How To Tell If A Dog Has A Fever?

How To Tell If A Dog Has A Fever? Identifying, Measuring and Responding to Dog Fevers, According to Vets For a doting dog parent, nothing can be more concerning than watching their happy, healthy puppy suddenly seem unwell. Whether you find yourself patting his forehead with your hand or resting your own hand against his nose in search of one of the classic indications of fever like in a human, identifying an actual fever in dogs isn’t as simple as checking for yourself.

The “Warm Nose” Myth: Why It’s Unreliable

Let’s begin with some good old-fashioned pet care myths to get out of the way. Just because your dog’s nose is dry and warm, or it’s cold and wet, doesn’t mean your dog has a fever. It simply means they are in a dry or warm environment, they have recently been playing, they’ve just had a nap or more. You can only know if your dog has a fever by taking his internal temperature.

How To Tell If A Dog Has A Fever?

First, remember the that a body temperature is determined based on your individual dog or dog breed and they also have a higher body temp. For humans, the body temp is usually around 98.6F (37 C), while it should generally fall between 100.5-102.5F (38.1-39.2 C) for a dog to be healthy.

Understanding the Fever Threshold

• 100.5F to 102.5F (38.1C to 39.2C). Generally, small breed dogs tend to have a higher normal temperature than large breed dogs. 103F (39.4C) and above – Fever.
• This temperature, as well as anything higher than that, means a fever and you should contact your veterinarian.
• 106F (41.1C) and above – Life threatening and requires immediate emergency veterinary treatment.

Common Signs and Symptoms of a Fever in Dogs

The only foolproof way to tell whether your animal has a fever, however, is by measuring its temperature. Until then, though, the only signs your animal is “feeling off” are related to his/her behavior, and these include:

• Lethargic mood. If he has been less enthusiastic as always and has no motivation to run and play.
• Shivering: Your dog trembling or shaking.
• It’s even in a perfectly heated house.
• Loss of appetite: The pet may refuse to eat his food even as if the loss of appetite has arisen in him unexpectedly.
• Changed appearance: Are your pet’s eyes glassy or red-rimmed? Perhaps they are looking to have more visible vessels in the whites of their eyes.
• Vomiting and/or diarrhea: GI distress can sometimes be part of many illnesses which would bring with them a fever.
• Hot ears and paws: although not an definitive measurement, the parts of their bodies with little hair, such as ears or underarms and the inside groin area, will feel disproportionately hot when the temperature has climbed.
• Panting: Is he/she panting when it’s hot and then continues to do so, or the pet is panting when he/she didn’t before the exercise was over and even so it has never been as hot as this.

Also Check: What Can I Feed A Weak Old Dog?

How to Take Your Dog’s Temperature Accurately?

This is the best way to tell if a person has a fever and this article breaks down the main approaches:

1. The Gold Standard: Rectal Thermometer

The above process yields the most accurate results for core body temperature. While it sounds pretty scary, as long as you follow instructions properly and use proper precaution, this method of taking a temperature is generally quite safe to do it your own home.

How to Take a Dog’s Temperature Rectally

Here is a step by step instruction guide:

• Get your supplies ready. You will need to have access to a digital thermometer (standard digital human thermometers will work well), a lubricant, such as petroleum jelly, or even baby oil, and a second helper if you can, for large dogs, and small ones also for larger breed dogs, to help hold them.
• Make your digital thermometer read the right temperature, check the instructions for this. Lubricate the tip of the thermometer with plenty of petroleum jelly or even baby oil.
• Get your helper to carefully hold your dog in place. It’s easiest to hold a large dog standing on the floor or on a table in a sitting position. You can simply hold a smaller dog sitting on your lap or even on a table top.
• Get your helper to hold up the dog’s tail, while gently lifting and inserting the lubricated end of the thermometer into the rectum about one to one and a half inches deep. Do not insert the thermometer any deeper and do not try to push it in.
• Hold the thermometer in place. Most digital thermometers should produce a reading and beep within 30 to 60 seconds.
• Clean the thermometer and take the reading.

2. The Convenient Choice: Aural (Ear) Thermometer

Ear-Type Digital Thermometers These are digital thermometers which are intended to be used in the ear canal. They are generally less traumatic for the pet and the pet owner, but are slightly less accurate. How to Use: Hold the ear flap at a 90 degree angle from the top of the dog’s head and gently pull straight up and back to straighten the ear canal.

Stick the thermometer probe deep into the horizontal ear canal.

Note: Do not use the ear-type thermometer on a dog with an ear infection, as it is not accurate, and it could cause him to hurt.

3. The Alternative: Armpit (Axilla) Thermometer

A third option that doesn’t require insertion is an axillary or armpit thermometer but because of inaccuracy this will rank a very distant third. How to Use the Thermometer Put the thermometer tip in the armpit of the dog (where front leg meets the torso). Place the leg back down flat against the body to hold the thermometer in place until it beeps.

What to Do If Your Dog Has a Fever?

If it’s too hot or too cold, then your vet will instruct you what you should do for your canine.

103-104.5 degrees: You can watch and wait for your generally healthy, energetic adult dog’s fever of below 105 degrees F (39 degrees C) if your vet advises this to you, provided your dog remains thirsty.

104 deg and up: Any temperature over 104 (including anything higher, even by a degree) and even a temperature just under this level in a younger or very weak animal will likely need to see your veterinarian right away as it may be a sign of an acute illness. As soon as you see your temperature starting to reach upper 100’s take a cool down remedy approved by your veterinarian. Whenever using a cool down remedy remember to don’t shock your dog’s system or don’t bring there body temperature down to fast that will only harm them more.

Safe Home Care for Mild Fevers

Cool water: pour cool water (but not ice water!) on hairless spots on your pet the ears, paws and groins can all take it. Use cool washcloths as well.

• Fan: put a fan near the pet the evaporating water will further cool your pet.
• Give small amounts of cool water: offer your pet sips of cool water from time to time; don’t try to make them drink.
• Cool until the temperature is down to 103F: at that point, discontinue cooling to avoid bringing the pet’s body temperature too low.

Crucial Warning: Never Give Human Medication

Never give your dog a human OTC fever reducers, including such as the medication a cetaminopen (Tylenol) and iibprofen (Advil). Those drugs, however, are very harmful for dogs, as can lead organ damages and even death at even minimal dose levels. Never give your dog any drug except those prescribed to you by the veterinarian.

Common Causes of Fever in Dogs

When Your Dog Develops a Fever: A fever in a dog is actually a symptom of something else. It’s actually how your dog’s body reacts to fighting something out! Common causes for fever include: Infections – Bacterial infections (e.g.

Pneumonia, bladder infection, kidney infection), Viral infections (e.g.

Parvo, canine influenza) and Fungus (everywhere from the feet to skin and ears). Tick-borne disease Often, tick-borne diseases such as ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis and lyme disease come with a fever as one of the first signs.

Vaccination: The body mounts a temporary defense, and a dog may run a low grade fever for a day or two post vaccine.

Poisoning: Certain poisons and toxins can cause the dog’s body temperature to rapidly increase. Fever of unknown origin (FUO): Sometimes we have a high fever and we simply can’t figure out why!

Conclusion

Being a dog owner will only take you far once you know how to properly check the temperature of your dog. Behavior symptoms like being sluggish, off appetite, or vomiting might hint towards a fever but you know whether the canine you’re with is experiencing any type of fever with a thermometer, as opposed to rubbing his nose. As administering human medications can even pose a risk of your dog’s demise, take the time to find out the proper course of action in order for you to see to it that your dog will live.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)