both sides.

When to Call the Vet Straightaway

Call your vet immediately if your senior dog's heart rate is consistently above 100 beats per minute whilst resting, particularly if they seem uncomfortable, anxious, or are showing other symptoms. 

Tachycardia can indicate pain, anxiety, heart disease, infection, or other serious conditions. If the rapid heart rate is accompanied by weakness, pale gums, or collapse, this is a critical emergency.

Equally concerning is bradycardia, where the heart rate drops below 60 beats per minute in a resting state. This might suggest heart block, severe hypothermia, or other cardiac issues. 

If your dog seems lethargic, weak, or confused alongside a slow heart rate, seek immediate help.

Irregular heartbeats are common in older dogs but shouldn't be ignored. If you notice the rhythm seems erratic, with beats that seem to skip, flutter, or vary dramatically in strength, your dog needs evaluation. You might count beats that feel strong-weak-strong-weak, or notice gaps where you expect a beat. 

Some dogs with arrhythmias seem to feel their heart racing or pounding, appearing restless, anxious, or unable to settle.

Weak pulses that are difficult to find or feel thready indicate poor circulation, shock, or severe dehydration. If you're struggling to locate your dog's pulse where you normally find it easily, or it feels substantially weaker than usual, this warrants immediate attention. 

Similarly, if the pulse strength differs noticeably between the two back legs, this could indicate a blood clot or circulation problem.

Bounding or extremely strong pulses that feel like they're pushing forcefully against your fingers can indicate high blood pressure, fever, or hyperthyroidism. When combined with other symptoms like rapid breathing or agitation, this 

Your dog's gums are one of the best indicators of their circulatory health and overall condition. 

They're easily accessible and provide immediate information about oxygen levels, blood pressure, and hydration status. 

Learning to assess gum colour and capillary refill time takes just minutes but could save your dog's life.

How to Check Your Dog's Gums

Choose a calm moment to practise this check so your dog becomes comfortable with you lifting their lip. Gently lift your dog's upper lip on either side to expose the gums above the teeth. 

You can also check the gums by gently pulling down the lower lip. Normal gums should be a healthy salmon pink colour, similar to the colour of your own gums. They should feel moist and slippery to touch, not dry or tacky.

Some dogs naturally have pigmented or spotted gums, which can make assessment trickier. 

If your dog has black spots or patches on their gums, find an area of pink tissue to monitor. This might be inside the lower lip, under the tongue, or around the edges of pigmented areas. 

Make a note of where you can reliably check whilst your dog is healthy.

Checking Capillary Refill Time

Capillary refill time (CRT) measures how quickly blood returns to the tissues after you apply brief pressure. This simple test provides crucial information about circulation and blood pressure. 

Press your finger firmly but gently against your dog's gum for one to two seconds. This will create a white or pale spot where you've temporarily pushed blood out of the tiny capillaries.

Remove your finger and immediately watch the white spot. Time how long it takes for the pink colour to return completely to that spot. Normal capillary refill time is one to two seconds. 

The colour should flood back quickly, almost like a blush. If it takes longer than three seconds, this indicates poor circulation or shock. If it returns almost instantly, in less than one second, this might indicate high blood pressure or fever.

Practice this check regularly when your dog is healthy so you know what's normal for them and can perform it confidently in an emergency. Make it a positive experience by offering treats and praise.

When to Call the Vet Immediately

Pale, white, or grey gums indicate poor circulation, blood loss, shock, or severe anaemia. This is always an emergency in senior dogs. 

If your dog's gums are notably paler than usual, particularly if accompanied by weakness, rapid breathing, or collapse, seek immediate veterinary care. 

Internal bleeding might not be visible externally, so pale gums can be your first and most important warning sign.

Bright red or cherry red gums can signal heatstroke, carbon monoxide poisoning, certain toxins, or high blood pressure. 

If your dog's gums are unusually red and they seem distressed, have been exposed to heat, or are breathing abnormally, this requires urgent care.

Blue, purple, or muddy-coloured gums indicate your dog isn't getting enough oxygen. This is called cyanosis and represents a critical emergency requiring immediate veterinary intervention. 

Even a slight blue tinge to gums that are usually pink means your dog needs help now. The tongue, inside the lips, and the area under the tongue may show this colour change most clearly.

