Noncontact infrared thermometer measurements offer a reasonable alternative to rectal temperature measurement in afebrile horses.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the repeatability of infrared thermometer temperature readings and evaluate the correlation between digital rectal temperature and infrared thermometer temperatures taken at different locations in healthy afebrile horses. ANIMALS: 101 afebrile horses ≥ 1 year old. METHODS: Digital rectal temperatures and infrared temperatures from the eye, gingiva, neck, axilla, and perineum were obtained in a climate-controlled environment and at 2 outdoor ambient temperatures (study period, November 1, 2021, to April 30, 2023). RESULTS: Infrared temperature measurements were well tolerated by horses, including those resistant to rectal temperature. There was significant correlation between rectal temperature and infrared temperature taken at the perineum (R = 0.57; P < .001) and eye (R = 0.37; P < .001). Infrared temperature measurements were highly repeatable, allowing for calculation of reference ranges for the perineum (36.0 to 37.8 °C) and eye (35.7 to 37.1 °C) in climate-controlled conditions. There was increased variance in outside temperatures compared to climate-controlled conditions for the eye (P = .002), gingiva (P = .047), and perineum (P = .005). CLINICAL RELEVANCE: While infrared thermometer temperatures were not numerically the same as rectal temperature using a digital thermometer, measurements at the perineum and eye were correlated with rectal temperature readings. Further, the repeatability of infrared readings allows for computation of reference ranges that make the infrared thermometer a viable alternative for the practicing veterinarian when obtaining a temperature in uncooperative horses. The infrared thermometer was reliable outdoors for the eye, but not the perineum. Additional validation of infrared temperature reference ranges in febrile horses and warmer ambient temperatures is warranted.

Evaluating alternative temperature measurement sites in cats within a home environment: A comparison with rectal temperature.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare rectal temperature (RT) with temperatures measured in the pinna, cornea, medial canthus, gingiva, metacarpal pad and axillary region of cats in a home environment. ANIMALS STUDIED: Five healthy mixed-breed cats (two females and three males) owned by a veterinarian were used. PROCEDURES: All temperature measurements were conducted by the owner by using an infrared camera in the same room and initiated with the pinna, followed by the cornea, medial canthus, gingiva and metacarpal pad. Subsequently, axillary temperature (AT) and RT were recorded by a digital thermometer, respectively. The time taken for a single AT and RT measurements was recorded. RESULTS: The average measurement time for RT was 17.34 ± 0.89 s, with a range of 8-32 s, whereas AT measurements took an average of 46.72 ± 1.16 s, with a range of 29-69 s. AT emerged as a superior alternative measurement site compared to others, exhibiting the lowest bias and the highest proportion of readings within the limits of clinical agreement. The mean difference between RT and AT, with 95% limits of agreement for the differences, was -0.26 (-1.13 to 0.61). CONCLUSIONS: Anatomical regions were not all interchangeable with the rectum for assessing body temperature (BT), with AT recording the highest level of agreement with RT. When RT is not possible, AT could be considered as an alternative for monitoring BT in clinically healthy cats that live in a home environment.

Body temperature measurement in anesthetized dogs - comparison of nasal, axillary, rectal and esophageal temperature.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate different methods of monitoring body temperature in anesthetized dogs with comparison to core temperature obtained via esophageal probe. METHODS: Client-owned dogs undergoing general anesthesia for various procedures were included in this observational study. The temperature was taken sequentially every 10 minutes from the rectum, axilla, and nasal cavity with a digital thermistor thermometer, and compared to esophageal core temperature via paired t-tests. Differences from the gold standard esophageal temperature were assessed via Bland-Altman plots and further evaluated for factors like time under anesthesia and presence of Hypo-/Normo- or Hyperthermia. In addition, it was analyzed whether a correction factor for peripheral measurement sites (nasal cavity and axilla) would be applicable in a reliable representation of the body temperature. The level of significance in all tests was set at p<0.05. RESULTS: In this study, 95 simultaneous temperature measurements at the 4 different sites were obtained from 30 dogs. Mean difference and limits of agreement from esophageal temperature for the different measurement methods were 0.0±0.72°C for rectal temperature, -1.2±1.42°C for axillary and -1.0±2.02°C for nasal temperature. Axillary and nasal temperatures were not significantly different (p=0.5721 and p=0.9287, respectively) from esophageal temperature with a +1.2°C and +1°C correction factor, respectively. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: During perioperative temperature measurement in anesthetized patients, rectal and esophageal measurements can be used interchangeable. However, if these are not available, the use of axillary or nasal sites is only reliable after applying a correction factor.

