Diseases, endocrinologists. MRI
Search the site

How to reduce a cat's fever at home. High fever in cats What to give a cat for human fever

(may be dry during sleep), mucous membranes are pink and moist. The normal temperature of the animal should not be lower than 38-39°C. In small children it can be higher - up to 39.6°C, - up to 41.5°C.

Most often, the temperature rises due to infectious diseases and cancer. At the first signs of an animal’s illness (indigestion, lethargy, excessive drowsiness, increased urination or lack of urination, vomiting, discharge from the eyes or nose, fever above 40°C and 42°C for sphinxes), it is advisable to contact veterinary clinic so that the veterinarian makes a diagnosis and prescribes correct treatment.

Make sure that you measure the animal’s temperature correctly: take a veterinary or medical thermometer (it must be clean and disinfected), lubricate it with Vaseline and, rotating, carefully insert it into the animal’s rectum to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. Thermometer with a thermometer , which only takes a few seconds to hold.

If you need to urgently help an animal and bring down a high fever before a doctor’s visit or a trip to the veterinary clinic, use the means at hand. The easiest way is to wet the cat cold water and leave to dry. For example, cover your furry patient with wet, cold gauze or light fabric, just do not allow hypothermia, especially if the animal is very small.

When you get a furry pet, it’s not enough to just feed and admire it. A caring owner needs to closely monitor changes in the behavior of the kitten, which cannot say that it is sick. A serious indicator of illness or some kind of disorder in the animal’s body is an elevated temperature. Knowing what the temperature is healthy kitten and how to measure it, you can provide it in time necessary help.

What is the normal temperature for a kitten?

A responsible owner, knowing what the kitten’s temperature is normal, will be able to monitor his well-being and call for help in time. specialized assistance. An indicator of the body's thermal state pet changes with age and depends on active lifestyle. So, in a newborn kitten the temperature does not exceed 36.5°C, and at the age of more than a week – 37.8°C. Natural boost body temperature up to 39.5°C occurs in restless kittens or after active games.

The cat, as a warm-blooded animal, in good condition health has a stable body temperature, independent of the environment. There are factors that provoke natural change kitten body temperature values:

· Excessive eating.

· Increased mobility and active games.

· Long exposure to the sun.

· Low speed of adaptation of the animal’s body to hot weather.

Natural increase in body temperature evening time.

· Stressful situations.

Changes in kitten behavior that should alert you

Reasons for concern and thermometry are the unusual behavior of a small pet and characteristic symptoms:

· The kitten hides in a secluded place where it lies motionless.

· Decreased desire to eat, as well as complete absence appetite.

· The pet drinks water often.

· IN calm state The animal's nose and paw pads are dry and hot.

· Watery eyes appeared.

· The third eyelid is noticeable in the waking state, and not just in a sleeping kitten.

· The pet is shaking. Chills are a sign possible illness fever.

· Indigestion, expressed in vomiting or diarrhea.

Important! If an increase of one degree or more is detected during thermometry, the pet should be immediately shown to a specialist.

Rectal thermometry method

How to independently measure the temperature of a small kitten that resists any treatment? Putting a glass thermometer into the mouth is unsafe for health, so thermometry is often performed rectally. An animal that is nervous and breaks away from the hands is wrapped in a towel, leaving only the back of the body free. If the kitten's head sticks out and its paws are not tucked in, then the future predator may bite or scratch during the unpleasant procedure. A pet that does not show anxiety is placed on your lap, or alternatively placed on a table or other non-slip, flat surface.

Raising the tail, the device is smoothly, with rotational movements, inserted into the animal's anus to a depth of 1.5 cm. The thermometer is slightly tilted to ensure direct contact with the wall of the rectum. The tip of the thermometer must be lubricated with thick baby cream or Vaseline so as not to cause pain to the kitten. After completing the procedure, the device is thoroughly washed with soap and disinfected with alcohol or any cologne.


How to measure a kitten's body temperature

The best option for the rectal method of measuring temperature is a specialized electronic thermometer. The thermometer was originally intended for children, and is now successfully used in veterinary medicine, as it minimally injures the mucous membrane of the animal’s rectum. The temperature is determined as accurately as possible and in a matter of seconds.

A regular electronic thermometer is just as practical to use and takes thermometry within 10 seconds. The device is less convenient; a harder tip, if inserted carelessly, can cause damage to the kitten. painful sensations. An infrared ear thermometer gives the animal less anxiety, but does not allow you to get enough accurate readings.

The traditional one remains popular for thermometry mercury thermometer. During the procedure, the “patient” must be held tightly so as not to injure the animal by breaking the glass body of the thermometer. To obtain correct indicators, the kitten will have to be distracted from discomfort talking and caressing for at least 5 minutes.

What should you do if your kitten has a high temperature?

