What is the normal temperature for dogs and newborn puppies?

veterinary therapist

A dog’s normal temperature is one of the main indicators that determines its health. And many owners, unfortunately, do not think about how important this information is for assessing the general condition of their pet. It is this that is first noted by the doctor at the appointment when examining the patient. Initially, this data may become the first bell for the animal owner, signaling that something is wrong. How can you tell if your dog needs a doctor’s help? In what case can she be given first aid at home?

Standards for adult dogs

Normal body temperature in dogs remains in the range of 37.3 to 39.3℃. More accurate numbers are individual for each animal.

Veterinarians have not established a direct relationship between the values ​​on the thermometer and the breed; size, body weight and age are much more important. Dogs of different breeds of the same weight category have the same temperature standards.

Small dogs expend more energy. All biochemical processes occur more intensively in them, including heat generation. Therefore, body temperature is closer to the upper limit of normal.

Large dogs burn less energy: for every one step of a Shepherd, there are several steps of a Yorkie. The larger the dog, the slower the metabolism and the lower the thermometer.

The table shows temperature norms for adult dogs by body size and weight:

During the day, the temperature changes by 0.2 - 0.4 degrees:

• During sleep and the first hours after waking up, it decreases.
• In the evening, after eating, physical activity increases.

It is widely believed that hairless dogs are hotter than their furry counterparts – up to 40℃ or more. In fact, temperature values ​​do not exceed the normal limits in its weight category.

When to call the vet

Any change in temperature can serve as a symptom of terrible infectious diseases and bring even more problems. Small deviations of 0.5-1° are rarely dangerous, but pets will require constant monitoring.

A veterinarian is needed if the readings drop to 36° and below or increase to 39.7° . Subsequent treatment methods will be determined by a specialist, based on test results and the general condition of the animal.

Experts recommend periodically measuring and recording your pet’s temperature, but do not encourage this procedure to be carried out daily. Firstly, it causes discomfort to the animal, and secondly, it makes no sense. It is important to monitor the regimen of convalescent or pregnant dogs. In all other cases, a weekly check of the indicators is considered ideal. You can train your pet to certain commands that allow you to regulate its behavior during procedures.

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Norms for puppies

The first days after birth, the thermometer stays at 35 - 36℃. Then it gradually rises and by 4 weeks reaches 38.2 - 39.3℃.

Due to accelerated metabolism, the temperature values ​​in a puppy up to a year are always higher than in an adult dog. Moreover, they also depend on body weight.

The table shows temperature norms for puppies older than 1 month:

With age, metabolism slows down. In older dogs, the thermometer readings decrease by several notches.

What should be the normal body temperature?

It has been noted that different representatives of small breeds may have different temperatures . Below are several of the most common breeds and their inherent body temperature conditions:

• terrier – 38.5-38.9°C;
• spaniel – 38.0-39.5°C;
• Spitz – 38.0-39.0°C;
• pinscher – 37.5-38.0 °C;
• beagle – 38.4-38.7°C;
• bichon – 38.0-39.2°C;
• pug – 38.0-39.9°C;
• lap dog – 38.5-38.9°C;
• Pekingese – 38.5-38.8°C;
• dachshund – 38.0-39.5°C;
• Chihuahua – 38.0-39.5°C.

Thermometry

In dogs, measurements are taken in the rectum with a regular pharmaceutical thermometer:

• A mercury thermometer is the most accurate, but fragile.
• An electronic thermometer allows an error of about 0.1 - 0.5 degrees. But it ends with a soft tip and is absolutely safe.

The procedure takes a few minutes:

1. Prepare your pet's personal thermometer. Shake the mercury so that the column drops below 37. For the electronic one, press the button until the letter L appears. Lubricate the heat-sensitive tip with Vaseline or cream. The family thermometer is not used for hygiene reasons.
2. Secure your pet standing or lay it on its side, raise its tail.
3. Carefully insert the thermometer into the anus, slightly pressing it against the wall. For a large and medium-sized dog - by 2 - 2.5 cm, for a small dog or puppy - by 1 - 1.5 cm.
4. Hold the mercury thermometer for 5 – 7 minutes, the electronic one until the signal beeps, this will take up to 40 seconds.
5. After the procedure, rinse the thermometer with soap and disinfect.

Non-contact infrared and ear thermometers give only approximate results in animals.

Causes of decreased testosterone

• congenital pathology (Klinefelter syndrome, cryptorchidism)
• diseases of the pituitary gland, hypothalamus
• viral parotitis suffered after 12 years of age
• scrotal injuries
• increased levels of prolactin in the blood (hyperprolactinemia)
• aging
• obesity, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome
• lack of physical activity
• vegetarianism, limiting animal fats in the diet (testosterone is formed from cholesterol)
• taking medications (anabolic steroids, corticosteroids)
• stress
• smoking, drinking alcohol, drugs

Symptoms of hyperthermia

A hot, dry nose does not always indicate a high temperature.