[Body temperature measurement in pigs: Are infrared thermometers a non-invasive alternative?] / Messung der Körpertemperatur beim Schwein: Können Infrarotthermometer eine Alternative sein?

OBJECTIVE: Internal body temperature is an essential parameter in evaluation an animal's general health status. The rectal temperature as 'gold standard' requires restraining of the animal which may cause stress especially when not accustomed to handling procedures. Stress on the other hand should whenever possible be avoided as it negatively affects animal welfare and may increase body temperature. The present study evaluated whether measuring the body surface temperature with an infrared thermometer (IRT) may represent a stressless alternative method to rectal body temperature measurements. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twelve male fattening pigs were included in the study. Body temperature was measured once a week for 11 weeks. Body surface temperature measurements were performed in the areas of the forehead, caudal base of the ear and anus using two infrared thermometers (IRT1 and IRT2) each. RESULTS: Throughout the study, all pigs were clinically healthy. Best repeatability was found for the rectal thermometer and IRT1 in the anus region. Homogeneity of variance was not found for the measurements of the three thermometers. Mean values of body temperature were significantly different (p<0,05) between thermometers and measurement points. Thereby, the type of thermometer and measurement point possessed a moderate to strong effect. The Bland-Altman plot shows that differences in the values of the thermometers and measurement points are within the acceptable range of variation (95% interval). However, the range of variation is too substantial for clinical assessment of the body temperature. CONCLUSION: The repeatability of temperature data measured with IRT on the body surface of pigs is acceptable. For this procedure, restraining the animals is not necessary, therefore reducing the animal's stress level during the clinical examination. However, the correlation to the rectal body temperature is weak to moderate. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In order to use IRT for health monitoring in animals, reference values for respective IRT and measurement points need to be established. In the current study no case of hyper- or hypothermia occurred. Further research is warrented to evaluate whether IRT reliably detect fever.

Comparison of axillary and inguinal temperature with rectal temperature in dogs at a veterinary teaching hospital.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to determine the agreement between rectal, axillary and inguinal temperatures and to estimate the accuracy of these measurements in detecting hyperthermia and hypothermia in dogs presented at a veterinary teaching hospital in the tropical Guinea Savannah zone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospectively, body temperature was measured in 610 dogs, using digital thermometry in the axillary, inguinal and rectal regions. RESULTS: Overall, axillary and inguinal temperatures significantly underestimated rectal temperature, with a mean difference of -0.39 ± 0.02°C (95% confidence interval: -0.43 to -0.35; limit of agreement: -1.27 to 0.49) and - 0.34 ± 0.02°C (95% confidence interval, -0.37 to -0.30; limit of agreement: -1.15 to 0.47), respectively. The limits of agreement of axillary and inguinal temperatures were wide and above the pre-determined maximal acceptable difference of ±0.50°C recommended for clinical significance of rectal temperature in dogs. Bland-Altman plots showed that the confidence intervals of the mean differences of axillary and inguinal temperatures did not include the value zero, thereby indicating that the tested methods lack agreement with rectal temperature. Sensitivity and specificity for the detection of hyperthermia with axillary temperature were 72.1% and 30.5%, respectively. In contrast, sensitivity and specificity for the detection of hyperthermia with inguinal temperature were 77.9% and 26.2%, respectively. The magnitude of disagreement between axillary, inguinal and rectal temperatures was affected by age, breed and sex being slightly lower in mature, non-native breed and female dogs. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Axillary and inguinal temperature measurements in dogs significantly underestimated rectal temperature measurements by -0.39 ± 0.02°C and -0.34 ± 0.02°C, respectively. The results indicate that axillary and inguinal temperatures should not be used as a replacement for rectal temperature due to the wide limits of agreement. In addition, axillary and inguinal temperatures may not be suitable in detecting hyperthermia because the sensitivity were lower than the required set-point of 90.0% for clinical identification of hyperthermia.

Agreement of Temperatures Measured Using a Non-Contact Infrared Thermometer With a Rectal Digital Thermometer in Horses.

