High Temp - What To Do?

[Guest snakes]

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone had experience with thier greyhound having a high temperature in terms of what they did or what thier vet recommended?

 

My girl, who sadly died saturday, suddenly saturday morning had a high temp of 104.3

 

She had a few other complciations that i won't get into, but we were just given antibiotics in the morning and not told to do anything else. My vet is a great vet who was great with her to the end.

I am just wondering if anyone else knew or had experience with high temperatures so i can learn from all this. I feel a bit guilty that i didn't do anything for her temp last saturday.

 

also, she had recently had low platelets so aspirin wasn't advised and she was on steroids which can react with NSAIDS and the like.

Edited June 12, 2007 by snakes

[retiredracers]

I'm very sorry about your girl's passing.

[Burpdog]

Although that is an elevated temp, it's not extremely high. Sounds like she may have had a TBD which in the end stages can be hard on the organs, or she may have had cancer somewhere.

 

Sending my sympathy. It is very hard to lose them when you know what is wrong, much less when you do not

[Guest meandmygreys]

I would of put her in a cool water bath and sponged her off...like a kid with a high fever...to try to bring the temp down.

 

Sorry for the loss of your girlie..

[Batmom]

Usually for a temp like that my vet would just give the antibiotics too and have me watch that it didn't get too high. Really depends on the cause as to what else you can do.

 

I'm so sorry you lost your pupper.

[feemandvm]

First let me extend my sympathies on your loss.

 

In this case the fever was not the cause of death. Whatever caused the fever obviously was, however. There really is no way of knowing what may have caused the fever in retrospect but could have been anything from immune mediated disease to cancer to a TBD to a myriad of other things. Bloodwork, x-rays, etc. may have helped to determine what it was but certainly cannot change things. : (

 

Fevers above 105 I consider very significant and will hospitalize. A fever of 104.3 I would certainly work-up with labs as the exam indicated but would likely treat as an out-patient if the dog felt OK.

 

 

[ZoomDoggy]

Like others have said, the fever alone was likely a symptom, not the problem. The first overt indication of my Sissy's liver and spleen cancer was unexplained fever. I kept her cooled with a fan and intermittant cold packs, but there's nothing I could've done to save her. I know. I tried.

 

I'm very sorry for your loss.

[Guest snakes]

Maybe i should have given more details.

As FreedmanDVM had said, the fever was not the cause of death, merely a symptom of something we can't explain. She had also vomited a couple times that morning and twice that afternoon.

 

She did have an immune mediated problem (recently found out), no TBD as per bloodwork, no infection as seen by bloodwork, no cancer as evidenced by bloodwork and ultrasound, she did have some kidney issues, recent battle with ITP/Thrombocytopenia. She was also 11 years old.

 

So as you can see, she certaintly had her share of bad luck recently.

 

Even without the fever she may have passed anyway.

I just thought i would try to gain some knowledge for future greys and to make them more comfortable if i am ever in that unfortunate situation again.

 

thank you for all of your condolences.

Edited June 12, 2007 by snakes

[Burpdog]

Just for future information:

 

many vets do not test for all the TBDs. Usually, the only erlichia tested for is canis and there has been a dramatic increase in other erlichias. I recently found out that when you request a TBD panel and your vet uses Antech or Idexx, they only include erlichia and RMSF--not even babesia. If you request babesia, the Antech sends it to Protatek, so why not use them in the first place (or North Carolina State). Also, several dogs have had full panels here in Texas which have been clean yet the dogs responded to doxy treatment.

 

She was much too young to go yet I know it hurts.

Edited June 12, 2007 by Burpdog

[NeylasMom]

I can't add anything to your question, but I am sorry for your loss. I agree that it's hard enough to deal with a loss when you know what happened, let alone when you don't.

[sonya]

So sorry for your loss

[macoduck]

I am sorry for your loss.