Laboratory Exercise 3

MEASURING THE PULSE RATE, RESPIRATION RATE

AND BODY TEMPERATURE (PRT) OF
SELECTED FARM ANIMALS/PETS
(205 points)

Name: Glory, Francine Gaile D. Subject: ANSC 1

Guevara, Andrea Selina U.
Patriarca, Jamaica Rhea Mae B.

Course & Section: BSA 1-1 Instructor: Ms. Katrina Jane Dawis

Introduction (make your own introduction) (10 pts.)

Humans are not the only ones who have vital signs, animals also have vital

signs. Vital signs are the indicators of specific physical conditions and are associated

with different organ systems. It measures the body's basic function, it is essential when

monitoring human and animal health.

There are three vital signs, the first one is body temperature; Body temperature

measures the level of heat produced and sustained by an animal's body including birds

and mammals. Measuring body temperature of animals minimizes risks on their health

and can help detect and prevent disease or infection early. The second one is pulse rate,

it refers to the number of times a heart of animal's beats per minute; Measuring the pulse

gives important information about an animal's health. Any change or abnormal heart rate

can indicate a health problem and can also help determine if the animal's heart is still

pumping. The last one is respiration rate, which refers to the number of breaths

(inhalation/ exhalation) per minute taken by an animal; it determines whether an animal's

body lacks oxygen or not. That's why it is important to measure and monitor an animal's

respiration rate.
 Therefore, when monitoring an animal's health, it is important to look for and

measure essential information such as vital signs. It helps assess an animal's condition

and recognize potential abnormalities in being able to prevent diseases and infections

early.

Procedure: Take a VIDEO RECORDING of each of the measurements (pulse rate,

respiration rate and body temperature) and compile it in one video (Minimum of 5 and
Maximum of 10 minutes).

I. Determination of pulse rate (IAS, UPCA)

A. Chicken
1. Placing stethoscope in chicken

breast/chest

2. Count and record the heartbeat for 15

seconds.

3. Multiply the actual count by 4 to get the

number of beats/minute.

4. Get two readings and compute the

average.

B. Cat

1. Put the cat on his or her right side.

2. Put the stethoscope on his or her chest

behind the front left leg.

3. Count and record the heartbeat for 30

seconds.

4. Multiply the actual count by 2 to get the

number of beats per minute.

 5. Get two readings and compute the average.

C. Dog

1. Lay the dog down

2. Slightly lift the dog’s leg upward

3. Using your finger tips, find the femoral

artery located on the inner thigh (gently

press the inner thigh or otherwise you will

lose the artery.

4. Count the number of pulses for 15 secs

then multiply by 4.

5. Get two readings and compute the average.

II. Determination of respiration rate (IAS, UPCA)

a. Simply watch the animal when she is calm and resting. Do not disturb her.

b. For one minute, count and record one respiration each time the animal’s hind

flank rises.

c. Get two readings and compute for the average

 III. Determination of body temperature (IAS, UPCA)

1. Shake the thermometer to lower the mercury level.

2. Carefully insert the thermometer a few inches into the rectum for about 2

minutes.

3. Slowly remove the thermometer and read the temperature

PART 1. QUESTIONS/CRITICAL THINKING

1. Record the observed pulse rate per minute of each of your chosen animals: (20 pts.)

ANIMAL OBSERVED PULSE RATE NORMAL PULSE RATE

200 to 300 beats per
CHICKEN 220 beats minute

120 to 160 beats per

CAT 139 beats minute

120 to 160 beats per

DOG 146 beats minute

2. Enumerate and discuss the factors that may cause abnormalities on the pulse rate.

Have you observed any of those? (5 pts.)

 ● Body size - In large animals, the relative decrease in the need for oxygen and

blood flow is accompanied by a decrease in pulse rate.

● Age - Adult animals have slower pulse rate while younger animals have higher

pulse rate

● Exercise - During exercise, the heart usually beats faster, allowing more blood to

leave the body.

● Pathological condition - Abnormalities or diseases inside the cardiovascular

system can affect the pulse rate of animals. It can lead to too slow, too rapidly, or

irregular pulse rate.

