Dog temperature checker: is my dog's temperature normal?

What is a normal temperature for a dog?

A healthy adult dog runs warmer than you do. VCA Animal Hospitals puts the normal range at 100 to 102.5 °F (37.7 to 39.2 °C). The Merck Veterinary Manual, the reference most vets learn from, gives 99.5 to 102.5 °F (37.5 to 39.2 °C). The two agree at the top; they differ by half a degree at the bottom, so the checker treats 99 to 99.9 °F as a reading to repeat rather than a problem.

One reading on its own says less than the trend. If you can, take your dog's temperature on a normal, relaxed day so you know its usual number. Then a reading of 102.8 °F after a game of fetch will look like what it probably is, excitement, and not a fever.

Dog temperature chart

Every band the checker uses, for an adult dog or a puppy older than 4 weeks, measured rectally.

How do I take my dog's temperature?

A rectal reading with a digital thermometer is the standard way to do it at home, and the one the ranges on this page are based on. Here is the method VCA recommends:

1. Get a helper to hold and calm your dog. Lying on its side works well; a treat helps.
2. Coat the tip of the thermometer with petroleum jelly.
3. Lift the tail and slide the tip gently into the rectum until the metal tip is fully inside. Never force it.
4. Hold the thermometer steady until it beeps, then wipe it and read it.

Pet ear thermometers are easier on a wriggly dog. VCA calls them reasonably accurate but not always precise, because ear canals, hair and wax vary. They are fine for spotting a trend; confirm a worrying ear reading rectally, but never delay a vet trip to do it.

Excitement raises the reading. If your dog was agitated, VCA advises letting it settle for 10 minutes and trying again.

When is a dog's fever an emergency?

Above 103 °F (39.4 °C), a temperature counts as abnormal. A fever is a sign that something, often an infection or inflammation, needs finding, so a reading between 103 and 104 °F is worth a call to your vet the same day. VCA treats anything above 104 °F (40 °C) as an emergency.

Heat is a different story. When a dog overheats in hot weather, a hot car or after hard exercise, the temperature climbs because it can't shed heat fast enough, and VCA describes this hyperthermia as an immediate emergency. From about 106 °F (41.1 °C) a dog is in the heat stroke range, and organ failure becomes likely around 107 to 109 °F (41.2 to 42.7 °C). Turn on "Just been in the heat?" in the checker and any reading above 103 °F is flagged as an emergency.

Cooling on the way: cool (not cold) water over the head, belly, armpits and feet. No ice, no wet towels on top. Stop at 103 °F (39.4 °C).

Don't reach for the medicine cabinet. Several human fever and pain pills are poisonous to dogs; our ibuprofen and painkiller toxicity calculator shows why. If your dog has a fever along with other signs like vomiting or breathing trouble, the dog symptom checker helps you decide how fast to act.

What if my dog's temperature is low?

A low reading is easy to dismiss, but VCA counts anything below 99 °F (37.2 °C) as an emergency. Texas A&M's veterinary college grades hypothermia as mild at 90 to 99 °F, moderate at 82 to 90 °F and severe below 82 °F. Small and young dogs lose heat fastest, and older dogs on some medications are more at risk too. Watch for shivering, lethargy, weakness and shallow breathing; when the shivering stops, it is getting worse.

Call your vet first, and ask before you try active warming. Meanwhile, move your dog somewhere warm and wrap it in dry towels or a blanket. A hot water bottle wrapped in a towel can help; a heating pad pressed straight against the skin can cause burns. For cold-weather walks, the is it too cold for my dog? tool helps you plan ahead.

What temperature should a newborn puppy be?

Newborn puppies run cooler than adults, and their normal temperature climbs week by week, so adult ranges don't apply. These are the Merck Veterinary Manual's normal rectal ranges:

A newborn below its range is chilled and needs gentle warming and a call to your vet. Choose "Newborn puppy" in the checker to compare a reading with the right range for its age.