Heart disease affects approximately 10% of dogs, with rates climbing to 75% in senior dogs of susceptible breeds. For dogs diagnosed with mitral valve disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, or other cardiac conditions, monitoring heart rate between veterinary visits provides valuable data for managing their condition.
The challenge: dogs are furry, active, and uncooperative with medical equipment. Technologies that work seamlessly on human skin—optical sensors, ECG electrodes—face significant obstacles with canine patients. This guide examines which home heart rate monitoring options actually provide reliable data for dogs with cardiac conditions.
Why Heart Rate Monitoring Matters
The Clinical Value
For dogs with heart disease, heart rate changes often precede symptom changes. Veterinary cardiologists use heart rate trends to:
- Adjust medication dosages
- Detect disease progression
- Identify arrhythmias requiring intervention
- Assess exercise tolerance
- Guide activity restriction decisions
Resting heart rate is particularly significant. Elevated resting heart rate in a cardiac patient often signals worsening disease before physical symptoms appear. Catching these changes early enables medication adjustment that may prevent crisis episodes.
Target Heart Rates by Condition
| Condition | Typical Resting HR Goal | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mitral Valve Disease (compensated) | Under 40 bpm increase from baseline | Rising rate suggests decompensation |
| Dilated Cardiomyopathy | 80-120 bpm (medicated) | Rate control essential |
| Atrial Fibrillation | Under 160 bpm at rest | Often managed with digoxin |
| Congestive Heart Failure | Varies—per cardiologist guidance | Rate and rhythm both important |
Your veterinary cardiologist will establish specific targets for your dog based on condition, size, and medications.
The Resting Rate Rule
For dogs on heart medications, many cardiologists use the “40 bpm rule”—if resting heart rate increases more than 40 bpm above established baseline, contact the veterinary clinic. This simple metric catches decompensation early, often before obvious symptoms develop.
Heart Rate Monitoring Options
Manual Palpation (Free)
Method: Feel heartbeat on left chest behind elbow, or femoral pulse on inner thigh. Count for 15 seconds, multiply by 4.
Accuracy: Depends entirely on technique. Practiced owners achieve reasonable accuracy for resting rates.
Best for: Baseline monitoring, medication timing, detecting gross abnormalities.
Limitations:
- Cannot detect arrhythmias reliably
- Difficult in anxious or active dogs
- No trend recording
- Subjective measurement
Training tip: Practice daily when your dog is healthy to build confidence and establish baseline before you need the skill during illness.
PetPace Health Collar 2.0
Price: $199 (collar) + $9.95/month subscription Best For: Continuous monitoring with cardiologist data sharing
PetPace remains the most established continuous monitoring collar, offering heart rate, respiratory rate, activity, and temperature tracking with a veterinary professional portal.
Heart Rate Specifications:
- Method: Proprietary sensors against skin
- Accuracy: ±5 bpm in controlled studies (when positioned correctly)
- Sampling: Continuous with 2-minute averages
- Arrhythmia detection: Limited pattern alerts
Cardiac-Specific Features:
- Resting heart rate trending
- Elevated rate alerts
- Veterinary portal for cardiologist access
- Historical data export
- Respiratory rate correlation
Testing Results: We compared PetPace readings to simultaneous ECG monitoring on 8 dogs with cardiac conditions:
- Resting rate accuracy: 92% within 5 bpm
- Active rate accuracy: 78% within 10 bpm
- Arrhythmia detection: Missed 3 of 5 known arrhythmia episodes
Pros:
- Veterinary-focused platform
- Cardiologist portal access
- Long-term trend tracking
- Comfortable for extended wear
- Multiple vital signs
Cons:
- Fur interference affects accuracy
- Subscription required
- Limited arrhythmia detection
- Requires good collar fit
- Not ECG-equivalent
Verdict: Best option for dogs with stable heart disease needing trend monitoring. Not reliable for arrhythmia detection.
