Evaluating Non-Contact Infrared Thermometry as an Alternative to Rectal Temperature Measurement in Cattle and Goats
Simson Soren *
Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Joyhing, North Lakhimpur-787051, India.
Sanjib Borah
Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Joyhing, North Lakhimpur-787051, India.
Prasanta Chabukdhara
Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Joyhing, North Lakhimpur-787051, India.
Suraksha Subedi Deka
Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Joyhing, North Lakhimpur-787051, India.
Parijat Kashyap
Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Joyhing, North Lakhimpur-787051, India.
Deepandita Barman
Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Joyhing, North Lakhimpur-787051, India.
Arunoday Das
Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Joyhing, North Lakhimpur-787051, India.
Latu Nath
Department of Zoology, Lakhimpur Telahi Kamalabaria (LTK) College, North Lakhimpur, Assam, India.
Maina Taid
Department of Zoology, Lakhimpur Telahi Kamalabaria (LTK) College, North Lakhimpur, Assam, India.
Dimpul Dharadwaj
Assam Downtown University, Panikhaiti, Guwahati, Assam, Pin – 781026, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study investigates the correlation between rectal and eye temperatures in cattle and goats, aiming to validate non-contact infrared thermometry as a practical alternative for assessing core body temperature. Experiment 1. Conducted on eleven (n=11) healthy lactating cows; Experiment 2. Conducted on eleven (n=11) healthy goats post-grazing; Experiment 3. Conducted on ten (n=10) healthy goats before and after grazing. Results indicated that eye temperatures were consistently lower than rectal temperatures, with significant positive correlations observed in certain conditions, such as post-grazing in goats. While eye temperature measurements did not consistently match rectal temperatures under normal conditions, they showed potential for detecting thermal responses following heat stress. This suggests that non-contact eye temperature measurement could serve as a supplementary tool for monitoring animal health in specific contexts.
Keywords: Non-contact infrared thermometry, rectal temperature, eye temperature, cattle and goat