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	What do I do if my Dog has a Fever? Q: what do i do if my dog has a fever?

A: Fever is part of the body's natural reaction to infection, and may occur in some other situations.
It is difficult to determine whether a dog has a fever without actually taking its temperature because their normal body temperature (101.5 F) is 3 degrees above ours (98.4 F) - they always feel a bit hot! This is something only a trained person should do (vet or nurse).
The underlying cause of the fever may need treatment - there may be an infection that needs antibiotics, or supportive treatment may be necessary just to provide fluids while the immune system clears a problem. A very high fever may lead to further complications, so there are some drugs that can be used to reduce it, and physical methods of cooling the patient may also be used.
There is no home remedy to treat fever itself, and if a dog is ill for any reason, it is much the safest thing to seek advice from the vet. By telephone at first, and by consultation if necessary.

Steve Mullender MRCVS

(vet for petplanet)

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