APGAR Pet Score Calculator

How it is calculated

Five signs are each scored 0, 1 or 2 and added: score = heart rate + respiratory effort + reflex irritability + muscle tone + mucous membrane color. The options are: heart rate absent, under 180 bpm or over 180 bpm; respiration absent, slow or irregular, or regular above 15 per minute; reflex absent, grimace or vigorous; tone flaccid, some flexion or active motion; color cyanotic or pale, slightly cyanotic or pink. The total runs from 0 to 10. The assessment is normal at 7 to 10, moderate distress at 4 to 6 and severe distress / critical at 0 to 3. All five signs are required and each must be exactly 0, 1 or 2; if one is missing or has another value, no result is shown. The score does not distinguish a puppy from a kitten, and it is for education, not veterinary advice.

Common mistakes

• Choosing the points instead of the description. The 0, 1 and 2 are written in brackets after each option, so read the wording first: Pink is 2 but Slightly cyanotic is 1.
• Using human newborn heart-rate or breathing thresholds. This tool uses over or under 180 bpm and a regular rate above 15 breaths per minute.
• Scoring once and treating the result as final. A single total is a snapshot, so the same animal can score differently at a later check.
• Ignoring the cut-offs at the borders. A total of 7 is already normal while 6 is moderate distress, and 3 is critical while 4 is moderate.
• Leaving a sign unchecked or passing a value outside 0 to 2. The form defaults every sign to 2, but a missing or invalid sign gives no result rather than a partial total.