HEALTH VITALS PERTAINING TO CANINES FOR OWNERS

[Daveyo]

Greetings to all:

Here is some Health vitals for owners to know about pertaining to your dog as you observe them and or encounter unusual signs that dogs might exhibit to you that you can do a quick check yourself.  

ALSO PLEASE MAKE COPIES OF THIS YOURSELF AND HAVE IT IN THE HOUSE AND IN THE VEHICLE TO BE WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU WILL NEED IT.


What Is the Normal Body Temperature for Dogs?

Answer > The normal body temperature for your adult canine friend, no matter its breed, is between 100.5°F to
               102°F and if 103°F for more than 1 hour duration this is cause for alarm.  This begins fever range.

                
              In Celsius this is between 38 and 39.   Anything higher like 39.5 Celsius on up is definite cause for alarm if
                the duration is more than 1 hour.  This is the beginning of the fever range.
                

Puppies > If your pet is considered a puppy (0 to 18 months old), its normal body temperature should be between
              100°F to 101°F    In Celsius this is  37.5C to 38.5C average range.

Fevers > A slight fever (a variation of 0.1°F or 0.2°F) may not be cause for concern unless your pet is also lethargic, not eating or vomiting (possible poisoning). These symptoms should be checked out by a vet immediately unless it ate some grass which Canines do to induce vomiting to get rid of their tummy problem.  If you see them attempt to vomit, let them do it and then check it out before you panic OK.   Please be on special alert if the temps sustain 103°F or 39.5C for more than 1 hour after you have the dog in a cool comfortable area, and observe that breathing while resting.
 
Warning > Some breeds of dog adapt better to warmer or cooler climates, which could respectively raise or lower their body temperature more dramatically, resulting in an increased risk of hypothermia or heatstroke. Research the breed of dog you are interested in before adopting to make sure your location can provide the best environment for your new friend.


At 104 to 106 degrees, heat exhaustion occurs. Over 107 degrees coma, stroke and death can occur.


Respiratory Rate > Normally around 18-34 breaths per minute.
 
Respiratory rate is the number of breaths per minute. Normal respiratory rates are assessed when the dog is resting. A dog that is in pain, having heart or respiratory problems, suffering from heatstroke, or simply excited will usually have increased respiratory rates. It is important to gauge the overall situation and condition of the animal to assess the respiratory rate.

 
Heart Rate >  Normally around 70-120 beats per minute.  Try to find the pulse around the leg area pressing lightly, or find their jugular vein on the neck.  If you have a stethoscope then you can hear the heart beat and count it.
 
Larger dogs have slower rates than small dogs, and dogs that are in good physical shape will have lower heart rates than dogs of similar age and size who are not physically fit.

Puppies typically have higher heart rates, up to 180 beats per minute is normal up to one year of age.


Duration of Pregnancy >  On average, canine pregnancy lasts 63 days, but can vary from 58 to 68 days.
 

Number of Teeth > Puppies have 28 teeth and Adult dogs have 42 teeth.
Puppies usually lose their deciduous (baby) teeth by 6 months of age, which are replaced by the adult teeth.

Moderate heatstroke (temperature from 104 – 106):> The dog can recover within an hour if given prompt first aid by getting your dog into a cool place and soak the dog with cold water and if necessary and needed if not recover take the animal to the nearest vet for immediate treatment.

Severe heatstroke ( temperature over 106): Do not waste time, put dog in either some air conditioning and quickly find a cold water source without delay meaning any kind of cool water and get the dog totally wet in very cold water pronto before the coma sets in and once you have cooled this dog down get immediate veterinary assistance to treat for possible shock. This can be deadly.

EMERGENCY INSTRUCTIONS:
 
Begin cooling down the dog at once!!!!!. Mild cases can be corrected by moving the pet to a cooler place and splash it with cold water. If the dog seems unsteady, or exhibits more dangerous sympthoms,  get the dog to the vet before the coma sets in. If that is not possible, immerse the dog in a tub of cold water or hose it down and get to the vet ASAP once you are able to stabilize the dog such as the breathing and the heart rate speed is reduced and get that temperature down to respectable range as fast as you can.  If the dog passes out, rush it to the VET without delay because death usually will follow.  Soak up a group of towels with the cold water, and put into a bucket, and grab that dog to your vehicle and have someone give the cold towels to cool down the dog, while another drives and has full blast cold air conditioning on.  Once the animal is at the VETS, they will administer ice packs and give IV and some meds to stabilize the dog and hopefully get it out of the coma state.  If the VET succeeds the dog will live, if not the dog dies and will go into cardiac arrest.


If you suspect your dog being sick and has labor breathing here is a quick test to find out if it is possible pneumonia.  Have the dog stand on all 4 legs and have it calm and take your hand and give it two hard taps to each side of the chest and see how the dog reacts.  If it coughs it has pneumonia on that side and check the other side.  If it also coughs, then verify with a vet to also make sure it does not have Distemper (as pneumonia always accompanies Distemper) and if  confirmed no distemper by the quick test as provided in this site, it usually will be respiratory herpes, and use the pneumonia treatment ASAP.  It is as follows:  Any dog of 12 weeks or over use Baytril of 0.5cc mixed with Penicillin G of 1.0cc given intramuscularly for minimum of 7 days and possibly up to 10 days - twice a day every 12 hours.  You must not get the dog wet at all for minimum of one month and must do this religiously because pneumonia can kill the dog.

Kennel cough is treatable with broad spectrum antibiotics and the dogs will have a dry raspy cough like the humans get when they catch a good head cold or sore throat.  Most of the time the dogs will have a clear and white discharge from their nose and rarely any fever.

Also make sure there is no obstruction in the dogs throat as they are well known to munch on anything so you can check by placing your hand to their throat and move it and tap it a couple times to see if they react.  If no reaction then they are sick.  If they react, go to a VET ASAP and get that obstruction taken out as the obstruction can choke a dog to death.



Side Note:  I hope this information benefits you in the long run as you enjoy having your pet around.

Daveyo

Revision History

October 30, 2009

December 14, 2009