Evaluating the body temperature of horses is an essential tool for monitoring horse health and biosecurity in groups of horses. Temperatures of horses and foals are determined most often using rectal thermometry. Rectal thermometry has limitations that include safety considerations for horses and humans. Thus, we investigated the agreement between a noncontact infrared thermometer (NCIT) and a rectal digital thermometer in 142 horses and 34 foals. For each horse and foal, measurements using the NCIT were collected from the forehead (n = 2) or neck (n = 1) and with a rectal digital thermometer (n = 1). Although the NCIT demonstrated good reliability (i.e. repeatability of measurements), a large negative bias (nearly 2°F (-16.7°C) in adult horses and >3°F (-16.1°C) in foals) was observed between readings from the NCIT and the rectal thermometer in healthy horses. Although horses with febrile illness were not included in the study, our results indicate that the large and inconsistent bias observed with the NCIT indicates that these devices will not be a suitable substitute for rectal thermometry for obtaining valid estimates of core body temperature in horses.

Accidental laceration of the vaginal wall by an intravaginal thermometer as a calving detection device in a Japanese black cow.

An intravaginal thermometer was inserted into a 59-month-old Japanese black cow to predict calving. After calving, the thermometer penetrated the vaginal wall and could not be removed by farm staff. Surgery to remove the thermometer was successful. The cow left the animal hospital without hospitalization. In the follow-up, the cow remained healthy on the farm for more than one year and is now pregnant. No symptoms related to damage to the vagina or infection developed. This is the first case report of a vaginal laceration caused by an intravaginal thermometer in a Japanese black cow. Insertional vaginal devices may cause vaginal lacerations in cattle.

The use of percutaneous thermal sensing microchips for non-invasive measurement of body temperature in foals during summer seasons in a subtropical region.

Continuous accurate attainment of the body temperature of foals is important to detect early stages of severe heat stress or fever due to a systemic illness. Among a number of methods to measure body temperature, measuring rectal temperature with a digital thermometer is most frequently used due to being relatively fast and simple method. It is also comparatively accurate and correlates well with the core body temperature. However, this method requires restraining the foal for a few seconds to obtain the temperature, and it can be dangerous for the handling person. Percutaneous thermal sensing microchips (PTSMs) are a means of monitoring the body temperature of horses, which offers a non-invasive, hygienic, quick, and accurate way to measure body temperature and provide an identification number for each individual, once it is implanted. This study tested the hypothesis that PTSM has a strong relationship with a conventional body temperature measurement, i.e., measuring rectal temperature with a digital thermometer of foals during summer seasons. Thirty-two foals in three consecutive foaling seasons (2018, 2019, and 2020 season) were implanted a PTSM into the right pectoral muscle, the right splenius muscle, the right gluteal muscle, and the nuchal ligament as early as two weeks after birth. The four PTSM temperatures, rectal temperature, and climate conditions (air temperature, relative humidity, and wet-bulb globe temperature) were obtained simultaneously during the three summer seasons and paired for comparison analysis. Among the PTSM temperatures, the pectoral muscle had the highest correlation and the least differences with rectal temperature. Using PTSM was safe, easy, and reliable for attaining body temperature in foals.

A noninvasive method of temperature measurement using a noncontact handheld infrared thermometer fails to correlate with rectal temperature in dogs and cats.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a retrospective, multicenter observational study that compares the agreement of rectal temperature with the temperature measured with noncontact infrared thermometer (NCIT) in a population of dogs and cats. Animals: 168 dogs and 61 cats. PROCEDURES: NCIT readings were taken in triplicate from the medial pinna, then rectal temperature was taken with a standard digital rectal thermometer (RT). Ambient room temperature, signalment, presence of icterus, skin and coat color, reason for presentation, and final diagnosis were recorded. RESULTS: In dogs, median (range) body temperature reflected by RT and NCIT measurements was 38.4 °C (33.4 to 40.3 °C) and 36.3 °C (30.8 to 40.0 °C), respectively. In cats, median (range) body temperature reflected by RT and NCIT measurements was 38.3 °C (36.2 to 40.0 °C) and 35.7 °C (31.8 to 38.0 °C), respectively. There was a weak positive correlation between body temperatures measured by NCIT and RT in dogs (Kendall tau = 0.154), but there was no correlation in cats (Kendall tau = -0.01). A significant, albeit weak, agreement was seen between temperature measured by NCIT and RT in dogs (Kappa value, 0.05), but not cats (Kappa value, -0.08). In both species, NCIT tended to underread body temperature, compared with RT (dogs: mean ± SD bias -2.2 ± 1.51 °C; cats: mean bias -2.7 ± 1.44 °C), with the degree of low measurements lessening as body temperature increased. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Given both poor correlation and agreement in body temperature measured by NCIT and rectal thermometer, NCIT measurements cannot be recommended at the current time as a means to determine body temperature in dogs and cats.

