What To Do If Your Dog Or Cat Has A Fever (2024)

If your dog or cat has a fever, you are probably very concerned,and have a number of questions. In this article I'll reveal to you themost common causes of fever in cats and dogs, plus the signs to be awareof. Then I'll go into the top 5 remedies that you can immediately useto help your pet's fever, and bring the temperature down fast.

Feveris defined as a higher than normal body temperature in your dog or cat;in veterinary terms this is called pyrexia. A normal dog's temperatureis 101 F (38.0 C), a normal cat's temperature is 102 F (38.5 C). Takingyour pet's temperature involves placing a thermometer in their rectum.If your pet has a temperature of 103.5 F (39.5 C) or more, they have afever.

A fever is usually caused by a bacterial or viralinfection. Having a high temperature makes it more difficult for bugs togrow in the body. The problem with a fever in pets is that they willoften stop drinking; dehydration then becomes the primary concern. Yourpet usually will have a fever in response to something going on in theirbody. The most common cause, I find, is bite wounds. Search your dog orcat well for punctures.

Signs and symptoms of fever in dogs andcats include the primary one of having and above normal bodytemperature. Your pet may have a decreased appetite and lower energy.Your dog or cat's ears can be hot to the touch and they may pantexcessively in the house. Some pets will shiver, others can have anelevated heart rate. All much the same signs that people have with afever.

If you suspect that your dog or cat has a fever, whatshould you do? Firstly start with the obvious, and take theirtemperature, determining if it is elevated. If the temperature is 103.5 F(39.5 C) or more, then they have a fever. If a fever persists for morethan 24 hours, and your pet is not drinking, then call yourveterinarian. If they are still drinking, or in the interim before goingto your veterinarian, here are some additional remedies and supportivecare that you can consider.

Keep your dog and cat hydrated. Offerplenty of fresh water in different spots around the house. If your petrefuses to drink, use an eyedropper or turkey baster to squirt waterinto the side of its mouth. Minerals become depleted when your pet isdehydrated; for an added boost, add Pedialyte, an electrolyte solutionavailable from the pharmacy. Some pets prefer chicken or beef broth, ortuna juice; give them whatever works.

A cool compress is a verysafe, easy and inexpensive remedy to consider. f your pet will tolerateit, apply a cold cloth to her belly. The exposed skin will result insome fairly rapid cooling, making her feel a little better.

Thereis a conventional medication that you can use for your dogs. Aspirin canbe safely used in dogs to bring down a fever; never use it in cats. TheAspirin dose is one 325 mg tablet per 40 lbs of body weight given every12 hours.

Echinacea and Sage are effective antimicrobial herbs.You can give a combined herbal formula of 1 drop per pound twice dailyof the tincture. Another option is to use commercially prepared productssuch as Echinamide. The Dose is 0.1 ml per 10 lbs every 8 hours.

Thereare a number of homeopathic remedies that you can consider for fever,the more common ones being Belladona 30C and Ferrum Phosphoricum 30C.These can be given every 1-2 hours with a typical dose being 1 capsuleper 10-20lbs of body weight.

You should now be much more aware ofthe signs and symptoms of fever in dogs and cats; more importantly youshould be comfortable taking your pet's temperature seeing if iselevated. Fever is a response to disease; common causes include bitewounds and abscess. If your pet is still drinking, then you can use someof the discussed home remedies, such as: cold compresses, the herbEchinacea, and the homeopathic Ferrum phosphoricum.