One of the main indicators of the state of the organism of any creature is its body temperature. An experienced mother or grandmother, as soon as she sees that something is wrong with her offspring, first of all checks if his forehead is hot. The same happens with dogs or cats. In the normal state, their temperature is stable, and at the slightest disturbance, it begins to grow or fall. The fever in the cat is also evidence that she is most likely to fall ill, urgently need to take action, and call a veterinarian. There are exceptions to the rules, when some creatures do not have the same indicator as the others, but feel it is normal at the same time. But for most animals of a certain species, there are standard indices, to which scientists or veterinarians are oriented.
Based on scientific studies and long-term observations, tables have been prepared in which temperature intervals are given, within which readings are considered normal. For a horse, this is 37.5-38.5, for a dog - 37.5-39.5. Birds have a slightly higher temperature than others. For a duck, even 43 degrees will be within the norm. But we are now interested in fluffy and tender cats, with which amateurs also sometimes have a lot of breakdown.
How to determine the temperature of a cat?
The body temperature is most easily determined using a household thermometer. There are several types: mercury thermometer, alcohol, electronic. New devices are much more convenient to use, they give out the result faster, and the chances to break it or break much less. But modern thermometers are still more expensive, and many fans give for this reason a preference for the old proven glass thermometers.
How is it easier to check the temperature of a cat? It is best to do this procedure together. The animal needs to be fixed, most likely, it will resist, and try to escape from the hands. You can roll a cat in a towel, blanket or sheet, so that she at this time did not scratch or bite. If the person is strong, then he can hold it with one hand for the paws, and the other at this time try to fix the head for the scruff. The thermometer should be lubricated with cream or petroleum jelly, and then enter shallow into the anus. For a mercury thermometer, it will be about 3-5 minutes, and a modern electronic device will let you know when to pull it out by issuing a beep. Do not forget, after finishing the procedure, disinfects your thermometer, putting it in alcohol or vodka. The electronic device can be wiped with a cotton swab moistened with a disinfectant.
Now that we have received reliable testimonies, we can compare them with the tables given in the medical literature. For an adult cat, normal body temperature is 38-39 degrees, and in a kitten it may be somewhat higher - 38.5-39.5. Symptoms of fever in a cat may be weakness, fever, shock, loss of appetite. Most often this indicates the beginning of the disease - the development of infection, cancer , reaction to drugs or venom poisoning, metabolic disorders.
Low temperature in a cat should also alert a good host. It can be in weakened animals that have been infected, with liver or kidney disease, during anesthesia, during hypothermia, 24 hours prior to delivery in females.
Never need to do rash hasty actions, and start self-treatment without consulting specialists. Normal temperature in cats may increase slightly after exercise, during pregnancy or in some other cases. Only additional laboratory tests (blood, urine, x-ray, ultrasound, biopsy) can accurately determine the diagnosis.