Normal Dog Temperature and Dog Fever

Do you know what the normal dog temperature is? Read on and find out. This page also shows you how to take a dog's body temperature as well as the dog pulse. It tells you when a dog is considered to have a fever, and the implications of dog fever from a holistic point of view.

Dogs have higher body temperature than we do. Therefore, even if your dog may feel hot or feverish to you, his body temperature may still be within normal limit.

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 103°F, since a fever is generally a good sign - read Dog Fever below.

If, however, your dog's body temperature is elevated due to hot weather, then you need to take quick action to cool down the dog temperature to prevent heat stroke.

Taking a Dog's Body Temperature

Dogs running a fever usually are lethargic, depressed, and may suffer from a loss of appetite. However, the only way to find out for certain whether your dog has a fever or not is to take his 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.

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Taking a Dog's Pulse

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

Use your index and middle fingers to feel inside of your dog's hind leg just below the point where it joins the body (the femoral artery resides there).
A pulse occurs with every heart beat. You can count how many beats you feel in 15 seconds and then multiply it by 4. That will give you the pulse.

A normal pulse for a dog is between 70 to 180 beats per minute. In general, the larger the dog, the slower the pulse. Puppies generally have a fast pulse, up to 220 beats per minute.

A faster pulse usually indicates shock or fever; a very weak pulse indicates that you should call the vet immediately.

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.

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's fever does not go away, 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.

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