As pet owners, we often find ourselves in a situation where our pets refuse to eat or show a sudden decrease in energy and mood. Are they sick? How can we tell? Should we go to a vet now?
Well, I am neither a vet nor a vet tech. But a useful skill to have on hand during such situation is learning how to detect a fever. If your pet is running a fever, then I would suggest sending him straight to the vet as soon as possible. People usually wonder if their pet is running a fever by feeling the flaps of their pet’s ears, but the most accurate way of knowing your pet’s temperature is, you’ve guessed it, a thermometer through the rectum.
All you need is a good digital thermometer, a small tub of Vaseline/lubricant and some alcohol swabs. Make sure that your digital thermometer does a fast reading. Trust me, your pet won’t be happy if its rectum is probed for too long. We use Vaseline as lubricant and alcohol swabs to disinfect the thermometer before and after use. Of course, we have a set of digital thermometers specially for pet usage and another for human usage, but it is entirely up to you if you wish to share. We won’t judge. 😊
What is normal temperature?
Unlike humans, animals have a higher body temperature.
| Normal | Fever | |
| Dogs / Cats | 38.1 - 39.1 | 39.2 |
| Puppies / Kittens | 38.1 - 39.4 | 39.5 |
*Numbers are in Degree Celsius
What could possibly be the cause of fever?
Your pet is likely fighting an infection or has an immune related issue. It’s best to bring your pet to the vet to get a proper diagnosis.
What can I do in the mean time?
Sometimes these things happen in the middle of the night when our usual vet clinic is closed for the day. Some of us think twice about bringing our pet into a 24 hours pet hospital due to cost Should we bring our pet in as an emergency or can it wait till tomorrow when our usual vet is open? That is where the temperature reading comes in. I would highly recommend that you bring your pet in if its fever is high and he/she is displaying signs of weakness, has rapid heart rate or is shivering.
If you are familiar with administering subcutaneous fluids, you can do so to help make your pet feel better before the vet visit. Sub Cut can help with when a pet is dehydrated too so it’s really handy, but that would be a separate topic.
Step 1: Clean and disinfect digital thermometer with alcohol swab.
Step 2: Coat tip of digital thermometer with Vaseline/lubricant.
Step 3: Hold and keep pet calm. (Get help if needed)
Step 4. Turn on digital thermometer and insert into rectum. Your pet might fidget so keep him/her calm while waiting for it to beep.