It becomes warm and dry during sleep, with overwork and excitement, and thirst. In older dogs, dryness occurs due to impaired production of moisturizing secretions.

Other signs of fever are much more informative:

• hot ears, paw pads, armpits, groin.
• crusts, whitish coating on the nose.
• bright, swollen, dry gums, sometimes with small wounds.
• teary eyes.
• trembling in the limbs.
• increased heart rate and breathing.

The dog with a fever looks depressed. He eats poorly, drinks a lot, refuses to play, and tries to retire.

Which thermometer to choose for use at home

A mercury thermometer guarantees a more accurate and accurate result. However, in terms of safety and speed of obtaining results, it is clearly inferior to modern electronic options. Animals can be extremely intolerant and resourceful. Consequently, when measuring temperature using the rectal method, the thermometer may be damaged and mercury may enter the animal’s body. This will cause many health problems.

An electronic thermometer is not very accurate or reliable. The difference with real numbers can sometimes exceed a whole degree, which is extremely important for assessing the condition of the animal. However, there is one significant advantage - the result can be assessed after 20-35 seconds. You can buy any of the possible models of thermometers at a veterinary pharmacy.

Causes of high temperature

Any deviation from the norm is associated with an imbalance in heat generation and heat transfer. A short-term increase of 0.5 - 1℃ occurs for natural reasons:

• Intense physical activity.
• Emotional shock: separation from the owner, moving, even a trip to the veterinarian.
• Overexcitement: aggression, fighting, severe fear.
• During the heat.
• Change of teeth in a puppy.
• Reaction to vaccination.
• Changes in hormonal levels in females during estrus.
• On the first day after birth due to the flow of milk.

After a short-term increase, temperature values ​​are restored to normal. In the summer heat, dogs suffer from overheating. Animals are not left in the open sun, in locked rooms or cars. Periodically moisturize the ears, paws, groin, and armpits.

Persistent hyperthermia signals the development of an inflammatory focus or infection. You need to sound the alarm in 3 situations:

• Fever is accompanied by alarming symptoms: cough, shortness of breath, vomiting, diarrhea, frequent urination, change in gait and others.
• A sharp temperature jump to 40 - 41℃ one day after a tick bite is the first sign of the onset of piroplasmosis.
• Fever after injury indicates the development of an abscess.

t 41℃ is the upper limit for dogs. If it is not knocked down, the animal’s blood composition changes, brain edema develops, and irreversible changes in internal organs begin.

Critical temperature in dogs

There are also elevated thermometer readings. These are frightening numbers above 39.5-40°C. Yes, this is the first reason to worry about your pet’s health; you need to think about what your pet has eaten in recent days. It makes sense to visit a veterinarian for an examination. But such numbers are not something critical.

Now, if the value has increased to 40-41°C, then you should immediately take the dog to the veterinary clinic, where he will receive urgent assistance.

Heating the body from the inside when exceeding 40.5°C is dangerous due to loss of fluid, decreased appetite or its complete absence, apathy and a depressed state. Accompanying rapid heartbeat and breathing.

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An increase in temperature of 41.1°C is the very critical mark leading to fluid loss. This is a direct road to cerebral edema, disruption of the functioning of internal organs, rapid heartbeat, cardiac arrhythmia, severe shortness of breath with wheezing, loss of consciousness, and convulsions. There is a strong lack of coordination of all movements, there may be diarrhea, vomiting, yellowing of the conjunctiva of the eyes and the entire oral mucosa. Urine is either absent or smells of acetone, blood may leak from the rectum, and hemorrhages are also noticeable on the skin. This could be a harbinger of the pet’s death, so don’t delay and rush to the clinic

!

First aid

The main task during hyperthermia is to reduce the thermometer values ​​by at least a few tenths of a degree:

• Place in a cool room at 18 – 20℃.
• Don't let it move.
• Wet ears, forehead, paws, and groin with cool water.
• Apply an ice pack to your neck.
• Turn on the fan.
• Give him some water.
• Give an antipyretic drug.

Do not give human medications - aspirin, ibuprofen. Medicines cause internal bleeding, form toxic compounds in the liver and destroy cells.

In an emergency, you can give paracetamol, strictly observing the dosage. The maximum dose is 10 mg per 1 kg of animal weight. The tablets are used only as an emergency medicine when the temperature goes beyond 40, there is no veterinary medicine and there is no opportunity to bring the dog to the clinic.