● Excitement - Animals' pulse rate increases rapidly during aggressive encounters

such as fights and decreases during friendly interactions such as pampering.

● Degree of fill of GIT - gastric issue on digestive tract due to lack of food intake

increases heart rate of animals

● Environmental temperature - heart rate of animals increases when the

temperature is low or cold and heart rate decreases when the temperature is high

● Pregnancy - During pregnancy, the body’s blood volume increases which causes

the heart to pump faster to circulate the extra blood.

- We have not observed any abnormalities on the chicken, cat, and dog pulse

rate.

3. Differentiate diastolic and systolic pressure. (5 pts.)

 ● Systolic is the number on first reading of pressure, it is the maximum pressure

the heart exerts while beating. While diastolic is the second reading of pressure,

it is the amount of pressure in the arteries between beats.

4. Record the observed respiration rate of each of your chosen animals: (20 pts.)

OBSERVED NORMAL RESPIRATION

ANIMAL
RESPIRATION RATE RATE
15 to 30 breaths per
CHICKEN 27 breaths minute

15 to 30 breaths per
CAT 26 breaths minute

15 to 35 breaths per
DOG 24 breaths minute

5. Enumerate and discuss the factors that may cause abnormalities on the respiration

rates. Have you observed any of those? (5 pts.)

● Body size - The increase in body size is followed by the increase in respiration

because larger animals need more energy or oxygen.

● Age - Adult animals have higher respiration while younger animals have low

respiration rate

● Exercise - The rate of respiration increases during and directly after exercise to

accommodate for the increased oxygen requirement needed to release energy.

● Pathological condition - Animals that suffer from diseases or have

manifestation of a disease, results in them to decrease respiration rate or suffer

from breathing difficulty.

 ● Excitement - Positive emotion produces significant respiratory changes, which

include increases in the variability of the breathing pattern and decreases in tidal

volume and inspiratory time.

● Degree of fill of GIT - If there is proper digestion there will be no problem with

the respiration rate, but if there is a condition that leads to digestive problem

there will be a decrease in respiration rate.

● Environmental temperature - As the temperature increases, the respiration rate

also increases

● Pregnancy - Respiration rate increases because body size changes or become

larger

- We have not observed any abnormalities on the chicken, cat, and dog

respiration rate.

6. Explain in detail the mechanism of respiration. Support your answer with illustration.

(10 pts.)

External Respiration

- External respiration, also known as breathing, is one method of obtaining oxygen

from the environment. The process of external respiration is carried out in a

variety of ways in animal organisms. Animals that lack specialized respiratory

organs must obtain oxygen through diffusion across external tissue surfaces.

Others have organs specialized for gas exchange or a full respiratory system.

Two types of breathing:

1. Inhalation occurs when the volume of the thoracic cavity increases and

the air pressure is reduced. Contraction of the external intercostal

muscles expands the thoracic cavity. Contraction of the diaphragm

expands the size of the thoracic activity even further. Meanwhile, the
 lungs expand. The air pressure inside the lungs reduces as the lungs

expand. The atmospheric air rushes within the lungs when the pressure

equalizes.

2. Exhalation happens when the size of the thoracic activity reduces and

the outside air pressure rises. The external intercostal muscles are now

relaxed, whereas the internal intercostal muscles are contracted. As a

result, the ribs are pressed inwards, and the thoracic cavity decreases.

The diaphragm relaxes and the lungs contract. As a result, the pressure

rises and the air is driven outside.

Internal Respiration

- Internal respiration is the movement of gasses between the blood and body

tissues. Within the lungs, oxygen diffuses across the thin epithelium of lung

alveoli into oxygen-depleted capillaries. At the same time, carbon dioxide diffuses

and is expelled in the opposite direction (from the blood to the lung alveoli). The

circulatory system transports oxygen-rich blood from lung capillaries to body cells

and tissues. While oxygen is delivered to cells, carbon dioxide is captured and

transported from tissue cells to the lungs.

Illustration:
7. Record the observed rectal temperature of each of your chosen animals: (20 pts.)

