TPR assessment is one of the first skills every vet tech masters. Accurate vital sign measurement and documentation is the foundation of every patient encounter.
As a vet tech or vet assistant, your TPR assessment is often the first clinical data the veterinarian receives about a patient. Inaccurate measurements lead to inaccurate clinical decisions. Your job is not just to take the numbers -- it is to take them correctly, interpret them in context, and document them precisely.
Use a digital rectal thermometer lubricated with water-soluble lubricant. Insert 1-1.5 inches at a slight angle toward the rectal wall. Hold 60 seconds. Normal: Dogs/Cats: 100.5-102.5F | Rabbits: 101-104F | Birds (cloacal): 103-109F. Pyrexia above 103F -- notify veterinarian. Hyperthermia above 104F -- urgent, does NOT respond to antipyretics, requires active cooling. Hypothermia below 99F -- initiate warming protocol per clinic SOP.
Primary site: femoral artery. Document ALL: Rate (60s for arrhythmias, 15s x 4 for regular), Rhythm (regular/regularly irregular/irregularly irregular), Quality (strong/normal/weak/absent), Synchrony (compare to auscultated heart rate -- pulse deficits require immediate notification). Normal: Large dogs 60-100 | Medium dogs 80-120 | Small dogs 100-160 | Cats 140-220 bpm.
Observe from a distance before handling -- stress significantly alters rate. Count 60 seconds. Document: Rate, Rhythm, Depth, Effort, Character. Normal: Dogs 15-30/min | Cats 20-30/min. Red flags: Open-mouth breathing in cats (always abnormal), RR above 40/min at rest, paradoxical chest movement, cyanosis, orthopneic posture.
Apply firm digital pressure to gingiva for 2 seconds, release, count to reperfusion. Normal: 1-2 seconds. Pink/moist/CRT under 2s = normal. Pale/CRT over 2s = reduced perfusion. Brick red/CRT under 1s = vasodilation/sepsis. Cyanotic = hypoxemia -- oxygen immediately. Icteric = hyperbilirubinemia. Tacky/dry = dehydration.
Every TPR must include: date/time, your initials, all parameters (T, P rate/rhythm/quality, R rate/effort/character, MM color, CRT), patient position and demeanor, any abnormalities and veterinarian notification time. Example: T: 102.1F, P: 88 bpm regular/strong, R: 18/min regular/normal effort, MM: pink/moist, CRT: 1.5s. Patient calm, sternal. -- J. Smith CVT 14:32
Always auscultate the heart rate and compare it to the palpated pulse rate. A pulse deficit -- where heart rate exceeds pulse rate -- indicates some contractions are not generating sufficient stroke volume. This is a significant finding requiring immediate veterinarian notification.