Yellow or jaundiced gums suggest liver problems, gallbladder issues, or the destruction of red blood cells. This is called icterus or jaundice. The yellowing might be subtle at first, giving the gums a slightly orange or creamy tinge rather than pink. 

Check in good lighting, as artificial light can mask colour changes. The whites of your dog's eyes might also appear yellow. Jaundice in senior dogs always requires investigation.

Brown or muddy brown gums can indicate poisoning, particularly from certain medications like paracetamol (which is toxic to dogs), or severe metabolic problems. Combined with other symptoms like vomiting, weakness, or altered behaviour, this is an emergency.

The texture and moisture of gums matters tremendously. Tacky, sticky, or dry gums that feel almost like Velcro indicate dehydration, which can be serious in senior dogs. Normal gums should feel wet and slippery, with saliva present. If your dog's gums are dry and their skin lacks elasticity (doesn't spring back quickly when gently pulled up), they need veterinary attention.

A capillary refill time longer than three seconds suggests shock, severe dehydration, or poor circulation. 

If you press on the gum and the white spot takes ages to pink up again, your dog's circulation is compromised. Combined with other symptoms like weakness, pale gums, or rapid heart rate, this indicates a critical situation.

The following gum colour is a normal colour, anything too far from that and your dog needs to see the vet. 

Senior dogs can't tell us when they're in trouble with words, but their behaviour speaks volumes. You know your dog's personality, routines, and quirks better than anyone. 

Any sudden change in your older dog's normal behaviour patterns warrants attention, but certain changes demand immediate action. Learning to interpret these signals can mean the difference between catching a problem early and facing a crisis.

Establish a routine of observing your senior dog throughout the day. Notice their normal energy levels at different times. 

Does your dog usually greet you enthusiastically? 

Do they typically want breakfast straight away? 

How do they normally respond when you pick up the lead? These everyday moments provide your baseline.

Watch for changes in mobility. Can your dog rise from rest normally, or are they struggling more than yesterday? Are they favouring a leg, moving stiffly, or reluctant to use stairs they managed yesterday? Sudden lameness or inability to bear weight on a limb needs same-day assessment.

Monitor their interaction with family members. Does your dog seek attention as usual, or are they withdrawing to quiet spots? Are they following their normal routines, like coming to the kitchen at mealtimes or settling in their favourite spot in the evening?

Pay attention to eating and drinking habits. Senior dogs should maintain their appetite, though it might be less voracious than when they were younger. 

Sudden refusal to eat, particularly if they ignore treats they normally love, often indicates they feel unwell. Excessive drinking, or conversely, refusing water, both warrant investigation.

Note bathroom habits. Changes in urination frequency, difficulty urinating, blood in urine, or inability to control bowels are all concerning. If your housetrained dog suddenly has accidents, they're trying to tell you something is wrong.

When to Call the Vet Urgently

Collapse, loss of consciousness, or sudden inability to stand are absolute emergencies. If your senior dog suddenly falls, cannot get up despite trying, or seems disoriented and unsteady, call your vet immediately. 

Don't wait to see if they improve. Even if they recover within minutes, they still need urgent assessment as this could indicate heart problems, stroke, or internal bleeding.

Seizures, especially if they're a first occurrence, last longer than five minutes, or occur in clusters, require urgent care. A seizure might involve classic convulsions with paddling legs and loss of consciousness, or might be subtler, with strange behaviour, twitching, drooling, or your dog seeming frozen and unresponsive. If your dog has known epilepsy and their seizures suddenly change in character or frequency, this also needs immediate attention.

Extreme lethargy where your dog is unresponsive, difficult to rouse, or seems profoundly weak is concerning. 

Whilst older dogs sleep more than youngsters, they should still respond to their name, show interest in food or favourite activities, and interact with you. 

If your dog seems completely disconnected from their surroundings, won't lift their head, can barely keep their eyes open despite your attempts to engage them, or feels limp when you touch them, don't wait.

Sudden, severe pain manifests in various ways. Your dog might cry out or yelp when touched or when moving. They might refuse to lie down or cannot get comfortable, constantly shifting position. 