The agreement of rectal temperature with gingival, ocular and metacarpal pad temperatures in clinically healthy dogs.

AIMS: To compare alternative methods of recording body temperature (BT) with rectal temperature (RT) in clinically healthy dogs. METHODS: This prospective study included 97 healthy mixed-breed dogs (43 females and 54 males). The gingival temperature (GT) was collected by using a human non-contact, infrared forehead thermometer, while ocular temperature (OT) and metacarpal pad temperature (MPT) were obtained with an infrared thermal camera. The degree of agreement was determined using the Bland-Altman method, with RT considered as the reference temperature. RESULTS: A total of 382 readings were obtained from four different anatomical regions. The mean difference and their 95% limits of agreement for the differences between RT-GT, RT-OT, and RT-MPT were 0.18°C (-0.95°C-1.32°C), 0.79°C (-0.45°C-2.04°C), and 0.50°C (-0.63°C-1.62°C), respectively. The GT, OT, and MPT values were within ±0.5°C of RT for 65.9%, 19.5%, and 52.5% of dogs, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Although GT, OT, and MPT were a quick way to estimate BT in dogs, these measurements were not comparable with RT. The GT measurement achieved the best agreement with RT measurement (lowest bias and the highest proportion of measurements within ±0.5°C). The GT could be considered an option for monitoring changes to body temperature in clinically healthy dogs where RT measurement is not possible.

Screening microchip sites to predict body temperature in young calves.

Thermal microchip sensors can automate body temperature measurements. The best site of implantation is still unknown, and the accuracy and precision of body temperature predictions based on microchip data need to be investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the best site for microchip implant for monitoring body temperature in dairy calves. Seventeen calves were used (32.2 ± 5.2 kg of body weight) and the microchips were implanted four days after birth. The microchips were implanted at navel, ear and tail base (subcutaneous), neck (cleidocephalicus) and internal face of leg (gracilis) (intramuscular). Rectal temperature (RT, °C), obtained with a clinical thermometer, was considered as core temperature. Air temperature (AT), relative humidity (RH) and the temperature and humidity index (THI) were evaluated at the same time of rectal and microchip temperature measurements over 56 days. The range of AT, RH and THI was 7.6-34.4 °C, 17.5-99.0% and 50.6 to 91.5. The average for rectum, ear, neck, tail, leg, and navel were 38.7; 36.9; 38.0; 37.0, 37.8 and 37.0 °C. The intramuscular implantations had closest values to RT. The correlations between RT and ear, neck, tail, leg, and navel temperatures were 0.56, 0.60, 0.60, 0.53 e 0.48. The RT prediction based on microchip data had precision (rc) ranged between 0.49 and 0.60 and accuracy (Cb) between 0.79 and 0.88. The inclusion of AT, RH and THI as predictive variables in models decrease the mean absolute error (23%) and increase the precision (21.3%) and accuracy (10.2%). The Concordance Correlation Coefficient and root-mean-square error for equations using tail or neck microchips were 0.68 and 0.67, and 0.29 and 0.28 °C, respectively. The tail base is a promising site for microchip implantation to predict rectal temperature. The inclusion of air temperature as a predictive variable in the models is recommended.

Evaluation of a commercial intravaginal thermometer to predict calving in a Hungarian Holstein-Friesian dairy farm.

In this study, the utility of a commercial intravaginal thermometer was evaluated as an automated method for the prediction of calving in a total of 257 healthy pregnant Holstein-Friesian female cattle. The accuracy and the sensitivity of predicting calving within 48 hr before calving were also evaluated. The intravaginal temperature changes from 72 hr before and up to calving were significantly (p ≤ .001) affected by parity, season (summer vs. autumn), the time of day (8 a.m. or 8 p.m.) and the 6-hr time intervals (38.19°C: first interval 0 to 6 hr before calving vs. 38.78°C: twelfth interval 66 to 72 hr before calving), while the gender (p = .943), and the weight of the calf (p = .610), twinning (p = .300), gestation length (p = .186), foetal presentation (p = .123), dystocia (p = .197) and retention of foetal membranes (p = .253) did not affect it significantly. The sensitivity of the SMS of expecting calving within 48 hr and the positive predictive value were 62.4% and 75%, respectively, while the sensitivity and the positive predictive value for the SMS of expulsion reached 100%. It can be concluded that the investigated thermometer is not able to predict calving within 48 hr accurately; however, imminent calving can be accurately alerted.

