Can you tell if a dog has a fever by touch?
Junior Renner
2025-07-31 08:15:48
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Sometimes, you may be able to tell if your dog has a fever by feeling their nose or the insides of their ears. If the nose or ears are very warm to the touch, this could indicate a fever. Understand that you cannot tell by touch alone whether your dog has a fever. Dogs naturally feel warm to humans because their normal body temperatures a few degrees higher, so your dog is almost always going to feel hot to you. If your dog feels exceptionally hotter than normal to the touch, this may give you some indication that they could have a fever. However, you should still use other methods to check, as your dog could just be hot due to weather or activity levels instead.
Lenny Shanahan
2025-07-31 07:23:25
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If you believe the old wives' tales, you can gauge a dog's temperature by touching their nose. By this measure - if a dog's nose is cool and wet they're fine, and if it's hot and dry, they're sick. This isn't true, and the only way to accurately determine if your dog has a fever is to take their temperature using a rectal thermometer. Nevertheless, a fever is a sign that your dog’s body is at war against an unwanted invader. Here are some signs that your dog may have a fever: Lethargy, Unusually warm ears, Shivering, Loss of appetite, Vomiting, Coughing, Panting, Glassy or red eyes. If you notice these symptoms, it’s time to pull out the trusty thermometer.
Kara Schowalter
2025-07-31 05:16:05
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Fevers in dogs can be difficult to detect at home on your own, and are often discovered at the veterinary office. This is because a dog’s temperature is naturally higher than a human’s temperature—it’s impossible to detect a fever by touching a dog’s skin. The normal range for a dog’s body temperature is between 100 F and 102.5 F. Anything above 102.5 F is considered a fever or hyperthermia. The only way of accurately knowing if your dog has a fever is to take their rectal temperature with a digital thermometer. If a dog does not seem ill, there’s no benefit to taking your dog’s temperature at home on a regular basis, because it can also go up with overactivity, stress, anxiety or if your dog has been outside in a warm environment.
Hassan Wehner
2025-07-31 03:58:39
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Many people believe that if you feel your dog’s nose and if it’s wet and cold your dog’s temperature is fine, and if it is hot and dry it means a fever. However, this is not an accurate indicator that your dog has a fever. It is also the case that no-touch thermometers designed for people do not give an accurate reading of your dog's temperature. Detecting fevers in dogs can be challenging because their body temperatures can increase when they are very excited or stressed. Also, a dog’s temperature can vary throughout the day and sometimes at night. Therefore, it is important to understand your dog’s healthy temperature. You can determine this by noting your dog's temperature at various times of the day, for several days. Taking your pooch to the vet if you suspect they have a fever, or carefully taking your dog's temperature using a veterinary rectal thermometer are your most accurate options for determining whether your pup has a temperature.
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