Fever in a dog

Typically, dog owners react to a dry and hot tip of the nose in their pet. In a dog, it may seem like this in a dream, in the presence of overwork or excitement, or thirst. If the dog is very old, its dry nose may be due to a disruption in the production of moisturizing secretions.

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Let's take a closer look at the symptoms of high levels on the thermometer.

Symptoms

A dog of any breed has a fever:

• If the ears, paws, armpits, and groin area seem hot;
• The nose is covered with crusts and a whitish coating;
• In the mouth, the gums appear bright, swollen, and small wounds are visible on them;
• Eyes water;
• Limbs tremble;
• Pulse and breathing are rapid;
• General depressed state, poor appetite, increased thirst, refusal to play, the dog seeks solitude.

Causes of high temperature

The balance between heat generation and heat transfer creates the temperature norm. If there are deviations, then there is a violation of regulation. If the imbalance is a short-term increase in temperature, no more than 1 degree, then the reasons are natural:

• A lot of physical activity, expenditure of energy on the animal;
• Emotional factor: the owner has left for a while, the house is moving. Some dogs even react to a visit to a veterinarian with strong anxiety;
• Excessive excitement: a fight with another dog, display of aggression or, conversely, severe fear;
• It's hot outside and at home;
• Baby teeth are replaced by permanent teeth;
• I recently received a vaccination and the body reacts to it with a temperature jump;
• During a female dog's heat, her hormonal levels change, which can also lead to an increase by a degree.
• Milk flow on the first day after the birth process.
• Hyperthermia can begin very abruptly a day after a tick bite - this is how piroplasmosis begins.

Typically, a short-term increase will quickly return to normal. If this is summer overheating, then it is clearly not worth risking the health of your pet in the future and leaving it in the hot sun.

If the hyperthermia is persistent and not short-term, then the dog may have actively developing inflammation, often due to infection or abscess (when the increase in values ​​​​begins after injury). If a dog's high temperature is accompanied by serious symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, vomiting, diarrhea, and frequent urination, this is a cause for concern.

If the fever is not brought down, then serious changes occur at 41℃. This has a detrimental effect on the composition of the blood, the brain begins to swell, and internal organs can also be significantly damaged.

How to knock down at home

It is important to change the situation even slightly: reducing the dog’s body temperature by just a few tenths of a degree guarantees a gradual return to normal for the animal’s well-being.

If the dog has hyperthermia, he is placed where it is coolest. It is better if the room is 18 - 20℃. We make sure that the dog does not become active, or better yet just lie there and not move. Movements contribute to an increase, and our task is to achieve a decrease in the degree.

Wet the ears, paws, forehead, and groin area with cool water. You can apply a towel to your neck, regularly soaked in cold water. The dog needs to be watered as often as possible.

Critical indicators allow you to turn on a fan or air conditioner in the room.

It is not recommended to give antipyretics from your first aid kit: medications for people like aspirin, ibuprofen or analgin can easily lead to the death of your pet. As a result of taking such drugs, internal bleeding, liver dysfunction and cell destruction develop.

Emergency: it is permissible to give paracetamol in a maximum dose of no more than 10 mg per 1 kg of body weight of the suffering animal. We calculate the dose carefully! This is only a means for urgent help when the fever is severe and has lasted for a long time, and it is not possible to go to the clinic.

Signs of hypothermia

Low temperatures are more dangerous for animals, but they occur less frequently. There are 3 degrees of hypothermia:

• Light 32 – 37℃
• Average 28 – 32℃
• Heavy – below 28℃

External signs depend on the severity:

• muscle weakness;
• shiver;
• drowsiness;
• pallor of mucous membranes;
• cool paw pads;
• rare pulse;
• low blood pressure;
• weak breathing and heartbeat;
• dilated pupils.

At t 28℃ and below, interruptions in the functioning of the heart and nervous system begin. The dog needs emergency veterinary care.

Do you need an assistant when measuring the temperature yourself?

Veterinarians say that when measuring the temperature, the animal must be laid on its side. In this position, the animal needs to lie for a fairly long period of time, if we are talking about measurements with a mercury thermometer. In this case, if you have no experience in measuring temperature, it is better to ask someone to help.

It is best if the animal lies on a flat surface, for example, on a table. To make rectal insertion of the thermometer less sensitive, it is recommended to use lubricant, petroleum jelly, or oil.

The depth of insertion of the thermometer should not exceed 1.5-2 centimeters. If we are talking about a small puppy, it is not recommended to insert the thermometer to a depth of more than 1 cm.

If the owner does not have a device for measuring temperature, it is recommended to contact the Homeovet pet store. There is a large assortment of thermometers, both mercury and electronic. The pharmacy will explain in detail the rules and procedure for measuring the temperature of pets.

