Like humans, fever in the case of dogs also needs to be treated as soon as possible. This is because a slight fever can also cause various uncomfortable conditions for your pet.
How to Comfort a Dog with a Fever? – If the temperature continues to rise, it can also turn into typhoid or severe disease. And dogs have no one but you.
Here’s a detailed description of how to care for a dog with a fever, along with key takeaways:
How to Comfort a Dog with a Fever
Fever in dogs, just like in humans, indicates the body is fighting something. While mild fevers can often be managed at home, severe or prolonged fevers require veterinary attention. Here’s what you can do:
Understanding Dog Fevers
- Normal Temperature: Dogs have a naturally higher body temperature than humans, ranging from 101-102.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Fever Range: A temperature of 103-105 degrees Fahrenheit constitutes a fever in dogs.
- Symptoms: Look for lethargy, shivering, vomiting, loss of appetite, and warm ears.
- Causes: Fevers can be caused by bacterial infections, parasites, viruses, vaccinations, or food poisoning.
Taking Your Dog’s Temperature
- Rectal Thermometer: The most accurate method. Lubricate a rectal thermometer with petroleum jelly and gently insert for 2-3 minutes.
- Ear Thermometer: Easier to use, but may be slightly less accurate. Place a digital ear thermometer deep into the ear canal for 2-3 minutes.
When to See a Vet
- Temperature above 105 Degrees: Seek immediate veterinary care for high fevers.
- Fever lasting over 24 Hours: If the fever doesn’t subside within a day of home care, consult your vet.
- Severe Symptoms: Take your dog to the vet if they exhibit severe vomiting, lethargy, or other concerning symptoms.
Comforting Your Dog at Home
- Cool Compresses: Gently wipe your dog’s ears, paws, and belly with a damp, cool cloth to help lower their temperature.
- Lukewarm Bath: A slightly warm bath can help cool your dog down. Avoid cold water and dry them thoroughly afterward.
- Hydration is Key: Ensure your dog has access to plenty of fresh water. If they refuse to drink, offer small amounts of water or low-sodium broth frequently.
- Nutrition Support: If your vet approves, offer small amounts of bland, easily digestible food. Vitamin supplements may also be beneficial if your dog is off their food.
- Rest and Comfort: Provide a quiet, comfortable place for your dog to rest and avoid strenuous activity.
Key Takeaways
- Monitor Closely: Pay attention to your dog’s temperature and symptoms.
- Don’t Medicate Without Guidance: Avoid human fever medications; consult your vet for appropriate canine options.
- Vet Visit if Necessary: Don’t hesitate to seek professional help for persistent fevers or severe symptoms.
- Love and Care: Your presence and reassurance are vital in comforting your sick dog.
Remember: With proper care and veterinary guidance, most dogs overcome fevers quickly. By being observant and responsive, you’ll help your furry friend feel better in no time.
Contents
What is the Temperature of Fever in Dogs?
Dogs usually have a higher body temperature than humans, so most dog owners can feel like the dog is having a fever while they are at their average temperature.
The average body temperature of humans usually ranges from 97.6 – 99.6 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas the dog’s temperature ranges from 101 – 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the dog normal temperature rises from 103 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, it can be said that the pet has a fever.
What are the Dog Fever Symptoms?
Most dog breeds give various bodily responses when they suffer from fever, which the owner can notice to take proper treatment and care for their suffering pet.
The symptoms through which dog owners can detect fever in their dogs have been discussed below:
Lethargy
When a dog suffers from fever, its metabolic regulation gets interrupted, which makes the dog lethargic in behavior.
Shivering
Like humans, dogs also suffer from extreme cold during fever which makes them shiver. Much shown indication of rising dog body temperature.
Vomiting
A dog suffering from fever always tends to vomit because the digestive system loses the capacity to work correctly due to the body’s increased temperature.
Loss of Appetite
The metabolic issues during the time of fever make the dog lose interest in eating food.
Warm Ears
The dog’s ears get warm during a fever as the body temperature raises the temperature of the ear canal.
If a dog owner is having some confusion while detecting the fever in their pet, then the owner can go with all the symptoms mentioned above to confirm if the pet has a fever or not.
What are the Causes of Fever in Dogs?
As per research, if a dog is suffering from fevers, then it is said that the pet is having some problems with its immune system, and mainly the fever in dogs can be due to some infections. The different factors responsible for causing fever in dogs are discussed below:
Bacteria
These tiny microbes named bacteria can be mainly responsible for the causes of fever in dogs.
As per research, bacteria causes inflammation in the body organs, including the lungs, liver, bladder, intestine, and heart,
which results in the cause of fever. The fever caused due to the inflammation of organs can be fatal for the pet, so it needs to be treated as soon as possible.