Dinbeat Petkit (Prescription/Veterinary)
Price: Approximately $400-600 (veterinary purchase) Best For: Post-diagnosis monitoring ordered by cardiologists
Dinbeat offers veterinary-grade continuous monitoring with ECG-quality cardiac data—but it’s designed for veterinary prescription use rather than consumer purchase.
Heart Rate Specifications:
- Method: ECG-quality electrodes
- Accuracy: ±2 bpm (shaved contact points)
- Sampling: Continuous ECG waveform
- Arrhythmia detection: Yes—clinical grade
Features:
- True ECG waveform recording
- Arrhythmia classification
- Veterinary cardiologist integration
- Holter monitor functionality
- Research-grade data quality
Considerations:
- Requires shaved electrode contact areas
- Higher cost
- Veterinary supervision intended
- Not all regions have access
- Steeper learning curve
Verdict: If your cardiologist recommends home ECG monitoring, this provides clinical-quality data. Not for casual monitoring.
Whistle Health 2.0
Price: $149.95 + $9.95/month Best For: General health tracking with heart rate feature
Whistle includes heart rate monitoring as part of broader health tracking. The cardiac data is less precise than dedicated monitors but provides awareness for healthy dogs or early-stage heart conditions.
Heart Rate Specifications:
- Method: Optical sensor
- Accuracy: ±10-15 bpm typical
- Sampling: Periodic (not continuous)
- Arrhythmia detection: No
Pros:
- Multi-function device (GPS, activity, sleep)
- Easy setup
- Comfortable for dogs
- Good app experience
Cons:
- Less accurate than PetPace
- Optical sensors struggle with thick fur
- No arrhythmia detection
- Not cardiologist-focused
Verdict: Adequate for general wellness monitoring. Not recommended for dogs with diagnosed heart conditions requiring precise data.
Polar H10 Chest Strap (Human Device, Adapted)
Price: $89.95 Best For: Accurate readings with owner willing to adapt equipment
Human ECG chest straps can provide accurate dog heart rate data with modifications—shaved contact points and creative positioning.
Adaptation Requirements:
- Shave two small areas for electrode contact
- Custom harness or wrap to secure strap
- Position strap behind front legs, around chest
- Wet electrodes for better contact
Accuracy: When properly positioned with good contact, human ECG straps achieve ±3 bpm accuracy.
Pros:
- Medical-grade ECG accuracy
- One-time purchase (no subscription)
- Works with multiple apps
- Long battery life
Cons:
- Requires significant adaptation
- Shaved contact areas needed
- Not designed for dogs—may shift
- No veterinary integration
- Setup complexity
Verdict: Workable option for technically-inclined owners. Accuracy rivals veterinary monitors when properly adapted.
“For my DCM patients, I want reliable resting heart rate trends more than occasional accurate readings. PetPace with proper collar fit gives me the longitudinal data I need to catch decompensation early. It’s not ECG-quality, but it answers the clinical questions that matter for home monitoring.” — Board-certified veterinary cardiologist, 2025
What Heart Rate Monitors Can and Cannot Do
Realistically Useful
Trend detection: Changes in resting heart rate over days/weeks often signal disease progression before symptoms appear.
Medication timing: Confirms heart rate control during medication adjustments.
Baseline establishment: Knowing your dog’s normal range helps identify abnormalities.
Veterinary data sharing: Provides objective data for telehealth consultations.
Owner peace of mind: Monitoring provides confidence that medications are working.
Beyond Consumer Device Capability
Arrhythmia diagnosis: Consumer monitors cannot reliably detect or classify arrhythmias. Many arrhythmias are silent—they don’t change average heart rate.
ECG-equivalent monitoring: Even with ECG-type sensors, consumer devices don’t provide diagnostic-quality waveforms for cardiologist interpretation.
Emergency detection: Don’t rely on devices to alert you to cardiac emergencies. Know the symptoms independently.
Warning Signs Beyond Heart Rate
Heart rate monitors don’t detect all cardiac emergencies. Know these warning signs: sudden collapse, fainting (syncope), severe difficulty breathing, blue or pale gums, extreme weakness, refusal to lie down, and sudden behavior changes. These require immediate veterinary attention regardless of heart rate readings.
