Why does my dog keep getting fevers? What are the possible reasons?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor girl! General tests to consider include bloodwork (CBC and chemistry panel), urinalysis, thoracic radiographs and ideally abdominal ultrasound. This would be a good place to start to see if the cause can be found. An infection is possible though other things like inflammatory diseases or cancer can also cause a fever. This can be done stepwise which may be more cost effective. Good luck and best wishes for your girl!

My next step would be to send off blood for a test for plague (Yersinia pestis) and Tularemia, especially if your dog has access to areas where there are rodents, squirrels and rabbits. These would not be included in regular blood work. You may also want tod discuss a disease called malignant hyperthermia with your veterinarian. Other common causes of "fever of unknown origin" would be tumors, however your vet apparently ruled those out with blood tests, ultrasound, and xray and possibly blood parasites such as Ehrlichia spp, Babesia spp and similar. A heartworm test may also be advisable.

A fever this high is usually indicative of a bacterial or viral disease going on. Your veterinarian will need to run some tests to try and determine the cause of the fever. Once the cause is identified the proper antibiotics, antifungals, or antipruritic drugs can be prescribed. The tablet given to your dog is basically a fever reducer but will not treat the cause of the fever. I would recommend taking your dog in for a recheck as soon as you’re able to. The exact cause of the fever cannot be determined without further workup and diagnostics. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

There is a very high white blood cell count that is mostly neutrophils so there is definitely an underlying infection somewhere in the body. She is also very anemic and her chloride is very low. Unfortunately, her symptoms are non-specific. Anything disease process or illness can cause lack of appetite. You can not use feel to assess body temperature. They often feel warm to the touch but their body temperature will be normal, however, in this case, with the underlying infection I suspect she is feverish. You would need to take a rectal temperature to get a proper reading. The first thing that always comes to mind in a an unspayed dog is a uterine infection (pyometra) so I suggest you speak to the vet about that possibility. If it is not that you will just have to continue testing for things until you find something. The list of possibilities is very long from tick borne diseases to cancer and anything in between. Unfortunately, there is no way for me to diagnose her via the internet. I hope this clarifies a bit and I wish Stephanie a speedy recovery.

Poor guy. Not every pet with a fever has an infection, so if the antibiotic isn’t working it’s either because there is no infection, the infection is internal, or the antibiotic is not the right kind of antibiotic for the infection. Your pet needs additional testing to sort this out and make sure we are on the right track with treatment. I would start with baseline bloodwork and a urinalysis. Best to take your pet back in to your vet or to another vet for a second opinion here so that we can get a proper diagnosis and tailored treatment based on your pets specific problem. I hope that your pet is able to make a full and speedy recovery soon! Best wishes and take care.

I am very sorry to hear about your dog. There are many different possible causes for these symptoms, including bacterial infection, viral infection, fungal infection tick borne infection, (these infections could be in various places, including the kidneys, lungs, brain) cancer, and immune disease. You haven't mentioned whether or not any testing has been done to help determine the cause of the fever. If not, this would be the next step and would include bloodwork, urine testing, x-ray and possibly ultrasound. If you wish to discuss her case in more detail I would consider using our consultation service.

Usually a virus is what causes a persistent high fever. I suggest you consult with the vet to get some medication to treat the fever like a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. Often intravenous fluids are needed to correct dehydration as well.