Hyperthermia in a pet can be the result of a mild illness or a serious illness. A body temperature of 40.5°C or higher leads to irreversible changes in the body, so the kitten should be immediately shown to a doctor. You should immediately take the animal to a veterinary clinic in order to undergo timely tests and carry out necessary diagnostics. Temperature reduction without concomitant treatment, worsens the condition of a sick pet.

Having identified the cause of hyperthermia, veterinarian will give recommendations on how to treat and reduce a kitten’s temperature. You cannot independently give your pet antipyretic drugs created for treating humans, since many of them are contraindicated for animals. What should you do if your kitten’s temperature is elevated and an antipyretic injection requires delivery to the clinic?

By applying ice wrapped in a cloth to the folds of the paws and neck area, you can temporarily alleviate the condition of your furry pet. Instead of ice, you can use a cloth moistened with cold water. The kitten needs to be watered as often as possible to avoid dehydration. If the temperature does not drop below 40 degrees, the animal is allowed to give half or a quarter of an analgin tablet.

The responsibility of the owner is to monitor the health of the little kitten, and also to be able to correctly conduct thermometry. You should immediately visit a veterinary clinic if there is any deviation from the norm in your furry pet’s body temperature. Timely detected pathology or developing disease will save the health and life of your beloved kitten.

Having pets in the house is a big responsibility. But besides good diet and leisure of a furry pet, the owner must monitor the animal’s health. Cats, like other animals, sometimes experience troubles such as fever.

Fever cats have troubles that the owner of the animal must first solve. This symptom may be a sign of a more serious problem and should not be ignored.

A cat's normal body temperature at rest is between 27 and 39 degrees Celsius. It is curious that the breeds large sizes the temperature is often slightly lower than that of its smaller counterparts.

Why does my pet have a fever? There is no clear answer to this question. Kittens, like people, have many reasons to catch a fever.

The most common reasons why a cat might have a high fever:

  1. Disease. Body temperature may increase as a result of inflammation occurring in the body. Moreover, at first it may not be noticeable from the outside. Symptoms may develop slowly. In addition to inflammation, high fever can occur as a result of an infectious disease. In both cases, the thermometer will show about 40 degrees.
  2. Food poisoning. Murks do not always keep track of what they are about to swallow. After eating spoiled food or drinking fresh milk, the mug may feel unwell, which will be indicated to the owner by its drooping appearance and the thermometer reading.
  3. As a result of overheating in the sun. Direct sun rays are destructive not only for humans, but also for animals. If Murka for a long time was in the scorching sun without any shelter, it was likely that her body temperature would rise.

There are also situations when an increase in body temperature can be considered normal:

  • Temperature jumps after active games. Kittens are very active and restless, so it is quite possible that after a long run the baby will have a temperature that is a degree or one and a half higher than normal.
  • In nursing kittens, there is also a jump in indicators after a hearty lunch.
  • Pregnant women have a slightly elevated body temperature. Therefore, you should not worry and often measure indicators if Murka feels normal.
  • Stressful situations can cause surges. A cat that has undergone a long trip to the veterinary clinic may “please” with an elevated temperature even in healthy condition. This is somewhat puzzling for owners who, for example, took their pet to the hospital for vaccination. Only an absolutely healthy animal can be given an injection, so the pet must be left alone for a while and allowed to calm down in order to accurately determine the cause of the “warming up”.

Situations in which it is necessary to measure a pet’s temperature:

  • poor appetite
  • digestive disorders - vomiting, diarrhea,
  • lethargy of the animal,
  • difficulty breathing, cough, wheezing,
  • fever.

How to measure a cat's temperature

The procedure for measuring body temperature is not pleasant, both for the owner and for the pet.

Before starting the procedure, it is necessary to catch the animal and neutralize it. The best way to do this is by “swaddling” the cat in a towel or blanket. You should not hope that Murka, who is calm in everyday life, will behave adequately in this difficult situation.

In addition to neutralizing the clawed paws, it is necessary to hold the biting head so that the cat cannot take revenge on the offender. It is best to carry out the procedure with the help of a patient assistant.

The thermometer must be lubricated with Vaseline before the procedure and disinfected with alcohol after completion.

The tip of the thermometer must be placed 2 centimeters into the rectum. The procedure takes about three minutes. It is important to prevent the animal from making sudden movements at this time. It is best to speak to her in a calm tone and not show excitement.

After completing the procedure, you need to hide the thermometer from the frightened animal and make amends with tasty encouragement, so that the mug does not harbor a grudge against the owner.

There is also a less painful way to measure body temperature. An infrared ear thermometer allows you to take readings painlessly and without ruining your relationship with your pet. However, this method not suitable if the animal has inflammatory process at the ears. Then the thermometer will show an incorrect result.

