Managing a dog's fever

[lavender444]

Yes, we've been to the vet, about twice a week for the last few months. My dog is a mess. the more I think about it the more it seems we are heading in to a hospic care state, than a medical care state. I love her almost as much as I love my kids and jsut want her to be happy.

My poor Rottie has had a really tough year. She is 9 and has been in excellent health until this year. She has a new diagosis of Encephilatis (swelling on her brain) and is on steroids to treat the inflammiation and anti-convulsants to treat the seizures (a symptom of the Encephilatis). Because of the steroids, her immune system is suppressed and she is very quick to get an infection.

In April, she bite through her foot and punctured a hole all the way through her foot. It immediatly got infected and she went on a 2 week course of antibiotics. ( I think she was licking her feet and had a partical seizure that caused her to clamp down.) This infection took a long time to treat, over a month.. We had to soak it 3 times a day and she had to wear cones and boots to keep her from touching it.

Thursday, she was fine in the morning. I came home and she looked off. As the evening progressed she looked awful, started shaking, and we noticed her front leg was swollen. We went into the emergency vet where her Neurologist is and learned she scrapped her elbow and had a massive infection that went systemic. Her fever went up to 106. They kept her overnight on IV antibiotics and fluids. She was discharged Friday morning to the care of our regualr vet and admitted there for another day of IV antibiotics and fluids. She came home Friday night. looked great all day yesterday and woke up today feeling lousey again. We took her temp and she is at 104.5. Of course our regular vet is closed. I called the ER vet and we made a plan with them on managing her fever at home until it went to 105. At that point they will hospitalize her again. Which, now Lola has grown to hate. She gets really sad when we have to leave her. She is having hydrotherapy done on her legs to help bring down the swelling. (That's a fancy way of saying we are instructed to hose her down and massage her legs.) We've been hosing her body off. She is drinking well, but not eating.

But I'm curious of there are other methods of keeping this fever down besides cold water? Has anyone had to manage a fever at home before? Lola is on oral antibiotics.

The vet's did not say this, but I feel like yesterday she had such a good day because she was on a hoenymoon period after coming off the IV antibiotics and we just need to keep her comfortable until the oral pills are built up more. I really hope we can keep her out of the vets office. She is an old dog with a lot of health issues. Her days are numbered, I know. But I just want her to be happy and comfortable in the time we have left with her.

Thanks.

[snickers]

I don't have any advice, but I am really sorry you are going through this. Sounds like a tough year to say the least.

[Deleted]

Our vet has given us advice on managing fevers at home also because our guy was having terrible fevers for several months. I don't really want to recommend anything over the internet since I'm not a vet, but our vet did recommend some OTC human fever relievers for him. But some are really dangerous for dogs, so you can't give just any. Maybe ask the e-vet if there's some form of human medication you could be giving her for pain/fever and in what amount/frequency?