How Can You Tell If Your Dog Has A Fever
Fever affects us all and, unfortunately, our animals too. Since they cannot speak to tell us if they feel good or bad, it is necessary to be attentive to their behavior. It is positive to take some guidelines to identify if there is a problem that we must remedy.
Normally, the normal temperature of a dog should range between 38 and 38.8 degrees. When this is triggered it can be the result of infections or diseases that we must treat urgently. Therefore, it is very necessary to know the temperature of our dog at all times, in order to act quickly.
Know the symptoms of fever in your dog
One of the best ways to know if your dog has a fever or not is by observing his behavior. You have to attend to any changes that may happen in your body. The most common are:
- Hot and dry nose
- Nervous and apathetic character
- Watery eyes
- Tremors in high temperatures
If your dog has one or more of these symptoms, it is best to use a rectal thermometer. This will not be pleasant for the dog, but it is a way to know the body temperature of your animal without errors.
Smear the tip of the thermometer with petroleum jelly and ask for someone to help hold it tight. Remember that the most logical thing will be for the animal to move when it feels pressure on the rectum. Another very effective thermometer is the ear thermometer.
What to do if my dog has a fever
Although it is best to go to the vet to determine the causes and treatment for your pet, there are things you can do at home in the meantime.
However, we want to emphasize that if after two days, even despite having used one or more of these remedies, your dog still has a fever, you should go to the vet without fail.
These are some of the things you can do at home:
- Refresh their paws and ears. Get him wet these areas of the body and put him in front of a fan to cool off. Do not stop taking its temperature constantly, because when it reaches 39 degrees you will have to remove it from the fan to avoid flu and colds, as well as temperature shocks.
- Keep it hydrated. Giving him plenty of water to drink is essential to bring the fever down. However, be careful not to give large amounts at a time, but little by little, as it could be harmful.
- Take a cold compress and put it on her tummy. You may be reluctant to have it, but once you see the quick effects, it will drop.
- Do not take a bath with cold water, as a body temperature shock could occur, which would harm your animal instead of helping it.
- Do not give him medicines from humans, nor from animals if these have not been prescribed by the veterinarian.
- Never use ice, especially if you think that instead of fever it is a heat stroke. Cold water will suffice.
As we said at the beginning, our dog cannot tell us if he is feeling bad and we are not with a thermometer behind him all day to see if he has a fever or not. Therefore, you need to be very attentive to changes in their eating, walking, looking and behaving.
These can tell you if there is any abnormality, fever in this case, that you should treat as soon as possible. Remember that home remedies are only to buy a little time, but the one who can truly tackle the problem is the vet.
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