A pet with heart disease may have an increase in both the breathing rate and or breathing effort. An animal’s breathing pattern may be easily monitored at home. Each breath may be seen as the chest rises with inhalation and falls with exhalation—one cycle of inhalation and exhalation equals one breath. To determine the breathing rate, simply observe your pet in a calm situation and count the number of breaths per minute. Alternatively, count the number of breaths taken in a 3