To make sure your pet is healthy and well, you need to measure its body temperature. This indicator is a signal as to whether the dog needs your help or not. In my article, I will help you understand what symptoms can be used to diagnose a cold and how to correctly measure the temperature of a sick animal. I will also explain how to properly bring down your pet’s fever with medications and using improvised means.
What temperature is considered normal for a dog?
What temperature is considered normal in a dog?
The intensity of metabolism determines the degree of heating of the animal’s body.
For dogs, a temperature of 37.5 to 39.5 °C is considered normal.
Dog handlers note breed and age differences. Heat production in a miniature dog or puppy is higher than in an adult giant. Short-term hyperthermia goes unnoticed by the owner and does not harm the health of the pet.
Normal temperature in dogs
Dogs perceive thermometry as a violent action, so there is no need to perform the procedure without good reason.
Contacting a veterinarian
Not always, with a slight deviation from the normal temperature in a pet, diseases may be present; here you need to rely on many other factors. Read about other signs of disease in dogs and draw your own conclusion.
If you don’t know, it’s best to contact a veterinarian or consult the hotline of your veterinary hospital. You will be asked about the symptoms that appear on the dog, and will also be able to provide quick and necessary assistance in case of urgent hospitalization of the animal.
A strong deviation leads to consequences; it is recommended to immediately show the dog to a doctor if this is not possible. Try to call a doctor at home or consult by phone/Internet.
How to measure a dog's temperature
How to measure a dog's temperature
Medical thermometers are used for measurement. The sensor is inserted into the rectum. Mercury thermometers have fallen out of use because they need to be held for 5 minutes; if the dog jerks, the glass can crack and injure the animal. The positive point is the high measurement accuracy - ± 0.1 degrees.
For thermometry, an electronic device is used that gives readings within 10 seconds, however, the measurement error reaches ± 0.3°C.
Non-contact thermometer for dogs
The pet resists even such manipulation; in order to study temperature fluctuations over time, a non-contact thermometer that runs on batteries is used. Disadvantages: large error - ± 0.5°C and high price. But you can take measurements hourly.
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.
Signs of a high temperature in a dog
Beginning dog breeders often measure the dog’s body temperature and panic when it exceeds the norm by a fraction of a degree. This phenomenon is often explained by a state of excitement after a walk or game, sexual desire for a leaking bitch, fear at the sight of another dog or a person whom the dog is afraid of.
Frequent measurement causes stress, which also provokes hyperthermia. Temperature testing is necessary when the owner notices signs of illness in the pet.
List of symptoms for fever
Measurements should not be taken without the following painful symptoms:
- the pet looks lethargic and not energetic enough;
- refuses food, loses appetite;
- warm and dry nose and warm ears;
- the dog constantly drinks water;
- diarrhea and vomiting develop;
- the mucous membranes turn pale, but the eyeballs may turn red;
- areas of the skin turn red;
- possible discharge from the nose or eyes;
- urine darkens;
- bladder emptying becomes scanty or abundant, causing pain;
- spasms of the limbs develop, the dog trembles, and tremor develops.
If several of the above signs are detected, thermometry is performed. When the result exceeds the norm by 1 degree or more, contact the clinic.
The pet was sad, perhaps he had a fever.
Is it true that if a dog has a dry nose, then it has a fever?
A moist, cool nose is a sign of health. Dog owners draw the opposite conclusion: a warm and dry end of the mora indicates an increased body temperature.
In fact, dry nose is observed after waking up, during physical overload. In the latter case, a short-term excess of a fraction of a degree is detected. You need to keep an eye on your pet. If after an hour the nasal planum becomes wet and cold, everything is in order, there is no need to carry out thermometry.
Causes of canine fever
Your dog may develop a fever due to a variety of illnesses and conditions.
Reasons include:
Infection
The disease can have any number of causes, including bacterial, fungal and viral diseases.
The infection can be anywhere in the body, such as the lungs (pneumonia), kidneys (pyelonephritis), brain (encephalitis), or even the skin.
The symptoms you see will depend on where the infection is located and the underlying cause. Some infections, such as fungal diseases, can affect multiple areas of the body at the same time.
Vaccination
A low-grade fever within 24 to 48 hours of vaccination is not uncommon and is the result of an interaction between the injection and the dog's immune system.
