Effects of hypoxic hypoxia (HH) on cardiac output (CO), CO distribution, arterial and venous pressure-flow curves, vascular compliance, vascular time constant (tau), and resistance to venous return (RVR) were evaluated on six dogs. The vascular bed was isolated into four compartments depending on venous drainage: superior vena cava (SVC), splanchnic, renal and adrenal, and the remainder of the inferior vena cava (IVC). Low arterial O2 content and PO2 produced a threefold increase in CO at the same mean arterial pressure and a significant redistribution of CO to the SVC. Arterial pressure-flow curves decreased their slope (i.e., flow resistance) by a factor of two in the IVC and renal beds and by a factor of three in the splanchnic and SVC beds. Venous pressure-flow curves for the animal also decreased their slope significantly. HH causes a twofold increase in venous compliance and in mean venous pressure; tau did not change, but RVR halved. Seventy percent of the CO increase is explained by the increase in mean venous pressure and 30% by the reduction in RVR.