What is a normal temperature using an ear thermometer on my dog?

Our question this week was:

Dr. Debra – What is a normal temperature using an ear thermometer on my dog? Is it the same as a rectal temperature?

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James B.

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. You wrote asking “What is a normal temperature using an ear thermometer on my dog?”. Generally, we believe that an ear temperature is one degree lower than a rectal temperature. If a normal rectal temperature in a dog is roughly 100 to 102 degrees F. then a normal ear temperature would be approximately 99 to 101 degrees F.

An article that might be helpful to you is How to Take Your Dog’s Temperature? Also – this article – What Is Normal in Dogs? may be useful as it gives you information on the normal heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, and gum color in dogs.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra

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