If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

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.

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 37.8C (100F) and 39.3C (102.7F). 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.

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.

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 temperature slightly above 102F might indicate only a mild fever, and as with humans, this is not necessarily a bad thing: a mild illness often helps to boost the immune system. Therefore generally Fido should be kept comfortable, insuring that he doesn’t dehydrate. The temperature should be monitored at regular intervals to see if it alters. It should also be noted that faeces may be the causing a false reading, so it’s best to check after Fido has relieved himself. If the temperature begins to rise, or is taken at 105F or above then this indicative of a serious illness and requires immediate consultation with a vet.

Tags: Dogs

Popularity: 3% [?]

Share This