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Is feeling my small dog's heartbeat on the right side normal?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Is it normal to be able to feel a small dogs heartbeat on the right side of his chest? He left side of heart is enlarged due to failure and now I wonder if his right side is getting larger too. Is feeling it normal?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on February 7th, 2017

Yes, you can feel a small dog's heartbeat on the right side of their chest, so that it normal. It doesn't mean, however, that the right side of his heart isn't enlarged, as it could be getting there as well. I'm sorry your pup is in heart failure :-(

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 25th, 2017

    Yes, you can normally feel a dog's heartbeat on both the right and left side of the chest. But to answer your first question, yes left sided heart failure can lead to right side heart failure as well. If you have any questions about your dog's heart, it's ok to have him checked out by a vet to be safe.

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