It must be remembered that you should not measure a cat’s temperature over trifles. A common misconception is that if a cat has dry hot nose, then she certainly got sick. However, in practice, cats can “dry out” their nose in their sleep. Therefore, you should not disturb your rest healthy cat such troubles as measuring body temperature.

If your cat has a fever

If, nevertheless, it is discovered that the animal’s temperature is too high, it is necessary to hold off on panic. First you need to leave the animal alone and watch it. If there are no other symptoms of illness, you should measure your temperature an hour or two after the previous procedure.

If the thermometer still reaches 40.5 degrees, you need to show your pet to a veterinarian. If the cat feels generally fine, it can be taken to the clinic. However, if the pet is seriously ill, it is better not to injure her by moving and call a doctor at home.

How to help your cat at home:

  • Before the veterinarian arrives, it is necessary to provide the cat with rest and access to drinking water.
  • You can also wet the animal's fur with water to relieve overheating. This is especially true if your pet has suffered heatstroke or sunstroke.
  • It is also advisable to attach groin area cat ice wrapped in a towel.
  • If your pet is suffering from dehydration and refuses to drink, he needs to pour in some liquid using a pipette. It is also worth purchasing the drug “Regidron” for desoldering at the pharmacy.
  • You can also reduce the temperature by wrapping the cat in a wet towel.

You should not give your cat medications that are intended for humans.

The owner needs to understand that self-medicating the animal at home can lead to a deterioration in the animal’s condition.

Do not use any medications without a veterinarian's prescription!

If it is not possible to take your pet to a veterinarian, you need to call the clinic and consult with a specialist. There are 24-hour hospitals, the number of which every owner must have.

An increase in temperature can be either ordinary or a symptom of a serious illness, so it is necessary to monitor the animal’s condition and, if necessary, seek help immediately.

Happy is the owner whose furry four-legged pet never gets sick. However, not everyone is so lucky, and if the animal is ill, very often the disease occurs with fever. The fact that, in general, everyone knows this. But in order to say that something has increased, it would be nice to know the norm. And not all owners know what temperature a cat should be.

There is a range of normal values, and its average value higher than that of humans. That is, when you see, for example, the number 38, you don’t need to be scared.

What temperature should a cat have if she is not sick, that is, healthy? The limit of values ​​is from 37.8 to 38.9 o C. If it is higher than the upper limit, this indicates the presence of fever. This happens when the cat is sick infectious disease, with rheumatic processes, thermal and sunstroke, brain tumors and other ailments.

Possibly with viral diseases, in older animals with renal or liver failure, after anesthesia, due to injury, bleeding, hypothermia.

What temperature should a cat be when she is born? In newborns it is reduced to 36.1 o C, but gradually increases as they develop. By the month it has already reached normal values. By the way, in kittens the upper limit of temperature can reach 39.5 o C.

The only exception to the rule is that the adult animal is healthy but may have an altered temperature. This last days pregnancy, more precisely, 24-36 hours before birth. What temperature should the cat be in this case? It drops by one degree and will be 36.8-38 o C. This is one of reliable signs approaching birth.

Rules for cats

Mercury thermometer:

Electronic thermometer:

  • turn on;
  • apply lubricant;
  • enter it using the same method;
  • wait for the sound signal.

Ear thermometer:

  • turn on;
  • carefully insert the tip into the ear, fixing the cat’s head with the other hand;
  • wait for the signal.

Any of these devices should be wiped with alcohol after use.

How to take a cat's temperature if she doesn't want to?

If the animal is not enthusiastic about this idea and resists so clearly that it poses a threat to the owner or veterinarian, measures must be taken to restrain the pet. Here are some of them:

  1. You can use a blanket or towel and wrap the animal in it.
  2. Veterinary specialists fix cats using the stretching method: with one hand on the skin on the withers, with the other on the hind legs and slightly stretching the body.
  3. You can hold your pet's head and body under your armpit, hold the hind limbs with one hand, and insert the thermometer with the other.

What to do if your cat has a temperature of 40?

A similar question is often asked by frightened owners to the doctor at the veterinary clinic. For a person such an increase is indeed critical, but not for furry friend. Although a rise in the thermometer by one degree already indicates the presence of fever and some kind of disease. Therefore, there is no need to panic, but there is no need to hesitate either. Typically, fever does not come alone, but in combination with other symptoms: cough, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, or others. They need to be identified, remembered or written down. It is necessary to get the cat to the clinic as quickly as possible. You just need to watch a kitten with a temperature of 40 very carefully; for a baby, such an increase in temperature is insignificant, and it can arise due to, say, increased activity of the baby.

The health of a pet largely depends on its care and the conditions created for it. But no one is immune from the disease. Therefore, even with proper care and ideal conditions, a cat’s body temperature may rise, putting the animal into a depressed state.

