what do you consider a "high" temperature in a dog?

RE: what do you consider a "high" temperature in a dog?

Lucy Fleming — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 16:51:40 GMT

[quote user="Rob Davis"]I like your thinking. Maybe I should start recording both oesophageal and rectal temperatures, with and without the presence of faeces (in rectum!), and comparing the results.[/quote]

I mean, whatever floats your boat!

[quote user="Rob Davis"]Could oesophageal probes read artificially low in an anaesthetised animal breathing cold gas?[/quote]

I hope not or your ET tube is in the wrong place! (But more seriously, I wouldn't have thought the gas they are inhaling would be cold enough to cause direct chilling of adjacent tissues. I always thought the problem was more the dry gas causing more evaporative loss and a gradual core temperature drop)

RE: what do you consider a "high" temperature in a dog?

Rob Davis — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 16:47:20 GMT

[quote user="Lucy Fleming"]but if dropping under GA perhaps the central faecal temperature would actually be falsely high?[/quote]

I like your thinking. Maybe I should start recording both oesophageal and rectal temperatures, with and without the presence of faeces (in rectum!), and comparing the results.

Could oesophageal probes read artificially low in an anaesthetised animal breathing cold gas?

[quote user="Lucy Fleming"]I believe I may have put too much thought into this reply.[/quote]

No, I love it - just the sought of discussion I was after!

RE: what do you consider a "high" temperature in a dog?

Lucy Fleming — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 16:32:44 GMT

[quote user="Rob Davis"]

While we're on this subject, what do people feel about the oft-quoted notion that faeces in the rectum will result in a lower temperature reading? I don't understand why the faecal matter would be likely to cool significantly until it has been passed. I have often heard this touted as a reason for low temperature readings during anaesthesia, but I don't buy it.

Thoughts?

[/quote]

Think about standing in a fresh cow pat on a frosty morning - the inside is usually steaming even if the outside is cool, so I would have thought poo is generally a poor thermoconductor. Rectal mucosa contact must give a better approximation of core body temperature (but if dropping under GA perhaps the central faecal temperature would actually be falsely high?)

I believe I may have put too much thought into this reply.

RE: what do you consider a "high" temperature in a dog?

Edward Jones — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 15:28:12 GMT

I think the rectum is generally cooler than core temperature, but if there's a good circulation then rectal temperature is a good approximation. Hypovolaemia, for example, will cause a markedly reduced rectal temperature even if the patient isn't really hypothermic.

RE: what do you consider a "high" temperature in a dog?

Rob Davis — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 14:59:54 GMT

Thoughts?

RE: what do you consider a "high" temperature in a dog?

Sammy82 — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 11:58:36 GMT

39 for dogs, also very large dogs I would assume at least a raised temp above 38.5.

Cats over 39, but they often have a raised temp due to stress so interpret with clinical signs in mind.

As Nicola mentioned I am also careful of interpreting too much into raised temps in stressed dogs and cats. And most cats are fairly stressed when visiting. I once took my own cat's temp after a car ride to the surgery. He wasn't ill, I think I just took him in to weigh him or similar. He appeared to be the cool dude but always had red hot ears after being in the car. His temp was nearly 40C!

RE: what do you consider a "high" temperature in a dog?

Nicola Cole — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 11:52:06 GMT

Haven’t checked specific evidence (☺️) but can’t see any reason why the same wouldn’t happen in animals. The ‘difficulty’ if that’s the right word is with those animals that are presented as ‘off colour’ since that morning. Not with all owners obviously, but a number of owners bring their pet to the vet ‘too soon’ to know whether they would get over it by themselves or not.

P.s. Don’t get me wrong, there’s also those that leave it too long and there are occasions when early presentation in a pet who doesn’t look very ill is a life saver.

RE: what do you consider a "high" temperature in a dog?

Neil Wheadon — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 11:26:37 GMT

Interesting observation on a medical show last week in relation to children spiking temperatures and related to overuse of Calpol.

It's been observed that in children the body will spike a temperature as part of the defence mechanism to overcome infections for a short period of time. In reality no intervention is needed unless it's persistent

Any evidence of this in animals?

Neil

RE: what do you consider a "high" temperature in a dog?

Edward Jones — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 11:10:40 GMT

39.2C/102.5F or above.

RE: what do you consider a "high" temperature in a dog?

Nicola Cole — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 10:54:58 GMT

Normally anything over 39c, however if the dog/cat is highly strung/highly stressed then borderline above that I tend not to read too much in to.

RE: what do you consider a "high" temperature in a dog?

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 01:12:54 GMT

[quote user="David Mills"]39 or above for dog and cat[/quote]

Agree. 38.5° +/-0.5° is normal.

I'm very happy calling 39.3 pyrexia

RE: what do you consider a "high" temperature in a dog?

David Mills — Mon, 04 Jun 2018 21:27:23 GMT

39 or above for dog and cat

RE: what do you consider a "high" temperature in a dog?

Stephen Courtney — Mon, 04 Jun 2018 20:58:28 GMT

I taker anything 39.5 'C and above as a fever or poss hyperthermia depending on circumstances

39.0 to 39.4 - fine if they are well, slightly increased if they are unwell

38.9 and below - normal

Unless its ridiculously cold, I don't worry too much if they are below 38.0 - the usual cause of a subnormal temp in an animal that isn't comatose, is a recent dump with a slight windsuck of colder air