How to recognize if your dog has a fever and what to do

How to recognize if your dog has a fever and what to do

What are the symptoms of fever in dogs? How is it measured? What could have triggered it? And what to do in case of altered temperature?

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

If you are considering adopting a dog, you will have already considered the vet appointments as well as everything the animal will need once it arrives in your arms. When a dog walks through the front door of his new family for the first time, it becomes an integral part of it and taking care of it and ensuring that it always enjoys excellent health are part of the essential responsibilities of the owner. These must never fail because just as we take care of any other member of our family, the same must be done with the dog.





And even if we would like our beloved dog to always be healthy and strong, in the course of his life he inevitably encounters diseases, sometimes congenital or typical of some breeds, or ailments such as fever which, although not as serious as others, do not go never taken lightly. In fact, fever is an important alarm bell and is accompanied by a series of signals that the animal launches to warn us that something is not going as it should. Here's everything you need to know about dog fever and how to tell if your pet has it.

Index

The dog's body temperature

The dog has a body temperature much higher than human, this means that if for us the tenths of fever are considered a prelude to an imminent illness, for the dog the same temperature is instead an indication of hypothermia. In fact, veterinarians consider hypothermia to be any drop in temperature below 37,7 °.

In dogs, an acceptable, and therefore normal, temperature averages between 38 and 39 degrees and when the thermometer exceeds 39,5 ° then the dog has a modest fever, but if the temperature still rises above 40 ° then the fever is very high and the conditions of the animal worrying.

How to measure the dog's temperature?

To measure the temperature of our four-legged friend we can get a thermometer for animals. There are many types on the market: in addition to the traditional ones, there are digital ones without contact or rectal. The latter are the easiest to find and if you want to use one, it is important to lubricate the thermometer with petroleum jelly or oil so that the animal does not feel pain when it is inserted into the rectum. In fact, for dogs it is not possible to take the temperature by mouth or axillary. You will have to insert the thermometer for at least 2 centimeters into the dog's rectum and wait about 5 minutes to know its temperature. Less invasive are thermometers that plug into the animal's ears, but they clearly have a different cost.



If you don't have a thermometer available, measuring the dog's actual temperature is impossible without this instrument. However, a change in your health can be detected by identifying the presence of some signs that recur with fever.

Symptoms of fever in dogs?

The main symptoms that a dog with a fever have are:

  • Red eyes
  • lack of energy
  • sadness and apathy
  • warm ears
  • warm and dry nose
  • nasal secretions
  • tremors
  • loss of appetite
  • cough
  • vomiting
  • Diarrhea

Causes of fever in dogs

The most common causes of fever are inflammation, intoxication, indigestion of potentially poisonous material and finally vaccinations the animal.

Inflammations can be both internal and external and can develop from:

  • infected bites, scratches and cuts
  • ear infections
  • tooth infections
  • urinary tract infection
  • abscesses
  • bacteria and viruses

Your dog may have a fever as his body's response to indigestion of dangerous and toxic materials such as:

  • some plants that are poisonous to the dog
  • foods that animals should never eat
  • human dressings
  • detergents and detergents

Last but not least, the vaccination cycles to which dogs are subjected can be the cause of a transient fever. In this case, there is no need to be alarmed as this mild feverish state usually subsides after a day or so.

What to do in case of fever

If you notice the presence of one or more symptoms in your dog and you have a thermometer, take his temperature immediately, noting the value and the time when you took the first measurement. Assuming that the best thing to do would always be to hear the opinion of an expert, you can do lower body temperature of your dog by refreshing the paws, ears, abdomen and groin with cold water.



But be careful because the temperature must not drop too quickly and the dog must not remain wet. Make sure you have towels with you when you do this, then measure your fever again to see if it actually went down. Also make him drink plenty of water to keep him hydrated and contact your veterinarian if the fever persists.

In these situations it is better to take the dog directly for a check-up and avoid experimenting with DIY or instant treatments on him. In any case, never administer human drugs to the animal that have not been prescribed or recommended by the veterinarian.

Fonte: American Kennel Club

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