Pet Symptom Checker

Slow heart

Medical name: Atrial standstill


  • Slow heartbeat
  • Lethargy
  • Weakness


An atrial standstill in pets refers to a slow heart, often caused by a congenital muscle disorder, meaning that the disorder was present when your pet was born. An atrial standstill is most commonly characterized by lethargy or weakness, and your pet may also exhibit a slow heartbeat. To take your pet's pulse, with the animal sitting or lying in a relaxed position, locate the heart (on the left side of the chest near the elbow) with the palm of one hand (the other hand can restrain or reassure your pet). Count beats for 15 seconds and multiply by 4 to get beats per minute. You can also take your pet's pulse in the groin area, where you’re feeling for the femoral artery where the hind leg meets the body. For a small dog (up to 20 pounds) at rest, a normal heart rate is 70-180 beats per minute. Medium- and large-size dogs’ hearts (at rest) beat at an almost-humanlike 60-140 beats per minute. Young puppies (up to 6 weeks) race along at as much as 220 beats. Cats, too, normally have fast hearts: somewhere between 120-240 in adult cats and up to 300 beats per minute in young (up to 6 weeks) kittens. If your pet is experiencing an atrial standstill, your vet can confirm the diagnosis in order to treat accordingly. In some cases, a pacemaker might help.


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