Dogs Head Hot to the Touch? Possible Causes and Actions
Okay, so the other day, I noticed something weird. I was petting my dog, Gus, like I always do, and his head felt really warm. Not just, like, normal dog warm, but hot. Naturally, I started to freak out a little. Is he sick? Is this an emergency? My mind went straight to the worst-case scenario.
My First Steps
First, I tried to stay calm. Easier said than done, I know! I figured the best thing to do was take his temperature. I have a rectal thermometer that's for dogs only. I remembered the vet saying it is the most accurate approach.
- Grabbed the thermometer.
- Lubed it up (very important, don't want to hurt the pup!).
- Struggled for a good five minutes to get Gus to stay still (he hates this part).
Temperature Reading:
Finally got a reading. It was 102.8 degrees Fahrenheit. I knew that a dog's normal temperature is usually between 101 and 102.5 degrees,so It is just slightly higher than normal, right?
Checking other symptoms:
Because I've read some articles before, I know I cannot just depend on one symptom, so I observed carefully for below other things:
- Eyes: clear and normal. No discharge.
- Nose: wet, and cold.
- Gums: pink, not pale.
- Behavior: was pretty normal, he didn't seem more tired than usual.
What I Did
Since his temperature wasn't super high and he wasn't showing any other worrying signs, I decided to just keep a close eye on him.I gave him some fresh water, and made sure he had a cool place to lie down. I also decided to hold off on our usual evening walk, just in case.
The Result (So Far)
It's been a few hours now, and Gus seems totally fine. I took his temperature again, and it's down to 101.9. I'm still a little worried, but I'm feeling a lot better. I'm going to continue to monitor him overnight, of course. If anything changes, or if his head feels super hot again, I'm calling the vet first thing in the morning. It's always better to be safe than sorry, especially my buddy, Gus. I will update later if I get some news!
