One of the biggest fears that pet owners have is their beloved animals getting sick. The big question is ˝How to comfort a dog with a fever?˝ Trying to get your sick dog better is never an easy task, and it can take a toll on the owner.
The main thing that you need to do is stay calm and be there for your pooch. Something that some people do not know is that dogs can get a fever just like we humans can. The difficult part is that your dog can’t communicate with you.
Sometimes, a fever might not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you see your dog looking a bit unwell.
Do not worry. We are here to help you out, and give you all the information that you will need.
How To Comfort A Dog With A Fever
Once you figure out that your dog’s temperature is higher than normal, you will probably go into slight panic mode. How do you comfort your dog, and what is the best thing you can do to make them feel well as soon as possible?
A dog’s fever can sometimes be a tricky thing, while other dogs go through it quickly and without a lot of symptoms.
Here are some things that you can do to help your distressed doggy.
1. Cool Your Pooch Down
This may be one of the best things that you can do to make your dog feel better. When a dog has a high body temperature, you need to make sure that it goes down to normal as quickly as possible. What other way to cool a dog than using cool water.
You can do this in a couple of ways, and those are:
– Cooling your dog’s paws and your dog’s ears. You can use a wet and cool cloth, and wipe the paws and the ears. You can also use your hands and splash some cool water on the mentioned parts. Whatever you choose, try to prevent the water from getting into the dog’s ear canal. If you use a damp cloth, you can wipe the inside of the ears as well, but do not splash the water directly.
– Giving your dog a nice bath. It is important to note that you should never use cold water when bathing a sick dog. Lukewarm water is the best option. This bath is not meant to clean your dog just to cool it down. You can place your dog in a bathtub, fill it with water so their paws and half of their legs are soaked in water, and take a big sponge or cloth, which you will use to dampen your dog.
If you decide to cool your dog down by using water, you need to dry it very thoroughly after the cooling time. If you don’t dry the dog completely, it may get even sicker.
2. Be By The Dog’s Side
It is very important for your dog to feel as safe and as comfortable as possible while it is sick. Some dogs will become attached to you more than they usually are when they are sick. This is their way of showing you that they need some comfort.
This will not make them get better, but it will for sure make them feel safe.
Some cuddle time is never a bad option whatever the situation may be. Your dog will love it. Sometimes, this can help them fall asleep and regain some energy that they have lost.
Bring their favorite toys as well, and you can all cuddle up together. You may not usually let your dog on the bed or couch, but in this situation, you can make an exception. Believe us… they will love it.
3. Offer Them Food And Water
Your dog needs to eat and drink a lot of water when it is sick. If you notice that it has lost its appetite and the will to eat and drink, do not panic. This is a normal symptom of your dog being sick.
It can be challenging for you to keep it fed and hydrated, and it can be scary if the dog refuses to eat and drink for longer periods of time.
Drinking water may be a bit more important for the dog when it is sick than eating as they usually do. Don’t get us wrong… they need to eat daily in order to regain their strength, but drinking water has a lot of benefits to it.
When you combine dehydration and fever, you can end up with even worse things than just a fever.
If you wonder what to give your dog to eat, you can always check out what to feed a sick dog without an appetite.
4. Take Them To The Vet
This is not really something that will comfort them, but it will for sure comfort you. When the vet determines the state of your dog and gives you instructions, you will feel at ease.
When you are less stressed, the dog will sense it and will be calmer as well. You will be able to function better, and help your dog more than when you were stressed and all over the place.
The vet might also give you some medication that will help your dog get better in no time. The thing you should never do is give human medication, like acetaminophen or ibuprofen to your dog. You need to consult with your vet first.
Also, natural remedies without a recommendation from the vet are a big no no. These products can contain some toxic plants. These plants are not toxic to humans, but they can certainly be toxic to dogs.
What Is A Dog’s Normal Body Temperature?
It is a known fact that a human’s normal body temperature range is around 97.6 to 99.6° F (degrees Fahrenheit). Sometimes, dog owners will go with that fact with their dogs as well, but it is not the same.
When it comes to dogs, their normal body temperature is 99.5 to 102.5° F. Sometimes, when we see that their temperature reaches 102.5° F, we will panic, thinking this is a high temperature.
Don’t worry – that is not the case, but if you see anything higher than 102.5° F, you should keep an eye on your pooch.
To be more precise, if your dog has a 103° F body temperature, it will be considered as a fever. If you see 106° F, this is considered to be a very high fever, and your dog might have some complications if the temperature is not brought down quickly.
How To Take Your Dog’s Temperature?
The thing you should always have in your dog’s first-aid kit is a thermometer. You need to know that taking the dog’s temperature will not be pleasant for either the pet parent or the dog.
There aren’t many ways you can take the dog’s temperature, and to be more precise, you can only do it in two ways, using two types of pet thermometers.
– Rectal thermometer. This is the more common way to take your dog’s temperature, but it will be unpleasant for sure. To make it a bit more tolerable, you should put some baby oil or petroleum jelly on the thermometer. Insert it slowly into the dog’s anus by only an inch. As soon as you can read the temperature, take it out.
– Ear thermometer. This type of thermometer is more comfortable for the dog. It catches the waves from the eardrum, and it is also as precise as a rectal thermometer.
Both of these should be digital thermometers because they are quicker with counting the temperature.
There is a way to check whether or not your dog has a fever, but it is not the most accurate way, and you can never know the exact temperature. You can always touch your dog to see if he or she is hot.
The best places that you can check if your dog is hot or not are the paws, the groin, the ears, and the armpit. Checking your dog’s gums is also a good idea, and you should touch them as well. The gums will be warm and dry.
What Are Signs Of Dog Fever?
Some health issues in dogs can have similar symptoms, and sometimes it can be hard to determine what exactly the problem is. We are here to help you by listing all the possible symptoms of dog fever:
– Warm ears
– Loss of appetite
– Lethargy
– Vomiting
– Diarrhea
– Coughing
– Shivering
– Nasal discharge
Some dogs won’t have severe symptoms, and they might not be that noticeable. This is why it’s important to know your dog and read its body language. It is not enough just to know the ear position chart, for example, but you need to know their general body language.
If you notice your dog being slower than usual or not that playful, it may just mean that the dog has a fever or some other health issue.
What Can Cause A Fever In A Dog?
There are a lot of things that can cause a dog to get sick, but the most common one is some type of infection. You need to be observant, and make sure that your dog is always in a warm place.
Here are some causes of fever:
– Vaccinations – A dog can experience fever 24 to even 48 hours after they have received a vaccine
– Urinary tract infection (UTI)
– Ear infection
– Infected tooth or even an abscessed tooth
– Infection of internal organs
– Infected scratch or bite
– Flea bites
– Sleeping and living in cold places
Ingestion of some poisonous materials can also cause a fever in dogs. Some of those are:
– Toxic plants
– Human medication
– Some human foods
– Antifreeze
Sometimes, neither you nor the vet will be able to determine the cause of the fever, and this case is called a fever of unknown origin (FUO).
To Sum It All Up
Seeing your dog sick is never an easy thing. There is a lot that goes into taking care of a sick dog. Two of these things is making sure that they are comfortable, and that they feel loved. Sometimes, the dog’s immune system can also be compromised, and a dog can get a fever.
We hope that with this information, we answered your question of how to comfort a dog with a fever.
Sometimes, just giving them some attention, and allowing them to do things that they don’t usually do, like sleeping on the bed or couch, will make them a lot happier and more at ease.
If you are dealing with a sick doggy, we truly hope that he or she will get better in no time, so that you can continue with your usual daily routine.