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Healthy Dog - Discover If Your Dog Has A Fever

Fido is lying listless in his bed; not even the temptation of slobbering on Aunty Mavis is of interest to him; his food is untouched, he may not be drinking much and a nice “walkies” is completely out the question. His eyes are dull and his manner is depressed. What on earth is the matter with Fido? It is unlikely that he’s simply bored with his home life; it’s probably indicative that Fido might be ill; and these listless behavioural symptoms are a sign of fever.

Healthy Dog
As with humans, feverishness is the body’s mechanism for dealing with infections, either bacterial, viral or through toxins. A human knows how feverish person feels to the touch, this is not always so obvious in a dog. For a start their temperature is slightly higher than that of a human: in a healthy dog it ranges somewhere between 37.8°C (100°F) and 39.3°C (102.7°F). They moderate their temperature differently: whereas we will sweat, the dog pants. Although Fido will normally feel hotter than a human if you touch his ears or his nose, in the case of a fever, he will feel hotter than usual.

Healthy Dog
He may also be showing more serious signs of illness such as an itch which he’ll be scratching; he might find it painful to move; he may even have diarrhoea and vomiting. Unfortunately only a trained professional can tell by touching a dog if there is a fever; and even then they will know that the surest way of telling is with a thermometer.

Healthy Dog
The best method is with a digital thermometer used rectally. It would be kinder to lubricate it with petroleum jelly and to distract Fido whilst this procedure is being carried out: Thermometers in one’s personal little places are not pleasant, even for a dog.

A mild fever in a dog, as well as in a human is not necessarily a bad thing: it helps to boost the immune system. If the temperature is slightly above 102°F, monitor Fido, and check again a little while later to see if it has altered. A mild fever should be allowed to clear up all by itself consult but a vet if in any doubt. Sometimes poop in the passage can give a false reading, so allow Fido to go before taking his temperature again. If Fido’s temperature increases to 105°F or above and it’s maintained at that level, this is much more serious and immediate attention should sort from a vet.

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