Parasites
Parasites are one of the pathogenic species that harm their host organisms. The fever caused by parasites is mainly due to close contact with the infected species.
This pathogenic species usually transfer from one organism to another and is used to transmit fever-causing materials like anaplasma or intestinal parasites from the infected species.
Viruses
The transmission of viruses from the affected organism is the most common cause of fever in dogs.
The fever caused in dogs due to viruses is quite normal and can cause symptoms like sniffing, cold, and cough. Fever caused due to viruses can be treated at home as the symptoms are pretty standard.
Vaccinations
Sometimes vaccinations of dogs can also be a cause of fever in your canine friend. Most dog breeds go through severe side effects after their inoculation, including fever, sluggishness, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and many others.
Food Poisoning
Sometimes your dog can even get a fever from food poisoning. The toxicity of the food that the canine friend has eaten mistakenly can interrupt the smooth regulation of the systems inside your stomach, leading to an increase in the body’s temperature.
How Do You Detect the Temperature of the Dog’s Body?
To take all the necessary precautions for treating your dog’s fever, the owner first has to know how to measure the dog temperature. There are two steps that the owner can follow for measuring the temperature of the pet’s body which are discussed below.
The Rectal Technique
This technique is used to measure the temperature through the rectum of your canine friend.
To use the rectal process, all you have to do is take a rectal thermometer, lubricate it with petroleum jelly,
insert it slowly inside the pet’s rectum, take it out after 2 to 3 minutes mark the reading of the thermometer. Indeed, the ultimate dog health tool.
The Digital Aural Technique
The digital aural technique is relatively more straightforward than the rectal technique, as there is no need to lubricate the thermometer in this case. To use the digital aural method, you have to take an ear thermometer, turn it on, and calibrate it.
After calibrating the thermometer, insert it slowly inside the ear and let it be there for 2 to 3 minutes to take the reading. Then note the temperature range of the thermometer.
The steps mentioned above are efficient, and a dog owner can entirely rely upon these steps to measure their dog’s body temperature.
When is a Vet Visit Necessary for Dogs Suffering from Fever?
Yes, it is true that taking proper care and following adequate precautions to treat fever in dogs can be helpful.
But if the symptoms are still the same after you have put in all your efforts, then the type of infection the dog has been going through can be severe.
Suppose your dog’s body temperature remains the same after your palliative care, and the dog keeps on suffering through vomiting and lethargy.
In that case, the dog owner must take the pet to a veterinarian because it can often lead to serious health issues like pancreatitis, leptospirosis, meningitis, etc.
A quick veterinarian visit is essential if the temperature doesn’t start to get normal after 24 hours of your palliative care.
How to Comfort a Dog with a Fever?
When a dog is suffering from fever, the love and care of the owner are all the pet needs. So a dog owner should follow proper steps to comfort his pet during its critical period. A dog owner should follow the actions to calm his dog and the way to comfort.
Wipe the Dog with a Wet Cloth
While the dog is suffering from fever, its temperature remains very high and needs to be cooled down. Using a wet cloth to wipe its body is a very compelling idea to go with.
To do this, all the owner has to do is take a mug of cold water and dip a piece of cloth in it, then wipe the area near the ears and paws several times to help its body cool down the temperature.
Give a Tepid Bath
A bath when your canine friend is suffering from fever can work wonders while its high temperature. The owner has to make sure that the water is not too cold.
It should be slightly warm; for giving a bath to the pet, all the owner has to do is take the pet into the bathtub and dab the water over the body of the pet with the help of a sponge and dry it instantly so that it does not get the cold after the bath.
Keep Them Hydrated
Like humans, feeling thirsty while suffering from fever is the same in the case of dogs. The owner should take care of the water requirement of the pet suffering from fever as the canine friend gets thirsty most of the time.
The owner can introduce a water period in the dog’s schedule to keep the pet hydrated.
Use of Vitamin Tablets
If your vet has prescribed vitamin tablets for your dogs, you can also go for providing vitamin tablets to your dog as per the specified time.
This is because vitamin tablets are enough to give strength to the pet, and if your pet is avoiding food, then the use of vitamin tablets can work wonders for providing strength to your suffering pet.
Remove all the Workout Sessions from the Schedule
The pet suffering from fever needs a stress-free environment as much as possible for getting a quick recovery.
Removing training sessions and workout sessions from the daily schedule during the tough time of the canine friend will make the pet feel relaxed.
It will help the medicines to function faster in neutralizing the body temperature.
So here we are, done with all the information regarding how to comfort a dog suffering from a fever.
We hope that the article answers healthy dogs tips and put your search to an end, while making your pet comfortable.
