How to use the pet fever check
Pick your pet, enter the number your thermometer shows, and the tool reports whether that single reading sits inside the normal range and how many degrees outside it falls. It is built around the one value you just measured rather than a table of species figures, and choosing how you measured adds a one-line note about that method.
Dogs and cats run warmer than people, so 100.5 to 102.5 °F (38.0 to 39.2 °C) is treated as normal, the range used in common by AAHA and WSAVA guidance and by veterinary clinical references. Values are current as of October 2026, and the limits 100.5 °F and 102.5 °F count as inside the range.
This tool compares temperature only. It does not identify the cause of a fever and does not grade severity by how high the reading is. Pets can be ill without a fever, and excitement, hot rooms or exercise raise temperature for a while. This tool is for reference only and does not replace veterinary care. Contact your veterinarian right away if you notice symptoms or suspect a problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both species share a normal range of 100.5 to 102.5 °F. Readings swing a lot with stress, activity and room temperature, so measure when your pet is calm.
A digital thermometer that can take a rectal reading works, but armpit and non-contact readings vary too much to rely on.
Contact your veterinarian right away if the reading stays outside the range or comes with changes in energy, breathing or appetite. This tool reports only how far outside the range a value falls; it does not grade urgency or name a disease.