Taking your pet's temperature yourself at home is possible and sometimes necessary. Depending upon how much your pet dislikes this, however, you may want someone nearby to help out. In addition, some pets, especially cats as they have very strong muscles around the anus, will struggle very actively, making it a whole lot easier to just leave the temperature taking to your vet.

To take your pet's temperature, you don't need a special pet thermometer but can use a regular rectal thermometer meant for people. Start by shaking down the thermometer so that it reads 96°F or less, then lubricate it with lubricating jelly or Vaseline. Keep in mind that this is not a pleasant experience for your pet, so be sure to reassure him throughout the process. Firmly grasp and hold your pet's tail at the base and raise it so that you can gently insert the bulb part of the thermometer into the anus using a twisting motion.

More about properly taking your pets temperature.