A comprehensive evaluation of microchips to measure temperature in dairy calves.

Elevated temperature is often an indicator of an immune response and used in the diagnosis of illness in dairy calves; however, measuring rectal temperature is labor intensive and often not measured daily on the farm. The objective of this study was to measure body temperature using a microchip and determine an appropriate implant site that would passively read body temperature in dairy calves. First, the precision of the temperature microchips and the rectal thermometer were tested ex vivo. Then, Holstein bull calves (n = 12) at 14 ± 12 d (mean ± SD) of age were implanted with microchips subcutaneously by the scutulum of the ear, subcutaneously in the upper scapula (SCAP), and intramuscularly in the trapezius muscle of the neck. One week after implantation, a temperature reading was taken for every microchip implant site using a radiofrequency ID (RFID) reader, as well as rectally and in the tympanic membrane using a digital thermometer every 60 min for 24 h in each calf (hereafter, the hourly study). Additionally, microchip readings and rectal temperatures were taken daily at 0800 h from 8 wk of age (n = 9; 57 ± 12 d of age) until 2 wk postweaning for a subset of the bull calves used in the hourly study (hereafter, the daily study). In the ex vivo trial, the microchip readings were very highly correlated with the rectal thermometer (r = 0.96), and the average coefficient of variation between microchip readings was very low (0.12 ± 0.03%). The relationships between the microchip readings within ear, SCAP, and neck and rectal and tympanic temperatures were analyzed using Pearson correlations and Bland-Altman plots. The ear and neck readings were strongly correlated for the hourly study [individual animal correlation; median (Q1, Q3), r = 0.78 (0.73, 0.84)] and for the daily study [r = 0.79 (0.73, 0.89)] across calves. However, rectal temperature was not significantly correlated with ear, SCAP, neck, or tympanic temperature for the daily and hourly studies. Results suggest that temperature microchips measure temperature appropriately, but temperature is dependent upon the implant site in calves, and temperature measured at ear, SCAP, and neck implant sites cannot be used to estimate rectal temperature. Future research should determine thresholds for fever that are specific to implant sites in calves.

Comparison of Rectal and Infrared Thermometry Temperatures in Anesthetized Swine (Sus scrofa).

Infrared thermometry (IRTM) is a noncontact method to measure temperature. The purpose of this study was to compare rectal temperature and IRTM in healthy anesthetized swine, with the hypothesis that IRTM would be an accurate, noninvasive alternative for rectal temperature measurement. Two groups of female Yorkshire-cross swine (n = 14 and n = 12) were sedated with Tiletamine-zolazepam (0.5 mg/kg) for blood collection during a routine physical examination. While sedated, rectal temperatures were measured using a SureTemp Plus 690 (Welch Allyn) and IRTM measurements were taken using a FLIR E5 thermal imaging camera. The 2 anatomic sites used for thermography measurements were the area surrounding the eye and the neck at the base of the ear. The distance from the imaging camera and the animal during IRTM measurements was 24 to 32 inches, a distance that would allow camera access in a standard swine enclosure. The infrared imaging camera's surface temperature measurement exhibited a proportional bias when compared with the rectal temperature. All rectal temperature measurements were between 98.7 °F to 101.3 °F, with a mean temperature of 100.4 °F. IRTM tended to underestimate rectal temperatures at lower values, and overestimate rectal temperatures at higher values by approximately (+) or (-) 0.8 °F of rectal temperature. Infrared thermometry can provide a quick noninvasive assessment of the body surface temperature, without the need for animal handling or restraint, but should not be considered an accurate replacement for rectal temperature measurement.

Assessment of Non-Contact Infrared Thermometer Measurement Sites in Birds.