OBSERVED NORMAL RECTAL

ANIMAL
RECTAL TEMPERATURE TEMPERATURE

CHICKEN 40.9° C 40.5° C - 42° C

CAT 38.2° C 38.1° C - 39.2° C

DOG 38.9° C 38.3° C - 39.2°C

8. Enumerate and discuss the factors that may cause abnormalities on the rectal

temperature. Have you observed any of those? (5 pts.)

● Body size - smaller animals have higher temperatures than larger animals.

● Pathological condition - Animals with pathological conditions tend to have high

rectal temperature.

● Excitement - excitement in animals causes high temperature levels.

● Environmental temperature - Animals are occasionally subjected to inclement

weather. A combination of cold temperatures, wind, rain, or wet snow can disrupt

an animal's heat balance. Water collects in an animal's pelage, displaces still air,

and reduces external insulation.

● Pregnancy - Pregnant animals have slightly higher temperature than normal

animals due to the changes in the body caused by pregnancy such as the

enlargement of the abdomen and slight shift of organs’ position.

- We have not observed any abnormalities on the chicken, cat, and dog

rectal temperature.

9. Differentiate homeotherm and poikilotherm. (5 pts.)

● Homeothermic are living organisms that maintain a stable internal body

temperature regardless of external influence and tend to use internally generated

heat to maintain body temperature while poikilotherm are living organisms that

depend on external heat sources to maintain their body temperature.

PART 2. CONCLUSION
Conclusion (5 pts.)

After performing the activity, we grasp that in raising livestock and selective

breeding, or simply animal husbandry as well as having pets, animals' health is an

utmost priority. One good and easy way to determine and monitor an animals’ health is

through checking its vital signs. Vital signs are indicators of your body's basic functions.

Examining vital signs such as body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate as well as

blood pressure helps in detecting and monitoring possible medical problems and

infections that is why it is essential.

References (5 pts.)

Bailey, R. (2019, August 20). An introduction to Types of Respiration.

[Link]
%2C%20respiration%20may%20refer%20to,and%20interstitial%20fluid)%20an
%20tissues.

BYJU’S. (n.d). Mechanism of Breathing.

[Link]

Chaid, M. (2020, June 11). Impact of Ambient Temperature on Heart Rate.

[Link]

Jerath, R. and Beveridge, C. (2020, August 14). Respiratory Rhythm, Autonomic

Modulation and the Spectrum of Emotions.
[Link]

Lopedote, M. (et al) (2020). Changes in Pulse Rate, Respiratory Rate and Rectal
Temperature in Working Dogs before and after Three Different Field Trials.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 10(4), 733.
[Link]
te%20increases%20during%20and,is%20required%20to%20release%20energy.

Mankad, R. (2022, March 1). Pulse Pressure: An indicator of heart health.

[Link]
ers/pulse-pressure/faq-20058189

National Park Service (2021, December 8). Wildlife and Climate Change.
[Link]

National Research Council (n.d). Animal-Environment Interactions.

[Link]
TF09jMaqmDVahdI2HHkDkUFULbX2OX0TvwZLLZQHvtw#:~:text=Animals%20
re%20sometimes%20exposed%20to,air%2C%20thereby%20reducing%20exter
al%20insulation

Pitufox. (2016, December 27). Anatomy and Physiology.

[Link]
ncrease-or-decrease-with-siz#:~:text=The%20rate%20of%20oxygen%20consu
ption,a%20decrease%20in%20heart%20rate.

Richmond Times-Dispatch. (2021, October 7). Body Temperature and the Animal
[Link]://[Link]/body-temperature-and-the-animal-kingdom/article
_3c2623f-[Link]

Samanthi. (2021, June 16). Difference between Homeothermic and Poikilothermic.

[Link]
othermic/
 Tun, S. (2019, March 15). I listened to Animals’ Hearts to Reveal Their Hidden
Emotional Worlds. [Link]
/i-listened-to-animals-hearts-to-reveal-their-hidden-emotional-worlds/article
[Link]#:~:text=The%20hert%20rate%20of%20animals,during%20
rest%20to%20157%20bpm.

PART 3. VIDEO RECORDING (100 pts.)

[Link]
=sharing

Scoring Criteria Scoring

Subject (30 pts.)
Content (40 pts.)
Technical Aspects (30 pts.)
TOTAL POINTS: (100 pts.)