Temperature check

What is the best way to take a dog’s temperature?

Neil says: I find a thermometer pretty useful. In the olden days (that’s pre-2000 to my children), I resisted encouraging owners to take their dog’s temperature, as the glass-andmercury thermometers we used were prone to breaking, so dangerous. The electronic digital thermometers available now are much safer, easier to read and often have flexible ends that make them more comfortable for the dog. I know some use the ear canal but I prefer the rectal route. An assistant is required to hold the dog still. Lubricate the thermometer, lift the tail right up and insert the thermometer gently and carefully about 4-5cm into the rectum. It should be held slightly to the side, against the rectal wall, rather than in the middle of faecal material, which will give an artificially low reading. While the normal temperature in humans is around 37°C (98.6°F), dogs are higher at 38.3-39.2°C (101-102.5°F). Most electronic thermometers offer imperial or metric. They are certainly a useful part of your doggy kit. Any temperature in excess of 39.4°C or under 37.2°C should be reported to your vet. My final thought: is it not odd that we use the same size of thermometer to measure body temperature in hamsters as we do in elephants? (Though I confess to never having done the latter and not much enjoying the former.)