Taking temperature

RE: Taking temperature

Lucy Fleming — Sun, 20 Dec 2015 23:56:26 GMT

[quote user="Aine Seavers"]certainly helped when one dog went on to bloat later that evening and die- the owner could not blame the vaccine which would have been the normal response.[/quote]

I had an English Bulldog come in for a second vac recently which stressed itself into respiratory distress and a temperature of 104 point lots on the journey in to the clinic. I declined to vax it and thanked my lucky stars it didn't do it on the way home instead!

RE: Taking temperature

Stephen Courtney — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 13:45:36 GMT

I don't routinely take temperatures before vaccinating, unless the animal appears unwell or the owner is worried.

i don't trust Thermo chips, they always seem to under read compared to a rectal thermometer - and we don't use them anyway

In Africa I always took a temperature before vaccinating due to the very high prevalence of tick borne diseases such as Babesia and Ehrlichia, and the different demographics of pet ownership - there, most folk had big gardens and dogs that were mainly outdoors so the tendency not see an illness developing was higher than in this country.

I do recall someone telling me that vaccine data sheets in the UK all advise not to vaccinate in the face of a fever, and if you don't check you don't know - but i don't recall noting that last time i looked.

RE: Taking temperature

Aine Seavers — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 10:38:00 GMT

I probably used to do it more when first qualified after a colleague working at a well know Manchester practice was encouraged by the well known vet owner to always record the temp as proof you have examined the animal, laid hands on it so to speak and health checked it before the injection. It was a some what defensive action and with the advent of better record keeping and other IT drop down quickmproformas allowing fast recording of many health parameters I dont always check the temp. On very hot days here in Aus tho I will, often discovering an elevation as dog taken for a run before the vet visit when it should not have been- I have taken the temp, found it elevated, declined to vaccinate and have the dog brought back in the cool of an evening another day- certainly helped when one dog went on to bloat later that evening and die- the owner could not blame the vaccine which would have been the normal response.

RE: Taking temperature

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 10:11:07 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]Have to say 'yes ish'. We check microchips routinely and quite a number have temperature chips![/quote]Well I said no but I do check the chip, not really to take the temperature, just to see if its working, the temperature is a useful secondary benefit but it is recorded. I encourage the use of bioThermo chips and charge more for them, probably they are the majority of chips we implant. However, I wouldn't rely on one if I was in doubt, and thermometer up the bum does have a secondary benefit in seeing a sample of faecal quality. They really come into their own in anaesthetised/hospitalised animals when serially monitoring temperature to find a trend.

RE: Taking temperature

Francisco Gomez — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 09:52:18 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]

Don't stick a thermometer where the sun doesn't shine without some justification!

[/quote]

I agree fully with the above statement.

A temperature is a number. A treat patients, not numbers.

RE: Taking temperature

Bob Russell — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 09:30:21 GMT

Have to say 'yes ish'. We check microchips routinely and quite a number have temperature chips!

Don't stick a thermometer where the sun doesn't shine without some justification! Not always that useful a parameter to check. I was taught to use the time taken by the thermometer to register as thinking time! Now that is the stethoscope bit!