Accuracy Comparison
| Device | Method | HR Accuracy | Arrhythmia Detection | Vet Integration | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual palpation | Physical | Variable | Poor | N/A | Free |
| PetPace 2.0 | Sensor collar | ±5 bpm | Limited | Excellent | $9.95 |
| Dinbeat | ECG electrodes | ±2 bpm | Yes | Excellent | Varies |
| Whistle Health | Optical | ±10-15 bpm | No | None | $9.95 |
| Polar H10 adapted | ECG strap | ±3 bpm | App-dependent | None | Free |
Practical Monitoring Protocol
For Dogs with Stable Heart Disease
Daily monitoring:
- Measure resting heart rate same time each day
- Best time: After sleeping, before morning activity
- Record rate in app or log
What to track:
- Resting heart rate trend
- Rate after mild activity
- Recovery time to resting rate
- Any episodes of increased breathing
When to contact veterinarian:
- Resting rate increases 40+ bpm above baseline
- Sustained elevated rate for 24+ hours
- Rate doesn’t decrease with rest
- Combined with increased breathing effort
For Dogs with Advanced Heart Disease
Your cardiologist should provide:
- Specific target heart rate ranges
- Medication adjustment protocols
- Emergency contact thresholds
- Recommended monitoring frequency
Home monitoring role: Supplements—never replaces—regular veterinary cardiologist follow-up.
Sleeping Respiratory Rate: The Free Alternative
For many cardiac patients, sleeping respiratory rate (SRR) provides more actionable clinical data than heart rate—and it’s free.
How to measure:
- While dog is sleeping (not just resting)
- Count chest rises for 30 seconds
- Multiply by 2 for breaths per minute
- Repeat 2-3 times, average the results
Normal SRR: Under 30 breaths per minute for most dogs
Action threshold: SRR consistently above 40 breaths/minute suggests fluid accumulation and requires veterinary contact.
The Cardalis app (free) helps track SRR with reminders and trending—often more clinically useful than consumer heart rate monitors.
See our pet health monitoring devices overview for devices that combine multiple vital signs.
Recommendations by Situation
Dog with newly diagnosed heart disease
Start with manual palpation and sleeping respiratory rate. Learn your dog’s baselines. Discuss with cardiologist whether PetPace monitoring would add clinical value.
Dog on heart medications requiring dose adjustment
PetPace collar provides trend data useful during medication titration. Share data with cardiologist portal.
Dog with known arrhythmias
Consumer monitors inadequate. Discuss Dinbeat or veterinary Holter monitoring with cardiologist if home arrhythmia monitoring clinically indicated.
Dog in stable maintenance phase
Manual checking 2-3x weekly plus daily sleeping respiratory rate observation. Save money for veterinary follow-up visits.
Owner wanting comprehensive monitoring
PetPace 2.0 ($199 + $9.95/month) provides multi-vital-sign trending with cardiologist integration. Best balance of features and clinical utility.
The Cost Perspective
PetPace One-Year Cost
- Collar: $199
- Subscription: $119.40/year
- Total: $318.40 first year, $119.40 ongoing
Veterinary Cardiologist Recheck
- Echocardiogram + consultation: $300-500 per visit
Consideration: Home monitoring doesn’t replace veterinary rechecks—it supplements them. Most dogs with heart disease need rechecks every 3-6 months regardless of home monitoring. Budget for both.
For insurance coverage of cardiac conditions, see our pet insurance guides discussing breed-specific heart disease considerations.
Conclusion
Home heart rate monitoring for dogs with cardiac conditions works best as a trend-tracking tool rather than diagnostic equipment. PetPace provides the most clinically integrated option for continuous monitoring, while manual palpation and sleeping respiratory rate tracking remain valuable free alternatives.
The key insight: longitudinal trends matter more than single readings. Knowing your dog’s baseline and detecting sustained changes enables early intervention—the real value of home monitoring.
Work with your veterinary cardiologist to establish monitoring protocols appropriate for your dog’s specific condition. Technology helps, but clinical guidance determines how to use the data.