Home
What's New
Search our Site
Free Dog Ecards
Aromatherapy
Herbal Treatment
Safe Herbs 4 Dogs
Unsafe Herbs
Making Remedies
Homepathy 4Dogs
Flower Essences
Natural Dog Diets
Dog Supplements
Dog Illnesses
Illness Symptoms
Dog Allergies
Allergy Relief
Dog Arthritis
Bad Behaviors
Dog Cancer
Herbs for Cancer
Dog Dental Care
Dog Ear Infection
Dog Eye Problems
Dog Fever
Dog First Aid
Dog Heart Disease
Hyperactive Dogs
Dog Odor
Old Dog Care
Dog Pain
Herbal Pain Relief
Dog Paw Health
Anxiety in Dogs
Dog Skin Irritations
Dog Teething
Dog Urine
Dog Vaccination
Dog Worms
Dog Candida
Flea Control
Herbal Dog Treats
Links

Subscribe To
This Site

XML RSS
Add to Google
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Add to Newsgator
Subscribe with Bloglines
 

Dog Temperature and Dog Fever

This page is about normal dog temperature, how to take a dog's body temperature, and implications of dog fever.

Normal Dog Body Temperature

The normal dog body temperature is 101.5°F (38.6°C). A body temperature of 102°F (38.9°C) or above is considered a fever.

Dogs can run a high fever of 104°F (40°C) and sometimes up to 105°F (40.5°C). According to many holistic veterinarians, we need not be alarmed unless the dog body temperature reaches 105°F, since a fever is generally a good sign - read Dog Fever below.

Taking a Dog's Body Temperature

Here are the steps to follow when taking your dog's body temperature:

  • Use a digital thermometer. DO NOT use a mercury thermometer to take dog temperature because if the thermometer happens to be sucked all the way into the rectum, it can break and the mercury can of course be very harmful to the dog.
  • Lubricate the thermometer with petroleum jelly.
  • If you have a big dog, it is advisable to ask someone to hold the front part of the dog's body.
  • Insert the thermometer slowly and carefully about one inch into the rectum. Gently hold the thermometer in place and wait till it beeps.
  • Gently slide the thermometer out and read the temperature.

Dog Fever

Dog fever is generally regarded by conventional veterinarians as a kind of "disease" - an infection - and they do not hesitate to use medicines such as antibiotics to lower the dog temperature. This way of dealing with fever is not curative, because by using strong drugs to lower the dog's body temperature, the vets are just suppressing the "symptom" and are not tackling the real underlying health problem that is causing the fever in the first place.

Dog Fever Holistic veterinarians view dog fever as it is - a "symptom". It is a sign (usually a good one) that the dog's body immune system is working hard to get rid of whatever bugs there are inside the body.

It is important, therefore, that if your dog is running a fever, look for other accompanying symptoms and try to find out the underlying illness causing the fever. If that is difficult, and if your dog has prolonged high fever, then consult your veterinarian.

If your dog has a fever but no other accompanying symptoms, using a homeopathic remedy is often recommended to speed up the body's curing process. For more information, visit our page on Dog Fever Remedies.

TOP of Dog Temperature
GO TO Dog Fever Remedies
RETURN TO Home Page


footer for dog temperature page