A hunched posture with a tense, rigid abdomen often indicates abdominal pain. Some dogs will excessively lick at a particular area, guard a part of their body by preventing you from touching it, or snap uncharacteristically when approached. Senior dogs often hide pain well due to instinct, so obvious signs indicate significant distress and need immediate attention.

Difficulty breathing, as discussed earlier, always constitutes an emergency. If your dog is struggling to breathe, has blue gums, or cannot settle because they cannot get comfortable enough to breathe easily, this cannot wait until morning or the next available appointment.

Severe vomiting or diarrhoea, particularly if it contains blood, appears black and tarry, or is accompanied by weakness and pale gums, requires urgent care. 

Senior dogs can deteriorate quickly from dehydration. If your dog cannot keep water down, has had multiple episodes, or seems distressed, contact your vet.

Bloat symptoms in any dog, but particularly in deep-chested breeds, are critical emergencies. Watch for unsuccessful attempts to vomit where your dog retches but nothing comes up, a distended or hard abdomen, excessive drooling, restlessness, and signs of pain. Gastric dilatation volvulus can kill within hours and requires immediate surgery.

Severe anxiety or restlessness, particularly when combined with other symptoms, often indicates something is seriously wrong. 

If your dog is pacing frantically despite being exhausted, cannot settle or lie down for more than moments, seems panicked without obvious cause, or is displaying behaviour completely out of character for them, trust your instincts. This might indicate pain, difficulty breathing, nausea, or neurological problems.

Sudden aggression or withdrawal in a normally friendly, social dog can indicate pain or neurological issues. If your previously gentle dog snaps, growls, or tries to bite when touched, they may be in severe pain. 

Similarly, if your usually sociable dog suddenly wants to hide, seems afraid of normal household activities, or doesn't respond to things that typically excite them, they need assessment.

Disorientation, confusion, or seeming not to recognise you might suggest a stroke, severe metabolic imbalance, or another neurological emergency rather than normal age-related cognitive decline. 

If your dog seems lost in familiar surroundings, walks into walls, gets stuck in corners, or doesn't respond to their name, particularly if this came on suddenly, seek immediate help.

Inability to urinate or unsuccessful straining deserves emergency attention. If your dog keeps attempting to urinate but nothing comes out, seems in pain whilst trying, or has a distended abdomen, they might have a blockage. 

This is particularly urgent in male dogs. Similarly, inability to defecate with signs of distress needs same-day assessment.

After reading all these warning signs, you might feel overwhelmed. 

Remember, you don't need to become a veterinary expert. Your most powerful tool is simply knowing your dog. You spend every day with them. You know when they're not quite right, even if you cannot articulate exactly what's wrong.

Veterinary professionals universally agree they would rather see your dog for a false alarm than have you wait too long during a genuine emergency. 

That slight concern in the middle of the night, that nagging feeling that something is off, your observation that your dog just isn't themselves today – these instincts matter. 

You're not wasting anyone's time by seeking help when you're worried about your senior companion.

Keep your regular vet's phone number saved in your mobile where you can find it instantly. Also save the number and address of your nearest emergency veterinary clinic. 

Many areas have out-of-hours services that handle emergencies when regular practices are closed. Know which service covers your area and how to get there quickly. 

In an emergency, every minute counts, and having this information readily available means you can act immediately rather than scrambling to search whilst your dog needs help.

Create a simple emergency sheet with your dog's normal vital signs written down: their typical resting breathing rate, heart rate, and what their gums normally look like. Include any medications they take, known allergies, and existing health conditions. 

Keep this somewhere accessible, perhaps photographed on your phone or stuck to the fridge. If you need to visit an emergency vet who doesn't know your dog, this information proves invaluable.

Your senior dog has given you years of companionship, loyalty, and love. Now, in their golden years, being vigilant about their health is one of the greatest gifts you can give them in return. Regular monitoring of these vital signs, combined with your intimate knowledge of your dog's normal behaviour, creates a safety net that could save their life. 

When in doubt, always err on the side of caution. Your beloved companion depends on you to be their voice and their advocate, and you know them best.

Living with a senior dog is hard, you never really know what's going to happen next and we count our days with them. It's so important to observe them carefully, to ensure they are protected as much as possible  if they get suddenly ill. 

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