Check Your Pet's Breathing

Want to know the secret to controlling pet asthma? Learn how to recognize it! You should check your pet's respiratory rate before you even notice a problem—while he's healthy (the average respiratory rate for a dog is 10 to 30 breaths per minute while a cat will have 20 to 30 breaths per minute). Follow the instructions below to check your furry pal's breathing:

• Get your pet to lie or stand still.
• Hold a stopwatch in one hand and either a Kleenex or a mirror in the other.
• Hold the mirror or Kleenex under your pet's snout to determine breathing (the mirror should fog with each breath while the tissue will move).
• Determine how many breaths your pet makes in a minute.
• If your pet's breathing is abnormal contact your vet immediately.