Why did your pet's body temperature increase?
Hyperthermia indicates the presence of an inflammatory process and develops under the influence of the following factors:
- bacterial or viral diseases including urinary tract infections (UTIs);
- infected bite, injuries, scratches and cuts;
- ear infection;
- reaction to vaccination;
- allergy;
- change of teeth in puppies, including dental infections in adult dogs, abscess;
- stressful situations;
- heatstroke.
In some cases, local hyperthermia is detected: the inflamed joint and reddened area of skin may be hot to the touch. Pay attention to the general condition. If the animal is depressed, you should not measure the temperature, but call a veterinarian or take your pet to the clinic.
An increase above 41 degrees leads to dehydration, increasing the risk of blood clots, stroke or myocardial infarction.
Heat stroke occurs in the heat, with prolonged exposure to the sun. The dog does not have sweat glands, so the pet breathes with an open mouth, sticks out its tongue so that saliva evaporates from it and the body cools. The alarming situation is aggravated by the lack of water or a narrow muzzle, which does not allow you to drink enough.
The pet cools itself when it breathes with its mouth open and its tongue sticks out.
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.
How to reduce a dog's temperature. What to give your dog for fever
How to bring down a dog's fever
A low-grade fever that exceeds 1 degree does not need to be brought down if the animal feels satisfactory. Temperatures from 40 to 41 are considered pyretic, above 41 °C - hyperpyretic. The animal should be taken to the clinic or a doctor should be called.
Before the veterinarian arrives, the pet is given first aid: placed in a cool room, and the air conditioner is turned on if a stream of cold air is directed past the dog. You can surround your pet with bottles of cold water or ice. Medical antipyretics should not be used: their effect on humans and dogs is different.
As a last resort, a single use of medical antipyretic drugs - Ibuklin or - Nurofen - is allowed. Large pets are given an adult tablet, small pets a children's tablet. Fever is not an independent disease, but a sign of an inflammatory process.
Therefore, when a trip to the veterinarian is postponed, the following antiphlogistics are used, which relieve inflammation and indirectly reduce the temperature:
- Rimadyl;
- Ketofen;
- Flexoprofen.
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Symptoms
The first symptoms that a dog owner may notice:
- poor appetite or lack thereof;
- diarrhea;
- pale gums;
- decreased activity.
When the temperature rises above 40°C, the body begins to lose fluid. This is accompanied by loss of appetite, lethargy, and rapid breathing.
If the temperature rises to 41°C or higher, dehydration occurs, the functioning of internal organs is disrupted, and brain swelling is possible. In this case, hemorrhages on the skin, severe shortness of breath, wheezing, rapid heartbeat, loss of coordination of movements, vomiting, the smell of acetone from the mouth, lack of urination, yellowing of the conjunctiva, intestinal bleeding, loss of consciousness, and convulsions are possible. If your dog is not given immediate medical attention, these complications can cause death.
Emergency criteria
• Deviation in behavior and activity.
First of all, you may notice deviations in the general condition of your pet, in the form of decreased activity (depression, lethargy) or unusual behavior. The most common symptom in an emergency situation is general depression, fatigue after light or moderate physical activity, and reluctant movement. The head is lowered, the tail is tucked. Instead of oppression there can be excitement. Aggression or fear often indicates that the animal is in pain.
• Airway obstruction.
In dogs that are not brachycephalic breeds (those with a “flattened muzzle”), breathing should not be noisy, either with the mouth open or closed.
If you hear your pet breathing, it is possible that he has an obstructed upper airway, for example due to a foreign body blockage, a pathological mass (such as a tumor), or swelling of the pharynx or larynx. • Breathing problems.
Visible effort during inhalation and/or exhalation indicates an emergency condition, especially if the animal is breathing with its mouth open. Breathing disorders due to diseases of the respiratory system may be less obvious. For example, you may only notice rapid breathing, not accompanied by any special effort. • Poor circulation.
Any circulatory disorders are usually accompanied by changes in several parameters of the body. For example, changes in the color of mucous membranes, pulse, heart rate and capillary refill rate can be simultaneously observed.
Heartbeats may be excessively frequent or, conversely, rare. You can determine if there are any abnormalities only by knowing your pet's normal heart rate. In most cases, acceleration or deceleration of heartbeats is combined with a change in the general condition of the animal, the color of the mucous membranes and the time of capillary refilling.