Raising or lowering the animal's body temperature is to balance the formation of heat transfer. The circulation of heat transfer may be disrupted under the influence of internal and external factors: when the body overheats, when infectious agents enter the cat’s body, or even as a reaction to a stressful situation.

It is known that normal temperature in cats it is determined by the range from 37.5 to 39 degrees. In this case, in animals of one breed a certain body temperature will be considered normal, while in cats of another breed the same temperature will signal pathology. Kittens, as a rule, normally have a slightly higher body temperature than an adult cat. Any significant deviation from the norm in temperature indicators confirms that there are problems with the pet’s health.

Symptoms of fever in a cat

Changes in body temperature, as is known, are a kind of reaction to events occurring in the body. pathological processes. There are external indirect signs, by which you can determine that the cat is unwell and this is “signaled” by a rise in temperature.

Since the body is cooled through the animal's nasal passages, the animal's nose is normally slightly moist. The exception is the cat's condition after waking up from sleep, when the nose remains dry. But in a healthy cat, after a few minutes, the nose becomes wet again. If your pet has a hot and dry nose while awake, this may be a sign that his body temperature has increased. Dry nose can also be observed in aging cats due to deterioration in the functioning of the glands, which is not a pathology and a cause for concern.

Sometimes a cat's fever is accompanied by general weakness, faster heavy breathing, loss of appetite. Very high temperatures can cause your pet to shiver. Such symptoms usually indicate infectious nature hyperthermia, which cannot be treated without special treatment.

Causes of fever in a pet

The dynamics of indicators that characterize a cat’s temperature is one of the most important signs the presence or absence of any disease.

Some owners of furry pets, when they detect a high temperature, external signs they panic because they have no idea how to measure it correctly. In principle, measuring temperature in cats is not particularly difficult, since it is carried out by well-known medical devices, in particular a thermometer.

Ideally, you need to have an individual device for your pet, which is best stored in a special “cat first aid kit.” Can be used for measurement as usual mercury thermometer, and its more advanced form - an electronic thermometer.

Of course, an electronic device has a number of advantages. With its help, it is much more convenient and faster to perform the procedure, and the result indicators are highly accurate. However, in the absence of a universal device, a regular mercury thermometer is quite suitable. Before the procedure, it is important to treat it with any disinfectant solution. The same should be done after measuring the temperature.

You can accurately measure a cat's body temperature in the rectum, while securing the pet with a towel. This is done so that the animal does not move during the procedure, since the accuracy of the measurements is guaranteed only if the animal behaves calmly.

Before the procedure, the tip of the thermometer is lubricated with baby or any other fatty cream. Carefully lifting the pet's tail, lightly insert the tip of the thermometer into the anus to a depth of one or two centimeters. In just two or three minutes you can take out the device and see the result.

The easiest way to measure the temperature is if the cat is in a standing position. But it is possible to carry out this procedure even if it supine position when the animal is very weak due to illness. It has a big effect on the cat. emotional state owner, so carry out this procedure necessary without unnecessary fuss.

How to help a cat with a high temperature

Treatment options for a cat with a high fever depend on established diagnosis and the degree of development of the disease. Since a high temperature can be a sign of a disease, the main treatment is aimed at eliminating the inflammatory focus in the body. Most often, when antibiotics are prescribed, the body temperature returns to normal.

In general, high temperature in itself is not dangerous. After all, with its help, the animal’s body tries to fight the virus on its own. Reducing the temperature with the help of antipyretic drugs is necessary in case of very high temperatures, which can provoke convulsions in the animal.

If the temperature is not very high, then you can try to bring it down at home. To do this, you need to moisten a towel or gauze with cold water and wrap the animal for about ten minutes. As the fabric dries, the cat's body temperature will noticeably decrease. Such manipulations are very effective in increasing body temperature from overheating of a pet outside in hot weather.

Same quick effect You can achieve this by using ice from the refrigerator. Wrap the pieces of ice in gauze and place them on the neck and on the inner side cat's hips. In this case, you should give her something to drink more often. To prevent dehydration, it is recommended to give your pet pharmaceutical rehydron.

Assign complex treatment After a thorough examination, only a specialist can treat a cat. If the temperature does not decrease even after taking antibiotics, the doctor prescribes additional research to identify the causes of hyperthermia.

It should be noted that low temperature in an animal also indicates an existing pathology in the body. The cause of low temperature may be blood loss or hypothermia. Sometimes this temperature is observed in cats with chronic diseases kidneys and endocrine system. Help in these cases is to warm the pet using a warm heating pad. If your cat's body temperature remains low long time- You should contact a specialist.

Since high fever is a consequence of some disease, then preventive measures aimed at avoiding them by observing hygiene standards, rational nutrition And proper care for the animal.