Unfortunately even our four-legged friends get sick, and it is our duty as foster parents to do everything possible to take care of them and treat them! We identify the main symptoms of fever in dogs , what the proper body temperature of the dog properly should be, how to tell if your dog has a fever and how to measure the dogs temperature. All information required to provide first aid to our little sick dog!
How to tell if your dog has a fever: the main symptoms
One of the first symptoms of fever in dogs is lack of moisture in the nose. If the dog has a dry nose it is possible he has a fever. However, it is not always the case, as it may be a temporary state due to heat or to an excess of physical activity. This symptom may then tend to disappear in a few minutes, after the dog has been drinking or has changed position
Another thing to definitely pay attention to is the temperature of the dog’s ears. If your dog’s ears feel cold, most likely the dog has a fever. But how to tell if a dog has a fever with absolute certainty? Undoubtedly measuring his temperature! The temperature of the dog varies between 38.1 and 39.2 ° C. exceeding this threshold means the dog has a fever and will need to be taken quickly to the veterinarian to investigate the reason for his feverish state.
The dog with a fever has a decrease in the amount of liquid present in its body, which will lead him to lick his nose and drink a quantity of water greater than that which would usually consume. Let’s also remember that the symptoms of hay fever may be accompanied by fatigue, lack of appetite and depression in dogs. If the dog has these symptoms, we’ll want to know how to measure the dogs temperature.
How to measure the temperature to the dog
If you are wondering how you measure the dog’s temperature, the answer is very simple. To measure the temperature of our four-legged friend we need a thermometer for dogs. Considering that the dogs temperature is detected with absolute certainty only rectally, it is advisable that he have a thermometer of his own. On the internet you can easily find various models, the infrared dog thermometer and the classic digital thermometer. The important thing is that the thermometer indicates the body temperature of the dog as quickly as possible, because our friends do not like to stand still while waiting for the strange instrument to give a response.
It is important to remember that dog thermometers, compared to ours, have some notable features; for example they do not have the mercury, they do not have the glass, and is disinfected. For this reason, we absolutely do not recommend using a thermometer for common use, because if you cannot keep the dog still, the situation could turn into a disaster and you risk hurting your friend!
