If you love dogs and own one as a companion, you may have noticed sometimes that your dog is not doing well. Upon checking you find him hotter than usual. You wonder why my dog’s head is hot. You get worried about him/her. You may feel panic about your pet’s health.
There is no need to panic or worry. Keep in mind that dogs’ body mechanisms work differently as compared to humans. Check whether he is sick or not. You may need to take him to the vet for a professional and proper checkup.
Before you take him to the vet and spend lots of money on his treatment, do give a read to this article. You may find your solution over here.
You also don’t need to worry about what to feed them because you can check our complete guides on feeding them Cheetos, Sour cream, Cream cheese, Olives, Raw bacon, Tea Basil, & Prunes but with proper cautions.
Why My Dog’s Head Is Hot?
When a dog’s head feels hot we take it as a fever. But there can be different reasons that your dog’s head is hot. Let’s dig deep down into this article and find out why your dog’s head is hot.
If you are also wondering that does your dog has lips or not? Then visit our other article to know the truth.
Here we have entitled different reasons that why your dog’s head is hot;
1) Some Sort Of Infection:
The main cause of your dog’s head is hot is some kind of infection. Infection can be get caught by external or internal sources. External infections include insects bite, scratching, and a deep cut in the skin. Internal infections include bacteria, viral infections in kidneys, or somewhere inside the skin.
You need to locate where the infection is and get it treated before its gets too late. If there is a little infection you can treat it by yourself. But if it is serious and is affecting your dog, take your dog to the vet immediately.
2) After-Effects Of Vaccination:
Sometimes vaccination can lead to fever as after-effects. Your dog may feel a bit hot or act low after getting vaccinated. If you have vaccinated your dog recently, then your dog is feeling hot due to the vaccination.
It is common in dogs to catch a little fever after vaccination. You need not worry about it. Your dog will feel okay after 24 to 48 hours. But if he didn’t feel okay after this period, then you should take him to the vet.
3) Poor Hygiene:
Poor hygiene can also lead to high body temperature in dogs. Your dog may have eaten something poisonous to health which results in high temperature. In that case, keep an eye on him and if you notice something fishy, take him to the vet and get him checked.
4) Hot Weather:
Your dog can also feel hot due to the weather. If your dog’s head is hot it can be because your dog was sitting near the fire for a long time, or spend time outside in the sun. This situation can remain for short time spam and your dog will feel better after some time.
5) Feeling Stress:
Like human beings, dogs can also have emotions and they can feel the things around them. One of the main causes of the hot-head of your dog can be some stress.
Some dogs can also feel stressed when they go to some new place, but don’t worry this is a temporary situation. Give your dog love and attention and he will be fine.
If you are feeling stressed or something is going around in your life, which can also make your dog stress. There are various reasons on which a dog can feel stressed. Examine the environment around you and your dog to make him feel normal.
6) Fever:
If you wonder why your dog’s head is hot, it can be normal. A dog’s body temperature lies between 101°F to 102.5 °F. If you feel your dog is lazy or hotter than normal, it could be due to fever. Temperature above 103F or below 99F indicates fever in your dog.
A) Symptoms Of Fever:
Below, we have enlisted the symptoms of fever in your dog:
- Feeling lazy.
- Redness in eyes.
- Poor appetite.
- Dry nose
- Trembling
If you feel any of these symptoms in your dog, then he might be suffering from fever and you should take him to the vet.
B) Causes Of Fever:
Any kind of infection can lead to fever in your dog as they are unable to fight the infection. Dogs can catch fever due to insect bites, cut in the skin, some kidney or viral pet infections in the air.
C) How To Check The Temperature?
Make sure to keep calm to your dog before checking his temperature. Moisturize the metal tip of the thermometer so that your dog cannot feel uneasy.
After inserting the thermometer into the dog’s rectum, wait for few seconds to get the actual reading.
After checking the temperature, clean the thermometer with water. And for future limit the thermometer only for pet use.
D) How To Reduce A Fever?
To reduce your dog’s fever, use cold water around his ears and paws. Make him drink water. Keep doing this unless until the temperature drops to 102F. Try to keep your dog hydrated with enough water. Never try to give them human medicines, i.e.; ibuprofen, Panadol, etc.
Keep monitoring your dog’s routine and don’t let the fever come again. If the situation didn’t get under control, consider taking him to the vet for his treatment.
Is It Normal If My Dog’s Head Is Hot?
There is nothing to worry about if your dog’s head is hot. Because dogs are usually warm-blooded animals and they are hot.
As compared to us humans, the mechanism of dogs works a bit differently. Dogs’ body temperature lies between 101F to 102F and human body temperature lies between 97F to 99F.
When Should Consult A Vet If My Dog’s Head Is Hot?
Usually, dogs defeat the fever within 24 to 48 hours. But if your dog is still feeling fever after 48 hours then you should consider him taking to the vet.
Keep an eye on your dog. When the temperature crosses 103F, take him to the vet immediately. Because it can harm his kidneys and other organs.
Fever more than 106F can be life-threatening for your dog if you didn’t take safety measures in time.
Conclusion:
There could be various reasons that your dog’s head is hot. It may be due to mild fever, some infection, and environmental factors. There is nothing to panic about it until they are doing well. But if you feel some un-certain activity in their routine, try to diagnose the problem at home first.
If you can’t then take them to the veterinary clinic so that they can get treatment by health professionals. Make sure that you never compromise your dog’s health.