In an adult dog, a normal body temperature is between 38º and 39.2º C (100º and 102.5º F). If your dog's temperature is anywhere above this average, as with humans, your dog has a fever. This can appear as a result of a serious disease of viral nature, such as parvovirus. In other cases, it may be due to a cold or it could be a symptom of hyperthermia.
In any case, the temperature must be lowered to a normal level to keep your dog healthy. If you want to find out how to lower your dog's fever with home remedies, take a look at this oneHOWTO article.
The first thing to do is to actually check if your dog has a fever or not. Once you know for sure, it's time to get to work and find out the underlying cause of the fever, because the tips in this article are meant to help you deal with the symptoms, but not the actual disease that may be causing them. Discover here the most common causes of fever in dogs.
Meanwhile, your goal is to lower your dog's fever as much as possible, and it's always best to do it with natural remedies, especially if you still haven't received a treatment for the cause.
First of all, keep your dog well hydrated as long as they have a fever. Encourage your pet to drink plenty of water, and if they refuse, prepare some tasty chicken broth. Make sure you leave the chicken bones out, as they can be harmful to your pet. You should make sure that the water bowl is close to the spot where your dog is resting so that they don't have to travel very far.
When a dog has fever it's also important to feed them a diet that's high in calories and nutrients to gain their strength back. If your dog refuses to eat solids, you can try feeding them wet canned food or more chicken or beef broth.
If you're worried about your dog's diet, take a look at our article on what to give a dog with a fever for more specific information.
Another way to lower a dog's fever naturally is to refresh and cool them down by wetting a sponge or cloth in lukewarm water and wipe the skin and fur on their abdomen, armpits and groin. After that, remember to dry the wet areas of the feverish dog's coat - you can use the cold air from a hairdryer to do this.
If your dog has a high fever, one of the most used home remedies is to wash your dog in lukewarm water for two minutes maximum. It's very important not to exceed this time as the ill dog's organism can fight against the stimuli produced by the water, increasing their temperature even more, as well as producing a higher energetic expenditure. Do not wash your dog with cold water.
This measure will help lower the fever if you can't immediately take your dog to the vet.
If the previous home remedies don't work for your dog's fever, another option is to place ice packs between your dog's back legs and head during a couple of minutes. It's not advisable for your dog to stay damp or wet during a long time as its situation could get worse and may make a cold appear if they didn't have one already.
If after 24 hours your dog still has a fever, consult a veterinarian to find out the underlying cause of the fever and deal with it immediately. If your dog suffers from a bacterial infection, your vet will probably prescribe oral antibiotics. Your vet may also prescribe oral administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Follow the directions of your veterinarian very closely and be sure to complete the entire course of the treatment. Not completing an entire course of antibiotics can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. If your dog shows no improvement after the vet's treatment, you may want to consider symptoms of Valley Fever, especially if you live in areas where this infection is endemic (mainly parts of the American continent).
This is how to lower your dog's fever with home remedies. If you have any experience on the matter, please share your tips in the comments section.
If you want to read similar articles to How to Lower My Dog's Fever with Home Remedies, we recommend you visit our Pets category.
- If your dog is very young or very old, it is recommended to take him to the veterinarian immediately if he develops a fever. Very young puppies and very old dogs are more vulnerable to infections.