How to bring down the temperature of a dog at home

There is nothing worse when a pet is sick. After all, it cannot tell about its symptoms, cannot complain and show where it hurts. Therefore, it is very important for the owners to carefully observe their pet and note all unusual in its behavior. In this article we will talk about the heat, the signs and causes of its occurrence, as well as how to bring down the heat in a dog.

How to understand that a dog has a high temperature

Normally, the dog's temperature is 37-39 degrees. Moreover, puppies have a slightly higher temperature than adult dogs. Dogs of large breeds have a lower body temperature than their small counterparts. Also, body temperature depends on the season - in summer it is higher than in winter.

Many people mistakenly believe that body temperature can be determined by the nose of the animal. This is not true.A dog scent works better if the nose is wet. Therefore, the dog often licks his tongue. And when the dog is sleeping, she doesn’t need the scent, at the moment she relies more on hearing. Therefore, the nose becomes dry. For this reason, you can not make a conclusion about the elevated temperature only on the nose. But how to understand that a dog has a fever? What signs should alert the owner?

1. If the dog is looking for a cold place in the house. This may be a wet rag on the threshold, tiled floor in the toilet, basement. In this way, the dog tries to lower the body temperature by itself
2. If the dog drinks a lot. At temperature the body burns and, in order to compensate for the loss of fluid, the dog tries to drink a lot.
3. The state of the dog is changing. She becomes lethargic, her appetite is lost, refuses to play, tries to retire. When a pet behaves that way, you need to understand why this happens.
4. Touch your dog. At high temperatures, his nose and ears become unusually hot. At the same time, the heart beats rapidly, and breathing becomes frequent.
5. And the surest way to determine the temperature is to measure it.To do this, place the thermometer tip in the animal's anus and wait a bit. It is best to use an electronic thermometer - it acts faster and makes a sound at the end of the measurement. If the body temperature of an animal is 40-41 degrees, it is urgent to take action.

Causes of increased body temperature in dogs

As you know, body temperature in humans and animals increases due to heat stroke. This can happen in the hot season, when the dog played for a long time in the sun or simply overheated. In dogs it happens quite often and does not require special treatment. You just need to water the dog and leave it in a cool place.

Another common cause of increased fever in dogs is nervous experiences. If a dog is given to a new house, if he has changed his place of residence or owner, and also if he is in a crowded and noisy place, this may provoke a temperature increase. In this case, you need to relieve the animal from stress and everything will be fine.

Sometimes body temperature can be caused by local inflammation. If the dog has painful injuries or open wounds, they can cause increased body temperature. It is necessary to treat the wounds with an antiseptic composition.Sometimes the temperature rises due to a reaction to a vaccine. So the first day after vaccination for the dog must be carefully observed.

The most common reason for raising an animal's body is a protective reaction of the body to a virus, bacterium, or infection. This means that your pet is sick. It is very important to show the dog to a veterinarian who can diagnose the animal. Pay attention to other dog symptoms. He may have vomiting or diarrhea, blood in the stool or urine.

Most often the temperature rises from the dog at night, and the vet will not get to the vet in the coming hours. In this case, you need to know how to independently bring down the temperature in a dog at home.

How to reduce the temperature of the dog

1. First you need to provide a cool room. If the dog lies in a cool place - do not chase her. In the cold season, open the windows, ventilate the room. In the hot season, on the contrary, close the curtains from the sun and turn on the air conditioner.
2. Provide free access to clean drinking water. If necessary, unsolder the dog with a syringe without a needle.
3. Use contact cooling techniques. Wet the towel and cover the back of the animal with it. You can also just wet the dog's coat. Wet rags are placed on the inside of the thighs.
4. If the temperature of the dog is above 40 degrees, it is necessary to use drugs. The temperature in dogs is confused with the same preparations as in adults. To do this, use Paracetamol, Ibufen, Nurofen - that is, any antipyretics.
5. It is best to give a febrifuge in the form of a syrup. If the dog refuses to drink it, you can put half of the pill on the back of the tongue - the animal will certainly swallow it.
6. When the temperature is too high, you can use antipyretic suppositories, such as Cefecon, to reduce it as quickly as possible. It is best to use children's candles. If you have only an adult dosage at hand, you can simply divide the candle in half with a knife.
7. When you have a small breed dog or puppy in front of you, any antipyretic drug should be in the pediatric dosage. One teaspoon of baby syrup is usually enough.

After the antipyretic relief and lowering the temperature comes quickly, after half an hour.But this does not mean that you should not find out the cause of the fever. After the incident, contact your veterinarian as soon as possible to rule out serious illnesses. Take care of your pets, and they will repay you with kindness and love!

Video: how to measure the temperature of the animal