The standard method of obtaining body temperature in a bird can be a stressful event, making routine evaluations challenging. Twenty-eight privately owned birds in good health were enrolled in the study to compare digital and infrared (IR) temperature readings. Digital thermometer readings in the cloaca were compared with two different IR thermometers, Ototemp (OT) and VetTemp (VT), used at the skin of the cloaca, breast, axillary area and tympanic membrane. The majority of the IR temperature readings were not significantly different from the cloacal digital reading. Additionally, the different IR thermometers read close to each other at individual reading sites. The IR measurements at the axilla (OT, mean = 40.35°C, SD = 1.24°C; VT, mean = 40.20°C, SD = 1.38°C) were most similar to the standard cloacal measurement (mean = 40.83°C, SD = 0.88°C). For veterinarians who currently avoid measuring cloacal body temperatures to prevent unnecessary stress on avian patients utilizing IR thermometers in the axillary region provide a less invasive and reasonable measurement of core body temperature in birds to allow for a more comprehensive assessment of health status.

Effect of monitoring the onset of calving by a calving alarm thermometer on the prevalence of dystocia, stillbirth, retained fetal membranes and clinical metritis in a Hungarian dairy farm.

The objective of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of an intravaginal thermometer in the field prediction of the second stage of labor and to determine its impact on the health of dams and newborn calves. Holstein cows (n = 241) were randomly selected about 5 (mean ±â€¯SD: 4.7 ±â€¯2.0) days before the expected date of calving and the thermometer was inserted into the vagina. Another 113 cattle served as controls. There was no false alarm during the experiment. The risk of dystocia (Score >1) was 1.9 times higher, the prevalence of stillbirth was 19.8 times higher, the risk of retained fetal membranes (RFM) was 2.8 times higher and the risk of clinical metritis was 10.5 times higher in the control group than in the experimental group. The prevalence of stillbirth was 7 times higher in cows with dystocia compared to cows with eutocia. The presence of dystocia and stillbirth increased the risk of RFM 4 and 5 times, respectively. The occurrence of RFM increased the risk of development of clinical metritis with a 22 times higher odds. The results indicate that the use of calving alert systems not only facilitates controlling the time of parturition and providing prompt and appropriate calving assistance but also decreases the number of dystocia cases and improves reproductive efficiency, postpartum health of the dam and newborn calf survival.

Body temperature of bitches in the first week after parturition measured by ingestible loggers.

The objective of this study was to identify the physiological ranges of body temperature of bitches in the first 7 days after parturition by measurement with ingestible temperature loggers. Twenty bitches swallowed one ingestible temperature logger daily. Bitches were defined to be healthy by spontaneous parturition and leucocyte concentration. Mean core body temperatures of eight healthy bitches were (Mean ± SD) 38.8°C ± 0.40 on day 0 p.p., 38.9°C ± 0.47 on day 1 p.p., 38.9°C ± 0.35 on day 2 p.p. 38.7°C ± 0.31 on day 3 p.p., respectively. In the following days, the three remaining healthy bitches showed mean core body temperatures (Mean ± SD) of 38.8°C ± 0.30 on day 4 p.p., 38.6°C ± 0.35 on day 5 p.p., 38.5°C ± 0.27 on day 6 p.p. and 38.4°C ± 0.34 on day 7 p.p., respectively. Three out of the eight healthy bitches showed temperatures ≥39.5°C. Bitches with leucocytosis showed significant higher mean core body temperatures (39.0°C ± 0.49) than healthy bitches (38.8°C ± 0.39) during the first 3 days after parturition (p < 0.01). We conclude that the physiological ranges of body temperature of healthy bitches in the first days after parturition do not differ from those of healthy dogs in general, while the appearance of short episodes of febrile temperatures seems to be physiological. Puerperal bitches with leucocytosis show higher body temperatures increased by only 0.2°C.

Evaluation of Infrared Thermometry in Cynomolgus Macaques (Macaca fascicularis).

Recording an accurate body temperature is important to assess an animal's health status. We compared temperature data from sedated cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) to evaluate differences between rectal, infrared (inguinal and chest), and implanted telemetry techniques with the objective of demonstrating the diagnostic equivalence of the infrared device with other approaches. Infrared thermometer readings are instantaneous and require no contact with the animal. Body temperature data were obtained from 205 (137 male, 68 female) cynomolgus macaques under ketamine (10 mg/kg IM) sedation over a 3-mo period during scheduled physical examinations. Infrared measurements were taken 5 cm from the chest and inguinal areas. We evaluated 10 (9 functional devices) sedated cynomolgus macaques (5 male, 5 female) implanted with telemetry units in a muscular pouch between the internal and external abdominal oblique muscles. We determined that the mean body temperature acquired by using telemetry did not differ from either the mean of inguinal and chest infrared measurements but did differ from the mean of temperature obtained rectally. In addition, the mean rectal temperature differed from the mean of the inguinal reading but not the mean of the chest temperature. The results confirm our hypothesis that the infrared thermometer can be used to replace standard rectal thermometry.

