Common dog diseases

How to Lower My Dog's Fever with Home Remedies

Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: December 13, 2017
How to Lower My Dog's Fever with Home Remedies

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.

You may also be interested in: What to Give a Dog with Fever: Tips for Recovery

Steps to follow:

1

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.

How to Lower My Dog's Fever with Home Remedies - Step 1
2

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.

How to Lower My Dog's Fever with Home Remedies - Step 2
3

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.

4

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.

How to Lower My Dog's Fever with Home Remedies - Step 4
5

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.

How to Lower My Dog's Fever with Home Remedies - Step 5
6

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.

Tips

  • 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.
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17 comments
Rating:
Wendy Schmidt
My mini pinscher is almost 8 -two days ago he started vomiting,black bile ,not eating,but he is drinking water,has a low grade fever and is just laying around but not to comfortable also quivering. What do I do?Also had all his shots upto date
Rating:
Derrick
My dog (1/2 pit, 1/2 cur) has parvovirus. I can’t afford to take him to the veterinarian. I am treating him with 2cc of antibiotics twice a day. I am flushing him with vegetable oil to keep his intestines cool. I am keeping him hydrated with Pedialyte. What else can I do for him?
Laura
Colloidal silver kept my parvo puppy alive and give a a few syringe full of pedalyte every two hours, baby food powder cereal force feed him and throw out any and every thing he throws up or poops on out don’t let him step on floor where your shoes step on cause you’ll reinfect him parvo is everywhere and wash your hands before and after u touch him. I know this is old but for future reference.. and a trip to the vet to get a fluid shot would help drastically
Matthew Nesbitt (oneHOWTO editor)
Hi Laura,

Colloidal silver is not a nutrient puppies require. We are very glad to hear of their recovery, but they will have done so in spite of the colloidal silver, not because of it. Feeding them appropriately is likely the best help which was provided. We point this out because colloidal silver can have negative effects if given in too large amounts. In small amounts, it does nothing positive for the animal.
RAKESH NARAIN SHARMA
I have german shepherd dog of 12 years old. Dog was recently operated for tumor in back paws. he is still having fever and not taking food except cold water. Pls suggest how to increase his appetite(hunger) so that he starts taking food/eggs/biscuit/milk etc. PLS TREAT IT AS MOST URGENT AND REVERT BACK WITH SOME HOMETIPS THANKS R N SHARMA
OneHowTo Editor
Hi Sharma
If you’re trying to get your dog’s appetite back, we recommend reading this following article: https://www.animalwised.com/my-dog-isn-t-eating-how-to-get-their-appetite-back-3081.html
Rating:
Susan Burr
Valley Fever is NOT a viral infection. It is a fungal infection. Correct the wrong info please. Viral and Fungal infections are very different.
OneHowTo Editor
Hi Susan,

Sorry for the typo and thank you for pointing it out. It has been corrected.
praga
my 11 month labrador retriever is having 103 fever,the vet gave him some injections and some medicines but still it is not well. it doesnt eat or drink anything.it is just being lazy.and also it is not taking any medicines,so wht can i do???????can u prescribe any solution plzzzzz
Rating:
chintareddyrevanthreddy
My puppy is of 2months it is vaccinated puppy dp one day before after vaccine my puppy got fever n it s nt even eating a small piece of puppy feed n nt drinking water
please give us a tip
OneHowTo Editor
We advise you to take a look at this article to make sure your dog drinks water, as it's vitally important. Make sure you take your dog to the vet immediately if none of the remedies mentioned above work: http://animals.onehowto.com/article/how-to-make-a-dog-drink-water-when-sick-1534.html
Rating:
partha
My Rottweiler had a bath and slept complete night in open area two days before. The next day He has not eat anything, his nose got water including continuous saliva dropping from him mouth. Body temperature counted 102.8. Consulted a veterinary doctor he prescribed Melonex-2ML & Montaz-ig once a day.
First day night we gave injection and he got well soon, 2nd day night he again started being lezy, we gave oral paracetamol, and Montaz injection. but in mid night he again developed fever. next day morning we gave Melonex injection again.
can you please guide are these medicines correct or we need to change any thing.
OneHowTo Editor
You should follow the vet's indications. If your dog is under medication, follow the recommendations the vet gives you. If your dog hasn't lowered his fever after the third night we'd recommend getting a second opinion from another vet.
Hope this helps
Rating:
Melissa mellie
Thank you so much! If your dog is suffering from arthritis, then you can try home remedies for the treatment of that problem. This is really beneficial for his treatment.
Rating:
Sachin
Hi,
My 5 months beagle was having 102 fever, a vat give him some injections now he is vomiting and still not eating yet
OneHowTo Editor
If your dog has vomitted you should not give it food until 12 hours after it has done so, let its stomach rest. Make sure it drinks a lot of water so it's well-hydrated and take it back to the vet if it vomits again after 24 hours.
Hope this helps
Rating:
Princess
how to get my puppy from fever and weakness
OneHowTo Editor
If you've followed the instructions mentioned in this article and your dog still has a fever, you must take it to a vet as soon as possible.
Hope this helps
TT
How do I check my dogs temperature if I think he has a fever
Emily Sakzewski (oneHOWTO editor)
This OneHowTo article will explain thermometer options and how to use them safely on your dog: http://animals.onehowto.com/article/how-to-check-a-dog-s-fever-9456.html
Rian Amostro
My dog has a fever, i think it is caused by parvo. We just bought a dog, and then it got sick. The vet said that he cannot get a 5in1 vaccine because he needs to stay for 1 week. But, he's sufferin from a high fever.
Adityajuneja
My dog is suffering from fever and he is not eating anything and he is not eating chicken also
OneHowTo Editor
You should take your dog to see a vet as soon as possible.
Hope your dog gets better soon.
Jerri
My puppy just started laying around about 20 minutes ago, only moving to get back to sleep on me when I try to lay him down. He feels hot but I only have a thermometer that scans my kids forhead. His vet closed right before he started acting funny. Is there anything I can give him until morning when they open?
OneHowTo Editor
Make sure your dog stays cool by applying cold compresses wrapped in cloths, making sure your dog's hair doesn't stay damp, but don't give your dog anything until he's been checked up by a vet.

Hope your dog gets better soon!
Sangeeta Banerjee
My dog suffering from fever for last 2 week.now it's range between 102 -104 max. still the fever is fluctuating. He is takin food and water.but still the same exist.we are sponging him age 6+.
Alba Charles (oneHOWTO editor)
If none of these remedies work and your dog still has fever, the best thing is to bring it to a veterinarian. He/she will make a diagnosis and explain you what to do in this specific situation.
Maxyne andrei zolayvar
Hi....... Can you bath your dog even tho its sick????? Can you??
OneHowTo Editor
Hi Maxyne,
The best thing to do is to slightly wet him or her with a sponge in abdomen, armpits and groin with lukewarm water. If this does not bring your temperature down it's best you take it to the vet as soon as possible.
Penny
Thank you for posting this. Very helpful. Explanation well given & quick yet informative guide
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How to Lower My Dog's Fever with Home Remedies