| Degrees Centigrade (°C) | Degrees Fahrenheit (°F) | Possible Cause |
|---|
| 36.6 | 98 | Hypothermia - keep your dog warm |
| 37.2 | 99 | Abnormal |
| 38 - 39.2 | 100.5 - 102.5 | Normal temperature |
| 39.4 | 103 | Moderate fever |
| 40 | 104 | High fever |
| 40.5 | 105 | Dangerous |
| 41.1 | 106 | Heatstroke - cool down immediately |
A dog's body temperature is usually measured using a rectal thermometer and can vary between 37.2°C to 39.2°. This can be dependent on a number of reasons; emotional state, level of activity, environment and even time of day.
Temperatures outside these values do not automatically indicate that a disease or a disorder is present.
However if your dog's temperature drops below 37.2°C (99°F), or rises above 40°C (104°F), then this is cause for concern and you should contact your vet immediately.
Overheating
Hair Flow Chart – single coat
A Wheaten coat is hair, not fur and care should be taken in hot weather
Dogs do not have sweat glands, other than on their footpads, they have to pant in order to reduce their body temperature. However panting would not help in reducing the dog's temperature if it is suffering from heatstroke.
What you should do:
Remove your dog from direct sunlight and establish a good flow of air around the dog - use an elctric fan if possible.
The dog should not be immersed in ice or ice-cold water. To decrease the dog's temperature use cool water and damp cloths or a spray bottle if available, particularly under the
front armpits, the groin and the flanks.
Contact your Vet immediately and follow their instructions, they may want to check the core body temperature and give further treatment.
Never leave your dog in a car on hot day. This link is to an article which provides more information (opens in a new page).
A study by Nottingham Trent University monitored temperatures in empty cars in the UK every day for two years and found that they exceeded 25° Celsius (77° Fahrenheit) every month, high enough to cause overheating in some breeds.
Pulse Rate: generally 70 - 120 beats/minute
Pulse rate is the number of heart beats per minute. Larger dogs have slower rates than small dogs, and dogs that are in good physical condition 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.
Respiration Rate: 18 - 34 breaths/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 an increased respiratory rate.
Assess at the overall situation and condition to make a proper assessment.
Blood Pressure
A healthy dogs blood pressure should be around 147/83. A reading of around 170/110 indicates hypertension (high blood pressure) and Veterinary help should be quickly obtained.
Courtesy of Wikipedia, a graph gives rough comparisons of dog to human ages.
Graph of approximate dog years compared to human years (defined as how much each species ages in a year), allowing for differing sizes of dog. For data sources click here.
The green line would be within the weight range for a Wheaten, so for example, a Wheaten on its 15th birthday would roughly equate to an 83 year old human.
Caring for your aging Dog - have a look at the article on this subject on pages 11-13 in Newsletter 22 March 2012