you don't have to "break a fever" in children. fever is beneficial and is helping him fight off an infection. a fever of 103 does not cause harm. dehydration is a different issue so it is important for him to drink fluids. as long as he has tears and his mouth is moist inside he is probably doing fine. fevers from viral infections for instance can last 3-4 days the reason to seek medical care would be the cough. simple colds (viral infections) can definitely cause a fever and cough but so can influenza and pneumonia. if you are concerned that this illness is something more than a viral infection then you would need to have him properly examined by a medical professional. while you don't have to worry about fever or even treat it you do need to make him comfortable so if ibuprofen or acetaminophen makes him feel better then use it.
my 4yr old has a temp of 103 if i cant get it to break how long shoulld i wait to take him to the doctor? . he is drinking very small amounts i am worried about dehydration (only peed 3 times in 24hrs) he normally pees 6 to 8 times a day. he also has a wet cough.