Causes of low temperature

The thermometer drops below normal in the following cases:

• Extreme exhaustion, malnutrition.
• Hypothermia after a long stay in the cold or in cold water.
• After surgery and anesthesia.
• The day before birth, the temperature drops by 1 - 2 degrees.

Other reasons are associated with internal disorders:

• Blood loss. Internal bleeding due to falls, bruises, and illnesses is especially dangerous. The owners don't notice and don't provide assistance in a timely manner.
• Failure of thyroid function and hormonal disorders.
• Pain shock.
• Traumatic brain injury.
• Intoxication.
• Demodecosis.
• Helminthiases. Due to infection with worms, anemia develops and thermoregulation is disrupted.
• Kidney failure.
• Dysfunctions of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

What does it mean if the temperature is low?

There are three stages of temperature decrease:

• Mild (up to 32° , confirmed by apathy, depressed state),
• Moderate (up to 28° , drop in muscle tone, hypotension, reduction in pulse),
• Deep (below 28° is accompanied by disruption of the heart, dilated pupils, the pet may fall into a coma).

The pet curls up into a ball, looks for warm places, and wraps itself in a blanket. It can fluff the coat to increase air space and retain heat. When diagnosing a decrease in temperature, increased blood viscosity is detected due to a decrease in the number of platelets. This causes arrhythmia and hypotension.

A decrease in temperature is a symptom of hypothermia, impaired thermoregulation, head injuries, cardiovascular diseases, blood loss, intoxication, problems with the thyroid gland, poisoning.

Ways to raise your temperature

The only thing the owner can do in this case is to warm the pet. For this purpose, the animal is well covered, given warm water, and given hot food (broths, cereals). You can use a heating pad and apply it to your paws.

How to raise the temperature

When hypothermia occurs, the animal must be warmed to maintain heat:

• Place in a warm place.
• Cover with a blanket.
• Place a heating pad or bottles of warm water nearby.
• Give warm drink and food.

The pet's temperature is taken every 15 minutes. If it does not approach normal values, it is taken to the veterinarian. At the clinic, the dog is given a warm enema and a warmed saline solution is injected intravenously.

Dogs are very different in both size and temperament, so each has its own body temperature. The most accurate way to find out the norm for your pet is to measure 2-3 times at different times of the day, when he is cheerful and alert.

What deviations from the norm may mean

To determine the specific reason for the deviation of a dog’s temperature from the norm, you should first understand that these values ​​can be either increased or decreased, the reasons for which will always be different.

Increased

Among the main reasons for the increase in the temperature of small dogs to +39.3 °C and above, the following factors are distinguished:

1. Infectious processes in the body of bacterial, viral or fungal etiology. The infection can be localized anywhere, but most often pets have to deal with inflammation of the lungs (pneumonia), kidneys (pyelonephritis), brain (encephalitis) or even the skin. Some infections (mostly of fungal origin) can affect several areas of the dog’s body at once.
2. Routine vaccination of the animal . Normally, the elevated temperature persists for 24–48 hours after the vaccine is given, and is caused by the interaction between the components of the administered drug and the animal’s immune system.
3. Poisoning (food or chemical). This condition is usually caused by the consumption of spoiled food or leftover food from the human table, as well as foods unsuitable for the dog, in particular nuts and chocolate. Sometimes poisoning develops as a result of an animal’s contact with household chemicals and is also expressed in increased body temperature, vomiting and diarrhea, sometimes with traces of blood.
4. Overheating and sunstroke. This explanation is especially relevant in the summer, when the dog spends a long time in the heat or in a closed room with high temperatures and lack of ventilation. It is quite easy to determine overheating, especially if the pet’s condition returns to normal after being transferred to a cool room.
5. "Fever of unknown origin." This concept is used in veterinary medicine when doctors are unable to determine the exact cause of the fever. Usually it lasts no longer than 1-2 days and does not leave behind any negative consequences.

For first aid purposes, you can give the animal clean cold water and treat the fur and skin around the ears with it. This procedure can be considered as an analogue of a cold compress and helps to reduce the temperature without harm to health.

Important! You cannot treat a dog with human drugs. Aspirin, which is familiar to people, is perceived by the dog’s body as a potent poison, so it is better to use paracetamol, but after a telephone consultation with a veterinarian.

Possible complications

Hyperthermia can have serious consequences for the body: disruption of the central nervous and digestive systems, changes in water-salt balance, dehydration, excessive stress on the heart, multiple organ failure.

The prognosis depends on the diagnosis and timely treatment of the underlying disease. If the dog survives 48 hours after the start of therapy, then in most cases it is favorable.