The pulse can also be rapid or too rare. In addition, it can be consistently weak, or vary in the filling of blood vessels. In circulatory disorders, the pulse beats usually lag behind the heart beats, which can be determined by simultaneously monitoring the pulse and heartbeats.
An increase in capillary refill time indicates deterioration of blood flow. If the capillary refill time exceeds 2 seconds, the animal should be shown to a veterinarian. An indicator of less than 1 second in dogs with intensely pink mucous membranes may also indicate a pathology that requires examination.
Typically, an increase in capillary refill time is combined with a rapid or slow heartbeat. If the animal's mucous membranes look too pale or white, the animal should be shown to a veterinarian. An animal with any disturbances in activity, breathing or circulation needs immediate first aid and transportation to a veterinarian.
Breath
Normally, an animal's breathing does not require much effort. The normal breathing rate at rest depends on the size of the animal: • for small breeds (Chihuahua, Yorkshire Terrier) this figure is 15-30 breaths per minute; • for medium breeds (Australian Shepherd, Boxer): 10-25 breaths per minute; • for large breeds (Labrador, German Shepherd): 10-20 breaths per minute; • for giant breeds (Great Dane, Malamute, Irish Wolfhound): 8-20 breaths per minute;
In hot weather or during physical activity, a healthy dog's breathing rate can increase to 200 breaths per minute. Puppies at 8-10 weeks of age breathe at rest at a rate of 60-100 breaths per minute.
Heart rate. In order to count the number of heartbeats (HR), you need to place your palms on the animal’s chest on both sides (for dogs of medium or large breeds), or clasp the chest from below with one palm (for dogs of small breeds) placing the palm immediately behind the elbows joints. Heart rate in dogs normally depends on the size of the animal: • for small and dwarf breeds (poodle, Chihuahua, Yorkshire terrier) 80-120 beats per minute; • for medium breeds (Australian shepherd, boxer) 60-120 beats per minute; • for large breeds (Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever) 60-110 beats per minute; • for giant breeds (Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound, Malamute) 50-100 beats per minute.
In athletic dogs, the heart rate may be slightly lower than indicated. In puppies up to 8-10 weeks of age, the heart beats at a rate of 150-200 beats per minute.
Rules for measuring temperature
Some people don’t know how to take their dog’s temperature, which is why they start to panic. Here are detailed step-by-step instructions that answer the question of how to do everything right:
- Place your pet in a stand or lay it on its side (whichever is more convenient).
- Lubricate the tip of the thermometer (use Vaseline or regular oil).
- Do not insert the thermometer too far into the anus (be careful).
- Calm and talk to the animal, but do not provoke it to make movements.
Note! Mercury thermometers show the temperature much more accurately, but you should not use them in such situations, because it can break without any problems. The best option is an electronic thermometer.
How to tell if your pet is sick: first signs and symptoms
An increase in body temperature is a clear signal that the body is fighting the disease.
Unfortunately, our smaller brothers cannot speak, which means that the responsibility for their health lies entirely with us, their owners. It is the owner who needs to understand that the pet is sick. It is impossible to say for sure whether a pet is sick or not. To do this, you need to pay attention to the symptoms.
Increased eye irritation and nasal discharge are signs of a cold.
- Touch your nose.
- You need to take your temperature. We have already talked about the norm above.
- Pay attention to the dog's fur.
- Snot and lacrimation.
- Refusal to eat, but at the same time the manifestation of increased thirst. If your pet does not want to try even his favorite treat, then this sign, together with the above, also indicates that the dog is sick and needs diagnosis and treatment.
- Lethargy. Lethargy and passivity of the dog is another symptom that the dog has started to get sick.
Intense heat deprives the dog of strength, because the body has devoted all its strength to fighting the virus.
What not to do
Sometimes owners try to force a dog to eat when it refuses food due to high temperature. This is strictly forbidden, as the food will not be properly digested and will create additional discomfort for the animal.
You should not give your pet pills from a human first aid kit without consulting your veterinarian; many of them are poisonous for dogs.
Also, do not apply large amounts of ice to the animal, this will only worsen its condition. Cooling packs that are not wrapped in cloth should not be used, as this may lead to necrosis.