Evaluation of a telemetric gastrointestinal pill for continuous monitoring of gastrointestinal temperature in horses at rest and during exercise.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate use of a telemetric gastrointestinal (GI) pill to continuously monitor GI temperature in horses at rest and during exercise and to compare time profiles of GI temperature and rectal temperature. ANIMALS 8 Standardbred horses. PROCEDURES Accuracy and precision of the GI pill and a rectal probe were determined in vitro by comparing temperature measurements with values obtained by a certified resistance temperature detector (RTD) in water baths at various temperatures (37°, 39°, and 41°C). Subsequently, both GI and rectal temperature were recorded in vivo in 8 horses over 3 consecutive days. The GI temperature was recorded continuously, and rectal temperature was recorded for 3.5 hours daily. Comparisons were made between GI temperature and rectal temperature for horses at rest, during exercise, and after exercise. RESULTS Water bath evaluation revealed good agreement between the rectal probe and RTD. However, the GI pill systematically underestimated temperature by 0.14°C. In vivo, GI temperature data were captured with minimal difficulties. Most data loss occurred during the first 16 hours, after which the mean ± SD data loss was 8.6 ± 3.7%. The GI temperature was consistently and significantly higher than rectal temperature with an overall mean temperature difference across time of 0.27°C (range, 0.22° to 0.32°C). Mean measurement cessation point for the GI pill was 5.1 ± 1.0 days after administration. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE This study revealed that the telemetric GI pill was a reliable and practical method for real-time monitoring of GI temperature in horses.

Nasopharyngeal temperature measurement in sheep during general anesthesia.

The aim of this study was to compare nasopharyngeal and esophageal temperature measurements in anesthetized sheep with a range of fresh gas flows (1 to 6 L/min) through the breathing system. Data were compared using a Bland-Altman plot and correlation coefficients, and error measures were calculated. One hundred and ninety-five sets of data were collected from 20 sheep weighing 41 kg (31 to 51.5 kg). The bias (95% limit of agreement), correlation coefficient, and absolute error for nasopharyngeal compared to esophageal temperature were 0.04°C (-0.77°C to 0.85°C), 0.92, and 0.29°C ± 0.29°C, respectively. The percentage of nasopharyngeal readings within 0.5°C of the esophageal temperature was 77.44%. The error did not significantly increase with increasing fresh gas flow. Nasopharyngeal temperature measurement is suitable for estimation of esophageal temperature during general anesthesia of sheep when the fresh gas flow through the breathing system is between 1 and 6 L/min.

L'objectif de la présente étude était de comparer les mesures des températures nasopharyngiennes et oesophagiennes chez des moutons anesthésiés avec une variation du flux de gaz frais (1 à 6 L/min) à travers le système respiratoire. Les données ont été comparées à l'aide d'un graphique de Bland-Altman et des coefficients de corrélation, et les erreurs de mesure ont été calculées. Cent quatre-vingt-quinze paires de données ont été obtenues de 20 moutons pesant en moyenne 41 kg (31 à 51,5 kg). Le biais (limite d'accord de 95 %), le coefficient de corrélation, et l'erreur absolue de la température nasopharngienne comparée à la température oesophagienne étaient 0,04 °C (−0,77 °C à 0,85 °C), 0,92, et 0,29 °C ± 0,29 °C, respectivement. Le pourcentage de lecture de température nasopharyngienne à l'intérieur d'un écart de 0,5 °C de la température oesophagienne était de 77,44 %. L'erreur n'a pas augmenté de manière significative avec l'augmentation du flux de gaz frais. La mesure de la température nasopharyngienne est appropriée pour estimer la température oesophagienne lors de l'anesthésie générale de moutons lorsque le flux de gaz frais à travers le système respiratoire se situe entre 1 et 6 L/min.(Traduit par Docteur Serge Messier).